Sunday, October 9, 2016

October 16, 2016 – Teachings from the Rock – Creation and Judgment



Creation and Judgment

Genesis 1:1-10 and 31 – New International Version (NIV)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Who created the “heavens and the earth” (verse 1)?

What was the earth like (verse 2)?

Where was the Spirit of God (verse 2)?

When was there light (verse 3)?

In your opinion, why was the light good (verse 4)?

What did God call the light (verse 5)?

How were the waters separated from the waters (verses 6, 7 and 8)?

Why did God gather the water under the sky in one place (verse 9)?

What did God call the gathered waters (verse 10)?

What was “very good” (verse 31)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Mark 13:24-37 - New International Version (NIV)
24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

When will the sun be darkened and the moon not give its light (verse 24)?
What will be shaken (verse 25)?
How will people see the Son of Man coming (verse 26)?
Where will the angels gather the elect from (verse 27)?
How can we know that summer is near (verse 28)?
When will the coming of the Son of Man be “near, right at the door” (verse 29)?
In your opinion, what does Jesus mean when He says “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (verse 30)?
What will never pass away (verse 31)?
Who knows when the day or hour is (verse 32)?
Why should we “Be on guard! Be alert!” (verse 33)?
Who puts his servants in charge and tells the one at the door to keep watch (verse 34)?
Why should we keep watch (verse 35)?
What does Jesus say to everyone (verse 36)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what has happened that the world that God said was very good in Genesis 1:1-10 and 31 has changed so that Jesus said in Mark 13:24-37 the sun would be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken?

1 Thessalonians 1:3-12 - New International Version (NIV)
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why does Paul tell the Thessalonian Christians that “we ought to always thank God for you” (verse 3)?
Where does Paul boast about their perseverance and faith (verse 4)?
What does this evidence prove about God’s judgment (verse 5)?
In your opinion, what does it mean that God will pay back “trouble to those who trouble you” (verse 6)?
Who will God give relief to (verse 7)?
When will this happen (verse 7)?
In your opinion, who do we “obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (verse 8)?
What will those who are punished be shut out of (verse 9)?
Who will marvel at the Lord Jesus on the day He comes to be glorified (verse 10)?
What prayer does Paul have for those who believe (verse 11)?
Who does Paul pray will be glorified in each other (verse 12)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does Paul in 1 Thessalonians 1:3-12 reveal to us about the tasks that Jesus, who reveals in Mark 13:24-37 that a homeowner who is leaving assigns tasks to his servants, leaves for us to do until He returns?
In your opinion, what does Genesis 1:1-10 and 31 reveal about Jesus that, according to Paul in 1 Thessalonians 1:3-13, believers will marvel at on the day that He returns?

2 Peter 3:1-9 – New International Version (NIV)
1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Why did Peter write two letters to his friends (verse 1)?
What does Peter want us to recall (verse 2)?
When will scoffers come “scoffing and following their own evil desires” (verse 3)?
In your opinion, why will they challenge the idea of Jesus returning (verse 4)?
How do they forget that “long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water” (verse 5)?
What “deluged and destroyed” the world of that time (verse 6)?
What word keeps the present heavens and earth for the day of judgment (verse 7)?
In your opinion, what does it mean that “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day" (verse 8)?
Why is the Lord patient (verse 9)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does Peter’s discussion about the Lord’s patience in 2 Peter 3:1-9 show us about God’s desire for those who Paul reveals in 1 Thessalonians 1:3-12 will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” ?
In your opinion, what sign does Peter reveal in 2 Peter 3:1-9 that could be the “lesson from the fig tree” that Jesus talks about in Mark 13:24-37?

In your opinion, how does God in Genesis 1:1-10 and 31 creating light, seeing that it was good and then separating it from the darkness help us to understand the day of judgment and the “destruction of the ungodly” in 2 Peter 3:1-9?
In your opinion, what do these passages from Genesis, Mark, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Peter help us to understand about how we are to live in the last days to prepare for the day of judgment?
In your opinion, what do these passages show us about ourselves today?


Next, back to 2 Peter 3:10 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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