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00:36 Good morning, friends, and welcome once again
00:38 to Sabbath School Study Hour 00:39 here at the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:41 in Sacramento, California. 00:43 Very warm welcome to our online members 00:46 and also those who are joining us 00:47 on the various networks 00:48 across the country and around the world. 00:50 Thank you for tuning in to study our lesson with us today. 00:54 Also the members and the visitors 00:56 as always here at Granite Bay, 00:57 very warm welcome to all of you. 01:00 Now as many of you know, 01:01 we started a brand new lesson quarterly entitled 01:04 "Oneness in Christ." 01:06 And today we're going to launch into our first study 01:09 which is entitled "Creation and the Fall." 01:12 And I know many of you have your lesson quarterly. 01:15 If you don't have a lesson quarterly, 01:17 you'll be able to receive one following the church today. 01:19 Just ask for it. 01:20 One of our church hosts will be able to get that for you. 01:23 And for those who are viewing online, 01:25 if you don't have a copy of today's lesson 01:27 and you'd like to have one in your hand 01:28 that you can study along. 01:30 All you'll need to do is just visit the following website 01:33 at study.aftv.org. 01:36 And you'll be able to download this week's lesson. 01:40 That website again is study.aftv.org 01:44 to download a copy of the lesson for today. 01:47 And then we also have the free offer 01:48 we'd like to let those 01:49 who are watching the program know about. 01:52 It is a DVD sermon by Pastor Doug Batchelor 01:55 entitled "Holiness and Purity." 01:58 And this is our free offer 01:59 to anyone who would call and ask for it. 02:02 The number to call is 866-788-3966 02:06 and ask for offer number 857. 02:10 You can also download 02:11 a digital version of the sermon, 02:13 you can have it right there on your phone or your computer. 02:16 In order to do so, 02:17 you need to text the following code, "SH110" 02:22 to the number 40544. 02:26 And then you'll receive a link 02:28 where you'll be able to download for free 02:30 a digital version of the sermon by Pastor Doug 02:33 entitled, "Holiness and Purity." 02:36 Before we get to our lesson this morning, 02:38 we always like to begin by lifting our voices in song. 02:41 I'm going to invite our choruses 02:42 to come and now lead us in our song this morning. 04:46 Thank you so much for joining with us, 04:48 and at this time, Pastor Ross will have our opening prayer. 04:53 Dear Father in heaven, 04:54 we thank You for the opportunity that we have 04:55 to gather together in Your house 04:57 and study Your Word, 04:58 and as we launch into this new series of lesson, 05:00 we do ask and especially the Holy Spirit 05:03 to guard our hearts and our minds. 05:05 Father, we know that it's Your desire 05:07 that we be united in You. 05:09 And so guide us as we explore this important theme, 05:12 for we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. 05:15 We're very delighted to have a church here at Granite Bay 05:19 with many talented individuals. 05:21 One of our elders 05:23 here at the Granite Bay Church is Dr. David DeRose. 05:25 He's not a stranger to our Sabbath School audience 05:27 and those of you here in person. 05:30 And we're just delighted 05:31 that he's willing to come and share with us. 05:32 So he'll be teaching our lesson today. 05:34 So thank you, Dr. DeRose. 05:37 You know there are many great themes in the Bible, 05:40 and perhaps one of the greatest 05:42 is one that really describes the entire Bible, 05:46 it's sometimes called the theme of restoration 05:50 or the plan of restoration. 05:52 I invite you to turn in your Bibles 05:53 to the third chapter of Acts. 05:56 There is the story of Peter and John entering the temple. 06:02 There is a man there greatly in need of healing. 06:05 And God ministers through His two apostles. 06:10 And Peter then has an audience 06:11 and he begins to preach there in Acts 3. 06:16 And he mentions, beginning with verse 19 a pivotal verse 06:21 that I believe sets the stage 06:23 for where we're headed this quarter 06:24 and where we're going today. 06:27 Acts 3:19, the words of Peter, 06:31 "Repent therefore and be converted, 06:34 that your sins may be blotted out, 06:36 so that times of refreshing 06:38 may come from the presence of the Lord, 06:41 and that He may send Jesus Christ, 06:43 who was preached to you before, 06:45 whom heaven must receive 06:47 until the times of restoration of all things, 06:51 which God has spoken by the mouth of all His prophets, 06:54 all His holy prophets, since the world began." 07:00 Did you catch it there in Peter's preaching? 07:02 There is a theme that runs through the entire Bible, 07:05 at least as Peter spoke about it under inspiration. 07:08 He said that God has spoken by the mouth 07:12 of all His holy prophets 07:14 since the world began about what? 07:18 That's right. 07:19 The times of restoration of all things. 07:24 And so as we begin the quarter, 07:26 as we begin this theme on Oneness in Christ, 07:29 we want to look and focus in on this theme of restoration 07:34 because we're introduced at the beginning of this series 07:38 to the creation. 07:39 It's just where the Bible starts, isn't it? 07:41 If you think about it, 07:42 if you've never looked at it that way, 07:44 the Bible starts two chapters 07:46 describing the original perfect creation. 07:49 We're going to look at that in some detail. 07:51 But if you missed some of the details 07:54 of the original perfect creation, 07:56 the last two chapters of the Bible speak about what? 08:00 That's right. 08:01 The restoration or the recreation 08:03 of those very same things 08:05 that were made originally in the beginning 08:08 by our loving Creator. 08:09 So let's look at the focus 08:11 in the first couple of lessons there, 08:15 actually it's less than one, 08:16 couple readings there for Sabbath and Sunday 08:20 if you were going through the lesson quarterly. 08:22 And you see first as it begins, 08:24 it mentions here on the very first paragraph 08:27 commenting on this series, 08:29 it says, any attempt at understanding 08:30 the nature of unity in the church 08:32 must begin with God's original plan at the creation 08:36 and then the need for restoration after the fall. 08:41 So with that in mind, let's go to Genesis 1. 08:45 And in Sunday's lesson 08:47 it has us focus on a descriptor that God used, 08:51 an adjective to describe how His creation was. 08:56 In Genesis 1:31, if you'd been reading through Genesis 1, 08:59 of course, we don't have time to do it together today. 09:02 But if you're reading through Genesis you'd read, 09:04 it was good, it was good. 09:07 At the end of each of the days of creation 09:08 just about everyone it has that mention 09:10 but then at the end of the sixth day of creation, 09:14 verse 31, it says, God saw everything that He had made 09:19 and indeed it was what? 09:21 Very good. 09:23 So a summary of God's original creation 09:26 is that it was very good. 09:27 Everything that God made was very good. 09:31 And it's interesting as you look in detail 09:33 at what God made. 09:35 It brings us to this subject of unity very quickly. 09:38 In fact, many scholars have pointed out 09:40 the very name of God used in Genesis 1, 09:44 Elohim is a plural name for God. 09:49 Other times in the Old Testament 09:50 we read that term often translated 09:52 Jehovah or Yahweh 09:55 but here in Genesis 1, it says plural term Elohim. 09:59 And so it is as you're reading through Genesis 1, 10:02 you come to a work that is done by God in plurality. 10:06 That's right, that's how the Hebrew reads. 10:09 In Genesis 1:26, we read those words, 10:13 "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, 10:19 let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 10:21 over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 10:23 over all the earth 10:25 and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 10:28 So God created man in His own image, 10:31 in the image of God He created him male and female, 10:36 He created them. 10:39 And so it's quite interesting, isn't it? 10:41 That God when He wants to create in His own image, 10:44 He doesn't create a single being, 10:47 He creates in plurality. 10:49 And so from the very beginning of Scripture, 10:51 we have this sense that God although one is a plurality. 10:57 And I know we struggle 10:58 with this concept often referred to as the Trinity 11:02 but is a biblical term, 11:04 and we often speak biblical term 11:06 not because that word Trinity appears, 11:08 but because the concept appears in very, the very beginning, 11:12 look at verse 1, Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God..." 11:17 This God described by a plural noun. 11:20 "God created the heavens and the earth. 11:23 The earth was without form and void 11:25 and deepness was on the face of the deep. 11:27 And the Spirit of God 11:29 was hovering over the face of the waters." 11:32 And so God the Father, God the Son, 11:34 and God the Holy Spirit 11:35 were all involved in that original creation 11:37 and so they create in plurality. 11:39 Now some, as they look at that, 11:41 they say, "Yes, it's obvious, 11:42 it's plural but Dr. DeRose there are only two, 11:45 Adam and Eve who are created." 11:47 So it must just be the Father and the Son that were involved. 11:50 Maybe there isn't even a Holy Spirit. 11:56 You know it's very interesting 11:59 how the Godhead refers to itself. 12:02 Have you ever thought about this? 12:03 The Godhead never calls attention, 12:06 any person in the Godhead, 12:07 Jesus never calls attention to Himself. 12:09 Who is He always pointing to? The Father. 12:12 Who does the Father honor? 12:15 Jesus, right. 12:17 Who does the Spirit point to? 12:20 Points to the Father and the Son. 12:21 This is very interesting relationship 12:24 in these members of the Godhead. 12:25 In fact, if you study this out through history, 12:27 even the angels misunderstood the nature of the Godhead. 12:33 Jesus throughout history 12:35 has always been stepping down to the level of His creation. 12:39 You're following along with me? 12:41 Jesus is, in the Old Testament often referred to, 12:44 even in the New as Michael the archangel. 12:48 As you study the scriptures, 12:50 it seems that even the angels misunderstood Jesus 12:53 to be an angel at one point. 12:56 And when He came to this earth, 12:57 Jesus was misrecognized as what? 13:01 As humanity. 13:03 And the Holy Spirit often shrouded in some mystery 13:07 has often been relegated to just an essence. 13:11 But the personhood of the Holy Spirit, 13:13 we studied about it for a whole quarter. 13:15 And yet many in Christianity still struggle with this. 13:18 But I'd like to suggest to you 13:19 that even in the vernacular 13:22 we understand something about unity 13:25 that comes to us as we look 13:27 at the very beginning of creation. 13:28 How many of you have heard the expression, 13:30 two's company but three's a... 13:34 Crowd. 13:35 What's that referring to? 13:38 I mean, sometimes there's a connotation of some, 13:40 you know, intimate dialogue or something, 13:43 but actually we don't have too much of a problem 13:47 thinking about two people, 13:48 two closely united people being in harmony, 13:51 but when you bring three people into harmony, 13:54 this truly is remarkable. 13:55 And as we're speaking about oneness 13:58 and if we're speaking about the creation, 13:59 I don't think we can escape 14:02 realizing who the Creator is 14:06 that the Godhead in its fullness created humanity. 14:10 And humanity in its fullness 14:12 does not include just Adam and Eve. 14:14 Do you notice from the very beginning 14:16 what was the plan of the Godhead in creating? 14:22 Do you catch it there in Genesis 1 and 2? 14:24 Was it the plan 14:25 that just Adam and Eve would be united as two individuals? 14:30 What were they tasked with doing? 14:33 With multiplying, right? 14:35 They were given dominion, 14:37 a loving rule over the earth but they were to multiply. 14:42 It's a very, very interesting concept, 14:44 and I encourage you to ponder that 14:46 because really I believe the foundation for unity 14:49 is seen in the Godhead itself. 14:52 You know there was a famous poet, 14:55 no disrespect to him who said, 14:57 God created because He was lonely. 15:00 But I would like to suggest you 15:01 the amazing thing about the creation 15:04 is that God created out of the fullness 15:07 that was in the Godhead, 15:09 three people perfectly united, perfectly content 15:14 but wanting to share that love with us, 15:19 with angelic beings with creation. 15:23 Well, this lesson on Sunday 15:26 points us to something else about that original creation. 15:30 And it comes from 1 John 4, 15:33 it speaks about God creating in His own image, 15:36 it's really asking us to ponder a little bit more about 15:38 what that image involves. 15:41 And so as John that disciple 15:43 who had a special relationship with Jesus 15:45 wrote his first epistle, 15:48 his letter there found in the Bible, 15:50 not in the Gospel of John but in 1 John 4. 15:54 John describes the character of God 15:57 in a way that has often been quoted 16:00 1 John chapter 4 16:04 beginning with verse 4. 16:08 Excuse me, beginning with verse 7, 16:10 1 John 4:7 16:13 "Beloved, let us love one another, 16:15 for love is of God, 16:17 and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 16:21 He who does not love does not know God, 16:24 for God is," what? 16:26 "God is love." 16:27 We've heard that many times, right? 16:29 That simple succinct description of God's character, 16:33 He is what? 16:34 Love. God is love. 16:36 And so when God creates in His image, 16:38 it's not just with some physical bearing, 16:42 having some relationship physically to God 16:44 but it's also character. 16:46 So just as God creates in plurality, 16:48 creates for oneness, creates for unity, 16:50 He creates with that essence that is necessary for unity 16:55 and what is it? 16:58 What do we have to have to be united? 17:00 Love, right? 17:02 So God's character is love, 17:03 He creates loving creatures 17:06 with the capacity to love each other. 17:10 Now it was not just enough for God to create, 17:14 God wanted to be intimately involved with His creation. 17:18 We're going to look in just a moment in a scripture 17:20 found in Revelation 21. 17:21 We have someone who'll be reading that for us 17:23 in just a minute from Revelation 21:3-5. 17:27 But I want to observe something for you. 17:31 God did not just wind up this world 17:33 and put it in motion. 17:34 You know, there's a philosophy, a view of the world, 17:39 a cosmology that's called deism. 17:42 And the idea is that God is the divine clockmaker 17:44 that He just wound up the clock on creation and let things run. 17:48 No, that's not the picture 17:50 that we get as we read the Bible. 17:53 In fact, as you read through Genesis 1, 2 and 3, 17:56 it becomes readily apparent 17:58 that God was physically present with Adam and Eve. 18:02 Have you picked up on that? 18:04 If you don't catch it in Genesis 1 and 2, 18:06 well you say, well God formed Adam 18:09 from the dust of the earth, 18:10 He had to be physically present there, 18:13 but that there was an ongoing physical contact, 18:16 ongoing physical contact, you find it there in Genesis 3, 18:19 you find evidence there, 18:20 we'll find other evidence 18:22 in the recreation in just a moment. 18:24 But look at Genesis 3, 18:25 after sin we'll talk about the fall in just a few minutes, 18:29 but after the fall it says in Genesis 3:8, 18:35 they referring to Adam and Eve, 18:37 "Heard the sound of the Lord God 18:39 walking in the garden in the cool of the day, 18:42 and Adam and his wife hid themselves 18:45 from the presence of the Lord God 18:47 among the trees of the garden." 18:51 Now let me ask you a question. 18:54 Do you hide yourself from a spirit? 18:58 Would that make any sense if God was just some essence, 19:01 would you hide? 19:03 No, you'd say an essence is always there, 19:05 God was not as an essence interacting with Adam and Eve, 19:08 He physically came and dwelt with them. 19:11 They physically interacted with God. 19:13 And so we know that right there in Genesis 3 19:15 we see this picture of Adam and Eve 19:18 no longer enjoying communion with the Godhead, 19:23 we'll get there in a minute. 19:25 Let's go to Genesis 21, excuse me, 19:27 Revelation 21 because we want to take another glimpse. 19:31 Remember, we're talking about the plan of restoration, 19:35 what God had in the beginning He will have in the end. 19:39 In Genesis we see God's original creation, 19:42 Revelation 21, 19:43 let's look at the picture of the recreation there. 19:46 Revelation 21:3-5. 19:49 "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 19:52 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, 19:55 and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. 19:58 God Himself will be with them and be their God. 20:02 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 20:05 there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 20:09 There shall be no more pain, 20:10 for the former things have passed away.' 20:13 Then He who sat on the throne said, 20:15 'Behold, I make all things new.' 20:18 And He said to me, 20:19 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'" 20:22 It's a beautiful passage, isn't it? 20:24 God is making all things what? 20:27 New. 20:28 He's restoring, He's recreating 20:30 and when He recreates where is God to be found? 20:36 In the physical presence of His people. 20:39 So just like it was in the beginning, 20:41 God is recreating, God is recreating. 20:45 In Genesis, excuse me in Revelation 22, 20:47 and boy, Genesis, Revelation, running back and forth, 20:50 I'm having a hard time myself, keeping them straight. 20:54 Revelation 22, if you read there 20:59 beginning with verse 3, again a similar picture, 21:02 "There shall be no more curse, 21:05 but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, 21:08 and His servants shall serve Him. 21:11 They shall see His face, 21:13 and His name shall be on their foreheads. 21:15 There shall be no night there, 21:17 they shall need no lamp nor light of the sun, 21:19 for the Lord God gives them light. 21:23 And they shall reign forever and ever." 21:26 So here is this amazing creation, 21:29 we start in the beginning with a God 21:31 who just doesn't share life with humanity 21:35 but shares His presence, 21:37 He makes us in His image, He gives us love, 21:39 He brings us into loving relationships 21:42 and He commissions Adam and Eve 21:44 to share that love with other creatures in plurality. 21:48 It is this picture of oneness 21:50 and it is a picture that God will restore in the end, 21:53 it is a beautiful story, 21:55 were it not for the rest of the Bible. 21:58 No, yes, the rest of the Bible is beautiful 22:00 but humanity's response 22:02 is not as beautiful as God's gift, is it? 22:07 Because in Monday's lesson, 22:09 it brings us to what immediately 22:10 follows in the Bible 22:12 and that is the fall. 22:14 Now those of you who've studied Genesis 1-3 before, 22:20 no doubt you've struggled 22:21 with what many have struggled with. 22:23 We looked at that simple description, 22:26 that simple verdict 22:29 passed with unerring accuracy by the Creator 22:32 that everything was very good in the beginning. 22:36 But there's a problem, 22:37 some people say with what God created. 22:39 I'm in Genesis 2 22:40 and as we're preparing to talk about the fall, 22:42 we have to bring this into perspective. 22:45 In Genesis 2:8, it says, 22:51 "The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, 22:56 and there He put the man whom He had formed. 22:59 And out of the ground 23:00 the Lord God made every tree grow 23:03 that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. 23:06 The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, 23:10 and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." 23:16 Where was the tree of the knowledge 23:19 of good and evil? 23:22 It was in the midst of the garden. 23:25 So there was that tree of life 23:26 that Adam and Eve had to partake of 23:29 in order to sustain life, 23:31 it was a symbol of their trusting relationship with God, 23:34 but God had endowed that tree with special properties 23:37 and yet in close proximity to that tree 23:42 in the center of the garden somewhere, 23:43 it was what? 23:45 This tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 23:48 Now some had struggled with this 23:49 because they said, God said that everything was very good, 23:53 but that tree of the knowledge of good and evil 23:55 does not seem to be all that very good 23:57 because we're coming to Genesis 3 23:59 and you know what happens 24:01 at that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 24:04 How could that tree be very good? 24:07 Have you ever thought about it? 24:11 Well having taught in the classroom before, 24:16 I have perhaps a different perspective on tests 24:19 than many of you who may have only been students. 24:24 I never, I can never recall 24:26 a student begging for more tests. 24:29 Do you think it would, it might not be illogical 24:31 if someone did poorly on a few tests, 24:33 maybe if we had more tests they could pull their grade up, 24:36 but I don't ever remember someone coming to me 24:38 and saying, "Dr. DeRose, couldn't we have 24:40 just a few more tests in this class? 24:42 I looked over the syllabus 24:43 and we only have four exams in the whole semester." 24:49 You know, a test is not just a way of evaluating people, 24:54 but a test can actually 24:56 strengthen the one who takes the test. 24:59 You ever thought about this? 25:02 You know, if you don't take a test, 25:04 sometimes you're not as diligent 25:06 about learning the lessons, have you ever realized that? 25:09 We have three children, 25:10 they all happen to be in college right now 25:13 and not uncommonly we hear about them facing an exam 25:17 and somehow those examinations 25:20 seem to increase their motivation for studying. 25:24 Can you relate? 25:26 But there's something else 25:27 that happens when you take a test. 25:32 It can reinforce the things that you know, 25:36 think about it for a minute. 25:37 Adam and Eve walking through the garden, 25:39 coming to the tree of life. 25:41 And as they come to the tree of life, 25:43 they pass the tree of the knowledge 25:44 of good and evil. 25:46 What do their senses say about that tree? 25:50 Well, you'll see as you read through Genesis 3, 25:52 the tree looked wonderful, right? 25:53 Just like everything else. 25:56 But God said what? 25:58 Not to eat from that tree. 26:01 So every time they choose not to eat from that tree, 26:04 what are they doing? 26:06 Basically what they're doing 26:08 is they're not only trusting God, 26:09 but they're strengthening their relationship to God, 26:13 they're choosing to honor the one who created them. 26:17 And by the way how do, 26:18 how do you get stronger in the physical realm? 26:24 Some of you are not looking at me with great credibility 26:28 like maybe I don't know too much about this, 26:30 you know, don't I look like a weightlifter. 26:33 Whether I do or not, I do know something about 26:36 how you strengthen muscles. 26:39 I see it sometimes in patients who've been bedridden, 26:44 maybe they had a major surgery, 26:47 they've been laid up for a long time. 26:49 What do they have to do 26:50 in order to regain their strength? 26:54 They've got to exercise, 26:56 they've got to use their muscles. 26:58 So God put in the middle of the garden 27:01 a place where Adam and Eve had to strengthen, 27:04 choose to exercise their faith, 27:07 their trust, their commitment to Him. 27:10 So it's not a restriction really that God put there, 27:14 you say, "Well, He did, He said, you couldn't eat." 27:16 But God was giving them an opportunity for blessing 27:20 and to strengthen their relationship with Him. 27:22 If you have a hard time wrapping your mind around it, 27:24 I do too, but think about that. 27:27 But as we come to Monday's lesson, 27:29 we find that that test, 27:31 that place that was designed to strengthen relationship, 27:35 something went terribly wrong. 27:38 There in Genesis 3 as we read the account, 27:42 Satan takes the form of the serpent 27:48 and it says in Genesis 3:1 27:52 as Eve is there apparently alone at the tree, 27:57 the serpent asks the question, has God indeed said 28:01 you shall not eat of every tree of the garden. 28:05 And the woman immediately 28:06 enters into converse with Satan, 28:08 she says, "Oh, we may eat 28:10 the fruit of the trees of the garden 28:12 but of the fruit of the tree 28:14 which is in the midst of the garden. 28:16 God has said you shall not eat it 28:19 nor shall you touch it, lest you die." 28:22 And then in verse 4, 28:24 we have the first lie in the Bible, right? 28:28 The serpent says to the woman what? 28:31 "You will not surely die. 28:34 For God knows that in the day you eat of it, 28:37 your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, 28:40 knowing good and evil." 28:42 So here it is, the temptation of Satan 28:45 is calling Eve to do what? 28:50 Disobey God. 28:53 Trust him instead of God but even more than that. 28:56 Look at what happens in verse 4, 29:01 Satan says that you will get blessing 29:04 and then what does Eve do in verse 5? 29:06 Then she, verse 6, she checks it out. 29:12 "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food 29:17 and a tree desirable to make one wise, 29:20 she took of its fruit and ate." 29:22 Now this is quite interesting, 29:23 how can you tell that a fruit is good to make you wise? 29:29 You see, Satan tells you a lie 29:31 and then you line up some evidence 29:34 that seems to line up with what Satan's saying 29:37 but it is totally irrational, 29:38 you can't look at a fruit 29:40 and decide it's going to make you wise, right? 29:42 That's impossible. 29:45 But because there is some evidence that it's true, 29:47 it looks good, this serpent is speaking, 29:50 he's saying, it's good. 29:52 So you add some evidence now, 29:54 your sight and Eve decides to do what? 29:59 That's right. 30:05 "Eve eats, she took of its fruit and ate. 30:08 She also gave to her husband with her and he ate." 30:16 From the very beginning, from the very Garden of Eden, 30:21 there is a tension, do you see it? 30:25 Are we going to trust in our loving Creator 30:28 or are we going to trust our own senses and what 30:33 even those in authority around us might say? 30:36 I mean, who was more authoritative 30:39 than the serpent in that setting, right? 30:43 She wasn't hearing God's voice speaking to her, 30:46 Satan is telling her one thing, 30:47 it seems to align with her senses 30:49 and what does she do? 30:52 She eats. 30:55 Someone has a scripture for us 30:57 just a little bit later in Genesis, 31:00 in Genesis 3 beginning with verse 11, 31:03 we start with a picture of unity, perfect harmony, 31:07 no sin, no death, no suffering, 31:09 that's where God is trying to bring this planet again, 31:10 that's where He will bring it. 31:12 The Book of Revelation tells us in Revelation 21 and 22. 31:17 But in Genesis 3 we see immediate disunity, 31:22 Genesis 3:11, 31:23 what does it have to say it to us today? 31:25 "And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? 31:30 Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you 31:35 that you should not eat?' 31:37 Then the man said, 'The woman who gave to be with me, 31:43 she gave me of the tree, and I ate.' 31:46 And the Lord God said to the woman, 31:48 'What is this have you done?' 31:51 The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, 31:54 and I ate.'" 31:56 So what's happening there in that dialogue? 32:01 Blame, right? 32:02 Instead of holding people up, 32:04 instead of affirming one another, 32:06 what's happening, 32:08 he did it, she did it, he did it, right? 32:11 Is this a prescription for unity? 32:14 Immediately from the beginning of the fall, we see disunity. 32:18 We see God's original plan is unity. 32:21 God wants us to be one as He is one. 32:24 And sin brings disunity and disharmony. 32:28 But there's more to the story 32:30 as it's brought out in the lesson here, 32:33 God has done some interesting things to this point. 32:36 In fact, I'm gonna have you jump 32:38 if you have your quarterlies, I'm gonna have you jump 32:40 all the way to Friday's lesson, 32:42 I want you to pick up on something here 32:44 because coming into focus in Friday's lesson 32:48 is something that we skipped over 32:51 that was part of the original creation 32:53 because after that summary of creation 32:56 we read in Genesis 1:31 that everything was very good, 33:00 we read in Genesis 2 33:03 beginning with verse 1, 33:06 "Thus the heavens and the earth, 33:08 and all the host of them, were finished. 33:11 And on the seventh day 33:12 God ended His work which He had done, 33:14 and He rested on the seventh day." 33:19 And what does He do when He rests? 33:22 It says, He not only rest, 33:24 "from all His work which He had done. 33:26 But He blesses the seventh day and sanctifies it, 33:32 because in it He rested from all His work 33:35 which God had created and made." 33:38 So not only does God give them a place, 33:41 a physical place in the garden where He will meet with them, 33:45 God sets aside a day, a place in time, 33:50 if you will a palace in time for humanity to meet with Him. 33:54 From the very beginning, 33:55 there is a blessing on that Seventh-day. 33:58 By the way, how many Jews were there 34:00 in the Garden of Eden? 34:02 There were none, it was before there was ever a Jew. 34:05 How many Muslims and Christians were there? 34:08 Zero. Zero. 34:09 From the beginning of creation 34:10 before there were any denominations, 34:12 before there were any sects, 34:13 God's original plan was that all flesh 34:17 should meet before Him there on the Sabbath, 34:19 this special day that He had set apart. 34:27 So Friday wants us to have that in perspective 34:29 as we come to looking at the fall 34:34 because was it true, 34:37 did death occur when Adam and Eve ate from the tree? 34:42 Did they die the day they ate? 34:44 No. 34:46 What died? 34:50 Look at Genesis 3 closely. 34:53 The death, the first death in the Bible 34:57 is only implied but it is quite clear. 35:01 You see in Genesis 3 after God pronounces judgment, 35:06 by the way in the midst of judgments 35:09 God gives the first picture of the gospel. 35:13 It's there in verse 15 as God is speaking of judgment 35:18 on the serpent, He says, 35:22 "I will put enmity between you and the woman, 35:26 and between your seed and her seed, 35:29 he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel." 35:34 The seed of the woman ultimately is Jesus. 35:38 Jesus would be bruised by the serpent, 35:41 the serpent would bruise his heel 35:43 but it would not be a life-threatening wound. 35:48 But the serpent's head would be crushed by the Savior. 35:52 The promise of the gospel right there in Genesis 3:15, 35:56 but that although it foreshadowed 35:59 Christ's sacrifice, the first death 36:01 is found a few verses later 36:04 because Adam and Eve recognized that they were naked 36:09 after they ate of the tree. 36:13 Many believed that they were clothed 36:14 with robes of light and that light departed 36:18 after they broke covenant with God if you will. 36:22 And in verse 21 it said also for Adam and his wife 36:27 the Lord did, what? 36:29 Made tunics of skin and clothed them. 36:35 How do you get tunics of skin? 36:38 You get it from, that's right, the death of an animal. 36:42 And so the first death, the death that is occasioned 36:46 by the sin of Adam and Eve 36:48 is the death of an innocent victim 36:50 who has to be killed 36:54 so that Adam and Eve can be clothed 36:56 with appropriate garments. 36:59 So in Genesis 3:15 we have a prophecy 37:03 of Christ's sacrifice, 37:05 a prophecy of Christ's saving work. 37:07 But in Genesis 3:21 we have an enacted parable 37:11 of what Christ will do. 37:13 Then He will clothe us 37:15 with His robes of righteousness. 37:17 If we allow God to give us His covering, 37:20 He will cover our nakedness, 37:22 He will cover the results of our sin. 37:25 It's not because of who we are or what we've done because of, 37:29 but because of what He provides, 37:31 a beautiful picture of the saving God that we have. 37:36 And so although the consequences of the fall 37:39 are disunity, God brings healing in that context. 37:43 Now you'd think, we could stop right there 37:46 but we have to look a little bit more, 37:47 I believe that it's just appreciating the gospel 37:52 because there's an interesting dialogue that comes up, 37:55 not only is the fall described in Monday's lesson 37:58 but also the flood. 38:01 And before we go there, 38:03 we're going to have someone read for us 38:05 from Philippians 2:5-8 but before we do that, 38:10 let me just set the stage a little bit more 38:13 because we've been following along, right? 38:15 God creates perfectly, creates in unity, 38:19 sin comes, brings disunity, 38:21 but God has a solution from the very beginning. 38:24 And the solution comes through His provision 38:27 not through what we do. 38:28 Humankind has messed up God's covenant 38:31 but God the faithful covenant keeping God provides a Son, 38:35 provides a lamb. 38:38 In Philippians 2:5-8 38:41 we get to catch another picture 38:43 of God's great sacrifice on our behalf. 38:48 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 38:52 who, being in the form of God, 38:54 did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 38:57 but made Himself of no reputation, 39:00 taking the form of a bondservant, 39:02 and coming in the likeness of men. 39:05 And being found in appearance as a man, 39:08 He humbled Himself and became obedient 39:10 to the point of death, even the death of the cross." 39:15 So Jesus continues to step down, right? 39:19 And as our Savior He comes down as a man and dies for us. 39:23 But it's interesting, Philippians 2 39:25 doesn't stop with that picture. 39:28 Okay after Jesus dies, 39:31 Paul as he's writing on under the inspiration, 39:33 he says in Philippians 2:9, 39:35 "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, Jesus 39:39 and given Him the name which is above every name 39:41 but at the name of Jesus, 39:43 every knee should bow of those in heaven 39:46 and of those on earth and of those under the earth. 39:48 And that every tongue should confess 39:50 that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 39:55 Multiple times in the scriptures, 39:57 in Isaiah, in Romans, we read this expression 40:00 that every tongue is going to glorify God. 40:03 When it's all said and done, everyone is going to say 40:05 just and true are Your ways, You're righteous God, 40:09 all Your works are righteous. 40:11 And yet in Monday's lesson it speaks of the flood. 40:16 And many an atheist, many a secularist has said that 40:20 the flood is the work of the worst dictator 40:25 that's ever been on a planet, if that's true God is a tyrant. 40:28 Have you heard claims like that? 40:33 Imagine, you've got a relative 40:35 and they're going to travel across country, okay. 40:37 Make a long trip, they're gonna move 40:40 and as they're checking out the new area they're moving to, 40:43 they hear about this group of people 40:46 you might call them a gang but that name isn't used, 40:48 it's, but people are actually, 40:51 in this community they're knocking people out 40:54 and then they're cutting limbs off, arms, legs, I mean, 41:00 but it just sounds sickening, doesn't it? 41:03 I mean, what do you think your relative would think 41:05 if they heard they were going to a community 41:08 where that kind of thing was happening, 41:09 what would you think? 41:12 You say, those people are terrible, aren't they? 41:15 But now what if I told you that group of people, 41:18 they called one of them an anesthesiologist 41:21 and another one they called an orthopedic surgeon. 41:24 And then I told you 41:26 there were very high rates of diabetes 41:28 in that community. 41:31 And they were amputating limbs 41:33 that had become gangrenous, what would you think? 41:36 Would you think was a terrible community? 41:39 Now what, what changes it all? 41:43 When you have full information, something taken out of context 41:49 that looks terrible 41:50 can actually be merciful and loving. 41:54 You see God only sees 41:57 from the perspective of eternity. 41:59 Now maybe that's too strong because of course God sees 42:02 from our human perspective as well. 42:04 I mean He sees through our eyes, 42:05 He experiences with us because He feels with us. 42:09 But as God looks 42:10 from the perspective of eternity, 42:11 what does this life really matter? 42:14 I mean, does it really matter if you die 42:17 at ten years of age or at a hundred. 42:19 From the perspective of eternity, 42:21 I mean, is it that great a difference? 42:25 I mean, think about what was going on 42:29 in Genesis 6, 42:32 you see it there, it's quoted Genesis 6:5 42:34 in your lesson. 42:36 "Every intent of the thoughts of his heart, 42:39 speaking of mankind, was only evil continually." 42:44 The whole earth was about to be swept up in evil, 42:48 the only way God could save the planet 42:51 was by doing some ghastly surgery. 42:56 But before He did the surgery, 42:57 He gave people 120 years to repent. 43:01 Now some of you say, well, that was the problem, 43:03 I mean if you give me 120 years to do something, 43:05 I'll just procrastinate. 43:09 In fact, none of us have likely 120 years, 43:12 I could say that with some certainty, right? 43:16 But the point was God in mercy 43:18 gave everyone a chance to repent 43:21 but when people said, 43:22 we are going to hold on to the gangrene 43:25 if you will have sinned, God said, 43:28 finally there was no choice for humanity 43:30 but to cut off all those gangrenous appendages, 43:34 and it may sound terrible to the secularists 43:36 who doesn't understand eternity 43:38 and who doesn't understand the love of God, 43:40 but it was the most loving thing God could do. 43:42 It was the only way to save the planet, 43:45 to save the righteous few. 43:48 If He had not intervened then, 43:50 the whole earth would have been swallowed up in wickedness. 43:54 There would have been nothing to do 43:55 but to recreate the earth from nothing 43:58 if He was going to do it. 44:00 But instead He saved a remnant. 44:06 Tuesday tells us 44:07 there's more disunity and separation, 44:10 we come to the Tower of Babel. 44:12 And there in Genesis 11, 44:15 we read a very, very interesting statement. 44:17 By the way if you read Genesis 9, 44:20 you'll see that God again covenants this time with Noah. 44:24 He promises him, He tells him, actually let's look at it 44:27 before we go to Genesis 11, look at Genesis 9 with me. 44:31 In Genesis 9 if that chapter begins, 44:34 God says really 44:36 that His intent for this planet has not changed, 44:39 He wants people to dwell in unity. 44:41 He wants the earth 44:42 to share in the fullness of His love and His unity. 44:46 He has now set aside a group of people 44:49 who are faithful and loyal to Him. 44:51 And He says in chapter 9 verses 1 and 2, 44:54 "God blesses Noah and his sons 44:56 and He says to them, 44:57 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.' " 45:01 And then he goes on and he gives promises, 45:03 he promises the rainbow, the sign of the Covenant. 45:07 But when we come to Genesis 11. 45:09 In the Tower of Babel, 45:11 God's promises again are forgotten, 45:13 what God says is not as important 45:16 as what others are saying 45:19 and what your own senses are telling you. 45:21 Look with me at Genesis 11, 45:24 it says Genesis 11:1, 45:26 the whole earth had one language and one speech. 45:30 And it came to pass that there on that 45:33 vast land of Shinar 45:35 there on the Mesopotamian region there 45:38 and that Fertile Crescent. 45:40 And it says in verse 3, 45:43 it says, "They said to one another, 45:44 'Come let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.'" 45:47 And so they get these building materials. 45:50 And in verse 4, they say, "Come let us build ourselves 45:53 a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens. 45:55 Let us make a name for ourselves, 45:58 lest we be scattered abroad 46:01 over the face of the whole earth." 46:04 You catch what's going on here, God says scatter, 46:07 scatter, replenish the whole earth. 46:09 And the folks say, 46:10 "Hey, we're all getting along well together here. 46:12 We're just going to stay together, 46:14 in fact we're going to build something 46:15 that goes to the heavens." 46:16 The implication is 46:17 that they didn't trust God's promise 46:19 that he'd never sent a flood either. 46:21 And so again relying on their own wisdom, 46:23 trusting in their own selves they do what? 46:26 They erect their own monuments in contrast to God's word. 46:31 You know God has to do it again. 46:34 He again has to call out a remnant 46:37 in the very next chapter, 46:40 Genesis 12 we see the call of Abram. 46:44 And it's amazing as you read through the story of Abraham, 46:48 the focus there of Wednesday and then Thursday's lesson 46:51 because Abram is the progenitor, 46:54 is the forefather ultimately of the Jewish nation. 46:59 And what God is doing and what He's doing today 47:02 is He's calling a people because you see Abraham 47:05 was not just the father of the Jews, 47:07 he is the father of all those who have faith. 47:10 We have another scripture that we're going to look at, 47:12 it's found in Galatians 3:7-9. 47:15 Before we have that read for us, 47:17 I just want to remind you of what Abram gave up. 47:21 Look at Genesis 12 with me, 47:23 again it's, the story is if we want to be united to God, 47:27 we have to take Him at His word, 47:29 even when it contradicts our senses. 47:32 You see, Abram history tells us 47:34 was living in a wonderfully affluent area, 47:36 Ur of the Chaldees. 47:38 Amazing structures, they found them, 47:40 amazing gold artifacts, 47:42 amazing artistry, 47:43 it was the New York City, the Paris, the London, 47:46 the Beijing, whatever your model city is today, 47:49 that's what it was in the day. 47:51 And Abram is called to leave, to get out of his country 47:55 and God promises to bless him and make him a blessing. 48:00 This is the blessing that God pronounces on His church today, 48:03 catch it as we hear from Galatians 3:7-9. 48:09 "Therefore know that only those who are of faith 48:12 are sons of Abraham. 48:14 And the Scripture, foreseeing 48:15 that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, 48:19 preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, 48:21 saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.' 48:26 So then those who are of faith are blessed 48:29 with believing Abraham." 48:32 What does it take to be united to God? 48:36 It takes accepting the gift that He's given us, 48:39 accepting His forgiveness, accepting His Son 48:43 and trusting Him. 48:45 And that's really the essence for unity in the church. 48:48 It's becoming one with Jesus, one with the Father, 48:51 one with the Godhead 48:52 and then we become one with one another. 48:55 And as we close again looking at Friday's lesson, 48:57 I will remind you 48:59 that the Sabbath was not just a symbol of creation, 49:03 but it's a symbol of redemption. 49:06 When the Ten Commandments are given, 49:07 the second time in Deuteronomy, 49:09 the Sabbath we're told to keep it 49:10 because God is our Redeemer, our Deliverer. 49:13 And in Isaiah 66, the Sabbath is that special time 49:18 throughout eternity where we'll meet together 49:21 around the throne of the King. 49:26 Well, Oneness in Christ, we're embarking on a study, 49:29 I invite you to be with us next time 49:33 as we look at lesson two in our series. 49:35 And we do have a special offer, don't forget that. 49:38 It's available, free offer number 857, 8-5-7, 49:43 "Holiness and Purity." 49:45 You can get it by calling 866-Study-More. 49:48 Or you can text it to the information 49:51 that's showing on the screen, text that code, 49:54 get the free resource that goes along with the lesson. 49:58 We look forward to seeing you again 50:00 next week as we study together on the theme, 50:03 Oneness in Christ. 50:11 My parents got divorced when I was three or four 50:14 and then I was basically unchurched most of my life. 50:17 I had a girlfriend at high school tell me that 50:19 she had to break up with me because I wasn't a Christian. 50:21 I thought that's weird, I believe in God, 50:22 why would she say that 50:23 without realizing I was living a horrible life 50:25 with foul language, I was mean and other stuff. 50:28 And that kind of challenged me initially 50:31 and then my dad, 9/11 woke him up, 50:34 he wasn't ready to meet his Lord, 50:35 though he was a man I valued and knew loved me, 50:38 didn't doubt that. 50:39 But he just knew he needed more. 50:40 So he started watching TV ministries first. 50:44 Baptist preachers and others 50:45 and he was kind of intrigued by what he was learning. 50:49 And so when he turned me on to this television station, 50:52 first thing that I got access to 50:54 was Doug Batchelor's Most Amazing Prophecy series 50:57 that he did in Berrien Springs, Michigan. 50:59 And I remember when I first watched this, 51:00 my background was Baptistish of sorts. 51:04 I remember when I first watched this series. 51:07 I remember thinking, I've never heard that before 51:09 about the state of the dead, or about the Sabbath, 51:11 or the Commandments, or the rapture or other things. 51:14 I remember thinking to myself, I've never heard that before 51:16 but that's what the text says. 51:18 And that kept happening and I had this experience 51:21 of just wondering like, well, what else have I believe 51:23 that isn't as it is, you know. 51:25 And the more I watched, the more helpful it became, 51:28 but again he kind of took a different perspective 51:30 on the messages, it was fresh to me 51:33 but I just, these things I had never heard before 51:35 and I just realized like 51:38 there's so much stuff in the Bible 51:40 that no one's talking about and that people need to know. 51:43 And so I ended up in this awkward situation 51:45 that some of my friends who didn't believe 51:47 what I was coming to believe, 51:49 I didn't know how to communicate with them. 51:51 And so one of the things that helped me initially 51:53 was the sabbathtruth.com website, 51:56 the truthabouthell.com, 51:58 and the truth about death 51:59 and some of those resource websites 52:01 and Amazing Facts you put together, 52:03 they were just full of resources. 52:05 If I needed an answer to something 52:07 that someone brought up, there would be 95% chance 52:11 that Amazing Facts would have something that I could use. 52:13 It makes witnessing even easier in that sense. 52:16 The Amazing Facts prophecy study Bible 52:18 was my first real Bible that I had 52:21 of more trusted translation, 52:23 and the Bible study guides were in the back, everything, 52:25 they had lot of other resources that were helpful. 52:27 If you can hand a book to somebody 52:29 and you can pick up a phone and call Amazing Facts, 52:31 you have everything you need. 52:32 And so I was just printing off stuff 52:33 and handing it to people, you know, 52:35 like here's what I'm coming to realize, 52:36 this is true, it's in the Bible. 52:38 And was a huge blessing to me and a real help 52:41 just to kind of help me to better understand 52:44 what the message was 52:46 and understand it for myself and they have resources 52:48 to put in hands of other people. 52:49 It was invaluable. 52:50 Some time went by, then I went to school of evangelism 52:53 and was baptized. 52:55 And then I had this amazing opportunity 52:56 that after being in ministry for about five or six years, 53:00 Doug Batchelor was going to be 53:01 the main speaker at a youth event. 53:02 And I was actually going to be doing a seminar 53:04 at this youth event. 53:06 I mean, this is amazing kind of full circle experience 53:08 that the first person that I came in contact 53:10 with Adventism. 53:12 To hear the message, to have it make sense, 53:13 to be able to do ministry together with him 53:16 in whatever role possible just meant the world to me 53:19 and to be able to tell him my story and tell him thank you 53:22 was invaluable. 53:23 And so God just gave me a precious gift 53:26 in affording that opportunity and I'll never forget that. 53:28 My name is Dee. 53:30 Thank you for changing my life. 53:38 Let's face it, it's not always easy 53:40 to understand everything you read in the Bible. 53:43 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 53:46 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 53:49 To get biblical straightforward answers, 53:51 call into Bible Answers Live, 53:53 a live nationwide call-in radio program 53:56 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 53:58 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 54:01 For times and stations in your area 54:03 or to listen to answers online, visit Bal.AmazingFacts.org. 54:24 What can be more irresistible than a kitten? 54:27 These guys might look cute now but some of their ancestors 54:30 have grown into man-eaters. 54:36 We're here in a lion park in South Africa now, 54:38 where we can view these creatures in relative safety, 54:41 but there's a reason they're known as the king of beasts. 54:44 So what is it that people find 54:46 so enchanting and frightening about lions? 54:48 Is it their speed? Their claws? Their sharp teeth? 54:51 Or all of the above? 54:53 Might also be some of the stories 54:55 about man eating lions 54:56 like in 1898 right here in Africa, 54:59 they were building a bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya, 55:03 and two brother lions terrorized 55:05 the construction process, 55:07 eating 135 workers. 55:11 Did you know lions are mentioned in the Bible 55:13 over a hundred times 55:14 and you can find them all the way 55:16 from Genesis to Revelation. 55:18 It's usually in reference to their ferocity 55:20 and how dangerous they are. 55:22 Of course, Samson killed a lion with his bare hands. 55:24 David killed a lion. 55:26 There are man-eating lions in the Bible. 55:28 The way that they punish criminals 55:29 was by throwing them in the lion's den. 55:32 And early Christians were even fed to lions. 55:35 But amazingly as the Bible mentions 55:37 not all lions are to be feared. 55:39 There have been a few friendly lions in history. 55:42 For example, in the 1950s 55:45 a couple George and Margaret Westbeau 55:47 who lived up at a ranch near Seattle, Washington 55:50 adopted an abandoned lion cub. 55:53 They named it Little Tyke 'cause they felt sorry for it. 55:56 But they discovered as they tried to feed her, 55:59 she refused to eat any meat at all. 56:02 They were concerned thinking there was no hope 56:04 for this little lioness to survive 56:06 and everybody told them the same 56:07 because we know in the wild, 56:09 lions survive on almost entirely meat diet. 56:12 Then someone showed the Westbeaus 56:14 that verse in the Bible that talks about in heaven 56:17 the animals are vegetarians 56:19 and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 56:22 That encouraged them 56:23 and so they began to feed Little Tyke 56:26 a purely vegetarian diet. 56:28 Not only did she survive, 56:30 she thrived growing into a lion that was over 352 pounds 56:35 and over 10 feet long. 56:37 In fact, zoologist had examined Little Tyke 56:39 when she was full grown said they had never seen 56:41 such a perfect specimen of a lioness in their life. 56:45 A pure vegetarian. 56:47 You know, when we hear incredible stories 56:49 about that of little Tyke, 56:50 it reminds us that God's original plan 56:53 was to make a world of total peace. 56:55 It describes it here in the Bible in Isaiah 11:6, 56:59 "The wolf also will dwell with the lamb, 57:02 the leopard will lie down with the young goat, 57:04 the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, 57:07 and a little child will lead them. 57:09 Nothing is going to hurt and destroy 57:11 in the new heavens and the new earth 57:12 that God is going to create." 57:14 Wouldn't you like to live in a kingdom 57:15 where there's perfect peace, 57:17 where there is no more death or killing or pain. 57:20 God says that He wants you in that kingdom. 57:23 The Lamb of God made it possible 57:25 for you to have an encounter 57:27 with a lion of the tribe of Judah. 57:29 Wouldn't you like to meet him today? 57:38 Can't get enough Amazing Facts Bible Study, 57:41 you don't have to wait until next week 57:43 to enjoy more truth-filled programming, 57:45 visit the Amazing Facts media library at aftv.org. 57:50 At aftv.org 57:53 you can enjoy video and audio presentations 57:55 as well as printed material all free of charge, 57:59 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 58:01 right from your computer or mobile device. 58:04 Visit aftv.org. |
Revised 2018-10-01