What does it mean to you to be a Seventh Day Adventist Christian? Why are you an Adventist? Why not a Methodist? Or a Baptist? Or a Presbyterian? Are they not Christians? Do they not believe in the Gospel of Salvation by Grace through Faith in Jesus?
I see a lot of signs that as a denomination Seventh Day Adventists are beginning to suffer from an identity crisis. We seem to have lost that sense of a special calling from God. All around us clamors the voice of the ecumenical movement. Inter-denominational and non-denominational are the buzzwords of the modern Christian era. "Proselytism", on the other hand, has become an expletive. Para-church organizations like Promise Keepers have equated "sectarianism" with "racism" and have vowed to stamp out both within the church by the turn of the millennium. I believe that it is more unpopular to stand apart in the Christian world today than ever before. Is it any wonder then, that many Adventists, particularly the young, are calling for us to stop pushing our distinctive doctrines so hard and to refocus on the simple, basic Gospel message?
This turn of events is actually very ironic since the Seventh Day Adventist Church grew out of an inter-denominational movement in the mid 1800's. These people from a variety of faith groups were drawn together by a compelling hope in the imminent return of their Savior, and by the rediscovery of Bible truths that had long been lost in the apostasy of the Middle Ages. By the mid 1860's when they formally organized as a denomination, our founders had a very distinct understanding of their calling and mission from God. Their calling was to proclaim the Three Angels' Messages to the whole world.
To those among us who are calling for a renewed focus on the Gospel, I applaud your spirit. I’ll be the first to admit that we’ve often been guilty of not giving it the emphasis it deserves. The Gospel is the foundation of the Christian experience. It is the Gospel that breaks the sinner’s heart and leads him to a relationship with Christ. The Gospel is the basis of all we hold dear. It is, in fact, the first angel's message. Revelation 14:6 tells us that the first angel had an eternal gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth.
Although the Gospel is where we must begin, it cannot be where we end. There are, after all, two more angels with two more messages. The second angel's message: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality." Rev 14:8. Babylon is religious confusion - false systems of worship. The angel is able to say that Babylon is fallen, because truth has been revealed. Truth is the double-edged sword by which Babylon is slain.
I want to take a moment to talk about doctrines. Doctrines are not merely traditions. Doctrines are not simply Church teachings. Doctrines are not the structure and procedures outlined in our Church Manual. Doctrines are those great themes that are woven throughout the fabric of scripture. They are principles that reappear in the books of the Bible from beginning to end. They describe for us the very character of God. Every doctrine must be centered in God. Each doctrine brings to light another small facet of the nature of our Creator. Our doctrines work together to paint a complete picture of the God we know and love. If we begin to back off on our doctrines, we begin to lose sight of God. Every doctrine that is wiped away, obscures from our view another piece of the essence of our Redeemer and King. Truth dispels error. The light of God's countenance causes Babylon to fall. Abandon the truth, and Babylon will rise again.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. Is anyone here familiar with the Calvinist doctrine of predestination? This doctrine states that God predetermines who will be saved and who will be lost before He creates them – before they are born. If that is not bad enough by itself, try combining it with the doctrine of an eternal hell where the lost burn forever. Some of our fellow Christians in other denominations actually teach this. Put these two together and you are left with a God who would create multiplied millions of people who will never have any other chance except to burn in hell forever. They will never even have a chance at salvation. God created them for the sole purpose of making them writhe in agony for eternity. What kind of God would do something like that? Certainly not a God of love! Certainly not a God of Justice and Mercy! Do you see why it is so important that people understand the truth about the Great Controversy, the state of the dead, about hell, the origin of sin, and the balance between Law and Grace? Bad doctrines give you a bad picture of the character of our God.
The second angel’s message is all about doctrines. The third angel's message is a stern warning about the beast and his mark. It asks the question, "Who will you worship? Who will you obey? God or Satan? Jesus or the Dragon? The Lamb or the beast? Here’s something for you to think about. Ellen White once wrote that "In verity, [or in truth] righteousness by faith is the third angel's message." Think about that for a while.
I do want to make one other observation about the Three Angels' Messages. The first angel's message is indeed to those who have never come to know Jesus as their Savior. It is an evangelistic message. But the second and third angels' messages are to those who already call themselves Christians. By their very nature, they are prosyletic messages. Do not be ashamed of your calling!
By the time we finish today, I want you to have a renewed sense of your purpose as a Seventh Day Adventist. As a denomination, I believe that we have faithfully fulfilled God's commission to carry the Three Angels' Messages to the world. But God is not done with us yet. He still has one more message for us to give. It is the Elijah Message.
The Elijah Message
God has a special message that he sends to the people of the world to announce his coming. He promised the people of Israel that He would send the prophet Elijah to announce the coming of the Messiah. He would be a forerunner of the King and would proclaim a special message to the world. Let’s take a look at this promise in the book of Malachi. As you read these passages, ask yourself if the context is that of Jesus' first coming, or of His second.
Mal 3:1-3
1 "Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the
way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple,
even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,
" says the LORD of hosts.
2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand
when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; he will purify
the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer
to the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Chapter 4 gives us the promise again with more detail.
Mal 4:1-6
1 "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and
all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which
is coming shall burn them up," says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them
neither root nor branch.
2 But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise
with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed
calves.
3 You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles
of your feet on the day that I do this," says the LORD of hosts.
4 "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant , which I commanded
him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming
of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
6 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth
with a curse."
Verses 5 and 6 are very significant. "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant…Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet…" Moses and Elijah. The Law and the Prophets. Remember how those go together. We will see it again.
Who was Elijah and what was his message? Let’s read through the story in 1 Kings 18 about the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel. The context is that the Northern Kingdom of Israel was in apostasy. King Ahab had married Jezebel, the daughter of a high priest of Baal, and had led Israel into idolatry. In order to get Israel's attention, God sent Elijah to prophecy about a drought that would beset Israel for three and a half years. Ahab was furious with Elijah and had been searching for him to put him to death. When the time was right - when God had gotten Israel's attention with the drought - He sent Elijah to meet Ahab. God had a message for His people.
It is important to note that the Israelites still considered themselves to be God's chosen people. They still identified themselves as followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They just weren't willing to live up to their side of the covenant. They fell into the idolatry of their queen and of the surrounding nations. They built altars to Baal and set up Ashera poles and bowed down to them. Let's go ahead and read the whole story of Elijah on Mount Carmel.
IKing 18:17-46
17 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him,
"Is that you, O troubler of Israel?"
18 And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your
father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the
LORD and you have followed the Baals.
19 "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel,
the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets
of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets
together on Mount Carmel.
- Here is the message that God had for the people of Israel - the Elijah Message.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him."
- "Get off the fence! Make a commitment! If the Lord is God then follow Him!"…But look how they responded to this call…
But the people answered him not a word .
- The Israelites wanted to be known as God's chosen people, but they refused to make a commitment to follow the Him.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of
the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 "Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one
bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no
fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood,
but put no fire under it.
24 "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the
name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the
people answered and said, "It is well spoken."
25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for
yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of
your god, but put no fire under it."
26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared
it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, "O
Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice; no one answered. And they leaped
about the altar which they had made.
27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry
aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is
on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened."
28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom,
with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the
offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered,
no one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all
the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was
broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of
the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come,
saying, "Israel shall be your name."
32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD;
and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid
it on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on
the burnt sacrifice and on the wood."
34 Then he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second
time; and he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time.
35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the
trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, " LORD God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel
and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
37 "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that
You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You
again." (Note this phrase. We read it in Malachi.)
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice,
and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that
was in the trench.
39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their
faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"
40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal!
Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them
down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there
is the sound of {an} abundance of rain."
42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to
the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between
his knees,
43 and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So
he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And seven times
he said, "Go again."
44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There
is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So
he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the
rain stops you.'"
45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with
clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to
Jezreel.
46 Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded
up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab {as a forerunner to the king} to the entrance
of Jezreel.
The Jewish people knew that Elijah must come as a forerunner of the Messiah. This is one reason that they did not believe that Jesus was the Christ. Yet the Bible says that Malachi's prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus’ time.
Matt 16:28 - 17:13
28 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing
here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His
kingdom."
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and
John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;
2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like
the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with
Him.
- The Mount of transfiguration is a miniature picture of heaven. You have Jesus in His Glory. You have Moses who represents those who have died and have been resurrected. Then you have Elijah, who represents those who never taste death but are translated at Jesus' Second Coming. Notice once again that we see Moses and Elijah - representing the Law and the Prophets. Now Peter wasn't a theologian; he was a simple fisherman. But he did not miss the significance of what he was seeing. Look at Peter's next statement.
4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
- Isn't that an odd thing to say. Why in the world would Peter want to build three tabernacles? There is a good reason why. In the Jewish ceremonial system there were three annual feasts that were celebrated. The last of these feasts was the feast of tabernacles or booths, during which the Israelites would live in small shelters for 7 days. This feast was celebrated five days after the annual Day of Atonement, and immediately after the final great harvest of the crops in the fall. (See Leviticus 23:39) In Jewish tradition, this feast typified Israel's celebration after the Messiah had come and ushered in the Kingdom of God. To Peter this was it! Peter saw the Kingdom of God right before his very eyes. His immediate reaction was to prepare to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed
them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and
were greatly afraid.
7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be
afraid."
8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus
only.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them,
saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the
dead."
- On the way down the mountain, the disciples are trying to piece together what they have seen.
10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the
scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
11 Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is
coming first and will restore all things.
12 "But I say to you that Elijah has come already,
and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the
Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."
13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them
of John the Baptist.
Notice two things here. First, Jesus said that Elijah had already come in the person of John the Baptist. Second, He says that Elijah will come again. Jesus is referring here to His second coming and shows that the prophecy about Elijah will have a double fulfillment - once before His first coming, and once again before His second coming. How is it that Jesus could say that John the Baptist was Elijah?
Luke 1:13-17
13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for
your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
shall call his name John.
14 "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at
his birth.
15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy
Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
16 "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord
their God.
17 "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of
Elijah, [and here he quotes from Malachi] 'to turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom
of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
You see that it was not Elijah himself who would appear, but one who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. Remember Elijah’s message to the people. What was John the Baptist's message?
Matt 3:1-3
1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness
of Judea, saying,
2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying,
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord,
make His paths straight!'"
"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." Does this message sound familiar? There's a whole lot in that little word 'Repent'. It sounds very similar to, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God then follow him." In other words, "Repent" - turn from your sin and follow God. Does God have a similar message for His people before Jesus returns?
Rev 3:14 begins the message to the church of Laodicea. Laodicea in the last of the seven churches in Revelation. It represents the collective church on earth just before Jesus returns.
Rev 3:14-22
14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen,
the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says
this:
15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot;
I would that you were cold or hot.
16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of My mouth.
17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy,
and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and
miserable and poor and blind and ,
18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may
become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and {that}
the shame of your ness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint
your eyes, that you may see.
19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous
therefore, and repent.
20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice
and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he
with Me.
21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on
My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.' "
This is the Elijah message to God's end time church. 'Quit being lukewarm! Be zealous, and repent. How long will you falter between two opinions? Get off the fence! Make a commitment! If the Lord is God, then follow Him!' Did you notice that? God does not want us to be timid about our faith. He says to be zealous. Be bold. Be committed.
We all know the parable of the Ten Virgins. As the Bridegroom tarries, all ten virgins fall asleep. When the cry sounds at midnight, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh!", the virgins awake and five of them discover that they don't have oil for their lamps. Because they aren't prepared, they are shut out of the wedding feast. Please don't miss this point. The virgins represent the people who call themselves Christians. Not everyone who calls himself a Christian will enter into heaven. Elijah's message was for those who wanted to be called God's chosen people, but who were unwilling to follow Him. But my question for you here is this: If the virgins represent God's people, who gives the midnight cry? Guess what? Somebody wasn't sleeping.
The Elijah message is repeated in the book of Revelation with a clue as to who the messenger is.
Rev 18:1-5
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from
heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory
.
2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen
is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons
and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful
bird.
3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of
her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed {acts of} immorality
with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of
her sensuality."
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out
of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you
may not receive of her plagues;
5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has
remembered her iniquities.
The Elijah Message: Babylon is fallen…Come out of her my people. Make a decision. Who will you follow? Jesus or the dragon. The Lamb, or the beast.
So who is this angel? God uses the symbol of an angel as a messenger. In the last days, God will raise up a people for Himself who will bear a special message to the world. These people will come in the Spirit and Power of Elijah. The three angels of Revelation 14 are not three different messengers. They represent one messenger with a three-part message. We know very well what people were called to share the Three Angels' Messages with the world. This angel in Revelation 18 is not a different messenger either. It is the same people and the same message - but with a different power. We will talk about that power next week - the Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit. Revelation gives two more pictures of the Elijah People. Let's look at those descriptions.
Rev 7:1-4
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the
earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow
on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,
having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a
loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and
the sea,
3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees,
until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and
forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel
:
Are the 144,000 the only people who are saved? No. Verse 9 describes a
great multitude which no one could count, from every nation, standing before
the throne of God in white robes. A great multitude is saved, but the 144,000
are the Elijah People who are sealed before the little time
of trouble to and commissioned to carry the Elijah message to the world.
Rev 11:3-6
3 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses
, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands
that stand before the Lord of the earth.
5 And if anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of
their mouth and devours their enemies; and if anyone would desire
to harm them, in this manner he must be killed.
6 These have the power to shut up the sky, in order that rain
may not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over
the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague,
as often as they desire.
Who are the two witnesses? Zechariah 4 tells us that the olive trees represent
the Holy Spirit and the lampstands represent the Word of God. Look at verse
6. Who shut up the sky so that rain did not fall for 3-1/2 years? Elijah.
Who turned the water to blood and called plagues down on Egypt? Moses. The
two witnesses - Moses and Elijah - the Law and the Prophets - The Word and
the Spirit. In the last days, the Elijah People will proclaim the Law of
the Word of God under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Moses had led the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness for forty
years. At the end of those forty years, Moses climbed to the top of Mount
Nebo and looked across the Jordan River into the land that God had promised
to His people. Moses would not enter in to the promised land, but would climb
that mountain to die. At the base of Mount Nebo, poised on the very edge
of the promised land, Moses gave his last counsel from God to the children
of Israel. He recounted the whole history of their deliverance from
in Egypt and their wanderings in the wilderness. Then he lay before them
the blessings they would receive from God if they obeyed His commands, and
the curses they would suffer if they turned their backs to Him. Now listen
to Moses' last plea to the people of God.
Deut 30:19-20
19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse
. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and
by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length
of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your
fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
All throughout the ages, God has raised up men to proclaim the Elijah Message
to His people. The message has always been the same. Moses at Mount Nebo
– "I have set before you life and death…Choose life that you may live!" Joshua,
after the conquest of Canaan – "Choose this day whom you will serve…As for
me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Elijah on Mount Carmel – "How long
will you falter between two opinions. If the LORD is God, then follow Him."
John the Baptist at the river Jordan – "Repent, for the kingdom of God is
at hand."
Just like Moses on Mount Nebo, we stand today poised on the verge of eternity.
We can see beyond the signs of the times and beyond the Great Tribulation
to Jesus’ Second Coming - to a new heaven and a new earth wherein righteousness
dwells. And God has a mission and a purpose for you
- oh Seventh Day Adventist Christian. He has given you a message for His
people that He has not entrusted to any other church or denomination. Make
a commitment to God right now. Accept His calling. Go forth and proclaim,
in the spirit and power of Elijah, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh. Babylon
is fallen…Come out of her My people."