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Sabbath Bible Lessons

ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP

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Lesson 4 Sabbath, October 27, 2012

The Faith of Abraham

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:21, 22).

“[By] drawing nigh to [the Lord], we receive the grace by which to do those works which will be rewarded at his hands.”—The Review and Herald, January 29, 1895.

Suggested Reading:   Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 145-155

Sunday October 21

1. SEPARATED BY FAITH

a. What are we to learn from God’s call to Abraham? Genesis 12:1–8; 15:1–7.

“Although his own father was vacillating between the true and the false worship, and with his knowledge of the truth false theories and idolatrous practices were mingled, Abraham kept free from this infatuation.”—The SDA Bible Commentary [E.G. White Comments], vol. 1, p. 1092.

“Many are still tested as was Abraham. They do not hear the voice of God speaking directly from the heavens, but He calls them by the teachings of His word and the events of His providence. They may be required to abandon a career that promises wealth and honor, to leave congenial and profitable associations, and separate from kindred, to enter upon what appears to be only a path of self-denial, hardship, and sacrifice. God has a work for them to do; but a life of ease and the influence of friends and kindred would hinder the development of the very traits essential for its accomplishment. He calls them away from human influences and aid, and leads them to feel the need of His help, and to depend upon Him alone, that He may reveal Himself to them. Who is ready at the call of Providence to renounce cherished plans and familiar associations? Who will accept new duties and enter untried fields, doing God’s work with firm and willing heart, for Christ’s sake counting his losses gain?”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 126, 127.


Monday October 22

2. THE EXAMPLE OF A PRAYERFUL LIFE

a. What does Abraham’s relationship with God reveal? Genesis 12:7, 8; 13:4, 18.

“Abraham, ‘the friend of God,’ set us a worthy example. His was a life of prayer. Wherever he pitched his tent, close beside it was set up his altar, calling all within his encampment to the morning and evening sacrifice. When his tent was removed, the altar remained.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 128.

b. How can we be inspired by what God said of Abraham? Genesis 17:1–5; 18:17, 18.

“Not until parents themselves walk in the law of the Lord with perfect hearts will they be prepared to command their children after them. A reformation in this respect is needed—a reformation which shall be deep and broad. Parents need to reform; ministers need to reform; they need God in their households. If they would see a different state of things, they must bring His word into their families and must make it their counselor. They must teach their children that it is the voice of God addressed to them, and is to be implicitly obeyed. They should patiently instruct their children, kindly and untiringly teach them how to live in order to please God. The children of such a household are prepared to meet the sophistries of infidelity. They have accepted the Bible as the basis of their faith, and they have a foundation that cannot be swept away by the incoming tide of skepticism.

“In too many households prayer is neglected. Parents feel that they have no time for morning and evening worship. They cannot spare a few moments to be spent in thanksgiving to God for His abundant mercies—for the blessed sunshine and the showers of rain, which cause vegetation to flourish, and for the guardianship of holy angels. They have no time to offer prayer for divine help and guidance and for the abiding presence of Jesus in the household. . . .

“Like the patriarchs of old, those who profess to love God should erect an altar to the Lord wherever they pitch their tent. If ever there was a time when every house should be a house of prayer, it is now. Fathers and mothers should often lift up their hearts to God in humble supplication for themselves and their children. Let the father, as priest of the household, lay upon the altar of God the morning and evening sacrifice, while the wife and children unite in prayer and praise. In such a household Jesus will love to tarry.”—Ibid., pp. 143, 144.


Tuesday October 23

3. COMMANDING HIS HOUSEHOLD AFTER HIM

a. What do heads of today’s families need to learn from the confidence God could place in Abraham? Genesis 18:19.

“On the part of too many parents there is a blind and selfish sentimentalism, miscalled love, which is manifested in leaving children, with their unformed judgment and undisciplined passions, to the control of their own will. This is the veriest cruelty to the youth and a great wrong to the world. Parental indulgence causes disorder in families and in society. It confirms in the young the desire to follow inclination, instead of submitting to the divine requirements. Thus they grow up with a heart averse to doing God’s will, and they transmit their irreligious, insubordinate spirit to their children and children’s children. Like Abraham, parents should command their households after them. Let obedience to parental authority be taught and enforced as the first step in obedience to the authority of God.

“The light esteem in which the law of God is held, even by religious leaders, has been productive of great evil. . . . Religious parents, failing to walk in His statutes, do not command their household to keep the way of the Lord. The law of God is not made the rule of life. The children, as they make homes of their own, feel under no obligation to teach their children what they themselves have never been taught. And this is why there are so many godless families; this is why depravity is so deep and widespread.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 142, 143.

“The mother should not allow her child to gain an advantage over her in a single instance. And, in order to maintain this authority, it is not necessary to resort to harsh measures; a firm, steady hand and a kindness which convinces the child of your love will accomplish the purpose.”—Child Guidance, p. 83.

“When it is necessary for parents to give a direct command, the penalty of disobedience should be as unvarying as are the laws of nature. Children who are under this firm, decisive rule know that when a thing is forbidden or denied, no teasing or artifice will secure their object. Hence they soon learn to submit and are much happier in so doing. The children of undecided and overindulgent parents have a constant hope that coaxing, crying, or sullenness may gain their object, or that they may venture to disobey without suffering the penalty. Thus they are kept in a state of desire, hope, and uncertainty, which makes them restless, irritable, and insubordinate. God holds such parents guilty of wrecking the happiness of their children.”—Ibid., p. 284.


Wednesday October 24

4. INTERCEDING FOR THE EVILDOERS

a. What history does reveal Abraham’s great love and mercy toward others—and how should his attitude be a lesson for us? Genesis 18:20–33.

“[Abraham], the man of faith pleaded for the inhabitants of Sodom. . . .

“There was no self-confidence, no boasting of his own righteousness. He did not claim favor on the ground of his obedience, or of the sacrifices he had made in doing God’s will. Himself a sinner, he pleaded in the sinner’s behalf. Such a spirit all who approach God should possess. Yet Abraham manifested the confidence of a child pleading with a loved father. He came close to the heavenly Messenger and fervently urged his petition. Though Lot had become a dweller in Sodom, he did not partake in the iniquity of its inhabitants. Abraham thought that in that populous city there must be other worshipers of the true God. . . . Abraham asked not once merely, but many times. Waxing bolder as his requests were granted, he continued until he gained the assurance that if even ten righteous persons could be found in it, the city would be spared.

“Love for perishing souls inspired Abraham’s prayer. While he loathed the sins of that corrupt city, he desired that the sinners might be saved. His deep interest for Sodom shows the anxiety that we should feel for the impenitent. We should cherish hatred of sin, but pity and love for the sinner. All around us are souls going down to ruin as hopeless, as terrible, as that which befell Sodom. Every day the probation of some is closing. Every hour some are passing beyond the reach of mercy. And where are the voices of warning and entreaty to bid the sinner flee from this fearful doom? Where are the hands stretched out to draw him back from death? Where are those who with humility and persevering faith are pleading with God for him?”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 139, 140.

b. What are we to learn from Abraham’s greatest test? Genesis 22:1, 2, 7–18.

“In the example of Abraham we are taught that nothing we possess is [too] precious to give to God. . . .

“No trial, no suffering or test, could be brought to bear upon Abraham, which would cause such mental anguish, such torture of soul, as that of obeying God in offering up his son.”—The Signs of the Times, April 1, 1875.


Thursday October 25

5. THE LEGACY OF ABRAHAM

a. What attitude revealed in Abraham’s relationship with God is especially important for us to keep in mind today? Hebrews 11:8–10; Colossians 3:1–3.

“The attraction should not be to this poor, dark world, but upward to God, to glory, and to Heaven. [We] should not let the care and perplexity of farms here engross the mind, but contemplate Abraham’s farm. We are heirs to that immortal inheritance, and should wean the affections from earth, and dwell upon heavenly things.”—Life Sketches (1888), p. 329.

b. Explain the essence of Abraham’s faith. James 2:18–24; 1 John 5:3.

“We need the faith of Abraham in our day, to lighten the darkness that gathers around us, shutting out the sweet sunlight of God’s love, and dwarfing spiritual growth. Our faith should be prolific of good works; for faith without works is dead.”—The Faith I Live By, p. 115.

c. Why is the study of Abraham’s experience so important for us today? Romans 4:1–3, 13; Galatians 3:8, 9, 29.

“In order to serve [God] aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 189.


Friday October 26

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Following God, why is separation from familiar associates often needed?

2. Name one basic prerequisite to a successful Christian family life.

3. How can today’s parents be strengthened by Abraham’s example?

4. Describe the heart yearning we should feel for the wicked of today.

5. Summarize the significance of Abraham’s timeless example to the faithful.

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