LESSON 12 *March 18–24
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Heb. 11:6, Isa. 62:11, Rom.
6:23, John 14:1–3, Revelation 21, Matt. 25:20–23, Rom. 8:16–18.
Memory Text: “ ‘His lord said to him, “Well done, good and
faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you
ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” ’ ” (Matthew
25:21, NKJV).
Though we can never earn salvation, the Bible uses the hope of
reward as a motivation for faithful living as undeserving recipients
of God’s grace, for in the end whatever we receive is, always and
only, from God’s grace.
As David wrote: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of
the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is
pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be
desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than
honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and
in keeping them there is great reward” (Ps. 19:7–11, NKJV).
In various places, the Bible talks about our rewards, what we are
promised through Christ after the Second Coming and this terrible detour
with sin is once and for all over and done.
What are we promised, and what assurance do we have of getting what
we have been promised?
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 25.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, March 18
Lesson 12 - Rewards of Faithfulness
Do all church members realize that all they have is given them to be
used and improved to God’s glory? God keeps a faithful account with
every human being in our world. And when the day of reckoning comes,
the faithful steward takes no credit to himself. He does not say, “My
pound;” but, “Thy pound hath gained” other pounds. He knows that
without the entrusted gift no increase could have been made. He feels that
in faithfully discharging his stewardship he has but done his duty. The
capital was the Lord’s, and by His power he was enabled to trade upon it
successfully. His name only should be glorified. Without the entrusted
capital he knows that he would have been bankrupt for eternity.
The approval of the Lord is received almost with surprise, it is so
unexpected. But Christ says to him, “Well done, thou good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord.”—Counsels on Stewardship,
pp. 111, 112.
Fellow pilgrim, we are still amid the shadows and turmoil of earthly
activities; but soon our Saviour is to appear to bring deliverance and rest.
Let us by faith behold the blessed hereafter as pictured by the hand of
God. He who died for the sins of the world is opening wide the gates of
Paradise to all who believe on Him. Soon the battle will have been fought,
the victory won. Soon we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life
are centered. And in His presence the trials and sufferings of this life will
seem as nothingness.
The former things “shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense
of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will
of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that
shall come will come, and will not tarry.” “Israel shall be saved . . . with an
everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world
without end.” Isaiah 65:17; Hebrews 10:35-37; Isaiah
45:17.—Prophets and Kings, p. 731.
Your faith in Jesus will give strength to every purpose, consistency to
the character. All your happiness, peace, joy, and success in this life are
dependent upon genuine, trusting faith in God. This faith will prompt true
obedience to the commandments of God. Your knowledge and faith in God
is the strongest restraint from every evil practice, and the motive to all
good. Believe in Jesus as one who pardons your sins, one who wants you
to be happy in the mansions He has gone to prepare for you. He wants
you to live in His presence; to have eternal life and a crown of glory.
In keeping God’s commandments there is great reward, even in this
life. Our conscience does not condemn us. Our hearts are not at enmity
with God, but at peace with
Him.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 45.
SUNDAY March 19
Reward for Faithfulness
Read Hebrews 11:6. What should this verse mean to us? How should
we respond to what it says? Also read Revelation 22:12, Isaiah 40:10,
and Isaiah 62:11. What do all these texts teach us?
* Your notes will not be saved!
The reward from God to His faithful children is unique and, like many
spiritual things, may be beyond our finite understanding. “Human language
is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only
to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the
Paradise of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 674.
Jesus concluded the Beatitudes, which open the Sermon on the Mount,
with these words: “ ‘Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,
and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you’ ” (Matt. 5:11, 12, NKJV). After listing
the people of faith in Hebrews 11, Paul begins the next chapter explaining
why Jesus was willing to die on the cross.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that
was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1, 2, NKJV).
Being rewarded for faithfulness, however, is not the same as salvation
by works. Who among us, or among any of the characters in the Bible, had
works good enough to give them any merit before God? None, of course.
That’s the whole point of the cross. If we could have saved ourselves by
works, Jesus never would have gone to the cross. Instead, it must be by
grace. “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no
longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is
no longer work” (Rom. 11:6, NKJV). Rewards, instead, are the mere
outworking of what God has done for us and in us.
How do we understand the difference between salvation by grace and
a reward according to works? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, March 19
Reward for Faithfulness
There is no encouragement given for unbelief. The Lord manifests His
grace and His power over and over again, and this should teach us that it
is always profitable under all circumstances to cherish faith, to talk faith,
to act faith. We are not to have our hearts and hands weakened by
allowing the suggestions of suspicious minds to plant in our hearts the
seeds of doubt and distrust.
The Lord works in cooperation with the will and action of the human
agent. It is the privilege and duty of every man to take God at His word, to
believe in Jesus as his personal Saviour, and to respond eagerly,
immediately, to the gracious propositions which He makes. He is to study
to believe and obey the divine instruction in the Scriptures. He is to base
his faith not on feeling but upon the evidence and the Word of God.—Ellen
G. White Comments, in
The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 928.
Look up, look up, and let your faith continually increase. Let this faith
guide you along the narrow path that leads through the gates of the city
into the great beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for the
redeemed. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and
hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye
also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth
nigh.” James 5:7, 8.
The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of
heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of
praise and thanksgiving. Over the scene the morning stars will sing
together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will
unite in proclaiming. “There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be
any more
death.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 732.
Jesus is soon coming, and our position should be that of waiting and
watching for His appearing. We should not allow anything to come in
between us and Jesus. We must learn here to sing the song of heaven, so
that when our warfare is over we can join in the song of the heavenly
angels in the city of God. What is that song? It is praise, and honor, and
glory unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever
and ever. We shall meet opposition; we shall be hated of all men for
Christ’s sake, and by Satan, because he knows that there is with the
followers of Christ a divine power, which will undermine his influence.
We cannot escape reproach.
We should not allow our time to be so occupied with things of a
temporal nature, or even with matters pertaining to the cause of God, that
we shall pass on day after day without pressing close to the bleeding side
of Jesus. We want to commune with Him daily. We are exhorted to fight
the good fight of faith. It will be a hard battle to maintain a life of earnest
faith; but if we cast ourselves wholly upon Christ, with a settled
determination to cleave only to Him, we shall be able to repulse the
enemy, and gain a glorious
victory.—Lift Him Up, p. 372.
MONDAY March 20
Everlasting Life
As human beings (and whether we like it or not), an eternity awaits us.
And according to the Bible, this eternity will come in one of two
manifestations, at least for each of us individually: either eternal life or
eternal death. That’s it. No middle ground. No straddling, a bit of one side
or another. Instead, it is one (life) or the other (death). This truly is a case of
all or nothing.
Read Romans 6:23 and John 3:16. What options are presented to us?
It is hard to imagine two starker or more distinct choices, isn’t it?
Chances are that if you are reading this, you have chosen eternal life, or
certainly are thinking about it. God has the unique ability to do whatever He
says He can do—to fulfill all His promises. Our part is simply to believe
Him, rest upon the merits of Jesus, and by faith obey His Word.
Read John 14:1–3. What is the Lord’s counsel to us in verse 1, and
what does He promise to us in verses 2 and 3?
In the final days of His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke these amazing
words of hope and courage to His disciples. These words would lift their
spirits in times of discouragement and trial. They should do the same for us.
Jesus came from heaven, went back to heaven, and has promised us, “I will
come again and I will receive you unto Myself so you can be with Me
there” (see John 14:3).
And, perhaps more than anything else, Christ’s death on the cross at His
first coming is our greatest assurance of His second coming, for without the
Second Coming, what good was His first one? As sure as we are that Jesus
died for us on the cross is as sure as we can be that, yes, as He promised:
“ ‘I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you
may be also’ ” (John 14:3, NKJV).
Dwell more on the idea that Christ’s first coming is the guarantee of
His second. What happened at His first coming that makes His
second a promise that we can trust?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, March 20
Everlasting Life
Let nothing lessen the force of the truth for this time. The present truth
is to be our burden. The third angel’s message must do its work of
separating from the churches a people who will take their stand on the
platform of eternal truth.
Our message is a life-and-death message, and we must let it appear as it
is, the great power of God. We are to present it in all its telling force. Then
the Lord will make it effectual. It is our privilege to expect large things,
even the demonstration of the Spirit of God. This is the power that will
convict and convert the
soul.—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 6, p. 61.
As Christ’s earthly ministry drew to a close, and He realized that He
must soon leave His disciples to carry on the work without His personal
supervision, He sought to encourage them and to prepare them for the
future. He did not deceive them with false hopes. As an open book He
read what was to be. He knew He was about to be separated from them, to
leave them as sheep among wolves. He knew that they would suffer
persecution, that they would be cast out of the synagogues, and would be
thrown into prison. He knew that for witnessing to Him as the Messiah,
some of them would suffer death. And something of this He told them. In
speaking of their future, He was plain and definite, that in their coming
trial they might remember His words and be strengthened to believe in
Him as the Redeemer.
He spoke to them also words of hope and courage. “Let not your heart
be troubled,” He said; “ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My
Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”
John 14:1-4. For your sake I came into the world; for you I have been
working. When I go away I shall still work earnestly for you. I came to the
world to reveal Myself to you, that you might believe. I go to My Father
and yours to co-operate with Him in your
behalf.—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 21.
The leaders in Israel professed to understand the prophecies, but they
had received false ideas in regard to the manner of Christ’s coming. Satan
had deceived them; and all the glories of Christ’s second advent they
applied to His first appearing. All the wonderful events clustering around
His second coming, they looked for at His first. Therefore, when He came,
they were not prepared to receive Him.
Between the first and the second advent of Christ a wonderful contrast
will be seen. No human language can portray the scenes of the second
coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. He is to come with His
own glory, and with the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. He will
come clad in the robe of light, which He has worn from the days of
eternity.—Lift Him Up, p. 373.
TUESDAY March 21
The New Jerusalem
The biblical description of the New Jerusalem is what Abraham saw by
faith. “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). The New Jerusalem is God’s masterpiece, built
for those who love Him and keep His commandments. The New Jerusalem
will be the home of God’s faithful children in heaven during the millennium
and, afterward, on the new earth for eternity. There is good news for those
of us who don’t like packing or moving. God takes care of everything. John
says he saw the city. “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband” (Rev. 21:2, NKJV).
Read Revelation 21. What are some of the things that we are
promised?
There’s so much here that our minds can barely comprehend, damaged
as they are by sin, and knowing only a fallen sin-racked world. But what we
can understand is so full of hope.
First, just as Jesus dwelt with us in this fallen world when He came in
the flesh, He will dwell with us in the new one. What a privilege it must
have been for those who saw Jesus up close and personal! We will have that
opportunity, only now without the veil of sin distorting what we see.
Then, too, how do we who know only tears and sorrow and crying and
pain understand one of the greatest promises in all the Bible: “ ‘And God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor
sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away’ ” (Rev. 21:4, NKJV)? All those “former things” will have
passed away, things that never should have been here to begin with.
Also, flowing from the throne of God is the pure river of life, and on
either side of the river is the tree of life. God’s throne will be there, and
“they shall see His face” (Rev. 22:4, NKJV). Again, the redeemed will live
with a closeness to God that, for the most part, we don’t have now.
Read Revelation 21:8, about the fate of those who will face the second
death. Which sin of those depicted there could not have been forgiven
by Jesus? Why, then, are these people lost when some who have done
the same things are saved? What is the crucial difference between
these two groups?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, March 21
The New Jerusalem
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation
21:2.
There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the glorified new earth,
“a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand
of thy God.” “Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a
jasper stone, clear as crystal.” . . . “The tabernacle of God is with men, and
he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself
shall be with them, and be their God.” (Isaiah 62:3; Revelation 21:3). . . .
“And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God
giveth them light” (Revelation 22:5). The light of the sun will be
superseded by a radiance which is not painfully dazzling, yet which
immeasurably surpasses the brightness of our noontide. The glory of God
and the Lamb floods the Holy City with unfading light. The redeemed
walk in the sunless glory of perpetual
day.—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 369.
To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion, a familiar
friend. They have lived in close, constant communion with God. Upon
them the glory of the Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ has been reflected. Now they
rejoice in the undimmed rays of the brightness and glory of the King in
His majesty. They are prepared for the communion of heaven; for they
have heaven in their hearts. . . .
A little longer, and we shall see the King in His beauty. A little longer,
and He will wipe all tears from our eyes. Then by innumerable voices will
be sung the song, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall
dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God” (Revelation
21:3).—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 358.
While life is the inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the
wicked. Moses declared to Israel: “I have set before thee this day life and
good, and death and evil.” Deuteronomy 30:15. The death referred to in
these scriptures is not that pronounced upon Adam, for all mankind suffer
the penalty of his transgression. It is “the second death” that is placed in
contrast with everlasting life.
In consequence of Adam’s sin, death passed upon the whole human
race. All alike go down into the grave. And through the provisions of the
plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth from their graves. “There shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust;” “for as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians
15:22. But a distinction is made between the two classes that are brought
forth. “All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth;
they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have
done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28, 29. They who
have been “accounted worthy” of the resurrection of life are “blessed and
holy.” “On such the second death hath no power.” Revelation
20:6.—The Great Controversy, p. 544.
WEDNESDAY March 22
The Settling of Accounts
Near the close of Jesus’ ministry, His disciples came to Him privately
and asked, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign
of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt. 24:3). Jesus then takes
two chapters to answer their questions. Matthew 24 tells of signs in the
world around us, such as wars, disasters, and so on. Then Matthew 25 talks
about conditions in the church just before Jesus comes again. These
conditions are illustrated by three stories, one of which is the parable of the
talents, which talks about how God’s people have used the gifts that He has
given to them.
Read Matthew 25:14–19. Who is the one traveling into a far country?
To whom does He entrust His goods? What does it mean to “settle
accounts” (see Matt. 25:19, NKJV)?
We sometimes think of talents as natural gifts, such as singing, speaking,
and so on, but in the similar story of the minas in Luke 19:12–24, money
and its management are specifically mentioned. Ellen G. White also stated,
“I was shown that the parable of the talents has not been fully understood.
This important lesson was given to the disciples for the benefit of Christians
living in the last days. And these talents do not represent merely the ability
to preach and instruct from the word of God. The parable applies to the
temporal means which God has entrusted to His people.”—Testimonies for
the Church, vol. 1, p. 197.
Read Matthew 25:20–23. What does God say to those who were
faithful money managers in supporting His cause? What does it mean
to “ ‘ “enter into the joy of your lord” ’ ” (Matt. 25:23, NKJV)?
It is quite natural for us to think that another person has more talents
than we have and is therefore more responsible to God. In this story,
however, it is the person with only one talent—the least money—who
proved unfaithful and lost the kingdom. Rather than to think of the
responsibilities of others, let us focus on what God has entrusted to us and
how we can use it to His glory.
How are you going to fare when God comes to “settle accounts” with
you?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, March 22
The Settling of Accounts
We claim to be Christians, waiting for the second appearing of our
Lord in the clouds of heaven. Then what shall we do with our time, our
understanding, our possessions, which are not ours, but are entrusted to
us to test our honesty? Let us bring them to Jesus. Let us use our treasures
for the advancement of His cause. Thus we shall obey the injunction, “Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also.”
It has come to be understood that talents are given only to a certain
favored class, to the exclusion of others who, of course, are not called
upon to share in the toils or rewards. But it is not so represented in the
parable. When the Master of the house called His servants, He gave to
every man his work. The whole family of God are included in the
responsibility of using their Lord’s
goods.—Counsels on Stewardship,
pp. 116, 117.
All, both high and low, rich and poor, have been trusted by the Master
with talents; some more, and some less, according to their several ability.
The blessing of God will rest upon the earnest, loving, diligent workers.
Their investment will be successful, and will secure souls to the kingdom
of God, and for themselves an immortal treasure. All are moral agents, and
are entrusted with goods of heaven. The amount of talents is proportioned
according to the capabilities possessed by each.
God gives to every man his work, and He expects corresponding
returns, according to their various trusts. He does not require the increase
from ten talents of the man to whom He has given only one talent. He
does not expect the man of poverty to give alms as the man who has
riches. He does not expect of the feeble and suffering, the activity and
strength which the healthy man has. The one talent, used to the best
account, God will accept “according to that a man hath, and not according
to that he hath not.”—“What Shall We Answer?,”
Review and Herald, February 23, 1886.
[God] has lent us capital for investment. It is not our property; and we
displease God if we hoard up, or spend as we choose, our Lord’s goods.
We are responsible for the use or abuse of that which God has thus lent
us. If this capital which the Lord has placed in our hands lies dormant, or
we bury it in the earth, be it only one talent, we shall be called to an
account by the Master. He requires, not ours, but His own, with usury.
Every talent which returns to the Master, will be scrutinized. The
doings and trusts of God’s servants will not be considered an unimportant
matter. Every individual will be dealt with personally, and will be required
to give an account of the talents entrusted to him, whether he has
improved or abused them. The reward bestowed will be proportionate to
the talents improved. The punishment awarded will be according as the
talents have been
abused.—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 119.
THURSDAY March 23
Eyes on the Prize
After Paul’s conversion, he dove fully into the cause of Christ. Because
of his education and sharp mind, he could have been very successful from a
worldly perspective. Like Moses, Paul chose to suffer with God’s faithful
children and for the sake of Christ. He suffered beatings, stoning, prison,
shipwreck, hunger, cold, and more as recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:24–33.
How was he able to endure all of this?
Read Romans 8:16–18. How was the knowledge that he was a child of
God a factor in his faithfulness?
The value Paul placed on the reward of the faithful is what kept him
excited about suffering for Christ. He wrote from prison: “Brethren, I do not
count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are
ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13, 14, NKJV).
Read 1 Timothy 6:6–12, which we have looked at already but is
worth coming back to. What is the crucial message in these verses,
especially for us as Christians?
From the biblical perspective, prosperity is having what you need when
you need it. It is not the accumulation of possessions. Prosperity also is
claiming the promise of God in Philippians 4:19: “My God shall supply all
your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Finally,
prosperity is to be thankful for what you have in the Lord and trust in Him
in all things.
God does not promise His children that they will all be rich in this
world’s goods. In fact, He says that all who live godly lives shall suffer
persecution. What He does offer is better than any worldly wealth. He says,
“I will supply your needs, and wherever you go I will be with you.” Then in
the end, He will give His faithful ones true wealth and responsibility and
eternal life. What an awesome reward!
Near the end of his life, Paul was able to say, “For I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6–8). May we all, through God’s grace, be able to say
the same thing, and with the same assurance, as well.
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, March 23
Eyes on the Prize
The Son of God was the heir of all things, and the dominion and glory
of the kingdoms of this world were promised to Him. Yet when He
appeared in this world, it was without riches or splendor. The world
understood not His union with the Father; the excellency and glory of His
divine character were hid from them. He was therefore “despised and
rejected of men,” and “we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted.”
Even as Christ was in the world, so are His followers. They are the sons
of God, and joint heirs with Christ; and the kingdom and dominion belong
to them. The world understand not their character and holy calling; they
perceive not their adoption into the family of God. Their union and
fellowship with the Father and Son is not manifest, and while the world
behold their humiliation and reproach, it does not appear what they are,
or what they shall be. They are strangers. The world know them not, and
appreciate not the motives which actuate
them.—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 1, p. 286.
He who has given his life to God in ministry to His children is linked
with Him who has all the resources of the universe at His command. His
life is bound up by the golden chain of the immutable promises with the
life of God. The Lord will not fail him in the hour of suffering and need.
“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19. And in the hour of final need the merciful
shall find refuge in the mercy of the compassionate Saviour and shall be
received into everlasting
habitations.—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,
p. 24.
Ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, washed from sin in His blood, and
clothed in His righteousness, Paul has the witness in himself that his soul
is precious in the sight of his Redeemer. His life is hid with Christ in God,
and he is persuaded that He who has conquered death is able to keep that
which is committed to His trust. His mind grasps the Saviour’s promise, “I
will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40. His thoughts and hopes are
centered on the second coming of his Lord. And as the sword of the
executioner descends and the shadows of death gather about the martyr,
his latest thought springs forward, as will his earliest in the great
awakening, to meet the Life-giver, who shall welcome him to the joy of
the blest.
Well-nigh a score of centuries have passed since Paul the aged poured
out his blood as a witness for the word of God and the testimony of Jesu s
Christ. No faithful hand recorded for the generations to come the last
scenes in the life of this holy man, but Inspiration has preserved for us his
dying testimony. Like a trumpet peal his voice has rung out through all
the ages since, nerving with his own courage thousands of witnesses for
Christ and wakening in thousands of sorrow-stricken hearts the echo of
his own triumphant joy: “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that
day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” 2
Timothy 4:6-8.—The Acts of the Apostles,
pp. 512, 513.
FRIDAY March 24
Further Thought: Here is a word picture of a church family who
are financially faithful managers of God’s business on earth.
The Stewardship Vision for Seventh-day Adventist Churches Around the World
It’s sometime in the future; and pastors and local church leaders have
been successful at creating a stewardship environment in the church. They
have taught, trained, supported, and encouraged the church family in
biblical financial management.
People are implementing biblical principles in their lives. They are
growing in generosity, saving on a regular basis for the unexpected, and
moving out from under the bondage of consumer debt.
Their lifestyles are marked by moderation, discipline, and contentment.
Money has been eliminated as the rival god, and they are growing in their
relationship with the Creator God.
It’s Sabbath morning, and people are arriving for services. In their
demeanor is a sense of peace—a lack of anxiety over financial matters, a
pervading sense of contentment and gratefulness.
Marital conflict over money has been largely eliminated. They enter
worship with a sense of anticipation and expectation of God’s presence and
work among them.
The church’s ministries are fully funded, and it has a strong outreach. It
extends the love of Christ in very tangible ways to those in need.
Funds have been made available to provide church facilities that
wonderfully support ministry and that are maintained with excellence.
The question before us all is, “What is God calling us to do with
whatever resources He has entrusted to us?”
Discussion Questions:
-
1. In class, talk about the question of how we are to understand two
very clear biblical teachings: salvation by faith and a reward
according to works. How do we harmonize these two concepts?
-
2. Why does learning to be content with what we have now not
mean that we can’t seek to better our financial position? That is, why
are these ideas not necessarily in conflict?
-
3. There is no question that eternity awaits us. What choices do we
make now, even “little” ones, that will help determine where we will
spend that eternity?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, March 24
For Further Reading
God’s Amazing Grace, “For Each Day’s Need,” p. 117;
That I May Know Him, “God’s Treasure House of Supplies,” p. 224.
INSIDE STORY
Treasure in Old Vessels
By JOHN KAGANZI
Thirteen-year-old Precious cried out in frustration as her father led her
through the gates of a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school in Uganda.
She wanted to study in the stately buildings of the school associated with
her family’s denomination, not in the modest buildings of Katerera Primary
School. “It’s not the magnificence but the academic excellence that matters,
my daughter,” Father whispered into her ear. He said her preferred school
had not performed well academically for the past three years.
Precious bit her tongue, but her face showed her unhappiness as Father
enrolled her at the school. When Father waved good-bye at the gate, her
tears flowed freely. “Why has my beloved Dad chosen to imprison me in
the name of schooling?” she blurted out. “This is ridiculous!”
“Hello, come,” a smiling woman said in a kind voice. “Let’s go to the
dormitory, and I’ll show you where to sleep.”
Precious sadly followed as the woman carried her mattress and suitcase
to the dormitory. That evening, her heart sank further when she saw
students lining up outside an old building. She wondered what was
happening until she saw the students carrying plates of food. She realized
that it was the cafeteria. That evening, she ate a vegetarian meal for the first
time in her life.
Later, Precious heard a bell ringing and saw students running joyfully to
the campus chapel for evening worship. She decided to return to the
dormitory, but the doors were closed. She returned to the chapel and stood
on its porch, unsure about what to do. “Come, let’s enter the house of the
Lord,” the same smiling woman said. “It’s prayer time. Don’t be sad.”
Precious felt loved, and she entered the chapel. Immediately, her sadness
vanished inside. She had never heard such beautiful singing. She also
marveled at the orderly and interesting 30-minute worship service that
followed the singing. At least I will enjoy this part of the school, she
thought.
Father didn’t return until the end of the school term. He had feared that
Precious would refuse to stay if he came earlier. He was surprised when she
announced that she wanted to return to the school. She said she did not want
to miss the kind teachers who began every lesson with prayer and a Bible
text and who offered practical advice whenever she faced challenges. The
next term, the school held a week of prayer, and Precious gave her heart to
Jesus in baptism. “Surely a school is more than its buildings,” she told me,
the pastor who led the week of prayer.
This quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will assist six Adventist schools in the East-Central
African Division, including in Precious's homeland of Uganda. Thank you for your generous
offering.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at
AdventistMission.org.
† Disclaimer: Contents of these lessons are not intended to be financial advice but is general commentary based on biblical principles. The reader is encouraged to seek competent professional advice which will suit their particular personal situation.
