to all who may find it beneficial. While intended primarily for personal use, some find it useful for teaching the lesson in church. There are those, however, who add illustrations, change background, change fonts, etc. While their intention may be good, this is not right. Slide #1 says designed by claro ruiz vicente. For honest Christians, it is not necessary for anothers creation to be
Rebellion and Redemption
Our Goal
Jesus has won the decisive
victory. The challenge has always been where we place our loyalties. The controversy still rages and the deceptions are everpresent. Our prayer, then, is that this quarters lessons will reveal
Rebellion and Redemption
Contents 1 Crisis in Heaven 2 Crisis in Eden 3 Global Rebellion and the Patriarchs 4 Conflict and Crisis: The Judges 5 The Controversy Continues 6 Victory in the Wilderness 7 Jesus Teachings and the Great Controversy 8 Comrades in Arms 9 The Great Controversy and the Early Church 10 Paul and the Rebellion 11 Peter on the Great Controversy
Rebellion and Redemption
Lesson 5, January 30
The Controversy
Continues
The Controversy Continues
Key Text
Nehemiah 2:18 NKJV
And I told them of the hand
of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the kings words that he had spoken to me. So they said, Let us rise up and build. Then they set their hands to
The Controversy Continues
Quick Look
1. With Self: David
(Psalm 51:10, 11) 2. With Believers: Elijah, (1 Kings 18:20-21) 3. With Non-Believers: Hezekiah, Esther,
The Controversy Continues
Initial Words
God is able to use
insignificant people to turn back the tide of evil. Despite tremendous obstacles, we dont need to buckle under over-whelming evil. Instead, we can stand firm, but only in the power of God, who is
The Controversy Continues
1. With Self: David
Psalm 51:10, 11 NKJV
Create in me a clean heart,
O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your
1. With Self: David
His Goliath and Bathsheba Experienc
Life is complicated, and thats
because, we are complicated. Creatures made in the image of God who then corrupt themselves. Some people attain great levels of goodness while others, unfortunately, drop to the extremes of depravity. Instead,
1. With Self: David
His Goliath and Bathsheba Experienc
The same David who defeated
the giant Goliath is the David who was defeated by his own lust and arrogance. How many women did the man already have? And he sees one more, a married woman, and suddenly where is all the talk about the
1. With Self: David
His Goliath and Bathsheba Experienc
that there is a God in Israel
(1 Sam. 17:46)? If there were a time when David needed not only to know that the battle is the Lords but also to fight that battle in Gods armor, it wasnt in the war zone in the Valley of Elah but in the recess of his own
The Controversy Continues
2. With Believers: Elijah
1 Kings 18:20, 21 NKJV
So Ahab sent for all the
children of Israel...on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came...and said, How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him. But the people answered
2. With Believers: Elijah
To Turn Their Hearts
These were sorry times for
the northern kingdom of Israel. Most had forsaken the Lord God (1 Kings 19:10) and were worshiping fertility gods instead. For the next three years the fertility gods are impotent.
2. With Believers: Elijah
To Turn Their Hearts
The real issue: Israels
faithfulness to the covenant. Notice, too, who had turned their hearts. It was the Lord Himself, even before the miracle itself unfolded. But God doesnt force hearts to return to Him. He sends His Holy Spirit, and
2. With Believers: Elijah
To Turn Their Hearts
have to first make the choice
to turn back to Him; only then, in His strength, can they act upon that choice. Its no different today. Its the power of God alone that sustains the beat of every heart, but He doesnt force
The Controversy Continues
3. With Non-Believers: Hezekiah, Est Nehemiah
2 Kings 19:32, 34; Esther 3:8, 9;
Nehemiah 4:7, 8 NKJV
Concerning the king of
Assyria: He shall not come into this city...for I will defend...to save it. Haman said...If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed.
3. With Non-Believers: Hezekiah
Words of Defiance
Hezekiah was king of Judah
when the new superpower, Assyria, conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and scattered its inhabitants across Mesopotamia (2 Kings 18:912) A few years later, Sennacherib turned his attention to Judah and captured all its fortified
3. With Non-Believers: Hezekiah
Words of Defiance
Hezekiah then did the only
thing possible for himhe prayed (2 Kings 19:1519). The frightened inhabitants arose one morning, to see soldiers lying scattered on the ground in a deathly stillness (2 Kings 19:35).
3. With Non-Believers: Esther
Death Decree
Esther found herself as queen.
Though her ascent was through a route rather different from Josephs in Egypt or Daniels in Babylon, she was (as Joseph and Daniel were) just where the Lord wanted her to be, and she was used by God in a powerful way, one
3. With Non-Believers: Esther
Death Decree
The issue started over worship
(see Esther 3:5, 8) and the refusal to follow the laws and customs of the ones in power. Though the context will be different at the end of time, the reality behind itthe great controversyis still the same: as many as [will] not worship
3. With Non-Believers: Nehemiah
Rebuilding the Temple
Some people who were not
happy and did all they could to prevent any work from being done to improve Jerusalem. When work started on repairing the walls, these foreign officials were furious and very indignant (Neh. 4:1),
3. With Non-Believers: Nehemiah
Rebuilding the Temple
It would have been so easy to
back down; yet, despite all sorts of machinations against their work, they persisted. Trusting in God, Nehemiah saw to the rebuilding of the wall and left the threats of his enemies
The Controversy Continues
Final Words
Therefore we do not lose
heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do