SQLite format 3@ 5R- ii!%%atableTopicsTopicsCREATE TABLE Topics (Title NVARCHAR(100), Notes TEXT) 19y 12-March 17-23-Love Stories7 u 11-Mar 10-16-God as ArtistD  10-Mar 3-9-The Promise of PrayerN ! 09-Feb 25-Mar 2-The Bible and History7 u 08-Feb 18-24-Creation CareD  07-Feb 11-17-Lord of the Sabbath;} 06-Feb 4-10-God the LawgiverJ 05-Jan 28-Feb 3-The Holiness of GodX5 04-Jan 21-27-The God of Grace and Judgment;} 03-Jan 14-20-God as Redeemer;} 02-Jan 7-13-In the Beginning%Q 00.2-INTRODUCTIONZ9 00.1-ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE- 2012-QBb <    g llZK|AA !01 501-Dec 31-Jan 6-The Triune God {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;l ]01-Dec 31-Jan 6-The Triune God {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}{\f4\fnil\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}{\f5\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blueU 66+}i02-Jan 7-13-In the Beginning{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}{\f4\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\coloK9m00.1-ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE{\rtf15Q)00.2-INTRODUCTION{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}{\f2\fnil\fcharset0 Trebuchet MS;}} {\colortbl\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;\red51\green153\blue102;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4230\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 13\b0\fs22\tab\i *March 24-30\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\b\fs28 The Promise \i of\i0 His Return\par \scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i 2Pe_3:1-10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul 2Pe_3:13\cf1\ulnone ;\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Joh_14:2-3\cf1\ulnone\i0 ;\i \cf2\ul Dan_2:44\cf1\ulnone ;\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Heb_9:28\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Heb_11:1-40\cf1\ulnone\i0 ; \cf2\ul\i Rev_6:9-11\cf1\ulnone\i0 ;\i \cf2\ul Luk_12:42-48\cf1\ulnone\i0 .\par \b Memory Text:\b0 \ldblquote \lquote And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work\rquote \rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Rev_22:12\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 .\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b Key Thought\b0 :\b When is Jesus coming back? Who knows? In one sense, it doesn\rquote t matter. What matters, instead, is that He does.\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160 \tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 At the end of the 1990s, many were wondering if the world would last until the turn of the millennium. Then the year 2000 came and went. Some argued that the time calculation was wrong and 2001 was the actual year of the beginning of the new millennium. But, alas, we\rquote re still here. \par Either way, Seventh-day Adventists, unlike many other Christian traditions, believe that the second coming of Christ draws nearer. In news reports, even secu lar reporters sometimes reflect on how the world seems edging closer to some great crisis, whether political, ecological, economic, military, or any combination thereof. One doesn\rquote t need to be a biblical apocalyptist in order to see a world that seems to teeter on the brink of one catastrophe or another. \par None of this should surprise us; after all, just about every Bible prophecy depicting end times paints a rather bleak forecast for the world prior to the Second Coming. And surprise of surprises, that\rquote s exactly the world we live in.\par When is Jesus coming back? We don\rquote t know. What we do know is that He is, and that\rquote s what matters.\par \par \i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 31.\i0\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4230\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 25\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\fs28 The Beginning and the End\b0\p can the keeping of the law be equated with \ldblquote liberty\rdblquote ?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 x \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What examples can we find in the world, and all around us, of what happens when people violate God\rquote s law? How powerful a testimony are these examples of the value and continued validity of that law?\par \pard\par Summary\b0 : God\rquote s law is an expression of His love, and when we love as God loves us, we will truly reveal the law in all its beauty and power.\tab\tab\b\fs28\par } ve. What is law-keeping without love like? How is it often manifested? At the same time, what is love without law-keeping like? What kind of love is it, if love at all? Why do they need to be linked?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 In what ways does the law reveal the character of the Lawgiver? How does God\rquote s law reveal to us what God is like?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 w\cf1\b\f0\fs22 What does Ellen White mean when she talks above about the law being a \ldblquote law of liberty\rdblquote ? How uote The truth shall make you free;\rquote and Christ is the truth. . . . Subjection to God is restoration to one\rquote s self,-to the true glory and dignity of man. The divine law, to which we are brought into subjection, is \lquote the law of liberty.\rquote \cf2\ul Jam_2:12\cf1\ulnone .\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , p. 466. \par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22\par \cf0\f3\fs28 u\cf1\b\f0\fs22 Discuss your answer to Thursday\rquote s questions about law and lo nders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. . . . True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan\rquote s control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God.\par \ldblquote The only condition upon which the freedom of man is possible is that of becoming one with Christ. \lq of Satan.\rquote There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO, and Live. . . . The Lord has given His holy commandments to be a wall of protection around His created beings.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Sons and Daughters of God\i0 , p. 53.\par \ldblquote In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surre0\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 \ldblquote The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai\rquote s mount were the revelation of the character of God, and made known to the world the fact that He had jurisdiction over the whole human heritage. That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise. \lquote This do, and you will not come under the dominion and controlt? How would the world be different if everyone lived by each commandment? How might the church be different? How might we be different? After allowing sufficient time for personal reflection and journaling, encourage class members to share their most significant insights either in pairs or with the rest of the group. \cf1\lang1033\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 10\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx216ir Bibles reflecting on how each of the Ten Commandments gives us a glimpse of the nature of God. Working through \cf5\ul Exo_20:1-17\cf3\ulnone , ask class members to journal, or discuss in class, their insights either verse-by-verse or commandment-by-commandment. Suggest that class members use some, or all, of the following questions to aid their reflection: What aspect of God\rquote s character is reflected in each commandment? What do we learn about life lived as a follower of God from each commandmen>e sinew and muscle of the religious experience.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Gospel Workers, \i0 pp. 254, 255.\par \ldblquote When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers. We are so erring and shortsighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our highest good-that which we ourselar \fs22 The description of our pitiful human condition is honestly and correctly painted in Scripture. Bible writers did not always despair, however, because they knew the final outcome. The last chapters in the books of Isaiah and Revelation assure us that the destruction of sin is coming and that God\rquote s kingdom will be restored. God revealed to His prophets the \ldblquote last things\rdblquote that will lead to the ending of our world\rquote s dark history. These prophets gave full weight to th thousands of years this chief of conspiracy has palmed off falsehood for truth. But the time has now come when the rebellion is to be finally defeated and the history and character of Satan disclosed.\rdblquote -Page 670.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 If people are developing warped views of God based on Satan\rquote s lies, how can we help them to see the benevolent God whom we know and love? How does the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross inform one\rquote s view of God?\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pardd\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 9\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\fs22 \par \b0\ldblquote Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life, and strengthens th way, but he continued to pray for her and for her family. He even anointed her. Yet, to his utter dismay, the member passed away. \par The seeming arbitrary nature of this failure of God to heal the woman left him speechless-faithless. Within a few short months, he had lost His faith in God. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100 If you were the friend listening to this tale of sorrow, what would you say to help your friend recover his faith in God and the power of prayer?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \par\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;\red51\green153\blue102;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 5\b0\fs22\tab\i *January 28-February 3\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqc\tx5040\tqc\tx5760\tqc\tx6480\tqc\tx7200\tqc\tx7920\b\fs28 The Holiness \i of\i0 God\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\par \scaps0\fs22 Read for This Week\rquote s Study:\b0\i \cf2\ul Mat_11:10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Mar_1:2\cf1\ulnone\i0 ; \cf2\ul\i Gen_2:3\cf1\ulnone\i0 ; \cf2\ul\i Job_42:5-6\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Luk_5:1-11\cf1\ulnone\i0 ; \cf2\ul\i Luk_4:31-36\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Isa_6:1-3\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rev_4:8-9\cf1\ulnone .\b\i0\par Memory Text:\b0 \b\ldblquote Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Psa_99:9\cf1\ulnone )\i0 .\par \b Key Thought\b0 :\b Scripture gives much attention to God\rquote s holiness. What does this holiness tell us about what God is like and what it means to the plan of salvation? \b0\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 One of the foundational assumptions of all biblical writers is that the God of heaven exists. None ever express any doubt about that; none make any kind of attempt to prove it, either. God\rquote s existence is just a given, a starting point, kind of like an axiom in geometry.\par Instead, we find within the 66 biblical books an extensive recounting of what God is like and how He relates to us as fallen beings whom He longs to redeem. \par This week\rquote s lesson focuses on one aspect of God\rquote s nature that\rquote s foundational in Scripture, and that is God\rquote s holiness. God is love, Yes. And Yes, God bids us call Him \ldblquote Father.\rdblquote And Yes, God is patient, forgiving, and caring. \par But, according to Scripture, fundamental to our understanding of God is His holiness. Both in the Old and New Testaments, God\rquote s holiness undergirds His revelation of Himself. This theme appears all through the Scriptures in one way or another. \par What, though, does it mean to say that God is holy? How does the Bible depict His holiness? And how do we, as unholy beings, relate to a God like this?\par \par \i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 4.\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 29\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28\ldblquote It Is Written\rdblquote \b0\par \fs22 Even a superficial study of church history makes it clear that it\rquote s all too easy to develop ideas about God and thenje gravity of the situation, but they lived with hope because the remedy had been revealed to them.\par As we looked at earlier, if you believe the world began by chance, you most likely will believe it will end that way, as well. This view that doesn\rquote t really leave much hope for those in between such a beginning and such an end, does it?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 In contrast, the Bible consistently refers to andlife had greatly discouraged him. As a pastor, he knew intimately the power of God. He had seen God work in the lives of countless people. He had seen God heal people in situations that seemed dire.\par So, when a dear member of his church grew sick, he did what he had always done: he prayed. He knew that God had the power to heal this member, and, given God\rquote s track record in His life, he presumed it would be done. He fasted for the dying member and waited on God. God didn\rquote t answer right880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Share the following true situation with your class. Have the class members respond to this person\rquote s need.\par One friend shared the following struggle with another. He was a believer in God, but an occurrence in his t, self-assured, and full of oneself is a recipe for spiritual disaster. \par \b What are the things you\rquote re praying fervently for? As you pray, ask yourself, What could I be doing differently that could help bring about the answer that I so desperately want? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2!1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Luk_9:23\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Joh_14:15\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 1Th_4:3\cf1\ulnone .)\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 Perhaps, of all the conditions necessary for us to have an effective prayer life, the central one is our own sense of need, our own sense of helplessness, our own sense that we are sinners in need of grace, and that our only hope exists in the Lord, who has done so much for us. To be arrogan"rfect in order to have our prayers answered. She\rquote s clear, too, that our acceptance with God is not based on us or on our merit but only on the merits of Christ for us. She is saying that we have to be in an attitude of faith, humility, and surrender to God\rquote s will in order for Him to be able to work in our lives.\par \b How do the following texts help us understand what it means to \ldblquote comply with the conditions\rdblquote ? \b0\i (See \cf2\ul Heb_10:38\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Deu_4:29\cf#known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions. Our own merit will never commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save us, His blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Steps to Christ\i0 , p. 95. \par She\rquote s not saying that we have to be pe$wer our prayers, but there are things we need to do in the process. It has been said that we need to live out our prayers; that is, we need to do all that we can, in our power, to see them answered. This isn\rquote t humanism, nor is it showing a lack of faith. On the contrary, it\rquote s part of what living by faith is all about. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\ldblquote If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any % With Conditions\b0\par \fs22 Someone sits in a restaurant, consuming a large meal, filled with fatty food that they wash down with a soft drink. They then finish off with a large bowl of chocolate ice cream covered in hot fudge. That night, before going to bed (and having a little snack before then, too), they get on their knees to pray. Part of their prayer is, \ldblquote O Lord, please help me lose weight.\rdblquote\par What\rquote s wrong with this picture?\par The fact is, we can expect God to ansould that be? What are some of the pitfalls in art? At the same time, how can we use our own artistic gifts in a way that glorifies God and advances His kingdom? \par \par Summary:\b0 God\rquote s skills as an artist have been underrated. His created world is often appreciated, but the expression of His artistic skills extends His great abilities much further. God designs that Christians especially should be a source of \ldblquote beauty\rdblquote in a dark and dying planet.\b\fs28\par \pard\par } '\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\cf0\b0\f4\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Look around at the created world, at nature, even after it has been so long defiled by sin. In what ways does it powerfully testify not only to the creative power of God but to His artistic mastery and love of beauty? What things in nature do you find truly beautiful, and why? \par \cf0\b0\f4\fs28 w \cf1\b\f0\fs22 As we said in the introduction, Christians have always had some ambivalence about the arts. Why w( Child Guidance, \i0 pp. 476, 477.\par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\fs22\par \cf0\b0\f4\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What opportunity have you had to develop and use any artistic skills? As you created something of beauty, how have you been mindful that this act of creating something is one way in which you are reflecting the \ldblquote image of God\rdblquote ? Put another way, how are you reflecting the creative power of the Lord\b0 \b by being creative? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260) parent consider time well spent that is occupied in training the children for useful lives and fitting them for the immortal kingdom. The artist\rquote s work is small and unimportant compared with that of the parent. The one deals with lifeless material, from which he fashions forms of beauty; but the other deals with a human being whose life can be shaped for good or ill, to bless humanity or to curse it; to go out in darkness, or to live forever in a future sinless world.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i*ases\i0 , vol. 6, p. 11, emphasis added.\par \ldblquote How earnestly and perseveringly the artist labors to transfer to canvas a perfect likeness of his model; and how diligently the sculptor hews and chisels out the stone into a counterpart of the copy he is following. So the parents should labor to shape, polish, and refine their children after the pattern given them in Christ Jesus. As the patient artist studies, and works, and forms plans to make the results of his labors more perfect, so should the+200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 \ldblquote Let the converting power of God be experienced in the heart of the individual members, and then we shall see the deep moving of the Spirit of God. Mere forgiveness of sin is not the sole result of the death of Jesus. He made the infinite sacrifice not only that sin might be removed, but that human nature might be restored,\i \i0 rebeautified, reconstructed from its ruins, and made fit for the presence of God.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Manuscript Rele&we must ask God to supply our needs (\cf5\ul Mat_7:7\cf3\ulnone , \cf5\ul Jam_4:2\cf3\ulnone ). For what things should we ask God? What is unacceptable? How do we help a friend who may be asking God for something that may not be in his or her best interest?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Thursday\fs22 \b0\scaps0\tab\i March 8\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Complying\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 These activities are intended to prompt class members to explore the Ten Commandments and their application to our lives in different ways.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b Activity:\b0 Suggestions for Individual Activities: If supplies are available, provide paper and pens or pencils and ask class members to spend time with the.t? Write out your thoughts and bring them to class on Sabbath. \b0\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\lang3081\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600is when people, in claiming that grace, try to use it as an excuse to sin. What examples of that deception can be seen in the Christian world? Or even in our own church? \b0\par \pard\b\par Summary: \b0 God is a God of justice, and justice demands judgment. God is also a God of grace. How crucial that we, as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, proclaiming the three angels\rquote messages, understand both these divine truths and what they reveal to us about our God. \f4\fs23\par } 0 your Maker? How does your answer help you understand the need of grace?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 w \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What\rquote s the deadly spiritual trap of thinking that because we\rquote re saved by grace, it doesn\rquote t matter what we do? How can you protect yourself against falling into that deception?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 x \cf1\b\f0\fs22 People sometimes warn us about \ldblquote cheap grace.\rdblquote Yet, there\rquote s no such thing. Grace isn\rquote t cheap-it\rquote s free! What\rquote s cheap 1in the judgment? How does Ellen White describe God\rquote s faithful people, and why is that important? How clearly do you see yourself described there? \par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Imagine standing before God with everything you have ever done, good and bad, exposed? How well would you fare? Would you be able to stand before God on the basis of your good deeds, even the ones done out of the sincerest and most honest of motives? Do you really think that they would be enough to commend you before2 he claims them as his subjects. \par \ldblquote Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying: I know them by name. I have graven them on the palms of my hands.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Great Controversy\i0 , p. 484. \par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22\par \cf0\f3\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 How does the above quote help you understand the role of grace 3piration reveals it. \par \ldblquote While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of His grace, Satan accuses them before God as transgressors. The great deceiver has sought to lead them into skepticism, to cause them to lose confidence in God, to separate themselves from His love, and to break His law. Now he points to the record of their lives, to the defects of character, the unlikeness to Christ, which has dishonored their Redeemer, to all the sins that he has tempted them to commit, and because of these4e blending of God\rquote s justice and mercy, and one surrounds His throne. Design a piece of art for your kitchen window that reminds you of this aspect of God\rquote s character.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4365\tqr\tx8730\b\scaps\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 27\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\fs22 \b0 How do grace and judgment work together? Here\rquote s how ins5eachers: \cf3\b0 Suggest the following ideas to do during the week:\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf6\f3\fs28 u\cf3\f2\fs24 Write a poem expressing joy and praise to God for the beauty of His judgments and the blessings of His grace.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\cf6\f3\fs28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 A rainbow is a symbol of th6gment and grace to others? What more could you do to help spread it because, most likely, you could be doing more, right? Right?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Just for T7have sinned, all have violated God\rquote s law. Here, among the last warning message to the world, God\rquote s grace is proclaimed. Otherwise, judgment would condemn everyone, without exception. Without grace, what message would we have for the world other than that God is going to destroy us all and there\rquote s no hope of escape? Fortunately, the message we have has the \ldblquote everlasting gospel\rdblquote as its foundation.\par \b What role are you playing in helping spread this message of jud8erses reveal the link between God\rquote s justice and His grace? How do they also parallel what we saw in \cf2\ul Gen_3:1-24\cf1\ulnone and how it showed the relationship between grace and judgment?\par \b0 How interesting that before the warning that the \ldblquote hour of His judgment has come\rdblquote \i (NKJV), \i0 the angel is proclaiming the \ldblquote everlasting gospel.\rdblquote It has to be that way, otherwise the judgment would condemn all humanity. No one would have a chance because all 9ng us have on the day of judgment, when all these things will be revealed? \par Fortunately, though, our God is also a God of grace. The whole plan of salvation was established so that every human being could, ideally, be spared the condemnation that God\rquote s justice would demand. Without grace, we\rquote d all be consumed by God\rquote s justice. Our only hope, then, standing before a just God, is grace.\par \b Read the first angel\rquote s message in \cf2\ul Rev_14:6-7\cf1\ulnone . How do these v: a poet wrote. Who can\rquote t relate? Who hasn\rquote t himself or herself been the victim of just how greedy, selfish, and mean people can be? Or who hasn\rquote t at some point been the greedy, selfish, and mean one? \par Thus, if God is just, and if justice were His only major attribute, who among us would stand before Him? If the Lord knows even our secret things, our secret deeds \i (\cf2\ul Ecc_12:14\cf1\ulnone ) \i0 (much less what we have done in public), what chance would even the godliest amo; (\cf2\ul Mat_10:26\cf1\ulnone ). \i0\par Looking around at the world, we shouldn\rquote t have a problem understanding the idea of judgment and condemnation. One doesn\rquote t have to be a believing Christian to realize that something is radically wrong with humanity. Who can\rquote t see what a royal mess, even disaster, we\rquote ve made of things? Maybe we cry so hard at birth because, instinctively, we know what\rquote s coming. \ldblquote I cried when I was born and every day shows why,\rdblquote < correlate with, and deepen your appreciation for, what Christ did for us on the cross?\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 26\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Hour of His Judgment\b0\par \b\fs22\ldblquote Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known\rdblquote\b0 \i=720\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b Life Application:\b0 If you are a parent, what examples from your child-rearing experiences illustrate the importance of consequences and just judgment, tempered by grace? Or perhaps you are in a position of authority in your field of employment, responsible for supervising your coworkers? In any of these situations that have required judgment or discipline, have you had to take upon yourself the consequences earned by the child or coworker? How does this experience>\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Discuss this question to help your class make a personal application of the lesson.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li?hat was theirs is, through the merits of Jesus, canceled, and they stand in His perfect righteousness. \par In fact, what does grace mean apart from the prospect of condemnation? Just as the idea of condemnation implies judgment, so does the idea of grace. Were there no potential for judgment (and condemnation), there would be no need for grace. The notion of grace itself all but demands the notion of condemnation. Hence, more reason to see how grace and judgment are linked. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360@ all have sinned and all deserve the death that sin brings. These texts clearly debunk the notion that, after the Cross, all humanity was automatically justified. Instead, after the Cross, the whole condemned world was now offered salvation through the atoning death of Jesus Christ, which was sufficient for every human being. Everyone stands condemned; everyone, though, who through the grace of Christ accepts the provision offered, stands pardoned, justified, and redeemed through Jesus. The condemnation tAime, God\rquote s grace offers those who are guilty a way out, and that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. \i\par He that believes in Jesus is not condemned.\i0 That\rquote s what the texts say. It\rquote s that simple. Christ\rquote s righteousness covers that person, and that person stands without condemnation, now and in the judgment. \par \b What reason do the texts give for condemnation?\b0\par According to these texts, the default state of humanity is that of condemnation. And that\rquote s becauseBent work together?\par \b0 The word translated \ldblquote condemn\rdblquote in verse 17 is also translated in some versions as \ldblquote judge.\rdblquote Clearly, though, the context is that of condemnation, because God has made it clear in numerous other places that the world will be judged.\par Two themes appear in these texts, grace and judgment, and they are radically intertwined. Sin and darkness and evil have brought the need for a God of justice to judge and condemn these things. At the same tCsb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\fs32 Wednesday\b0\fs22\tab\i January 25\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Condemnation and Grace\b0\par \fs22 Most everyone is familiar with \cf2\ul Joh_3:16\cf1\ulnone . What comes after, though, helps flesh it out and explain it even better.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Joh_3:17-21\cf1\ulnone . What does it say about judgment? About grace? How do these verses reveal to us how grace and judgmDmself to bear the consequence of sin for us. It was God\rquote s grace, and only God\rquote s grace, that could answer to God\rquote s judgment that was called forth by the horrific effects of sin; and it is the riches of God\rquote s grace, lavished on those who believe, that can fill us with the fullness of God Himself. What can we do but praise Him and give Him glory?\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Did God show mercy to Christ on the cross? Explain your answer.\cf1\b\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\Enderness, the compassion, the loving kindness of the Father, expressed in the riches of His grace to us and poured out through the gift of His Son Jesus. In the giving of this gift, He broke His own heart so that we might be saved. Christ\rquote s heart, too, was broken. It took a consequence far greater than we could ever imagine (much less ourselves bear) to answer the just requirements of the beautiful and righteous law, which is the foundation of God\rquote s character and the universe. It took God HiFigh, and deep Christ\rquote s love is and so be filled with the fullness of God! The Father is so able to do \ldblquote immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine\rdblquote (vs. 20, NIV). He loves to bless us. He lavishes us with His riches, His power, His grace. He takes pleasure in doing all this for us, because He loves us. It was because He loves us that He sent the greatest gift of all, His only begotten Son to die for us.\par All the superlatives we can muster are not adequate to describe the te-tnessing:\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 \cf5\ul 2Ch_7:14\cf3\ulnone tells us that if God\rquote s people humble themselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways, He will hear their petitions and heal their land. What would you say to a nonbeliever who feels excluded from the blessings offered in this verse? \par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 Wednesday\rquote s study reminds us that H Bible prayers teach us about praying?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 If God knows our needs and desires and how best to meet them, why then does He summon us to pray? Is God out to simply meet our needs, or are our wishes an invitation to closer fellowship with Him? \par \cf6\f4 w\cf3\f2 What do you do when God does not answer your prayers? How do you cope?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b Questions for WiIGod\rquote s criteria for communing with us? Does He have one? Explain.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Application Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 Which prayers in the Bible speak most to you? Do you have a favorite prayer on which you model some of your prayers? What doJng to self written about by the apostle Paul in \cf5\ul 1Co_15:31\cf3\ulnone ? \par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 Is there a connection between praying and knowing what to pray for? The lesson makes clear that we should not wait until we are experts at prayer before we begin to pray. Why is this? How does God teach us when we choose to spend time with Him in prayer?\par \cf6\f4 w\cf3\f2 Many people hesitate to pray because they are afraid that God will not accept them after the wrongs they\rquote ve done. What is s28 x \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Imagine in class someone new arrives and they ask: \ldblquote Can you teach me what it means to pray? How should I pray? Why should I pray? And what should I expect when I do pray, and what should I not expect?\rdblquote How would you answer them? \par \par \pard Summary: \b0 No question, there are a lot of things about prayer that we don\rquote t grasp. But those who pray do know one thing for sure: prayer will change your life, and for the better, as well.\b\fs28\par } Lrip and, when the car doesn\rquote t break down, they attribute the happy circumstances to answered prayers. Which is fine. But what do you say to the person who also prayed, in this case that their child wouldn\rquote t die, and yet the child dies? How do we understand these things? Or can we?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\cf0\b0\f3\fs28 w \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fMn though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Steps to Christ\i0 , p. 96. \par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22 \par \cf0\f3\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What do you say to someone who asks, \ldblquote Why pray, if God knows all things in advance?\rdblquote \par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Who at times doesn\rquote t struggle with the question of answered and unanswered prayer? For instance, someone prays that their car not break down on a tNd desire if with vision divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are. When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. Then do not fear to trust Him, eveOand muscle of the religious experience.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Gospel Workers, \i0 pp. 254, 255.\par \ldblquote When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers. We are so erring and shortsighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our highest good-that which we ourselves woulPtlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 9\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\fs22 \par \b0\ldblquote Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life, and strengthens the sinew Qt he continued to pray for her and for her family. He even anointed her. Yet, to his utter dismay, the member passed away. \par The seeming arbitrary nature of this failure of God to heal the woman left him speechless-faithless. Within a few short months, he had lost His faith in God. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100 If you were the friend listening to this tale of sorrow, what would you say to help your friend recover his faith in God and the power of prayer?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidcould that be? What are some of the pitfalls in art? At the same time, how can we use our own artistic gifts in a way that glorifies God and advances His kingdom? \par \par Summary:\b0 God\rquote s skills as an artist have been underrated. His created world is often appreciated, but the expression of His artistic skills extends His great abilities much further. God designs that Christians especially should be a source of \ldblquote beauty\rdblquote in a dark and dying planet.\b\fs28\par \pard\par } S\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\cf0\b0\f4\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Look around at the created world, at nature, even after it has been so long defiled by sin. In what ways does it powerfully testify not only to the creative power of God but to His artistic mastery and love of beauty? What things in nature do you find truly beautiful, and why? \par \cf0\b0\f4\fs28 w \cf1\b\f0\fs22 As we said in the introduction, Christians have always had some ambivalence about the arts. Why wT Child Guidance, \i0 pp. 476, 477.\par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\fs22\par \cf0\b0\f4\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What opportunity have you had to develop and use any artistic skills? As you created something of beauty, how have you been mindful that this act of creating something is one way in which you are reflecting the \ldblquote image of God\rdblquote ? Put another way, how are you reflecting the creative power of the Lord\b0 \b by being creative? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260U parent consider time well spent that is occupied in training the children for useful lives and fitting them for the immortal kingdom. The artist\rquote s work is small and unimportant compared with that of the parent. The one deals with lifeless material, from which he fashions forms of beauty; but the other deals with a human being whose life can be shaped for good or ill, to bless humanity or to curse it; to go out in darkness, or to live forever in a future sinless world.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \iVases\i0 , vol. 6, p. 11, emphasis added.\par \ldblquote How earnestly and perseveringly the artist labors to transfer to canvas a perfect likeness of his model; and how diligently the sculptor hews and chisels out the stone into a counterpart of the copy he is following. So the parents should labor to shape, polish, and refine their children after the pattern given them in Christ Jesus. As the patient artist studies, and works, and forms plans to make the results of his labors more perfect, so should theW200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 \ldblquote Let the converting power of God be experienced in the heart of the individual members, and then we shall see the deep moving of the Spirit of God. Mere forgiveness of sin is not the sole result of the death of Jesus. He made the infinite sacrifice not only that sin might be removed, but that human nature might be restored,\i \i0 rebeautified, reconstructed from its ruins, and made fit for the presence of God.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Manuscript ReleX2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640 I. Orphans\par II. Politicians\par III. Teenagers\par IV. Military commanders and soldiers\par V. The wealthy\par VI. The sick and dying\par VII. Spouses\par VIII. Parents\par IX. Pastors\par X. Lawyers\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 16\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7Ytruth, truth beauty,\rquote -that is all/ Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.\rdblquote -Ode on a Grecian Urn.\par In \cf5\ul Joh_14:6\cf3\ulnone , Jesus declared among other things that He was the Truth. Did you get that? Truth is a Person. Is there anything more beautiful, or more important, than knowing Jesus? Broadly speaking, how might the lives of the following groups of people be informed, changed, enhanced, by the truth as it is in Jesus?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1800\txZf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Distribute slips of paper to the class, then read John Keat\rquote s quotation to them. Ask the class to answer the following question: What on earth or in heaven is more beautiful than truth? Once the class has answered this question, consider its implications for the groups of people mentioned below.\par The introduction to this week\rquote s lesson quoted a snippet of John Keat\rquote s famous poem on beauty. The whole quotation reads, \ldblquote /\lquote Beauty is [ays a fun process?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\b0\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\c\er of life-changing orientation running deep and swift in its cleansing, shaping, and beautifying power. The gospel of Jesus Christ creatively builds with integrity and wholeness. Genuine newness is the result of an inward dynamic at work, a divine creativity that restores beauty to a fallen, sinful life. \par \b Sculpting involves chiseling, filing, maybe even the breaking off of parts. What areas in your life need to be sculpted a bit more? How much resistance do you put up during what isn\rquote t alw]who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. . . . Mary stood beside the Cross. . . . Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , p. 568.\par Salvation history is full of divine creativity, restoring in fallen men and women the lost \ldblquote image of God.\rdblquote The gospel is no cosmetic facelift but a matt^t kind of changes came about in them?\b0\par Another good example is Mary Magdalene. \ldblquote Mary had been . . . a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. . . . It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive is sin to His unsullied purity, and in His strength she had overcome. . . . [This woman] _ersons we might disregard as unattractive and unworthy and fashioning them into something beautiful.\par \b Who are some characters in the Bible who needed a bit of spiritual sculpting, as it were? What needed changes were made in their lives? For instance, Jacob \b0\i (\cf2\ul Gen_32:22-30\cf1\ulnone )\b ; \i0 David\b0 \i (\cf2\ul Psa_51:1-19\cf1\ulnone )\b ; \i0 Peter \b0\i (\cf2\ul Luk_22:31-32\cf1\ulnone )\b ; \i0 Paul \b0\i (\cf2\ul Act_9:1-22\cf1\ulnone ). \b\i0 Whom else can you think of, and wha`rch 15\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 God as a Sculptor\b0 \par \fs22 God is also a sculptor, but not one limited to granite or marble. Instead, He sculpts our characters. He can take a sinful human being and mold and chisel and hammer away until that person reflects something of heaven\rquote s glory. God has given extensive evidence of such profound skills. From cover to cover in Scripture, we find God taking p ediately +}i02-Jan 7-13-In the Beginning{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}{\f4\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lans, choices that influence history. The point is that just because God works through history doesn\rquote t mean He causes all that happens. What it means, instead, is that despite the machinations and evil of human beings, God is there, working out His ultimate will and that He will bring human history to a grand and glorious close. \par Biblical Christians believe that the Bible writers operated within the framework that God had revealed and that He inspired them to record the most significant events ic powerful evidence for faith.\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 Is human history a meaningless series of events, or is there a central direction toward a specified goal, all according to a plan? The Bible makes it clear that the latter is true. Bible writers in both testaments insist that God directs history and reveals Himself in it. \par Yet, not all history reveals God\rquote s will: humans are free to make bad choiceG his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe\rdblquote (vs. 18, 19 NIV). \par Continuing in chapter 2, Paul refers to the \ldblquote incomparable riches of [the Father\rquote s] grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus\rdblquote (vs. 7, NIV). In chapter 3, Paul kneels in prayer to the Father, asking that \ldblquote out of his glorious riches\rdblquote (vs. 16, NIV) He will send the Spirit in power, that we might understand how wide, long, heicture of who He is. In \cf5\ul Eph_1:1-23\cf3\ulnone , as Paul tries to explain the Father\rquote s role in this whole business of salvation, he pulls out superlative after superlative as he attempts to describe His goodness. It is the Father who blesses us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Paul offers \ldblquote praise of his glorious grace\rdblquote (vs. 6, NIV). He speaks of \ldblquote the riches of God\rquote s grace that he lavished on us\rdblquote (vss. 7, 8, NIV), the \ldblquote riches of 0%k:s504-Jw}03-Jan 14-20-God as Redeemer{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdanw}03-Jan 14-20-God as Redeemer{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana5904-Jan 21-27-The God of Grace and Judgment{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fsw*5-04-Jan 21-27-The God of Grace and Judgment{\rtf1\dnone ,\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Dan_2:1-49\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Rev_12:7-17\cf1\ulnone ,\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Rom_16:20\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 2Co_5:17-19\cf1\ulnone . \b\i0\par Memory Text: \ldblquote \lquote I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,\rquote says the Lord, \lquote who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty\rquote \rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Rev_1:8\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 .\par \b Key Thought: Our God works in and through history, and in and through history He has given ush{\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 9\b0\fs22\tab\i *February 25-March 2\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28 The Bible \i and\i0 History\b0\par \b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \b0\i \cf2\ul Psa_104:1-9\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Rev_1:1-3\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 2Pe_1:21\cf1\ulk describes a literal historical understanding of \cf2\ul Gen_1:1-31\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_2:1-25\cf1\ulnone . Nothing was left to chance in the Creation of the world. Hence, it\rquote s no wonder that the Word of God also insists on a literal end of this world, as well. Nothing will be left to chance here either. \par \b Read \cf2\ul 2Pe_3:1-10\cf1\ulnone .\i \i0 How does Peter link early events in human history with final ones? What message of hope can we take from this passage?\b0\par The primal lcreation and the final re-creation are vitally linked, each enhancing the significance of the other. When studying the doctrine of the last things (eschatology), we deal with God\rquote s final, definitive acts toward His creation, which lead right into the restoration of His kingdom. \par Jesus clearly links the beginning and the end of things with Himself. Three times in Revelation \i (\cf2\ul Rev_1:8\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rev_21:6\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rev_22:13\cf1\ulnone ) \i0 Jesus refers to Himselfm as the Alpha and the Omega (alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, omega the last). Whatever else He means by saying that, at a minimum it shows us Jesus\rquote power and omnipresence; it tells us that Jesus was there, at the beginning of all things, and He will be there at the end. We can trust in Him no matter where we are in between. It\rquote s a way of telling us that, however chaotic things might seem, He is always there for us.\par \b Some Christians have moved away from belief in a linteral, physical return of Jesus and a supernatural restoration of God\rquote s kingdom on earth. Instead, they think we need to build the kingdom ourselves. Dwell on past attempts to do something similar. Why should we think future ones will fare any better? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tox4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Rev_22:12\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Outline the biblical promises and assurances of Jesus\rquote second coming.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Anticipate the auspiciousness and nearness of the Second Comping. \par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Wait for His coming actively, improving the hour.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Coming Again\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. Why do we believe that Jesus is coming again in a physical, literal sense?\par B. How long have we had the promises of Jesus\rquote second coming? Why do we believe that it will be soon?\par C. What are the connections between Christ\rquote s death and His coming again, and why are these connections so important to the Christian living today?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360f: \cf3\b0 Examine the story of Jonah for similar patterns of judgment and mercy. In this case, God visited mercy on the city by not bringing about the predicted catastrophe. Why? \par \par \b III. The Father\rquote s Grace, The Father\rquote s Judgment\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Eph_1:1-23\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Eph_2:1-22\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Eph_3:1-21\cf3\ulnone with your class.) \par When we view the manner in which God met the horrors of sin, we glimpse a better pqd have destroyed the moral sensibilities of the young world. However, God listened to the righteous of the city who cried out for God\rquote s intervention. He came down to see the city, and destroyed the tower. \ldblquote In mercy to the world He defeated the purpose of the tower builders and overthrew the memorial of their daring. In mercy He confounded their speech, thus putting a check on their purposes of rebellion.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 123.\par \cf4\b Consider ThisK your class by responding to the following questions.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 Tuesday\rquote s study lets us know that prayer helps us to empty self of self. What is the connection between this emptying of self and the dyis0\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Prayer promises us life-change and the opportunity to move the Hand of Omnipotence. Explore these two concepts withaou see in God\rquote s willingness to share such a high and noble responsibility with fallen human beings? What does this tell you about what God sees in us?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 What parts of the Bible are most beautiful to you? Select two or three of your favorite passages and share them with a friend who may not be a believer. When you share, focus on how these passages have helped you in life.\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i Mau0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 Ellen G. White wrote that, \ldblquote Jesus had called His disciples that He might send them forth as His witnesses, to declare to the world what they had seen and heard of Him. Their office was the most important to which human beings had ever been called, and was second only to that of Christ Himself.\rdblquote -The Desire of Ages, p. 291. What beauty do yv2 This week\rquote s lesson makes it clear that God\rquote s sculpting can be painful. What aspects of your character would you most like God to beautify? Have you submitted them to Him?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 How can you help others to see the beauty in themselves? How can you use God\rquote s Word to show them what their worth is to Him?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b Questions for Witnessing: \bwtudy documented God\rquote s efforts to sculpt and remake human beings into His image. What most prevents God from finishing the job in our lives? What role does the Holy Spirit play in the process?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Application Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\fxningful, and ennobling. If humans are created in God\rquote s image, why do we struggle with the way that we look? How much of this insecurity is due to secular messages about beauty that are uninformed by Scripture? \par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 Read \cf5\ul Psa_139:1-24\cf3\ulnone . Why is David so overwhelmed by God\rquote s creativity? Given the awesome craftsmanship of God in the act of creating human beings, how can we become better stewards of our bodies?\par \cf6\f4 w\cf3\f2 Thursday\rquote s lesson sy Teachers: \cf3\b0 Encourage your students to answer the personal inventory questions below. Allow time for those who may wish to share their responses.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 God\rquote s beauty is always purposeful, meaztely? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for{could have furnished John with a standard historical document to present the course of the salvation story. Instead, what we find are stunning pictorial vistas portraying the working out of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, expanding on the imposing apocalyptic display given earlier to Daniel and Ezekiel.\par \b Imagine reading the Bible only as literature. Talk about missing the point! What lessons can we learn about how easily we can have truth right before our eyes and yet miss it comple|gly complex tapestry of words, phrases, and themes borrowed from other biblical writers but now woven together into an entirely new fabric. This final book in the Bible is in a style vastly different from what Paul and the Gospel writers used. Instead, we are almost overwhelmed with a profound aesthetic display carefully structured around seven scenes of the heavenly sanctuary, each one opening with deeper access into the heavenly court.\par The book of Revelation is an extensive aesthetic display. God }ise. Before Paul goes on to outline the practical implications of the gospel, he worships. \par Paul exhibits this subtle literary rhythm several times in his epistles and letters: intricate theological reasoning interlaced with praise to God before concluding with practical counsel.\par The book of Revelation also is filled with an imposing mosaic of literary devices through which God portrays salvation history. Much of the book was taken from the Old Testament. The reader is presented with an exceedin II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Coming Soon\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. Why is it important to live with the consciousness of Christ\rquote s soon coming, when it appears that He has been delayed?\par B. What kinds of emotions do Christ\rquote s soon coming elicit?\par III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Improve the Hour\par A. What kinds of activities are important to do while we are waiting for Christ\rquo,2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640 I. Orphans\par II. Politicians\par III. Teenagers\par IV. Military commanders and soldiers\par V. The wealthy\par VI. The sick and dying\par VII. Spouses\par VIII. Parents\par IX. Pastors\par X. Lawyers\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 16\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7truth, truth beauty,\rquote -that is all/ Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.\rdblquote -Ode on a Grecian Urn.\par In \cf5\ul Joh_14:6\cf3\ulnone , Jesus declared among other things that He was the Truth. Did you get that? Truth is a Person. Is there anything more beautiful, or more important, than knowing Jesus? Broadly speaking, how might the lives of the following groups of people be informed, changed, enhanced, by the truth as it is in Jesus?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1800\txf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Distribute slips of paper to the class, then read John Keat\rquote s quotation to them. Ask the class to answer the following question: What on earth or in heaven is more beautiful than truth? Once the class has answered this question, consider its implications for the groups of people mentioned below.\par The introduction to this week\rquote s lesson quoted a snippet of John Keat\rquote s famous poem on beauty. The whole quotation reads, \ldblquote /\lquote Beauty is /e that: it\rquote s not an end in itself but the means to an end, and that end is a deep expression of love, love for God and love for others.\par \b Look up these texts. How do they help us understand the link between love and law? \cf2\ul\b0\i Rom_13:8-10\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Gal_5:14\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Jam_2:8\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 1Jn_5:2-3\cf1\ulnone . \i0\par \b Dwell more on the links between God\rquote s law and love. Law-keeping without love leads to what? Love without law-keeping leads to wha the law, in that one who truly loves God and others reveals the ultimate principles of the law. But this is no excuse for negating the law. On the contrary, love fulfills the law; love is the law expressed in its purest form. \par It\rquote s like the parts of a car. The parts don\rquote t exist as ends in themselves; they are there so that the car will go from place to place. That\rquote s their purpose, so that the car can move. Yet, without each part, the car wouldn\rquote t function. The law is likted in the New Testament in a positive, uplifting way. \tab\tab\tab\par \b Read \cf2\ul Heb_8:10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Heb_10:16\cf1\ulnone in their contexts. How is God\rquote s law presented in these texts? As something still relevant, or as something negated by grace?\b0\par So often, we see people seeking to place the law in opposition to God\rquote s love or God\rquote s grace, the idea being that if you truly love, then God\rquote s law is negated. In a sense, one could argue that love transcendsing. You obey the law, and you are greatly protected from the ravages of sin; you disobey, and you face the inevitable consequences of transgression. Who needs theology to know, personally, just how painful sin and its consequences are? How often can you read the results of sin on the faces of those who have been ravaged by it?\par Though sections of the New Testament-Paul\rquote s writing specifically-deal with those who have misunderstood the purpose of the law, the commandments of God have been presen s law become more a part of your everyday life?\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 9\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Law in the New Covenant\b0\par \fs22 From the start, the principles of the Ten Commandments were given to humanity out of the Lord\rquote s love for people. The law has always been intended to be a blessShould we share their sentiments? If so, how can we do that?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 n\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 Why did Jesus spend so much time talking about God\rquote s law?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 o\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 How important is God\rquote s law in the New Testament as a whole? Explain your answer.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 p\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 How can God\rquote0\cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 k\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 What are the benefits for nonbelievers who might choose to keep God\rquote s law? Does this question even make sense? \par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 l\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 In what ways is the law of God like the rules of a sport or the laws of a nation? In what ways is it different?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 m\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 Why do you think so many of the Old Testament writers spent time singing the praises of the law of God in particular? Redeemer, wanted what was best for His people.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Application Questions:\cf3\b0 \par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 j\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 How would you explain \ldblquote the law of God\rdblquote to someone who knows little or nothing about God? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx864720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 When God met His newly-freed people at Mt. Sinai, He was keen to establish a new, healthy, and lasting relationship with them. His law given at that time was not simply about making rules; it was about formalizing a covenant that would be the basis of that relationship. In doing so, He also showed a representation of His character, demonstrating that He, as Creator andLord has given us as a people. How could we do better in living out the wonderful light we have been blessed with? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\lang3081\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\litowerful link between prayer (in this case confession) and God\rquote s action in our life. We confess our sins, and He forgives them, a process that also results in His cleansing us from our unrighteousness. The clear idea implied here is that if we don\rquote t pray, don\rquote t confess, we aren\rquote t forgiven. No question, in these cases, God acts in response to our prayers.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx864 NIV)\i0 .\b What does this text teach us about prayer? \b0\par Notice, however, that God isn\rquote t going to heal their land just because they ask. They are called to pray, but prayer is only one aspect of a general revival on their part. \par Perhaps the most important example of this principle is here: \ldblquote If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul 1Jn_1:9\cf1\ulnone , NIV)\i0 . Here, we see a p How do we see this principle at work here?\par \b0 Again, whatever the philosophical difficulties associated with understanding this truth, God does respond to human prayers. He said that He does, and so we have to take Him at His Word.\par \b\ldblquote If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land\rdblquote\b0 \i (\cf2\ul 2Ch_7:14\cf1\ulnone ,cal question. To answer it, all we can do is go to the Word of God and see what it says.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Jam_4:2\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Luk_11:9-10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Jam_5:16-18\cf1\ulnone . What do these texts say about our prayers and the actions of God?\par \b0 However much prayer changes us, and impacts our relationship with God and others, the Bible is very clear that our prayers influence what God does. We ask and He responds, one way or another.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Gen_18:22-33\cf1\ulnone .. What was his secret? Read \cf5\ul 1Th_3:10\cf3\ulnone .\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 7\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Because You Do Not Ask\par \b0\fs22 One of the questions that those who pray often ask is, \ldblquote Can my prayers really move God to do something that, otherwise, He might not do?\rdblquote That\rquote s a logi? Because Jesus received His daily plans directly from His Father, when He came upon people in need, He could simply act in their behalf. Why? He was acting in accordance with God\rquote s will, a will He knew firsthand through constant prayer.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Jesus was not alone in this penchant for unbroken communication with God. The apostle Paul was known for the same. In \cf5\ul 1Th_2:9\cf3\ulnone , it is said that he labored \ldblquote night and day\rdblquote for the cause of Godct in such a bold way? The easy answer is: He was God in human flesh. But if Jesus was accessing some power to which we are not privy, why were the disciples able to exercise this power? (\cf5\ul Mat_10:1-42\cf3\ulnone ). The secret to Jesus\rquote power was knowing the will of His Father. How did He know it? He prayed. \par Examine the decision Jesus makes in \cf5\ul Mar_1:35-38\cf3\ulnone . How many of us would have known to leave that place of obvious ministry opportunities and head somewhere elseot recorded praying before performing a miracle or some otherworldly display of divine power.\par In \cf5\ul Luk_8:22-25\cf3\ulnone , Jesus does not pray that the winds and the waves be still; He simply commands them to do so. In \cf5\ul Luk_5:18-25\cf3\ulnone , Jesus does not pray for the paralytic to walk. He saw the faith of the paralytic\rquote s friends and the disbelief of the religious leaders who felt He was blaspheming God for claiming to forgive sins, and He acted. \par How could Jesus a100\sa100\tx450\tx1080\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b III. Running on Prayer\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul 1Th_5:17\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul 1Th_2:9\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul 1Th_3:10\cf3\ulnone .)\par We can sense in the Bible that Jesus was in constant communication with His Father. We see this in the fact that many times Jesus is n whom He would use to change the world. Jesus knew that He could get this kind of insight from one Source, and He cherished the means of getting it-prayer. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Read \cf5\ul Joh_17:1-26\cf3\ulnone . List at least three specific things that Jesus asks His Father to do for the disciples, and for all who would later believe in His name. Could Jesus have known what to pray for regarding others if He himself had failed to pray? Discuss your answer.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sbd men who were willing and able to learn, whose characters might be transformed. All had serious defects when called, but these, by His grace, were removed (except in the case of Judas), and in their place Jesus planted the precious seeds of the divine character that germinated, grew to maturity, and later produced the fruit of a Christlike character.\rdblquote -The SDA\b\f3\fs22 \cf4\b0 Bible Commentary\cf3\f2\fs24 , vol. 5, p. 592. The Father revealed to Jesus, in stark relief, the character of the menn human history. God often even provides the interpretation of these events so that we can understand what they mean.\par This week we\rquote ll explore a little of how God has worked in and through world history. \par \par \i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 3.\i0\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 26\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Past and the Future\b0\par \fs22 World history is usually taught as the history of civilizations. The significant facts are generally the ones that have had a bearing on the development of those civilizations. Some people argue that human affairs are, like the rest of nature, essentially cyclical in character, moving endlessly through the cycle of birth, growth, maturity, decay, and death in a series that does not have a beginning or any significant end.\par The circular dial of a watch can be deceptive; as the hands revolve around and around, they can give the illusion that time recurs in a cycle. But this is not reality. The fact is that human life runs in a line, not in a renewing circle. Time, according to the Bible, is a one-way street.\par \b What do biblical writers assert regarding human history\rquote s beginning and end?\b0 \cf2\ul\i Gen_1:1\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Job_38:1-7\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Psa_104:1-9\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rev_1:1-3\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rev_1:19\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rev_21:1-6\cf1\ulnone .\b\i0\par \b0 Human history is not an unending series of repeated cycles. It had a definite beginning. It faces a glorious future. Human history has a point, a goal. Normally you cannot be sure what the point of a story is until you have reached the end. There can always be surprises at the end, and in the best stories there are. How then can we, who are still in this cosmic story, know the point? In our case, we know because God has, through His prophets, revealed it to us. \par We are talking, of course, about divine revelation. Our Lord knows the future, knows all the possible choices humans can and will freely make, and He has told us how it will turn out in the end, whatever choices we make in between. \par \b How is this revelation explained in the New Testament?\b0\i \cf2\ul 2Pe_1:21\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par Unless we distrust the Word of God and what it says about itself, we can know that the Lord knows the end and has revealed it to us. He\rquote s not only the God of the past and the present, He\rquote s the Lord of the future, as well. Thus, we can trust that the future will unfold as He has said it would. \par \b How easy is it to predict the future? How often have you gotten it wrong? The good news is that God does know the future, does know all that will happen. How can you draw comfort for yourself from the realization that a God of love knows about all that comes our way? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\t PPz504-Jan 21-27-I05-Jan 28-Feb 3-The Holiness of God{\rtf1\ansi\a\u05-Jan 28-Feb 3-The Holiness of God{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq205-Jan 28-Feb 3-The Holiness of God{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2r6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 The Flood was the result of judgment. Yet, grace in the form of Noah\rquote s long pleading, and the provision of the ark, mediates this catastrophe. When God visited the earth again, this time to see the tower of Babel, He brought judgment (see \cf5\ul Gen_11:1-9\cf3\ulnone ). The origin story from the Kono people of Guinea has a shadow of memory about this. The city of Babel was established by men who were determined to act independently of God, and, unchecked, they woul:8\cf3\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Eph_1:4\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Eph_1:11-12\cf3\ulnone ; and \cf5\ul Mat_25:34\cf3\ulnone . What do these provisions tell us about the nature of God? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\b II. Judgment, Grace, and Catastrophe\par \b0 (Review \cf5\ul Gen_6:1-22\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Gen_7:1-24\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Gen_8:1-22\cf3\ulnone with your class.) \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1080\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx\ul Rev_13:8\cf3\ulnone , NKJV) took on Himself the consequences of sin and the judgment that should have fallen on us in order that we might have our names written in the Book of Life. It is a long-term plan of such mystery, complexity, and depth that even the angels have been amazed as different events have unfolded. \par \b C\cf4 onsider This: \cf3\b0 List the promises and provisions for God\rquote s people that were laid down at, or before, the foundations of the earth, as described in \cf5\ul Rev_13cacies of the Seed. Much of this work has been done, although we are still waiting for the complete fulfillment of that promise.\par This wasn\rquote t the origin of grace or judgment, however. Examine \cf5\ul Rev_13:8\cf3\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Eph_1:4\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Eph_1:11-12\cf3\ulnone ; and \cf5\ul Mat_25:34\cf3\ulnone . God had a plan in place even before Creation and the Fall; judgment and grace were already in operation. \ldblquote The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world\rdblquote (\cf5uences are one form of judgment, but a court hearing came not long after. In the cool of the day, God visited Adam and Eve and, through a series of questions, got to the bottom of what had happened. And then God convened judgment. Although Adam and Eve had sinned, Satan was the first to receive the sentence of judgment, a death sentence, eternal annihilation for the one who had originated and perpetrated sin on this planet. But that death sentence was also a promise of the demise of evil through the effiudy the relationship between judgment and grace as God has used them to meet the human need for both justice and mercy.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \b I. The Origin of Judgment and Grace\par \b0 (Review \cf5\ul Gen_3:1-24\cf3\ulnone with your class.)\par There were immediate consequences to Adam\rquote s and Eve\rquote s disobedience at the tree of good and evil; they realized they were naked, and they felt afraid and guilty. Conseq\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\b0\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Use this time to stiarchs and Prophets\i0 , p. 97. The building of the ark offered anyone who would heed the warning a refuge of safety from the coming destruction. No question, judgment was coming. But grace was offered to all who would accept it until it was too late, and the door of mercy was shut.\par \b How often has God revealed His grace to you? More times than you can count, probably. How can you learn to better surrender to that grace and have it mold you into the image of Christ?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60x2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Rev_1:8\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Examine history through the lens of the great controversy, which reveals God\rquote s will and character, including a deep value for free choice.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Value a God who goes to such lengths to demonstrate the foundations of His government through the events of history, the highlight being the Cross.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Believe the Spirit-authored revelations of history and prophecy and choose to interpret earth\rquote s last-day events according to Scripture.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 The Greatest Story\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How does the great controversy inform our understanding of the past, present, and future?\par B. Why has God taken such pains to allow free choice? What does this demonstrate about His character?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 The Cross at the Center of History\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How does the Cross teach us to value a God who allows Himself to be murdered by His created beings?\par B. Why is the Cross the apex of history?\par C. What feelings are awakened in us as we dwell on God\rquote s revelations of the future, which are told through Daniel and other prophets?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Free Choice\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How do we demonstrate our appreciation of God\rquote s character as it has been revealed throughout history, and especially at the cross?\par B. How does our acceptance of prophetic revelation affect our relationship with God?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 The Bible not only chronicles God\rquote s interpretation of history but documents God\rquote s ability to foretell the future. The most critical historical event of all is the Cross, which transformed history, bridging the gap that sin created between God and humanity.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\scaps0\fs22 \b0\i February 27\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Prophets as Historians\b0\par \fs22 All through the Bible, the prophets use the phrase, \b\par \b0\ldblquote The word of the Lord\rdblquote (or an equivalent \ldblquote Thus says the Lord, says the Lord, etc.). In short, what they are saying is, \i I am not speaking these truths to you; it\rquote s God speaking them through me. So, you\rquote d better listen.\i0 \par \b How is this idea revealed in the following verses? \cf2\ul\b0\i Jer_1:14-19\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par The reader is allowed to see the painful historical process by which the capital c*ity Jerusalem is to be handed over to Babylon, in fulfillment of God\rquote s predictions of Israel\rquote s fate. \par Human kings, of course, rarely believe that history works this way. They imagine that their governing decisions shape public life. They think that they, ultimately, are in control. But Jeremiah (and other prophets) assert otherwise. Israel\rquote s rulers discover that the historical process is leading the nation toward devastation and then exile. The book of Jeremiah is a stunning remrevealed to them and as they best grasped it. It wasn\rquote t a love of rules, \i per se\i0 , but a love of a set of guidelines and principles that, if kept, would have opened the way for many blessings and promises, because all that God had given them was for their own good and well-being.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640 Is it any different today?\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b Think through all that the r: from trampling the law openly and blatantly, as in the first-temple period, to extreme legalism, as seen so clearly in the time of Jesus.\par Why, though, such a love of the law? Again, if one understands the word \i Law\i0 to encompass not just the Ten Commandments but the whole body of Old Testament teachings, especially the first five books of Moses, then you understand that what they loved was the message of salvation, of grace, of redemption. They loved the \ldblquote truth\rdblquote as it was one \b\par \cf2\ul\b0 Psa_119:97-103\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Jer_31:33\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \b0 Contrary to popular beliefs, though Israel (ideally) loved the law, those who understood the law\rquote s function never saw it as a means of salvation. The Hebrew religion had always been a religion of grace, even though the people went from one extreme to the othedeal with Israel\rquote s transgression of the law and the subsequent punishments that came, other texts reveal the great love and reverence many in Israel had for the Law, which included not just the Ten Commandments but all the rules and precepts that the Lord had given His people. \b\par In what ways do the following texts extoll the law? What attitudes do they reveal?\b0\par \cf2\ul\i Isa_48:17-18\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Psa_119:69-72\cf1\ulnuote s law written on your heart?\cf1\lang1033\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 8\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Law and the Prophets\b0\par \fs22 Little controversy exists over the existence of the Law in the period after Sinai. The Old Testament writings are filled with references to the law. And though, so often, those references the promise of later writers that God would write His laws on the hearts of His people. Again, it is more about relationship and covenant than mere legalities.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Compare: why does it say that God wrote His laws in stone but that Jesus wrote the people\rquote s sins in the dust (see \cf5\ul Joh_8:6\cf3\ulnone )? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640 What does it mean to you to have God\rqcf5\ul Heb_10:16\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par Despite the Bible itself being a work of literature, there are only a few examples of God actually writing. The covenant-traditionally considered as the Ten Commandments-is one of those rare examples. God created a physical reference point to which His people could refer. It becomes clear that the encounter at Mt Sinai was more about establishing a relationship, a covenant, than simply instituting a legal system. And this same idea is carried over in ard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b IV. Written by God\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Exo_32:15-16\cf3\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Joh_8:6\cf3\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Heb_8:10\cf1\ulnone ; \ taken from the Sermon on the Mount, demonstrate His approach to God\rquote s law. He was keen to emphasize that life lived at its best, and in the kingdom of God, was lived with a deep understanding of, and commitment to, the law of God.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 How does your understanding of what Jesus lived and taught help your understanding of the law of God? How does Jesus\rquote expanded explanations of some of the commandments affect your understanding of what they mean for you?\par \p0\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Mat_5:17-30\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Mat_5:33-48\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Mat_7:12\cf3\ulnone with the class.)\par Jesus said, \ldblquote Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them\rdblquote (\cf5\ul Mat_5:17\cf3\ulnone , NIV). In His teaching He sought to both affirm and enlarge the understanding that His hearers had of the law of God. The specific examples above,sometimes a great physical presence, sometimes a still, small voice? Why sometimes a humble Baby and sometimes a conquering King?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b III. Jesus Affirms, Fulfils, and Expands the Law\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx432ctive on behalf of your people. But now God says that you must prepare to meet Him at the mountain. The earth shakes. You see, hear, and feel God\rquote s presence. You are afraid and somehow also in awe. How might this change your understanding of God?\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Why do you think that God appeared to the Israelites in this way at this time? How do you think that God chooses to present Himself throughout the Bible stories when He does so in such different ways at times? Why is He 6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b II. Receiving the Law\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Exo_19:16-25\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Exo_20:18-21\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par Imagine you are among the people of Israel, camped at Mt Sinai. You have experienced the plagues in Egypt, the miraculous escape, and the crossing of the Red Sea. You are now eating manna every day. You have seen God arst sin came a sense of guilt that must have been one of the ways in which God communicated to those first human beings about their brokenness and need for a new relationship with Him.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Do you think human beings have an innate sense of right and wrong?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\txssic Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis describes a kind of natural law that governs human actions in almost all societies and seems innate in us all to some degree. Observing the simplest human interactions, he argues, \ldblquote we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong.\rdblquote -(London: Fount Paperbacks, 1977), p. 18. And it seems it has always been this way. We are told little of how the first followers of God were told about God\rquote s law and the reality of right and wrong. But from the fi600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Gen_4:3-16\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Gen_9:5-6\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Gen_26:4-5\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Gen_35:2-3\cf3\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Exo_16:23-30\cf3\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Job_24:14-15\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par Many people who have set out to write an introduction to Christianity have sought to connect with human beings\rquote innate sense of right and wrong, of fairness and injustice. For example, in the twentieth-century cla QQfested? At the sam}q06-Feb 4-10-God the Lawgiver{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\gree })06-Feb 4-10-God the Lawgiver{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fchars760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 This section provides an opportunity to consider the law of God in its role in the developing relationship between God and humanity. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \b I. Introductions to God\rquote s Law\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3he Lord through the gift of His Sabbath day?\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\lang3081\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5blquote\i (NKJV),\i0 a clear indication that God\rquote s laws and commandments existed before the revelation at Sinai, and that among those commandments and laws was the seventh-day Sabbath. Thus, though something monumental happened with the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments themselves obviously weren\rquote t new.\par \b How is your Sabbath experience? Do you love the Sabbath, dread it, or are you ambivalent about it? What can you do to have a deeper and richer experience with th, appears in \cf2\ul Exo_16:1-36\cf1\ulnone , when God miraculously provided manna for Israel in the wilderness. This 40-year miracle began before the children of Israel reached Mount Sinai. \par \b Read \cf2\ul Exo_16:4-30\cf1\ulnone , focusing especially on verses 23-30. How do these verses prove the existence of the seventh-day Sabbath before the Mount Sinai experience?\b0\par Notice the words of the Lord to Moses in verse 28, \ldblquote How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?\rdest from their labor\rdblquote \i (NKJV),\i0 seems clear enough. The original language reads even more pointedly. Though there are several words for \i rest\i0 , the verb Pharaoh uses is built on the word for \ldblquote Sabbath.\rdblquote The striking language of Pharaoh to Moses and Aaron reads like this, \ldblquote You make them \i sabbath \i0 from their labor!\rdblquote a hint, if nothing else, to the reality of the Sabbath rest before Sinai. \par Concrete proof of the Sabbath before Sinai, thoughristians today.\par How valid is that claim?\par \b Read \cf2\ul Gen_2:1-3\cf1\ulnone . What does this passage teach us about the Sabbath before Sinai?\b0\par Next, in \cf2\ul Exo_5:1-5\cf1\ulnone , the Bible reveals Moses and Aaron struggling with Pharaoh in regard to the question of letting Israel go. Verse five is particularly enlightening.\b\par Read \cf2\ul Exo_5:5\cf1\ulnone . What indication is there of the Sabbath in this text?\b0\tab\par Pharaoh\rquote s response, \ldblquote You make them r Sabbath Before Sinai \b0\par \fs22 God doesn\rquote t reveal how He communicated the eternal principles of His law to humanity before Mount Sinai, but the evidence is clear and substantial that the giving of the law on Sinai was not the world\rquote s initial exposure to its precepts. \par Many people, forced to concede that point, argue instead that it was only the Sabbath commandment, not the others, that was first given at Sinai, and therefore it is exclusively Jewish and doesn\rquote t pertain to Cchange if all or most of the rules were removed. Would the game be possible without rules? In what ways are these rules similar to the law of God? How are they different? How are rules beneficial to the game? How are God\rquote s laws beneficial to our lives?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 7\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Theliving the life God wants for us.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b Opening \cf4 Activity: \cf3\b0 If possible, distribute or display copies of the rules to a sport. Ask class members to reflect on the complexity or simplicity of the rules that have been outlined. Perhaps ask class members to suggest changes to the rules and ask them, if applicable, what these rules reflect about the time and place in which the rules were developed. Then ask them to imagine how the game might of where and when these rules where developed and how they have changed over time. Make the rules available for class members to peruse, whether by making copies or projecting them on a screen from a computer. In the discussion described below, keep the discussion of sporting rules lighthearted. Try to ensure that class members are not too distracted by the sporting metaphor and that they don\rquote t move too precipitously from thinking about the rules of the sport to the law of God and its purpose for icial rules of one or more sports popular in your local area or among class members. These might be accessed online; for football (soccer), for example, rules can be found at \cf0\lang3081{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame.html"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf6 www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame.html}}}\cf3\f2\fs24 , or perhaps obtained from a local sporting club or association. Familiarize yourself with these rules and, if you have the opportunity, perhaps research the history\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 The law of God-as summarized in the Ten Commandments and the specific teachings of Jesus-provides direction and purpose for our lives, as well as profound insight into the nature of God. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Obtain a copy of the offis household to do? \i (See \cf2\ul Gen_35:2-3\cf1\ulnone\b\i0 .\b0\i )\i0 \par Clearly, the idea that there was no law until Sinai makes no sense in light of so much of what the Bible teaches about life before Sinai.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab\par \cf4\b to worship these ideas instead of God Himself, the God revealed in the Bible. As the skeptic Voltaire quipped: \ldblquote God made man in His image, and man has returned the compliment.\rdblquote We may not even realize that we have an incomplete or even false understanding of God. \par Thus, we must return to Scripture and compare our thinking about God with what is taught there. And this study must include both Testaments, for in both the Lord has spoken to us. This point is important because some have argued that the God revealed in the New Testament is different from the One revealed in the Old. That\rquote s not a position that Seventh-day Adventists accept, nor is it a position taught in the Bible.\par \b What phrases punctuate the Old Testament prophets over and over again? \cf2\ul\b0\i Jer_7:1-3\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par Thousands of times the prophetic messages of the Old Testament are laced with the phrase \ldblquote thus says the Lord\rdblquote or an equivalent. This should remind us that the prophet is not merely speaking for God but that God is speaking for Himself through the prophet.\par At the same time, the New Testament is filled with reference after reference to the Old Testament. In fact, the whole theology of the New Testament is intricately linked to the Old. How does one, for instance, make sense of the sacrifice of Jesus apart from the entire sacrificial system revealed in the Old Testament? How many times did Jesus, as well as the New Testament writers, refer to Old Testament passages in order to buttress their arguments and points? The whole New Testament corpus finds its theological foundation in the Old. There\rquote s no justification for any radical division between them. All Scripture-both Testaments-is inspired by the Lord \i (\cf2\ul 2Ti_3:16\cf1\ulnone )\i0 .\par \b Look up the following texts. How do they help us see the link between the New Testament and the Old? What do they tell us about how Jesus, as well as the New Testament writers, viewed the Old Testament?\b0 \cf2\ul\i Mat_4:4\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Mat_11:10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Mar_1:2\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Mar_7:6\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Joh_12:14-15\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Act_13:33\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rom_3:10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gal_3:13\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul 1Pe_1:16\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul 1Co_5:7\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par \b Mark Twain once said it\rquote s not the parts of the Bible that he doesn\rquote t understand which bother him; it\rquote s the parts that he does. Who doesn\rquote t, at times, find sections of the Bible bothersome? Given what the Bible says about itself \b0\i (\cf2\ul 2Ti_3:16\cf1\ulnone ),\b \i0 how should we respond to the parts we don\rquote t understand, or maybe not even like? \b0\i (See also \cf2\ul 1Co_13:12\cf1\ulnone .)\i0 \tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Psa_99:9\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Compare and contrast the reactions of demons, fallen humanity, and unfallen angels to the holiness of God.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Discern to the depths of his or her being the differences between a holy and righteous God and the nature of fallen humanity.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Worship daily at the feet of our awesome and holy God.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 At the Awesome Gate of Heaven\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. What are the reactions of those in Scripture who had seen God in vision or witnessed the divinity of Christ flashing through humanity?\par B. Why did they respond to the divine Presence in these ways?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 In the Presence of a Holy God\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. Why is it important to focus on how holy God is in order to sense what makes Him holy?\par B. How do we respond appropriately to God\rquote s holiness, as do the angels before the throne, when we are so full of sin?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1710\tx2430\tx3150\tx3870\tx4590\tx5310\tx6030\tx6750\tx7470\tx8190\tx8910 III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Worship at His Feet\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. What can we do to daily keep before us the scriptural descriptions of God\rquote s throne and His holy Presence?\par B. While we may approach His throne confidently because of Christ\rquote s cleansing blood, how do we yet respond to His holiness with our bodies, minds, and souls in worship?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 God is so exalted that even the celestial beings who are continuously before the throne are constantly awestruck by His holy nature. How vital, then, and necessary, that we, as fallen beings, acknowledge His holiness and seek His cleansing blood and righteousness.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 30\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 To Be Set Apart\b0\par \b\fs22 What is the first time the concept of \ldblquote holiness\rdblquote (from the same root often translated \ldblquote sanctified\rdblquote ) is mentioned in Scripture? \cf2\ul\b0\i Gen_2:3\cf1\ulnone . \b\i0 How significant is the fact that the first thing deemed holy in the Bible is time?\b0\i \i0\par This text gives us our first understanding of holiness. It shows that something, in thisdeed, has made the universe-everything from the Sombrero Galaxy to the quarks that compose all matter in it and everywhere else, as well.\par It is in this context, that of the Lord whom we worship and serve, that our quarter\rquote s lesson is going to do some \ldblquote theology,\rdblquote a technical term for \ldblquote the study of God.\rdblquote After all, is it not important to know about the God whom we worship, trust, and serve-the One we are called to love with \ldblquote all thy heart, andr, the reasoning, the truths, and the purposes that went into the Sombrero Galaxy (which is just one among billions of others)? Here we are, so small and so isolated, a speck of the creation with so much in our view but so infinitely beyond our grasp.\rdblquote\par More astonishing than the universe itself, however, has to be its Maker, because only something greater than the universe could have made it.\par Of course, as Seventh-day Adventists, the God whom we worship and serve is the One who, in ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Glimpses of Our God\b0\fs22\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60 Who can look at those photos from the Hubble Space Telescope and not marvel at the beauty of the cosmos? Astonished at the famous photo of the \ldblquote Sombrero Galaxy,\rdblquote one writer said: \ldblquote How can we begin to fathom the knowledge, the powe with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Luk_10:27\cf1\ulnone )\i0 ? \par The picture of God in the Bible is very expansive. Yes, God\rquote s love is underscored, over and over again, but there is so much more about Him that He wants us to know. For example, there are hundreds of different names for God in Scripture. Each one of them could give a deeper and more informed understanding of the great God of heaven and earth. He is so much more than a benign Santa Claus in the sky who doles out assistance at our request. (A professional poker player recently won millions of dollars in a tournament, and then publicly thanked Jesus for it!) \par This quarter we\rquote re going to look at God, at various aspects of Him as they have been revealed to us and at what these things mean for us on a practical level. We\rquote re going to start with some of the \ldblquote basics,\rdblquote such as the Trinity-the amazing teaching that God is One God and yet composed of three Persons. From there, we\rquote re going to focus on God as Creator, the doctrine that forms the foundation of all that we believe. Next, we\rquote ll look at His work of redemption, because in a fallen world being created isn\rquote t enough. We need to be redeemed, as well. We\rquote ll also look at God as both a God of grace and a God of judgment. We\rquote ll then look at His holiness, His law, and the Sabbath, all of which stem from the essence of His character and help us understand more about what He is like. \par And we also are going to look at some other aspects of God not commonly thought of, such as God as a God of beauty, of history, and even of romance. Among other things, such as prayer and ecology (that is, we want to look at some of the practical aspects of what it means to serve our Lord), we\rquote re going to look, too, at God\rquote s great promise of the Second Coming, which leads to the climax of history and the end of humanity\rquote s horrible experience with sin. \par God is big (after all, He created-along with everything else-the Sombrero Galaxy!). We are so small in contrast. How grateful we should be, then, for every bit of light He casts our way. This quarter we\rquote ll look at some of that light. It\rquote s up to each of us, individually, as to how faithfully we walk in it.\par \par \pard\i Jo Ann Davidson is a professor of Theology at Andrews University Seminary in Berrien Springs, Michigan.\i0\f1\fs23\par \cf0\f2\fs22\par \cf1\f1\fs23\par } case time, is \ldblquote set apart\rdblquote from that which is around it. The seventh day itself is no different from any other 24-hour, sunset-to-sunset period; what makes it different, \ldblquote holy,\rdblquote is that God declared it that way. He set it apart from the rest of the week. \par The Hebrew word there for \ldblquote sanctified\rdblquote means to \ldblquote make holy\rdblquote or to \ldblquote declare holy.\rdblquote Holiness then implies that something is special about whatever is 22S  07-Feb 11-17-Lord of the Sabbath{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg> 07-Feb 11-17-Lord of the Sabbath{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fchar   =07-Feb 11-17-Lord of the Sabbath{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdinx AAC uI08-Feb 18-24-Creation Care{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs \ldblquote holy,\rdblquote something that sets it apart from what isn\rquote t holy.\par To some degree, then, this idea should help us understand the holiness of God. God is set apart from anything else in creation. He is transcendently separate, so far above and beyond anything that we can truly grasp. To be holy is to be \ldblquote other,\rdblquote to be different in a special way, as with the seventh-day Sabbath. \par \b How do these texts help us understand the holiness of God in this context?\b0\i \cf2\ul Exo_15:11\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 1Sa_2:2\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Psa_86:8-10\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Psa_99:1-3\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Isa_40:25\cf1\ulnone\i0 . \tab\par This concept of holiness should help us better understand the gap between a God who is holy and a race of beings who aren\rquote t-a race, in fact, of sinners. God is separate from us, not only because He is the Creator and we are the created but because we are fallen beings. All this should, ideally, help us better understand what Christ has done for us. \par \b Though we are made in the image of God, what are the ways that we differ radically from Him? How do these differences help us understand our need of a Savior? Make a list of those differences and bring them to class on Sabbath. \b0 \b\scaps\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\b0\scaps0\f1\fs22 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab \par \cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 God\rquote s righteousness sets Him far above us in purity, perfection, glory, and light, and we should honor His holiness.\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Use visuals, if possible, to help your class to picture the stories of some of the sacred encounters mentioned in the Scriptures. \par \b Opening\b0 \cf4\b Activity: \cf3\b0 Make rough drawings of the items below and ask someone to draw them for you; or divide your class into groups and ask each group to act out one of the stories for the rest to guess: the number seven (\cf5\ul Gen_2:2\cf3\ulnone ); the ladder in Jacob\rquote s dream with angels on it (\cf5\ul Gen_28:10-19\cf3\ulnone ); the throne and a burning coal touching Isaiah\rquote s mouth (\cf5\ul Isa_6:1-6\cf3\ulnone ); the burning bush (\cf5\ul Exo_3:1-22\cf3\ulnone ); Nadab and Abihu\rquote s censers (\cf5\ul Lev_10:1-20\cf3\ulnone ); the cloud resting above the tabernacle in the wilderness (\cf5\ul Num_9:15-20\cf3\ulnone , \cf5\ul Num_12:1-16\cf3\ulnone ); a shining warrior such as appeared to Joshua (\cf5\ul Jos_5:13-15\cf3\ulnone ); a cart with the ark on it and a priest trying to steady the ark (\cf5\ul 2Sa_6:1-7\cf3\ulnone ); the ark in the temple of Baal with the idol in pieces before it (\cf5\ul 1Sa_5:1-12\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul 1Sa_6:1-21\cf3\ulnone ).\par \b Discuss the following: \b0 What stories do these pictures/charades bring to mind? What is common about these stories? How did the people in these stories know that these items or people were holy? What made these items holy? What was the reaction of the characters in the stories to the holy items (or people)? Why did God want to teach His people about holiness? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Talk about some of the holy things we deal with today, such as the Lord\rquote s Supper, marriage, the pulpit, the sanctuary, and the Bible. What makes them holy? How do we relate to these items and circumstances differently from how we relate to that which is secular? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 31\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 To Repent in Dust and Ashes\b0\par \b\fs22 After enduring inhuman suffering at the hand of Satan, Job cries out: \ldblquote I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Job_42:5-6\cf1\ulnone )\b\i0 . What does this response tell us about God\rquote s holiness in contrast to human sinfulness? In what ways is the gospel being preached in Job\rquote s reaction to what he experienced?\b0\par The prophet Ezekiel, whom God graciously sends to Israel (even though they are captive in Babylon as a result of their unfaithfulness), also experiences the awful presence of God. What happened? \i (\cf2\ul Eze_1:28\cf1\ulnone )\i0 .\par Jacob had to flee from home after deceiving his father Isaac and twin brother Esau. What was Jacob\rquote s response after his night vision of the ladder to heaven and of God speaking to Him? \i (\cf2\ul Gen_28:16-17\cf1\ulnone ).\i0\par While Israel remained encamped at Sinai, the Lord again descended in the cloud on the mountain and proclaimed Himself to Moses. How did Moses react? \i (\cf2\ul Exo_34:8\cf1\ulnone ).\i0 \par Daniel, another prophet during the same Babylonian captivity of Israel, also received major visions from God while he served as a high government official. \par \b Though repeatedly told that he is loved in heaven, how did Daniel react when given a vision of God? Why do you think he reacted as he did? \cf2\ul\b0\i Dan_10:5-8\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par Even though these men were faithful, godly, and righteous-they were prophets, even!-their reactions to the presence of God was one of fear, of trembling, and of worship. No doubt that was because, among other things, they got a sense of their own unworthiness and sinfulness in contrast to the holiness of God. In their own way, these passages hint at the need of a Savior, a Substitute, Someone to bridge the gap between a Holy God and fallen sinful creatures like ourselves. Thanks to the Lord, we have that bridge in Jesus. \par \b Imagine yourself having a similar experience to one of these men mentioned above. How do you suppose you would react, and why? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 What an honor to be able to take the time to consider God\rquote s holy nature. This might be a good time to kneel in prayer again, asking God\rquote s blessing on this special study.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b I. Sacred Time and Relationships\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx900\tx1890\tx2610\tx3330\tx4050\tx4770\tx5490\tx6210\tx6930\tx7650\tx8370\tx9090\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Gen_2:2-3\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Exo_20:8\cf3\ulnone with your class.)\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100 Everything that God makes is good and is to be honored and respected, including our bodies. However, God made two things at Creation that He particularly blessed and made sacred. \ldblquote Then marriage and the Sabbath had their origin, twin institutions for the glory of God in the benefit of humanity.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 341. The Creator Himself joined the hands of Adam and Eve and instituted the law of marriage whereby they became one. \ldblquote That which the eternal Father Himself had pronounced good was the law of highest blessing and development for man.\rdblquote -Page 341.\par The Sabbath was essential for humanity, even before the Fall, and before work as we know it today became a part of our lives. Even in paradise, it was important for our first parents to lay aside their own interests and employments, wonderful as they were, and take special time to more fully contemplate what God had made. This awakened their gratitude as they reflected on their Creator\rquote s beauty, wisdom, and power, and acknowledged that all that they enjoyed came from His hand.\par Being able to share their delight in the beautiful scenes of nature made Adam\rquote s and Eve\rquote s happiness perfect in a way that even the companionship of angels could not have done. (See Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 46.) Sabbath is a time when family and friends can strengthen their bonds of relationship while enjoying the things of God together. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 How did Christ honor the Sabbath? What kinds of activities did He make a special point of doing on the Sabbath? What is the significance of His final act of rest on the Sabbath?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\b II. Sacred Encounters\par \b0 (Review \cf5\ul Gen_28:10-19\cf3\ulnone , \cf5\ul Exo_3:1-22\cf3\ulnone , and \cf5\ul Isa_6:1-6\cf3\ulnone with your class.)\par On the second day of his flight from home, Jacob, feeling guilty, outcast, lonely, and despairing, wept as he pled for forgiveness and assurance that he was not forsaken. He didn\rquote t feel relief, or even confidence that God had heard him. But that night he dreamed that heaven was open to him, with a ladder bridging the gap, and angels ascending and descending. Although it took a lifetime to fully understand what God was showing him in this dream, he realized he had a Savior and a connection to heaven. This wonderful revelation of God made such an impact that he marked the spot as sacred and named it Bethel, the house of God.\par Bethel became a special place to which God directed Jacob after his sons had demonstrated such cruelty and falsehood in the massacre of Shechem. Jacob was horrified and heartsick at their course of action and bowed down with worry about vengeance from the surrounding nations. However, as the family traveled to Bethel, Jacob recounted to his family the story of his first journey away from home and the dream God gave him at Bethel. In the recounting, his own heart was softened and his children\rquote s hearts were touched by God\rquote s subduing power. They gave up their idols and earrings, and, by the time they arrived at Bethel, they were prepared to worship Him there. God renewed His covenant promise to Jacob at Bethel and changed his name to Israel (\cf5\ul Gen_35:9-15\cf3\ulnone ).\par Other places where God encountered His people were not always marked, including the burning bush where God talked with Moses or the spot where God, as warrior, revealed Himself to Joshua. But they were sacred at the time, noted so by God, and Moses and Joshua were required to remove their shoes. Sacred encounters required other behaviors such as strict cleanliness (at Mount Sinai, for example). Those encountering God bowed and hid their faces.\par \ldblquote Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God. In the name of Jesus we may come before Him with confid6ence, but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption, as though He were on a level with ourselves. . . . These should remember that they are in His sight whom seraphim adore, before whom angels veil their faces. God is greatly to be reverenced; all who truly realize His presence will bow in humility before Him, and, like Jacob beholding the vision of God, they will cry out, \lquote How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.\rquote \te s return?\par B. What tendencies that can accompany waiting, and Christ\rquote s seeming delay, should we guard against?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1440\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\tx8460\tx9180\tx9900\cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 From the Fall onward, earth\rquote s inhabitants have been pointed forward to the time when God would come to deal out justice, cleansing, and a final solution to sin. Christ reiterated these promises, and we are assured that His coming will be soon. Even though it seems that He is delayed, we need to stay alert and ready in preparation for the day and hour of His return.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 26\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Promise and Expectation\b0\par \fs22 Because \ldblquote last things\rdblquote center around the establishing of God\rquote s kingdom, attention to \ldblquote last things\rdblquote has always been a paramount Seventh-day Adventist concern. So much so that we have drawn attention to the end times in our name: Seventh-day \i Adventist\i0 . The name itself points to our belief in the second advent of Jesus.\tab\tab\par \b How does Peter express this hope?\b0 \cf2\ul\i 2Pe_3:13\cf1\ulnone\b\i0 . Why is this hope so central to all we believe? Without it, why do we have no real hope at all?\par \b0 Our own human expectations and hopes are often disappointing. Many times they fail us because we cannot control future events. Our most ardent hopes often are not fulfilled. We cannot control the future, no matter how hard we might try. Human beings are faced with possibilities and probabilities. Every plan of ours is tentative. The unfolding of history is complicated, incalculable, and subject to too many varied factors to allow us confidence in what \i we\i0 may decide about it. And this uncertainty causes us anxiety. \par 4But the biblical writers assure us that we need not despair; the Lord is in control, and we have the promise of His return and the promise of what He\rquote ll do at that return.\par \b Read the following verses. What hope, and assurance, is found in them? What different emphasis is found in each one of these promises, as well?\b0\par \cf2\ul\i Joh_14:2-3\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Dan_2:44\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Act_3:20-21\cf1\ulnone gdings 2;}{\f5\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40W}A03-Jan 14-20-God as Redeemer{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}{\f4\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue04 the fact that He was God in human flesh, Jesus still felt the need to pray. He prayed for Himself, but often His prayers were directed at the needs of those around Him in an effort to save all.\par How sobering it must have been to the disciples when Jesus recounted to them how He had prayed for them before their call to ministry. Why was a whole night needed? \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0\ldblquote None of the Twelve was chosen because of perfection, either in character or in ability. Christ selecteg to our time frame?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b II. He Prays for Us\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul Mar_3:13-14\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Joh_17:1-26\cf3\ulnone .)\par This week\rquote s lesson introduces us to our praying Savior. Monday\rquote s study reminds us that, despitedow, because He wanted them to know that they needed to seek God persistently. He also wanted them to know that His Father, the Judge, is more inclined to grant their petitions than was the judge of the parable. However, deep soul-searching and earnest, persevering prayer were the keys to these special blessings.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 If prayer is one of God\rquote s means of bringing us peace when our hearts are anxious, why do we often give up praying when situations fail to change accordin As Jesus told His disciples of the coming of the kingdom of God (\cf5\ul Luk_17:20-37\cf3\ulnone ), the picture He painted frightened them. Read these verses again and place yourself there. Notice, the context here is one of fear. The disciples are afraid, uneasy, unsettled. \par Jesus could have spoken words of encouragement. Indeed, He did (see \cf5\ul Joh_16:1-33\cf3\ulnone ). Prominent in Jesus\rquote arsenal of peace is a call to prayer. He told the disciples the parable of the persistent wilnone .)\par This week\rquote s lesson makes it clear that we should pray not only when we find ourselves in times of crisis (but what a blessing it is to talk to God at these moments). A fleeing David found deep solace in communion with God through prayer. Perhaps when one\rquote s life is constantly at risk, one becomes comfortable in the presence of God. Even in these circumstances, David was confident that \ldblquote [God] shall hear my voice,\rdblquote (\cf5\ul Psa_55:17\cf3\ulnone , NKJV).\par sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx810\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b I. Stay With It\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul Psa_55:17\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Luk_18:1\cf3\u 28 Lesson 8\b0\fs22\tab\i *February 18-24\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx2610\tx4140\b\fs28 Creation Care\b0\par \b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study:\i \cf2\ul\b0 Rom_1:25\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 2Pe_3:10-14\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Gen_2:15\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Neh_13:16-19\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Heb_1:3\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Psa_100:1-5\cf1\ulnone ,\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Gen_1:26-28\cf1\ulnone .\b\i0\par Memory Text: \ldblquote And the Lord God too k the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Gen_2:15\cf1\ulnone ). \i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b Key Thought:\b0 \b How should Christians relate to the environment?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 What should we, as Seventh-day Adventists, think about the environment, especiall y because we know that this earth is corrupted, will continue to be corrupted, and will one day be destroyed, burned up in a great lake of fire: \ldblquote and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up\rdblquote\i (\cf2\ul 2Pe_3:10\cf1\ulnone )\i0 ? Add to this the biblical injunction about humans having \ldblquote dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Gen_1:26\cf1\ulnone )\i0 , and it\rquote s no wonder that, at times, we have sometimes struggled with how to relate to environmental concerns. \par At the same time, as stewards of all God\rquote s gifts, don\rquote t we have an obligation to take care of the earth? After all, didn\rquote t God create it and pronounce it \ldblquote very good\rdblquote ? As a people with a distinct message about God as Creator \i (\cf2\ul Rev_14:6-7\cf1\ulnone ),\i0 shouldn\rquote t we have something to say about the question of how we treat God\rquote s creation?\par This week we\rquote ll explore what the Bible says about some of these concerns. \par \par \i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 25.\i0\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 19\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\d world. As you do it, keep open to the damage that sin has brought, and see how much you can distinguish between the creation and what sin has done to the creation. Why is it always important to keep this distinction in mind?\b0\par \pard\par \b Summary: \b0 Despite many attempts to mix a biblical world-view with the doctrine of evolution, the two teachings are polar opposites. Christians must stand firm on the literal Creation story; once that goes, the plan of salvation goes with it.\f4\fs23\par } itic wasp] with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that the cat should play with mice.\rdblquote Of course a \ldblquote beneficent and omnipotent God\rdblquote did no such thing. What\rquote s wrong with Darwin\rquote s assumption, and how do you think it influenced him to come up with such a radically wrong theory on human origins?\b0\par \cf0\f3\fs28 w\cf1\b\f0 \fs22 As a class, spend some time in nature and marvel at the various wonders of the createrst time around?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf0\b0\f3\fs28 v\fs22 \cf1\b\f0 Contrary to popular conceptions, Charles Darwin worked onhis theory of evolution from a theological premise. He expressed it like this:\b0 \b\ldblquote There seems to me,\rdblquote wrote Darwin, \ldblquote too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the [parasfs22\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 u\fs22 \cf1\b\f0 Another problem stemming from the attempt to meld evolution with the Bible is the resurrection of the dead at the end of time. Isn\rquote t that going to be an instantaneous process, in the \ldblquote twinkling of an eye\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul 1Co_15:52\cf1\ulnone )\b\i0 even? Some folk have been dead for thousands of years; there\rquote s not much left to work with. Yet, if God can re-create them in an instant, why did He use evolution to create them the find in its simplicity, \lquote God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him\rquote ? \cf2\ul Gen_1:27\cf1\ulnone .\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Education,\i0 p. 130.\par \ldblquote When the Lord declares that He made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, He means the day of twenty-four hours, which He has marked off by the rising and setting of the sun.\rdblquote\i -Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers\i0 , p. 136. \par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\\b0\fs22 Through all her ministry, Ellen G. White was uncompromising in her rejection of the theory of evolution.\par \ldblquote It is,\rdblquote she wrote, \ldblquote the worst kind of infidelity; for with many who profess to believe the record of creation, it is infidelity in disguise.\rdblquote\i -The Signs of the Times\i0 , March 20, 1879. \par \ldblquote [S]hall we, for the privilege of tracing our descent from germs and mollusks and apes, consent to cast away that statement of Holy Writ, so grats. Show how God has given them the means by which to survive in those environments. Illustrate with photos, videos, anecdotes, etc. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640 Alternatively, give this as a homework assignment to your students the week before, if you can arrange it.\par \cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 13\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study: out explanations that attempt to negate Him or confine Him to the edges or gaps of understanding. The following activity will help your students to see examples of God\rquote s providence in the ways in which He chose to create.\par \cf4\b Activity: \cf3\b0 It is clear, even to the most casual observer, that each animal, plant, etcetera, is specifically suited to the environment in which it finds itself. During the week, search for examples of interesting animals or plants that live in unique environmenTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 The more we understand the nature and purpose of God\rquote s creation and the care that is evident in the things He created, the less likely we are to seekrably tied in with the literal Genesis account. \par \b Try to imagine what our world was like in its pristine beauty. Imagine, too, what it will be like when it is created over. Our minds and hearts can only begin to wrap around what that will be like. Why is nothing in this world worth having if we lose out on what is promised us? \b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMEN to use evolution the first time around to create this world, why would He do something different the second time? If these were His chosen means in the original Creation, are they not good enough for round two?\par The absurdity of the idea that God would use evolution to recreate the heavens and the earth is more evidence pointing to the absurdity of His having created the world that way to begin with. No question, the Cross, Redemption, and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth are themes insepaand within an amazingly short time all life exists on the earth fully formed and developed, with nothing left to caprice, violence, or chance? \par Or, instead, will the process of creation mean that life will, again, have to endure the \ldblquote joys\rdblquote and rigors of natural selection and survival-of-the-fittest for billions of years until a new world, one \ldblquote wherein dwelleth righteousness\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul 2Pe_3:13\cf1\ulnone )\i0 , finally appears? \par After all, if God chosetx7920\fs28 The Lobster Liberation Movement!\par \b0\fs22 Years ago an environmentalist entered a seafood restaurant. There before him, sitting in a large tank, were half a dozen Maine lobsters that probably wouldn\rquote t last the night. A customer would pick the one out that he or she wanted to eat, and before long the lobster would be sitting on someone\rquote s plate next to, perhaps, a potato smothered in cheese. \par Moving stealthily, the environmentalist, holding a bag, reached into the tank, grabbed the first lobster he could get his hands on, threw it into the bag, and ran. He then put the lobster in a tank in his car and drove to the shore. There, a helicopter took him over the ocean, and he then returned the lobster to the water. A lobster liberator strikes again!\par The man was not alone in his concern. You can visit a Web site titled \ldblquote Lobster Liberation\rdblquote that talks about saving lobsters from getting eaten by humans. It even has a section called \ldblquote Tips for Releasing Lobsters,\rdblquote telling you what to do once you rescue lobsters from the restaurant. \par Another time, an American actress dedicated an entire episode of her sitcom to smuggling lobsters out of restaurants and releasing them in the ocean.\par Caring about the environment is one thing, but stealing a lobster out of a restaurant and taking it, by helicopter, back to the ocean does seem a bit extreme, does it not?\par All of which leads to the question: what about Christians, indeed, Seventh-day Adventist Christians, and the environment? Putting aside the strangeness of the lobster liberators, how should we relate to environmental concerns? After all, isn\rquote t Jesus coming soon? Isn\rquote t our whole message predicated on the notion that this world is coming to an end, that this earth is corrupted and not going to last? Given our understanding of the Second Coming, how concerned need we really be about the earth itself?\par \b Read \cf2\ul 2Pe_3:10-14\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Isa_51:6\cfl death that awaits the unsaved than eternal life in a world in which misery is often the rule, rather than the exception?\par All of which leads to some very interesting questions in regard to origins and how the Lord worked in the process of the first Creation-the one depicted so masterfully in \cf2\ul Gen_1:1-31\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_2:1-25\cf1\ulnone . The question is, will the new heaven and the new earth be created by divine fiat; that is, as depicted in a literal reading of Genesis: God speaks  the biblical model of Creation, as revealed in the opening chapters of Genesis? \b0\par The whole Christian hope rests on the promises of a new heaven and a new earth, a heaven and earth without the devastation that sin has brought to the one we inhabit now. Without that hope, that promise, we have literally no hope at all. The promise of eternal life is wonderful, but we want that eternal life in a world without the horrors, sorrows, and disappointments of this one. What could be worse than the eterna these questions?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 12\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Creation and Recreation\b0\par \b\fs22 What wonderful promises are found in these texts? \cf2\ul\b0\i Isa_65:17\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Isa_66:22\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 2Pe_3:13\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Rev_21:4\cf1\ulnone . \b\i0 Also, how are they linked with!an such an understanding keep us from the extremes of profligacy or the worship of the creation at the expense of the Creator?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf4\f3\fs28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 How should we as a church react to people who have honest questions or even skepticism about the way in which we view issues of origins and Creation? How can we maintain a firm position on Creation and keep the church a \ldblquote safe place\rdblquote for those who are honestly struggling with"rship?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Application Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\f3\fs28 u\cf3\f2\fs24 When we look at the care and precision with which God created and continues to sustain the earth, what do we learn about how we should relate to God\rquote s creation? How c#a100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\f3\fs28 u\cf3\f2\fs24 In what ways are all other Christian doctrines built upon a correct understanding of God as Creator? For example, the plan of Redemption or the authority of Scripture?\par \cf4\f3\fs28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 What is it about currently popular and accepted theories of the evolution of all life that makes them utterly incompatible with the essential Christian understanding of God\rquote s creato$fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Use the following questions to help your students to understand what we as Seventh-day Adventists mean when we refer to God as Creator.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\s%a literal understanding of Genesis; with evolution, it makes no sense at all. Indeed, the idea of evolution makes a mockery of the Fall and the Cross, as well.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\&nce of the strong over the weak-a state from which he has to be redeemed-or else face final punishment? \par Again, the absurdity of the position utterly rules it out. The only way to make sense of the Cross, of the need for the Savior to redeem a fallen race, is for human beings to have \ldblquote fallen\rdblquote from something, and a \ldblquote fall\rdblquote implies a descent, a degeneration; it means we went from what was good to something that wasn\rquote t as good. That makes perfect sense from '5:12\cf1\ulnone . How does this text help us understand how crucial a literal reading of the Genesis Creation account is to the whole plan of salvation?\b0\par How is the idea of the Fall, so clearly biblical, explained by those who seek to meld evolution with the Bible? Does God use processes of violence, selfishness, and dominance of the strong against the weak in order to create a morally flawless and selfless being who then \ldblquote falls\rdblquote into a state of violence, selfishness, and domina(ne of God\rquote s chosen means for creating humans, at least according to the evolutionary model? The Lord must have expended plenty of dead \i homo erectus, homo heidelbergensis, \i0 and\i homo neanderthalensis\i0 in order to finally get one into His own image (\i homo sapien\i0 s). What this would mean, then, is that Jesus came to save humankind from the very process He, as Creator, used to create it in the first place. If that sounds ridiculous, it\rquote s because it is. \par \b Read \cf2\ul Rom_+inder of the power of God\rquote s Word to be fulfilled in historical events.\par \b How do Isaiah and Nahum testify to this similar point? \cf2\ul\b0\i Isa_14:24-27\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Nah_1:5-10\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par This infinite power of God seen in human history is also exhibited in nature. \cf2\ul Psa_104:1-35\cf1\ulnone , for example, describes the processes of nature not as a self-contained, autonomously functioning mechanism but rather as processes in which God is acting at every moment. The Bib,le doesn\rquote t portray God as having created the world and then left it on its own, leaving it in complete subjection to natural laws. Natural laws are, indeed, part of how God sustains the world, but all these laws are there only because He created and sustains them. \par \b Many scientists declare that the world began by accident and that it will end that way, as well. Hence, there\rquote s not much meaning to all that comes in between (how could there be?). Why, deep down, do you -know that this view can\rquote t be right?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tqc\tx4320\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motiva.te\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 Human history opens a window to the working of God\rquote s divine purpose and will. If we look closely, we can trace God\rquote s fingerprints in human affairs. However, tracing God in history will never remove our need to see Him with eyes of faith.\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 After sharing t/he following introduction to this week\rquote\f3 s \cf4\i Learning Cycle\cf3\i0 , \f2 ask your class to list examples of past and present misrepresentations of history. Examine the reasons why some are prone to \ldblquote bend\rdblquote history.\par Historical revisionism (the process of altering an accepted, usually long-standing view of events in history) is a practice that has been elevated to a fine art by some in the media. But this practice predates the modern media by millennia. The Bible itse0lf gives an expos\'e9 of one of the more infamous and blatant accounts of this distortion. In the Gospels, we find recorded a post-Resurrection plot of attempted revisionism spun against Jesus. In the cruelest twist of irony, this plot is devised and sanctioned by no less authority than the members of the very priesthood that Jesus once set up in ages past. These same priests bribed the Roman soldiers, who had guarded the tomb of Jesus, to get them to spread the rumor that His body was stolen. It was the 1basest lie, designed to cover up the fact, at any cost, that He had risen from the dead.\par History is prone to abuse and misuse. Never underestimate humanity\rquote s desire to remake history to their liking. As someone once noted, those who write the history of an event rarely do so in a manner that reflects negatively on themselves. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Ask the class to consider the following questions: If God is the only Being who knows history perfectly, can we humans with all ou2r biases and prejudices see His moving in history? How can we be sure that we are not spiritualizing history in an attempt to prove God\rquote s existence and intervention in human affairs?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 28\b\i0\par \fs28 Daniel 2 and the Providence of God in History\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b0\fs22 In the 1700s, a 3Frenchman, an atheist, speculated that because all of the universe, including human actions, were predetermined by natural laws-then, ideally, if someone could know all of those laws and all the positions of all the particles in the universe at a given time, then that person could know everything that would happen.\par Of course, humans do have free will, free choice. God made us that way. As beings who can love, we had to be given free choice, because love that is forced cannot be love. To make us capabXle of love, God had to make us free. And yet, God\rquote s power is so great that, even with human free will, He knows the future perfectly, regardless of the free choices that we make.\par \b Review the prophecy of Daniel 2. In what ways is this one chapter powerful evidence, \ldblquote proof\rdblquote even, that God knows the future, and far in advance too?\b0\par This chapter was written more than twenty-six hundred years ago. Look at how history has unfolded exactly as God predicted. In one sense, 5 \par \i0 In all these texts, and so many others, we have been given the promise, not only of Christ\rquote s return but that a radically different new world and existence await us when He does. Try to imagine what it will be like. We are so used to sin, sickness, death, fear, violence, hatred, poverty, crime, war and suffering, we can\rquote t easily imagine a world without them. And yet, that\rquote s exactly the world we\rquote re hoping for, the world we have been promised. 6\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 \cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STE7P 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, it is crucial that we stay focused on the second coming of Jesus. After having waited for Jesus\rquote coming for so many years, it is easy to lose our passion and eagerness for the event. \par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 The focus of this lesson is to re8vitalize the hope of Christ\rquote s coming-a hope that is shared by Seventh-day Adventists as a corporate body and as individual Christians. \par Think about how different time is to beings like us, who exist only for a short time, and to God. Can we really have any concept of what time is like for God? How can the awareness of just how limited our understanding of time is help us as we patiently wait for Christ\rquote s return?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\sca9ps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 27\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Our Great Assurance\b0\tab\tab\par \fs22 As Christians, as Seventh-day \i Adventist\i0 Christians, we live with the hope of Christ\rquote s literal return to this earth. Some Christian groups have abandoned hope in this teaching or have pushed it off to the side or they have watered it down and so spiritualized it away that the Second Co:ming becomes essentially just a personal thing. They may say:\i The Second Coming is realized in our hearts when we learn to fulfill our role in our community\i0 or \i When we learn to love others as we should, then the second coming of Christ is actualized in our life.\i0 Though, of course, we should love others and be fruitful members of our community, none of these are the same as the second coming of Jesus. \par From our perspective, especially with our understanding of the state of the dead, it\r;quote s hard to imagine what our faith would mean without the physical, literal return of Christ, at which time He will raise the dead in Him. It\rquote s so central to what we believe (again, our name itself reflects just how central) that, without it, our whole system would crumble. And that\rquote s because all that we believe in and hope for climaxes in the literal return of Christ \ldblquote in the clouds of heaven\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Mat_24:30\cf1\ulnone )\i0 ; remove that and our teachings take =us to a dead end.\b\par Of all the assurances we have of the Second Coming, what is the greatest one of all? What one event, more than any other, guarantees His return, and why? \cf2\ul\b0\i Heb_9:28\cf1\ulnone\i0 , \cf2\ul\i 1Co_15:12-27\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par Of course, the great hope of the Second Coming rests upon what Christ accomplished for us at the First Coming. After all, what good is the First Coming without the Second? In a sense, one could say that the First Coming, and all that Jesus accomplis :su08-Feb 18-24-Creation Care{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fs !!09-Feb 25-Mar 2-The Bible and History{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\fnil\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f4\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;\red51\green153\blue102;} i>hed for us there, is incomplete without the Second. At times the Bible uses the metaphor of ransom to refer to the Cross. Jesus Himself said that \ldblquote \lquote the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many\rquote \rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Mat_20:28\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 . At the cross, Jesus, by His death, paid the ransom for our souls, a ransom that was full, complete, and once and for all. At the same time, what good is paying a ransom if you don\rqu?ote t come and get what was ransomed? The paying of the ransom isn\rquote t the end of the story. Just as a human parent would come get the child he or she ransomed back, so, too, Jesus will come back to get what He paid such a great price for. Hence, Christ\rquote s first coming gives us the greatest assurance possible for the second. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS@\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 The goal of this section is to reexamine ourselves as a people anticipating the Second Coming. The primary areas of focus will be our priorities, our attitude, anAd our responsibilities.\par Disappointment stems from our inability to predict or control the future. As Seventh-day Adventists, we are a people who have been waiting for generations for the Second Coming. How do we handle the inevitable disappointments associated with the waiting?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa1B00\tx900\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b I.\tab Because He Said So \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul Joh_14:1-4\cf3\ulnone with the class.)\par When you\rquote ve been waiting for a long time for something, it is difficult to stay focused. It is easy to be distracted by the immediate and the urgent. Sometimes you can get so tired of wQaiting that you give up altogether. It\rquote s the same with the Second Coming: we\rquote ve been waiting for it so long, we get distracted by the responsibilities of life and find it difficult to maintain our level of hope and excitement about it. We often settle into a state of complacency within our earthly life and responsibilities, things such as jobs, mortgages, education, etcetera. These things fill our time and preoccupy our minds. The only way to keep up the momentum of hope is to stay focused o \tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Jesus prayed. He believed in the power of prayer. He believed that prayer could move the hand of God and bring peace in times of distress. More than that, however, prayer was to Him as essential as breathing. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\Cm? Often we pray without seeing immediate results, yet, we go on faith that God hears and will answer in the best way possible. Prayer is an act of faith in which we reach out beyond what we see or feel or even fully understand. \par \b How much of your prayer life is rote and static, as opposed to deep and heartfelt? How can you move away from the former toward the latter?\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640Dthat left to yourself you would crumble and die in a world full of powers and forces that could, in an instant, trample you into the dirt. \par \b So often we hear the phrase, to \ldblquote seek the Lord in prayer.\rdblquote What does that mean to you?\b0 \i See \cf2\ul Dan_9:3-4\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Zec_8:21\cf1\ulnone .\i0 \par To a great degree, every prayer is an act of faith. Who can see their prayers extend to heaven? Who can see God receive theEeans of making our faith stronger, more real, and practical. Who hasn\rquote t experienced how fervent, unwavering prayer, offered with a sense of dependence and need, has increased one\rquote s faith and deepened one\rquote s relationship with God? \par Prayer is a way of helping empty self of self. It\rquote s a way to die daily. It\rquote s a way to reconnect with God on a very personal level. It\rquote s a way to remind yourself that you are not your own, that you have been bought with a price, and Fthis text teach us in regard to what is required for prayer and what it means to us?\par \b0 In a sense, prayer is a way of coming to God, of opening oneself up to Him. We don\rquote t pray so that God will know the things that we need. After all, Jesus Himself said, in the context of prayer, that \ldblquote your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Mat_6:8\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 . We pray because prayer is a way of exercising our faith in God. It\rquote s a mGnowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 6\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Prayer of Faith\b0\par \b\fs22\ldblquote But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him\rdblquote\b0 \i (\cf2\ul Heb_11:6\cf1\ulnone ).\b \i0 What important principles does H ask the class to consider our resemblance to our host-Jesus Christ. What insights can the symbiosis between seahorse and coral reveal about the intimate interplay between God and humanity? In the same way that the pygmy seahorses live in, and resemble, the gorgonian coral, the Bible tells us that in Jesus we \ldblquote live, and move, and have our being\rdblquote (\cf5\ul Act_17:28\cf3\ulnone ). What role should prayer play in our spiritual lives in light of the preceding verse? \cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\Iknown to inhabit coral reefs in the tropical western Pacific, including Australia (Queensland), Indonesia, Japan, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.\par These exotic creatures so resemble the coral in which they live that it is nearly impossible to detect them with the naked eye. Their exotic looks are surpassed only by the perfectly choreographed morning dance, performed by pygmy seahorse couples.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 As you explore these beautiful undersea creatures,Jpicture or two of pygmy seahorses to class, please do so.\par These tiny creatures rarely grow to be more than one inch. Living most of their lives in one place, they are one of the most well-camouflaged species in the ocean, so much so that they were discovered only when scientists examined a piece of host gorgonian coral in a lab. They bear the same color as the coral in which they live, complete with large, bulbous tubercules on their bodies similar to those found on the coral. Pygmy seahorses are Krayer is the most intimate gift that God has given to humanity. It is much more than a means of communication, however. Prayer represents our opportunity to draw close to the Lord in a special way.\tab\tab\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 In this opening section, help your students to think about how closely their lives resemble that of Jesus Christ. Prayer is one of God\rquote s ways of binding us close to Himself, so that we look, think, and act in our sphere as He does in His. If you can bring a Ll\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 PMer people, how much more so in a relationship with God? Jesus gives us an example. It\rquote s up to us to make the choice to follow it.\b\par How consistent is your prayer life? How easily distracted are you from praying? Do you pray consistently or just when you are in trouble? How can you learn to make prayer more central in your whole walk with the Lord? \b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 \cf3\uNly had a powerful prayer life. (The above verses don\rquote t even include Jesus\rquote prayer in \cf2\ul Joh_17:1-26\cf1\ulnone .) If Jesus needed to pray in order to deal with the things He faced, how much more do we? Christ\rquote s example of prayer makes it abundantly clear how central prayer needs to be in our walk with the Lord. It\rquote s hard to imagine anyone having any kind of relationship with God without that person praying. If communication is crucial to maintaining a relationship with othOul Mat_14:23\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Luk_22:31-32\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Mat_26:34-44\cf1\ulnone \i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 Jesus, the spotless Son of God, the one who was without sin, without fault, the one who lived in perfect harmony with the will of the Father, obviousRn Jesus. It is important that we refresh in our hearts and in our lives His promise to return and take us home. Because He said He will come again, He will. It's really as simple as that. There is no ambiguity in His words. He said, \ldblquote I will come again.\rdblquote\par The disciples heard these words, and they believed. What a sham the years with Jesus would have been if they hadn\rquote t believed the promise of His return! How would they have carried on what Jesus started without faith in JesSus\rquote return? They were able to overcome adversities, and even face death, because they took seriously Jesus\rquote promise. Without that promise, and especially with our understanding of death, what hope would we have? \tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 If there was no Second Coming, would you still strive to be Christ-like? Why, or why not? As Christians, our beTlief in the Second Coming provides us with a unique hope in the face of difficult circumstances. When has your faith helped you to persevere through trying times?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx1080\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\par \b II.\tab Live Like You Believe \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul Mat_28:16-20\cf3\ulnone with the Uclass.)\par The waiting church needs to do more than wait and believe that Jesus is coming back. Should Jesus come today and ask you what you've been doing, it\rquote s not enough to say that you\rquote ve been waiting patiently for Him. It\rquote s not enough to believe in the church\rquote s theology or to be equally yoked in marriage or to stay clear of worldly temptations. Jesus calls us to be an active church. He calls each of us to be His disciples. We need to do more than ensure our salvation; Vwe also need to be concerned about the salvation of others.\par The Seventh-day Adventist Church, by its name and by its fundamental beliefs, is expected to be a church that actively participates in the gospel commission. And, as its members, we must take ownership of the gospel commission. How we live and respond to the Second Coming is one of the things that marks us as Seventh-day Adventist Christians.\par The disciples of the early Christian church are our examples. Fueled by their hope of theW Second Coming, they made evangelism and witnessing their priority. In it they invested all of themselves and all of their earthly resources. And, in return, others joined them to do the same. Their business plan for the early church was simple, their strategy even more so. And the church would have failed had it not been for their attitude and their actions. Everything that they said and did was centered in the hope of Jesus\rquote soon return. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Why do you think Jesus has delayed His coming for so long? Or is that question itself wrongheaded?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf6\f3\fs28 u\cf3\f2\fs24 What are some of the lessons we can learn from The Great Disappointment of 1844? \par \cf6\f3\fs28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 It is not enough to simply waiYthis prophecy should be more meaningful for us today than for those who lived millennia ago. And that\rquote s because we, today, looking back at history, can see exactly how these empires came and went, just as predicted. If you had read this prophecy during the time of Media-Persia, you wouldn\rquote t have seen the rise and fall of the empires that came after. Today, looking back, we can see much more than someone from long ago could see. Thus, the prophecy holds a power for us that those in the past cZouldn\rquote t appreciate.\par And the amazing thing is that despite these millions of people, all with free will, who lived during the long epochs depicted in \b Daniel 2\b0 , the Lord knew exactly what was going to happen, what kingdoms would rise and fall. And He knew it way in advance too.\par \b The prophet Daniel was right about the rise and fall of all those kingdoms: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, including the breakup of Rome into smaller powers that still exist today. From where we s[tand in history, the only kingdom left is the last one, God\rquote s eternal kingdom \b0\i (\cf2\ul Dan_2:44\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . \b If he was right on all the ones so far, how foolish would it be to not trust him on the last one?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\t\x7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Throughout the Bible we see God\rquote s writers telling and retelling the story of God\rquote s work in the scope of humanity\rquote s existence. This section seeks to examine why this retelling is important, the close connection God has to us through Christ, and h]ow Satan works to cloud God\rquote s narrative.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx810\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \b I. Telling and Retelling\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul Rev_1:8\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Deu_9:1-29\cf3\ulnone with the class.)\par Our study for^ this week examines God\rquote s working in history as seen through the lens of His Word, the Holy Bible. The memory text for this week captures the sweep of God\rquote s existence in one of the most quoted verses in all of Holy Writ. God is both the beginning and the end, the One who was, is, and is to come-and, lest we forget, \ldblquote The Almighty.\rdblquote John is struggling to reduce the supernatural nature of God to something we humans can grasp. \par Throughout Scripture we see efforts writ_ten to remind human beings of God\rquote s awesome greatness and magnificent goodness. As the Israelites stood on the borders of the Promised Land, Moses began to recount Israel\rquote s history, specifically God\rquote s goodness in spite of their unworthiness. In verse 5, he made this searing statement, \ldblquote \lquote It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God dr`ives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob\rquote \rdblquote (\cf5\ul Deu_9:5\cf3\ulnone , NKJV).\par Moses goes on to remind Israel of its many failures and of God\rquote s abundant grace. In the oral culture in which Moses operated, recounting history was more than mere formality. If history was forgotten, trouble was sure to follow. Sadly, Israel often forgot God\rquote s hand in its history and, when it did, aapostasy would follow. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Can believers retain a deep connection with the One who is \ldblquote Alpha and Omega\rdblquote without a careful understanding of His work in history? Why, or why not? Who in the New Testament retells the history of God\rquote s leading in Israel? How does God\rquote s historical record inform our Christian experience and walk? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\txb7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b II. Nature Talk\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul Psa_104:1-35\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Col_1:17\cf3\ulnone with the class.)\par Monday\rquote s study, \ldblquote The Prophets as Historians,\rdblquote shares the fascinating idea that processes of nature are not a \ldblquote self-contained, autonomously functioning mechanism\rdblquote but rather the place where cGod is acting every moment. We know that God\rquote s creation speaks to us (\cf5\ul Psa_19:1-2\cf3\ulnone ), but there\rquote s so much more that we do not grasp.\par The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian believers about the prominence of Jesus Christ in God\rquote s creation and in the sustenance of planet Earth. He commented that Christ was \ldblquote before all things, and in Him all things consist\rdblquote (\cf5\ul Col_1:17\cf3\ulnone , NKJV). \par According to The SDA \cf4\i\f1 Bible Comdmentary\cf3\i0\f2 , the word consist means literally \ldblquote\lquote to stand together,\rquote \lquote to hold together,\rquote or \lquote to cohere.\rquote The form of the verb in Greek stresses an original organization and a continued maintenance of the organization. The power that holds the far-flung orbs of the universe on their appointed courses with mathematical accuracy, the power that holds the particles of the atom on their predetermined orbits, is the same. By the power of Christ all thingse cohere. Not only did He bring them into being, He maintains them each moment.\rdblquote -Vol. 7, p. 192.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 As Monday\rquote s study makes clear, some argue that God created the physical world and left it on its own. Many scientists don\rquote t believe that God even exists, to say nothing of His act of Creation. How do we as Christians compete with this thinking? Should we even attempt to address those in and out of our ranks who question the biblical historical record off Creation? Discuss.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx1080\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b III. Directing and Shaping History\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Read \cf5\ul Gen_3:15\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Rev_12:7-17\cf3\ulnone with the class.)\par From Genesis to Revelation the Bible reveals the metanarrative underpinning allg of human history: the controversy between God and Satan. John tells us that the controversy originated in heaven, that there was a war between the forces of God and those of Satan, but that Satan did not prevail. Wednesday\rquote s study points out the extent to which Satan would go to hurt God-the crucifixion of Jesus. \par John presents us with two beings, both of whom are working in history, but only One has the power to shape and direct history. While God works through history, Satan works to revise that history. He wants to shape how we view God and His work on earth. In The Great Controversy, Ellen G. White writes, \ldblquote the aim of the great rebel has ever been to justify himself and to prove the divine government responsible for the rebellion. To this end he has bent all the power of his giant intellect. He has worked deliberately and systematically, and with marvelous success, leading vast multitudes to accept his version of the great controversy which has been so long in progress. For Ps and prayer? What is the context of these verses?\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Luk_3:21-22\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Luk_9:28-29\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Luk_6:12-13\cf1\ulnone \par \cf2\ul Heb_5:7\cf1\ulnone \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx630\tx1350\tx2070\tx2790\tx3510\tx4230\tx4950\tx5670\tx6390\tx7110\tx7830\cf2\hed in as much as possible. In His prayer life, Christ demonstrated attitudes that will greatly aid our prayers, including humility, submission to the will of God, and persistence.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 5\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Jesus, the Praying Messiah \b0\par \b\fs22 What do the following texts teach us about Jesui\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Determined Prayer\par A. What stories did Jesus tell that illustrate the importance of persistence, determination, and faith in prayer?\par B. How has your prayer life improved your faith?\par C. Are there some things that God will not give unless we ask Him? Why, or why not?\par \cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 Prayer is a way of communing with God, and, as such should be engagj\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 With All Our Heart\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. What are the attitudes with which we need to approach God in our prayers?\par B. How did Christ model these attitudes?\par C. What part does obedience play in our prayer life?\par \pard\nowidctlpark8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Living by Prayer\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How does Christ\rquote s prayer life inform us in regard to our great need for prayer? \par B. For what kinds of things did Christ pray? Were His prayers always answered with a \ldblquote Yes\rdblquote ? Why, or why not?\par C.What part has prayer played in the lives of other Bible heroes and heroines?\table Christian\rquote s life as modeled by Christ and others in the Bible.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Open up to God in humble prayer, acknowledging his or her utter need and dependence on Him.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Pray without ceasing.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\txm\tx8640\tx9360 \cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Psa_55:17\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Explain the role of prayer in thn itself implies that there are elements beyond our intellectual grasp. One thing, though, that anyone who prays consistently and fervently-and according to the will of God-can testify to is that prayer can, and does, change our lives.\tab\tab\tab\par \b What is your understanding of prayer? How has it impacted your life? Where would you be in your Christian walk without prayer? \b0 \tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920onone , \cf2\ul 1Th_5:17\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 1Pe_4:7\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Col_4:2\cf1\ulnone ,\i0 \cf2\ul\i Rom_12:12\cf1\ulnone\i0 .\par No question, as Christians we are told to pray and to pray often. That we might not understand how prayer works is, really, beside the point. Most of us don\rquote t fully understand how anything works, be it secular or sacred. If we waited until we fully understood all the issues regarding our faith, then it would hardly be faith, would it? The very word \i faith \i0plways easy to understand. Why ask God for something if He knows about it already? Will God not do something unless we ask for it first? Can our prayers really change what the Creator God will do?\par Whether we understand how prayer works or not, one thing is certain: without it, our walk with the Lord is destined to failure.\par \b Read the following texts. What\rquote s the main point that they all have in common? \cf2\ul\b0\i Mat_26:41\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Luk_18:1\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 1Ti_2:8\cf1\ulqfaith. I know I should have done this a long time ago, but I do sincerely apologize. I have to claim Christ\rquote s forgiveness for what I have done, no matter how unworthy I am, and now I ask for your forgiveness as well.\rdblquote \par In many ways, this story exemplifies the power of prayer. It\rquote s not so much to get God to move mountains, though that can happen. Instead, it can cause something even more miraculous: it can change the human heart. \par As the person wrote, prayer isn\rquote t ar, from the start, had treated the other one badly. Anyway, the worker still there opened the letter and started to read. Among the words were the following: \ldblquote You know, I don\rquote t understand how prayer works, never did, at least intellectually. I do know, however, that we have been told to pray and over the past few weeks, as I\rquote ve been praying, I\rquote ve been greatly convicted about how I treated you all that time. I see that I was wrong, un-Christlike, and a horrible witness for my s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 10.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\i0\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 4\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Power of Prayer \b0\par \fs22 One day, a young man received a letter from a former co-worker, someone who had retired a number of years earlier. The two workers, to put it mildly, hadn\rquote t gotten along; the one who had lefttthem more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.\rdblquote -\i Steps to Christ,\i0 p. 94.\par That about sums it all up, doesn\rquote t it?\par \par \i *Study this week\rquote suer waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God's heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give His manifold power over not just space and the things of space but over time, as well. None of us can control an hour, or even a minute, of time. Time relentlessly marches on, completely beyond our machinations. How important, then, that we learn to trust the Lord with the little amount of time we have here on earth. \par \b Think about the march of time, how it sweeps us along moment my moment, day by day, and year by year. Though we have no control over time itself, what we can control to some degree ygs 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 7\b0\fs22\tab\i *February 11-17\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqc\tx5040\tqc\tx5760\tqc\tx6480\tqc\tx7200\tqc\tx7920\b\i0\fs28 Lord \i of the \i0 Sabbath\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600z\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i Gen_2:1-3\cf1\ulnone\i0 , \cf2\ul\i Exo_20:8-12\cf1\ulnone\i0 , \cf2\ul\i Deu_5:12-15\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Mat_12:1-13\cf1\ulnone\i0 , \cf2\ul\i Joh_9:1-41\cf1 , \cf2 Joh_19:30\cf1\ulnone .\b\i0\par Memory Text: \ldblquote \lquote The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath\rquote \rdblquote \b0\i {(\cf2\ul Mar_2:27-28\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 .\b\par Key Thought: The seventh-day Sabbath, in every way, points us to Jesus, our Creator and our Redeemer.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b0 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the| light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him} not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Joh_1:1-13\cf1\ulnone )\i0 .\par These verses are, of course, pointing to Jesus, Jesus as the One who made \ldblquote all things\rdblquote and Jesus as the One who gives salvation to those who \ldblquote believe on his name.\rdblquote That is, Jesus as Creator and ~Jesus as Redeemer. And, as the Bible shows us, both of these crucial aspects of what Jesus has done are found in the Sabbath commandment.\par \par \i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 18.\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 12\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Sabbath in Genesis \b0\par \fs22 One of the most deeply imbedded truths of the Bible is that back in Eden, in a perfect world created by a perfect God, the seventh day was set apart from the rest of the week and made holy. That\rquote s how far back, and basic, the seventh-day Sabbath is. From the perspective of this world, you can\rquote t get much further back than that. With the Sabbath, then, we\rquote re dealing with one of the most fundamental and foundational of all biblical truths.\par \b What four actions of God are recorded in \cf2\ul Gen_2:1-3\cf1\ulnone as He created the Sabbath?\b0\par God created a day, He rested on that day, He blessed the seventh day, and He sanctified it, which means He made it holy or set it apart for holy use. How fascinating that God Himself \ldblquote rested\rdblquote on the seventh day. Whatever that means, it shows how seriously the day is meant to be taken, because God Himself rested on it! \par \cf2\ul Gen_2:3\cf1\ulnone also states that the Creator \ldblquote blessed\rdblquote the seventh day, just as He had blessed animals and man on the day before \i (\cf2\ul Gen_1:22\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_1:28\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . God refers to this blessing of the Sabbath in the fourth commandment of the Decalogue, forever linking the creation Sabbath with the weekly Sabbath.\par \b Notice how many times the phrase \ldblquote the seventh day\rdblquote is repeated in \cf2\ul Gen_2:1-3\cf1\ulnone . What possible significance does that repetition have? \par \b0 Three times that specific day is mentioned. This acwcentuates the extraordinary nature of the seventh-day Sabbath and clearly sets it apart from the rest of the week. It should always remind us that God didn\rquote t make the first day special, or any other day. The special blessing is for the seventh day and no other. \par With the creation of the seventh-day Sabbath, God ended His creative work. He took the seven days of time and crafted them into a week. This weekly cycle is observed throughout the rest of Scripture and history. Thus, God demonstrates \cf1\ulnone . \b\i0 What do we make of that time frame given them? \b0\i\par \b\i0\par \pard Summary:\b0 For many moderns, God has dwindled into a noble \ldblquote example.\rdblquote Or He has been diluted into a concept useful for organizing world peace. He\rquote s not, however, seen as a Personality whom we can feel any love for. But Scripture insists that God is a passionate lover. Reflect on the difference that makes for the different doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.\b\fs28\par } ifts? How can you show them that by following the principles and laws that God has given us, people will be in a much better situation to enjoy life than they would be if they followed the customs and practices of society that go contrary to the principles in God\rquote s Word? \b0\par \cf0\f3\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 In the civil laws God gave Israel, there is another reminder of God\rquote s romantic nature.\b0 \b What kind of honeymoon does God suggest for a newly married couple?\b0 \cf2\ul\i Deu_24:5. \i Blessed\i0 are those who are called to the \i marriage supper of the Lamb\i0 !\rquote . . . \i These are the true sayings of God\rdblquote\i0 \i (\cf2\ul Rev_19:6-9\cf1\ulnone , NKJV).\i0\par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\fs22\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What are the practices in your society and culture that could easily lead to the abuse of the physical pleasures that God has given us? How can you help educate others, especially young people, about the dangers of abusing these gwith this same glorious theme. When the vision of heavenly things was granted to John the apostle, he wrote: \ldblquote I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, \lquote Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the \i marriage of the Lamb\i0 has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. . . l no longer be termed Forsaken\rdblquote \i (vs. 4, NKJV). \i0\ldblquote But you will be called, \lquote My Delight\rquote . . . for the Lord delights in you.\i\rquote . . . \i0 God will rejoice over you\rdblquote\i (vss. 4, 5, NASB). \i0\ldblquote He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Zep_3:17\cf1\ulnone , NKJV\i0 .)\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740 Scripture concludes o represent the tender and sacred union that exists between Christ and His people. To the mind of Jesus, the gladness of wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when He shall bring home His bride to the Father\rquote s house, and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb. He says, \ldblquote As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Isa_62:5\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 . \ldblquote You shal the church\rquote s administration to coordinate group events on a regular basis.\par \cf6\f3 w\cf3\f2 . Father/Son and Mother/Daughter events. Find ways to encourage family bonding.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 23\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 In both the Old and the New Testament, marriage is utilized tcf3\b0 This is an opportunity for your class to explore practical ways to implement concepts learned from the lesson. \par \cf4\b Activity: \cf3\b0 Ask the class to come up with ways to strengthen personal relationships within the congregation. Here are some examples:\par \cf6\f3 u\cf3\f2 . Date night program. On a scheduled evening the church provides free babysitting in order to allow couples to spend some quality time together.\par \cf6\f3 v\cf3\f2 . Social club for singles. Create a committee undernowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\ul\f1\fs22 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \tab\tab\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \par In this miracle we can see God\rquote s creative power, the same power that created our world. And, in Jesus\rquote earthly ministry it is first expressed in the context of a wedding.\par Romantic love and marriage are, indeed, wonderful gifts from God. We must remember, too, that Jesus was never married, and thus He leaves an example that shows that not everyone has to get married. Single people can live full and productive and joyful lives as well as married people can. \cf3\f2\fs24\par \pard\uests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!\rquote\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Joh_2:10\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 .\par If there are four quarts to a gallon and each quart yields six glasses, the size generally used at wedding receptions, that is a \i minimum\i0 total of 2,160 glasses. This means, then, 2,160 servings of the finest drink for one little wedding party in a backwater village of Galilee. Jesus, \i at a wedding,\i0 pours out the best that anyone had ever seen. \ldblquote Whatever He tells you, do it.\rdblquote\par Jesus then tells the servants to fill six water pots. Archaeologists say that at that time a storage jar could hold 15-25 gallons. At a minimum then, we are talking about at least ninety gallons. Some scholars suggest at least one hundred twenty gallons.\par The next thing we hear is the steward\rquote s exuberant exclamation to the bridegroom, congratulating him: \ldblquote \lquote Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the gvealed in the Flood account? \b0\i (See \cf2\ul Gen_6:14-22\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 2Pe_2:5\cf1\ulnone .)\b\i0\par \b0 By building the ark, Noah was giving the world a warning about judgment. What\rquote s implied, too, is that there was a grace period, a chance for the world to turn from its evil ways and accept God\rquote s salvation. Ellen White wrote that had \ldblquote the antediluvians believed the warning, and repented of their evil deeds, the Lord would have turned aside His wrath.\rdblquote\i -Patr)learly links the Lord as Creator with the Lord as Redeemer, a link that provides more evidence that evolution cannot be reconciled with the Bible, especially with the teaching of the Cross. Otherwise, what? The Lord would have incarnated into an evolved ape created through the vicious and painfully murderous cycle of natural selection, all in order to abolish death, \ldblquote the last enemy\rdblquote\i (\cf2\ul 1Co_15:26\cf1\ulnone )?\i0 But how can death be the \ldblquote enemy\rdblquote if it were o1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Isa_65:17\cf1\ulnone , and \cf2\ul Rev_21:1\cf1\ulnone . What does the Bible clearly teach about the ultimate fate of the earth? How should this teaching impact the way we look at the environment? Or should it at all?\par \b0 The Bible is more than unequivocal: this world, this earth, will not last. It is destined to be destroyed, and by God, who promises to make it over, to re-create it, to make a \ldblquote new heaven and a new earth.\rdblquote Though that\rquote s hardly an excuse nnsR  %10-Mar 3-9-The Promise of Prayer{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{8 )10-Mar 3-9-The Promise of Prayer{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\rn  ]10-Mar 3-9-The Promise of Prayer{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fon(as we\rquote ll see this week) to abuse or exploit the environment, it should at the same time help protect us from making a god, as many have done, out of the earth and of the environment. While we can laugh at the extremists, we need to be careful not to get caught up in those extremes ourselves.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Rom_1:25\cf1\ulnone . What important message should we take in regard to how we show our concern and care for the creation?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Gen_2:15\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Describe the biblical foundation for the importance of caring for the environment.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Sense the value of the environment and care for it as a steward of God\rquote s property.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Live a simple life, respecting our natural resources as a gift from God, and minimizing our negative impact on the environment in needless consumerism and waste.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Caring for Our Home\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1800\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. What did God ask our first parents to do for their garden home? How does this work help us to understand our own obligation to care for the environment?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 B. How does the Sabbath teach us restraint in our pursuit of business and worldly goods?\par II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 The Beauty of the Earth\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. Of what value is the natural world? How has the entrance of sin affected how we are to care for this world?\par B. Why would our understanding of Creation and our Creator influence the way in which we care for what He has created?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0\rquote Tis a Gift to Be Simple\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How should we as Christians live in a world that is given to consumerism and \ldblquote progress\rdblquote ?\par B. How can we simplify our lives in order to be more in tune with God\rquote s natural world? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 Because God created this world to be a home, not only for us but for many other plants and animals, and asked us to be its stewards, we have a responsibility to respect and care for our environment in such a way as to bring God glory.\cf1\b\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 20\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 A Statement on Creation Care\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\b0\fs22 How, then, do Seventh-day Adventists look at the question of the environment? How do we get involved and yet seek to keep a right balance? Below is an official statement, voted by the church leadership back in 1995.\par \ldblquote Seventh-day Adventists believe that humankind was created in the image of God, thus representing God as His stewards, to rule the natural environment in a faithful and fruitful way.\par \ldblquote Unfortunately, corruption and exploitation have been brought into the management of the human domain of responsibility. Increasingly men and women have been involved in a megalomaniacal destruction of the earth\rquote s resources, resulting in widespread suffering, environmental disarray, and the threat of climate change. While scientific research needs to continue, it is clear from the accumulated evidence that the increasing emission of destructive gasses, the depletion of the protective mantle of ozone, the massive destruction of the American forests, and the so-called greenhouse effect, are all threatening the earth\rquote s ecosystem. \par \ldblquote These problems are largely due to human selfishness and the egocentric pursuit of getting more and more through ever-increasing production, unlimited consumption and depletion of nonrenewable resources. The ecological crisis is rooted in humankind\rquote s greed and refusal to practice good and faithful stewardship within the divine boundaries of creation.\par \ldblquote Seventh-day Adventists advocate a simple, wholesome lifestyle, where people do not step on the treadmill of unbridled consumerism, is what we do with it. How well do you use your time? What things occupy your time? How might you use your time, the little bit you have here, better? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Mar_2:27-28\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Trace the biblical teachings regarding the Sabbath from Creation through the law that was given on Mount Sinai, to Jesus\rquote teachings and healings.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Nurture a sense of the importance of sacred time, made holy by God.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Guard the keeping of the Sabbath as a holy possession of God, given to us as a blessing and a sign of Creation and re-creation.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Lord of the Sabbath\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. What is the significance of the origins of the Sabbath? How has the meaning of the Sabbath been enlarged to encompass our needs after the Fall?\par B. How has God, throughout Scripture, emphasized the importance of the Sabbath? How did Christ highlight the true purpose of the Sabbath?\par II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Temple of Time\par A. How does honoring the seventh-day as Sabbath reflect on our relationship with our Creator, as well as our Redeemer?\par B. What are the pitfalls of substituting another day for the one God made sacred?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Keep the Sabbath Holy\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How can we keep the Sabbath in a way that reflects its true purpose, as designed by our Creator?\par B. How does keeping the Sabbath holy help to improve our relationship with God?\par \cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 Keeping the Sabbath holy in obedience to the commandment is a mark of honoring not only our Creator but our Redeemer, who rested in the tomb after completing His work on the cross. \cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 13\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tgoods-getting, and production of waste. We call for respect of creation, restraint in the use of the world\rquote s resources, reevaluation of one\rquote s needs, and reaffirmation of the dignity of created life.\rdblquote -Adventist Administrative Committee (ADCOM), released at General Conference session in Utrecht, the Netherlands, June 29-July 8, 1995.\par \b Look up the following texts. How do they help us understand the reasoning behind this church statement\i ?\b0 \cf2\ul Gen_1:1\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_1:26\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_9:7\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Psa_24:1\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Psa_100:1-5\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Jam_5:1-2\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Jam_5:4-5\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Heb_1:3\cf1\ulnone .\par \i0 If anything, as Christians who believe that this world and the life and resources on it are gifts from God, we should be at the forefront of seeking to take care of it. If you believed that the earth is just a chance creation, the product of cold, uncaring forces, one could almost be excused in seeking to exploit it to their own ends. When, though, we understand this world as something that God created, and sustains, it\rquote s hard to see how we could do anything other than be responsible stewards of it.\b\par How might your own selfishness impact how you treat the environment? And what\rquote s wrong with the attitude that says, \ldblquote Well, I\rquote m only one person, so what does it matter?\rdblquote \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab\par \cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 As people of God who believe in His act of Creation and His promise of re-creation, we are called to be stewards of all creation. By doing this, we worship God and serve others, as well as gaining greater insight into God\rquote s Creator care for all His creatures.\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Of course, many of the political aspects of environmentalism are complicated by other issues and agendas, but we should not let this distract us from our role as God\rquote s stewards of the natural world in which we live and on which we depend. We need to find ways to reclaim this role as God\rquote s representatives in, and to, His world.\par \b Opening \cf4 Activity: \cf3\b0 Ask class members to list environmental issues, problems, or concerns. Note these on a blackboard or large sheet of paper, if possible. Encourage class members to focus on some local issues, as well as large-scale issues. Choose just a few from this list and lead a brief discussion about what a Christian response might be to each of these issues: Should we be concerned? Who or what is being affected by this issue? What are others doing in response? What can we do about it? Allow discussion that might reflect and respect a range of views, without necessarily resolving differing opinions or responses. Try to focus discussion on responses which are based on our belief in God as Creator, us as stewards, and others as people we should seek to serve.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 21\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\fs28 Creation Care\b0\par \fs22 The issue of the environment, and taking care of the environment, isn\rquote t specifically and openly addressed in the Bible. Of course, there are a lot of specific issues that the Bible doesn\rquote t address. What the Bible does do, and does again and again, is give us principles that should be applied to all areas of life, which include the question of the environment.\par \b Think about \cf2\ul Mat_22:37-40\cf1\ulnone . In what ways could the principles taught here impact our attitude toward environmental concerns, especially when misuse of the environment can have some very detrimental effects on others? \b0 \b\par \b0 Early on in the Bible, we are given some indication of humanity\rquote s call to be a steward of what God had given Adam on the earth. Though the context is very specific, it\rquote s hard to see why the principle shouldn\rquote t continue.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\cf2\ul\b Gen_2:15\cf1\ulnone reads, \ldblquote And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.\rdblquote In what way does this reveal how humankind was originally to relate to the earth?\par \b0 Notice the reciprocal relationship here. God created this beautiful environment for the man; it was given to him as a gift. And yet, see how Adam was to relate to it. He was to work it and to keep it. The word translated \ldblquote keep\rdblquote comes from the Hebrew root, \i smr\i0 , which means \ldblquote to watch\rdblquote or \ldblquote to preserve\rdblquote or \ldblquote to protect.\rdblquote Thus, right from the start, even in the pre-Fall world, Adam was called to be a steward of the environment in which he was placed. God didn\rquote t tell him to exploit it, to use it for his own selfish means, and to get out of it all that he could. Instead, he is told to work it and protect it.\par What reason could we have for believing that this principle has changed? In fact, if this is what Adam was called to do in a world before sin entered, how much more important would good stewardship of the world be after it has been damaged by sin?\b\par How conscious are you of environmental concerns? How much do you really even care about them? How important or unimportan \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28 The Promise \i of\i0 Prayer\par \scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i Col_4:2\cf1\ulnone\i0 , \cf2\ul\i Rom_12:12\cf1\ulnone ,\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Mat_26:34-44\cf1\ulnone\i0 ,\b \cf2\ul\b0\i Heb_11:6\cf1\ulnone ,\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Jam_4:2\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Joh_14:15\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 1Th_4:3\cf1\ulnone\b\i0 .\par Memory Tettbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\fnil\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f4\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;\red51\green153\blue102;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 10\b0\fs22\tab\i *March 3-9\i0\parvxt:\b0 \b\ldblquote Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Psa_55:17\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 .\par \b Key Thought: In numerous places in the Bible the Lord calls us to pray because prayer is an essential component of our walk with Him.\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 Ellen White gave us these words on the issue of prayer: \ldblquote Our heavenly Fathf we want to deepen our love for the great infinite God we serve and be drawn to worship Him, we first must try to grasp what He tells us about Himself. The Trinity is a mystery, but in Scripture \ldblquote mysteries\rdblquote are deep truths that an infinite God reveals to us on a finite level. Thus, we can safely speak of God only from our knees. \ldblquote \lquote Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord \i is \i0 one!\rquote \rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Deu_6:4\cf1\ulnone , NKJV). \i0\f5\fs23\par } a firm stand on the doctrine. How does this change over time reveal to us the unfolding nature of truth? In your own experience, how have you grown in your understanding of truth? What beliefs did you once hold that, today, you no longer accept? \par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 v \cf2\ul\b\f0\fs22 Joh_8:58\cf1\ulnone reads: \ldblquote Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.\rdblquote How does this text powerfully reveal the full divinity of Christ? \par \par Summary:\b0 I.\rquote From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was \lquote the image of God,\rquote the image of His greatness and majesty, \lquote the outshining of His glory.\rquote It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , p. 19. \b\par \fs28\par Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22\par \cf0\f3\fs28 u\cf1\b\f4\fs22 \f0 Some early Adventists struggled with the doctrine of the Trinity. Today, the church has taken of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Heb_5:8-9\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . These statements reveal that the subordinate role Jesus played resulted from the Incarnation, which was crucial to the plan of salvation. They don\rquote t prove that He is anything other than fully divine and eternal.\par \ldblquote\lquote His name shall be called Immanuel, . . . God with us.\rquote \lquote The light of the knowledge of the glory of God\rquote is seen \lquote in the face of Jesus Christblquote that He was somehow less than the Father. This reality, however, does not reflect the inner structure of the Godhead. This subordination reflects, instead, how the plan of salvation was to operate. Jesus was to come into humanity, becoming \ldblquote obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Php_2:8\cf1\ulnone , ESV). \i0 Also, \ldblquote though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author  one God (\ldblquote He\rdblquote ) is also, and equally, \ldblquote They,\rdblquote and \ldblquote They\rdblquote are always together, always closely cooperating. The Holy Spirit executes the will of both Father and Son, which is also His will. This is the truth that God reveals about Himself all through the Bible. \par Some people struggle with the divinity of Christ because of how, while here in the flesh, Jesus had subordinated Himself to the will of the Father. Many see this as \ldblquote proof\rdthe lesson, if possible. \cf1\f0\fs22 \b\scaps\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 6\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 In the doctrine of the Trinity, we do not find three different divine roles displayed by one Person (that is \i modalism\i0 ). Nor are there three gods in a cluster (that is \i tritheism \i0 or \i polytheism\i0 ). Thex2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Sabbath in Exodus\b0\par \b\fs22 Read \cf2\ul Exo_20:8-11\cf1\ulnone . What does the Lord tell us to do, and what reason are we told to do it?\b0\par The entire family household, including any servants of either gender, the working class along with the \ldblquote boss,\rdblquote are to rest together. Sabbath is the great equalizer, the liberator of all inequities in the social structure. Before God, all human beings are equal, and the Sabbath is a unique way of revealing this crucial truth, especially in a world so dominated by class structures that place various groups \ldblquote over\rdblquote or \ldblquote beneath\rdblquote others.\par This commandment is also a carefully structured literary unit:\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3240 A. \b Introduction:\b0 \ldblquote Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy\rdblquote \i (vs. 8, NKJV)\i0 .\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx1170\tx1440\tx3240 B. \b Command:\b0 \ldblquote Six days you shall labor and do all your work\rdblquote \i (vs. 9, NKJV),\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx1800\tx3600\tx3960 C. \b Motivation: \b0\ldblquote but the seventh day is thd Sabbath of the Lord your God\rdblquote \i (vs. 10a, NKJV)\i0 .\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx1440\tx3330\tx3600\tx3960\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 B1. \b Command: \b0\ldblquote In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor . . .\rdblquote \i (vs. 10b, NKJf God, while the New Testament introduces the Son and the Holy Spirit. But is this true? Ask your class members to look in the Old Testament for examples of manifestations of the Holy Spirit or the Son. Some examples: \cf5\ul Exo_31:3\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Exo_31:1\cf3\ulnone Chronicles 28:12, or \cf5\ul Job_33:4\cf3\ulnone for the Holy Spirit; G\cf5\ul en_18:3\cf3\ulnone , \cf5\ul Dan_7:13\cf3\ulnone for appearances of Christ. You may want to give this as an assignment the week before you teach ays in which God is unique. As students think of them, write down the characteristics that define God\rquote s uniqueness. Then lead the class in a prayer of praise to God for these qualities and the ways in which He manifests them in our behalf. You can either begin or end the class this way.\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\cf4\b Activity 2: \cf3\b0 Everyone knows that the Old Testament teaches the Oneness ohe Trinity. The following activities will help your students to remember and apply the lessons learned in their future study and spiritual growth.\par \par \cf4\b Activity 1: \cf3\b0 An important aspect of the Oneness of God that is taught in the Bible is His utter uniqueness. Nothing and no one else is like God. \tab Have a blackboard or whiteboard at hand, if available, and briefly discuss the uniqueness of God. (Pen and paper is an equally adequate substitute.) Then ask the class to suggest w\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 This week you and your students have learned the importance of both God\rquote s unity and His multifaceted nature, as seen in the doctrine of t supplement that sacrifice. Thus, were Christ not divine, the atonement would be fatally compromised.\b\par Think for a moment: the Creator of the universe died in your stead, in your place, so you could have the promise of eternal life in Him. How can you learn to draw hope and assurance from this amazing truth? In light of this reality, what else really matters?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 \cf3it took God Himself, in the Person of Christ, to remedy sin presents powerful evidence of just how serious sin is. \par Also, our assurance of salvation through what Christ has done for us-and not through our own works-comes from the fact that God Himself paid the penalty for our sins. \i What could we do to add to that?\i0 Were Christ created, maybe we could add something. But with God, the Creator, sacrificing Himself for our sins . . . it\rquote s all but blasphemous to believe anything we do couldgainst sin? What created being, no matter how exalted, could save humanity from the violation of God\rquote s holy law? \par Were Jesus not divine, then God\rquote s law would not be as sacred as God Himself, because the violation of it would be something that a created being could atone for. The law only would be as sacred as that created being, and not as sacred as the Creator. Sin itself would not be so bad if all it took were the death of a creature and not the Creator to atone for it. The fact that Christ. If Christ were not fully God, then all we have is the Lord shifting the punishment for our sins from one party to another, as opposed to taking them upon Himself. The whole point of the gospel is that it was God Himself on the cross bearing the sins of the world. Anything short of this would denude the atonement of everything that made it so powerful and effective. \par Think about it: if Jesus were merely a created being, and not fully God, how could He-as a creature-bear the full wrath of God arsons of God.\b0 \b How do these passages help us understand the reality of this important truth? \b0\par This passage in the Gospel of John is the most extensive concentration of references to the coequal, three-Person God. Here the inter-dynamics among the Trinity come through repeatedly. The doctrine of the Trinity, far from being a piece of abstract speculation, is the inevitable conclusion that comes from a systematic survey of Scripture. \par Of special importance in this context is the deity of idctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28 The Trinity and Salvation\b0\par \fs22 The Gospel of John gives direct and conscious attention to the unique nature of God. John seems to be fully aware of the oneness, yet \ldblquote threeness,\rdblquote of God.\b \par Read Christ\rquote s prayer in \cf2\ul Joh_14:1-31\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Joh_15:1-27\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Joh_16:1-33\cf1\ulnone and count the number of references to the three Pethe divinity of Christ so difficult to accept in spite of the clear biblical and historical evidence?\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640\cf4\b Application Question:\cf3\b0 What can we learn about what God wants for us in our individual lives, families, and churches by examining the doctrine of the Trinity and His unity in multiplicity?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Thursday \b0\i\scaps0\fs22 January 5\i0\tab\par \pard\now200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0 \cf4\f3\fs28\par u\cf3\f2\fs24 What do you think is meant by the biblical authors when they say God is One? Why is this Oneness so important?\par \par \cf4\f3\fs28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 Why do you think that the deity of Christ is the thing most often challenged when people attempt to cast doubt on the doctrine of the Trinity? Why is t is it to you? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 This section invites class members to consider creation and its care.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \b I. In the Beginning . . .\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \ul Genesis 1, 2:15\ulnone , \cf5\ul Joh_3:16\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par We live in a world created and loved by God. He spoke, and the world was created but not all at once, rather, piece by piece, with God paying special attention to each component of His world. Then He made extra-special creatures in His image-human beings-to whom He gave the task of caring for the world He had made. Despite the brokenness of our world and our own fallenness, our world is still loved by God-as is the whole kosmos (see \cf5\ul Joh_3:16\cf3\ulnone )-and we are still called to be His stewards.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 How should belief in God as Creator affect our attitude toward creation care? Do you think this is something we talk or think about enough in our discussions about Creation issues? \lang3081 What does it mean to you to be a steward of this world, of God\rquote s creation? \par \par \b II. Creation Praise\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Psa_8:1-9\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Psa_24:1-2\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Psa_100:1-5\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Rev_14:7\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par One of the recurring themes of the Bible is that of praise to God as Creator of this world. Not only is this a topic of human praise, but the Bible also describes creation itself as giving praise to Him. At times, in the Book of Job, for example, the wonders of creation are even considered sufficient answer to questions about the way in which God appears to order the world. Creation is regularly referred to as a powerful testament to the nature of God and His goodness. In caring for that creation, we contribute to this avenue of worshiping the Creator God.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Give one example of something in nature that fills you with wonder at God\rquote s creativity. Are the wonders of nature sufficient to still your questions about God? Or is that too simplistic? Explain your answers.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b III. Sabbath Keeping and Creation Keeping\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Exo_20:8-11\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Lev_25:1-55\cf3\ulnone with the class.)\par In The Lost Meaning of the Seventh Day, Sigve K. Tonstad urges the imperatives of \ldblquote creation-keeping\rdblquote as something broader than \ldblquote Sabbath-keeping\rdblquote and deeper than \ldblquote environmentalism,\rdblquote which, even by its labeling, places the natural world as a backdrop to the human action on our planetary stage. Quoting Terence Fretheim in his book, \ldblquote The Sabbath is thus a divinely given means for all creatures to be in tune with the created order of things. Even more, Sabbath-keeping is an act of creation-keeping. To keep the Sabbath is to participate in God\rquote s intention for the rhythm of creation.\rdblquote Then Tonstad himself asks, \ldblquote Is not the absence of \lquote creation-keeping\rquote precisely the reality that is staring at us, people living in the twenty-first century, in the face?\rdblquote -(Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2009), p. 122. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Considering the broader principles of Sabbath, as set out in \cf5\ul Lev_25:1-55\cf3\ulnone , how is Sabbath keeping connected with care for the land? How might a deeper understanding of this aspect of Sabbath influence your Sabbath keeping?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b IV. Toward a New Creation\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul 2Pe_3:10-14\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Rev_21:1-5\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par The Bible is clear that the world as we know it will not go on forever. At and after Jesus\rquote return, the world will be cleansed by fire. But that is not the end of the story for our planet. We do not merely float off to an ethereal heaven. Ultimately, this world will be our home for eternity. God will re-create this world and, more than that, He will set up His kingdom here.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 How important is it to our understanding of God and His plan that we believe in a physical resurrection and life on a re-created earth? What difference should it make to our care for our world now that we believe this world will be re-created as our final home? \cf1\lang1033\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 22\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Sabbath and the Environment\b0\par \b\fs22\ldblquote Hell and Destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied\rdblquote\b0 \i (\cf2\ul Pro_27:20\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 . \b How does the truth of this text directly impact the whole question of creation care and the danger our exploits pose to the environment? \b0\par As the creation statement said, part of the reason for the issue with our environment today has to do with \ldblquote human selfishness and the egocentric pursuit of getting more and more through ever-increasing production, unlimited consumption and depletion of nonrenewable resources.\rdblquote In other words, people just want more and more, and the only place they can get it is, ultimately, from the earth. Using natural resources, though, isn\rquote t the problem; instead, the problem is that no matter how much a person gets, it\rquote s never enough. When was the last time you ever heard someone, no matter how wealthy, say that they had enough money? \par In the midst of all this, God has given humanity the gift of the Sabbath. \par \b Look up these Sabbath texts. Though we tend to think about them in other contexts, try thinking about them in the context of how Sabbath keeping, by commanding us to rest from our work, to rest from seeking to make money and do business, could in a very real way impact the environment for good. \b0\par \cf2\ul\i Exo_20:8-11\cf1\ulnone \i0\par \cf2\ul\i Neh_13:16-19\cf1\ulnone \i0\par Sure, the Sabbath is about remembering that God created the world (which itself should make us conscious about how we treat it), but it is also about resting from the pursuit of making money. By keeping the Sabbath, by purposely taking one seventh of our lives every week and without exception, and not pursuing wealth and money and goods, we not only have a powerful weekly reminder that life isn\rquote t all about making money, but we are also often refraining from the kind of pursuits that, when overdone, do damage to the earth.\par \b How has Sabbath keeping been a means of helping restrain your own greed and desire for more? How often has the lure of money tempted you to violate the Sabbath? \b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\lang3081\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0\ldblquote Nature and revelation alike testify of God\rquote s love.\rdblquote -Ellen White, Steps to Christ, p. 9. When the natural world is degraded this testimony of God\rquote s love is diminished, both in itself and in its provision for human life. In caring for creation, we partner with God as stewards, helping to preserve this testimony of His love.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 j\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 Compare \ldblquote nature\rdblquote and \ldblquote revelation\rdblquote as to how they testify to God\rquote s love. Which do you think is more important? Why?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 k\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 Why do you think that God\rquote s role of Creator is such an inspiration for praise throughout the Bible?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 l\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 Why do you think that the end-time message of the first angel of \cf5\ul Rev_14:6\ulnone \cf3 still cites Creation as the reason to worship God? How important is Creation at the \ldblquote other end\rdblquote of history?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 m\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 Many believers in evolution care deeply about preserving creation, as do many creationists. How should the way in which we care for the world be affected by how we believe it began?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 n\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 Do you think that Christians have a good or bad record when it comes to caring for creation? Explain your answer.\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 o\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 How important is creation care for the credibility of the church\rquote s witness in the world? Do you think that the Seventh-day Adventist Church should do more to advocate for, and protect, the environment?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 p\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 The Seventh-day Adventist Church has long recommended a vegetarian diet, where appropriate and possible. How is the value of this recommendation increased by the fact that vegetarianism is one of the most significant things an individual can adopt to live a more environmentally sustainable life?\par \cf4\lang1033\b\f3\fs28 q\cf3\lang3081\b0\f2\fs24 List some things that you can do to make less of a negative impact on the environment. What do you need to change in your life to do these?\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 23\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Humankind\rquote s Dominion\par \fs22\ldblquote And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. . . . And God blessed them, and God said un uu11-Mar 10-16-God as Artist{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg;u u!11-Mar 10-16-God as Artist{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\fnil\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f4\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;\red51\green153\blue102;} Ke might have been the event of the year. The partying went on for days. Rabbis and students would stop studying. Everyone brought presents and, in return, the hosting family was expected to keep guests well supplied with food, drink, and merrymaking.\par The running out of drink was, then, more than a minor disappointment. It was a catastrophe. And the mother of Jesus comes to describe the emergency to Him. She suggests nothing, nor is she passive. She speaks to the servants of the household and urges, \ in that day and age? \b0\par Jesus had just returned from the wilderness of temptation, where He Himself had drunk the cup of woe. But from there He came forth to give the human family the cup of blessing and to consecrate the warm relationships of human life. Jesus, who officiated at the first wedding in the Garden of Eden, now performs His first miracle. Where? At a wedding meal.\b\par \b0 A Jewish wedding in biblical times was an impressive occasion. A marriage in the small village of Cana in Galilef0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 22\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Jesus and Romance\b0\par \b\fs22 Read \cf2\ul Joh_2:1-11\cf1\ulnone . What does this tells us about Jesus\rquote attitude toward marriage and romantic love? What does it mean that He gave His blessing to such boisterous and long-drawn-out affairs as Jewish weddings were lessons can we glean from this verse that will strengthen our personal relationships? How can having a closer relationship with Jesus enrich our personal relationships?\par \cf6\f3 v\cf3\f2 . \cf5\ul Mat_26:6-13\cf3\ulnone . This is an incident in which Jesus seemingly approves of love being expressed with abandon and a complete lack of common sense. What could be the explanation for Jesus\rquote reaction? What are the types of situations in which such extravagant gestures of love are appropriate?\cf1\V).\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx1440\tx1800\tx4140 C1. \b Motivation: \b0\ldblquote For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, . . . and rested . . .\rdblquote \i (vs. 11a, NKJV).\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx1440\tx1800\tx2610\tx4140 D. \b Conclusion: \b0\ldblquote Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it\rdblquote \i (vs. 11b, NKJV).\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1800\tx2610\tx4140 (A) contains, as an introductory opening statement, the essential principle of the Sabbath commandment as a whole.\par (B) conveys the positive command to engage in work on six days. \b\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx2610\tx4140\b0 (B1) gives the corresponding prohibitive command of refraining from any work on the Sabbath day, including the inclusive application to the entire family. Even the domestic animals, as well as any guests in the home, are included.\par (C) and (C1) supply the motivation for the commands. \b\tab\par \b0 (C) acknowledges the time factor in the six-days/seventh-day sequence by emphasizing that \ldblquote the seventh-day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.\rdblquote \b\par \b0 (C1) contains the formal motivation clause with the introductory \ldblquote for\rdblquote or \ldblquote because.\rdblquote It presents the detailed motivation in terms of the Lord\rquote s six days of work and His resting on the seventh day, rooting it directly in the first Sabbath of Creation week.\par (D) is an independent clause, starting with a \ldblquote Therefore\rdblquote and also forming the conclusion. The last words of the commandment, \ldblquote and made it holy,\rdblquote correspond to the exhortation of the opening principle \b\par \b0 (A) \ldblquote to keep it holy.\rdblquote Both are linked to the holiness God endows the Sabbath with in \cf2\ul Gen_2:3\cf1\ulnone . \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \tab\tab\tab\tab\par \cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 When we learn to understand and appreciate the Sabbath more fully in the way that God intended, we will grow in our enjoyment of this day of \ldblquote delight,\rdblquote we will have something special to share with others in our community, and we will gain a greater insight into the kind of relationship God wants to grow in us. \par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Lead a discussion based around the imagination activity and questions described below. Allow students to spend time imagining an ideal day, then ask them to share aspects of their imagined day with the rest of the class. There would likely be some similarities to Sabbath in some of their responses. But as the discussion develops, also emphasize the extra-special nature of Sabbath as a day focused not just on ourselves and our family and friends but a day with God, made holy by God, commanded by God, and also-as seen in the example of Jesus-to serve others.\par \b Opening \cf4 Activity: \cf3\b0 Ask students to describe the best day that they can imagine. What would be some of the activities or experiences that would make up the \ldblquote perfect\rdblquote day? With w lesson to encourage the class to discover relationship principles and strategies from the Bible. Divide the class into two groups to study the following passages. Come together to discuss their findings.\par \cf6\f3 u\cf3\f2 . Adam\rquote s soliloquy at his first sight of Eve (\cf5\ul Gen_2:18-25\cf3\ulnone ) was made as a sinless being, when he most reflected his Creator God. In that pure selfless state he was able to spontaneously reflect on all the positive characteristics of his union with Eve. What360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Use this portion of theany of the crude and licentious practices of our surrounding culture, Christian ideas about sex, marriage, and physical pleasures in general can seem outdated, prudish, and restrictive. But these principles come from the One who created our physical pleasures, the One who knows how they can best be enjoyed. Who alone but God can even begin to assess the pain and suffering caused by abuse of these wonderful gifts? Who hasn\rquote t been impacted one way or another by their abuse? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\liook have no connection to child-bearing. The book explicitly reminds us of the specific pleasures God designed and intended for husbands and wives. The effervescent springs of romantic love can be traced to their source in God.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b Skim through the Song of Solomon. What does the book say to you about how God views the pleasures of the flesh in the right context? \b0\par Of course, compared to memination that don\rquote t involve pleasure. Why do we have the exact nerve endings needed to enjoy sensory pleasure, even sexual pleasure? \par The answer to all these questions is the same: it\rquote s because God has made us that way. God created humans as physical beings who are to enjoy physical pleasures.\par No book of the Bible deals with this topic better than the Songs of Songs. Why is that book in the Bible? It is a book of sheer romantic pleasure. All the sexual pleasures included in the bhy so many taste buds perfectly matched to sense the many appealing flavors in food? Why are there so many shades of colors? Why is the human eye able to connect with and revel in all the vivid colors? Why the joy of married sexuality? Reproduction certainly doesn\rquote t require the kind of pleasure that sexual activity offers. Some forms of life simply split in half to reproduce. Imagine if that were what we went through in order to reproduce. Even now, humans occasionally use methods of artificial inste t be that hard to fathom, not for us today, living as we do in a world where evil just gets worse and worse. The Christian view of human sinfulness, though often derided, is constantly being verified. That we are capable of good deeds doesn\rquote t make us good. After all, American mobster Al Capone loved children, was generous to a fault, and treated his friends kindly. Who, though, would call him a good man?\b\par Even amid the impending promise of retributive judgment, how is God\rquote s grace ree other versions, such as the one that says the Flood was sent because humans in their nightly feasting made too much noise and disturbed the gods\rquote sleep. The gods, cranky from lack of rest, sent the flood to punish them.\par \b What reason does the biblical account of the Flood give for the judgment that was to come upon the earth?\b0 \cf2\ul\i Gen_6:5\cf1\ulnone\i0 . \b\par \b0 The idea of humans being so evil that they deserved death and destruction shouldn\rquoThe Flood\par \b0\fs22 Critics of the Bible make a big deal of the fact that other ancient civilizations had their own flood stories. They argue that the Bible story isn\rquote t unique, original, or even true but is merely a copy of some previous myth or legend. \par On the other hand, those who believe that the Bible is the Word of God see these stories as a confirmation of the reality of the Flood. The Flood happened, and Genesis gives the inspired account of it. This account stands in contrast to thhat aspects of judgment are found in the story? Where is grace found in this story, if at all? What are some critical differences between the Kono origin story and the biblical version of Creation? How are we blessed by having God\rquote s Word as our origin story?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 24\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 ust Christ, why must we make a firm decision to trust His Word?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 11\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Cross and Creation\b0\par \b\fs22 Read \cf2\ul Joh_1:1-13\cf1\ulnone . In what ways does John link Creation with the Cross? Why are the two teachings inseparable?\b0\par In numerous places the Bible c with the risen Christ, regularly interacted with people who had walked and talked with the historical Jesus.\par If we know that to be the case, why would Paul choose to parallel him with a figure he regarded as mythical? What would be the purpose of one\rquote s sins being redeemed by a fictional character? If the historical Christ is (as the name implies) the central figure of Christianity, then the historical Adam is only slightly less central. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 If we claim to tre Triune God-\b0\i December 31-January 6\b\i0\par 2 In \i the\i0 Beginning-\b0\i January 7-13\b\i0\par 3 God \i as\i0 Redeemer-\b0\i January 14-20\i0\par \b 4\b0 \b The God \i of \i0 Grace \i and\i0 Judgment-\b0\i January 21-27\i0\par \b 5\b0 \b The Holiness \i of \i0 God-\b0\i January 28-February 3\b\i0\par 6 God \i the\i0 Lawgiver-\b0\i February 4-10\b\i0\par 7 Lord \i of the \i0 Sabbath-\b0\i February 11-17\b\i0\par 8 Creation Care-\b0\i February 18-24 \b\i0\par 9 The Bible \i and\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;\red255\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa240\lang1033\b\f0\fs22 ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE\par STANDARD EDITION \par \i\fs32 Glimpses of Our God\par \i0\fs22 by: Jo Ann Davidson\par January, February, March 2012\par Contents\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqr\tldot\tx8640 1 Th\i0 History-\b0\i February 25-March 2\b\i0\par 10 The Promise \i of\i0 Prayer-\b0\i March 3-9\b\i0\par 11 God \i as\i0 Artist-\b0\i March 10-16\b\i0\par 12 Love Stories-\b0\i March 17-23\i0\par \b 13\b0 \b The Promise \i of\i0 His Return-\b0\i March 24-30\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb20\sa20 Editorial Office:\par \b0 12501 Old Columbia Pike \par Silver Spring, MD 20904\par \par \b Come visit us at our Web site:\par \b0 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.absg.adventist.org"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 http://www.absg.adventist.org}}}\f0\fs22 \par \par \b Principal Contributor:\b0\par Jo Ann Davidson\b\par \par Editor:\par \b0 Clifford R. Goldstein\b\par \par Associate Editor:\par \b0 Soraya Homayouni\b\par \par Publication Manager:\par \b0 Lea Alexander Greve\par \par \b Editorial Assistant:\par \b0 Sharon Thomas-Crews\b\par \par Pacific Press\'ae Coordinator:\par \b0 Wendy Marcum\b\par \par Art and Design:\par \b0 Lars Justinen\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\par The\i Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide\i0 is prepared by the Office of the Adult Bible Study Guide of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The preparation of the guides is under the general direction of the Sabbath School Publications Board, a subcommittee of the General Conference Administrative Committee (ADCOM), publisher of the Bible study guides. The published guide reflects the input of worldwide evaluation committees and the approval of the Sabbath School Publications Board and thus does not solely or necessarily represent the intent of the author(s).\tab\tab\tab\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\b Bible Versions Table\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60 Scripture references other than from the King James Version quoted by permission in this Bible Study Guide, for Standard Edition, First\cf2 \cf3 Quarter 2012, are as follows:\par \b ESV. \b0 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright \'a9 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.\par \b NIV.\b0 Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright \'a9 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.\par \pard\b NKJV.\b0 Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright \'a9 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.\f1\fs23\par } where He would die a sinner\rquote s death in order to redeem us, as sinners, from the eternal destruction that sin brings. Though the Bible uses different symbols and metaphors to explain Christ\rquote s death, at the center of it all is His substitution, so graphically expressed in \cf2\ul Isa_53:1-12\cf1\ulnone . If we ever needed proof that works couldn\rquote t save us, we have it with the death of God Himself on the cross. After all, what could fallen beings ever add to \i that?\i0\f4\fs23\par } ulness, help you better understand why our salvation cost so much?\b0 \par \cf0\f3\fs28 x\fs22 \cf1\b\f0 Dwell more on the story of Abraham and Isaac in \cf2\ul Gen_22:1-24\cf1\ulnone . What others ways does it help us understand the nature of Christ\rquote s sacrifice on our behalf? At the same time, in what ways does it barely do justice to what it was intended to symbolize?\b0\par \par \pard\b Summary:\b0 From the earliest pages of Genesis, the Bible points us to the death of Christ on the cross,e or the other as representing God\rquote s nature. Why is that unnecessary? In fact, why is God\rquote s love for sinners one of the main reasons why He is wrathful against sin? \b0\par \cf0\f3\fs28 v\fs22 \cf1\b\f0 God\rquote s love is not like the feeble and sometimes irregular affection that we bestow on one another. What does Christ\rquote s act as Savior teach us about divine love?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 w\fs22 \cf1\b\f0 How does your understanding of God\rquote s holiness, in contrast to our sinf more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be intelligent and fervent. There will be more constant confidence in Jesus, and a daily, living experience in His power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Steps to Christ\i0 , p. 89. \par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22\par \cf0\f3\fs28 u\fs22 \cf1\b\f0 In Scripture God is portrayed both as a great Lover of sinners and also as extremely wrathful against sin. Some Christians try to pick onar lest I shall belittle the great plan of salvation by cheap words.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White,\i Selected Messages, \i0 book 3, p. 115.\par \ldblquote The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for the most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. . . . As we thus contemplate heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger, and our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will beb0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 20\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 \ldblquote Oh, how inefficient, how incapable I am of expressing the things which burn in my soul in reference to the mission of Christ! . . . I know not how to speak or trace with pen the large subject of the atoning sacrifice. I know not how to present subjects in the living power in which they stand before me. I tremble for felude Rahab (\cf5\ul Jos_2:1-24\cf3 , \cf5 Jos_6:17-25\cf3\ulnone ), Ruth, or the repentant Ninevites of the book of Jonah. Ask your students to look up and read these passages aloud from their Bibles. Also note prophecies of the coming redemption, such as \cf5\ul Jer_31:31-34\cf3\ulnone . Make it clear that God the Father did not need to be flattered or cajoled into redeeming us, as the popular image might seem to indicate.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Friday\lowing activity should enable your students to start to question these false distinctions and develop a more balanced view of God.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf4\b Activity: \cf3\b0 Either manually or with the help of digital technology, find passages in the Old Testament that refer to God\rquote s mercy or that show examples of God\rquote s forgiveness or providence toward people, even people who might have been considered outsiders. Good examples of the latter might inc0\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 The story of redemption is yet another area in which we tend to make a false distinction between \ldblquote angry\rdblquote Old Testament God and \ldblquote merciful\rdblquote Jesus. The fol , NKJV).\i0 Jesus\rquote \ldblquote cry of dereliction\rdblquote is the most piercing cry in the Bible. There is no statement in all the Gospels to rival this one of Jesus from the cross, and in that cry we get a glimpse of what the Lord Himself was willing to go through in order to bring us salvation.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb10 11yq12-March 17-23-Love Stories{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fch3y}12-March 17-23-Love Stories{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;\red5Zwould not be determined by death. This is God Himself dying the death that we can be spared from, the death that sin would otherwise bring us all.\par Three Gospels record that Jesus cried out with a loud voice from the cross as He was dying. These loud cries are even mentioned in the book of Hebrews: \ldblquote who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Heb_5:7\cf1\ulnone s man\rquote s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , pp. 752, 753.\par Jesus addresses this prayer to \ldblquote God\rdblquote instead of to the \ldblquote Father,\rdblquote as He always had done. Christ\rquote s cries from the cross are not some exemplary display that He appears to go through in order to demonstrate that He loves us. No, this is God giving Himself over to death so that our destiny  cost to save us from sin?\b0\i\par \i0\ldblquote And now the Lord of Glory was dying, a ransom for the race. . . . Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of the law. . . . The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. . . . He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. . . . It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father\rquote s wrath upon Him a considering our situation as sinners, it would take more than \ldblquote an example of selfless love\rdblquote to redeem us. It would take, instead, our God bearing in Himself the full brunt of His own wrath against sin.\par \b On the cross, Jesus cried out: \ldblquote \lquote My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?\rquote \rdblquote\b0 \i (\cf2\ul Mat_27:46\cf1\ulnone , NKJV). \b\i0 How are we to understand this? What was Jesus saying, why, and how does this amazing cry help us understand what it  othing is more destructive to our grasp of the atonement of Christ than the sentimentality that sometimes passes for Christianity in our day (all in the attempt to make the gospel conform to modern thinking). However, we must ever humbly acknowledge that anything we say about God can never do God justice, especially when we consider the atonement. We must avoid the temptation to reduce Jesus\rquote death on the cross to merely an \ldblquote example of selfless love.\rdblquote It was certainly that, but 28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 In our interactions with others, how often do we wait for indications that they are worthy of, or ready for, our kindness or forgiveness? Is this how God viewed us in our situation? (See \cf5\ul Rom_5:8\cf3\ulnone .)\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 19\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Cry on the Cross\b0\par \fs22 Nss.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Application Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\f3\fs28 u\cf3\f2\fs24 Since good works in no way increase our salvation \ldblquote score,\rdblquote what is the role of obedience and good works in the life of the redeemed person?\par \cf4\f3\fs640\tx9360\cf4\f3\fs28 u\cf3\f2\fs24 At the root of Redemption is sin. If there were no sin, there would be no need for Redemption. Why, then, do people seem to want the joy of Redemption without the sorrow for sin?\par \cf4\f3\fs28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 What do you think of the idea, pushed by some Christian thinkers, that the plan of Redemption is so implausible, so contrary to established modes of merely human thought, that it must be true? The idea is, who would have made up something so implausible? Discux7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Use the following questions to help your students to see the significance of the plan of salvation, and how it arises from the very nature and character of God.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8d you have without it? \scaps\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\b0\scaps0\f1\fs22 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tHowever, without an understanding of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, most of those books don\rquote t make much headway (even with an understanding of the cosmic drama, the question of suffering is, indeed, difficult enough).\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740 And though the question of human suffering touches all aspects of life, we mustn\rquote t forget life\rquote s pleasures either. Why does food taste so good? Wwidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 A Book of Romance \b0\par \fs22 Libraries could be filled with books that deal with the difficult question of human suffering, difficult especially for those who believe in a loving and all-powerful God (for the atheist, suffering is merely part of what it means to live in a godless and meaningless universe and thus doesn\rquote t present the difficult philosophical questions it does for Christians). 200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 This week we learned that we are a people created for love, called to be loving and chosen as beloved. How can you better reflect God\rquote s love with your family? Your coworkers? Your church? God calls the church His bride. What are some ways in which we can maintain the same type of enthusiasm and love for our God? \cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 21\b\i0\par \pard\nohom would you want to share it? What would make such a day special? Probably many of the responses will include time spent with family and friends, absence of work and everyday responsi-bilities, and focusing on things they enjoy or are more important to them. Ask students to assess how close their observance of Sabbath comes to that imagined ideal day. What does their imagined day have in common with what Sabbath should be? Then ask class members to tell what makes Sabbath more important or special than their imagined \ldblquote perfect\rdblquote day.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 14\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx2610\tx4140\fs28 The Sabbath in Deuteronomy\b0\par \fs22 Though Seventh-day Adventists are most familiar with the Sabbath commandment as expressed in the book of Exodus, the Lord gave it again (and all the other commandments) in the book of Deuteronomy. What\rquote s fascinating is that, although the commands appear in very similar language, the language isn\rquote t precisely the same. Moreover, the commandment in Deuteronomy is given another motivation, one not seen in Exodus.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Deu_5:12-15\cf1\ulnone . Compare it with \cf2\ul Exo_20:8-11\cf1\ulnone\b0 . \b What similarities existed between the two, what differences, and why are those differences important? \b0\par Though much is the same between them, there is a new element and emphasis. While both commandments talk about the servants resting on the Sabbath day, Deuteronomy goes out of its way to emphasize that point. The text reads that they should keep the Sabbath \ldblquote so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, \i as you do \i0 [emphasis supplied]\i\rdblquote\i0 \i (\cf2\ul Deu_5:14\cf1\ulnone , NIV)\i0 . Here we see what was touched on the other day: how the Sabbath helps bring master and servant together on the same level; both are to rest on the same day. The Sabbath, on a purely practical level, offered servants some protection from the master who would work them nonstop-a protection built right into a commandment that had its origins in Creation itself.\par Of course, this raises an interesting question. When the Sabbath was first instituted, it was to be a memorial of Creation in a nonfallen world. It had nothing to do with manservants or maidservants and certainly nothing about being in slavery in Egypt, itself a symbol of bondage to sin, and deliverance from that bondage. This new element, then, had been added onto the commandment \i after\i0 the Fall; that is, the original precept was altered to incorporate something that it originally didn\rquote t contain. \par Thus, as first conceived, the Sabbath was a symbol of Creation; after sin, it came to be a symbol of both Creation and Redemption, which is itself a type of re-creation \i (\cf2\ul 2Co_5:17\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Gal_6:15\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Rev_21:1\cf1\ulnone ).\i0 Creation and Redemption are closely linked in the Bible; only God the Creator could be God the Redeemer, and we have them both in Jesus \i (see \cf2\ul Joh_1:1-14\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . Both versions of the commandment show that the seventh-day Sabbath is the symbol of the work of Jesus, our Creator and our Redeemer.\par \b Think about the bondage that Christ has promised to free you from. What promises of freedom do you have in Jesus? How can you learn to claim them and then allow the Lord to make them real in your life?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 This section provides an opportunit y to explore an overview of the Sabbath in the Bible, from Creation to Jesus. By recognizing Sabbath as a recurring and special part of God\rquote s law, class members can catch a glimpse of the God who wants the best for us and wants the best possible relationship with us. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \b I. Sabbath Created \par \pard\nowidct!lpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Gen_2:1-3\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par At Creation, God declared everything He had made as good, very good, or excellent; but only the seventh-day Sabbath was described as \ldblquote holy\rdblquote by God. As such, this \ldblquote is a radical departure from accustomed religious thinking. The mythical mind would expect that, after heaven and earth have been established", God would create a holy place-a holy mountain or a holy spring-whereupon a sanctuary is to be established. Yet it seems as if to the Bible it is holiness in time, the Sabbath, which comes first.\rdblquote -Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005), p. 9. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 What do we learn about God by His declaration of \ldblquote holiness in time\rdblquote ? What can we appreciate about the uniqueness of this amid the world\rquote s religions? \l#ang3081 Why do you think that time is more important than place for God?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b II. Sabbath Commanded \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Exo_20:8-11\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Deu_5:12-15\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par Among the Ten Commandments, the four$th is unique in a number of respects. It is the longest and most detailed of the commandments. As many people have commented, it is the commandment that most obviously makes the connection between our relationship with God and our relationships with others. Like the pronouncement at Creation, God gives special and specific attention to Sabbath, even above His other creation and His other laws.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx810\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7%920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Why do you think that the fourth commandment specifically includes others, such as servants, strangers, and even animals? What does this tell us about what Sabbath is meant to be? What can we learn from the differences between the two versions of the fourth commandment, as recorded in \cf5\ul Exo_20:1-26\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Deu_5:1-33\cf3\ulnone , respectively?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040&\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b III. Sabbath Delight\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Exo_20:8-11\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Isa_58:13-14\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par When surveying the Ten Commandments, the unique nature of the fourth commandment has sometimes been a reason for suggesting that it does not really belong to the list, that it is a quirk not really part o'f the core moral code and so not applicable beyond the people to whom this law was presented. On the other hand, others look at the Ten Commandments and see the Sabbath command as the most personal and intimate of the commandments, an invitation for His people to spend a time of \ldblquote delight\rdblquote (see \cf5\ul Isa_58:13\cf3\ulnone ) with God. More than any other, the fourth commandment says, \ldblquote This is not a list of rules-as important as that might be-but it is an invitation to a relati(onship, a covenant with God, your Creator and Redeemer.\rdblquote \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 How can you take the fourth commandment more personally? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b IV. Jesus\rquote Sabbath\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Mat_12:1-13\cf3\ulnone ; \cf)5\ul Mar_2:27-28\cf3\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Joh_9:1-41\cf1\ulnone ; \cf5\ul Joh_19:30\cf3\ulnone with the class.) \par Jesus lived as a faithful Jew. He attended the temple for festivals and had the habit of regularly going to the synagogue (see \cf5\ul Mar_1:21\cf3\ulnone , \cf5\ul Luk_4:16\cf3\ulnone ). But, by His actions, He challenged the status quo that assumed Sabbath was simply about keeping the rules. He said that Sabbath was not just another rule; instead, it was a gift to humanity (see \cf5\ul Mar_*2:27-28\cf3\ulnone ). By His choice to heal people on Sabbath, He demonstrated that Sabbath was a day not just for us, but a day to reach out to help and lift up others in order that they, too, might benefit from God\rquote s gift of the Sabbath.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Why do you think Jesus specifically chose to heal on the Sabbath when He could have done it on another day of the week? How can we use the Sabbath to serve our communities or to lift up those who are hurting or forgotten?\cf1\l+ang1033\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 15\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx2610\tx4140\b\fs28 Jesus and His Sabbath: Part 1\b0\par \fs22 Books have been written, and are still being written, with the sole purpose of showing that Jesus, when here in the flesh, was pointing people away from the seventh-day Sabbath, either toward Sunday worship or (more commonly today) toward the idea that the seventh day has been, superceded and replaced with a more generic and general \ldblquote rest\rdblquote in Christ.\par Neither option, though, seems to be found in any of the Gospel accounts of Jesus and the Sabbath. Besides the obvious reason for such books (a need to justify the rejection of the seventh-day Sabbath by the vast majority of the Christian world for the past seventeenth and eighteenth centuries), they argue Christ\rquote s healing on the Sabbath heralds the death knell of that commandment. \par What about th-ese arguments? A careful look at what Jesus did on Sabbath shows the opposite of what these theologians are trying to milk out of the incidents themselves. \i\par \b\i0 Carefully read \cf2\ul Mat_12:1-13\cf1\ulnone , focusing specifically on the Sabbath healing. As you read it, ask yourself, What is the context of the healing, why would Jesus have done it specifically on that day, and what is the major point that He is clearly making?\par \b0 Perhaps the key verse, the one that explains it all, is verse. 7. This is what the issue was all about: it was about people, about mercy and kindness and loving others. Properly kept, the Sabbath allows us more opportunity to show kindness and mercy to those in need than would other days of the week when we are forced to earn a living. The problem was that the Sabbath day had become burdened with a host of man-made rules and regulations that soon became an end in themselves rather than the means to an end-and that end is love to God and to other people. Love, the Bi/ble says, is the fulfilling of the law, and anything that turns the law into that which negates love, or that works against love, is something that must be discarded. The Sabbath had become law without love, which is harsh legalism. This is what Jesus was fighting against by His Sabbath healing. \par The hardness of the religious establishment could be seen in the healing of the man blind from birth \i (\cf2\ul Joh_9:1-41\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . Look carefully at verse 16. Talk about law without love! \par In0 the end, if Jesus were using His Sabbath healing to start pointing people away from the literal seventh-day Sabbath, it sure was a strange way to do it.\par \b Ask yourself, What are other ways one can manifest the law without love? Might you be guilty of doing the same thing? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\lang3081\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 A description of Sabbath as a gift of grace and humility: \ldblquote The old, wise Sabbath says, Stop now. As the sun touches the horizon, take the hand off the plow, put down the phone, let the pen rest on DD%M13-Ma%%13-Mar 24-30-The Promise of His Return{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2%=13-Mar 24-30-The Promise of His Return{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Verdana;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Calibri;}{\f3\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128(%913-Mar 24-30-The Promise of His Return{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss7)\i0 .\par \b Key Thought\b0 : \b The Triune God is not only our Creator, He\rquote s our Redeemer, as well.\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640 Closely related to God as Creator is His role as our Redeemer. Sin is so bad, so deadly, so hostile to the created world, that only the Creator Himself could solve the problem. And He did, in the person of Jesus Christ.\par \ldblquote But now in Christ Jesus you who once wer200\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\b Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i Rom_1:18\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Gen_3:15\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Rom_16:20\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul 1Pe_1:19\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Mar_10:32-45\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Mat_27:46\cf1\ulnone .\b\i0\par Memory Text:\b0 \b\ldblquote \lquote Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!\rquote \rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Rev_5:12\cf1\ulnone , NKJV3;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 3\b0\fs22\tab\i *January 14-20\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqc\tx5040\tqc\tx5760\tqc\tx6480\tqc\tx7200\tqc\tx7920\tqc\tx8640\b\fs28 God \i as\i0 Redeemer\b0\par \b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx36QLMNRPOQa`_^,+*)('20\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28 In \i the\i0 Beginning\b0\fs22\par \b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i Mat_19:4\cf1\ulnone\i0 ; \cf2\ul\i Job_38:4-7\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Deu_32:10-11\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Psa_19:1-14\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Joh_1:1rdblquote -Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 252.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Of what other sacred encounters in the Scriptures are you reminded? What were the circumstances of these encounters?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\b III. Sacred Spaces and Things\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Lev_10:1-20\cf3\ulnone , \cf5\ul Gen_9:15-20\cf3\ulno8e far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Eph_2:13\cf1\ulnone , NKJV). \i0 Not through works, not through anything we could ever do, but through His grace, manifest at the Cross, can we as sinners be redeemed by the Lord and be \ldblquote brought near\rdblquote to Him. Christ bore God\rquote s wrath so that none of us would ever, ideally, have to. That, in essence, is the plan of salvation. \par Paul also tells the church in Corinth that \ldblquote the message of th9e cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul 1Co_1:18\cf1\ulnone , NKJV). \i0 The scandal of the Cross is that it appears so absurd to human thinking: God, the infinite, holy Creator, becomes a sacrifice for the sake of twisted human souls, even His avowed enemies, taking upon Himself the penalty for their sins so that they wouldn\rquote t have to face that penalty themselves! Hard to fathom, isn\rquote t it? The atonement i:s so deep, so heavy, so profound that we grasp only what we can. Beyond that, thinking stops, and all we can do is worship.\par \par \i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 21.\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 15\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 At The Cross\b0\par \b\fs22\ldblquote But God commendeth his lo;ve toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us\rdblquote\b0 \i (\cf2\ul Rom_5:8\cf1\ulnone )\i0 .\b What is this text saying to us? \b0\par At the cross, in the most humiliating, inconceivable manner imaginable, God triumphs over and shames the enemy. Love, justice and compassion fuse in a singular dynamic act. God forgives sinners by paying in Himself the price of sin and absorbing into His own suffering Self the penalty of that sin. On Calvary, God reveals how extremely costly fjust how bad sin really is. Modern religious sentimentality often minimizes repugnance toward sin. And because sin doesn\rquote t make us angry anymore, perhaps it becomes harder to realize that sin arouses the wrath of a Holy God.\par \b Paul is not afraid to discuss the wrath of God. How does he express it in \cf2\ul Rom_1:18\cf1\ulnone ?\b0\par This strong statement sets the tone for the lengthy treatment of the universal sway of sin that Paul continues to elaborate on for the next two chapters (thro?ugh \cf2\ul Rom_3:20\cf1\ulnone ).\par An astounding aspect of the gospel is the fact that God is both the victor over our sin and the victim of it. And, as a result of this dual role, our holy God can keep His covenant with sinful covenant breakers. God\rquote s love does not lead to a bland tolerance of sin and evil but to triumphing victoriously over it. It is precisely because God is love that He opposes sin and evil, for these realities corrupt and destroy His beloved children. The death that God en@dured on the cross is the price His love pays for taking sin seriously while still loving sinners.\tab\b\par How seriously do you take the sin in your life? And what criteria do you use to justify your answer? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\b0\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640b\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Rev_5:12\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Review the various stories and symbols of the Old and New Testament that emphasize the Cross as the heart of the revelation of God\rquote s nature.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Identify with the suffering Christ onThe ancient world had no shortage of dying and rising gods who presumably restored fertility to the crops or brought some unspecified, but sublime, state of enlightenment to the adherents of their mystery cults. Most of these gods existed in some mythical dream time. But Jesus Christ was a real man who lived in a distinct historical era and was written about by hard-nosed historians, such as Josephus and Tacitus. He died a real death to redeem real people from real sin. Paul, in addition to his experienceAx1170\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b III. \ldblquote Through One Man . . .\rdblquote \par \b0 (Review \cf5\ul Rom_5:12-15\cf3\ulnone with your class.)\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 While Paul\rquote s major point was not to buttress the historicity of Adam, his argument assumes and depends on it. Paul knew of Jesus Christ as a historical figure. m Around the World (San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1988), p. 15.\par The story goes on to relate how god Alatangana eventually eloped with Sa\rquote s daughter without Sa\rquote s permission, and had a large family of both black and white children. Sa punished the family by causing all the children to speak different languages so that they couldn\rquote t understand each other. In addition, Sa would occasionally take a child in death as an offering.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 WCould do better than that, and he said so. \par \ldblquote \lquote Nothing can live in such a place,\rquote the God told Sa. \lquote This house needs fixing up. Everything is too dark.\rquote \par \ldblquote So Alatangana thought he\rquote d better take things in hand. He made the mud solid. We know it now as Earth. \lquote The earth feels sad,\rquote God said. \lquote I will make plants and animals to live on it.\rquote So he did.\rdblquote -Virginia Hamilton, In the Beginning: Creation Stories FroDgh another culture:\v\par \v0\par Opening Story: \ldblquote In the beginning there was darkness. And in it lived Death, called Sa, with his wife and daughter. The three of them were all that was. \par \ldblquote There was nowhere for them to live comfortably, so Sa started it. He used his magic power, and he made an endless mud sea. In this mud place, Sa built his house. \par \ldblquote After that, the God Alatangana came to visit Sa. He found Sa\rquote s house dirty and dark. Alatangana thought Sa shE80\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 Because of the entrance of sin, God responded with both judgment and grace. Judgment is required for justice to be met, but for those who believe in Christ\rquote s sacrifice on their behalf, mercy provides the grace which restores us to union with God.\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Use this opening myth to help your class to compare and contrast the origins story in the Bible with this version, which passed down throuF0\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab \tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\par \cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx64G\rquote s grace emerges. Though God must judge and condemn sin, the promise of grace is always there, always present, always available for those who will claim it for themselves.\par \b In what ways might the Lord be saying to you, \ldblquote Where are you?\rdblquote What are you doing that, perhaps, is causing you to hide from Him? Why is understanding grace a crucial first step in heeding His call to draw near to Him and away from the deceiver?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx144Hman and the man. Though they fell, the first things God gives them are hope and grace-the grace that forms the background against which judgment is to unfold. Thus, even before judgment, the promise of grace is given for those who will accept it.\par It\rquote s too late for Satan; his destruction is assured. But there, even amid the judgments passed on to the man and the woman, God makes His grace known. \par At the beginning of fallen human history, then, a relationship between sin, judgment, and GodI).\i0 Then the first thing God says after He\rquote s done questioning is to declare His judgment against the serpent. But next, in verse 15, even amid His judgment against the serpent, what does God say? \par Verse 15 is the first gospel promise. As soon as He declares His judgment against the serpent, He then immediately gives the first message of grace, of redemption, of salvation for humanity. And only then, only \i after \i0 that gospel promise, does He start declaring His judgments against the woJ Immediately, though, the Lord entered, calling out \ldblquote Where are you?\rdblquote This question doesn\rquote t have to be seen as condemnatory; it was more an invitation to come to Him, the One who created and loved them. It was a call to turn away from their deceiver and to return to their Maker.\par Notice, too, what happens. The first few lines from the mouth of God in this fallen world are questions \i (see \cf2\ul Gen_3:9\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_3:11\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_3:13\cf1\ulnone Kre was nothing to forgive, nothing to pardon, nothing to cover. It\rquote s the same with judgment. Before sin, there was nothing to judge, nothing to condemn, nothing to be punished. Both grace and judgment arise, at least in a human context, only because of humanity\rquote s sin. \b\par Read \cf2\ul Gen_3:1-24\cf1\ulnone , the account of the Fall. In what ways are both themes, that of judgment and grace, revealed?\par \b0 Satan succeeded in bringing sin into the world, changing everything as a result.List\rquote s suffering on our behalf, God gives us the life that Christ deserves. This substitution is the grace that delivers us from condemnation and death.\cf1\b\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 23\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Judgment and Grace in Eden\b0\par \fs22 Think about this: before sin, there was no need of grace because theMx1440\tx1710\tx2430\tx3150\tx3870\tx4590\tx5310\tx6030\tx6750\tx7470\tx8190\tx8910 III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Grace for the Condemned\par A. Because we all have sinned and deserve death, what is our only hope? How do we obtain grace?\par B. What joy can we find in the judgment of God?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 Judgment for our sins condemns us to die. Yet, if We accept ChrNd angel\rquote s message speak of both the grace and judgment?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 The Beauty of Mercy and Justice\par A. How does a believer escape both the extremes of cheap grace and the terrors of a vengeful judgment?\par B. Why is a rainbow a good illustration of the beauty and power of mercy and justice working hand in hand? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tOx10080\tx10800\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 God\rquote s Grace in Action\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1800\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How has God offered deliverance, even while passing judgment on the guilty, in such stories as the Fall and the Flood?\par B. How does the thirPwork together from Genesis to Revelation. \par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Sense the beauty, balance, and over-reaching power of a gospel that both eradicates sin through judgment and saves the penitent believer through grace. \par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Take hold of the offered gift of grace that delivers the believer from the condemnation that otherwise would fall on us as sinners. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tQin Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Ecc_12:14\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Explain how the twin aspects of God\rquote s character-mercy and justice as illustrated in His acts of grace and judgment-Rand them as divine truths that work together with each other. To pit one against the other is to misunderstand the fullness of the gospel, which we looked at last week. \b\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\b0\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson S small sample of the texts that clearly teach judgment. As noted above, many of the most explicit judgment texts, texts that clearly reveal the reality of divine judgment, or judgments, appear in the New Testament. This fact certainly works against the notion that judgment is somehow contrary to the new-covenant concept of God\rquote s grace, which is also clearly taught in the New Testament. What this should teach us is that however we understand judgment, and however we understand grace, we must understT \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Rev_20:12\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Rev_22:12\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Mat_12:36-37\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i 1Pe_4:17\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Rev_14:6-7\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \b0 These are just aUabout the nature and reality of divine judgment?\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Ecc_12:13-14\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i 1Co_3:13\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i 2Co_5:10\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Heb_10:30\cf1\ulnone \b\i0\par \cf2\ul\b0\i Mat_16:27\cf1\ulnone Vvation any more than we should pit the idea of God\rquote s justice against His grace. To do so is to rob both of their fullness and mutual complementarity. Scripture teaches both; hence, we need to understand both, as well.\par What also is interesting about the whole topic of judgment is that, verse for verse, the New Testament talks more about judgment than does the Old. \par \b Read the following verses. What are they about? Who is judged? What happens in these judgments? What do these texts reveal W\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Judgment Day\par \b0\fs22 The theme of judgment, divine judgment, runs through the entire Bible. And contrary to common beliefs, judgment is not contrary to salvation or to the gospel. Indeed, both themes are woven together in Scripture from Genesis through Revelation. \par And no wonder. Judgment and salvation reflect twin aspects of God\rquote s character: His justice and grace. Thus, we should not pit the idea of judgment against the idea of salXand He knows all things and He, indeed, will bring everything into judgment. \tab\tab\par Let\rquote s explore this crucial aspect of God\rquote s character and see that, even in judgment, God reveals His amazing grace.\par \par \i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 28.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\i0\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22 \tab\tab\i January 22\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880Y higher standard than the rules of the society itself. It\rquote s a society with no sense of transcendence, no sense of a higher authority, no sense of God or of a moral standard greater than anything human. It\rquote s a society where humans take the place of God, a society where the only judgment one faces is the judgment of one\rquote s peers or of one\rquote s own conscience (whatever\rquote s left of it, anyway).\par According to the Bible, however, the old man was right: there is a God in heaven, Zas guilty of being the \ldblquote wrong\rdblquote race and religion, nothing more. As the soldier raised his gun, his victim said, \ldblquote Do you know that there is a God in heaven who sees all this, and who will one day judge you for your actions?\rdblquote\par The soldier then shot the old man dead.\par This is, in many ways, a prime example of a secular society. Not a secular government (a government that does not promote one religion over another), but a secular society, one in which there is no[te For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Ecc_12:14\cf1\ulnone )\i0 .\par \b Key Thought\b0 :\b God\rquote s judgment is as pervasive in the Bible as is the theme of salvation; in fact, the two teachings are intricately entwined. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b0 A soldier stood next to an old man about to be executed. He w\22\tab\i *January 21-27\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28 The God \i of\i0 Grace \i and\i0 Judgment\b0\par \b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i 1Co_3:13\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul 2Co_5:10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_3:1-24\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_6:1-22\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Joh_3:17-21\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rev_14:6-7\cf1\ulnone .\b\i0\par Memory Text: \ldblquoays a fun process?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\b0\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\c^er of life-changing orientation running deep and swift in its cleansing, shaping, and beautifying power. The gospel of Jesus Christ creatively builds with integrity and wholeness. Genuine newness is the result of an inward dynamic at work, a divine creativity that restores beauty to a fallen, sinful life. \par \b Sculpting involves chiseling, filing, maybe even the breaking off of parts. What areas in your life need to be sculpted a bit more? How much resistance do you put up during what isn\rquote t alw_who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. . . . Mary stood beside the Cross. . . . Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , p. 568.\par Salvation history is full of divine creativity, restoring in fallen men and women the lost \ldblquote image of God.\rdblquote The gospel is no cosmetic facelift but a matt`t kind of changes came about in them?\b0\par Another good example is Mary Magdalene. \ldblquote Mary had been . . . a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. . . . It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive is sin to His unsullied purity, and in His strength she had overcome. . . . [This woman] c the cross and the agonizing Father hidden in a veil of darkness.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Share in God\rquote s suffering as part of the life we live in, and through, Christ.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 The Heart of the Gospel\dtab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. In the Garden of Eden, the promise to vanquish Satan came with an acknowledgment of the cost of this victory. What was this cost?\par B. What other biblical stories and verses demonstrate the suffering of God that purchased our healing?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx900\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx86e40\tx9360\tx10080 II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 By His Stripes\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. Why is it so important for us to meditate on the suffering of Christ and of the Father during the crucifixion? \par B. Visualizing and dwelling on these pictures of the Suffering Servant have what effect on our emotions and attitudes toward God? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\ftx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Sharing in His Cup\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How do we share in the cup of Christ\rquote s suffering?\par B. How are we changed as we dwell on the costs that the Father and Son paid for our salvation?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7g920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 The agony and horror of Christ\rquote s suffering on the cross and of the Father\rquote s pain from sending His Son into this torment, illustrate both the terrible cost of sin and the boundless love of God that led Him to take upon Himself the penalty for our transgressions.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 16\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx360h0\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Gospel in the Old Testament\b0\par \b\fs22 When is the first promise of salvation given, and what does it mean?\b0 \cf2\ul\i Gen_3:15\cf1\ulnone\i0 .\par The language here is striking. Adam and Eve have sinned. Now the great controversy is announced to them through the strong language of \ldblquote enmity\rdblquote between two opposing sides. This is a precious promise for human hearts now attracted to sin. We are also assured that this major confliict will not be eternal, for the head of the enemy will one day be crushed. In these verses, not only is the great controversy first revealed, but we also are told how it is going to end.\par \b Paul took courage from \cf2\ul Gen_3:15\cf1\ulnone . How does he express it in \cf2\ul Rom_16:20\cf1\ulnone ? What point is he making?\b0\par \b In \cf2\ul Gen_22:1-19\cf1\ulnone , Moses also narrates an amazingly graphic atonement picture. What can we learn about the future atonement of Christ from this narrativje?\b0\par Note the many mentions of \ldblquote father and son\rdblquote and how they go to the mountain of sacrifice together. The son carries the wood and the father the instruments of sacrifice (fire and knife). Isaac, much younger than his father, could have overpowered Abraham on the mountain of sacrifice. But, instead, we see \i two\i0 miracles: the father yielding his son, and the son yielding his life. \par What a powerful representation of the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf. The sckene, however powerful and moving, was only a tiny foretaste of the time when centuries later another Father would offer His Son. This time, however, there would be no animal to die instead of the son. The Son Himself would die on the altar. The Father would truly give up His Son, and the Son would give His life. \par There, on Mount Moriah, the world has been presented a very powerful picture (but still only a picture) of the plan of salvation and what it cost to redeem fallen humanity from the ruin of lsin. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \tab\tab\tab\tab \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx5460\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0m\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 God\rquote s justice is revealed in His wrath against sin. His mercy is revealed in the lengths to which He went to make sure that we did not have to share sin\rquote s fate.\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Emphasize the importance of a balanced understanding of Chrisnt\rquote s redemptive act. The fact of our redemption is not an excuse to take sin lightly but, rather, a call to grateful obedience and praise of the God who revealed His character in the mighty acts of His Son.\par Cynics are often bemused by the Christian\rquote s use of the cross as a symbol, particularly when worn as jewelry, or otherwise prettified or domesticated in popular Christian art. They may point out that this is much like using a stylized electric chair as a symbol or any other instrumeont of execution or torture. In a way, they\rquote re right. The cross was an instrument of both execution and torture. One can only wonder at the mind of the person who first conceived of killing his enemies in this way. What could possibly be more diametrically opposed to what Jesus Christ represented and wanted for His children than an instrument of death that not only killed, but killed painfully over a period of days, and enlisted the forces of nature themselves (sun, rain, etc.) in its work? \par p Early Christians knew all about this. They were highly ambivalent about the use of the cross as a symbol, even though they understood Christ\rquote s sacrifice as well as or better than we do. One rarely finds anything like the modern cross or crucifix in the Christian iconography of the first few centuries. Christ is symbolized by fish or anchors but almost never by this instrument of death and torture. Even the Emperor Constantine\rquote s favored Christian symbol wasn\rquote t the cross but the Chi Rhqo, the first two Greek letters in the name of Christ.\par But in His atoning death, Christ took the cross-which should have been a symbol of all the evil that had come upon the world as a result of sin-and made it a symbol of the opposite, of ultimate good and selflessness. If He could do that for the cross, what can He do for us?\par \cf4\b Discuss With the Class: \cf3\b0 The cross can often become trivialized, particularly if we live in a place in which most people identify as Christians. We may sere it but not actually look at it. What does the cross really mean to us?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 17\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Salvation in Isaiah\b0\par \b\fs22 On the famous road to Emmaus, Jesus taught the two despairing disciples about the atonement from \ldblquote Moses and all the prophets\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\sul Luk_24:27\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . \b What prophetic materials might Jesus have included in His study of the Atonement?\par \b0 It\rquote s very likely that among the prophets Jesus would have referred to, Isaiah was one. \b\par Read \cf2\ul Isa_53:1-12\cf1\ulnone , which describes the \ldblquote suffering Servant.\rdblquote Describe the details included there that help you more fully grasp the amazing atonement of Christ.\b0\par Though so much exists in this chapter, one point stands out more than anythting else, and that is the substitutionary role of the Suffering Servant. Notice all the times that He is paying the price for the sins of others. Again and again this theme appears, and what it teaches is that at the heart of salvation, of atonement, is the death of Jesus on our behalf. As sinners who have violated God\rquote s law; we can do nothing to make ourselves right with God. All our good works cannot bridge the gap between us and God. The only way to save us was for Jesus to pay the penalty in ouur stead and then offer us His perfect righteousness, which we claim by faith. \tab\tab\tab\par Had our works been able to make us right with God in any way, then Jesus would not have had to die for us. The fact that He did, that it took nothing less than His death in order to make atonement, should be all the proof we need that we cannot earn our salvation. It is, instead, wholly a gift of grace. \b\par Read \cf2\ul 1Pe_1:19\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul 1Pe_2:21-25\cf1\ulnone . How does Peter draw on \cf2\ul Ivsa_53:1-12\cf1\ulnone in his explanation of Christ\rquote s atoning death on our behalf?\b0\par \cf2\ul Isa_53:1-12\cf1\ulnone presents what\rquote s perhaps the clearest theological explanation of the Cross, showing unequivocally that, whatever else the Cross represents, it represents Christ dying on our behalf, bearing in Himself the punishment that we deserve. \par \b Using \cf2\ul Isa_53:1-12\cf1\ulnone as your text, think about the final scenes of Christ\rquote s life. As you do, keep in mind thwat the person depicted there is our God, our Creator, one part of the Godhead Himself. How do we get our minds around this amazing truth? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\xnowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 It is all too easy for us to glory in our redemption in Christ without fully understanding the real cost of it or what made such a redemption necessary. Emphasize that sin is not a trivial thing or a joke, such as when we refer to a piece of chocolate cake as \ldblquote sinfully delicious.\rdblquote Left to ourselves, we would be destroyed by sin. Our reydemption from it caused the painful and lonely death of God\rquote s Son.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b I. Is God Angry at You?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Rom_1:18\cf3\ulnone with your class.)\par The wrath of God is a difficult concept for many. If we could, many of us would banish it to the outezr edges of the Old Testament. And yet, here it is near the beginning of a book (Romans) that most people associate with the love and grace of God. So, what is the wrath of God? Against what or whom is it directed? Is it really what we think of as wrath or anger, or is this just a way of referring to the natural consequences of sin?\par First, we\rquote ve all experienced human anger and angry people. Almost by definition, the experience was not positive. Perhaps the anger was justified, or perhaps it {was arbitrary or unfair. In any event, anger of this sort is an emotion, a human emotion. In this sense, the wrath of God is entirely different from human wrath or anger.\par The wrath described in this passage is closely linked with the judgment of God. Therefore, it is not the result of an impulsive flash of anger. God has judged sin, or unrighteousness, and has marked it for destruction. At the same time, this sin or unrighteousness didn\rquote t just appear out of thin air. It is the \ldblquote unrig|hteousness of men.\rdblquote So, necessarily, while the wrath is directed against the sin itself, it is also directed against those who entertain and practice it while knowing better, \ldblquote holding the truth in unrighteousness.\rdblquote\par Paul also uses the phrase \ldblquote is revealed,\rdblquote or even more to the point, \ldblquote is being revealed,\rdblquote in relation to God\rquote s wrath. On one level, this refers to the natural results of sin. Sin has certain consequences in the r}eal world that can be seen by anyone who cares to notice. The consequences also will be revealed in the final judgment of God, in which sin and unrighteousness will be destroyed. In short, God is not angry with you. He is angry with sin. He wants you to separate yourself from it and accept the gift of new life and righteousness that He is also revealing. There is no need for any of us to cling to sin and share its fate.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 God has revealed His wrath but also how to escape f~rom it. Are you clinging to unrighteousness? If so, what will it take to pry you away from it?\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx451\tx1170\tx1890\tx2610\tx3330\tx4050\tx4770\tx5490\tx6210\tx6930\tx7650\par \b II. \ldblquote Who Has Believed Our Report?\rdblquote \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx1170\tx1890\tx2610\tx3330\tx4050\tx4770\tx5490\tx6210\tx6930\tx7650\tx8370\tx9090\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Isa_53:1-12\cf3\ulnone with your class.) \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 Most of us are familiar with the doctrine of justification in which Christ\rquote s sacrifice causes His righteousness to be attributed to us. In some sense, it causes God to view us as if we had Christ\rquote s virtues. We like this idea. In order for that to happen, Christ had to allow Himself to bear our sinfulness. This is a little more difficult to take. \cf5\ul Isa_53:1-12\cf3\ulnone begins on a note of disbelief, culminating in dismay. Rhetorically, the prophet asks, \ldblquote Who has believed our report?\rdblquote The answer is very few. \par Jesus\rquote contemporaries looked at Him on the cross and saw, at best, a victim of the worst circumstances possible. They didn\rquote t know what to say. Perhaps they were afraid His misfortune and wretchedness would rub off on them. Or, even, maybe He had really done something bad to deserve it. They turned away and tried to forget about it.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 Others probably looked on, and saw what their religious leaders and the principalities and powers of the world wanted them to see: a criminal, a blasphemer, possibly a madman. After all, He was tried and convicted by the wisest and most influential men in the nation, selected from among each of the influential factions. When was the last time they agreed on anything? In any case, better not to get involved, better not to even look.\tab\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 We\rquote ve all heard the phrase \ldblquote cheap grace,\rdblquote and undoubtedly we\rquote re all guilty of acting as though grace is cheap. How might meditating on the real significance of Christ\rquote s sacrifice affect such notions?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 18\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Gospels and the Cross\b0\par \fs22 Despite the astounding miracle of Christ\rquote s incarnation, His profound teaching, and the miracles He performed, these are not the central focus of Christ\rquote s life. Instead, what dominates the thinking of Jesus is the giving of His life. As miraculous as His birth and ministry were, the great mission of Christ\rquote s life was His death.\par In the four Gospels, we find Jesus endeavoring to prepare His disciples for His coming death. However, their devotion to Jesus, coupled with their hope for a political Messiah, prevented them from grasping what Jesus was telling them. \b \par Read \cf2\ul Mar_10:32-45\cf1\ulnone .\b0 \b How did Jesus describe His coming execution? \b0\i (vss. 33, 34)\b\i0 . What was wrong with the request of James and John? \b0\i (vss. 35-37)\b\i0 . What was Jesus\rquote pointed response? \b0\i (vss. 42-45)\b\i0 .\b0\par The evening before He died, Jesus celebrated a Passover meal with His disciples. He then gave instructions that this event should be observed until He returned again. This ordinance of Communion, instituted by the Lord Himself-and the only commemorative act He personally authorized-is not a memorial of His incarnation, nor His miracles, nor His parables, nor His preaching, but only of His death. Christ Himself wished above all else to be remembered by His death.\par In fact, in the four Gospel accounts of the Messiah\rquote s life, the events surrounding and including the crucifixion carry the major emphasis. The staggering miracle of the Incarnation is mentioned only by Matthew and Luke. Only two chapters in each of their Gospels record Christ\rquote s conception and birth. Mark and John omit any comment on Christ\rquote s birth at all and begin their Gospels with Jesus as an adult. \par All four Gospel writers, however, determinedly emphasize the last week of Christ\rquote s life and, of course, His death. Glance through them and notice this pointed focus on just a few days of Christ's life. The last week of Jesus\rquote life, leading up to and including His death, takes up from one-third to almost a half of all gospel accounts. Each reader is \ldblquote forced\rdblquote to rivet attention on the great redeeming act of God.\par \b Look at your life, your past, your mistakes, your sins. Do you honestly think anything you have done, or could do, could ever atone for them? Why, then, should the death of Jesus on your behalf be the central focus of your life? What hope woulaersons we might disregard as unattractive and unworthy and fashioning them into something beautiful.\par \b Who are some characters in the Bible who needed a bit of spiritual sculpting, as it were? What needed changes were made in their lives? For instance, Jacob \b0\i (\cf2\ul Gen_32:22-30\cf1\ulnone )\b ; \i0 David\b0 \i (\cf2\ul Psa_51:1-19\cf1\ulnone )\b ; \i0 Peter \b0\i (\cf2\ul Luk_22:31-32\cf1\ulnone )\b ; \i0 Paul \b0\i (\cf2\ul Act_9:1-22\cf1\ulnone ). \b\i0 Whom else can you think of, and wharch 15\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 God as a Sculptor\b0 \par \fs22 God is also a sculptor, but not one limited to granite or marble. Instead, He sculpts our characters. He can take a sinful human being and mold and chisel and hammer away until that person reflects something of heaven\rquote s glory. God has given extensive evidence of such profound skills. From cover to cover in Scripture, we find God taking pou see in God\rquote s willingness to share such a high and noble responsibility with fallen human beings? What does this tell you about what God sees in us?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 What parts of the Bible are most beautiful to you? Select two or three of your favorite passages and share them with a friend who may not be a believer. When you share, focus on how these passages have helped you in life.\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i Ma0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 Ellen G. White wrote that, \ldblquote Jesus had called His disciples that He might send them forth as His witnesses, to declare to the world what they had seen and heard of Him. Their office was the most important to which human beings had ever been called, and was second only to that of Christ Himself.\rdblquote -The Desire of Ages, p. 291. What beauty do y2 This week\rquote s lesson makes it clear that God\rquote s sculpting can be painful. What aspects of your character would you most like God to beautify? Have you submitted them to Him?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 How can you help others to see the beauty in themselves? How can you use God\rquote s Word to show them what their worth is to Him?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b Questions for Witnessing: \btudy documented God\rquote s efforts to sculpt and remake human beings into His image. What most prevents God from finishing the job in our lives? What role does the Holy Spirit play in the process?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Application Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\fningful, and ennobling. If humans are created in God\rquote s image, why do we struggle with the way that we look? How much of this insecurity is due to secular messages about beauty that are uninformed by Scripture? \par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 Read \cf5\ul Psa_139:1-24\cf3\ulnone . Why is David so overwhelmed by God\rquote s creativity? Given the awesome craftsmanship of God in the act of creating human beings, how can we become better stewards of our bodies?\par \cf6\f4 w\cf3\f2 Thursday\rquote s lesson s Teachers: \cf3\b0 Encourage your students to answer the personal inventory questions below. Allow time for those who may wish to share their responses.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 God\rquote s beauty is always purposeful, meately? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just forcould have furnished John with a standard historical document to present the course of the salvation story. Instead, what we find are stunning pictorial vistas portraying the working out of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, expanding on the imposing apocalyptic display given earlier to Daniel and Ezekiel.\par \b Imagine reading the Bible only as literature. Talk about missing the point! What lessons can we learn about how easily we can have truth right before our eyes and yet miss it complegly complex tapestry of words, phrases, and themes borrowed from other biblical writers but now woven together into an entirely new fabric. This final book in the Bible is in a style vastly different from what Paul and the Gospel writers used. Instead, we are almost overwhelmed with a profound aesthetic display carefully structured around seven scenes of the heavenly sanctuary, each one opening with deeper access into the heavenly court.\par The book of Revelation is an extensive aesthetic display. God ise. Before Paul goes on to outline the practical implications of the gospel, he worships. \par Paul exhibits this subtle literary rhythm several times in his epistles and letters: intricate theological reasoning interlaced with praise to God before concluding with practical counsel.\par The book of Revelation also is filled with an imposing mosaic of literary devices through which God portrays salvation history. Much of the book was taken from the Old Testament. The reader is presented with an exceedinarly punctuates his theology with powerful literary devices. For example, in the first eleven chapters of the book of Romans, Paul gives a comprehensive account of the gospel. Look through these chapters and note the various topics Paul weaves together.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Rom_11:33-36\cf1\ulnone . What is happening here after all that came before it?\b0\par Like a hiker who has reached the summit of a high mountain, the apostle-who has taken in the vast panorama of salvation history-now bursts into praiterary beauty. \par As Christians, we have the blessing not only of enjoying the literary beauty of the Scriptures but of learning the truths about God as revealed in the Bible. No doubt, too, the artful construction of the narratives and the poetry, all influenced by the Spirit of the Lord (yet written out through the words of God\rquote s prophets), goes a long way in helping us understand the truth contained therein. \par The apostle Paul, for instance, with his complex theological discourse, regulfs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8820 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22 \i March 14\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 God as Author\b0\par \fs22 Bible scholars have often been impressed by the incredible literary quality in the Bible. In fact, many secular colleges teach courses on the Bible as literature. They study it, not because they think it is the Word of God but simply for its lnone , NIV). This sort of gives new meaning to the phrase \ldblquote inhabits praise,\rdblquote doesn\rquote t it.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Music in worship continues to be one of the most controversial subjects in the church today. If we have the blueprint of musical expression in Scripture, why is there so much rancor about what is appropriate and not appropriate in worship? What was it about the music played at the temple dedication service that attracted the presence of God?\cf1\b\scaps\f0\ of the covenant arrived, \ldblquote The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: \lquote He is good; his love endures forever.\rquote Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God\rdblquote (\cf5\ul 2Ch_5:13-14\cf3\ul from \cf5\ul 2Sa_23:1-2\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul 2Ch_29:25\cf3\ulnone that God directed King David\rquote s choice of music. How awesome is that? If God delivered an entire nation from captivity so that they could worship Him and He dwell among them (\cf5\ul Exo_25:8\cf3\ulnone ), why wouldn\rquote t He be careful about every aspect of the worship experience?\par At the dedication of the temple built by Solomon, God responds powerfully to the certain happenings in the dedication service. Once the ark720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul 1Ch_23:5\cf3\ulnone , \cf5\ul 2Ch_29:25\cf3\ulnone , and \cf5\ul 2Ch_5:1-14\cf3\ulnone .)\par Worship is a key theme in the Bible. The whole great controversy is about whom we human beings will choose to worship. Perhaps no two books in the Bible give us a better picture of God\rquote s response to music in worship than First and Second Chronicles. \par We learned this weeky that should adorn the people of God. For instance God was very specific about the priestly garments that should adorn those who minister before Him. Is God any less peculiar about dress today? How do we reconcile God\rquote s beauty standards with the \ldblquote come-as-you-are\rdblquote ethic found in Scripture?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\par \b III. More Than a Song\par \pard\nowidctlpar\lis actively manifested in deeds. Reference here is to God\rquote s glorious character, abounding love, and gracious provision for the salvation of sinners (see \cf5\ul Exo_34:6-7\cf3\ulnone ). God acquired the church as His own special possession in order that its members might reflect His precious traits of character in their own lives, and proclaim His goodness and mercy to all men.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Compare and contrast the beauty of God\rquote s wilderness sanctuary, with all the beautclaim to follow Him? Consider for a moment \cf5\ul 1Pe_2:9\cf3\ulnone , the oft-quoted call to be God\rquote s witnesses to the world. The people of God are chosen, royal, and peculiar, but this group is more than just a bunch of pretty faces. They are to \ldblquote proclaim the praises of Him who called [them] out of darkness into His marvelous light\rdblquote (NKJV). The word praises literally means \ldblquote excellencies\rdblquote or \ldblquote perfections,\rdblquote with emphasis on these qualitieompare, for a moment, the awesome beauty of the portable wilderness sanctuary with the building made up of human beings alluded to in \cf5\ul 1Pe_2:9\cf3\ulnone . As Monday\rquote s study beautifully illustrates, God leaves no detail to chance in the construction of His temple. God designed it all Himself, selected all the materials, directed the construction, inspected the workmanship, and blessed the finished product. \tab\par Could God be similarly particular about the people who bear His name and to the beautiful state in which He created them.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Ask someone in the class to read \cf5\ul Jer_18:3-10\cf3\ulnone . What words or phrases spoken by God best capture the way in which God sees His people? Is there any significance to the fact that the vessel being formed by the potter was designed to be more than just a show piece?\par \par \b II. The Marriage of Beauty and Purpose\par \b0 (Review \cf5\ul Exo_25:1-9\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul 1Pe_2:9\cf3\ulnone .)\par C? The temple was a place of blood and sacrifices. It was hardly a picture of beauty, but David saw loveliness in God\rquote s provision of forgiveness and restoration through the temple services. This beauty had been the heartbeat of his life from childhood. He craved it.\par We know that King David craved the beauty of God, but does God crave such beauty? Sunday\rquote s study seems to suggest so. For instance, \cf5\ul Jer_18:3-10\cf3\ulnone seems to suggest that God yearns to see His people return examine passages in Scripture, context becomes very important. In \cf5\ul Psa_27:1-14\cf3\ulnone , King David seems to have been denied access to God\rquote s sanctuary. He is cut off from the beauty of the worship that most feeds His connection with God. In beautiful poetic form, he expresses his trust in God and boils down his desires to one overriding need: to worship God in His house, observe the beauty there, and inquire in His temple. \par What beauty does David want to see in God\rquote s house\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx810\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b I. A Universal Need\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Psa_27:4\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Jer_18:3-10\cf3\ulnone .)\par Whenever we x9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 As you explore this week\rquote s \cf4\f3 Bible Commentary\cf3\f2 section, focus on the elegant solutions that underpin God\rquote s creative genius. In other words, God\rquote s creativity is not simply expressed in order to serve His need to see beauty. The beauty God creates always has a deeper purpose that blesses humanity and honors God.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160eir souls toward the Lord. How does music in our church function today? How can we be sure that it does the same thing; that is, lift our souls toward the Lord, as opposed to pushing us in another direction? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tout his father?\b0 \cf2\ul\i Gen_26:4-5\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par What\rquote s fascinating about \cf2\ul Gen_26:5\cf1\ulnone is that the Hebrew uses four different words, \i mshmrt, mzvot, huqot, and torot \i0 (from \i Torah\i0 , \ldblquote the law\rdblquote ) to describe what Abraham obeyed. Certainly among all these were the Ten Commandments.\par When Jacob, at God\rquote s bidding, was returning to Bethel to build an altar to the Lord, he felt the need for revival in his household. What did he request hrstand what the standard of right and wrong included?\b0 \i \i0\par When Abraham lied about Sarah to Abimelech, God rebuked Abraham for his falsehood. And even though Abimelech was king of Gerar and not of Israelite stock, God held him to the same standard of marital purity found in the Decalogue and demanded that Sarah be returned to Abraham \i (see \cf2\ul Gen_20:9\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . \par \b What is the pointed testimony about Abraham that God gives to Isaac aboah after the Flood \i (\cf2\ul Gen_9:6\cf1\ulnone ).\i0\par In the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job, we find God commending Job\rquote s righteousness two times. What does He declare of Job\rquote s character? \i (\cf2\ul Job_1:8\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Job_2:3\cf1\ulnone ).\i0 Obviously there is a standard of right and wrong operating. Job lived long before the Exodus, and he wasn\rquote t even of the covenant line. \par \b Read \cf2\ul Job_24:14-15\cf1\ulnone . How do these verses help us undes to the existence of God\rquote s law long before Sinai. \par \cf2\ul Gen_1:1-31\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_2:1-25\cf1\ulnone describe God\rquote s perfect Creation. \cf2\ul Gen_3:1-24\cf1\ulnone records the fall of Adam and Eve. In the next chapter, \cf2\ul Gen_4:1-26\cf1\ulnone , we have the first murder. How did Cain know he was guilty for murdering his brother if there were no law to define murder as sin?\par Long before Sinai, God specifically denounced murder in the covenant he established with N, and Sinai, we hear the refrain that the Ten Commandments were first given to the Jews at Sinai; hence, they are a Jewish or an Old Testament institution and not applicable to our day and time. \par Of course, numerous problems exist with that theology, the biggest being that if this were true, then how could there have been sin before Sinai, \ldblquote for sin is the transgression of the law\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul 1Jn_3:4\cf1\ulnone )\i0 ? The truth is that the book of Genesis yields an amazing witnesgned us to live, it follows that when we let Him write these laws in our hearts, we are free to live joyously, most like our true selves.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 6\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Law Before Sinai \b0 \par \fs22 As every Seventh-day Adventist knows, as soon as we talk about the law, the Ten CommandmentsIII. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Rejoicing in the Law\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1800\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. What aspects of the law awaken a sense of joy, praise, and love for the Lawgiver in your heart, and how can you share this joy? \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 Because the law describes how God lives and how He desidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx450\tx900\tx1170\tx1890\tx2610\tx3330\tx4050\tx4770\tx5490\tx6210\tx6930\tx7650\tx8370\tx9090\tx9810 II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 The Importance of Being Afraid\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. Why was it important for God to share His law at Mount Sinai in such an awe- and fear-inspiring display of power?\par B. How does a healthy fear for the law send us to the Savior?\par \sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How are the seemingly negative statements of some of the Ten Commandments really positive examples of who God is and how He created us so that we may function at our fullest potential?\par B. What can we learn about God\rquote s character from the natural laws that govern the universe?\par C. How is it evident that God\rquote s law was known and in operation before Mount Sinai?\par \pard\nowiit teaches us our need for a Savior, and rejoice in the law as it protects and liberates us to be our truest selves in Christ.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 The Picture of God\rquote s Character\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60f3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Isa_33:22\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Describe the unchanging character of God, as outlined in His law.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Empathize with the feelings of Moses and the people of Israel as God proclaimed His law from Mount Sinai.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Accept the instruction of the law as . Do you find yourself trembling before the law? Do you find yourself convicted by it? What are your emotions as you read the law and compare yourself with it? \b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\c these verses reveal this crucial truth? What is Paul saying that the law does? \b0\i See also\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Psa_119:6\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par In a sense, Paul is saying here what Ellen White said happened at Sinai. The problem is not with God\rquote s law; the problem is with sinners who have violated the law, as we all have done. Paul is showing how the law is inseparably tied to the gospel, that the law is what shows us just how sinful and fallen we are. \par \b Read \cf2\ul Exo_20:1-17\cf1\ulnone er meant to be a means of salvation, even at Sinai; rather, it was to show the people their need of salvation. It was right after the giving of the law that they were given instructions to build the sanctuary, which revealed to them the plan of salvation. The law was to point people to the Cross, to their need of atonement and Redemption. No wonder, then, that they trembled before the law, because the law showed them just how sinful and fallen they were.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Rom_7:8-13\cf1\ulnone . How doinsists that God Himself designed every aspect of His worship, including architecture, furniture, priestly attire, and liturgy. There can be no doubt that artistic design is sanctioned in the Word of God. Anyone who rejects the aesthetic dimension or who denies that being an artist can be a relevant vocation for a Christian does so against the record of Scripture.\par \b Though we don\rquote t have the music that accompanied Israelite worship, it must have been beautiful and certainly must have lifted thr Throughout the Old Testament, when temple worship is recounted, music is evident and impressive. Picture, for instance, the worship atmosphere in the descriptions in \cf2\ul 1Ch_23:5\cf1\ulnone . Four thousand instruments! Whatever the music must have sounded like, it certainly wasn\rquote t boring or dry! \par It might be argued that aesthetic dimensions could be expected within sacred worship and that throughout history all nations have exhibited such in worship of their gods. However, Israel alone psalms Israel used in worship? \cf2\ul\b0\i 2Sa_23:1-2\cf1\ulnone\b\i0 . \b0\par David was clear that he was inspired by the Lord to write the songs that he did. Though this doesn\rquote t mean that the Lord wrote the words and music for him, it does mean that the Lord cared about the kind of music that was played. Otherwise, why bother to inspire it?\par \b Read \cf2\ul 2Ch_29:25\cf1\ulnone . What does this tell us about the role of the Lord in the music that was played in their worship services?\b0\pae\b0 \i (\cf2\ul 1Ch_23:5\cf1\ulnone , NIV)\i0 . \par Try to envision the scene above: four thousand people playing musical instruments in praise of the Lord! That must have been an amazing worship service.\par God\rquote s artistic expression is not restricted to the representational arts. In Scripture we find that, along with sacred architecture, Israel\rquote s liturgy was inspired by the Lord. God is a lover of beautiful music, as well. \par \b How does King David describe his composition of the iteria for what can be considered beautiful and what cannot. \cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 13\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 God as Musician\b0\par \b\fs22\ldblquote \lquote Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose\rquote \rdblquotnd wondered at the \ldblquote art\rdblquote dotting business districts and town squares. \par When human beings express their creative power, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. However, when God creates, few can dispute the elegance and beauty of His work, even if they do not ascribe such beauty to Him. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Ask the class to share things that they would consider to be beautiful pieces of art. After all have had a chance to share, ask the class to create some cround in the spiritual and physical realms.\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 As you lead your class in discussion of this week\rquote s lesson, examine the artistry of God versus that of fallen human beings. While we are capable of tremendous artistic achievements, they still pale in comparison to that of God.\par Art is often subjective. The paintings of Monet move many people, but a great many more don\rquote t quite understand why they fetch tons of money at auction. Many have visited cities acf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab \par \cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 This week\rquote s lesson focuses on the infinite creative genius of God. Although sin has marred God\rquote s creation, it has not blotted out the beauty of God\rquote s creative expression, which is fybe to help them sense their own need before such grandeur? How can understanding the glory of the sanctuary better help us grasp the character of God in contrast to our own earthliness and sinfulness? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\\cf2\ul Heb_8:1-5\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par If the earthly sanctuary was only a \ldblquote shadow\rdblquote of the heavenly, we can hardly begin to imagine the kind of beauty that must exist in the real sanctuary, the one that God Himself made.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b Why do you think it was important for the sanctuary to be so beautiful? Perhaps to give the people a sense of awe before the power and grandeur of God? Ma0\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740 God was architect of it all, even inspiring the artisans to craft the minute details of decoration. Nothing was left to human devising. There are more chapters regarding the plans for, and consequent building of, this sanctuary and its furnishings than for any other subject in the first five books of Moses.\par \b Upon what was the earthly sanctuary modeled, and what does that tell us about God\rquote s love of beauty? \cf2\ul\b0\i Exo_25:9\cf1\ulnone ,  in the first five books of the Bible that record God\rquote s precise directives regarding a beautiful sanctuary. He provides not only the architectural blueprints but also the exact directions for the furnishings. It is significant that on Mount Sinai God gave not only the Decalogue, His instructions for obedience within the covenant, but also specific directions of how to fashion a lavish structure involving almost every type of artistic skill.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx270stments. From \cf2\ul Exo_35:1\cf1\ulnone to the end of the book \i (\cf2\ul Exo_40:38\cf1\ulnone ) \i0 are found God\rquote s detailed descriptions, along with the record of the precise accomplishment of them. This record includes extensive details of artistry.\par This collection of details is tedious reading to many modern Christians. But it pleased God not only to present these many instructions to the newly-freed slaves but also to include them in Scripture.\tab\par There are almost fifty chaptersrael from Egypt. The second half of the book deals with issues that include beauty. The divine instructions of \cf2\ul Exo_25:1-9\cf1\ulnone are followed by \cf2\ul Exo_25:10-40\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_26:1-37\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_27:1-21\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_28:1-43\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_29:1-46\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_30:1-38\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_31:1-11\cf1\ulnone , with God\rquote s \ldblquote blueprints\rdblquote for the portable tent sanctuary, its furnishings, and the priestly ves actively manifested in deeds. Reference here is to God\rquote s glorious character, abounding love, and gracious provision for the salvation of sinners (see \cf5\ul Exo_34:6-7\cf3\ulnone ). God acquired the church as His own special possession in order that its members might reflect His precious traits of character in their own lives, and proclaim His goodness and mercy to all men.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Compare and contrast the beauty of God\rquote s wilderness sanctuary, with all the beautclaim to follow Him? Consider for a moment \cf5\ul 1Pe_2:9\cf3\ulnone , the oft-quoted call to be God\rquote s witnesses to the world. The people of God are chosen, royal, and peculiar, but this group is more than just a bunch of pretty faces. They are to \ldblquote proclaim the praises of Him who called [them] out of darkness into His marvelous light\rdblquote (NKJV). The word praises literally means \ldblquote excellencies\rdblquote or \ldblquote perfections,\rdblquote with emphasis on these qualitieompare, for a moment, the awesome beauty of the portable wilderness sanctuary with the building made up of human beings alluded to in \cf5\ul 1Pe_2:9\cf3\ulnone . As Monday\rquote s study beautifully illustrates, God leaves no detail to chance in the construction of His temple. God designed it all Himself, selected all the materials, directed the construction, inspected the workmanship, and blessed the finished product. \tab\par Could God be similarly particular about the people who bear His name and to the beautiful state in which He created them.\par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Ask someone in the class to read \cf5\ul Jer_18:3-10\cf3\ulnone . What words or phrases spoken by God best capture the way in which God sees His people? Is there any significance to the fact that the vessel being formed by the potter was designed to be more than just a show piece?\par \par \b II. The Marriage of Beauty and Purpose\par \b0 (Review \cf5\ul Exo_25:1-9\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul 1Pe_2:9\cf3\ulnone .)\par C? The temple was a place of blood and sacrifices. It was hardly a picture of beauty, but David saw loveliness in God\rquote s provision of forgiveness and restoration through the temple services. This beauty had been the heartbeat of his life from childhood. He craved it.\par We know that King David craved the beauty of God, but does God crave such beauty? Sunday\rquote s study seems to suggest so. For instance, \cf5\ul Jer_18:3-10\cf3\ulnone seems to suggest that God yearns to see His people return examine passages in Scripture, context becomes very important. In \cf5\ul Psa_27:1-14\cf3\ulnone , King David seems to have been denied access to God\rquote s sanctuary. He is cut off from the beauty of the worship that most feeds His connection with God. In beautiful poetic form, he expresses his trust in God and boils down his desires to one overriding need: to worship God in His house, observe the beauty there, and inquire in His temple. \par What beauty does David want to see in God\rquote s house\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 Bible Commentary\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx810\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b I. A Universal Need\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b0 (Review \cf5\ul Psa_27:4\cf3\ulnone and \cf5\ul Jer_18:3-10\cf3\ulnone .)\par Whenever we x9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 2-Explore\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 As you explore this week\rquote s \cf4\f3 Bible Commentary\cf3\f2 section, focus on the elegant solutions that underpin God\rquote s creative genius. In other words, God\rquote s creativity is not simply expressed in order to serve His need to see beauty. The beauty God creates always has a deeper purpose that blesses humanity and honors God.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160eir souls toward the Lord. How does music in our church function today? How can we be sure that it does the same thing; that is, lift our souls toward the Lord, as opposed to pushing us in another direction? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tinsists that God Himself designed every aspect of His worship, including architecture, furniture, priestly attire, and liturgy. There can be no doubt that artistic design is sanctioned in the Word of God. Anyone who rejects the aesthetic dimension or who denies that being an artist can be a relevant vocation for a Christian does so against the record of Scripture.\par \b Though we don\rquote t have the music that accompanied Israelite worship, it must have been beautiful and certainly must have lifted thr Throughout the Old Testament, when temple worship is recounted, music is evident and impressive. Picture, for instance, the worship atmosphere in the descriptions in \cf2\ul 1Ch_23:5\cf1\ulnone . Four thousand instruments! Whatever the music must have sounded like, it certainly wasn\rquote t boring or dry! \par It might be argued that aesthetic dimensions could be expected within sacred worship and that throughout history all nations have exhibited such in worship of their gods. However, Israel alone psalms Israel used in worship? \cf2\ul\b0\i 2Sa_23:1-2\cf1\ulnone\b\i0 . \b0\par David was clear that he was inspired by the Lord to write the songs that he did. Though this doesn\rquote t mean that the Lord wrote the words and music for him, it does mean that the Lord cared about the kind of music that was played. Otherwise, why bother to inspire it?\par \b Read \cf2\ul 2Ch_29:25\cf1\ulnone . What does this tell us about the role of the Lord in the music that was played in their worship services?\b0\pae\b0 \i (\cf2\ul 1Ch_23:5\cf1\ulnone , NIV)\i0 . \par Try to envision the scene above: four thousand people playing musical instruments in praise of the Lord! That must have been an amazing worship service.\par God\rquote s artistic expression is not restricted to the representational arts. In Scripture we find that, along with sacred architecture, Israel\rquote s liturgy was inspired by the Lord. God is a lover of beautiful music, as well. \par \b How does King David describe his composition of the iteria for what can be considered beautiful and what cannot. \cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Tuesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 13\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 God as Musician\b0\par \b\fs22\ldblquote \lquote Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose\rquote \rdblquotnd wondered at the \ldblquote art\rdblquote dotting business districts and town squares. \par When human beings express their creative power, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. However, when God creates, few can dispute the elegance and beauty of His work, even if they do not ascribe such beauty to Him. \par \cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 Ask the class to share things that they would consider to be beautiful pieces of art. After all have had a chance to share, ask the class to create some cround in the spiritual and physical realms.\par \cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 As you lead your class in discussion of this week\rquote s lesson, examine the artistry of God versus that of fallen human beings. While we are capable of tremendous artistic achievements, they still pale in comparison to that of God.\par Art is often subjective. The paintings of Monet move many people, but a great many more don\rquote t quite understand why they fetch tons of money at auction. Many have visited cities acf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 Learning Cycle\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\tab\tab\tab\tab \par \cf4\b\i\f1\fs28 STEP 1-Motivate\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: \cf3\b0 This week\rquote s lesson focuses on the infinite creative genius of God. Although sin has marred God\rquote s creation, it has not blotted out the beauty of God\rquote s creative expression, which is fybe to help them sense their own need before such grandeur? How can understanding the glory of the sanctuary better help us grasp the character of God in contrast to our own earthliness and sinfulness? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\\cf2\ul Heb_8:1-5\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par If the earthly sanctuary was only a \ldblquote shadow\rdblquote of the heavenly, we can hardly begin to imagine the kind of beauty that must exist in the real sanctuary, the one that God Himself made.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b Why do you think it was important for the sanctuary to be so beautiful? Perhaps to give the people a sense of awe before the power and grandeur of God? Ma0\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740 God was architect of it all, even inspiring the artisans to craft the minute details of decoration. Nothing was left to human devising. There are more chapters regarding the plans for, and consequent building of, this sanctuary and its furnishings than for any other subject in the first five books of Moses.\par \b Upon what was the earthly sanctuary modeled, and what does that tell us about God\rquote s love of beauty? \cf2\ul\b0\i Exo_25:9\cf1\ulnone ,  in the first five books of the Bible that record God\rquote s precise directives regarding a beautiful sanctuary. He provides not only the architectural blueprints but also the exact directions for the furnishings. It is significant that on Mount Sinai God gave not only the Decalogue, His instructions for obedience within the covenant, but also specific directions of how to fashion a lavish structure involving almost every type of artistic skill.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx270y vestments. From \cf2\ul Exo_35:1\cf1\ulnone to the end of the book \i (\cf2\ul Exo_40:38\cf1\ulnone ) \i0 are found God\rquote s detailed descriptions, along with the record of the precise accomplishment of them. This record includes extensive details of artistry.\par This collection of details is tedious reading to many modern Christians. But it pleased God not only to present these many instructions to the newly-freed slaves but also to include them in Scripture.\par There are almost fifty chaptersf Israel from Egypt. The second half of the book deals with issues that include beauty. The divine instructions of \cf2\ul Exo_25:1-9\cf1\ulnone are followed by \cf2\ul Exo_25:10-40\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_26:1-37\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_27:1-21\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_28:1-43\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_29:1-46\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_30:1-38\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_31:1-11\cf1\ulnone , with God\rquote s \ldblquote blueprints\rdblquote for the portable tent sanctuary, its furnishings, and the priestl\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 God as Architect\b0\par \b\fs22 After God dramatically delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, He brought them to Mount Sinai. There, He joined them to Himself in a sacred covenant.\b0 \b Among all the varied instructions He gave them there, how was beauty included?\b0\i \cf2\ul Exo_25:1-9\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par The first half of the book of Exodus details the miraculous deliverance o as Potter?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 B. What can we do to make it easier for God to mold us? \par \cf4\b Summary: \cf3\b0 God, the great Artist, has revealed His beauty through many artistic expressions, one of the greatest of which is the development of His likeness in our hearts.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Monday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 12\bof worship, and His Word-help to re-create our souls into God\rquote s likeness?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx900\tx1440\tx1620\tx2340\tx3060\tx3780\tx4500\tx5220\tx5940\tx6660\tx7380\tx8100\tx8820 B. What environments help us to be most receptive to God\rquote s influence?\par III. \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 We Are the Pots\par A. Sometimes it\rquote s easy to forget that we are the pots being molded and not the Potter doing the molding. What is the benefit of allowing God to fulfill His role\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 In what mediums does the Great Designer work, and what do they teach about the character of their Maker?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 II. \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Beauty of Holiness\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. What aspects of God\rquote s beauty-revealed in nature, music, the architecture 4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 I. \cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 The Great Designer\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 A. How is the prodigious amount of attention that God paid to the details of the sanctuary indicative of God\rquote s character? What does this teach us about worship?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx1890\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200iate His character.\par \cf4\b Feel: \cf3\b0 Absorb the beauty whereby God illustrates His inner loveliness.\par \cf4\b Do: \cf3\b0 Accept God\rquote s right to mold us, as well as the personal love that the Divine Potter displays as He models us into vessels for His glory.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Learning Outline:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\txne , \cf5\ul Gen_12:1-20\cf3\ulnone .)\par Nadab and Abihu had gone up on the mountain with the 70 elders and had witnessed God\rquote s glory in a special way. They had just finished helping their father Aaron and Moses dedicate the tabernacle, and they, too, had gone through a special cleansing and dedication service as priests. God\rquote s holy presence was evident at the tabernacle in the cloud of fire. But because their father had been yielding, not requiring respect for his authority, they had not learned to respect and honor the exact requirements of God. Although they knew that worship in the tabernacle required careful and solemn preparation, they were partially intoxicated. This dulled their moral perceptions, and they failed to see the difference between what was sacred and what was secular. \par Judgment came swiftly, in full view of the congregation. God told Moses to tell Aaron not to show grief. Even though the father realized that, to a large degree, his sons\rquote sins were a result of his own neglect of duty, and even though his heart was torn in anguish, he could not sympathize with sin or lead the people to murmur against God\rquote s judgment.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640\cf4\b Consider This: \cf3\b0 (See Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 704-711 for further study.)\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22 \i February 1\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Depart From Me!\b0\par \fs22 In the Old Testament, we find a consistent record of human responses to a God who is holy. What about in the New? Some modern Christians argue that the Old Testament presents a primitive and outdated picture of God, a God who is harsh and very prone to anger. But when Jesus comes, He is now the God of grace and love. We know, of course, that this is a distorted view of the Bible and of the character of a God who does not change.\par \b What do the New Testament writers teach us about God\rquote s holiness? Read, for instance, \cf2\ul Luk_5:1-11\cf1\ulnone . How does this show the consistency between the Old and New Testaments on the holiness of God? \b0\par After these men toiled unsuccessfully all night as fishermen, Jesus provided a miraculous catch of fish for His hard-working disciples. When this occurred, one would think a normal human response would be thankfulness to Jesus for such extraordinary financial assistance. Peter\rquote s response, though, was focused on something else. His reaction was much like those of the Old Testament characters who encountered the Lord.\par \ldblquote But Peter was unmindful now of boats or lading. This miracle, above any other he had ever witnessed, was to him a manifestation of divine power. In Jesus he saw One who held all nature under His control. The presence of divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his Master, shame for his own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all, the sense of his uncleanness in the presence of infinite purity, overwhelmed him. While his companions were securing the contents of the net, Peter fell at the Saviour\rquote s feet, exclaiming, \lquote Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.\rquote \rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , p. 246.\par Why this reaction? It\rquote s because we\rquote re not in the Garden of Eden anymore, where Adam and Eve-before their fall into sin-welcomed the presence of God in the cool of the evening. This close communion dramatically changed immediately after the Fall, when the couple ran and hid. Not much has changed since then. Indeed, this reaction remains the consistent picture throughout Scripture. Whenever a human being truly encounters the living God, there is the initial horror of finally seeing the true depth of one\rquote s own sinfulness. \par \b When was the last time you got a real good look at your own sinful nature? A pretty horrible sight, isn\rquote t it? What\rquote s your only hope, and why? \b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640 \b J\cf4 ust for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Discuss these questions in order to help your class members make a personal application of the lesson. \par \b Life Application: \par \cf6\b0\f3\fs28 u\cf3\f2\fs24 What preparations are necessary in order to help you to keep not only the hours of Sabbath holy but to take special care with the edges of the Sabbath, the entering and exiting hours?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\cf6\f3\fs28 v\cf3\f2\fs24 What things can you as a class do to create a more sacred atmosphere for your worship services at church, as well as for family and personal devotions?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 2\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 When Demons Speak \b0\par \b\fs22 Read \cf2\ul Luk_4:31-36\cf1\ulnone . What testimony is given there about the holiness of Christ? What is significant about who gave that testimony too? What lessons can we draw from this story about God\rquote s holiness? \par \b0 Demons, who are fallen angels, remember who Jesus really is, and even they-in their nastiness, hatefulness, and rebellion-are constrained to acknowledge Him and that He is holy. Notice, too, that they feared that He was going to destroy them. Why so fearful? It must be that, so full of sin, even demons fear before the presence of God\rquote s holiness, somewhat in the same manner that sinful humans do. \par In the last book of the Bible, John describes receiving a vision from God. Read \cf2\ul Rev_1:12-17\cf1\ulnone . John, sometimes referred to as the apostle who had the greatest insight into the love of God, has the same response to encountering the Holy God as we saw in the Old Testament. \par Moreover, a vision of how celestial beings worship God in the heavenly sanctuary yields a similar picture to what Isaiah depicted centuries earlier in a vision \i (see \cf2\ul Isa_6:1-3\cf1\ulnone )\i0 .\par \b What did John hear the heavenly beings around the throne saying?\b0\i \cf2\ul Rev_4:8-9\cf1\ulnone\b\i0 .\b0\par Though God is love and all heavenly beings adore Him, we can see that, around the heavenly throne of God, the worship anthem is not \ldblquote God is love, love, love.\rdblquote Nor do the heavenly beings cry out, \ldblquote God is good, good, good.\rdblquote Instead, day and night these mighty beings exclaim, \ldblquote Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.\rdblquote Though all heaven is involved in the ministry of God\rquote s love and salvation to this world, heavenly beings around the throne of God day and night praise the holiness of God. As sinless beings, they are awed by His holiness, but they don\rquote t hide in fear of it, as do fallen beings.\par In all the human encounters of the divine as depicted in Scripture, one never finds a suggestion that God is frightening. What we see instead is that, in the piercing light of His holiness, human beings finally see themselves for who \i they\i0 really are. And \i that\i0 is scary. In Scripture, when people truly encounter the God of heaven, we find no hand clapping, backslapping, and lighthearted singing. Rather, there is abject personal repentance. Each one sees and admits their personal guilt and without any excuses and without reference to the faults of anyone else. How different our words, our lives, and our actions would be were we all to live with the constant sense, not only of God\rquote s presence but of His holiness, as well.\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Suggest the following activities: Plan some special meals and activities with your family and friends for the coming Sabbath. Perhaps make some long-term plans with your family for the next few months of Sabbaths. Or honor your marriage in the next week by creating a special date night.\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqr\tx8640 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22 \i February 3\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 As Christ stands before the trafficking crowd in the temple, \ldblquote the confusion is hushed. The sound of traffic and bargaining has ceased. The silence becomes painful. A sense of awe overpowers the assembly. It is as if they were arraigned before the tribunal of God to answer for their deeds. Looking upon Christ, they behold divinity flash through the garb of humanity. The Majesty of heaven stands as the Judge will stand at the last day . . . with the same power to read the soul. His eye sweeps over the multitude, taking in every individual. His form seems to rise above them in commanding dignity, and a divine light illuminates His countenance. He speaks, and His clear, ringing voice-the same that upon Mount Sinai proclaimed the law that priests and rulers are transgressing-is heard echoing through the arches of the temple: \lquote Take these things hence; make not My Father\rquote s house an house of merchandise.\i\rquote\i0\par \ldblquote Slowly descending the steps, and raising the scourge of cords gathered up on entering the enclosure, \tab He bids the bargaining company depart from the precincts of the temple. With a zeal and severity He has never before manifested, He overthrows the tables of the money-changers. . . . None presume to question His authority. . . . Jesus does not smite them with the whip of cords, but in His hand that simple scourge seems terrible as a flaming sword. Officers of the temple, speculating priests, brokers and cattle traders, with their sheep and oxen, rush from the place, with the one thought of escaping from the condemnation of His presence.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , p. 158.\par \b\par \fs28 Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22\par \cf0\f3\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 In class, go over your answer to Monday\rquote s last question. What are the major differences between us and a holy God? What are ways in which some of those differences can be eradicated, if any? \par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Given what we have looked at this week, why is it so much easier to see why self-righteousness and self-satisfaction, especially about one\rquote s own spiritual state, is a very dangerous deception?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 w \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Think about someone you know who is \ldblquote holy,\rdblquote that is, who seems to be upright, honest, pure, and so forth; someone quite \ldblquote set apart\rdblquote from most people. How do you respond to the person? Does he or she make you feel good or bad, and why? \par \par \pard Summary\b0 : It might be much nicer to focus only on God\rquote s love instead of His holiness, but that would be to distort the truth. We need to encounter God's searing holiness until we tremble before Him. Understanding God\rquote s holiness, and our sinfulness in contrast, is crucial to helping us to understand what the atonement is all about, why it is so desperately needed, and why it had to cost so much.\b\fs28\par } y God. They shrank away from the mountain in fear and awe.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White,\i Patriarchs and Prophets, \i0 pp. 309, 310.\par There\rquote s something so powerful in the Ellen White quote above. As the law is presented to them, the people realize \ldblquote as never before\rdblquote just how bad sin is and their own guilt in the eyes of God. \par So, right from the beginning of Israel\rquote s covenantal relationship with God, we can see a revelation of the gospel in the law. The law was nevet2 Wingdings 2;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green128\blue128;\red49\green132\blue155;\red255\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\cf1\lang1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 6\b0\fs22\tab *\i February 4-10\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tqc\tx4320\tqc\tx5040\tqc\tx5760\tqc\tx6480\tqc\tx7200\tqc\tx7920\b\i0\fs28 God \i the\i0 Lawgiver\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\b0\scaps0\fs22\par \b Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i Heb_12:21\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rom_7:8-13\cf1\ulnone ;\b\i0 \cf2\ul\b0\i Job_24:14-15\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_16:4-30\cf1\ulnone\i0 ; \cf2\ul\i Heb_8:10\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Heb_10:16\cf1\ulnone ;\i0 \cf2\ul\i Rom_13:8-10\cf1\ulnone\b\i0 .\par Memory Text:\b0 \b\ldblquote For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Isa_33:22\cf1\ulnone , NKJV).\i0\par \b Key Thought: God\rquote s law is an inseparable part of the whole Bible, Old and New Testament. It is also an expression of His love. And so, when we love, we reveal the fullness and beauty of God\rquote s law.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b0 As Seventh-day Adventists, we often hear the idea that the law is a transcript of God\rquote s character. (If so, then because God doesn\rquote t change, the law-which reveals His character-shouldn\rquote t change either.) What, though, does that mean, this idea that the law is an expression of God\rquote s character? \par Suppose you lived in a land with a king whose word was law. (\ldblquote The state, that\rquote s me\rdblquote one French king famously said.) Now, suppose the king issued laws that were repressive, nasty, hateful, unfair, discriminatory, and so forth. Would not those laws be a good representation of the kind of person the king was; would they not reveal his character?\par Think through some of history\rquote s worst despots. How did the laws they passed reveal what kind of people they were? \par In this sense, the law reveals the character of the lawgiver. What, then, does God\rquote s law reveal about God? When we understand God\rquote s law as a hedge, a protection, something created for us, for our own good, then we come to understand more about what God is like.\b\par \b0 This week we\rquote ll take a look at the law and, by default, the Lawgiver.\b\par \b0\i\par *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 11.\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 5\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Law At Sinai\b0\par \b\fs22 Read \cf2\ul Exo_19:18-19\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Exo_20:18\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Deu_5:22\cf1\ulnone ; and \cf2\ul Heb_12:21\cf1\ulnone , descriptions of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. Why would it be something so terrifying?\b0\i\par \i0\ldblquote The people of Israel were overwhelmed with terror. The awful power of God\rquote s utterances seemed more than their trembling hearts could bear. For as God\rquote s great rule of right was presented before them, they realized as never before the offensive character of sin, and their own guilt in the sight of a holt in anticipation of Christ\rquote s return. We must prepare ourselves for the end times-always ready, always vigilant. What are some ways in which you can prepare yourself for the Second Coming?\par \cf6\f3\fs28 w\cf3\f2\fs24 Imagine that you had never heard the gospel. Then you discover that God loves you. He sent His Son to die for you. And He is coming back to give you eternal life. Now imagine the excitement you would feel upon receiving this news. How can we maintain this same newness and enthusiasm in the Second Coming?\cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 28\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28\ldblquote Where Is the Promise of His Coming?\rdblquote \b0\par \fs22 From the earliest days of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Adventists believed that Christ\rquote s coming was soon, \ldblquote nearer than we first believed.\rdblquote As it stands, we\rquote re still here, much longer than many among us anticipated. How are we to understand this \ldblquote delay\rdblquote ?\par First of all, we\rquote re not the only ones whose expectations about when the Lord would act have not been fulfilled as people have thought. \tab\par Eve, for instance, thought God\rquote s promises for a Deliverer \i (\cf2\ul Gen_3:15\cf1\ulnone ) \i0 would be fulfilled in her first-born son. Read \cf2\ul Gen_4:1\cf1\ulnone . An accurate translation of this text should have the word \i from\i0 in italics, because it is not in the original language but has been added by a translator. Eve\rquote s statement can be more literally translated: \ldblquote I have gotten a man-the Lord.\rdblquote She was wrong; the child born was Cain, not the Redeemer. The Lord\rquote s coming wasn\rquote t until thousands of years later.\par \ldblquote The Saviour\rquote s coming was foretold in Eden. When Adam and Eve first heard the promise, they looked for its speedy fulfillment. They joyfully welcomed their first-born son, hoping that he might be the Deliverer. But the fulfillment of the promise tarried. Those who first received it died without the sight. From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , p. 31.\par \b Read \cf2\ul Heb_11:1-40\cf1\ulnone . What\rquote s the main point of this chapter, and how does it fit into the whole question of \ldblquote delay\rdblquote ? \b0\i See especially vss. 13, 39, 40. \i0\par All through the Bible, we have examples of people waiting in earnest expectation. Look at how long Abraham waited for the promised son; look at how long Israel waited in Egypt for deliverance. Time and again in the Psalms, we read the question, \ldblquote How long\rdblquote Lord, until deliverance comes? And, of course, we shouldn\rquote t be surprised about the \ldblquote delay\rdblquote in Christ\rquote s return, not when Peter wrote, almost two thousand years ago, the following words: \ldblquote Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul 2Pe_3:3-4\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . \par \b Have you thought the Lord would have been back by now? Do you sometimes find yourself discouraged by the \ldblquote delay,\rdblquote or even doubting the Second Advent because we\rquote re still here? Dwell on all the evidence you have for belief in Christ\rquote s return, realizing, too, that, as a finite being, your understanding of time is radically different from that of God.\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 This section focuses on how each individual Christian should live while waiting for the Second Coming. Do this by reviewing Jesus\rquote life on earth. Drawing attention to Jesus\rquote life on earth, ask the class to come up with ways in which they can exhibit a more positive attitude in life. \par Consider the life of Jesus. The four Gospels tell His story from four perspectives, but no matter which perspective you study, Jesus\rquote life spanned only a third of an average lifetime. And His ministry of about three and half years was a far shorter time of service than is most of ours. Yet, His few years of service influenced more than two thousand years of history.\par Think of simple ways in which you can live the kind of life that everyone will want to be a part of. Use the following questions to get started: What is your mission as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian? What are you doing to accomplish that mission? What is the role of hope in your life? What are some personal positive character and personality traits that can be your assets in the accomplishing of your goals? \cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4410\tqr\tx8820\b\scaps\fs32 Thursday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 29\i0\par \pard\nowi dctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28\ldblquote Behold, I Come Quickly\rdblquote\b0\par \b\fs22 That the Lord had not yet come is undoubtedly the basis for some of Paul\rquote s counsel to the Thessalonians.\b0 \b What does Paul counsel the church at Thessalonica as they wait for the promised coming of Christ? \cf2\ul\b0\i 2Th_2:1-17\cf1\ulnone .\i0\par Certain events have to transpire in human history before Jesus will return, yet, the hope for the future is glorious.\par \b The book of Revelation, the great book of \ldblquote climaxes,\rdblquote also gives evidence of a time lag. At the opening of the fifth seal, what do the voices under the altar cry out?\b0\i \cf2\ul Rev_6:9-11\cf1\ulnone . \b\i0 What\rquote s implied there about the question of the \ldblquote delay\rdblquote ?\b0\par \b Read \cf2\ul Luk_12:42-48\cf1\ulnone . How does that text help us understand the \ldblquote delay\rdblquote ? More so, what important warning s hould we take from it for ourselves, who could easily start feeling the same way?\par \b0 What about the texts that talk about Jesus\rquote coming back quickly, or soon? For example: \ldblquote Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Rev_22:7\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . \par In one sense, as far as our own personal \i experience\i0 is concerned, the Second Coming is as \ldblquote soon\rdblquote as our death. We die, and regardless of ho w long we sleep in the grave-two years, two hundred, two thousand-we close our eyes and the next thing we know, in an instant, in a twinkling of an eye, Jesus has returned. Thus, one could argue that from our own personal perspective alone, from what we personally\i experience \i0 ourselves, the Second Coming takes no longer than the span of an individual human life. Though the Second Coming itself is a literal universal event that impacts the whole earth, we experience it only as individuals. \par \ b As the years roll by, do you find yourself getting at ease in the world, getting comfortable with things, and less focused on the reality of the Second Coming? If so, you\rquote re probably not alone.\b0 \b How can we fight this natural, though potentially dangerous, tendency?\b0 \b Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 When discussing the subject of a positive, optimistic life in a group setting, such as a Sabbath School class, we are easily fueled with enthusiasm. But a few weeks later, the motivation fizzles. We get busy with responsibilities and forget what our priorities should be. That\rquote s why it is important for every person to have his or her own personal motivation tool, or a reminder of what his or her life is all about. We need a tangible way to keep us on the right track.\par \cf4\b Activity: \cf3\b0 Read \cf5\ul Hab_3:17-18\cf3\ulnone . Then ask the class members to spend a few minutes in personal reflection. Next have the class create a practical tool, or way that will help them to maintain, a positive perspective, even when things are not going well. Ask people to share how their hope in the Second Coming, and all that comes with it, has helped to sustain them in times of trial and grief.\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4230\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 30\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\fs28 Further Study:\b0\fs22 \ldblquote Another year has almost passed into eternity. A few more days, and we shall enter a new year. My brethren and sisters, employ wisely the remaining hours of the old year. If you have in any wise neglected your duty, repent before God, and return to the path from which you have wandered. Remember how brief the period of life allotted you. You know not how soon your probation may close. Say not presumptuously, \lquote To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.\rquote God may have different plans for you. Life is but a vapor, \lquote that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth.\rquote You know not how soon your hand may lose its cunning, your step its firmness. There is peril in a moment\rquote s delay. \lquote Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.\rquote\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i Review and Herald\i0 , December 23, 1902.\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22\par \cf0\f3\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 In class, discuss your answer to Thursday\rquote s final question. Discuss, too, the irony in the fact that the longer we\rquote re here, the easier it is to put off the sense of Christ\rquote s return, and yet the longer we\rquote re here, the closer we come to that return. \par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 What are the reasons that Jesus has not returned yet? Are we responsible for that \ldblquote delay\rdblquote ? Whether you think \ldblquote yes\rdblquote or \ldblquote no,\rdblquote how do you justify your answer?\par \cf0\b0\f3\fs28 w \cf1\b\f0\fs22 In your mind, what is the greatest reason for trust in the promise of the Second Coming?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx540\tx1260\tx1980\tx2700\tx3420\tx4140\tx4860\tx5580\tx6300\tx7020\tx7740\cf0\b0\f3\fs28 x \cf1\b\f0\fs22 Though there\rquote s much debate in science about human origins, many scientists argue that the long-term prospects for humanity, the earth, the universe even, are not good. They predict that the universe is going to burn out or collapse back on itself, leaving no life anywhere. As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe the long-term prospects for the universe are the opposite: they are wonderful. The point is, if science has the end of all things so wrong, why should we trust that its understanding of the beginning of all things is any more accurate? This is especially true when science\rquote s common understanding of the beginning is centered on various forces, including evolution, that deny a Creator or any purposeful design or intention in the creation itself. How much more wrong could it be? \tab\tab\par \pard Summary:\b0 We have many very good reasons for trusting in Christ\rquote s return, no matter when it happens.\b\fs28\par } 0\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\i *Study this week\rquote s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 14.\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32\par Sunday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i January 8\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Creation Week \b0\par \b\fs22\ldblquote In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth\rdblquote\i \b0 (\cf2\ul Gen_1:1\cf1\ulnone , NKJV). \b\i0 How does this opening ls week, we\rquote ll look at the biblical doctrine of Creation and see how it forms the foundation of all the biblical truth that follows. If we get creation wrong, we\rquote re all but certain to get a lot else wrong. That\rquote s how crucial the teaching is to what we believe as Seventh-day Adventist Christians.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqc\tx5040\tqc\tx5760\tqc\tx6480\tqc\tx7200\tqc\tx7920\tab\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx576, a purpose for what He created. In contrast, evolution works on the premise that there is no final goal, no purpose-driven force motivating what\rquote s created. Random mutation and natural selection (products of chance) work together blindly, keeping what functions and discarding what doesn\rquote t. Finally, the biblical account teaches that humans were made in the image of God. Evolution teaches that they are made in the image of whatever primate just happened to precede \i homo sapiens\i0 .\par Thi\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920 It\rquote s hard to imagine two more diverse views of origins than the biblical model of creation and the atheistic evolutionary model. The first presents a creation that was planned, thought through, calculated, with nothing left to chance. Nothing. In contrast, the evolutionary model is all chance. Second, in the biblical account, everything was created for a purpose; God had an end goal, what the Greeks call a \i telos\i0 \cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Isa_66:22\cf1\ulnone .\b\i0\par Memory Text:\b0 \b\ldblquote For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him\rdblquote \b0\i (\cf2\ul Col_1:16\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 .\par \b Key Thought\b0 : \b The doctrine of Creation, a literal six-day Creation, is foundational to all that we believe.\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60g1033\b\f0\fs28 Lesson 2\b0\fs22\tab\i *January 7-13\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\b\fs28 In \i the\i0 Beginning\b0\fs22\par \b\scaps\fs32 Sabbath Afternoon\scaps0\fs22\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\par Read for This Week\rquote s Study: \cf2\ul\b0\i Mat_19:4\cf1\ulnone\i0 ; \cf2\ul\i Job_38:4-7\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Deu_32:10-11\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Psa_19:1-14\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Joh_1:1-13\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rom_5:12ine automatically make the Bible and Darwinian evolution mutually exclusive? \b0\par The book of Genesis opens with God already in action as Creator. No explanation for, or introduction of, God is given. None of the Bible writers thought that God needed an introduction. The closest thing for a proof of the existence of God might be the sentiment of the psalmist: \ldblquote The fool has said in his heart, \lquote There is no God\rquote\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Psa_14:1\cf1\ulnone\i0 , \i NKJV).\i0 \par Scholars have noted an amazing artistry, not just in the act of creation itself but in how it is presented in the Bible. \cf2\ul Gen_1:2\cf1\ulnone provides the introductory aspects on which God\rquote s masterpieces of matter are organized: \ldblquote The earth was without form and void.\rdblquote The first three days He \ldblquote forms\rdblquote what was \ldblquote unformed.\rdblquote The next three days He \ldblquote fills\rdblquote what had been \ldblquote void\rdblquote or empty. \par In other words, the light that was created on \i day one \i0 is filled or completed on \i day four \i0 with the great lights of the sun and moon (and \ldblquote the stars also,\rdblquote \cf2\ul\i Gen_1:16\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . The air and water that had been the focus on \i day two \i0 are filled up with the birds and water creatures on \i day five (\cf2\ul Gen_1:6-8\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_1:20-23\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . The dry land separated from the waters and then filled with vegetation on \i day three (\cf2\ul Gen_1:9-13\cf1\ulnone ) \i0 was completed with the land animals along with humans on \i day six\i0 . Finally, all was pronounced \ldblquote very good\rdblquote and then regally celebrated on the seventh day by God Himself \i (\cf2\ul Gen_2:1-3\cf1\ulnone )\i0 . \par The point is, nothing in these texts leaves any indication that anything was left to chance. On the contrary, the texts teach the opposite: everything was meticulously worked out and planned.\par \b According to the following texts, who also b!\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640 Wednesday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i February 29\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Great Controversy and History\b0\par \fs22 No matter how apparently chaotic, how seemingly out of control, human history is not unfolding in a vacuum. There\rquote s a story behind it, a drama, a struggle between two radically different principles. We\rquote re talking, of course, about the gr"eat controversy. Only with that background can we even begin to get an understanding of human history and what it all means.\par \b How do these texts help us understand world history?\b0 \cf2\ul\i Rev_12:7-17\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Job_2:1-2\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Isa_14:12-14\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Gen_3:15\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Eph_6:12\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rom_16:20\cf1\ulnone . \i0\tab\par Satan is real, the battle is real, and only at the Cross was he defeated and his destruction made certain#.\par \ldblquote Heaven viewed with grief and amazement Christ hanging upon the cross. . . . Yet there stood men, formed in the image of God, joining to crush out the life of His only-begotten Son. What a sight for the heavenly universe! . . . \par \ldblquote Satanic agencies confederated with evil men in leading the people to believe Christ the chief of sinners, and to make Him the object of detestation. . . .\tab\par \ldblquote Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid op$en before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. . . . The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages\i0 , pp. 760, 761. \par Why was Satan not destroyed then? \par \ldblquote The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy. The %principles at stake were to be more fully revealed. And for the sake of man, Satan's existence must be continued. Man as well as angels must see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness. He must choose whom he will serve.\rdblquote -Ellen G. White, \i The Desire of Ages, \i0 p. 761.\par What the Bible teaches, and Ellen White, too, is that events here on earth are linked to the wider conflict, the great controversy between Christ and Satan. This controversy forms the background& motif for all that happens here, whether in our individual lives or in the larger course of human history. Everything unfolds in the context of the great controversy. And the good news is that, after the Cross, Satan\rquote s defeat was guaranteed, and this controversy will end, and with it all the pain and suffering and violence and fear and uncertainly that fill human history. \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx864'0\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 3-Apply\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 This week\rquote s lesson highlighted numerous biblical proofs that God is at work in human affairs; yet, many peop(le find it hard to believe in the God of the Bible. This practice section is meant to examine God\rquote s historical record and how it is viewed beyond our Adventist Christian circle.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Thought Questions:\cf3\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 Tuesday\rquot)e s lesson study focused on \cf5\ul Dan_2:1-49\cf3\ulnone . History details the rise of the kingdoms spoken of in \cf5\ul Dan_2:1-49\cf3\ulnone . In the face of this prophecy being fulfilled, why might some still refuse to believe in the God who gave Daniel this vision of the future?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 Why don\rquote t historical facts about God\rquote s working compel some people to believe? What problems of faith arise when one seeks to corroborate the biblical historical record with that of secular* history? Are the two compatible? Explain.\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Application Questions:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 If God led biblical writers to record His acts in the affairs of human beings, then we can be sure that it is important for us to remember them. How do y+ou record God\rquote s act in your personal history? What record of God\rquote s working in your life will you leave behind?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 One of the truly beautiful points in this week\rquote s lesson is found in Thursday\rquote s study, which makes the point that Jesus\rquote death for our sins not only washed us clean but also created for us a new history, one that will continue for eternity. If someone asked you to sum up your history pre- and post-Christ, what would you say, and why? \tab\,par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx450\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\b Questions for Witnessing:\b0 \par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\cf6\f4 u\cf3\f2 Read \cf5\ul Isa_43:12\cf3\ulnone . What word did God use to describe Israel? What was the unique calling that He had for them? Have they fulfilled that calling?\par \cf6\f4 v\cf3\f2 If God singled- out the Jews to be His witnesses, what was to form the core of their testimony about who God is? In other words, what were they to tell the world about God by way of their lifestyle and the words that they spoke? \par \cf6\f4 w\cf3\f2 What aspects of Israel\rquote s history might they share to show God\rquote s hand in their lives? What aspects of your life do you share to show people God\rquote s hand in yours? \cf1\b\scaps\f0\fs32\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640 Thursday\b0\sca.ps0\fs22\tab\i March 1\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 The Cross in History\b0\par \fs22 Have you ever noticed that world history is divided by one event? That event was not the rise or fall of some major empire, as one would expect. Nor was it the discovery of a new continent. Instead, world history has been divided by the birth of a single itinerant rabbi living in a relatively obscure part of the vast Roman Empi/re. Considering the vast number of Jews born at this time, it\rquote s even more revealing that this one birth, among so many, should be the marker that has divided world history into its two largest epochs.\par That birth, of course, is of Jesus.\par In the context of God and history, we can better appreciate the significance of salvation. For here, at the Cross-with the obvious failure of all humans and thus human history-is where the background and also the deepest meaning of world history unfold. Th0e Cross tells us that, by forgiving us and making us His children, God has opened up a new future for us, a future in which we no longer need to drag along with us the enormous guilt of our past or of our personal history. This guilt has been taken away by One who \ldblquote has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows\rdblquote \i (\cf2\ul Isa_53:4\cf1\ulnone , NKJV)\i0 .\par The whole doctrine of salvation can be expressed in this one sentence: God cancels our hopelessly stranded history and in its pl1ace put \i His\i0 history. Through Him, the history of slavery to sin is ended in our life. Through Him, the stains of the past should not rise up to accuse, torment, and mock us. Our personal history, which would condemn each one of us, is replaced with Jesus\rquote perfect history. Thus, in Him we find not only liberation from our past but the promise of a wonderful future. At the Cross, the Lord guaranteed that, whatever our history or whatever happened in world history, a new and glorious future awa2its us and the world.\par \b Read \cf2\ul 2Co_5:17-19\cf1\ulnone . What are these verses saying that Jesus did for all humanity? How has this event changed human history? \b0\par Our sins have been laid upon the shoulders of a Lord who willingly died beneath a load of human guilt and who, in its place, gave us salvation. And His promised climax of history will grant us eternal history with the Author of history. The destiny of every person is involved. The second coming of Christ will be decisive. Both3 the Old and New Testaments promise a \ldblquote new heaven and a new earth.\rdblquote \par \b If you have accepted Christ, how should your future be different, now that your past history won\rquote t be used to condemn you, no matter how much you deserve to be condemned?\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li360\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf3\ul\f1 TEACHER\rquote S COMMENTS\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx24160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 STEP 4-Create\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb100\sa100\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Just for Teachers: \cf3\b0 Ask your students to consider how those in crisis might misunderstand God\rquote s working. Then apply what we\rquote ve learned this week to the following situation. \par A despondent worker sits in his office after5 speaking with his boss. The meeting didn\rquote t go well. He knew that layoffs had been coming, but he never thought it would happen to him. As he dwells upon his new reality, he grows angry. He remembers all the slights he endured from coworkers who did not work nearly as hard as he did yet continue to be employed. He even contemplates getting even.\par On his way out of the office, he stops at your cubicle and tells you the bad news. \par \ldblquote I don\rquote t know why this is happening to6 me,\rdblquote he says, hanging his head. \ldblquote I try to do everything right. I work hard. I go to church. I take care of my family. Why is God doing this to me?\rdblquote\par Based on what you\rquote ve learned this week, what would you say to this coworker about how God works in our lives and in history?\cf1\f0\fs22\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tqc\tx4320\tqr\tx8640\b\scaps\fs32 Friday\b0\scaps0\fs22\tab\i March 2\b\i0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\sb60\sa60\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\7tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\fs28 Further Study:\fs22 \b0\ldblquote The Bible is the most ancient and the most comprehensive history that men possess. It came fresh from the fountain of eternal truth, and throughout the ages a divine hand has preserved its purity. . . . Here only do we find an authentic account of the origin of nations. Here only is given a history of our race unsullied by human pride or prejudice.\par \ldblquote In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the ris8e and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will. \par \ldblquote The Bible reveals the true philosophy of history.\rd9blquote -Ellen G. White, \i Education,\i0 p. 173.\par \par \b\fs28 Discussion Questions:\b0\fs22\par \cf0\f4\fs28 u \cf1\b\f0\fs22 For many years, philosophers and theologians have debated the thorny issue of God\rquote s foreknowledge and human free will. Many have seen them as incompatible. They argue either that we don\rquote t have free will or that God doesn\rquote t know all the future. Why, though, are both those positions wrong? What evidence do we have in the Bible that we do have free will? :What evidence do we have that God does know the future? The truth must be that, even with our free will, God knows future events before they unfold. Why is there no contradiction in the idea of God having foreknowledge of a choice that is freely made? \par \cf0\b0\f4\fs28 v \cf1\b\f0\fs22 One of Satan\rquote s harshest attacks is on Daniel 2, which provides such rational evidence for God\rquote s existence. After all, what firmer foundation can you have for faith than something as solid and unchangeabl;e as world history? Part of his attack is to use scholars to argue that Daniel 2 was written about 165 B.C., long after many of the events predicted in it already happened. Yet, the argument is destroyed by the prophecy itself. How could Daniel have so accurately predicted the break up of Rome into the nations of modern Europe, which didn\rquote t happen until more than 500 or 600 years later than 165 \scaps b.c.\scaps0 ? If an amazing prediction like that required supernatural foreknowledge, why shouldn\rquote t we then trust the book for what it says about itself and when it was written, as opposed to accepting a view that is refuted by the prophecy itself? The whole point of the late dating of Daniel is to try to denude it of its prophetic power. As we can see, this attempt fails, even miserably. \par \par \pard Summary: \b0 However chaotic world history can appear, above it all the Lord is working out His purposes, and human history will end with the glorious second coming of Jesus. \b\fs28\par } 440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\ulnone\b\i\fs28 The Lesson in Brief\cf3\b0\i0\f2\fs24\par \cf4\b Key Text: \cf5\ul\b0 Psa_27:4\cf3\ulnone\par \cf4\b The Student Will:\cf3\b0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\li720\sb60\sa60\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf4\b Know: \cf3\b0 Describe how the designs of God-as revealed in the sanctuary, the natural world, and other artistic works-help us to understand and apprec