I Want to Give My Heart to Jesus #11: The Troublous Century

Introduction

Today we will take in a century -- some will say a century that has been troublous for Adventism. In our last meeting, we realized the wondrous truth that had the pioneers of this movement been faithful, long ago the church would have experienced lift-off -- Jesus would have come to receive His people into glory, and the end would by now be past.

Over a century has passed now since the 1888 era. It is wise I hold, to review this period, and watch for what we may learn. Still we are seeking Jesus; still the fulfillment of the ultimate mission of Christianity beckons. As we now move rapidly to the end of this series (the week following is the last talk), let us look some things over together. We are fellow travelers. But how can we ever attain our destination if the bugs cover the windshield and obscure our seeing? Get the bug-cleaner, and press the button, and put the wipers on full. Perhaps we will see through the storm and into our near-term future this day.

A Passage to Reflect On

Let us open our Bibles today to 1 Timothy 3:15. We -- God's church -- are on a journey. As we consider this day some of the awkward swervings of the church through this past century, let's have something straight in our mind. Let's take this occasion to remind ourselves somewhat of what the Bible teaches about His church.

A church, according to the New Testament, is an ekklesia, a gathering of those "called out." They are called out for more than a static purpose. They are not called out to stand aside in the corner somewhere while Jesus detoxifies the planet. The churches are outposts, fortresses, bunkers on a rebel planet. They are local manifestations of God's kingdom on the battlefield.

Elders, the Bible says, are to be appointed in each local church. Churches have a membership so to speak, for the New Testament tells us that the Lord "added" to the church on a frequent basis. Who was added to the church? "Such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). Literally, those who "are being saved." Salvation is seen as a process all through the Bible. Being in the church is no guarantee one is saved. But it is a firm testimony that one has made a commitment to Jesus, to obey Him, has received Him as their personal Savior, and is letting Him work inside of them through His Spirit.

The church is "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). It is a visible community, a boundary and a borderline for truth. It is a place with a message, for to it God sends messengers, and messengers come with a message. The church is a group who are being saved, that is, they are undergoing a spiritual repair process together, as a family. They are letting Jesus work in them. They are a sign and a wonder in the world, a billboard set in definite time and definite space. They are in connection with God, so they are "up to date" about His message. The lives they live are to be representative of the power of the message they are called to communicate to the world they are called out of.

As heaven's outposts in a rebel world, churches are gatherings of believers who stand for something. This is where we get the word "denomination." A "denomination" is simply a group that is named. They have received or taken a name that stands for what they stand for. If you are non-denominated, you are unwilling to stand for something. But even groups claiming to be non-denominational have points they stand for, while sometimes minimal in number, still they exist. Therefore, even they are denominated churches. "Non-denominational" and "church" are a contradiction in terms.

We can speak of churches in several terms, positive and negative. Smaller churches are often called "sects." In some settings being called a sect is not much better than being called a "cult." Sometimes a "church" or a "denomination," to the mind of the hearer, is given a negative meaning. Those tags may evoke images of established organizations of perverted ecclesiastical power -- hollowed-out earthbound husks where the traditions and teachings of men rule and God's Word is mere decoration and justification for structures having long-ago abandoned heaven's mission and embarked on their own cold and lifeless existence.

Another thought: if a church has difficulty with indulging in the temptation to compromise its boundaries and beliefs, that is not necessarily its death-knell. In fact, it makes clear that there is still something in it worthy of protection, still something valuable and precious.

We are not independent atoms, but each one an integral member of the web of humanity criss-crossing time and space. We are called out of the world and into God's gathering-place. We become spiritually responsible to one another.

The church is a structure to support God's moral ideas. It is where the light is supposed to shine. All the challenges she faces will test her, but will call out our mutual help of one another. Down through history God's groups and structures plunge. Sometimes they are on target, sometimes they are not. Let us not forget too that the closer we get to the end of time, the more desperate are the workings of our adversary. The more aggressively he attacks Christ's body. No longer may he touch the head, but he can flail at the various members.

Perhaps we will always struggle with being a part of something else, with being responsible to others. But to the question, who is my brother, Jesus gives a firm answer. We are called out to a purpose, and that purpose includes working for the salvation of our brothers -- those "in" the sheepfold, and those "out" in the world. In a way the church is, of course, not even a building or an organization, but the people who compose it.

Jesus said He would make us all part of His temple, precious, polished stones (1 Peter 2:5). Hence, we are bricks in the moral wall God is building in this rebel world. Our lives are the boundary lines. No matter the failings or successes of the brick next to you in the wall, make sure you are firm. You represent Jesus. He has given you your work, and your are to take your place on the wall, in the trench, in the temple, and make it secure for the kingdom. We've all been armed with a ladder too, a rope to save the perishing, a part in heaven's plan.

In the passing rush of years we now review, we'll see some troublous spots, some missteps and wrong turns. But unless we realize from whence we've come we ourselves may do the rewind-thing and go back and commit like-mistakes. Our work still stands before us, and we need to cut a furrow like a laser beam straight along the line that God has marked out. Our great risk is that we will forget how we've been led and falter into the well-worn grooves of the prior religionists, who let their zeal harden into lifeless institutions, and sunk back into oblivion while they had signed-on for the Master's service. God grant this never happen to us. We want to give our hearts to Jesus. We've been working through some of these points for many weeks now.

Our own day is a new one, one of interest. We might call it the broadcast era.

Broadcast Era

Radio and television, then satellite, began to impact communication some time ago. The introduction of those things might well be labeled the beginning of the "broadcast era." But I will say that while that is technically true, the real impact these technologies have had on the church began to be felt when they were used by laymen and self-supporting ministries. For a period, their use had been limited to the organized church, which n those earlier years had the financial resources to experiment.

Time changed this. Along came videos, 3ABN, independently produced programs, and eventually, the world was realigned by the internet. These developments had powerful impact on the church. Negatively, it meant that virtually anyone anywhere could write against the SDA church and its beliefs, and regardless of the validity of their complaints it was published. Untruths about what we believe and teach could be spread as the leaves of autumn by the enemies of the faith. Over the years many, seemingly lacking a mission, have bent their energies to attacking our church, our beliefs, and Ellen G. White. The internet is populated with several "attack sites."

Once I began a project to make an evaluation of the top attack sites and their animus against Ellen White. I began to investigate their claims and concerns. At the time, I was employed by the White Estate, and had ready access to the vault and all of our historical materials. When I began to follow-up on the various charges against her and us, what had at first looked at least potentially impressive, showed itself to be far, far less. The charges were often wildly misstated, the complaints readily answerable by Scripture and historical fact. When I began to follow up on the historical references they made to various items, I often found their page numbers were wrong or in some cases did not exist. It was clear that the majority of their complaints were either patched together from second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth-hand sources, or made up entirely out of thin air. Time never permitted me to finish that project, although having looked into it more carefully than I had before I saw the need for positive sites like GreatControversy.org. That's where I've put some of my energies since then. And that points us to another development more positive.

While the attack sites surely are a negative development, at the same time the church is able to use the internet in a positive way. We can publish the three angel's messages around the world. I remember my great rejoicing I had as one day I was looking over the logs for GreatControversy.org and I spotted that we had been getting repeat hits from Kuwait. But there is more.

In the past, if it was decided by certain within the church that no more would we discuss the "nature of Christ," no more would we publish "last generation theology," no more would we emphasize in print the implications of "righteousness by faith in the end-time setting," the gate-keepers would simply close the gates. That was that. But with the internet, now our members can network directly with each other. Now we can publish the third angel's message without the intervention of self-appointed theological revisionists or gate-keepers blocking the way. Now we can introduce the deep truths of Adventism to a new generation -- who predominantly use their computers and internet connections to process information. No Roy Adams or William Johnsson or Marvin Moore or anyone else can effectively interpose.

The door is standing wide-open for God's people to hold their leadership's feet (but appropriately) to the fire as never before. No longer may opportunity and position become weapons turned against the best interests of the flock.

When ever has a church lowered its standards, compromised its beliefs, and ever recovered them again? As one having looked into church history I cannot recount to you even one meaningful sustained example. Through all the earth's previous journey until the past century or so, limitations in communication of knowledge and information have made it possible to keep learning or information locked-up within self-appointed gate-keeping groups. Today, all this is changed; no longer will church members ever rely upon in the same way as before, their appointed leaders to stay on and in sound paths. Now they can network together on a personal, worldwide basis. This is new. This is different.

Women's Ordination

Women's ordination has been another prominent issue in the last part of this century. Those of us who conscientiously oppose the practice have, it has appeared to me, more often than not been misrepresented in what we were saying and what we weren't saying. Nor does time here allow us even a glancing look into the topic. Suffice it to say that the underlying issue is the authority of Scripture and how we shall as a people interpret Scripture. We must never bend the Bible to fit our ideas of what is right, but ever let our ideas of what is right be conformed to the Bible.

Few of us who oppose women's ordination come naturally to that issue. We are driven there by the fact that how we will interpret Scripture has everything to do with who we are and what we shall become. Decisions with vast implications have been taken, and we want to revisit those because of those very implications. We ought not to ordain first and find a means of supporting the practice later, but first search the Scriptures and then determine what we shall do. We have had that process backwards too often. This must change before we shall see the face of Jesus.

But let us go back now. What has happened in the past century for the SDA church? What analysis might we make of these and other specific events in broader terms -- good things and bad?

Where We've Come From

End of the White Era

From the turn of the century to 1915 we discover the church going through several experiences. In the fall of 1900 Ellen G. White returns from Australia where she wrote Desire of Ages. In 1901 and 1903 the church sought to reorganize on improved principles more fitting for that new era, but we understand that perhaps they didn't fully achieve the best plan. The early days of the century were accompanied by a series of destructive fires in Battle Creek -- then the center of the work. The Press and the sanitarium burned down, and the people finally dispersed somewhat. The churches headquarters were relocated to Washington D.C.

Albion Fox Ballenger challenged the sanctuary teaching and left the church. J. H. Kellogg likewise veered off into pantheism and left -- that was said to be the alpha of apostasy. Mrs. White predicted that the omega -- a final apostasy yet greater in magnitude and of a most startling nature -- was yet to come. Mrs. White did a great deal of writing and publishing during this time, and finally passed to her rest in 1915.

So closed the era where the church was directly guided by the prophet.

Sect-into-Church Era

The next several decades were marked by increasing structure and church-becoming-ness. In the early 1930s the church manual that had been rejected by the pioneers of the movement was finally published. Years rolled past until the conferences of the 1950s with the evangelicals and a book was published, no authors given, called Questions on Doctrine (QOD). That book was the result of a young Calvinist author who had been going around writing books on cults. When he knocked on the door of our church, the leaders were terrified that he would turn his pen against Seventh-day Adventists.

They bent over backwards to accommodate his concerns, called old-line Adventists a "lunatic fringe," and in 1957 published their book. The nature of Christ was thoroughly rewritten, and other concessions made. Whether they realized fully what they were doing or not, they were embarking on a decisive directional shift. Henceforth our lineage back to the Radical Reformation would be minimized and to the Magisterial Reformation emphasized. Henceforth Adventism would veer rapidly to a forensic -- counted -- salvation only, and away from the authentic SDA understanding of salvation. The foundations were here laid for years and years of conflict and controversy that has followed. Leaders in that era were asleep at the switch, and we have been paying a severe price ever since. In 1980 the church even added the doctrine of "unity."

It occurred to me that we here this morning might have an interest in knowing how that pivotal book and redirection of our faith is being presented to young ministers studying for service. Listen to this, from the newly revised current book teaching our denominational history: "Revisions of books in the 1940's that Adventists regarded as old standbys [Uriah Smith's Daniel and Revelation, and also the churches Bible Readings for the Home were then revised] represented clarification of doctrine rather than substantive changes. Some Adventists saw a compromise in Questions on Doctrine, but if it was there, the Protestant world missed it. Soon after its publication, a reviewer described his disappointment that Adventists had not changed anything" (Lightbearers, Richard W. Schwarz, Floyd Greenleaf, Pacific Press, 2000, p. 456). O, but they certainly had! Even QOD asked its readers to not identify Adventism with, or stigmatize it for, "certain limited and faulty concepts held by some, particularly during our formative years" (QOD, p. 32).

Indeed, the precious truths of the humanity of Christ we looked at in our second message, years ago were put off-limits for serious discussion. But before that there was a strong time -- a period when Adventism was on the verge of attaining its fruition -- of giving the third angel's message with all its ripened implications. That was during the Pierson era -- an episode not even presented at all in our newly revised history book. But we note it here.

In 1973-1974 Robert H. Pierson was our General Conference President. Herbert Douglass and Kenneth Wood led over at the Review, and a tremendous opening for a revival occurred when major councils of the church made extraordinary admissions about the delay of Jesus' return. Listen to what our Annual Council announced to the Adventist world in 1973: "We believe that the return of Jesus has been long delayed, that the reasons for the delay are not wrapped in mysteries, and that the primary consideration before the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to reorder its priorities individually and corporately so that our Lord's return may be hastened."

In 1974 the Annual Council added, "The question 'Why do we keep Him waiting?' should hover over every Adventist home, over every church meeting, large or small. We believe that God is willing to do through this generation what He has wanted to do for many decades. We believe that He ought to be given the opportunity to show through His people today that His grace is sufficient to keep men from falling (See Jude 24), that men and women living amidst temptation and sin can conquer even as Jesus conquered (see Revelation 3:21), and that His way of life produces the happiest, kindest, most trustworthy people on earth."

(You can read the full text of these stirring appeals online at http://www.greatcontroversy.org/documents/papers/19731974.html).

These were searching calls along the watchtower. Some balked at the pleading words and the years rolled on. Pierson's health declined and he retired as the 1970s neared their close. In 1978 he gave a poignant warning to the world church. Let us share copiously.

Pierson's 1978 Warning Address

This will be the last time that in my present role [General Conference President] I shall stand before the world leaders of my church, your church, our church, and I have a few words to leave with you.

I take my thoughts from something that Elder and Mrs. Ralph Neall have written describing how typically a sect evolves into a church. They say a sect is often begun by a charismatic leader with tremendous drive and commitment and that it arises as a protest against worldliness and formalism in a church. It is generally embraced by the poor. The rich would lose too much by joining it, since it is unpopular, despised, and persecuted by society in general. It has definite beliefs firmly held by zealous members. Each member makes a personal decision to join it and knows what he believes. There is little organization or property, and there are few buildings.

The group has strict standards and controls on behavior. Preachers, often without education, arise by inner compulsion. There is little concern about public relations.

And then it passes on to the second generation. With growth there comes a need for organization and buildings. As a result of industry and frugality, members become prosperous. As prosperity increases, persecution begins to wane. Children born into the movement do not have to make personal decisions to join it. They do not necessarily know what they believe. They do not need to hammer out their own positions. These have been worked out for them. Preachers arise more by selection and by apprenticeship to older workers than by direct inner compulsion.

In the third generation, organization develops and institutions are established. The need is seen for schools to pass on the faith of the fathers. Colleges are established.

Members have to be exhorted to live up to the standards, while at the same time the standards of membership are being lowered. The group becomes lax about disfellowshiping nonpracticing members. Missionary zeal cools off. There is more concern over public relations. Leaders study methods of propagating their faith, sometimes employing extrinsic rewards as motivation for service by the members. Youth question why they are different from others, and intermarry with those not of their faith.

In the fourth generation there is much machinery; the number of administrators increases while the number of workers at the grass-roots level becomes proportionately less. Great church councils are held to define doctrine. More schools, universities, and seminaries are established. These go to the world for accreditation and tend to become secularized. There is a reexamination of positions and modernizing of methods. Attention is given to contemporary culture, with an interest in the arts: music, architecture, literature. The movement seeks to become 'relevant" to contemporary society by becoming involved with popular causes. Services become formal. The group enjoys complete acceptance by the world. The sect has become a church!

Brethren and sisters, this must never happen to the Seventh-day Adventist Church! . . . . You are the men and women sitting in this sanctuary this morning on whom God is counting to assure that it does not happen.

Already, brethren and sisters, there are subtle forces that are beginning to stir. Regrettably there are those in the church who belittle the inspiration of the total Bible, who scorn the first 11 chapters of Genesis, who question the Spirit of Prophecy's short chronology of the age of the earth, and who subtly and not so subtly attack the Spirit of Prophecy. There are some who point to the reformers and contemporary theologians as a source and the norm for Seventh-day Adventist doctrine. There are those who allegedly are tired of the hackneyed phrases of Adventism. There are those who wish to forget the standards of the church we love. There are those who covet and would court the favor of the evangelicals; those who would throw off the mantle of a peculiar people; and those who would go the way of the secular, materialistic world.

Fellow leaders, beloved brethren and sisters -- don't let it happen! I appeal to you as earnestly as I know how this morning -- don't let it happen! I appeal to Andrews University, to the Seminary, to Loma Linda University -- don't let it happen! We are not Seventh-day Anglicans, not Seventh-day Lutherans -- we are Seventh-day Adventists! This is God's last church with God's last message! . . . . You are the men and women, the leaders, whom God is counting on to keep the Seventh-day Adventist Church God's remnant church, the church God has destined to triumph!

. . . . I believe this morning, fellow leaders, that God is looking for men and women, intrepid leaders, men and women who love God's church and God's truth more than they love their lives, to see that this church under God goes through to the kingdom. The task ahead of us is not going to be easy. If I understand the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy aright this morning, ahead lies a time of trouble, a time of challenge such as this church and this world have never before known.

The servant of the Lord tells us, 'The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless' (Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 204-205).

The Seventh-day Adventist Church had its alpha years ago. You and I are the leaders who will face the omega that will be of the same subtle, devilish origin. Its effect will be more devastating than the alpha. Brethren, I beg of you, study, know what is ahead, then with God's help prepare your people to meet it! . . . . Fellow leaders, it may be that in the not too distant future you will have to meet it. I pray God will give you grace and courage and wisdom. (Adventist Review, October 26, 1978).

Brethren and sisters, 1978 was 23 years ago. Some of us here still had children living at home back when Elder Pierson gave that call. Some of us were not old enough to drive. Some of us were not even Adventists. I was just entering High School, not a Christian, and had never heard of Adventists. Some in my hearing today had yet to be born. But here we all are now. Twenty-four years ago, our General Conference President said that one day you and I would face the omega. He called us to "Study, know what is ahead, then with God's help prepare your people to meet it!" Some of us still take this call very seriously. Some of us here have never heard it before this hour. May we join in taking it seriously still indeed.

Desmond Ford Crisis

Pierson's plaintive call was not verbalized without serious reason for concern. He saw many things coming and developing. Just here is where we ought to speak at length of Robert Brinsmead and of Desmond Ford, but we have only a small space. I couldn't skip over 1888 last Sabbath, but the Ford crisis is still recent enough and far-reaching enough that it too should have its own day. Next week we'll address it briefly. But for now, just in a nutshell, let's touch it.

Out of Australia came Desmond Ford. A gifted writer, an extraordinary speaker, a brilliant mind, attended him. But he found himself unable to agree with the views of the investigative judgment we see sustained in the Bible and Ellen G. White. His gospel -- and this is most important -- was thoroughly justificationist. That is to say, there is nothing wrong with justification rightly understood, but that Ford saw the gospel in a most objective and legal sense. He had doubts -- and expressed them -- on the day-for-a-year principle, on various points in our interpretation of prophecy, and on what happened in 1844 at the close of the 2300 days/years.

He was moved from Australia to the USA where he would be a "big fish in a big bowl," instead of being in Australia, "a big fish in a small bowl." But his views and popularity and influence only increased. Finally, in 1979 he spoke publically at Pacific Union College and mentioned that he had not accepted the SDA view on the investigative judgment for over 20 years. If you want his exact words, they're not hard to find. They're online somewhere -- I just refreshed on them last night.

A meeting was called, Ford was given several months to prepare a defense of what he had said, and finally a substantial group of scholars and administrators met at Glacier View Colorado. Not all agreed, but in the end Ford's credentials were discontinued shortly after the conference.

That was a tumultuous time. Some of us were in the church and went through that period. Probably there had never been a time quite like that in the church since 1888. But there was something very different. In 1888 an emphasis came that was clearly endorsed of God and affirmed the truths that had come before, that had been carefully arrived at following the disappointment of 1844. Now along came one who's publically expressed views disagreed with points heaven had explicitly endorsed. He taught a gospel that was alien in its essence to Adventism. Ford says that "righteousness by faith is justification only." But consider the many, many scriptural evidences given from this pulpit in past weeks that the gospel is both justification and sanctification, both imputed and imparted, both legal/forensic and healing.

The Reformation was begun 500 years ago, but it soon stalled. God kept throwing fuel into the fire to keep it going. The Methodists and others were developed along the way, and then He came to the time when He threw the fuel on the fire and the Advent movement began. When that stalled He brought up the Seventh-day Adventists. Now we have all this light and a whole church to share it through, and yet a group among us would prefer that we throw it all away and go backwards to a position that is 500 years old where the Magisterial Reformers left off. They would throw out the investigative judgment, reintroduce original sin, limit salvation to mere legal transaction, and of course discredit virtually all that so far has been wrought out in giving the third angel's message to the world.

But when we see and so clearly see, the truths of Scripture, incessantly affirming the beauty of the gospel as understood so biblically by SDAs, the price is too high. It is asking us to turn our backs on the Lord Jesus and do salvation our way. It is like the old hamburger commercial they had on TV some years back, where one fast food chain assured the listeners that if they came there, they could "have it their way." Brothers and sisters, we cannot just come to Jesus and have it our way. We must have it, and have it His way. Or it is not salvation at all.

The Door, the Church, and Salvation

We said near the beginning of today's presentation that the church was "the pillar and ground of the truth." She is the outpost, the marker-place, the gateway. We might also say she is the door, the entry-place to the body of Christ.

Her task is never to proclaim truth outside of God's truth; never to set herself apart on some stray fluff-cloud to do her own theological-freelancing. She is answerable to her Head, and her head is Christ. He is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23).

Let us move to the conclusion of our meeting today observing again insights about the church. Turn with me to John 10:1-18.

Remember John nine? Jesus healed a fellow there who had been born blind. The religious authorities came there and demanded to know what had happened. They had a big hearing, but everyone knew that they were ready to throw people out of the church if they were to say that Jesus had done anything in healing the fellow. Being thrown out of the synogogue was like being thrown out of the church. When it was all said and done, they knew that Jesus had healed the fellow, and they proceeded to throw him out of the church anyway! Such an act didn't fit their gospel conceptions. Those born blind were born that way because for some pitiful reason, God was mad at them to begin with. They were sinners, and were to be left in the gutters to rot. But now Jesus comes along and heals this fellow. Whenever someone gets healed the legal religionists all go into a fit.

It is with that preceding context that Jesus launches into His exposition in John ten. There is a door to enter the sheepfold by, and that door is Christ. There are other ways to climb up, but they are robber's ways. The one who enters by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep. He leads them in and out, and by what means? By His voice. And when He goes, He goes before them, and they accompany, following. In John 10:1-6 He tells them the parable with Himself as the Shepherd and the sheepfold as a church. Remember, the church is the pillar and ground of the truth. We can't get in but by Christ. Being merely in the fold is not the goal, but being in the fold with Christ's protection and guidance.

Since they didn't understand that, Jesus tells it all over again, but now a bit differently. Now He says, starting in vs. 7, that He is the Door. Verse nine says that if anyone will enter by Christ, He will be saved. Anyone want to venture on this -- what do you think another way to translate "saved" here would be? The root, once again, is sodzo, the word that can be translated "save" and thought of in a legal and imputed perspective, or "heal," and thought of in a healing and imparted perspective. Jesus means both. His salvation is always a package deal.

The church then, of which Christ is the head and the Door into the sheepfold, is a place where people don't just "get saved," but "get healed." Remember, the truth is there. Do you think that the truth has no effect, that it leaves wounds open and gaping in the wind? Do you think that Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, is such only in an indifferent way, only accounted such, only in the realm of ideas and symbolisms? Where Jesus is, there is life -- life so that here we are told, His followers may have it "more abundantly" (vs. 10).

This more abundance is more than the purely legal and ceremonial sense the Pharisees had who were so anxious to kick that formerly-blind one out for. Being joined to Christ and His church means to be joined to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It means that when He would heal, when He would give life, and give it more abundantly, we accept. It means that entering the sheepfold, we ourselves remain responsible; we do not enter in to pollute it, but to decorate it with lives that glorify our Savior. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep. He died that we might live. He died not that we might live in sin, but that we might live, and live more abundantly in victory over sin.

The church is a place for healing, not hiding. It is a sheepcote where we go in and out, active, busy, about our Father's work. It is a place where we come, not to lounge about creating our own "truth," balefully constructing our own philosophical legos and tinker-toys. It is the pillar and ground of the truth. It is not a place for people to be shouted-out or shouted down who want to hold fast to the truth. We are in the stronghold now. This is where we make our stand. This is where we defend truth and live truth, no matter the provocation or innovation. We are granted no leeway on that. We are to be a community, a house of prayer for all peoples, a church family, a place where mercy is manifest. Because it is the house of Jesus, it is even the body of Jesus. He has other sheep He would lead here. Then let us make it a pleasant place -- both for those desiring truth -- and those claiming to be changed by the truth. The church is no wax museum of passive, immobilized saints. If somehow anyone here has some frozenness, now let's become more persistent in following our Shepherd, in entering through the Door, and living and receiving the healing for sin Jesus so richly offers us.

Brethren and sisters, neither Adventism nor the world will be benefited if we add another century on top of this past one, and remain here earthbound delaying our Lord's return. We must arise and shine, with Jesus in the lead once again.

Conclusion

On the negative, we have seen the introduction of incompatible ideologies into the body. Their presence and promulgation has meant the arrival of effective pluralism. There are forces within today, attempting to revise and rewrite what we are. We've seen that. But we are prepared to stand in favor of the truth in the face of that. Take us out if you can! The Lord God of Israel will defend His people and His truth, so arm yourself well.

We've largely completed a transformation from sect to church, and not in the most positive sense. But the end is not yet. Our era has also seen, I think, the crystalization of the implications of our belief system. There is a work for the people to do before Jesus comes. Still it remains, but in 1973-1974 it was called to the attention of the whole church that this was so. The work of Herbert Douglass and Dennis Priebe, dealing with the implications of Adventism has been of fantastic importance. They built on Jones, Waggoner, White, and Andreason. Would that we would listen to them!

Our Father wants to bless His people and let them have a part in saving others. He has organized a system whereby we can join together as a church family in His service. We are a pretty demanding people. We are students of the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy writings, and they set the highest standard. But some of us have not realized the intense responsibility we have as family members -- church members. Heaven is calling us to be more aggressive about our experience. He is calling us to be more persistent in following the Lamb.

Over the course of this series we've had occasion now a few times to recount the journey of God's people across the horizon. We've seen how misconceptions on what salvation is have led off the track from time to time. And let's be honest: our church has had troubles following God even while having the direct help of the prophet's presence in our midst, and even more difficulty since 1915. Yet it remains to us to make ourselves available to God to use. It remains for us to be willing to work -- together -- in living and giving the third angel's message. And the fundamental agency which God has given to accomplish this, is in erecting the church.

True, the church, Jesus' grand lady has managed many missteps. We see then clearly that God's guidance is not magic. He refuses to intervene heavy-handedly and force us to come home. He walks with us in our blindness as He walked with the disciples on the Emmaus road. First, He guides, then He reveals, then we follow. But remember the Emmaus road. He revealed to them in all the Scriptures the things pertaining to Christ and then made as if He would go. They had an option then, either to invite Him to visit further or to let Him pass on. And they urged Him to visit further. Let us, as a people, be obedient to Him. Let us as a people, urge Him to visit further.

And see what happens next!

Next week, our second-to-last item in this series -- an item that is very current: in 2001 "It's 1979 Again."

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.