Embracing God: Study 1 - Pride Before the Fall vs Humility Before the Cross

[David Edgren]

Embracing God: Why I’m a Seventh-day Adventist

Study 1: Pride Before the Fall  vs  Humility Before the Cross

Introduction: Two Kings – One Devil. In two different times and places, in the lives of two different kings, two Godly prophets show where prideful power comes from and where it leads.

The King of Tyre – and his guardian cherub

Ezekiel 28:1-10   

Who is this talking about?

What positive are revealed about the King of Tyre?

What does God have against the King of Tyre?

What character trait put this king into God’s bad books? (pride)

What will happen to this king, according to the prophet? (die)

How does this prove that the King of Tyre is not a god?

Ezekiel 28:11-19   

The prophet shifts focus from the King to the source of all prideful thinking. Who?

What positives are revealed about this ‘guardian cherub’ - Lucifer?

What does God have against Lucifer?

What character trait put Lucifer in God’s bad books?

What will happen to this ‘cherub’ according to the prophet? (death in ashes)

How does this prove that Lucifer is not like God?

The King of Babylon – and his shining star

Isaiah 14:3-21 records a song the prophet says the people of Israel will sing about the King of Babylon. Similar to Ezekiel’s prophecy about the King of Tyre, this King also has Lucifer embedded into his story – this time the beginning and end focus on the Earthly King, sandwiching the Devil in the middle. This passage reveals the true nature and agenda of Lucifer.

Isaiah 14:12-15

To what does the prophet compare Lucifer? (a falling star)

What prideful things did Lucifer say to himself?

What will be the ultimate result?

Why do you think prophets juxtaposed Lucifer with evil Kings?

What character traits did they share?

How does pride lead us into a downward spiral and ultimately a pit?

Two Humans – One God

Genesis 3:1-19

Do the words of the serpent sound familiar to the two “King” stories? How?

Who shows up in the middle of this story, just like the two “King” stories?

How did the serpent convince them to eat the fruit?

What does God have against the man? The woman? The serpent?

What results came from their actions?

Genesis 3:15 is called the “protoevangelion” – the first good news. How is this verse the first telling of the good news of what Jesus is going to do?

Pride vs… ?

Have you seen an example of “Pride before a fall” in your life or the lives around you?

What is the answer to pride? How can we defeat it?

James 4:10

How much of what happens in the universe is seen by God?

What does this text tell us about being exalted by God? What must we do?

How can we humble ourselves?

Philippians 2:5-11

How is this the opposite of what caused the Fall of both Lucifer, his angels and humanity?

When humans live God’s way who is revealed in their Character? Who shows up in their story?

What did Jesus do for us? Why?

What impact will our lives have when Jesus is in the middle of our story?

Conclusion and Call

The Protoevangelion – the first good news in Gen 3:15 – was that Satan’s head would be crushed. How did Jesus’ action crush Satan’s plan?

Pride àFall àHumility à 

     No God à Death (Judas)

                   vs

Know God à He lifts you up (Peter)

When pride shows up in this world – like in the stories of the two Kings – whose nature and plan is being revealed?

When humility shows up in this world – whose nature is being revealed?

Would you like the humility of Jesus to crush the pride of the Devil out of your life?

Let’s pray now and ask Jesus to fill us with His humility so that pride and selfishness has no place in our lives!

Prayer

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[dgrimm60]

DAVID  EDGREN

these are very  good questions

1st  a  created being  will  die-----2nd  pride  is  and evil  trait----3rd   satan  is  trying  to  tell  people  that  his  character(satan) is

GOD'S  CHARACTER----4th  GOD'S CHARACTER  IS  LOVE----5th  satan  character  is  force and fear

it a  person  studies the bible---it   does not  take long  to  find  out  who is  GOD---and  who is the  devil

dgrimm70