Know: Comprehend the purpose of stewardship and his or her role as God’s steward.
Feel: Appreciate the breadth of the concept of stewardship and the linkage that exists between it and the great truths of Scripture.
Do: Resolve, by God’s grace, to allow the concept and practice of stewardship to reshape his or her character in Christ’s image.
Learning Outline:
Know: Great Scriptural Truths and Stewardship
How does keeping Christ as the central theme of stewardship help us to avoid the excesses of legalism? B How does the sanctuary system relate to the concept of stewardship?
Why is it important to have all doctrines anchored in Christ? D What roles do believers, living in the last days, play as stewards of God’s final message to the world?
Feel: The Divine Partnership
How can believers sense more urgency about their roles as stewards of the gospel message?
How can Christians more fully appreciate the breadth of God’s call to be faithful stewards?
Do: Religion in Action
What obstacles must we allow God to remove in order to become faithful stewards?
What is the relationship between biblical doctrine and our sanctification?
Summary: Far too often Christians are guilty of the tendency to separate the doctrines of Scripture from practical Christianity, or, at least, of the tendency to neglect the relationship between them. Stewardship challenges us to rethink this dichotomy as we become stewards or administrators of the full counsel of God.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: 1 Peter 1:15, 16
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Stewardship is a broad concept that calls us to bring all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As believers, we must become stewards of the full counsel of God to the world.
Just for Teachers: Help your students to understand what it means to be stewards not just of material goods and positions but of the truth.
Opening Activity: Describe the layout of the sanctuary, its compartments, and the furnishings in each room. Contemplate the spiritual significance of each article and the work of the high priest in each phase or apartment. Where supplies are available, bring to class, or create, a drawing or model of the sanctuary as a visual aid to facilitate discussion.
Discuss: What does the sanctuary doctrine reveal to us about the centrality of Christ to our faith? What does the sanctuary doctrine teach us about the intercessory work of Christ in our behalf? How do the principles of stewardship come into play in the sanctuary teaching?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Emphasize that the center of all Christian doctrine is Christ. The themes of the atonement—from Adam’s fall to the judgment and the final restoration of all things, as exemplified throughout the ancient sanctuary system—lie in close proximity. For Seventh-day Adventists, the final expression of these Christian doctrines is bound together in the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14. Our role as stewards of the gospel is to present this message to the world in preparation for Christ’s return.
Bible Commentary
I. The Sanctuary Doctrine and the Principles of Stewardship (Review Hebrews 4:14–16; 6:19, 20; and 8:1, 2 with the class.)
The sanctuary doctrine contains the most solemn and transformative truths for this end time. Rightly taught, the sanctuary broadens our understanding of the plan of salvation and the principles of stewardship. But before we can appreciate the link between salvation and the principles of stewardship as taught by the sanctuary, we first need to grasp the significance of the sanctuary doctrine itself, including its importance to our faith.
Paramount to grasping the importance of the sanctuary truth to our faith is recognizing that God has made His people the guardians of the end-time truths to which the sanctuary points. Custodianship of these life-altering truths confers upon us the most sacred responsibility to impart them to a spiritually destitute world. For “all who have received the light upon these subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths which God has committed to them. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 488, 489.
With those words, the pen of inspiration furnishes the reason for the centrality of the sanctuary doctrine to our faith: the intercessory work of Jesus as our faithful High Priest. Ellen G. White goes on to establish the importance of Christ’s intercessory work to our redemption. “The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. . . . Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God.”—Page 489.
But Christ is not just our Mediator. He is our Judge. And His work as our Advocate and His investigative work as our Judge are intimately entwined. Through His intercessory work in the sanctuary, we see that the One who judges us is also the One who pleads for our lives. The sanctuary doctrine pinpoints how the ministry of Christ reconciles the disparate work of these seemingly opposite offices.
The work of judgment will exonerate the righteous of guilt and ultimately remove sin from the sanctuary. But before either of these two objectives can be accomplished, “there must be an examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation—a work of judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to redeem His people; for when He comes, His reward is with Him to give to every man according to his works. Revelation 22:12.”—Page 422.
The coming of Christ, spoken of here in Revelation, is symbolized elsewhere in the Bible by marriage. And the symbol of a marriage supper or feast, prior to the marriage itself, is used in Scripture to describe the investigative judgment before the Second Coming. “The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in Daniel 8:14 . . . is also represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins, of Matthew 25.”—Page 426.
“In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking place before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11; Revelation 7:14. He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are accepted of God and accounted worthy of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His throne. This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative judgment, the closing work in the sanctuary above.”—Page 428.
Thus, we observe that the work of judgment is an investigation into the character of God’s people, as symbolized by the wedding garment. The fact that the judgment is portrayed as a wedding feast, or supper, prior to the wedding, or Second Coming, conveys that the investigative judgment is “in favor of the saints,” as Daniel tells us (7:22, NKJV). Yet, how does this investigative judgment of the character of God’s people with its favorable verdict specifically tie into stewardship, the topic of our study?
The pen of inspiration clearly illuminates the role of stewardship in the investigative judgment. “In the judgment the use made of every talent will be scrutinized. How have we employed the capital lent us of Heaven? Will the Lord at His coming receive His own with usury? Have we improved the powers entrusted us, in hand and heart and brain, to the glory of God and the blessing of the world? How have we used our time, our pen, our voice, our money, our influence? What have we done for Christ, in the person of the poor, the afflicted, the orphan, or the widow? God has made us the depositaries of His holy Word; what have we done with the light and truth given us to make men wise unto salvation? No value is attached to a mere profession of faith in Christ; only the love which is shown by works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone which in the sight of Heaven makes any act of value. Whatever is done from love, however small it may appear in the estimation of men, is accepted and rewarded of God.”—Page 487.
Consider This: In the closing citation, the author asks a series of six soul-searching questions. Suppose your name came up for review at this moment in the judgment. What would the answers to those questions be?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Jesus declares that His gospel will be preached as a witness for all peoples and the end will come (see Matt. 24:14). The statement is unequivocal. It does not say, “If you preach the gospel, then the end will come.” It is prophetic, not conditional. Jesus says that the gospel will be preached and that the end will come. The only question that remains for believers, then, is this: Will we be a part of this great work or not?
Application Questions:
How will faithful stewards maximize time for their primary spiritual calling?
Why is it important to have a cogent, clear presentation of truth?
How can Christians guard against those tendencies that pull us away from the central message and keep us occupied with sideline issues?
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Farmers realize that planting precedes harvest. Christians expect a great end-time harvest. What does that expectation suggest about spiritual planting?
Activities:
Plan spiritual planting activities that can be done with friends.
Define sanctification in relation to stewardship.
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Key Text: 1 Peter 1:15, 16
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Know: Great Scriptural Truths and Stewardship
Feel: The Divine Partnership
Do: Religion in Action
Summary: Far too often Christians are guilty of the tendency to separate the doctrines of Scripture from practical Christianity, or, at least, of the tendency to neglect the relationship between them. Stewardship challenges us to rethink this dichotomy as we become stewards or administrators of the full counsel of God.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: 1 Peter 1:15, 16
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Stewardship is a broad concept that calls us to bring all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As believers, we must become stewards of the full counsel of God to the world.
Just for Teachers: Help your students to understand what it means to be stewards not just of material goods and positions but of the truth.
Opening Activity: Describe the layout of the sanctuary, its compartments, and the furnishings in each room. Contemplate the spiritual significance of each article and the work of the high priest in each phase or apartment. Where supplies are available, bring to class, or create, a drawing or model of the sanctuary as a visual aid to facilitate discussion.
Discuss: What does the sanctuary doctrine reveal to us about the centrality of Christ to our faith? What does the sanctuary doctrine teach us about the intercessory work of Christ in our behalf? How do the principles of stewardship come into play in the sanctuary teaching?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Emphasize that the center of all Christian doctrine is Christ. The themes of the atonement—from Adam’s fall to the judgment and the final restoration of all things, as exemplified throughout the ancient sanctuary system—lie in close proximity. For Seventh-day Adventists, the final expression of these Christian doctrines is bound together in the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14. Our role as stewards of the gospel is to present this message to the world in preparation for Christ’s return.
Bible Commentary
I. The Sanctuary Doctrine and the Principles of Stewardship (Review Hebrews 4:14–16; 6:19, 20; and 8:1, 2 with the class.)
The sanctuary doctrine contains the most solemn and transformative truths for this end time. Rightly taught, the sanctuary broadens our understanding of the plan of salvation and the principles of stewardship. But before we can appreciate the link between salvation and the principles of stewardship as taught by the sanctuary, we first need to grasp the significance of the sanctuary doctrine itself, including its importance to our faith.
Paramount to grasping the importance of the sanctuary truth to our faith is recognizing that God has made His people the guardians of the end-time truths to which the sanctuary points. Custodianship of these life-altering truths confers upon us the most sacred responsibility to impart them to a spiritually destitute world. For “all who have received the light upon these subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths which God has committed to them. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 488, 489.
With those words, the pen of inspiration furnishes the reason for the centrality of the sanctuary doctrine to our faith: the intercessory work of Jesus as our faithful High Priest. Ellen G. White goes on to establish the importance of Christ’s intercessory work to our redemption. “The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. . . . Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God.”—Page 489.
But Christ is not just our Mediator. He is our Judge. And His work as our Advocate and His investigative work as our Judge are intimately entwined. Through His intercessory work in the sanctuary, we see that the One who judges us is also the One who pleads for our lives. The sanctuary doctrine pinpoints how the ministry of Christ reconciles the disparate work of these seemingly opposite offices.
The work of judgment will exonerate the righteous of guilt and ultimately remove sin from the sanctuary. But before either of these two objectives can be accomplished, “there must be an examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation—a work of judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to redeem His people; for when He comes, His reward is with Him to give to every man according to his works. Revelation 22:12.”—Page 422.
The coming of Christ, spoken of here in Revelation, is symbolized elsewhere in the Bible by marriage. And the symbol of a marriage supper or feast, prior to the marriage itself, is used in Scripture to describe the investigative judgment before the Second Coming. “The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in Daniel 8:14 . . . is also represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins, of Matthew 25.”—Page 426.
“In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking place before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11; Revelation 7:14. He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are accepted of God and accounted worthy of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His throne. This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative judgment, the closing work in the sanctuary above.”—Page 428.
Thus, we observe that the work of judgment is an investigation into the character of God’s people, as symbolized by the wedding garment. The fact that the judgment is portrayed as a wedding feast, or supper, prior to the wedding, or Second Coming, conveys that the investigative judgment is “in favor of the saints,” as Daniel tells us (7:22, NKJV). Yet, how does this investigative judgment of the character of God’s people with its favorable verdict specifically tie into stewardship, the topic of our study?
The pen of inspiration clearly illuminates the role of stewardship in the investigative judgment. “In the judgment the use made of every talent will be scrutinized. How have we employed the capital lent us of Heaven? Will the Lord at His coming receive His own with usury? Have we improved the powers entrusted us, in hand and heart and brain, to the glory of God and the blessing of the world? How have we used our time, our pen, our voice, our money, our influence? What have we done for Christ, in the person of the poor, the afflicted, the orphan, or the widow? God has made us the depositaries of His holy Word; what have we done with the light and truth given us to make men wise unto salvation? No value is attached to a mere profession of faith in Christ; only the love which is shown by works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone which in the sight of Heaven makes any act of value. Whatever is done from love, however small it may appear in the estimation of men, is accepted and rewarded of God.”—Page 487.
Consider This: In the closing citation, the author asks a series of six soul-searching questions. Suppose your name came up for review at this moment in the judgment. What would the answers to those questions be?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Jesus declares that His gospel will be preached as a witness for all peoples and the end will come (see Matt. 24:14). The statement is unequivocal. It does not say, “If you preach the gospel, then the end will come.” It is prophetic, not conditional. Jesus says that the gospel will be preached and that the end will come. The only question that remains for believers, then, is this: Will we be a part of this great work or not?
Application Questions:
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Farmers realize that planting precedes harvest. Christians expect a great end-time harvest. What does that expectation suggest about spiritual planting?
Activities: