Friday: Further Thought – Worship the Creator
Further Thought:
Read Ellen G. White, “Isaiah 58—A Divine Prescription”, pages 29-34, in Welfare Ministry; “Woes on the Pharisees”, pages 610-620, in The Desire of Ages.
“In urging the value of practical godliness, the prophet was only repeating the counsel given Israel centuries before … From age to age these counsels were repeated by the servants of Jehovah to those who were in danger of falling into habits of formalism and of forgetting to show mercy”. – Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pages 326, 327.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“I have been instructed to refer our people to the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. Read this chapter carefully and understand the kind of ministry that will bring life into the churches. The work of the gospel is to be carried by means of our liberality as well as by our labors. When you meet suffering souls who need help, give it to them. When you find those who are hungry, feed them. In doing this you will be working in lines of Christ’s ministry. The Master’s holy work was a benevolent work. Let our people everywhere be encouraged to have a part in it”. – Ellen G. White, Welfare Ministry, p. 29.
Discussion Questions:
|
Summary:
While the prophets were concerned about evil in the land, they were particularly focused on the evil committed by people who claimed and worshiped God as their own. For the prophets and for Jesus, worship is inconsistent with injustice, and such religion is hypocrisy. The real worship God is seeking includes working against oppression and caring for the poor and needy.
(19)
As Seventh-day Adventists, we have always been well known for our biblical defence of our doctrines and beliefs. Most of us could provide at least a modicum of texts to support Sabbath-keeping, tithe-paying, the investigative judgement, and the creativity of God. We enjoy the reputation we have of being "people of The Book". But knowledge and defence are only useful if it has a practical application in real life.
I have all the theory in my head about flying a plane. I know the functionality of the rudder and flaps. I can even five you equations for lift and drag. In fact I can sit in from of a computer and fly a simulator without crashing the pixels on the screen. But, I have never sat in the pilots seat and taken control of a plane in the air. Theoretical knowledge of flying is useful, but needs to be applied if we want to gain benefit from it.
So, after studying the lesson for this week, how does it affect us?
James had a bit to say about this:
Then he followed up with that text that has probably been in the back of our minds this whole quarter:
Its time to start our internship!
Created and recreated - Creation of God was marred by sin but God created enmity exists in each of us not to rest until his image is recreated in us.
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.” Blaise Pascal
Change - Change by God in us results in changed behavior Change in behavior resulted in change in treatment of others.
How have you changed in life? Can you see the changes in your life?
Worship - Core of the Great Controversy: satan forces worship. Son of God stands and knocks. One would bind us up in slavery the other frees us and longs for us to choose Him in your new found freedom. Worship is a choice only given by Christ. This day choose whom you will worship.
Oppression - As long as there is inequality among us there will be oppression of the people. It is only In Christ the inequality will meet equality when there is no supremacy the oppression will cease to exist.
Active - In their explanation of the relationship between worship and justice, there is another step urged by the prophets: an active concern for relieving the poor and oppressed and helping those in need is an important part of worship itself. How active is the life style of the believer in actively reliving the poor and helping those in need?
Faithfulness -
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer
And to guide
Strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord every morning new mercies I see and all I have needed Thy hands hath
provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
So faithful too me
Practical - In most of the professions there is didactic portion and there is a practical. It is to apply all that have been learned is put into practice.