Sabbath School Lesson for April 15-21, 2023
Overview of Lesson 4, ” ‘Fear God and Give Glory to Him’ “
Memory Text: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ ” Revelation 14:12 NKJV
Topics this week will include:
- Sunday: Fear God–What does it mean to “fear God”?
- Monday: Fearing and Obeying God–Why is it important to obey Him?
- Tuesday: Living a God-Centered Life–How can we make God our priority in life?
- Wednesday: Giving Glory to God–In what ways can we glorify God?
- Thursday: Revelation’s Overcomers–How can we live a victorious life?
The message of the first angel in chapter 14 of Revelation is a very positive one. God wants us to know that Jesus, and all the good He represents, is worthy to be praised. He is our Creator, and deserves our worship and adoration. Following Him means we are on the winning side of the cosmic controversy that has dominated our history so far.
We are, in these last days, in a most critical time for mankind. It’s been compared to another serious crisis, the worldwide flood of Noah’s day (Matthew 24:37). Just as most of the world perished at that time, we, too, will find that a large portion of the world will be lost in the end.
This first angel warns us to be prepared. Preparations for the flood saved Noah and his family, and we also must prepare ourselves and others for the future time when “the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).
Listening to the message of the first angel, who speaks with a loud voice to get our attention, we will find ways to glorify God and save ourselves in the end.
Sunday: Fear God
How fitting that the first words of God’s last-day appeal is to worship Him. So many in the world today have fallen away from true worship. We have somehow lost our sense of reverence, awe, and respect for God.
Our focus has become more and more self-centered, instead of God-centered. We’ve almost lost our ability to be humble and obedient in today’s fast-paced society that focuses most of its attention on individual achievement and success.
We must somehow renounce our pride and develop absolute trust in our Creator. Our loyalty to Him begins with a full surrender to His will, not our own. As someone has accurately pointed out: A life wrapped up in self is a very small package. God offers us so much more than we could ever accomplish on our own.
Bible Verses:
Genesis 22:12, Psalm 89:7, Ecclesiastes 12:13, and Ephesians 5:21
- How do these verses help us understand what it means to “fear God”?
Philippians 2:5, 6, 8
- How did Jesus show us the way to “fear God”?
Monday: Fearing and Obeying God
Although the first angel’s message doesn’t mention obeying God, we understand that obedience is part of what it means to worship Him. Jesus was “obedient to the point of death” (Philippians 2:8), and we are told in Ecclesiastes 12:13 to “fear God and keep His commandments”.
The Ten Commandments, a transcript of God’s character of love, have always been necessary for our salvation. God’s grace empowers us to obey His commands. Although He sets us free from the condemnation of the Law, He has never released us from the responsibility of obeying it. The Ten Commandments, in particular, reveal to us most clearly who God is and what His plans are for our salvation.
We express our faith in God’s grace by living godly, obedient lives. Fearing God leads to our surrender and obedience. No worship is valid without our desire to follow God and obey Him, as the Spirit enables us.
Bible Verses:
Deuteronomy 6:2 and Ephesians 2:8-10
- Why and how do we keep the commandments?
Tuesday: Living a God-Centered Life
There are so many things in this world that pull us from a God-centered life. Money, travel, sports, music, entertainment, and a thousand other things demand our time and devotion. There seems to be a constant battle for our minds.
But only when we are committed fully to God’s will, allowing Jesus to shape our thoughts and desires, can we know what it means to fear God and make Him first in everything. Jesus wants to fill our minds with things of eternity. Things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely–things that are good, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
Obedience is good, but only when it comes from a heart that is seeking the companionship of God. This alone will lead us to a true, loving worship experience with the Creator that is essential for our salvation. The first angel’s message invites us to deepen our grasp on God’s saving grace. This deeper understanding of the gospel will enable us to survive the final crisis that is coming upon our world.
Bible Verses:
Matthew 6:33, Colossians 3:1, 2, and Hebrews 12:1, 2
- How can these verses help us to “fear God”?
Philippians 2:5 and 4:8
- What kind of things should we be thinking about, and what kind of things aren’t worth thinking about?
Wednesday: Giving Glory to God
As we consider the first angel’s message (Revelation 14:7), the idea in its center that we are to give glory to God can easily be overlooked. God is so glorious; how can we possibly add anything to His glory? Because He is our Creator, as was also pointed out in this message, it’s possible that we can inspire the universe to praise Him more for the work He has done in us.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we are reminded that our bodies are God’s dwelling place (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). We are His temple here on earth, whether our individual bodies or the symbolic body of Christ, meaning the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Holy Spirit living within us enables us to bring glory to God.
We bring Him glory by all we do (1 Corinthians 10:31)–what we put in our bodies, how we dress our bodies, all we do and say (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). The combination of all this either draws people closer to God, or it drives them farther away.
This comprehensive way to worship God amounts to our presenting our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. It’s the most intelligent way to worship Him, referred to as our “reasonable service” (Romans 12:1,).
Bible Verses:
1 Corinthians 3:16, 17, 6:19, 20, 10:31
- How do our life choices reflect how we honor, or disrespect our Creator?
- Why is our lifestyle so important in God’s eyes, and the eyes of the world?
Romans 12:1, 2
- How does what we do with our bodies make us a “living sacrifice”?
Thursday: Revelation’s Overcomers
God has always had a lot to say about being overcomers. Each of his prophetic messages to the seven churches included a call to be overcomers (Revelation 2 and 3). But, of course, overcoming is possible only because Jesus has already won the victory over Satan. He is the victorious Overcomer we are to look to. When we choose to follow Him, His victory makes us overcomers, as well.
Revelation 14:12, our memory text this week, points out that the saints are successfully keeping the commandments of God, but they do it by having the faith of Jesus. This is more than having faith IN Jesus, just believing in Him. It implies that Jesus’ faith, which was steadfast and full of power, can actually be the faith we claim, in order to be overcomers.
Faith in action, which is possible by the miracle of grace, is what transforms us into His likeness. We have drifted away from His likeness since creation. But our salvation includes closing the gap and making us more like Him by being overcomers like Him.
Our faith grows, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Indeed, the gospel, including the three angels’ messages, are all about Jesus.
Bible Verses:
Hebrews 4:16, 17 and 7:25
- What makes it possible for us to overcome sin?
Revelation 21:7
- What is the reward for being an overcomer?
Friday: Final Thoughts
The first angel’s message contains many concepts that help us prepare for the future of this world. What we specifically are told to do is to worship/honor/respect God (the meaning of to “fear” Him), and also to “give Him glory”. This week we have focused on the final part of this invitation–giving Him glory.
Since people see God through us, then our lifestyle becomes an important tool for allowing us to praise Him before the universe. All we say and do becomes a reflection of God’s love, when we make Him the center of our lives.
The pure, humble way we conduct ourselves is the outcome of keeping His commandments by faith and with love. This is what obedience is at its best. The commandments themselves can’t be our focus–which only leads to legalism. But true God-centered love leads to the kind of obedience God desires to see in His children. The commandments are valuable to us, only in how they portray God’s will for our lives.
The closer we become to God, the easier it is to have the kind of obedience that keeps our relationship with Him growing. We are able to overcome sin, because we know that Jesus led the way in that fight. He’s already won the battle, and soon He will win the war and take us home to live with Him, where we belong.
Next Week: The Good News of the Judgment
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