Post on 04-Apr-2018
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The Creation: Completed
Lesson Three
ORIGINS: Small Group Bible Study
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had
made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work
which he had made.(Genesis 2:2 KJV)
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Photo credits: Hannah GoldsteinSabbath is the seventh day. God intended for us to remember
the Sabbath and to observe it.
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Intro...1.Welcome God's presence.
2.Share theBESTandWORSTthing that happened to you
this week.
If a need for prayer is expressed take time to pray for that
individual and need on the spot.
Key text...And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had
made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work
which he had made.(Genesis 2:2 KJV)
Scripture Passages...Genesis 1; 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:17;
Psalm 8:5; 37:4; 51:10; 139:14; Isaiah 42:5-7;
Galatians 5:13-26; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrew 2:7;
Revelation 14:6-7.
Todays World...Read Colossians 1:16-17.
International law recognizes such products of human
minds as intellectual property. As such, they become the
exclusive rights of inventors, scientists, artists, and other
The Creation: Completed
Sharing Studying Praying Witnessing
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gifted individuals. Intellectual property consists of, but is
not limited to, copyright (for literary, musical, dramatic,
and artistic works), trademark and service mark (for
distinguishing the goods and services of an enterprise),and patent (for industrially applicable inventions). The
underlying similarity of these intellectual property rights is
for society to properly recognize and attribute to the
creators their intellectual creativity and consequently
reward them for their talents.
Creation is entirely Gods intellectual property. Satan
infringes upon and counterfeits Gods intellectualproperty through the concept of evolution.
Lesson Impact...Briefly share what points stood out for you in the lesson or
how the lesson study has influenced you.
Reflection Time...What is God saying to you, as you read carefully Genesis
1:26-27 and Psalm 139:14?
In all of Gods creation, it is only Adam and Eve who are
said to be created in the image of God (verse 26). This is
the most powerful expression of the dignity and theuniqueness of the human being.John M. Fowler, Sin, in Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology (Hagerstown,
Md.: Review & Herald, 2000), p. 235.
We are a portrait achieved by His creative design.Aecio E. Cairus, The Doctrine of Man, in Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist
Theology (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald, 2000), p. 207.
Why is being made in the image of God important to your
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dignity?
The Literal Days of Creation & Re-
Creation of Character...Read and examine analytically Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.
Some believe that the earth evolved or was created over
long periods of time, however, it is clear from biblical
evidence that God made heavens and the earth in six
literal days. The clearest proof of this is in the usage of theHebrew wordyom(day). You will notice that each day of
the creation account is singular in its form and appears
with the phrase evening-morning to denote that each
creation day is a 24-hour period.
Now prayerfully read Psalm 51:10.
What links do you make between the time taken for Godto create the heavens and the earth, and the time it will
take for God re-create in youre a new character (as per
Psalm 51:10)?
What assurance do you get from the six literal days of
creation and Psalm 51:10?
It is Finished, So Whats the Link...As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was
exceedingly beautiful. Its surface was diversified with
mountains, hills, and plains, interspersed with noble rivers
and lovely lakes; but the hills and mountains were not
abrupt and rugged, abounding in terrific steeps and
frightful chasms, as they now do; the sharp, ragged edges
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of earths rocky framework were buried beneath the
fruitful soil, which everywhere produced a luxuriant
growth of verdure. There were no loathsome swamps or
barren deserts. Graceful shrubs and delicate flowersgreeted the eye at every turn The creation was now
complete. The heavens and the earth were finished, and
all the host of them. And God saw everything that he had
made, and, behold, it was very good. Eden bloomed on
earth. Adam and Eve had free access to the tree of life. No
taint of sin or shadow of death marred the fair creation.
The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God
shouted for joy. Job 38:7.Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 44, 47.
The Sabbath was not made to be a burden to man. It was
to do him good, to give him peace and rest. Therefore our
Lord said, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27.Ellen G. White, The Story of Jesus, p. 69.
Now carefully assess Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:17;
and, Psalm 37:4.
The Sabbath is the apex of the six days of Creationa day
commemorating the creative acts of God. The Sabbath
commandment is not centred on Creation itself, but rather
on the Creator. This is made clear in Genesis 2:2 andcomplemented by Exodus 20:11. The Sabbath, therefore,
signals the completion of Creation. It is not just a
memorial of Creation but of the Creator who is worthy of
our worship and praise.
Whats the link between the Sabbath, Creation, and the re-
creation of your character (Psalm 51:10)?
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Stop, Think & Link...Contemplate the acts of God in creating Adam and Eve
and then carefully read Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7, 18, 21-23;
Psalm 8:5; and, Hebrew 2:7.
Now prayerfully read Galatians 5:13-26 and think about
the acts of God in re-creating your character to be one
that reflects His image.
Creation & You...When was the last time you paused to let God calm yoursoul?
Connect...Carefully read Isaiah 42:5-7 and Revelation 14:6-7.
Prayerfully ask God to show you the connection and howto experience it.
Scientific Reason...Find the scientific reason for the following periods of time:
a day; a week; a month; a year; spring; summer; winter;
autumn.
Recommended Reading... Chapter 9, The Literal Week, Patriarchs & Prophets,
Ellen G. White.
https://egwwritings.org/
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Break into twos or threes and pray for
one anothers needs, as well as for your
friends and family...
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LESSONS ON FAITHLESSON #3: THE GENESIS OF FAITH
(Living by Faith)
Living by Faith
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Faith is the expecting the word of God to do what it says and the
depending upon that word to do what it says. As that is faith and
as faith comes by the word of God, it is plain that the word of
God, in order to inculcate faith, must teach that the word has in
itself power to accomplish what itself says. And such is precisely
the truth of the matter: the word of God does teach just this andnothing else, so that it is truly "the faithful word" -- the word full
of faith.
The greater part of the very first chapter of the Bible is
instruction in faith. That chapter has in itself no fewer than six
distinct statements that definitely inculcate faith; with the
essential connective of the first verse, there are seven. Theinculcation of faith is the teaching that the word of God itself
accomplishes the thing which is spoken in that word.
Read, then, the first verse of the Bible. "In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth." How did He create them? "By
the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of
them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was."
Ps. 33:6-9. Before He spoke, it was not; after He spoke, "it was."Only by speaking, it was. What caused it to be? The word only.
But darkness was upon all the face of the deep. God wished light
to be there, but how could there be light when all was darkness?
Again He spoke. "And God said, Let there be light; and there was
light." Whence came the light? The word which was spoken, itself
produced the light. "The entrance of thy words giveth light."
LESSONS ON FAITHLESSON #3: THE GENESIS OF FAITH
(Living by Faith)
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Ps. 119:130.
There was no firmament, atmosphere. God wished that there
should be a firmament. How could it be produced? "God said,Let there be a firmament . . . and it was so." Another translation
for "it was so" is, "And thus it came to pass." What caused the
firmament to be? What caused this thus to come to pass? The
word only. He spoke, and it was so. The word spoken, itself
caused the thing to exist.
God next desired that there should be dry land. How could this
be? Again He spoke. "God said, Let the waters under the heavenbe gathered together unto one place and let the dry land
appear; and it was so."
Then there was no vegetation. Whence should this come? Again
God spoke. "And God said, let the earth bring forth grass, the
herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself, upon the earth, and it was so."
Again He spoke. "And God said, let there be lights in the
firmament of heaven . . . and it was so."
Again He spoke. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the
living creature . . . and it was so."
Thus it was that "by the word of the Lord" all things were
created. He spoke the word only, and it was so. The word spoken,
itself produced the thing. Thus it was in creation. And thus it was
in redemption. He healed the sick; He cast out devils; He stilled
the tempest; He cleansed the lepers; He raised the dead; He
forgave sins -- all by His word. In all this, also, "He spake and it
was."
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And so He is the same yesterday and today and forever. Always
He is the Creator. And always He does all things by His word only.
And always He can do all things by His word, because it is the
very characteristic of the word of God that it is possessed of thedivine power by which itself accomplishes the thing which is
spoken. This is why it is that faith is the knowing that in the word
of God there is this power, the expecting the word itself to do
the thing spoken and the depending upon that word itself to do
that which the word speaks.
The teaching of faith is the teaching that such is the nature of
the word of God; the teaching of people to exercise faith is theteaching them to expect the word of God to do what it says and
to depend upon it to do the thing which is by it spoken; the
cultivating of faith is by practice to cause to grow confidence in
the power of the word of God itself to do what in that word is
said and dependence upon that word itself to accomplish what
the word says. And "the knowledge of what the Scripture means
when urging upon us the necessity of cultivating faith is moreessential than any other knowledge that can be acquired."
Are you cultivating faith?
First published in the Review & Herald, Dec. 27, 1898By A. T. Jones & E. J. Waggoner