No Need To Fear: The Journey of Ellen Harmon and Samuel Rhodes // GYC 2016

good afternoon GYC welcome to the Sabbath afternoon program glad that you can be here hope you had a good lunch have you ever had one of those nights where you cannot sleep and you can't sleep you see no way for it and I'm not just talking about because of financial trouble or because of car problems or bad grades but something that's spiritual have you ever had one of those nights where you're just not sure where God is at well those of us on the GIC music committee we've had some of those nights too and we know that God's children who have gone before us have too and we hope that as you listen to the music and the stories this afternoon that you will gain a fresh confidence and the Heavenly Father's love for us even in the darkest of times [Music] times I have to wonder how you still love me lord after all the times I've turned my back on you your love is such a mystery it's hard to comprehend that you would give your life for fallen man and even when we stumble yes even if we there's a path to victory went on your [Music] it's all true you're loved [Music] they would not and Jesus came into the world to save and not condemn and those who will receive him find new life again and even when we stumble yes even if we fall there's a path to victory when on your name it's all true your love is true [Music] King his mercy knows nowhere but we must take his hand and face keep our eyes always focused on here join me so your eyes upon it is wonderful and the phase of earth will grow straight of his glory let's pray father in heaven because we're here this afternoon I pray that these stories that we look at of a few people who've gone before us will encourage us in our way and we thank you for this day Jesus name Amen it was March 1848 raveling preacher came to town he wrote in came up on Casco Street of Portland Maine and he entered a little church and as the preacher named William Miller stood up to preach he saw that every pew was packed with people every aisle people were standing shoulder to shoulder the foyer was packed with people and even the the stage was lined with people it seemed as if all of Casco are sorry Portland Maine had come to hear William Miller preach and William Miller stood before the congregation that day and he opened his Bible and he very carefully methodically and persuasively went through the books of Daniel and revelation and then he made a most profound statement he said based on the things we've seen here Jesus will be coming back to this earth in just three years time there was no loud commotion or shouting or falling over that attended his meetings no it's a message like that it was a great sense of awe and in the audience that day was a girl only 12 and a half years old and if she listened this girl by the name of Ellen Harman of course later became Ellen White began to have a heart filled with fear Jesus coming and just three years time oh I could never be ready I'm such a great sinner oh I've made so many mistakes she went home and began a cycle of sleepless nights she would go to bed and after the rest of the house all were asleep even her twin sister that shared a room with her Ellen would fall on her knees and begin to pray lord I know you're coming soon and I'm gonna be lost I could never be ready and finally in the wee hours of the morning she would cry herself to sleep she attended a meeting with her brother Robert just the two of them they were good farm kids they knew how to get the horse out hook on the buggy and that's what they did they hit it into town and this preacher preached the same thing as William Miller he said Jesus is coming soon and if you aren't ready you're gonna meet the judge and your eternal destiny won't be good he stood up before them all that preacher and he said the day of the Lord is at hand and who shall be able to stand when he appeared and little Ellen her heart filled with fear to such an extent that when she got back in the buggy that night and her and her brother Robert headed home she didn't say a word when after a little while all that had been heard was the continual rumble and the clippity clap of the horse's hooves on the dry dirt road Ellen finally looked at her brother Robert yes Ellen do you do you think God will spare me to live till I get home or because I'm such a sinner do you think he'll take me in my great sins now and for the first time she realized with Roberts delay he too was feeling the fear well Ellen I'm sure if you ask him in faith he'll save you and the two rode home and silence and that night Ellen cried herself to sleep with a tear running down her cheek in the early hours of the morning and just a few nights later one of these troubled nights when Ellen finally drifted if off into a horrible fitful sleep she had a dream and as she dreamed she looked out and there was all these people going back and forth on there with their buggies with their wagons pulling loads all were busy and as she looked past those people she saw temple a little ways out and then she learned that all who must be saved must enter that temple well Ellen thought I'll just watch for a minute as she watched she saw a few try to enter the temple but as they did somebody would come along and grab him by the arm oh don't go in the temple now don't sew waste of your time you're an embarrassment to your family come on man and Ellen's up Oh my timid little girl as she was she thought you know I'll just wait for some of these mean people to leave and then I'll try to go and see if I can enter the temple on harmed but if she waited more and more people came into that area and they got so congested she realized she must leave at once to enter the temple or it'd be too late it's so little Helen got to her feet and started along and she reached the door of that temple and as she walked in so beautiful and she looked up there was this pillar right in the center of the temple it held up all the roof and if she looked at this pillar and eyed it down her eyes caught something terrible oh right at the base of that pillar was this little lamb it just looked like it'd been beat and bruised and battered and it was chained to the pillar oh what's the lamb she thought well she thought that must represent Jesus sacrifice for my sins and if I repent I'm sure I'll be saved and then as she looked a little higher she noticed on the other side of the pillar where all these elevated seats and there was people on these seats with great big smiles they just looked so happy Oh Helen thought boy if I if I repent of my sins then I'm sure I'll be happy like those people and I'll get a sit with those people but just then all things vanished and there was Ellen left standing alone it was too late and as she awoke from that dreadful dream didn't come from Jesus by the way that was a Devil's dream she awoke from that dream you know how dreams are especially when you're a child they're so vivid so real she despaired of life itself she wished that it would forever end she began to lose weight she was so exhausted and worn out all the time she would faint but just a few nights later she once again fell off into a fitful sleep and as she did she dreamed another dream and in this dream she was looking out a window and it was so peaceful outside everything was so green and the birds were singing it just looked like such a happy world and Ellen thought oh why can't I be happy in her face just fell into her hands and she began to cry oh Jesus if you were on this earth I would go to you because I know you wouldn't turn me away and you would make me happy I could tell you all my troubles and you would fix it it's just then her thoughts were interrupted a door behind her open she turned around and there stood a gentleman at the door he looked down at her said Ellen would you like to see Jesus oh yes yes I would like to see Jesus said Ellen okay he said gather your little things and come with me and she followed the gentleman he went out and went to a steep long long long long staircase and as he started up he halted a minute he turned look at Ellen he said now Ellen keep your eyes up many have tried this way in a falling off he climbed the staircase and Ellen followed the gentleman and as she got to the top there was a door and he looked at her again so Ellen are you sure you want to see Jesus oh yes said Alan I do want to see Jesus okay and he opened that door Ellen looked in that room and she saw Jesus it she almost fell from fear she thought oh I a sinner how could I ever stand before Jesus but before she could she saw these tender eyes and a smile and Ellen saw a friend and she fell at Jesus feet and Jesus as he always does for his children he reached out and he put his hand on Ellen's shoulder and he said Oh Ellen you have no need to fear [Music] no need to fear though doubt me wage its war operation song beats at to your door no need to feed [Music] no need to fear no evil seem so strong is not to prolong be still my soul and trust in God [Music] [Music] no need to fear don't fear doh no need to fear evil and the skull those who bow stim what the heal me too [Music] or what remains when wives brief days down their glory song setting sun but as for me I'm sure God has reading my soul from death and evil [Music] No [Music] don't [Music] his Ellen got up from that dream oh she was much encouraged she finally had the strength to go talk to her mother and you know how mothers are they can always make you feel so much better she said mother I've been struggling so long I've wondered how Jesus could save me and her mother said Oh Ellen I could tell you're losing weight you look so stressed Ellen I'll tell you what you should do why don't you go talk to elder's Stockman he is such a kind gentleman and a man of God I just know he'll make you feel so much better Ellen why don't you go talk to elder Stockman so Ellen did 12 year old Ellen went and found elder Stockman she told elder Stockman all her troubles the elder Stockman looked at her and he put his hand on her head and he said Oh Ellen yours is a most singular experience for one your age God must be preparing you for something special Ellen just the fact that you feel this way means that God is still striving with you many people have excused their sins for so long they feel just quite okay the way they are but Ellen I want to tell you what will make all the difference and for just a few minutes elder Stockman told Ellen of the love of Jesus she later wrote and the testimonies for the church volume one good book to read by the way that those few minutes was elder Stockman she learned more about the love of God than she had learned from all the sermons and exhortation from her whole life and then elder Stockman finished by saying this he said go for Yellen return to your home trusting in Jesus for he will not withhold his love from any true seeker and that night there was a prayer meeting and so Ellen attended still under this heavy weight that had been nearly crushing her as she went to the prayer meeting first one person prayed and then another prayed and Ellen says before it even realized she realized herself she had lifted her own voice in prayer and she began to claim these promises that elder Stockman had given her she said it seemed like the promises were just Jim's for the taking for those who wanted them and as she prayed that weight that had discouraged her for so long fell away and Ellen learned a life-long lesson that as long as you call on the name of Jesus you can never fall any further than your knees [Music] as you step into the honey know I know you're frightened and you feel alone but there's something you should understand you are my child you're in my head and I will never let you this is a promise to and I will never let you any further than your needs [Music] now I hear you pray he me for a brother you're so afraid he'll choose to blunder but don't forget my love is true and I will guide him as I've guided you and we'll never let him fall this is a promise to believe and I will never let him fall any further then his knee and I will never let you fall this is a promise to believe I will never let you fall [Music] any further than any further never further than your needs of course Jesus didn't come in 1843 so people got together they started the study again realize they missed up their math and they hadn't fully understood prophecy so they narrowed it down to October 22 1844 that was the date Jesus would come and many people gave all they were ready they wanted Jesus to come one individual turned farmer to preacher by the name of Hiram Edson he sold all he had he printed tracts and he began to preach Jesus is coming he went around his neighbors and he preached to his neighbors it's actually reported that on 8 October 22 1844 when Hiram Edson was waiting for Jesus to come between three to four hundred of his friends and neighbors were right there waiting with him now that's an evangelist while they preached and they prepared and then the day came October 22 1844 Hiram Edson went outside and he found the perfect place he could watch the sky and he would see Jesus come his friends and neighbors surrounded him and they waited what the day kept taken along and that continual tick of the clock became the worst sound they had ever heard in every hour it would bomb out the hour until with hearts that sink the clock called out midnight October 22 had come and gone and Jesus did not come and Hiram Edson was so disappointed he didn't have the courage to get to his feet and he stayed in that field and wept all night long until the Sun rose and James White heard it said by a brother well I guess we should get ready for winter now and when it dawned on him we'd have to spend another winter on this earth he fled the building and went outside and he wrote himself that he wept like a child one creature had been preaching that Jesus was coming and just a few weeks before the date this preacher was walking down the road elder Fitch was his name and as he did he saw a whole group of people coming they said Oh elder Finch we want to be baptized we just so want to be baptized before Jesus come will you baptize us please elder Finch of course it was October and here's a cold October well said elder Fitch I wouldn't turn anyway and he went away and he turned around and he walked off to the river and there he baptized that whole group of people in that freezing cold water and then shivering older Fitch got out and he began to walk home hmm then it came another group of people Oh elder Fitch please we wanted to be baptized before Jesus comes will you baptize this elder fish okay let's go back to the water and pour elder fitch walks back and he got in that cold river and he baptized that whole crowd of people and he came out chilled to the bone hardly could feel his toes any caught a sight here came a third group of people Oh elder Fitch we want to be baptized before Jesus comes will you baptize us okay they went back to that water an elder fish baptized everyone that day who wanted to be a baptized he made his way back home he caught pneumonia and died eight days before Jesus would come and his little children or sad as they watched their daddy be buried but mommy said Oh children it's okay daddy's coming in just eight days and just eight days you'll see daddy and so when October 22 came around they excitedly came up to mommy mommy when's daddy coming they knew the answer but they want to hear it again Oh children today you'll see daddy but on October 23 they came in sobbing mommy when are we gonna see daddy all their hopes all they had was tied up and the desire to go to heaven and to be with Jesus [Music] and you can never fading flower from the mountain overlooking the temple of my god I wanna go to heaven where all these lighting glory how I want to be with Jesus how I longed to be with God sometimes like me I can stay [Music] I feel very lonely here for I have seen Oh [Music] then what I fly away [Music] I wanna hear the voice of Jesus I have washed your robes in my blood you've stood stiffly for my true when I get to heaven I'll cast my crown and she loves meat I wanna praise His name forever for he's done so much for me sometimes they need no longer Oh [Music] I wanna go to heaven I wanna hear the voice of Jesus I will gird myself and serve you for you suffered much for me and when I get to heaven I wanna sit at Jesus table Oh to eat the fruits of that land to go back to earth sometimes I'd leave no longer [Music] Oh then would I fly away [Music] then when I fly [Music] and be interest [Music] Helder etson out there wept the night away until the Sun came up and then he called out to his few friends still there you know how these things are disappointments weeds the crowd out real fast but if you remained these said well friends let's go off to the barn and pray so they went off to elder Edison's little granary there and they knelt down and they prayed Lord why what did we miss why disappoint us we studied we thought we knew what do we make of this what do we do now lord please show us the next step and they didn't get the answer and they began to keep praying lord please why help us and they still didn't get the answer but they got the assurance that Jesus knew what he was doing and he would make sense of the whole thing and that was good enough for them they got up off their knees and they walked off into the house they did one of those impromptu breakfast you know nothing planned open the cowbirds get what you can get a little to eat and then elder etson turned to his good friend elder Crozier he said well elder Crozier why don't we cross the cornfield there's some believers over on the other side they were looking for Jesus to come I'm sure they're discouraged let's go let's go try to encourage them and pray with them okay said elder Crozier sure let's go so the two men started out and as they crossed the field brother Crozier was so deep in thought he had noticed the brother Hiram Edson had stopped walking and there he stood elder Crozier kept going and after some time he realized hey where's brother etson he turned around he was way back there in the field hey brother Edson are you coming what's up he looked and there was brother Epson deep in thought and he came back brother Edson said oh I now know I now understand Jesus wasn't coming to this earth to cleanse this earth like we thought to take us home there's a heavenly sanctuary he's gone in there he's doing a work there and that began a long study the believers would open their Bibles they sit around the table and they would look for a verse that would explain and if they couldn't find it they would go down on their knees and once they were impressed where to look in their bibles they'd get up and they find the answer and then they would be confused and they would go on their knees and they would pray and they would get up and they realized that what happened was on that day that they were also disappointed Jesus didn't come here to take us home it wasn't judgement day in that sense it was a different kind of Judgment Day Jesus has gone into the most holy place of the sanctuary there to intercede for you and me there he's dedicated his work he's doing all he can to see that you and I make it up there in the sanctuary Jesus is interceding for us [Music] we have a high priest [Music] hallelujah Oh hallelujah [Music] our defender in a temple made by God [Music] I'm the van in the place most homely [Music] Oh invest Katie those redeemed by don't blood he's bloody [Music] he makes provision for me in San Shi [Music] he's funny [Music] Oh Oh [Music] in preparation for me for those who love and follow year he's not [Music] she went [Music] I've been here me instead [Music] [Music] he's money [Music] he makes for me [Music] in the same she where [Music] oh they were so encouraged when they learned that but the courage didn't come so easy to all of them no one brother by the name of Samuel Rhodes year before the expected date of Jesus return he had sold his farm he'd used the money he printed tracked and he tracks and he went around to preach he was a man described having a lot of dash and Verve people refer to him as the Peter the one who could preach and he preached the Jesus was coming and when Jesus didn't come he didn't take it too well and as he'd go to town people hey brother Rhodes still here I see are you going the next time weren't good enough huh oh well have a nice day in the taunts and the jeers got to be too much and finally one day brother Samuel Rhodes he got his pony grabbed a few hand tools he hopped up on his pony and with a bit lip he said goodbye world I'm leaving you and he rode off by the way if you're gonna try to leave the world don't do it on a pony doesn't work very well but he tried an off-year ode he left Oswego New York state he lived and he wrote 70 miles east to Booneville and then not named after Daniel Boone by the way it was named after Garrett Boone he was an agent for a land company anyway elder Rhodes rode his pony down in Indian Trail few miles past Boonville crossed the Black River which is kind of the foothills of the Adirondacks cleared a little plot of land and he built a little cabin and he just lived like a hermit and every day he felt more rejected of God and despised of men well brother etson tried and he would go to visit sam your roads Niecy Samuel come on back jesus loves you you don't have to be discouraged jesus loves you come back Samuel roads would had none of it brother etson talked to Ellen white by this time she was now married and she said well I'll tell you that brother Rhodes he's so far gone I wouldn't even mess with him he doesn't deserve the sympathy were giving him but then she was impressed by Jesus that that was a mistake and that people could be brought back so she went back to brother etson she said I tell you what why don't you go try to get Samuel roads and bring him back so he wrote 70 miles to Booneville crossed the Black River and there he saw brother Samuel roads out working in his field and as he walked up a friend that was with etson by the name of richard ralph called out brother Rhodes greetings and brother Rhodes looked up and saw Richard Ralph and Hiram Edson and I'll tell you he was none too welcoming well hello what do you want Oh brother said it that's in Jesus loves you we're here to bring you back well he said why don't you come with us brother Rhodes we're having meetings well can't go today I've got really way too much to do maybe tomorrow he really didn't have anything to do that day but Hiram Edson wasn't about to be outdone he said okay no problem and Hiram Edson stayed there all night then the next day so we're brother Rhodes I'm sure now you're ready to go yeah well okay he said brother Rhodes I guess until they started walking across the Black River and started down that Indian trail when all of a sudden brother Rhodes who was in the back of the line split and broke and he took off running full speed as fast as he could through the woods and as he ran elder etson wasn't about to be outdone he turned around and he chased him it was like two squirrels going mad through the forest brother Samuel Rose was running and he had an advantage this was his terrain he knew it and as he ran he was trying to lose brother Hiram Edson and he was running around the trees and over the hills but brother etson had an advantage and that was determination he wasn't about to let this seemly Rhodes get away from him and he continued after Samuel Rhodes and his brother etson came running around this large clump of bushes he saw brother Rhodes he was at the edge of a clearing down on his knees with his face in his hands crying oh Jesus why do my brethren love me so why do they seek me like this but Jesus is it possible you love me like this and brother Hiram Edson had the great privilege walking up putting his hand on the shoulder of brother Rhodes and telling brother Rhodes that yes jesus loves you like this and Jesus grace is so amazing it will cover you I face and your friend you're tender mercy like a river with no it overwhelms me and covers my say each time I come into your presence high-standing one once again your grace still amazes me your love is still a mystery each day by and that's your blood to come me your grace still amazes [Music] Oh patient said of your you make me whole you are the author and the finisher of my faith what I killed you Lord what can I say I know there's no way to repay you only to offer you my - your grades still amazes me your still a mystery each day I follow it's your blood to cover me your grace still amazes me see my sin can extend to me I see it's so much more than [Music] still [Music] a story each day I fall on mine and that's your loved to cover me your grace still man [Music] well after that experience Samuel Rhodes was happy to follow brother Edson and they went back together Samuel Rhodes began to study the Bible with these brothers and see all he had missed he heard of the three angels message understood what judgment what judgment was happening up in heaven it was later written down by James white he said no man has ever more freely given all for a treasure in heaven than brother rose his commendable zeal and the cause and success in convincing people of truth has caused our enemies to wickedly reproach him you know I don't know each of you here tonight or this afternoon but even if I knew all of you by name I could never know all the secrets of your heart but maybe one of you maybe you're like young Ellen you fearful how could I ever be ready how could I stand before the judge a sinner and if that's you I come to you and the place of elder Stockman to tell you of the love of Jesus a saviour wanting to save you now maybe the reason you feel uneasy about Jesus coming is because you know there's something you've been keeping between him and you and if that's the deal friends you need to deal with it you know that job that you've been working a little too late on Friday it's time to get that dealt with you can have the peace that passes understanding but you need to get these barriers between you and Jesus out and I want to tell you something if you think you have something that's so little that there's no way it could ever really get between you and Jesus and after all even if it did you'll get rid of it later you're already confused there is nothing that can go between you and Jesus that is little if it's been between the two of you it's a big deal you know growing up through my teen years and then into my 20s I've had many many wonderful friends mission minded friends the friends that would get together with me in the evening and pray would go to give Bible studies and did you know now I can count on one hand the number of friends who have kept their faith and it all started with something between them and Jesus that was just very little so I'm gonna ask you if you want to experience that peace that passes understanding if you want to hear to sir about here sermons on the judgment without losing your sleep then give all to Jesus if there's something you want to give up to give to Jesus I'm just gonna ask you to stand anything between you and Jesus don't let it be don't become one of my friends that I found out won't be here next year because you fell away give it up my sins on Jesus the spotless of course he bears the malt freed us from the curse it ward from the accursed [Music] I'm sure you do if you know what brother Rhodes that's fallen away he's discouraged why don't you go to that brother grab him by the arm and bring him back it says in James he that converted the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death she'll cover a multitude of sins if you're willing to not give up on your brother Rhodes but to go grab him and pull him back I would like you to raise your hand [Music] [Music] join us and Lazarus [Music] father in heaven please help us to learn from the journey of those who went before us how to find that peace the passive understanding and that assurance that you are our Savior and that you are giving all to save us may that ever ring in our ears and Jesus name Amen you

Channel: GYC

Views: 7,798

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: aiX88cz_52k

Length: 61min 50sec (3710 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 01 2017