Bible Study Guides – “We Are His Witnesses of These Things”

July 9-15, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.” Acts 22:15.

STUDY HELP: Christian Service, 15–24.

INTRODUCTION: “The Master has given to every man his work. He has given to every man according to his ability, and his trust is in proportion to his capacity. God requires every one to be a worker in His vineyard. You are to take up the work that has been placed in your charge, and to do it faithfully. ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’” Review and Herald, May 1, 1888.

“How Shall They Hear?”

1 What did the Master say to those who did not answer the call to work in His vineyard? Matthew 20:6.

NOTE: See Acts of the Apostles, 110.

2 What has Christ provided to enable each Christian to do His appointed work? Romans 12:4–8.

NOTE: See Acts of the Apostles, 274.

“Unlearned and Ignorant Men”

3 What was the world’s estimate of Peter and John as they witnessed for the Master? Acts 4:13, first part.

NOTE: “There are many who will spend and be spent to win souls to Christ. In obedience to the great commission, they will go forth to work for the Master. Under the ministration of angels ordinary men will be moved by the Spirit of God to warn people in the highways and byways. Humble men, who do not trust in their gifts, but who work in simplicity, trusting always in God, will share in the joy of the Saviour as their persevering prayers bring souls to the cross.” This Day With God, 227.

4 What sort of person does God most commonly call to His service? 1 Corinthians 1:26, 27.

NOTE: “Jesus chose unlearned fishermen because they had not been schooled in the traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of native ability, and they were humble and teachable,—men whom He could educate for His work. In the common walks of life there is many a man patiently treading the round of daily toil, unconscious that he possesses powers which, if called into action, would raise him to an equality with the world’s most honored men. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse those dormant faculties. It was such men that Jesus called to be His co-laborers; and He gave them the advantage of association with Himself. Never had the world’s great men such a teacher. When the disciples came forth from the Saviour’s training, they were no longer ignorant and uncultured. They had become like Him in mind and character, and men took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.” Conflict and Courage, 282.

“I Will Pour Out My Spirit”

5 On what different kinds of people will God pour out His Spirit? Acts 2:17, 18.

NOTE: “Time is short, and there is much to be done. Let all who can, old and young, men, women and children, take up this work. As they go forth, the Lord will open the way before them. The words that they speak will be as seeds sown in good ground. Many souls will be saved as a result of their willing service.” Indiana Reporter, September 2, 1903.

“Christ declared, ‘If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto Me.’ He is doing this work, but He calls upon old and young, men, women, and youth, to co-operate with Him. While Christ draws, those who have tasted of the word of life must draw with Christ. Human instrumentalities must co-operate with the divine intelligences.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 11.

6 What qualifications are needed to be a witness for God? Romans 12:1–3.

NOTE: “God’s cause at this time is in special need of men and women who possess Christlike qualifications for service, executive ability, and a large capacity for work, who have kind, warm, sympathetic hearts, sound common sense, and unbiased judgment; who will carefully weigh matters before they approve or condemn, and who can fearlessly say No, or Yea and Amen; who, because they are sanctified by the Spirit of God, practice the words ‘All ye are brethren,’ striving constantly to uplift and restore fallen humanity.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 88.

“A Love of the Truth”

7 What knowledge is essential for freedom from sin? John 8:32.

NOTE: See Prophets and Kings, 716.

8 What is even more essential than knowledge of the truth? 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 11.

NOTE: “The five foolish virgins had lamps (this means a knowledge of Scripture truth), but they had not the grace of Christ. Day by day they went through a round of ceremonies and external duties, but their service was lifeless, devoid of the righteousness of Christ. The Sun of Righteousness did not shine in their hearts and minds, and they had not the love of the truth which conforms to the life and character, the image and superscription, of Christ. The oil of grace was not mingled with their endeavors. Their religion was a dry husk without the true kernel. They held fast to forms of doctrines, but they were deceived in their Christian life, full of self-righteousness, and failing to learn lessons in the school of Christ, which, if practised, would have made them wise unto salvation.” Review and Herald, March 27, 1894.

“Adorn the Doctrine of God Our Saviour in All Things”

9 How should the things a Christian believes affect his life? Titus 2:10, last part.

NOTE: “The Lord knows the thoughts and purposes of man, and how easily He can melt us! How His Spirit, like a fire, can subdue the flinty heart! How He can fill the soul with love and tenderness! How He can give us the graces of His Holy Spirit, and fit us to go in and out, in laboring for souls! The power of overcoming grace should be felt throughout the church today; and it may be felt, if we take heed to the counsels of Christ to His followers. As we learn to adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour we shall surely see the salvation of God.” Counsels on Stewardship, 189.

“Those who make any pretensions to godliness should adorn the doctrine they profess and not give occasion for the truth to be reviled through their inconsiderate course of action. ‘Owe no man anything,’ says the apostle. You ought now, my brother, to take hold earnestly to correct your habits of indolence, redeeming the time. Let the world see that the truth has wrought a reformation in your life.” Testimonies vol. 5, 181.

10 As their enemies observed Peter and John, what did they realize about them? Acts 4:13, last part.

NOTE: See Acts of the Apostles, 45.

“Be Not Afraid of Their Faces”

11 What counsel was Jeremiah given when God chose Him to witness for Him? Jeremiah 1:8, 9.

NOTE: “The same God who gave His messages to Moses and Jeremiah will give His word to His witnesses in this generation. ‘For it is not ye that speak,’ Christ declares, ‘but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.’” Review and Herald, May 24, 1898. See also Acts of the Apostles, 600.

12 What reaction to our witness may we also expect? Ezekiel 33:31, 32.

NOTE: “They see the preciousness of the love of Christ. They see the beauty of His character, the possibilities of a life given to His service. But in contrast they see the life of those who profess to revere God’s precepts. Of how many are the words true that were spoken to the prophet Ezekiel…. It is one thing to treat the Bible as a book of good moral instruction, to be heeded so far as is consistent with the spirit of the times and our position in the world; it is another thing to regard it as it really is—the word of the living God, the word that is our life, the word that is to mould our actions, our words, and our thoughts. To hold God’s word as anything less than this is to reject it.” Education, 259, 260.

Inspiration – Spare It This Year Also

Christ in His teaching linked with the warning of judgment the invitation of mercy. “The Son of man is not come,” He said, “to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:56. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17. His mission of mercy in its relation to God’s justice and judgment is illustrated in the parable of the barren fig tree.

Christ had been warning the people of the coming of the kingdom of God, and He had sharply rebuked their ignorance and indifference. The signs in the sky, which foretold the weather, they were quick to read; but the signs of the times, which so clearly pointed to His mission, were not discerned.

But men were as ready then as men are now to conclude that they themselves are the favorites of heaven, and that the message of reproof is meant for another. The hearers told Jesus of an event which had just caused great excitement. Some of the measures of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, had given offense to the people. There had been a popular tumult in Jerusalem, and Pilate had attempted to quell this by violence. On one occasion his soldiers had even invaded the precincts of the temple, and had cut down some Galilean pilgrims in the very act of slaying their sacrifices. The Jews regarded calamity as a judgment on account of the sufferer’s sin, and those who told of this act of violence did so with secret satisfaction. In their view their own good fortune proved them to be much better, and therefore more favored by God, than were these Galileans. They expected to hear from Jesus words of condemnation for these men, who, they doubted not, richly deserved their punishment.

The disciples of Christ did not venture to express their ideas until they had heard the opinion of their Master. He had given them pointed lessons in reference to judging other men’s characters, and measuring retribution according to their finite judgment. Yet they looked for Christ to denounce these men as sinners above others. Great was their surprise at His answer.

Turning to the multitude, the Saviour said, “Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” [Luke 13:23.] These startling calamities were designed to lead them to humble their hearts, and to repent of their sins. The storm of vengeance was gathering, which was soon to burst upon all who had not found a refuge in Christ.

As Jesus talked with the disciples and the multitude, He looked forward with prophetic glance and saw Jerusalem besieged with armies. He heard the tramp of the aliens marching against the chosen city and saw the thousands upon thousands perishing in the siege. Many of the Jews were, like those Galileans, slain in the temple courts, in the very act of offering sacrifice. The calamities that had fallen upon individuals were warnings from God to a nation equally guilty. “Except ye repent,” said Jesus, “ye shall all likewise perish.” For a little time the day of probation lingered for them. There was still time for them to know the things that belonged to their peace.

“A certain man,” He continued, “had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, ‘Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?’ ” [Luke 13:6, 7.]

Christ’s hearers could not misunderstand the application of His words. David had sung of Israel as the vine brought out of Egypt. Isaiah had written, “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant.” Isaiah 5:7. The generation to whom the Saviour had come were represented by the fig tree in the Lord’s vineyard—within the circle of His special care and blessing.

God’s purpose toward His people, and the glorious possibilities before them, had been set forth in the beautiful words, “That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3. The dying Jacob, under the Spirit of inspiration, had said of his best-loved son, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall.” And he said, “The God of thy Father” “shall help thee,” the Almighty “shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under.” Genesis 49:22, 25. So God had planted Israel as a goodly vine by the wells of life. He had made His vineyard “in a very fruitful hill.” He had “fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine.” Isaiah 5:1, 2.

“And He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.” Isaiah 5:2. The people of Christ’s day made a greater show of piety than did the Jews of earlier ages, but they were even more destitute of the sweet graces of the Spirit of God. The precious fruits of character that made the life of Joseph so fragrant and beautiful were not manifest in the Jewish nation.

God in His Son had been seeking fruit, and had found none. Israel was a cumberer of the ground. Its very existence was a curse; for it filled the place in the vineyard that a fruitful tree might fill. It robbed the world of the blessings that God designed to give. The Israelites had misrepresented God among the nations. They were not merely useless, but a decided hindrance. To a great degree their religion was misleading, and wrought ruin instead of salvation.

In the parable, the dresser of the vineyard does not question the sentence that the tree, if it remained fruitless, should be cut down; but he knows and shares the owner’s interest in that barren tree. Nothing could give him greater joy than to see its growth and fruitfulness. He responds to the desire of the owner, saying, “Let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it; and if it bear fruit, well.” [Luke 13:8.]

The gardener does not refuse to minister to so unpromising a plant. He stands ready to give it still greater care. He will make its surroundings most favorable, and will lavish upon it every attention.

The owner and the dresser of the vineyard are one in their interest in the fig tree. So the Father and the Son were one in their love for the chosen people. Christ was saying to His hearers that increased opportunities would be given them. Every means that the love of God could devise would be put in operation that they might become trees of righteousness, bringing forth fruit for the blessing of the world.

Jesus did not in the parable tell the result of the gardener’s work. At that point His story was cut short. Its conclusion rested with the generation that heard His words. To them the solemn warning was given. “If not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” [Verse 9.] Upon them it depended whether the irrevocable words should be spoken. The day of wrath was near. In the calamities that had already befallen Israel, the owner of the vineyard was mercifully forewarning them of the destruction of the unfruitful tree.

The warning sounds down along the line to us in this generation. Are you, O careless heart, a fruitless tree in the Lord’s vineyard? Shall the words of doom erelong be spoken of you? How long have you received His gifts? How long has He watched and waited for a return of love? Planted in His vineyard, under the watchful care of the gardener, what privileges are yours! How often has the tender gospel message thrilled your heart! You have taken the name of Christ, you are outwardly a member of the church which is His body, and yet you are conscious of no living connection with the great heart of love. The tide of His life does not flow through you. The sweet graces of His character, “the fruits of the Spirit,” are not seen in your life.

The barren tree receives the rain and the sunshine and the gardener’s care. It draws nourishment from the soil. But its unproductive boughs only darken the ground, so that fruit-bearing plants cannot flourish in its shadow. So God’s gifts, lavished on you, convey no blessing to the world. You are robbing others of privileges that, but for you, might be theirs.

You realize, though it may be but dimly, that you are a cumberer of the ground. Yet in His great mercy God has not cut you down. He does not look coldly upon you. He does not turn away with indifference, or leave you to destruction. Looking upon you He cries, as He cried so many centuries ago concerning Israel, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? … I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man.” Hosea 11:8, 9. The pitying Saviour is saying concerning you, Spare it this year also, till I shall dig about it and dress it.

With what unwearied love did Christ minister to Israel during the period of added probation. Upon the cross He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:24. After His ascension the gospel was preached first at Jerusalem. There the Holy Spirit was poured out. There the first gospel church revealed the power of the risen Saviour. There Stephen—“his face as it had been the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15)—bore his testimony and laid down his life. All that heaven itself could give was bestowed. “What could have been done more to My vineyard,” Christ said, “that I have not done in it?” Isaiah 5:4. So His care and labor for you are not lessened, but increased. Still He says, “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” Isaiah 27:3.

“If it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that” [Luke 13:9]—The heart that does not respond to divine agencies becomes hardened until it is no longer susceptible to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Then it is that the word is spoken, “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” [Luke 13:7, last part.]

Today He invites you: “O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God. … I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely. … I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. … They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine. … From Me is thy fruit found.” Hosea 14:1–8.

Christ’s Object Lessons, 212–218.

Bible Study Guides – Insights from the Book of Isaiah (1) — The State of the Vineyard

October 1 – 7, 2017

Key Text

“What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes” (Isaiah 5:4)?

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 15–22, 303–305.

Introduction

“Yield up your self-will, the long idolized habits peculiar to yourself, that you may receive the principles of truth. Thus you become a branch of the True Vine, and you will not bear wild grapes or thorn-berries, but rich clusters of precious fruit.” The Review and Herald, April 12, 1892.

Sunday

1  THE CHERISHED VINEYARD

  • For what purposes did the Creator establish the Hebrew nation? Genesis 12:2; Deuteronomy 7:6–8; 26:17–19.
  • Why was this nation to be deeply grateful to God? Deuteronomy 32:9–12.
  • How did God plan for the Hebrew nation to bless other nations, and how does this apply to us today? Deuteronomy 4:5–8; Matthew 5:16.

Note: “The Lord has His eye upon every one of His people; He has His plans concerning each. It is His purpose that those who practice His holy precepts shall be a distinguished people. …

“Not to this world only but to the universe are we to make manifest the principles of His [God’s] kingdom.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 12, 13.

Monday

2  THE VINEYARD’S CONDITION TODAY

  • Why was God disappointed with the vineyard He loved? Isaiah 5:1–4.

Note: “They [the Jewish nation] desired to appropriate to themselves the fruits of the vineyard over which they had been made stewards. Their covetousness and greed caused them to be despised even by the heathen. Thus the Gentile world was given occasion to misinterpret the character of God and the laws of His kingdom.” Prophets and Kings, 20, 21.

  • When does the church not bear fruit from the true vine? John 15:4.

Note: “The Lord planted His church as a vine in a fruitful field. … But this vine of God’s planting has inclined to the earth and entwined its tendrils about human supports. Its branches are extended far and wide, but it bears the fruit of a degenerate vine. …

“The Lord has bestowed great blessings upon His church. Justice demands that she return these talents with usury. As the treasures of truth committed to her keeping have increased, her obligations have increased. But instead of improving upon these gifts and going forward unto perfection, she has fallen away from that which she had attained in her earlier experience. The change in her spiritual state has come gradually and almost imperceptibly. As she began to seek the praise and friendship of the world, her faith diminished, her zeal grew languid, her fervent devotion gave place to dead formality. Every advance step toward the world was a step away from God. As pride and worldly ambition have been cherished, the spirit of Christ has departed, and emulation, dissension, and strife have come in to distract and weaken the church.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 240, 241.

  • What kind of fruit is God longing to see us bear? Galatians 5:22, 23.

Note: “The fruit Christ claims, after the patient care bestowed upon His church, is faith, patience, love, forbearance, heavenly-mindedness, meekness. These are clusters of fruit which mature amid storm and cloud and darkness, as well as in the sunshine.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 117.

Tuesday

3  SHUNNING A SHALLOW EXPERIENCE

  • Describe the state of the Lord’s spiritual vineyard in the early reign of Uzziah, king of Judah? 2 Kings 15:1–3; 2 Chronicles 26:1–7, 15.

Note: “The long reign of Uzziah [also known as Azariah] in the land of Judah and Benjamin was characterized by a prosperity greater than that of any other ruler since the death of Solomon, nearly two centuries before. For many years the king ruled with discretion. Under the blessing of Heaven his armies regained some of the territory that had been lost in former years. Cities were rebuilt and fortified, and the position of the nation among the surrounding peoples was greatly strengthened. Commerce revived, and the riches of the nations flowed into Jerusalem.” Prophets and Kings, 303.

  • Name some spiritual blemishes that darkened the picture. 2 Kings 15:4.

Note: “This outward prosperity [under Uzziah] … was not accompanied by a corresponding revival of spiritual power. The temple services were continued as in former years, and multitudes assembled to worship the living God; but pride and formality gradually took the place of humility and sincerity.” Prophets and Kings, 303, 304.

  • How does a neglect to put away evil plague us? Song of Solomon 2:15.

Note: “Many pet and excuse the defects in their characters; but these must all be remedied. Every deviation from the right is sin, and sin must be put away. We cannot afford to walk carelessly before our brethren or before the world.

“Many confess their sins again and again, but do not put them away by genuine repentance. Unless we have a firm purpose and the aid of the grace of God, strong resolutions and vigilant watchfulness will be vain and powerless when temptations assail the soul.” The Signs of the Times, March 6, 1884.

“It is the little foxes that spoil the vines, the little neglects, the little deficiencies, the little dishonesties, the little departures from principle, that blind the soul and separate it from God.” In Heavenly Places, 226.

Wednesday

3  TARNISHED BY PRIDE

  • Why did disaster come upon Uzziah? 2 Chronicles 26:16–21; Numbers 15:30.

Note: “The sin that resulted so disastrously to Uzziah was one of presumption. In violation of a plain command of Jehovah, that none but the descendants of Aaron should officiate as priests, the king entered the sanctuary ‘to burn incense upon the altar.’ Azariah the high priest and his associates remonstrated, and pleaded with him to turn from his purpose. ‘Thou hast trespassed,’ they urged; ‘neither shall it be for thine honor’ (2 Chronicles 26:16, 18).

“Uzziah was filled with wrath that he, the king, should be thus rebuked. But he was not permitted to profane the sanctuary against the united protest of those in authority. While standing there, in wrathful rebellion, he was suddenly smitten with a divine judgment. Leprosy appeared on his forehead. In dismay he fled, never again to enter the temple courts. Unto the day of his death, some years later, Uzziah remained a leper—a living example of the folly of departing from a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ Neither his exalted position nor his long life of service could be pleaded as an excuse for the presumptuous sin by which he marred the closing years of his reign, and brought upon himself the judgment of Heaven.” Prophets and Kings, 304.

“The Lord has ordained men to certain positions in his church, and He would not have them step out of the places to which He has appointed them. When the Lord gives them a measure of success, they are not to become lifted up, and think themselves qualified to do a work for which they are not fitted, and to which God has not called them.” The Review and Herald, August 14, 1900.

  • How does God consider pride? Proverbs 6:16, 17; James 4:6.

Note: “He who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give.” Steps to Christ, 30.

“Pride, self-confidence, love of the world, fault-finding, bitterness, envy, are the fruit borne by many who profess the religion of Christ. Their deportment is in sharp contrast to the character of Christ. … With such conversions Christ had no connection.” The Review and Herald, April 15, 1902.

Thursday

4  FACING CONSEQUENCES OR CHOOSING CONSECRATION?

  •  Describe the prevailing conditions in Israel and Judah at the time Isaiah was called to serve as a prophet. Isaiah 1:1–9, 21–23.

Note: “The reign of Uzziah was drawing to a close, and Jotham was already bearing many of the burdens of state, when Isaiah, of the royal line, was called, while yet a young man, to the prophetic mission. … The divine protection was being removed, and the Assyrian forces were about to overspread the land of Judah.

“But the dangers from without, overwhelming though they seemed, were not so serious as the dangers from within. It was the perversity of his people that brought to the Lord’s servant the greatest perplexity and the deepest depression.” Prophets and Kings, 305.

  • What summarizes the plight of the faithful, then and now? Psalm 11:3.

Note: “With oppression and wealth came pride and love of display, gross drunkenness, and a spirit of revelry. … Iniquitous practices had become so prevalent among all classes that the few who remained true to God were often tempted to lose heart and to give way to discouragement and despair.” Prophets and Kings, 306.

“While others are panting after earthly enjoyments, be ye panting after the unmistakable assurance of the love of God, earnestly, fervently crying: Who will show me how to make my calling and election sure?” Testimonies, vol. 2, 145.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

 1      What caused the faith of God’s church to decline?

2      Name one seemingly small oversight during Uzziah’s reign.

3      Why does God consider pride such a grievous sin? Do we?

4      How did Judah’s superficial prosperity eventually affect them as a nation?

5     In an age of degeneracy, what do God’s faithful few need to realize?

Copyright © 2016 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.