07 ORIGINS Small Group Bible Study

7/29/2019 07 ORIGINS Small Group Bible Study

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Through a Glass, Darkly

Lesson Seven

ORIGINS: Small Group Bible Study

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it

is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

(1 Corinthians 3:19 KJV)


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Photo credits: Hannah GoldsteinOn this earth we can see only a hazy picture of the glory that is

to come.


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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...For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it

is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

(1 Corinthians 3:19 KJV)

Scripture Passages...Genesis 2:2-3; 3:4-7; 3:15; Exodus 20:8-11;

Psalms 8; 19; 24:1; 50:10; 119:105; Isaiah 43:1; 45:17-25;

Jeremiah 29:12; Matthew 10:29; Mark 2:27; John 12:31-32;

1 Corinthians 3:19; 10:12-13; 13:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5;

Ephesians 2:1-2, 10; 6:12; Hebrews 4:8-11

Todays World...Read Psalms 8:3-9.

Do you see how the cleverly camouflaged lizard crawled

out of the primordial ooze or that the efficiency of fungi

cleaning the forest floor was anything but planned?

Through a Glass, Darkly

Sharing Studying Praying Witnessing


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Evolutionists base their theories on the concept that

nature evolved out of the instinct for survivalthe dog-

eat-dog world. But what about the things in this world

whose only function is beauty? Or what about thethoughts and actions that cannot possibly stem from

competitive survival, such as human kindness?

Theologian William Paley authored Natural Theology in

1802, in which he wrote about how animals exhibit the

care and skill of the Creator. Despite his failing to

recognize the effects that the Fall has on nature, his thesis

has never been refuted, despite numerous claims to thecontrary.

Charles Darwin argued that a God who designed every

feature of nature would not be good. As evidence, he

referred to a parasite that feeds within the living bodies of

caterpillars and the cruel way in which a cat will play with

a mouse.

Read Genesis 3:4-7, Adam and Eve made a costly mistake

in their choice. Sin has infected our world much like that

parasite Darwin refers to. Yes, there are some beautiful

things in this world much like what Paley refers to, but

because has sin entered this world we can see its

corrupting effect on this planet not just in nature but in

mankind, look at the wars, the diseases, the poverty, and

hunger.

No matter what weve done, we are not forsaken. We are

worth redeeming. God seeks for us, not to condemn us,

but to heal and restore us.


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Lesson Impact...Briefly share what points stood out for you in the lesson or

how the lesson study has influenced you.

The World Around Us...Prayerfully read Isaiah 43:1; Psalm 24:1; and, 50:10.

Share what God is saying to you?

As you carefully read Genesis 3:15; John 12:31-32; and,Ephesians 2:1-2, what links can you see?

What in nature strikes you most as glorifying God? How

have you seen Gods hand in creation this week?

Do you see the continued destruction of the earth as a

sign of Christs soon return? Why or why not?

As you read Psalms 8 and 19 contemplate the message

contained in these passages.

In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of

creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid

the foundations of the earth. . . . It was He that filled the

earth with beauty, and the air with song. And upon allthings in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote the message of

the Fathers love. Now sin has marred Gods perfect work,

yet that handwriting remains. Even now all created things

declare the glory of His excellence. . . . There is no leaf of

the forest, or lowly blade of grass, but has its ministry.

Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of

life without which neither man nor animal could live; and

man and animal, in turn, minister to the life of tree and


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shrub and leaf.Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages, p.20.

Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and

of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of

nature. Think of their marvellous adaptation to the needs

and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures.

The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the

earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the

Creators love. . . .

Even amid the suffering that results from sin, Gods love isrevealed. . . . The thorn and the thistlethe difficulties and

trials that make [a humans] life one of toil and carewere

appointed for [mans] good as a part of the training

needful in Gods plan for his uplifting from the ruin and

degradation that sin has wrought. The world, though

fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature itself are

messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon

the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses. God is

love is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire

of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal

with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in

their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the

forest with their rich foliage of living greenall testify to

the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to

make His children happy.Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p.9-10.

Dark Glass...Read 1 Corinthians 13:12.

If we let Christ clean the glass daily, we can be strengthen,

and encouraged to uplift other who are trying to see


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through dark glass.

Heres three steps in letting God clear a view through the

darkness

STEP 1:JEREMIAH 29:12

Acknowledge your own poor sight.One thing we know

for sure: when we actively seek God, He will not hide from

us. When we are looking to grow in His wisdom, we will

see His wisdom everywhere.

STEP 2:EPHESIANS 6:12; 2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5

Decide what you will look for.Will it be darkness or light?

Deciding to look for what is positive and realizing that the

difficulties are not ours to conquer is crucial to this step. If

we think we are able to advance in life through self-

discipline, we must think again for our struggle is not

against flesh and blood.

STEP 3:EPHESIANS 2:10; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:12-13;

MATTHEW 10:29; PSALM 119:105

Beware of self-confidence.Self-confidence is imperative

for personal growth; but what is faith if it is not letting go

of what we are sure of? It is when we are most sure of

certain strengths in our daily walk that we begin to regard

them as infallible. This is when Satan blackens the glasswith temptations in areas we thought we had conquered.

This is when we become unable to see beyond the

darkness and where recognition of and faith in Christs all-

knowing and creative power must step in. God knows

when the sparrow falls and He knows when you fall

because youre trapped in darkness.

Read reflectively Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11;


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Hebrews 4:8-11; and, Mark 2:27.

What does it mean to keep the Sabbath from Gods point

of view?

The Challenge...Memorise Isaiah 43:1 and 45:17-25.

Shatter a glass object. Think about how many pieces there

are and calculate the probability that that object can be

restored. Now, think about how much God must love youto undertake such a formidable task as restoring your

shattered life.

Recommended Reading...The Creation, Chapter 2, Patriarchs & Prophets,

Ellen G. White.

https://egwwritings.org/

Natural Theology, William Paley.

http://archive.org/details/naturaltheology00pale

Break into twos or threes and pray forone anothers needs, as well as for your

friends and family...
https://egwwritings.org/http://archive.org/details/naturaltheology00palehttp://archive.org/details/naturaltheology00palehttps://egwwritings.org/


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LESSONS ON FAITHLESSON#7: ABRAHAM, FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL

(PART 1)(Living by Faith)

Living by Faith


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The knowledge of what the Scripture means when urging upon

us the necessity of cultivating faith is more important than any

other knowledge that can be obtained.

Faith is the expecting the word of God to do the thing whichthat word speaks and the depending upon the word only to

accomplish the thing which that word speaks.

Abraham is the father of all them which be of faith. The record of

Abraham, then, gives instruction in faith--what it is and what it

does for him who has it. What shall we say, then, that Abraham

our father, as pertaining to the faith, has found? What saith theScripture? When Abram was more than eighty years old and

Sarai his wife was old and he had no child, God "brought him

forth abroad and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the

stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So

shall thy seed be." And Abram "believed in the Lord; and he

counted it to him for righteousness." Gen. 15:5,6.

Abram accepted the word of God and expected by the wordwhat the word said. And in that he was right. Sarai, however, did

not put her expectation upon the word of God only. She

resorted to a device of her own to bring forth seed. She said to

him, "The Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go

in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her."

Gen. 16:2. Abram, for the moment, swerved from the perfect

integrity of faith. Instead of holding fast his expectation anddependence upon the word of God only, he "harkened to the

LESSONS ON FAITHLESSON #7: ABRAHAM, FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL(PART 1)

(Living by Faith)


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voice of Sarai." Accordingly, a child was born, but the whole

matter proved to be so unsatisfactory to Sarai that she

repudiated her own arrangement. And God showed His

repudiation of it by totally ignoring the fact that any child hadbeen born. He changed Abram's name to Abraham and

continued to talk about making him the father of nations

through the seed promised and of making his covenant with

Abraham and the seed that was promised. He also changed

Sarai's name to Sarah, because she should "be a mother of

nations" through the promised seed.

Abraham noticed this total ignoring of the child that had beenborn and called the Lord's attention to it, saying, "O, that Ishmael

might live before thee!" But "God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear

thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will

establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and

with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee:

behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will

multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and Iwill make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish

with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in

the next year." Gen. 17:15-21. By all this both Abram and Sarai

were taught that, in carrying out the promise, the fulfilling of the

word of God, nothing would answer but dependence upon that

word only. Sarai learned that her device brought only trouble

and perplexity and delayed the fulfilment of the promise. Abram

learned that in harkening to the voice of Sarai, he had missed

the word of God, and that now he must abandon that whole

scheme and turn again to the word of God only. But now

Abraham was ninety-nine years old and Sarah was eighty- nine.

And, if anything, this seemed to put farther off than ever the

fulfilment of the word and called for a deeper dependence upon

the word of God--a greater faith than before.


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It was perfectly plain that now there was no possibility of

dependence upon anything whatever, but the naked word only;

they were shut up absolutely to this for the accomplishment of

what the word said. All works, devices, plans, and efforts of theirown were excluded, and they were shut up to faith alone--shut

up to the word alone and to absolute dependence upon that

word only for the accomplishment of what that word said.

And now that the way was clear for "the word only" to work, that

word did work, effectually, and the promised "seed" was born.

And so "through faith," through helpless, total dependence upon

the word only--"Sarah herself received strength to conceive seedand was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she

judged him faithful who had promised." And "therefore sprang

there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars

of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore

innumerable." Heb. 11:12. And thus was fulfilled the word

spoken to Abram, when God "brought him forth abroad, and

said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be ableto number them. . . . So shall thy seed be."

This is a divine lesson in faith. And this is what the Scripture

means when urging upon us the necessity of cultivating faith.

For this was imputed to Abraham for righteousness, even the

righteousness of God, which is by faith. Yet "it was not written for

his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to

whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up

Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our

offenses and was raised again for our justification." Rom. 4:23-25.

And all "they which be of faith are blessed with faithful

Abraham." All they who, excluding--yea, repudiating--all works,

plans, devices, and efforts, of their own, depend in utter

helplessness upon the word of God only to accomplish what

that word saysthese are they which be of faith and are blessed


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with faithful Abraham with the righteousness of God.

O, "understanding how to exercise faith: this is the science of the

gospel"! And the science of the gospel is the science of sciences.Who would not strain every nerve to understand it?

First published in the Review & Herald, Jan. 24, 1899By A. T. Jones & E. J. Waggoner

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