Lesson 5 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Atonement: Purification Offering

Sin and Mercy

1. Does sin cause separation from God, or is it a result of separation from God? Why is the answer significant?
2. Why can't God show mercy without a penalty being paid? Does He make the rules or is He subject to some laws? Did He want it this way?

Laying on of Hands

1. Was forgiveness guaranteed if the sacrifice ritual was followed, or was forgiveness conditional on a right attitude?
2. Is sin today forgiven just for the asking, or must one be careful to have the right attitude?
3. What is the difference in laying on of hands for confession and for ordination?
4. If you had to kill a lamb for each sin, how would that affect your yielding to temptation?

Transfer of Sin

1. What is the meaning of remission?
2. How can blood defile and cleanse at the same time?
3. Why is the heart and blood equated with life and death more than the brain, liver or stomach?

Bearing Sin

1. Why was the sin of a ruler or priest handled differently? Is it more serious for a pastor to sin than for a lay-member? If so, why?
2. If the tithe is for the support of pastors, why do pastors have to return tithe?

Forgiveness

1. Why can't God forgive without the death of an animal or of Jesus? Doesn't He make the rules?
2. When on the cross Jesus prayed "forgive them for they know not what they do," were the persecutors forgiven?
3. How essential is it for you to forgive another who wronged you for him or her to be forgiven?
4. What makes God so compassionate and merciful and ready to pardon?

Lesson 4 (Oct 19-25), Lessons from the Sanctuary

Did every part of the sanctuary teach a lesson or only the main furniture?

Place of the Presence

1. Why did God desire to dwell with humans? 
2. How does living with humans compare with living with angels? Can God be with both at the same time?
3. Why are some people loathe to associate with others of a different community? 

Be Ye Holy

1. Was it the anointing oil that made the furniture of the tabernacle or what? Why do we not use oil when we dedicate churches today? 
2. What does it mean for a person to be holy? 

Instruments of the Sanctuary

1. Why was the common worshipper allowed in the synagogue, but not inside the tabernacle?
2. Why did God need a sanctuary to dwell among humans?
3. Should more care be taken when making the furniture and instruments of modern worship?

Centre of Divine and Communal Activity

1. Is it worth spending large sums of money to construct churches that will be used only once a week?  Is a owned church more conducive to worship in than a rented one? 
2. How can we make use of our churches more than just once a week? should we keep it open for passers by to enter and pray?
3. Is it okay to rent a church from sunday-keeping denomination for an Adventist congregation to worship in on Sabbath? Is it okay to rent out our church to another denomination for their congregation to worship in on sunday? 

Until I Went Into the Sanctuary of God

1. What made David long to dwell in the sanctuary? 
2. What was it about the sanctuary that enabled Asaph to understand God's justice--the fate of the wicked and rewards of the righteous?

Lesson 3 (Oct 12-18), Sacrifices

Why does God not allow us now to obtain forgiveness through sacrifices? 

The First Sacrifice

1. How likely is it that Adam and Eve sinned again? Were they horrified enough to refrain, or once they sinned, did it became easier and easier?  Could they take God at His word better after the fall?
2. Though they didn't die immediately, what effect would the death of the lamb to provide skins for their clothing, have had on them?

Types of Offerings

1. Why do you think God required only the grain or flour for sacrifice and not the whole plant?  Why do you think milk was not acceptable for offering?
2. Was not the sacrifice of bulls, goats and sheep a waste of animals? Why were not unclean animals and birds required which could not be be eaten? 

Sacrifice at Moriah

1. What do you think would have been God's reaction if Abraham had reasoned that it was Satan tempting him to sacrifice his son?
2. Why do you think Isaac agreed to be sacrificed?
3. Why do you think God felt that Abraham needed to be tested?

Life for a Life

1. Why was the death and sacrifice of a plant unacceptable for a ransom?
2. What is the difference in the monetary thank offerings we give to day and the animal offerings the Israelites gave, other than "blood?"
3. What a the dangers of money offerings?

Sacrifices Today/Living Sacrifices

1. Which is easier, to bring an animal sacrifice, or to give our body as a living sacrifice?
2. In what way is it a sacrifice to give our bodies to God? In what ways is it not?

Lesson 2 (Oct 5-11), "Heaven" on Earth"

What makes heaven, heaven? 

The First "Sanctuary" on Earth

1. If God dwelled on this earth, would it be heaven? Is He more present in some places (as in church) than others, or equally everywhere? 
2. Why did God not leave Eden on earth so that humans could always see what they had lost and repent? 

Copy of the Pattern

1. What made the Israelite tabernacle unique among all the tents for the gods that many ancient peoples of the middle east had? 
2. How can we call the Hebrew tabernacle a model of the heavenly when other Canaanites also had tabernacles? What unique truths did the Israelite one teach?

Jesus as the Sanctuary

1. How many of the things of the earthly sanctuary symbolized Jesus?
2. How did the presence of Jesus on earth fulfil the purpose of the sanctuary?

The Church as the Sanctuary

1. In what ways is the church similar to the tabernacle? In what ways is it different?
2. Does corruption in the church drive away the presence of God? What about in the Old Testament sanctuary? 
3. Is the platform of the church more holy than the main floor?  
4. Is the divine service more holy than Sabbath School or AY?

New Creation

1. In the new earth why do we have to live in the city (New Jerusalem), instead of a garden (Eden)?
2. Will we need to go to church in the new earth?
3. How can we arrive at the right balance in not making the heavenly sanctuary neither too symbolic, nor too literal?

Lesson 1 (Sept 28-Oct4), The Heavenly Sanctuary

Which existed first, the earthly sanctuary or the heavenly? Does the earthly help us understand the heavenly or vice versa?

God's Residence

1. How can God be a person and be omnipresent at the same time?  What do we mean by omnipresent? Is God a physical being or a spirit or both?
2. Why does God need a dwelling place? 

Throne Room

1. Does God have a throne and a room for it, or is it symbolic? 
2. What do we imagine goes on in God's throne room?
3. How does God rule over the universe from heaven?

Worship in Heaven

1. Why does God want everyone to worship Him and praise Him? Why does God need so many creatures in heaven?
2. Should our worship imitate that of the living creatures, the twenty four elders, and all the angels? Should our worship on earth be like that in heaven?
3. How did the earthly sanctuary help humans to understand what worship was about?  Did the forms of the earthly sanctuary interfere in any way with true worship?  If so, how?  why would God introduce forms that deteriorate into formality?

Courtroom

1. Are there different rooms in heaven for different functions?
2. Has God been a judge from the beginning or is that only for the end of time?
3. Why do people question God's justice?

Place of Salvation

1. What kind of picture of God does the Old Testament give? Does the Old testament teach love, mercy, and grace?  If so, how?
2. Does our salvation occupy all of God's time? Is salvation confined to a location in heaven or is all of heaven involved? 

Lesson 13 (Sept 21-27), The Promised Revival: God's Mission Completed

What makes us think that Jesus will come in our lifetime? Hasn't every generation believed there's would be the last?


The Promised Power

1. Was the promise of power for the disciples only? for believers in the last days? for believers in all ages? Have we received the power?
2. Do we today have people as empowered to spread of the gospel as the apostles, or is that not expected, not required, and not possible? 
3. Were the missionaries of the last century more successful than this century? If so, why?

The Early and Latter Rain

1. Why should there be early and latter rains?  Why can it not rain all the time?  
2. Is it possible that we will not recognise the rain when it falls?

Prerequisites for the Latter Rain

1. Do we have to do something first to receive the power, or do we just have to wait?
2. Do people of this generation pray less, read the Bible less than the previous generation? If so, has it always been that way? 

The Baptism of Fire

1. If a Pentecostal asks you if you have been baptised of the Spirit, what should you say?
2. What is the difference between the baptisms of water and fire?  Are both necessary?  

The Great Controversy Ended

1. Is the world getting better or worse? Is it better in some ways and worse in others? 
2. Under what circumstances would you be willing to give up everything to proclaim the gospel and the second coming in the same priority as the apostles?

Lesson 12 (Sept 12-20), Reformation: Healing Broken Relationships

Why do we hurt people we loved?

From Fracture to Friendship

1. Since Paul's criticism of Mark was not for personal reasons but for mission, did he need to apologise?
2. Would you rather travel with Paul or Barnabas? What can people do to make themselves better friends and companions?
3. How do we restore relationships when someone thinks we have wronged them but whom we do not feel we have wronged?

From Slave to Son

1. Is relationships more important than social justice? How do we explain Paul sending a runaway slave back to his master, Paul's friend?
2. Did the apostles avoid combatting slavery because being a desired institution, fighting it might have put barriers in the way of their witness? Does the spread of the gospel override social justice for an individual?

From Comparison to Complement

1. Why does the church struggle with poor relationships with many independent ministries when we are all doing God's work?
2. What should I do if I find myself jealous of another person?  Is envy the same as jealousy?
3. Is it okay to be envy someone good?
4. What should you do if someone is jealous of you?

From Friction to Forgiveness

1. Is it okay to ask forgiveness from one you do not feel you have wronged but who feels you have wronged, just to restore the relationship?
2. If I cannot forget does it mean I have not forgiven?
3. If I forgive one who has not asked forgiveness, is he or she forgiven?
4. If I refuse to forgive one who has asked for forgiveness, can that person be forgiven?

From Rancour to Restoration

1. What is the advantage of taking two or three people with you when you go to confront a person, over going alone? Why does Jesus counsel going alone first?
2. When all the options Jesus recommended are exhausted, is taking a church member justifiable?  Why or why not?  What about a neighbour who is not a Christian?