GO FORWARD, NOT BACKWARD
Go forward, not backward...Do not succumb to the mistaken idea, gaining support even in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, of accepting worship or evangelistic outreach methods merely because they are new and "trendy." We must be vigilant to test all things according to the supreme authority of God's Word and the council with which we have been blessed in the writings of Ellen G. White. Don't reach out to movements or megachurch centers outside the Seventh-day Adventist Church which promise you spiritual success based on faulty theology. Stay away from non-biblical spiritual disciplines or methods of spiritual formation that are rooted in mysticism such as contemplative prayer, centering prayer, and the emerging church movement in which they are promoted. Look WITHIN the Seventh-day Adventist Church to humble pastors, evangelists, Biblical scholars, leaders, and departmental directors who can provide evangelistic methods and programs that are based on solid Biblical principles and "The Great Controversy Theme."
Go forward, not backward! Use Christ-centered, Bible-based worship and music practices in church services. While we understand that worship services and cultures vary throughout the world, don't go backwards into confusing pagan settings where music and worship become so focused on emotion and experience that you lose the central focus on the Word of God. All worship, however simple or complex should do one thing and one thing only: lift up Christ and put down self. Worship methods that lift up performance and self should be replaced with a simple and sweet reflection of a Christ-centered, Biblical approach. To define it too closely is impossible but when you read in Scripture of the holiness of God's presence the Holy Spirit will help you to know what is right and what is wrong.
Go forward, not backward! Stand for truth though the heavens fall. Don't succumb to fanatical or loose theology that wrests God's Word from the pillars of Biblical truth and the landmark beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Don't be swayed with every little whim of "new" theology
or complicated time chart purporting to carefully explain unusual or obscure concepts that have little to do with our overall theology and mission. The historic Biblical beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church will not be moved. The Biblical foundation will stand secure to the end of time. Listen to what we are told in Selected Messages, Book 1, pages 207-208, "What influence is it that would lead men at this stage of our history to work in an underhand, powerful way to tear down the foundation of our faith----the foundation that was laid at the beginning of our work by prayerful study of the Word and by revelation?........We are God's commandment-keeping people..every phase of heresy has been brought to bear upon us, to becloud our minds regarding the teaching of the Word---especially concerning the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, and the message of Heaven for these last days, as given by the angels of the fourteenth chapter of Revelation. Messages of every order and kind have been urged upon Seventh-day Adventists, to take the place of the truth which, point by point, has been sought out by prayerful study, and testified to by the miracle-working power of the Lord. But the waymarks which have made us what we are, are to be preserved, and they will be preserved, as God has signified through His Word and the testimony of His Spirit. He calls upon us to hold firmly, with the grip of faith, to the fundamental principles that are based upon unquestionable authority."
Go forward, not backward! Stand firm for God's Word as it is literally read and understood. Of course, we must always humbly recognize that we are finite, fallen creatures observing the works of an infinite omnipotent God. There are things in both of God's two great books of nature and Scripture that we do not fully comprehend. In fact, we are told that the sacrifice of Jesus will be "the science and the song of the redeemed throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity." But that which the Lord in His mercy has given to us in clear language to be taken as fact simply because He said so must not be shrouded in skepticism. Don't go backwards to misinterpret the first eleven chapters of Genesis or other areas of Scripture as allegorical or merely symbolic. As just this week we have once again affirmed in an overwhelming manner, the Seventh-day Adventist Church both teaches and believes in the biblical record of creation which took place recently; in six literal, consecutive, contiguous 24 hour days. The Seventh-day Adventist Church will never change its stand or belief in that foundational doctrine. If God did not create this world in six literal days and then blessed the Sabbath day, why are we worshipping Him today on this seventh-day Sabbath as SEVENTH-DAY Adventists? To misunderstand or to misinterpret this doctrine is to deny God's Word and to deny the very purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist movement as the remnant church of God called to proclaim the three angels' messages with Holy Spirit power. Don't go backwards to atheistic or theistic evolution, go forward to the prophetic understanding that loyalty to God, the Creator and Redeemer, will be seen in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath as the distinguishing characteristic of God's people in the very end of time. Seventh-day Adventist Church members, hold your leaders, pastors, local churches, educators, institutions, and administrative organizations accountable to the highest standards of belief based on a literal understanding of Scripture. Utilize wonderful resources such as the Biblical Research Institute's new book on hermeneutics that helps us know the correct way to interpret the Scriptures.
Again we read in Selected Messages, Book 1, on p. 170, "We must be careful lest we misinterpret the Scriptures. The plain teachings of the Word of God are not to be so spiritualized that the reality is lost sight of. Do not overstrain the meaning of sentences in the Bible in an effort to bring forth something odd in order to please the fancy. Take the Scriptures as they read." I praise the Lord that Nancy and I were both raised by godly parents. In neither of our homes did we ever hear one disparaging word about the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy. We were both brought up to fear the Lord and reverence His Word.
A few weeks ago I lost my precious marked Bible while traveling. While Itreasured it and I'm so sad not to have it with me today, I praise the Lord I have not lost the Word of God. You have not lost the Word of God! You have it in your hands either in printed form or on your iPhone, iPAD, or other electronic device. We must never take for granted the freedom we have to read and study God's Word. Ellen White spoke poignantly about the Bible in 1909 at her last public appearance at a General Conference Session. After speaking, she left the platform and then came back and took hold of a large Bible and with trembling hands held it out to the congregation and said, "Brothers and Sisters, I commend unto you this book." Today my dear brothers and sisters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we must stand firm on the foundation of Scripture. As God's "people of the Book," let us read the Bible, live the Bible, teach the Bible and preach the Bible with all power from on high.
Go forward, not backward! Let Scripture be its own interpreter. Our church has long held to the Historical-Biblical method of understanding scripture, allowing the Bible to interpret itself; line upon line, precept upon precept. However, one of the most sinister attacks against the Bible is from those who believe in the Historical-Critical method of explaining the Bible. This unbiblical approach of "higher criticism" is a deadly enemy of our theology and mission. This approach puts a scholar or individual above the plain approach of the scriptures and gives inappropriate license to decide what he or she perceives as truth based on the resources and education of the critic. Stay away from this type of approach because it leads people to distrust God and His Word. Selected Messages, Book 1, pp 17-18 speaks directly to this issue. "When men, in their finite judgment, find it necessary to go into an examination of scriptures to define that which is inspired and that which is not, they have stepped before Jesus to show Him a better way than He has led us..let not a mind or hand be engaged in criticizing the Bible..cling to your Bible, as it reads, and stop your criticisms in regard to its validity, and obey the Word, and not one of you will be lost."
Go forward, not backward! Accept the Spirit of Prophecy as one of the greatest gifts given to the Seventhday Adventist Church not just for the past but even more importantly for the future. While the Bible is paramount in our estimation as the ultimate authority and final arbiter of truth, the Spirit of Prophecy provides clear, inspired council to aid our application of Bible truth. It is a heaven-sent guide to instruct the church in how to carry out its mission. It is a reliable theological expositor of the Scriptures. The Spirit of Prophecy is to be read, believed, applied and promoted. It is not to be used as a "club" to beat people over the head, but it is to be regarded and employed as a marvelous blessing to direct God's church in the last days of this earth's history. Let me repeat a conviction of mine, there is nothing antiquated or archaic about the Spirit of Prophecy; it is for today and until Christ returns.
GO FORWARD
Members of God's remnant church, God is telling us as we come to the end of time, "Go Forward." Go Forward in lifting up Christ and proclaiming God's grace; Go forward in presenting the three angels' messages; Go forward in pleading for revival and reformation; Go forward in following the Bible as it reads; Go forward in reading and adhering to the counsel of the SOP; Go forward in proclaiming to the world the good news of salvation and the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ.
God's grace is leading people all over the world to "Go Forward." We must continually lift up the banner of public evangelism at all times. The proclamation of God's grace and the three angels' messages are changing people everywhere. The Holy Spirit is working on the hearts of those who hear this precious Advent message through your words and evangelistic witness...your proclamation of God's grace. We need to integrate evangelism into every aspect of life such as many places have done including the great South American Division where "integrated evangelism" is simply a way of life.
One example of this comes to us from the Euro-Asia Division. A few years ago, Vasili was a police officer in Moldova. He became convicted about Bible truth and this precious Advent message and wanted to be baptized as a Seventh-day Adventist. When he told his family about his new found faith, his father and mother said they would disown him, his brother said he would no longer consider him a brother, his wife, Galina, said she would divorce him, and his police commander said he would never give him Sabbaths off.
Vasili agonized with God praying that He would give him a direct answer to prayer through simply opening his Bible to a text. What should he do? He opened his Bible and by God's grace, his eyes caught the words of Matthew 10:35-38 where Jesus explains how family can be our enemies and says that if you love father or mother more than Christ, you are not worthy of Christ. Vasili felt led to heed Jesus' command to take up his cross and follow Him.
Vasili thanked God. He made his decision. He went to the Seventh-day Adventist church and was baptized. When he told his wife that he had been baptized, she said she already had divorce papers ready. Vasili didn't get agitated but told her he loved her.
Believing that they would support her objections, Galina accompanied Vasili to tell his family the news of his baptism. But to her surprise, Vasili's parents and brother accepted his decision without objection. Vasili next went to his commanding police officer with his letter of resignation, explaining that he had been baptized. The officer said "What is that? Take it away and take off one week to think about things." After a week, Vasili returned and again offered his resignation. Instead of accepting it, the commanding officer promoted Vasili so he wouldn't have Sabbath conflicts.
About this time, Vasili's wife, Galina, developed a serious problem at her work where she was the cashier. The total for the day didn't add up and the company said she owed the money. In desperation she asked Vasili to pray for her and he invited her to pray with him about the problem. The next day Galina found the accounting error for the exact amount of money. Vasili invited her to give her heart to God for answering their prayer, but she refused.
Later Galina's mother got cancer and Vasili and Galina visited her and prayed for her. Through God's intervention she was healed! Galina's heart was softened and she went straight to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was baptized. I'm so happy to report to you today that Vasili Garascuic is now the treasurer of the Moldova Union and by God's grace Vasili and Galina are present with us today. Would you kindly stand? Praise God for the saving power of His grace!