Dr. Colin A. Dunbar



Red Script = Main PointBlue Script= DirectiveYellow Script= Do not miss this point Double underline= Important to rememberBoxed= Biblical Text & SDA Commentary ReferencePURPLE SCRIPT: A Possible Answer INCLUDEPICTURE "/var/folders/kz/w2416nqs3jngmstv8z3lxkjr0000gn/T/com.microsoft.Word/WebArchiveCopyPasteTempFiles/gless12.jpg" \* MERGEFORMATINET 4th Quarter Sabbath School Bible Study Guide“Education”October/November/December 2020Lesson #12‘Experiencing and Living the Character of God’ December 12th, 2020 – December 18/19 Memory Text:??“And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath’”?(Mark 2:27,?28, NKJV).?Jodie was the only Seventh-day Adventist in her graduate program, and her choice not to attend some social events on Sabbath made her beliefs very visible.?One day one of her friends, Gayle, called her. Gayle’s husband was going to be out of town for six weeks, and she asked Jodie if she wanted to spend the next six Friday nights with her, because she knew Jodie did “nothing” on those evenings, anyway.For the next four Friday nights they ate together, played music, shared their Christian experiences, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. The fifth weekend, Gayle told Jodie that she had been downtown shopping and looked at her watch.?Oh, good,?she thought.?Sabbath is very soon.?She suddenly realized that over the four Friday nights she had experienced something new in her Christian experience. She had grown, learned more of her God, and deepened her faith. Sabbath had been an opportunity for education and personal development.It’s an interesting story about how we can think of the Sabbath as, not just a day of rest, but as a means of education, as well.Sunday September 27th 2020 ‘Time to Be Astonished”Have you ever wondered why God chose to give us two harmonious Creation accounts in the first two chapters of Genesis? Genesis 1 recounts the Creation week and the growing wonder of the earth as it is given form and then life, culminating in the creation of man and woman on the sixth day. Genesis 2 looks at the same account but from a different perspective, with a special focus on the sixth day. Adam is at the center of the picture now, and everything is described as being there for him and the woman: the garden, the rivers, and the animals.Creation is too deep for one single account. First, we learn of the powerful, artistic Creator who has an eye for perfect beauty. Then we meet the God of relationships, who wants humanity to love and care for each other and the rest of creation.Read?Genesis 1 and 2 and then reflect on how the first Sabbath?(Gen. 2:1-3)?links back to the first Creation story and forward to the second Creation account. How do your conclusions help you understand what God’s blessing of the Sabbath and making it holy might mean?Genesis 2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.A Possible Answer: Truly the first Sabbath links back by connecting the original creation of the entire world with God’s giving us an example of Sabbath keeping and imparting to us an ongoing perpetual double endowment in blessing and sanctification. Those conclusions help us to understand that, in that, it enables one to see that what God put in or breathed into the day by His sanctifying presence and pronouncement would also be passed on to the keeper... He blessed, sanctified and made holy that particular day and He desires those same experiences to be had by His children.Imagine yourself as Adam or Eve on that first Sabbath. It’s your first day alive, your first day with your spouse, and your first day with God. What a day of education! You start to learn of the God who could create such beauty. You marvel as you see an elephant one moment and a frog the next, each unique. You smile as you see the antics of the giraffe or buffalo. You are silent in awe of the many colors and shapes, enraptured by the symphony of sounds; you revel in the range of delights in taste and smells and enjoy exploring the delights of different textures. Most of all, you start learning about relationships: responsibility, caring, love. You experience it with your Creator; you start to practice it with the rest of the created.The first Sabbath could not have been a passive experience for Adam and Eve. It was a God-created opportunity for them to focus on their Creator and the created. It was a time for them to be astonished.List the different educational opportunities that Adam and Eve had during that first Sabbath. A Possible Answer: The different educational opportunities could include... 1. Learning about the nature and character of God. 2. Things related to expressions of honoring and worshiping God (i.e. the use of music, singing and prayer) 3. The presence and ministry of angels as fellow worshipers. 4. Appropriate ways to demonstrate their love and relationships to God and each other as well as responsible stewardship as they cared for those things that necessitated care on the Sabbath. 5. Understanding and interpreting their environment as it also responded to God’s presence and sustaining power. 6. Probably, to a limited extent, the need to depend on God and to be cautious as they encounter sinister forces. Which of these opportunities would still be relevant today, even if in a different form? A Possible Answer: Probably, all of them... though to varying extents. How can they enrich your Sabbaths? A Possible Answer: They can enrich our Sabbaths by... A) Adding greater meaning to our worship, B. Heightening our expression of love, C. Increasing the quality and expression of our love and adoration for God, D. Extending our spectrum of service on Sabbath, E. Broaden our views and methods of worship while providing a richer experience with God and His creation and lastly, F. Being a galvanizing force to keep our carnal natures in check and at the same time counteract the baleful influences of the Evil One. Monday December 14th 2020 ‘Time for Rediscovery”When Moses is asked to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, it is clear that the masses have lost their perspective as children of God. They need to rediscover who the God is who asks for their worship and gives them so many promises of an amazing future. The Sabbath is a pivotal learning experience in their journey of rediscovery. It also becomes a clear signal to other nations of the special relationship between God and this nation. The experience of the manna epitomizes God’s way of educating the Israelites.In?Exodus 16:14-29, what lessons are there for the Israelites to learn?Exodus 16:14-29 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ 17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. 19 And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted. 22 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.” 27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”A Possible Answer: The lessons that the Israelites would learn were... 1. That God is faithful and would graciously supply their daily needs. (verses 14-18) 2. That God has ways to provide for them that they did not know. 3. They have no need to feel insecure or think that they cannot trust in God’s knowledge to make adequate provisions for their sustenance. (verses 19-22) 3. To have and to demonstrate a healthy regard and respect for the Sabbath by obediently preparing for and observing it. (verses 22-29)God provides the miracle of the manna for the Israelites, giving them just enough food for each day. If He gave them more than that amount, they then might forget who their provider was. So every day He performed a miracle for them, and they saw God’s care. On the Sabbath, however, the situation was different, just as the day was to be special. Now two miracles were performed: double food on Friday, and the food did not spoil overnight. That left the Sabbath for the Israelites to marvel at the God who was their deliverer and to rediscover what it meant to be the people of God.The Israelites were to eat this manna 40 years?(Exod. 16:35). God also instructs Moses to keep an omer of manna to remind the Israelites of how He fed them in the wilderness?(Exod. 16:32,?33). It would also have been a reminder of the particular experience of the Sabbath day.There are also other occasions when God makes clear to the Israelites that the Sabbath is special.The Sabbath was a way God helped the Israelites rediscover their identity and their God. They were asked to obey and keep the Sabbath holy, but this was in the context of developing a deeper understanding of the character of their Creator and about building a lasting relationship of promise.You are talking to a teenager who is finding Sabbath “boring.” He is keeping it only because that is what the Bible and his parents say he must do. What suggestions will you give to help him (re)discover the Sabbath as a positive learning experience? A Possible Answer: A. Invest time to get to know the Lord and build a relationship with Him during the week through prayer and meditation. B. Spend time out-of-doors in God’s beautiful creation while permitting it to impress you with the goodness, wisdom and power of God. C. Study and review the Sabbath topic with the intentions of ascertaining its importance, relevance and power as a transforming instrument in the believer’s life. D. Add variety to your worship and experience it with those who are positive and evidently experiencing Sabbath blessings. E. Get involved in various praiseworthy things that, while being appropriate for the Sabbath, permits expression to your age and interest.Tuesday December 15th 2020 ‘Time for Learning Priorities”The ups and downs of Israel’s experience with God were closely linked to the way they related to the Sabbath. God saw their unwillingness to respect the Sabbath as a sign of His irrelevance in their lives?(Jer. 17:19-27). A renewed commitment to the Sabbath was also part of restoration – a signal that priorities were right. Isaiah 58 pictures an interesting contrast.Read?Isaiah 58:1-14. What is God saying to His people here that is relevant to us today?Isaiah 58: 1 “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord?6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him ,And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 1. Cry aloud. In ch. 57:15–21 Isaiah presents Heaven’s message of reconciliation and peace. In ch. 58 he gives instruction as to what repentance involves, and what is essential before the promised blessings may be realized. A call to repentance cannot be effective unless it sets forth clearly what men must do about sin in their lives (see Eze. 13:10–16). A call to reformation is a call to decisive action. Compare the message of Joel 2:12, 13.8. Thine health. What we contribute to the well-being of others reacts to our own good. Our own welfare is intimately related to that of our fellow men. Thy rereward. Or, “thy rear guard” (cf. ch. 52:12). Compare Israel’s experience in the wilderness (Ex. 14:19, 20). As we walk in ways of God’s choosing we can be sure of His protecting presence.9. Then shalt thou call. The promises of God are conditional upon obedience. Isaiah points out the difference between prayer God can answer, and worship that is not acceptable to Him (chs. 1:11–17; 58:2–4). Were God to shower favors upon those who do not approach Him in sincerity and truth, the result would be to confirm them in their evil ways. If thou take away. By criticism, fault-finding, gossip, and innuendo, many professed Christians make the burdens of their fellows almost too heavy to bear. Many a noble Christian has been crushed and sent to his grave in discouragement and defeat by having the finger of scorn pointed at him by a fellow Christian. God cannot draw near to His people while they are engaged in criticizing and oppressing their fellows. 10. Draw out thy soul. That is, take a personal interest in. If the church would live up to its opportunities and responsibilities, if its members would be Christians in spirit as well as in name, its task on earth would soon be completed and the Lord would return in glory. Lives of unselfish service for others shed abroad the light of the glory of God (see chs. 9:2; 60:1, 2).11. The Lord shall guide. God cannot lead those who are stubborn, conceited, and self-centered. Christians who would be led by God must first put self aside and give themselves fully to the work of the Master. The Christian experience of many today is bleak and barren because of a lack of love for their fellow men. In drought. In times of spiritual drought God promises to refresh those who have sought sincerely to be a blessing to their fellow men.12. Old waste places. Or, “ancient ruins” (RSV). When, eventually, the Jews should return from captivity they would find Jerusalem in ruins. But the nation’s moral edifice also lay in ruins, and this must be rebuilt. Here is pictured a great work of revival, reformation, and restoration. A breach had been made in the wall, as it were, because of the failure to practice true religion (vs. 3–5). Nevertheless, the foundations remained, and upon them a new structure was to be reared. The manner of rebuilding the “old waste places” has been set forth in vs. 6–10; it consists of a revival of practical religion. The place where reformation is to begin is indicated in v. 13. Paths to dwell in. That is, right courses of action. Ancient pathways once trodden by God’s people are to be restored (see Jer. 6:16). Right principles are to be honored and followed in all the relationships of life. All over the world the work of restoration is in progress. The Sabbath is being restored to its rightful place in the law of God and in the lives of men. Again men and women are being taught to walk in the ways of the Lord. They are being invited to enter the city of God and to take their place in the living temple that is being built (1 Cor. 3:9–11, 16; Eph. 2:20–22; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 Peter 2:4–9).13. Turn away thy foot. The work of restoration is to begin with a revival of true Sabbath observance, the essence of which is communion with God and remembrance of His creative power, on the day that He made holy. The fate of Israel as a nation was determined by its attitude toward God’s holy day (see Jer. 17:24–27). The Sabbath was never intended to be an end in itself, but rather a means by which man might become acquainted with the character and purposes of his Creator (see on Ex. 20:8). From doing. Note that the word “from” has been supplied by the translators. However, Dead Sea scroll 1QIsa has “from,” as do also the LXX and the Syriac. Thy pleasure. The essence of sin is selfishness—doing what one pleases, irrespective of God or man. The Sabbath day presents man with an opportunity to subdue selfishness and cultivate the habit of doing things that are pleasing to God (1 John 3:22) and that contribute to the well-being of others. Rightly understood and observed, the Sabbath is the key to man’s happiness both here and in the hereafter. True Sabbath observance will lead to the work of reformation pictured in Isa. 58:5–12. Those who do not enter into the spirit of the Sabbath as God ordained it, little realize what they are missing. The Sabbath is one of the greatest blessings bestowed upon men by a loving Creator. A delight. The mere form of Sabbath observance is of little value. Those who think of the Sabbath as a burden have not discovered its true meaning and value. The holy of the Lord. See on Gen. 2:1–3. Honour him. Here is the acid test of what is right and proper on the Sabbath—does it honor God? Any activity entered into with the objective of learning more of the character, works, ways, and will of the Creator, or that is made a channel whereby His love may reach the hearts and lives of our fellow men, is indeed an honor to God.14. Delight thyself. Those who make the Sabbath what God intended it to be, enter into a close fellowship with Him that others cannot know. Compare Ps. 40:8; see on Eze. 20:12, 20. High places of the earth. Material as well as spiritual prosperity is promised those who enter wholeheartedly into the spirit of the Sabbath (see on Matt. 6:33). The heritage of Jacob. For a summary of the various blessings that were included in “the heritage of Jacob,” see pp. 27, 28.A Possible Answer: (The following responses are excerpts taken from the SDA commentary) What is God saying to His people here that is relevant to us today is... A. We cannot serve God and mammon. B. Stop trying to enjoy the privileges of obedience while being loath to shoulder its responsibilities. C. Outward profession must be backed up by an identical inward condition of the heart. D. The call for a reformation of the heart will be appropriately expressed in what we do and how we treat others. E. The essence of true religion is the exercise of justice, mercy, and humility. F. We cannot make ourselves acceptable to God or win His approval for personal benefit by afflicting ourselves, abstention, observing certain forms. G. True religion is practical and its purpose is to release men from their burdens of sin, to eliminate intolerance and oppression, and to promote justice, liberty, and peace. H. Practical godliness is the only kind of religion recognized at the judgment bar of God. I. We must engage in a revival and a reformation is our greatest need but that is to include the work of restoration:... a revival of true Sabbath observance, the essence of which is communion with God and remembrance of His creative power, on the day that He made holy. The Israelites are posing as followers of God – in their worship, in their fasting – but the way they live their lives after they have finished worshiping shows that they are only going through the motions of correct behavior; there is no sincere heart commitment to the law of God. Isaiah continues in chapter 58 to identify what God does expect from His people.?This is not all. Read?Isaiah 58:13,?14. Why does God focus on the Sabbath at the end of this chapter? The prophet uses phrases here similar to those in the rest of the chapter: keep “from doing as you please”; don’t go “your own way”; avoid “doing as you please or speaking idle words” (NIV), the prophet warns. In other words, the Sabbath isn’t the time to go through the routine of worship, only to be thinking your own thoughts and living a life irrelevant to the one of worship. The Sabbath is to be a “delight” and to be “honorable.” In the context of the rest of the chapter, Sabbath is about delighting in learning of the character and purposes of God, and then living that character and those purposes in our relations to others. Knowing how to go through the form of Sabbath observance and worship is not enough. Learning must impact life. Sabbath is time for learning and living priorities.Do you delight in the Sabbath? If not, what can you do to change that? A Possible Answer: Hopefully, yes. But if not, we could... a. Pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you to the extent that you realize that it’s not about you... the focus needs to be on God. Do religious/spiritual things that expresses your love, devotion and joy in the Lord. b. Change the way that you look at Sabbath-keeping so that it is seen as a delightful, positive, healing and happy experience. Remember that Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for you. c. Get involved in activities that bring joy to you such as using a portion of the day to form a family history or connect with family members and friends. d. Make the Sabbath a delight by rendering service to the marginalized, disenfranchised, lonely and needy. e. Feed your spiritual nature by talking to your guardian angel or even the Holy Spirit as well as reading the Bible, listening to or participating in uplifting music and, yes.... an inspirational sermon. g. Endeavor to control what you get involved in and your environment by preparing for it in advance. This would call for your shaping things during the week so that you are free to receive the blessedness, hallowedness and sanctification that God put into that special relational time with Him. h. Weed out that which you consider burdensome or depressing. Have you learned to “honor” the Sabbath? Discuss what this might mean with the rest of your Sabbath School class. Be as practical as you can. A Possible Answer: On desiring to reach the highest level, we would possibly say that we are learning to ‘honor’ the Sabbath to an increasing degree... especially if we understand ‘honor’ to infer ‘respect’, ‘esteem/value’ or ‘have high regard for’.Wednesday December 16th 2020 ‘Time for Finding Balance”Jesus respected and upheld the law of God?(Matt. 5:17,?18). Yet Jesus also challenged the religious leadership over their interpretation of the law. None of His challenges was more threatening to the establishment than the choices He made on Sabbath keeping. The synagogues did not fail to make the Sabbath an opportunity for education – the Torah was read and interpreted without fail. The scribes and Pharisees knew the letter of the law. However, Jesus went much further in His Sabbath-day education of His followers.Read?Matthew 12:1-13?and?Luke 13:10-17. What was Jesus teaching the people in His time, and us today, with these events? Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 6. One greater. Christ points out that both the Temple and the Sabbath were ordained to the service of man, not to lord it over him. Man was not made in order that there might be someone to worship in the Temple and to observe the Sabbath; rather, these were to serve man (see on Mark 2:27). 9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. (Luke 6:9 To take life... The Sabbath, Jesus said, was “made for man” (Mark 2:27), and acts of mercy and necessity were entirely in keeping with its objectives.) Luke 13: 10. A Woman with a Disabling Spirit And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up?herself. 12. And when Jesus saw her, he called?her to him,?and said unto her,?Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13. he laid?his?hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14.?And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15?The Lord then answered him, and said,?Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or?his?ass from the stall, and lead?him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17. ?And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.A Possible Answer: What Jesus was trying to teach them and us is that... a. He is the Lord of the Sabbath, and further, both the Sabbath and the Temple were designed to be of service to human beings and not vice versa. b. To provide for the wellbeing and health of individuals is in keeping with true Sabbath observance. c. A person needs to have a balanced approach when it pertains to serving God and mankind... Not to save a life would be to take it; not to do that which would enhance life would be to diminish it.The controversies surrounding Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath lead into important spiritual debates about the nature of sin, the reason for the Sabbath, the relationship between Jesus and the Father, and the nature of Jesus’ authority.Jesus’ attitude toward the Sabbath is summarized well in our memory verse for this week: “And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath’ ”?(Mark 2:27,?28, NKJV). He wanted to emphasize that the Sabbath should not be a burden. It was “made” (created) as a unique opportunity for people to learn of the character of God who made the Sabbath and learn experientially by valuing His creation.By raising questions through His actions, Jesus pushes His disciples, the Jewish leaders, and the crowds to think more deeply about Scripture and about what their faith and their God meant, anyway. It is so easy for any of us to get so caught up in rules and regulations that might not be bad in and of themselves, but that become an end in and of themselves, rather than means to an end – and that end should be a knowledge of the character of the God we serve. And this, then, leads to our faithful obedience to Him based on our trust in the merits of Christ’s righteousness for us.What about your own Sabbath keeping? Have you turned it into a day of just don’t-do-this and don’t-do-that, rather than a time to truly rest in the Lord and know Him better? A Possible Answer: For most of us, we would probably have to admit that to some extent and in various ways that is how it is with us. That is our experience but our hearts aspire to truly rest in the Lord and know Him better. If so, how can you change so that you can get more from it that God intends for you? A Possible Answer: We could... 1. Prayerfully study how God intended us to keep the Sabbath and purpose in our hearts to observe and experience the blessings of the Sabbath as God intended it to be. 2. Ask God to help us to control our environment and lives to the extent that that may be realized. 3. Reflect on how Jesus and the early believers kept the Sabbath and endeavor to do the same. 4. Respond to the Holy Spirits promptings while remembering that proper observance will have a direct impact on such things as our receiving the seal of God, our representation of the character and will of God, stewardship and our readiness for the final conflict in the last days. Thursday December 17th 2020 ‘A Time for Community”Jesus modeled for His disciples the practice of weekly attendance at the synagogue. After His resurrection they continued this pattern, as did other followers of Jesus. The synagogue became one of the main venues for the apostles to raise questions relating to the Resurrection, and the Sabbath provided a key opportunity for the community to gather together and learn. After all, Jesus was the Hebrew Messiah, the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament, which was read in the synagogue each Sabbath. What better place, then, did the believers have for promoting Jesus than in the synagogue, especially when they were witnessing to Jews and to others “who fear God”?(Acts 13:16,?26, NKJV)?Look?at the following texts. What do they tell us about how Jesus’ followers witnessed in public arenas? As you read these texts, think about where they were speaking, to whom they were speaking, what was said, and what were the results:?Acts 13:14-45;?Acts 16:13,?14;?Acts 17:1-5;?Acts 18:4. Acts 13:14-45 (Omitted due to length) Acts 16:13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. Acts 17:1-5 Preaching Christ at Thessalonica 1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. Assault on Jason’s House 5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. Acts 18:4 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.A Possible Answer: These texts tell us that Jesus’ followers witnessed in public arenas by their mere presence, verbally and by their personal behavior and conduct. With the power of the Holy Spirit, they spoke with boldness, persuasion and confidence from the depth of their historical knowledge, from personal experience and of that which God had revealed to them. They testified to individuals and groups, Jews and Gentiles, Christians, religious leaders, congregations, large portions of entire cities and individuals from various cultures; in synagogues, out-of-doors and experienced varying degrees of success and opposition. They basically shared what God had revealed to them; how He led their ancestors, the gospel of Jesus Christ and appeals for them to respond to the direction of the Holy Spirit in accepting Christ and being a part of His kingdom. The apostles’ testimony was both personal and scriptural. Paul elaborated on the history of Israel, starting with “our fathers”?(Acts 13:17)?in Egypt, and followed their history from the settlement to the judges, the kings, to David, from whom he had a perfect transition to Jesus.Paul and others also showed how their personal experience and understanding made sense within the context of the Scriptures. They presented information, and they debated and discussed. The combination of personal testimony and Scripture delivered through preaching, teaching, and discussion was very powerful. As the Bible passages show, some of the religious leaders were envious of the authority of the apostles and the resulting power they had over the people, both Jews and Gentiles.The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a strong history, too, of encouraging testimony and scriptural exposition through both preaching and teaching/sharing. The combination of Sabbath School with the divine (preaching) service and other Sabbath meetings (youth meetings, for example) gives a strong formal educational base to Seventh-day Adventist worship. While this needs to be complemented by other learning experiences, it is essential to the educational experience of the Sabbath.Friday December 18th 2020 ‘Further Thought”Read Ellen G. White,?“The Sabbath,” pp. 281-289, in?The Desire of Ages.“No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as His worshipers. It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ. When the command was given to Israel, ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,’ the Lord said also to them, ‘Ye shall be holy men unto Me.’?Ex. 20:8;?22:31. Only thus could the Sabbath distinguish Israel as the worshipers of God.” — Ellen G. White,?The Desire of Ages, p. 283.“Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy … . As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God.” —?The Desire of Ages, pp. 288, 289.Discussion Questions:Often Seventh-day Adventists spend time considering what is not acceptable to do on Sabbath. Develop a set of questions that would keep Sabbath keepers focused on the ideals discussed in this lesson and that emphasize Sabbath as an educative experience. For example: “What do I do on Sabbath that enables me to learn more about God’s character?”Consider the quotations from Ellen G. White given above. They suggest that it is not just the formality of keeping Sabbath that distinguishes Sabbath keepers in the community. What would individuals be like that are “partakers of the righteousness of Christ” and have been made “holy”? What does this have to do with the Sabbath?In what ways can you enrich your Sabbath experience? Identify three goals that focus on what you would like to learn through Sabbath observance in the next 12 months. ................
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