The Undercover Adventist

  Key Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NKJV) Throughout history, God's messengers have often been rejected, not because their message was unclear, but because people did not want to hear what God had to say. The prophets were called to speak truth, even when that truth confronted people's beliefs, exposed their sins, or challenged the way they were living. Unfortunately, people often prefer a message that makes them comfortable over one that calls them to change. Think about Moses. God had chosen him to lead Israel out of Egypt, yet the people repeatedly complained against him. When difficulties arose in the wilderness, they blamed Moses rather than trusting the God who had delivered them. In Numbers 14:4–11, the Israelites even talked about choosing another leader and returning to Egypt. Their problem was not simply with Moses; their resistance revealed a deeper unwillingness to trust and obey God. Jeremiah experienced similar rejection. He faithfully delivered God's warnings, ...

  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Now Hear This!    Lesson 7 - Thursday Learning From the Mistakes of Others Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:6–12 (NKJV) One of the wonderful things about the Bible is that God does not hide the failures of His people. From the rebellion of Israel in the wilderness to the disobedience of kings and the mistakes of spiritual leaders, Scripture records both the victories and failures of those who came before us. But why did God preserve these accounts? The apostle Paul gives us the answer in 1 Corinthians 10:6–12. Paul reminds the Corinthians of Israel's experiences in the wilderness, including their idolatry, immorality, rebellion, and constant complaining against God. These things were not recorded merely as historical information. Paul explains that they were written down as examples for us, so that we would not repeat the same mistakes. God wanted future generations to learn from the consequences of disobedience rather than e...

  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Now Hear This!    Lesson 7 - Wednesday When We Refuse to Learn From the Past Scripture Reading: Matthew 23:30–35 (NKJV) In Matthew 23:30–35, Jesus delivers a painful message to the religious leaders of His day. They claimed that if they had lived during the time of their ancestors, they would never have participated in the persecution and killing of God's prophets. They believed themselves to be better than those who had rejected God's messengers in the past. Yet Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of their words. They were following in the very footsteps of those they condemned. Jesus knew what was in their hearts. While they honored the prophets with their words, they were preparing to reject and persecute the greatest Messenger God had ever sent: Jesus Himself. In fact, they would soon participate in His crucifixion. Jesus was showing them that it wasn't enough to condemn the mistakes of previous generations while continuing to make ...

  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Now Hear This!    Lesson 7 - Tuesday When God's Warnings Are Ignored Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 36:15–16 (NKJV) Throughout the history of Judah, God repeatedly demonstrated His love, patience, and desire to save His people. Even when they turned away from Him, He did not immediately abandon them. Instead, He continued sending prophets to warn them, call them to repentance, and remind them of the consequences of their disobedience. Second Chronicles 36:15 tells us something important about God's character: He sent His messengers repeatedly because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. Think about that for a moment. God wasn't looking for reasons to destroy Judah. He was looking for reasons to save them! His warnings were acts of mercy, not expressions of anger. But how did Judah respond? Verse 16 gives us a heartbreaking answer. They mocked God's messengers, despised His words, and ridiculed His prophets...

  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Now Hear This!    Lesson 7 - Monday When People Refuse to Listen to God's Word Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 36:20–31 Jeremiah 36 records a powerful example of what happens when people refuse to listen to God's warnings. God had given Jeremiah a message of judgment concerning Judah because of the people's continued rebellion and disobedience. Jeremiah dictated the message to his scribe, Baruch, who wrote it on a scroll. Since Jeremiah was not permitted to enter the temple, Baruch read the words of the Lord publicly so the people could hear the warning and hopefully turn away from their wickedness. When the scroll eventually reached King Jehoiakim, it was read to him while he sat in his winter house before a fire. As Jehudi read several columns of the scroll, the king responded in a shocking way. Instead of humbling himself and taking God's warning seriously, he took a knife, cut the scroll into pieces, and threw them into the fire...

  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Now Hear This!    Lesson 7 - Sunday When Fear Becomes Greater Than Faith Scripture Reading: Numbers 13:26–30; Numbers 14:4–11 The Israelites had finally reached the edge of the Promised Land. God had delivered them from Egyptian slavery, parted the Red Sea, provided food and water in the wilderness, and promised to give them a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet, when the twelve spies returned from exploring Canaan, ten of them brought back a frightening report. They described the fortified cities, the powerful inhabitants, and the obstacles that stood before them. Although the land was everything God had promised, the people became overwhelmed with fear. Instead of trusting God, the Israelites began to complain against Moses and Aaron. They questioned why God had brought them out of Egypt only to let them die in the wilderness. Their fear became so great that they actually wanted to choose another leader and return to Egypt! ...

  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Lesson 7: Now Hear This!  You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson. > Download the Notes for Lesson 7 Video:   Now Hear This!       (Video is Below) Lesson 7 Daily Devotionals: Sunday:  Anger at God’s Messenger    Monday: Destroying the Message: Part 1    Tuesday: Destroying the Message: Part 2    Wednesday: Hypocrisy     Thursday: For Our Admonition      More Lesson 7 Commentaries:   When God's Message is Unpopular      Sabbath School 4th Quarter Online: The Gift of Prophecy