Welcome to this virtual camp meeting,
I am so delighted to be with you as I think of many of our
Pacific Rim countries. I have spent a good number of days holding evangelistic meetings
in many of those countries. I think of places like Korea
and the Philippines and Indonesia, Australia, the island fields of Papua
New Guinea and of course, am in China. And I am so delighted to be able to share with you the passion of my heart, and
that is faithfulness to Christ's mission. And as we launch into this topic this
evening, let's bow our heads to pray, father in heaven,
how thankful we are for Jesus. Our hearts have been inspired by the
music that we've listened to tonight. We rejoice in the fact that the Christ of the cross is the Christ who is
coming again to take us home. We're thankful that we have purpose and meaning in life
and that you've given us a mission to accomplish, inspire our hearts,
lift our vision, deepen within us, the desire to share your
love and your grace with those in the great cities and towns
and villages of our territories. We pray the in Christ name. Amen. I want you to imagine this scene, Jesus has just ascended to heaven
and there in heaven, Jesus meets with Gabriel
and Gabriel asks Jesus this question amidst billions of angels rejoicing amidst
songs and the singing of the Charif and the Seraphim as they're singing worthy
is the lamb that was slain to receive power in riches and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing. In the midst of all that,
Gabriel steps forward. And in my imagination, I see Gabriel talking to Jesus
and Gabriel says to Jesus, Lord, you poured out your life
to redeem human beings. Your suffering was incomprehensible,
even to the angels. Gabriel then steps back and says your death will provide eternal
life for all who accept it. But Jesus, does everybody know about your
sacrifice, your death, your incredible love
does all the world to understand that? Have they all heard the incredible
good news of the story of salvation? Jesus speaks. And in my imagination,
I hear him know Gabriel. They've not all heard. But right now there are just a few of my followers in Jerusalem that are
sharing my love and grace with others. Well, Master continues. Gabriel, what is your plan
for the entire human race? All humanity to hear of your love
and the message of salvation? Well, Gabriel, my plan is that each believer will carry the message
to the entire world. I told them to tell others who will tell. Others who tell others the story
of the cross, the story of grace, the story of buy
of the Bible and the story of truth. Gabriel's countenance changes. He decides he thinks that there may be
a possible flaw in the master's plan. But Jesus, what if Peter
goes back to fishing his fishing boats? What if Matthew
goes back to tax collecting? What if they become discouraged? What if they become disappointed, Lord? What if they fail to carry out your plan? What will you do then? Do you have some kind of a backup plan? After a pause,
the calm voice of Jesus speaks. Gabriel, I have no other plan. I'm counting on my church. Gabriel speaks again. But Lord, what if your
church becomes large? What if they become complacent? What if administrative
concerns crowd out mission? What if they focus on what they have
in the few small membership in the light of the communities,
in the light of these large cities? What if they forget? What
is your backup plan? And Jesus speaks? I have no backup plan. I'm counting on my church now, the scene, of course, is imaginary, but the lessons
it brings are not imaginary at all. Christ has no other plan
for spreading the gospel. If the work could have
been finished by angels. It would have been finished long ago. Jesus invites us to cooperate
with him in his mission. He invites us to make
disciples of all nations. That commission was given to the church. The charge to preach
the gospel to every nation. People kindred and tongue
was given to the church. The call to be as witnesses
was given to the church. Now Christ clarifies his priority for his church and for his
people in the book of Matthew. And if you have your Bible, and I sure
hope that you do turn to Matthew. The twenty eighth chapter in that chapter begins with the story
of the resurrection of Christ. And there, as Christ is resurrected from the dead, the women come to the tomb,
the two Marys to embalm his body. And there, as they have arrived at the tomb in Matthew, chapter twenty
eight and verse sixteen, we discover that these women, along with the disciples,
have instructions from Jesus. First, let's look at the
instructions from the angels to the women, and then look at the instruction from
Jesus directly himself to the disciples. We're going to get two verses,
verse seven and verse sixteen. So that's Matthew, chapter twenty eight,
verse seven and verse sixteen. Verse seven. Jesus speaking through the Angels. The Angels Give the message of Christ and verse seven go quickly and tell his
disciples that he's risen from the dead and in deed he's going before you went
to Galilee, there you will see him. Behold, I've told you the angels have
a commission, they have a message. And the message of the angels is to tell these women, to tell the disciples
to meet Jesus in Galilee. Now, let me ask you this question. If indeed, there is a message that is so vitally important for these
women to tell the disciples that it is carried by angels,
don't you think it's significant that meeting in Galilee must
have been extremely important? Heaven must have placed a very
high priority on that meeting. Then we come down to verse 16. The disciples themselves,
the Bible says, are instructed by Christ. And in verse 16, it says,
then the 11 disciples went away and to Galilee, to the mountain,
which Jesus appointed for them. This. Meeting was so important, this meeting was so critical
that not only did Angell's instruct the disciples, but Jesus
himself instructed them. So they left Jerusalem and traveled
that some 90 miles to Galilee. They traversed desert sands, they crossed mountain ridges,
they walked the rocky trails. They risked opposition from the Jewish authorities and persecution
and oppression from the Roman soldiers. But yet, with sweat tinged brows, aching backs,
and with the pain running down their legs from climbing up mountains and down
mountains they traversed to Galilee. Why? Because they had a priority
and their priority was to meet with Jesus, because before he ascended to heaven,
he had something important, something critical, something
absolutely vital to share with them. We look in on that important meeting
that Jesus placed top priority on. We look in on that meeting and Matthew,
the twenty eighth chapter. So if you have your Bible,
please turn to Matthew. Chapter twenty eight. These are the final words of Christ, the
last words of Christ to his disciples. Matthew, the twenty eighth chapter
and we're beginning there in Matthew chapter twenty eight
looking at verse sixteen. It took the best part of a week
for the disciples to get there. Matthew.
Twenty eight we're beginning. They are with the 16th verse,
then the 11 disciples went away on to Galilee, to the mountain,
which Jesus had appointed for them, you can never work for the multitudes
unless you first come to the mountain. You can never work in the great cities
unless you have instructions from Jesus to spend time with him to be
empowered for that mission. And so here. In Matthew, chapter 20, verse 16,
then the 11 disciples went away on to Galilee, to the mountain,
which Jesus had appointed for them when they saw him, they worshiped him,
but some doubted. That's an amazing phrase. Some doubted they doubted
then and they doubt now. They doubted there and they doubt here. They doubted in the first century and they doubt at least some people do
in the twenty first century. Have you ever sat
in a conference committee and outlined plans to reach the cities
of your division? And as you outlined those plans,
somebody raises their hand and says, but, you know, when they begin to say but you
know that they are going to begin to insinuate doubt,
it happened in the first century. It happens today. People doubt God's plans. They doubt God's power. They doubt whether it's possible
to reach the great cities. They will have various arguments. This village has never
been reached before. The peoples are uneducated. We don't think we can reach it. The people in the cities are postmodern. They're secular, they're educated. We don't think that it's possible
to make a major impact in the cities. Ellen White makes a remarkable
statement about doubt. She says in patriarchs
and Prophets Page two ninety. The obstacles that hinder our
progress will never disappear. Will what never disappear before? A halting, doubting spirit Christ commissioned to his disciples was
Go Advance Conker in my name. Doubter's never accomplish anything
very great for God at all. There are those who criticize the church for the evangelistic
methods that it's using. But here's what I've discovered. In 50 years of ministry. They do little themselves
to reach people for Christ. These armchair critics, writing from the comfortable convenience
of their studies, often direct missives at those who are giving their
lives in so many ministry. Castro life into so winning ministry. Reach out in the love and power
of Jesus to the cities. Don't listen to those
who criticize what you're doing. Simply move ahead in Jesus name
and watch what God does in your life. I love what Teddy Roosevelt, former American president,
said on April twenty nine. Nineteen twenty. He spoke in the Sorbonne in Paris and his words come echoing
and echoing down the centuries. Here's what Roosevelt said. It's not the critic who counts,
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer
of deeds could have done them better. You know, there's some people always
thinking, well, you could do this better, you could do it better,
that they may not be doing anything, but they're telling you
what you can do better. I continue here. Roosevelt said the credit belongs
to the man who's actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat
and blood, who strives valiantly, who airs but comes up,
who comes up short again and again because there is no effort without
error and shortcoming. But who does actually strive to do
the deeds? Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions? Who
spends himself in a worthy cause? Who at best knows in the end the triumph
of high in it, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring
greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who neither know no victory or defeat. This speech was called
The Man in the Arena. And I challenge you in the
Pacific Rim to be in the arena. Do something for Christ. We have the great cities in China, the great cities in Japan,
the great cities in Korea and Indonesia, in the Philippines,
in Australia, in New Zealand. These great cities are crying out to you
and me to give our lives to Seoul. Winning ministry.
Do not listen to the naysayers. Don't listen to the people
that say it can't be done. Don't listen to the critics who are trying to say that the methods
that you're using are ineffective. Let them demonstrate some
methods that are effective. But in the name of Jesus Christ,
go out in the arena with your sweat tinged brow, with commitment in your
heart to do something for Jesus. Jesus is not looking for critics. He's looking for Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, armed with the word
of God who go out to change the world. It takes little courage
to criticize what others are doing. It takes a lot of courage to go out and witness to your friends,
your neighbors with the matchless charms of Christ, to distribute literature, to
give out the missionary book of the year. It takes lots of.
Courage to step out with a new media program, it takes lots of courage to hold
the small group in your home, it takes lots of courage to enter in
unanswered territory to plant a church. It takes lots of courage to go out
into a city that has very few or no ads in us and to reach out
to them for Jesus Christ. When you think of doubter's in the Bible. What's the first name that comes to your mind, somebody says, yeah, well,
I'm thinking about Thomas. He he was he was a doubter. But wait a minute. Jesus took Thomas that doubter and transformed him by his
grace and threw his power. And Thomas, as far as we can tell, became a courageous missionary to India,
preached in the cities, landed not far from Chennai,
began to preach in those cities. And Thomas, one of the most courageous missionaries
of all time, overcame his doubts. You may have some doubts, but, you know, as we go into the cities to work for Jesus
and we see men and women of boys and girls redeemed by his grace and charm,
by his love, Jesus dispels those doubts. The scripture says some doubted. Don't let your doubts keep you
from doing what God wants you to do. Don't let your doubts strangle you. Don't let your doubts abort
your mission for Christ. Because Jesus gave this
instruction in Matthew. Chapter twenty eight.
Back to our text. Notice what Scripture says, Matthew. Twenty eight, verse sixteen. Then the eleven disciples went away onto Galilee to the mountain which Jesus
appointed them verse seventeen. Then they saw him. When they saw him they worshiped him,
but some doubted. Then Jesus came.
I love that. Then Jesus came.
When Jesus comes, he dispels our doubts. When Jesus comes, he quells our fears. When Jesus comes, he gives
us a confidence and hope. Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying All authority has been given
to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all the nations. Jesus said go. Therefore, Jesus was speaking to fishermen
and tax collectors on that mountain. He was speaking to shepherd herders
and weavers on that mountain. He was speaking to carpenters
and stonemasons on that mountain. There are about five
hundred believers there. The twelve disciples and others
were there that day. And Jesus said to them what? He said, go. He didn't say wait.
He didn't say wait. Do you feel more comfortable
about witnessing. He said go. He didn't say wait for the religious
leaders to give you permission. He said go. He didn't say wait until you
have more training. He said go. He didn't say wait till
the church board votes it. He said go. He said he didn't say wait
until the conditions are right. He said go. He didn't say wait
for a more convenient time. He said, go.
You do not have need to have permission to be a witness for Christ
because witnessing is something we are when we come to Jesus,
he fills our heart with his love, changes us by his grace,
and sends us out as witnesses for him. Chapter one, verse eight says You
are my witnesses, says the Lord. So Jesus is the one himself who gives us
the commission to witness for Christ. Ellen White points out
that unless there is a mighty mission movement that becomes from the grassroots
among lay people uniting with their pastors, the work of God
on Earth will not be finished. Vol.
nine. Page one sixteen. The Work of God in this Earth. Can never be finished now Ellen White uses these this word never
very cautiously and advisedly, you're not going to find it a lot
in her writing, provided some. But the work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women
comprising our church membership rally to the work unite their efforts
with the ministers and church officers. So God's plan in witness
is for church members and pastors to unite for every church to be a training center
for Christian Witness, for churches to be dynamic centers
of God's grace, where men and women and boys and girls
change by his love, come to church to be empowered
and trained, and leave that church to go out into their neighborhoods
and cities to see men and women. One for Christ. James Hudson Taylor was the founder
of the Inland China mission. He spent 51 years sharing
the gospel in China. And this is what he said on one occasion in this statement,
really touched my heart. Taylor said the great commission
is not an option to be considered. It's a command to be obeyed. Did you get that? The great commission is not
an option to be considered. It's a command to be obeyed. And Hudson Taylor tells the story about
going out to China, and in those days, of course, she went out by boat
and as he was on the boat, he met a Chinese man who had been
in England by the name of Peter. And as they were talking, he learned
that this man, Peter, was not confirmed. He'd never come to Christ. And so Hudson Taylor felt impressed by the spirit to tell this Peter
the story of the cross and salvation. Peter was deeply moved by it,
but he tended to be depressed. And sometime after that,
Peter was standing by the rail of the boat and he leaped overboard and Hudson Taylor
saw him going down under the water. This man wanted to commit suicide and there was a boat not
far away of some fisherman. And Taylor yelled to them, he said,
There's a man in the water. Come over there.
They said, we're fishing, we're fishing. We've got to catch our fish. Taylor said, look, I'll pay you. They said, How much money
are you going to pay us? They said, five dollars. Taylor said five dollars. They said, that's not enough.
We need more money. He said, look, all I have is 14 dollars
and I'll give it to you. They came over,
dropped their net, but it was too late. They pulled up that man's
body and it was dead. And Hudson Taylor wrote about this story and he said, whose responsibility was it
that that man died? Whose responsibility? And most people oh, it's the fisherman. And Hudson Taylor said this thing so
profoundly, profoundly impacted me because I thought of churches
in their late and complacency. I thought of Christians who had little interest in witness
and people sinking to their death, being pulled down in the cold waters
of this world, drowning in sin with often very little concern
on the part of Christians. And Taylor said this so moved my life
that I committed my life, that I would spend as much
of my life in energy as I could. Every ounce of energy in China sharing the gospel and he spent fifty
one years there in China. While we seem secure in the comfort of our churches, Christ heart
is broken over the lost. He sees what we often do not see. Men and women lost without Christ,
men and women that might be saved if only someone would share the good news
of redemptive love with them. There are tens of thousands of people, millions of people that are open
and receptive to the gospel. They are like the Ethiopian eunuch. You know the story well, don't you? Philip is preaching in Samaria and the Lord whisks him away
because there is a man on the road to Gaza going back to Ethiopia and God wants
a whole continent open for the gospel in. This man is studying prophecy. There are scores of people today
that are uncertain about the future. Scores of people today
that are studying prophecy. And as they study,
they wonder about the future. They wonder about
what is going to happen in this world. They're concerned about it. This Ethiopian man was studying Isaiah. Fifty three, and Philip came up to him, said, did you understand
what you're reading them? I said, no, I don't understand. I don't understand
the prophetic word of God. He was reading about Christ who came the first time, and many are studying
the prophecies and they're under there. Want to understand what about
Christ coming the second time? And Philip explained it to him. And this man says,
What hinders me from being baptized? He was ready.
His heart was open. He had been studying the prophecy,
had been up to Jerusalem to worship. And he became the first missionary there to Ethiopia and open
to all of Africa, to the gospel. Commenting on that story, Ellen White in Acts of the Apostles
page 109 makes this observation. This Ethiopian represented a large class
who need to be taught by such missionaries as Phillip, men who will hear the voice
of God and go where he sends them. There are cities in your division. That have little or no Adventist presence. But God is already working in those cities before you,
because mission is God's and the Holy Spirit is already
opening hearts in those cities. And as we sense the commitment of God to go into those unreached
territories and unreached cities. And plant new churches,
the spirit of God will come upon us and lead us to people like
the Ethiopian Eunuch who are studying for truth,
it says there are many who are reading the scriptures who cannot
understand their import. All over the world, men and women
are looking wistfully to heaven. I like that all over the world. That means in the Pacific Rim. That means in China. That means in Japan. That means in Korea. That means in the Philippines. That means in Indonesia. That means in Vietnam. That means in Cambodia. That means in Australia, New Zealand. And it means in Papua New Guinea. It means in the islands. And it means that all the nations
that I've forgotten, you see notice all over the world, men and women
are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for a light,
for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Now, this next sentence is critical. Many are on the verge of the kingdom,
waiting only to be gathered in. Did you catch the significance of that? The Holy Spirit has already prepared
people in your territories for the reception of the Gospel, just
as the Ethiopian was studying Isaiah. Fifty three people all over the world are studying prophecies about
the second coming of Christ. In some areas, God is giving them visions
and dreams about his soon return. That's particularly true
in the Middle East. It's certainly true
in many of our countries. In the divine drama of destiny. God providentially
leads us to people who are asking these questions about eternity,
questions about a second coming. If we are in tune with the spirits
working, he will give us. Amazing insights in how to reach others,
you can be a powerful witness for Christ, he will do for you exceedingly abundantly
what you could ever ask or think. God does not necessarily
call the qualified. He qualifies those whom he calls. He's not necessarily
looking at our ability. He's looking at our availability. He's not necessarily looking for those
who believe they're knowledgeable. He's looking for people who know,
they don't know. So they depend totally,
absolutely, completely on him. I think of the opening of the gospel
in India with William Carey. William Carey was a young man just in his 20s, and he stood up one day and a little
church in England, but in England. And he said, but wait,
we seem to be content here. What about those that are lost? He said, God speak,
give me a burden for India. And one of the older elders of the church stood up and said, Sit down, young man,
and respect the opinions of your elders. If the Lord wants to convert the heathen
in India, he'll do it without your help. William Kerry never lost
his burden for India. He's to make a little money, he
he started a shoe cobbling shop in London in that shoe cobbling shop. If he fixed, like, the soles of people's shoes because he was had a burden
for the soles of their lives, he put a map up on the wall of his
shoe cobbling shop and he said, I. Cardboard shoes to pay expenses, but so winning is my life,
so winning is my business. He never gave up his conviction
that God had called him to India. He had a burning passion in his heart
to reach a lost world and share with him the love of Christ
and the truths of the scripture. And God opened the doors
of that for that young man in India. And in 1792 he sailed to India and he gave
his life to service to thousands who were won for Christ and his
kingdom all through Asia. William Careys motto was this attempt great things for God and expect
great things from God. Attempt great things for God,
expect great things from God that became the motto
of missionaries all over the world. God blesses, not our doubts,
not our fears, not our anxieties, but he blesses our vision, he blesses
our plan when a conference committee. When a union committee. When a division committee. Focuses on a particular city
or an unreached area. And dedicates resources to that financial resources, personnel,
resources when they inspire. A new vision, God blesses that vision,
doors are open to the gospel, hearts are reached, cities are
impacted with the gospel of Christ. How do I know that? Because within the promise of Matthew, chapter twenty eight there is
tucked away the promise of power. God never asks us to do something without giving us the power to accomplish
what he has asked us to do. Matthew, the twenty eighth chapter
and just Jesus has said go. He doesn't say wait and make
disciples of all nations. It's interesting that expression
of all nations is taught ethno. It's not all nations,
it's a corporate whole. But it is every village, every community,
every city, every street, every house. But notice what Jesus says there. He says, All authority has been
given to me in heaven and earth. Well, authority now the word authority. There is an interesting word. It's Xixi that word exclusive means
all authority, but it's all power. It's a word that has to do with triumph. It's a unique word in the Bible. It means triumph. When Christ died on the cross, he triumphed over the principalities
and powers of Hill. So he sends us out with his authority. He sends us out in his strength. We don't go in our feebleness. We go in his might. We go not in our weakness,
but in his strength. We go not in our ignorance,
but in his wisdom. And so Jesus is all authority. Now, it's interesting. How do you know what
a word means in the Bible? Well, there's a number
of ways you can know. You can look up the original
derivative of the word New Testament. It's Greek language authority. Ziska, as we've said, means power, triumph over the principalities
and powers of hell. But you also can see how that word is used in other places of the Bible to get
kind of a fuller meaning of it. Let's go to Matthew,
chapter ten and verse one. Jesus is speaking to his disciples and it
says, When he had called his twelve disciples to him,
he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds
of sickness and all kinds of disease. Do you see that word power there? That's the exact same word. Translated authority in Matthew,
chapter twenty eight, verse 19 and 20. So Jesus is saying as you go out
and witness for me, you don't go in your own strength,
but you go in the power of heaven. You go with the authority of Jesus Christ. And when you go in Christ authority to witness for me, success
is absolutely guaranteed. The only failure is the failure not to do. The only failure is when we do not
follow Christ instructions and go out. But if we go out and plant the seeds
of truth he has promised that his word would never come back to was
void and in eternity. When we walk down those streets of gold
in the Fellowship of Christ and the Angels, we will meet people who we
had no idea were in heaven, but are there because of our influence,
success is guaranteed. One of the most encouraging statements that I have read
in my evangelism over the last fifty some odd years is found in desire of ages
eight hundred and eleven. And often I would be in major cities, the cities of Europe, the cities of Asia,
the cities of Eastern Europe, and in those days what they
called behind the Iron Curtain. We would be in the cities of America
and here in these great cities, at times our crowds are very large,
but at times they were small, frankly. And at times I wondered, God,
is this meeting going to be successful? And again and again, I would come to desire of ages
for eight hundred and eleven. Let me read it to you. Christ gave his disciples
their commission. He made full provision for the prosecution of the work and took upon himself
the responsibility for a success. So long as they obeyed his word and worked in connection with him,
they could not fail. So success. We don't have to carry the burden
of success on our shoulders. That's not something God asked us to do. We can trust in him and know that if we work in connection with him,
we will not fail. He bears the burden of success. Our responsibility is to go out, give out literature, hold a Bible study,
hold a small group, hold an evangelistic meeting,
conduct multifaceted health programs. Our responsibility is to go. His responsibility is to provide
the strength, the power, the authority. He has defeated Satan and in his name. Our work will be a success when we are faithful to his command
and step out in faith to share. As well with others, he supplies the power we go in his strength, not ours,
we go in his authority, not ours. He provides us with wisdom,
with strength, with courage. He's triumphed over the forces of evil. And no situation is too
difficult for Jesus when the church fails to step out,
when it fails to go, when it fails to accept Christ's command,
that church begins to wither and die. Every church is just one
generation away from extinction. The church that fails
to accept its evangelistic mandate of Christ puts the noose around its own
neck and strangles its spiritual life. And that is the kiss of death. The Seventh Day Adventist Church from its
earliest inception has rapidly grown because it's
been an evangelistic movement. Adventists have been a people
with mission, we believe that God has raised up this
movement as a divine movement of destiny to proclaim his last day
mission to the world. We believe that based on Revelation 14, verse six to 12, that we have a condition,
a commission given to us by God himself. John wrote Revelation 14 six there
on the island of Patmos as he was exiled. And I saw another angel flying in the middle of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth
to every nation, kindred tongue in people saying with a loud voice,
fear or respect or honor or obey. God give glory to him and your lifestyle for the ARV's judgment is come
and worship him. That made heaven and earth and the sea
and the fountains of waters. Did you notice Revelation 14 six? He says, I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel. To preach.
To whom? To every nation. To every kindred, every tongue.
In every people. Adventists, our mission movement. We were born in the soil
of prophetic preaching. We were we were nurtured in the cradle of Daniel and Revelation
sent out to witness for Christ. When you look at the growth of the Early Adventist Church,
it is really remarkable. In the early edvin, in the early years, the Seventh Day Adventist Church
grew rapidly. Pastors and members,
since they were called of God to participate in Christ's mission
of sharing the three interest messages to their friends, neighbors
and working associates. We were in a sprint
to Eternity Adventist pastors. Dedicated their talents and their
abilities to spreading the gospel in 1886, evangelist Adventist evangelist GBE Starr
was interviewed by one of the papers in Indiana,
a state in the mid-west of America. And Starr was asked in that interview, why is it that Adventists
are growing so rapidly? I want to read to you from that newspaper interview because it really
gives us some insight. So the interviewer, the reporter says to elder
Starr regarding the past 40 years, the Advent movement, by what means have
you carried forward your work so rapidly? In other words, why is the Seventh Day
Adventist Church growing so rapidly? And here's what's Gbps stars answer. He says, We have no settled pastors. Our churches are taught to take care
of themselves while nearly all our ministers work as
evangelists in new fields. See, in this era of Adventist Church history, pastors were
largely church planters. You may have had some pastors of our larger churches, but they saw
always the community next door. They had to plan a church. They saw the city not far away, that they
had to hold evangelistic meetings. So the pastors were not
covering over their churches. They were training members,
but they saw themselves as evangelists. Some of the larger churches had full time pastors, but was
the exception not the norm? It was laypeople who managed churches led by other laypeople who went out and gave
Bible studies, passed out literature, etc. .
Now, what what difference did that make? In 30 years, from 1870 to nineteen
hundred, the church grew in membership by four hundred and thirty percent,
with a ratio of one new church planted each year for every three to four
full time paid gospel ministries. So for every three or four gospel
ministries you had from 1870 to nineteen hundred for everyone you had you they
were planting one new church a year. Now, the annual growth rate of the Adventist Church from 1870 to 1880
was a whopping 12 percent a year. Now, by nineteen hundred, organizational concerns had swallowed up,
so winning zeal by nineteen hundred. We had institutional development and a lot
of a lot of administrative issues. They were overshadowing missional focus
in nineteen nine. The President of the general conference was A.G. Daniels at the time
reported that since nineteen oh one five hundred new people were
taken into administrative posts. Now, did you get that five hundred new people from nineteen one
to ninety nine taken into administration, but you know how many pastors
we have in the field? Twelve hundred.
That's all we had ministerial workers. Now, the results
were a dramatic turn down, a dramatic loss of evangelistic zeal and turned
down in the growth of the church. From 1986 to 99, the Adventist Church in
North America grew by one percent a year. What was it growing from 1870,
1880, 12 percent a year. But now, as the institutions, as administration, as theological concerns
overshadowed mission, the church was growing in North America
by only one percent a year. Now, this is really more serious because the national growth rate was
approximately two percent a year. So we're growing population
two percent a year. But the church is only growing at one percent a year, where previously it was
growing rapidly, up to 12 percent a year. Now, Ellen White was alarmed. She was really alarmed, and she made an appeal in nine to the
her colleagues in church leadership. She went to the general conference administration department to leaders,
and she urged them by example to begin a massive movement of preaching the gospel
she was at the time. Alan White was so burdened that she wrote, this is a General Alan White manuscript
to the General Conference Committee, she has to meet with the committee and she
wrote this manuscript to them in June 11. Ninety nine, she said, When I think of the many cities
still unwarned, I cannot rest. Can you think about
the prophet of God at night? God gives her a vision of the lost
cities and she's so burdened. She's so overwhelmed with these
lost cities, she cannot rest. It is distressing to think that they
have been neglected so long. Oh, that we might see the needs
of these great cities as God sees them. She was a burden for the cities. In fact, Ellen White said,
If God spares my life and the brethren do little or nothing, I will go
and evangelize these cities. I will go myself into the cities. And here's a woman now approaching her eighties and she says,
I'm going to go into the cities. I mean, her energy is gone. She is sickly, but she says,
I'm going to go into the city. Now, the response to Ellen White's
appeal was very mixed. Verbal assent was given to it, but very, very little happened immediately
in ninety nine, 1910. And some people said, yes, we've got
to go into the cities, let's make plans. And there were some plans made. There was some small efforts out. And Daniels decided that when he was out in California,
he was going to go visit Ellen White and he was going to tell her
about the plans in the cities. So he came there to visit her. And as he came to visit her, she was upstairs writing and her son
Willie was in the what they call the drawing room or not that you draw, but
the parlor, we would put it the entryway. And Elder Daniels came in and Willie greeted him and elder Daniel said,
I'd like to talk to your mother. So Willie went upstairs. He said, Mom, the present general
conference is here to see you. And she said, tell him that God has
already told him what he ought to do. I have no message for him. Elder Daniels later said that the train ride home from California to Washington
was one of the longest of his life, he just was so perplexed, so discouraged,
and he said, I've got to do what God. Said we ought to do an elder, Daniels was greatly humbled by this
rebuke, he accepted the counsel of the Lord and he then used his influence
to set aside budgets, to develop financial plans,
to reach the cities, to hold mission institutes in the great
cities where pastors would come. He wrote articles and encouraged other godly leaders to make
a dramatic difference. Pastors accepted the challenge. Church members heard God's call and outreach activities of all
kinds were taking place in America. The church was turned
around by 19, 13, 14, 15. We see the growth rates going up again
because of the emphasis on evangelism. God bless is what we do. He will not bless what we have not done. At the 1913 general conference session, the delegates heard the most
encouraging message from Ellen White. She was now eighty five years old. She expressed really
a sense of satisfaction that the church was moving in a positive direction and she
got up to address the general conference. And here, with trembling hands,
she says it has brought great rejoicing to my heart to see the marvelous
transformations that have been wrought in the lives in those who chose to advance
by faith in the way of the Lord. Now, that's an interesting statement,
she said. When we step out by faith,
when we have a vision greater than ourselves, when we have plans larger than
ourselves, when we focus on reaching these cities for Christ, not only do we see many
converts, not only do we see churches planted, but there are transformations
that take place in our own lives. If you want to grow spiritually,
get involved for Christ, if you want your faith to increase as
an administrator, go out and hold an evangelistic meeting,
get involved yourself personally. A.G. Daniels in 1989 was making plans,
but he was not personally involved. And on White said, you've got
to be personally involved. Leaders must lead. Get get involved in some evangelistic
project for Jesus, hold a small group in your home,
hold some seminar in your local church, go into some city for a period of time and hold some evangelistic
meeting for Jesus place. Evangelism on the top of your
conference committee agenda play. So winning on the top of your
union committee agenda, please. So in the top of your division meeting agenda and watch how God
revitalizes that group. God does something special
when we step out by faith. This statement of Allen White,
where she says it's brought great rejoicing to my heart to see the marvelous
transformations that have been wrought in the lives of some who've chose to
advance by faith in the way of the Lord. The really insightful. Our lives are transformed when we are
committed to share Christ's message with others are witness to the world,
brings revival to the church revival leads to evangelistic proclamation
and involvement in Christ's mission. Forcer sustains and nourishes revival. At a crucial time in the history
of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, God sent messages through his
prophet to refocus our vision. As the result,
the church made a dramatic about face, God honored the commitment and the church
grew rapidly in the ensuing years. Adventism, at its heart,
is a mission movement where a witnessing community
we've been raised up by God to take the gospel to every nation,
kindred tongue in people. We have a mission mandate that echoes
down through the centuries. Matthew twenty four, verse 14. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world
as a witness and then the end shall come. What is it that delays
the coming of Christ? There are really two things
Jesus is not waiting for more earthquakes or wars or famines or pestilence is
the divine sovereign. God longs for a church on its knees, seeking him to reflect his
character before the universe. And as on our knees we seek him. He will pour out his Holy Spirit so
that his work can be finished on Earth. You know, I can liken it this way. You can only make so much progress if you
put one leg out this far, then what you have to do,
you need to put another leg out. What, this far? So there are two legs. One is the leg of spiritual revival
and the other is the leg of witness. The more we pray and study the word and revival takes place in our hearts,
the more we're going to desire to witness and the more we desire to witness, the
more we're going to experience revival. And so what is Jesus waiting for? A people that are totally,
absolutely committed to him? A people that. Want to get out of this world more than they want to stay in this world
of people that are motivated by his love, inspired by his grace,
a people that are changed. And the thing that matters to them is souls for his kingdom and when
God has a people like that. You will find we will find that. God's promise here in great controversy,
page 670 will be fulfilled. Listen, servants of God,
with their faces lighted up in shining with holy consecration,
will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven by
thousands of voices all over the earth. The warning will be given by thousands of voices over the Earth. The power of Christ is greater
than the power of the evil one. The love of Christ is stronger motivation
than the world's cheap allurements. The appeal of the eternal is greater than the appeal of the transitory
pleasures of this life. In the blazing light of eternity,
Christ invites us. To change our priorities, what matters most to Jesus,
what matters most to Jesus, our souls, one for his kingdom,
will you commit your life? To Seoul winning ministry,
will you commit your life to witnessing for Christ,
will you in your division get out a map, encircle those cities that don't
have an Adventist presence? And poor resources, financial resources, personnel, resources into those
cities to see a light for God. Will you? Be one of those who step back and doubt
and say that it can't be done, or will you, with spirit,
enlightened vision, make broad plans for Christ, make wide
plans for Christ, make a decision. That you will be a leader that makes
a difference, not a leader that's marking time,
not a leader that's simply administering committees,
I appeal to every single leader today. To be a leader of vision. A leader that has a passion for souls,
a leader that leads your field into an aggressive,
soul winning ministry for Christ. And as I know, many lay
people are listening. As well. God has called you
not simply to sit in the pew, God has called you
not simply to mark time. God has called you
to be a witness for him. We will not grow spiritually unless
we're actively involved in service. Alan White and the Apostles, 105, says strength to resist evil is best
gained through aggressive service. If you want to grow spiritually as a lay
person, get involved in witnessing. If you want to stretch your faith,
get involved in witnessing. If you want to draw closer to Christ, get involved in witnessing whoever you
are, an administrator, a pastor. A layperson, God has something more for you,
God wants to stretch you far beyond. What you think possible, there's a pastor focus on training your
members for Christ, move them into a. Bold, aggressive initiative to reach your
neighboring communities as a pastor. Think God's thoughts. Enter into a deeper relationship with him. Enlarge your vision and Christ will work through you
and you will see the glory of God come down and the Holy Spirit poured out
in marvelous ways in your life, will you make that commitment
to be God's man, to be God's woman? As we pray, father in heaven,
we thank you with all of our hearts. That you've not caused us to doubt,
you've called us to faith. We thank you with all of our hearts that Jesus, our savior, our redeemer,
our Lord will empower us, that he has triumphed over
the principalities and the powers of hell, that if we make a decision
to go, you go with us. You are with us.
Even to the end of the world. You've said I will be with you always.
You're with us. When we go into cities that have little or no Adventist
presence, you're you're with us. And we go into villages that are remote. You're with us as we lead members,
as pastors out into the field of witness. You're with us as we sit on conference committees or union committees or
division committees and make broad plans. Lord, enable us through your power to have the vision of Christ
to reach a lost world. Then may we walk with you from here
to eternity with that passion in our hearts to share
your love with others in Christ name. Amen.
