Sermon: Is history repeating itself in our lives?

Sub-topic: Gods Written Message Key Texts: Ezekiel 20:5-8, Habakkuk 2:2,3 Hymns: 416, 600

Is history repeating itself in our lives? It was King Solomon who wrote that there is nothing new under the sun and he was right. When we look at the biblical history of the Israelites through spiritual lenses and juxtapose or compare them with Gods end-time church (thats us), we see startling similarities. And what were going to discover is that these similarities are prophetic indicators of just how close Christs second coming is at hand. In Testimonies Volume 3 page 280: If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is doing nothing in case of an emergency. Indifference and neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God. Were in a religious crisis and for those of us who think otherwise its time for us take the blinders off and pray that the Lord will anoint us with his spiritual eye salve that we may see and get ready for return. Our church is in a spiritual quagmire, and if we continue in this state of blissful lethargy and ignorance our doom will be sure just like the children of Israel of old. (Recap) In the Old Testament we see that Jacob and his sons moved into Egypt because of the famine. While they sojourned in the land of Goshen they multiplied and became a great nation. But their mingling with the heathen Egyptians was detrimental to their own religion. There came a great apostasy or a "falling away" from the faith of their fathers, the faith once delivered to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In their contact with the pagan gods and false worship of the Egyptians they lost their knowledge of the true God and His truth. They gradually adopted heathen customs and finally worshiped heathen gods and forgot the God of their fathers. The similarities of our church with the story of the children of Israel are astounding. Like the children of Israel we had a pure faith in the apostolic days. It was the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Every false and pagan plant that was not of divine origin had been rooted out of God's church. But then there came a gradual apostasy or "falling away" from the "faith of Jesus" and the apostles, and now the church is

gradually adopting worldly customs and practices that were becoming so much like Egyptian heathens the difference is hardly discernable. This entire world is like Egypt, a hotbed of sinful abominations and those who are not followers of the true and living God are like the Egyptians. Now the Egyptians are what we call polytheists. That is to say they had many gods, a multiplicity of gods and for each of these gods they would erect idols or icons or images so that they would have a visual stimulus to remind them of their god and in some instances those icons, idols and images were the god. So too with this world, you have a god to suit everyone. For the atheists its evolution, for some its money, for others its drugs, sexBuddha etc. But while the Egyptians worshiped many gods, their chief god was the sun. In fact all other gods were various manifestations of the sun-god and his creative power in nature. And the Israelites in "defiling themselves with the idols of Egypt" they worshiped "the host of heaven." When the children of Israel forgot the Creator and began to worship the creature, they also ceased to celebrate the sign of the true God and the memorial of His creative power, the Sabbath. As the true Sabbath gradually lost its significance to them they gradually adopted its counterfeit, the sign of idolatry and the memorial of sunworship. Now, the question may be asked, if were here in church on the Sabbath worshipping God, then how on earth are we defiling ourselves with idols? Many of us pride ourselves on this notion that since I go to church on the Sabbath and not on a Sunday it therefore means that Im not a sun-worshipper. But is this true? Heres a spiritual news-flash: You dont have to regularly attend church on a Sunday to be a sun-worshipper. Just by virtue of breaking the Sabbath you accept the counterfeit. Were warned of this in Testimonies Volume 6 page 353: We must be guarded lest the lax practices that prevail among Sunday-keepers shall be followed by those who profess to observe Gods holy rest-day. The line of demarcation is to be made clear and distinct between those who bear the mark of Gods kingdom and those who bear the sign of the kingdom of rebellion. Far more sacredness is attached to the Sabbath than is given it by many professed Sabbathkeepers. The Lord has been greatly dishonored by those who have not kept the Sabbath according to the commandment, either in the letter or in the spirit. He calls for a reform in the observance of the SabbathWe are to understand its spiritual bearing upon all the transactions of life. All who regard the Sabbath as a sign between them and God, showing that He is the God who sanctifies them, will represent the principles of His government. They will bring into daily practice the laws of His kingdom. Daily it will be their prayer that the sanctification of the Sabbath will rest upon them. Every day they will have the companionship of Christ, and will exemplify the perfection of His character." "We should

each Sabbath reckon with our souls to see whether the week that has ended has brought spiritual gain or loss. It means eternal life to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. Like the Egyptians we also practice idolatry even on the Sabbath, not in the sense that we literally bow down to an object to worship it because were too sophisticated in our modern era to set up an idol and worship it. After all this is the 21st century! But could it be that many of us have fallen prey to a more subtle form of idolatry? Is there a more subtle, a more egregiousa more malignant form of idolatry? Most definitely there is. We are prone to want to make God in our image. We are prone to invent and to worship gods that are exactly like us. Greek and Roman Mythology are exhibits A. These gods Zeus and Poseidon are moved by caprice and malice. Theyre moved by envy and jealousy, in fact for all intents and purposes they were like a divine soap opera with one exception---they were powerful. The gods invented by the Greeks and the Romans were basically just caricatures of themselves. Romans 1: 22, 23. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. When people turn from a knowledge of God, they begin to look gods or invent gods, and those gods look glaringly like themselves. Of course thats a safe god isnt it? Zeus, Poseidon, Ares are safer gods than the God of the bible. These gods are so much like me that I feel comfortable with that kind of a god. Our modern day gods are the popular movie stars and recording artiste of our day. Arent they powerful in influence, prestige and money? Do millions of people (a vast majority of which are young people) not clamour to watch their movies, buy their CDs, magazines and posters? Do they not greedily gobble every morsel of information about them in the news? Those celebrity gods are just like me they think, they have the same sense of style, go to places I like to go, eat the same things I like to eat. Yes, were comfortable with that type of God. Of course that is not the only form of idolatry that we employ. Deuteronomy 27:15: Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Israel was not supposed to be filled with idolaters and so people would sneak away clandestinely under the cover of darkness and they would put their idol and they would hide it in a certain location and they would sneak away at certain times and go and worship it. And Moses said God sees those secret idols in hidden places. I put it to you that many of us although we may not go off to some secret idol location we have erected idol groves electronically. Our facebook account glorifies worldliness, you would not be able to tell that the person to whom that account belongs is a Christian what about that TV show that

some of us watch late at night? That video game that we like to play in which we can do all manner of virtual sins. Arent these secret groves? Too often we think that because Im not going to that sleazy night-club, or Im not visiting this person or that persons house to commit all manner of sin that were not guilty of secret idolsthese secret sins. But it doesnt stop there. Could there benot in the groves, not in the mountains, but in a much more secret locationimages of God that are inconsistent with his biblical revelation? Where could this secret place be? These secret locations could be in our mind. We construct fictitious imaginings of who God is. Almost daily in my interactions with various people that I work with I hear these excuses even after you have plainly shown them biblical evidence, well my God wouldnt do so and so, my God wouldnt judge me for that, my God wouldnt condemn me for thus and so, my God wouldnt care if I did this on a particular, and I have to tell these people maybe thats your God, but thats not the God of the Bible. God knows that if we develop an affinity for constructing an image of him that is not revealed to us from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, it will so debase our conceptions of him and his holiness and his awesome majesty and solemnity that we will not appreciate him. If we are sloppy students of scripture and the spirit of prophecy writings, we will have a sloppy picture of God. On the exodus journey out of Egypt we discover in exodus 12 that not everyone that left Egypt were Israelites. There was also a mixed multitude. In Patriarchs and Prophet page 281 it says In this multitude were not only those who were actuated by faith in the God of Israel, but also a far greater number who desired only to escape from the plagues or who followed in the wake of the moving multitudes, merely from excitement and curiosity. This class was ever a hindrance and a snare to Israel. She continues: The mixed multitude were critical especially of the leadership of the Exodus movement. They were chronic complainers and nothing suited them. They were overthrown in the wilderness and not permitted to enter the Promised Land because they despised the pleasant land and believed not Gods word. After three days journey, open complaints were heard. These originated with the mixed multitude, many of whom were not fully united with Israel, and were continually watching for some cause of censure. The complainers were not pleased with the direction of the march, and they were continually finding fault with the way in which Moses was leading them, though they well knew that he, as well as they, were following the guiding cloud. Dissatisfaction is contagious and it soon spread in the encampment.Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 377. Their bitter

criticism of the leadership of the movement, which they wanted to lead, led them to start offshoot movements of which there were many, all of which soon came to naught. The first great apostasy of the Exodus movement was at Mount Sinai. This apostasy took place while Moses was up in the Mount and originated with the mixed multitude. Patriarchs and Prophets page 315 says While Moses was absent, it was a time of waiting and suspense to Israel. ... During this period of waiting, there was time for them to meditate upon the law of God which they had heard, and to prepare their hearts to receive the further revelations that He might make to them. They had none too much time for this work; and had they been thus seeking a clearer understanding of Gods requirements, and humbling their hearts before Him, they would have been shielded from temptation. But they did not do this, and they soon became careless, inattentive, and lawless. Especially was this the case with the mixed multitude. They were impatient to be on their way to the land of promise,-the land flowing with milk and honey...There were some who suggested a return to Egypt, but whether forward to Canaan or backward to Egypt, the masses of the people were determined to wait no longer for Moses. Feeling their helplessness in the absence of their leader, they returned to their old superstitions. The mixed multitude had been the first to indulge murmurings and impatience, and they were the leaders in the apostasy that followed. I have asked myself the question as to why the mixed multitude joined the movement and I realized that the reason lies in a basic human longing for something better. Why do these unconverted people join the Advent Movement and why do they stay in it and even try to control it? The glaring answer is that they are convinced of the theory of the truth of the advent message, and hope to sweep into the kingdom with it and thus partake of the benefits and privileges of the inheritance of the saints in light. They have been thrilled with the descriptions of the Heavenly Canaan and want to share in its joys and glories. They have also heard about the seven last plagues and are anxious to escape them. They are controlled by selfish motives and while they are in the movement their hearts and interests are centered in the world or Egypt. The mixed multitude also did not like the health reform principles the Lord had given the Israelites and they lusted for the diet they had in Egypt. They reminded the Israelites of what they had to eat while in Egypt and then they too began to complain of the food God had given them. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 377, the servant of the Lord wrote: Again they began to clamor for flesh to eat. Though abundantly supplied with manna, they were not satisfied. The Israelites, during their bondage in Egypt, had been compelled to subsist on the plainest and simplest food; but the keen appetite induced by privation

and hard labor had made it palatable. Many of the Egyptians, however, who were now among them, had been accustomed to a luxurious diet; and these were the first to complain. The mixed multitude was therefore composed of Egyptians who were among the Israelites. The parallel of our times with the children of Israel is that like them we too have factions of individuals who are a part of the mixed multitude. They must be the murmurers, complainers, critics, idolaters, fornicators, and the worldly element who are always lusting for the things of the world and the fleshpots of Babylon. They are the unconverted and the half-converted who have the theory of the truth without the experience of righteousness. They are Babylonians or at best are only half Christian and half worldling; half Israelite and half Egyptian. They follow the Lord afar off and remain on the outskirts of the camp. This worldly element is always seeking to bring into the church worldly pleasures and worldly policies. It seems impossible for them to distinguish between right and wrong; between what is proper and improper for a Christian. Their spirituality is at a low ebb and their standards are trailing in the dust. Some of the mixed multitude even take it upon themselves to create off-shoots of the movement such as the Shepherd Rods and we must be mindful that this multitude is not small. Thats why its a multitude. If you recall, half of the ten virgins representing the advent people were of this foolish class. Speaking of the cause of the low spiritual ebb in the church the servant of the Lord wrote: And what has caused this alarming condition? Many have accepted the theory of the truth, who have had no true conversion.Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 218. I have been shown that there must be a great awakening among the people of God. Many are unconverted whose names are on our church books. Soon Gods people will be tested by fiery trials, and the great proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal.Vol.5:136. When multitudes of false brethren are distinguished from the true, then the hidden ones will be revealed to view, and with hosannas range under the banner of Christ.Ibid p. 81. Egypt is a never a place that should be called home to an Israelite, but sometimes when youve been in a place for a very long period of time it starts to feel like home and all of a sudden you get comfortable with things you shouldnt get comfortable with. In the desert the whole community grumbled. They said to Moses if wed only died by the Lords hand in Egypt, there wed sit around pots of meat. Arent we today clamouring for the flesh pots of Egypt? The KFC, the burger king and the other fast food places are what we feed on. The Israelites got tired of the manna. Day in day out manna, manna, manna. I can just imagine the responses if we were to undergo a similar experience, Manna againthis taste too bad, it no ready yetI dont want that to eat. Its no surprise why cancer is on the rise, and all manner

of physical diseases prevail today. When we depart from Gods ideal, ruin and chaos are always the end result. But theres another form of feeding in which we love to participatecannibalism. According to some historians cannibalism and human sacrifices were a pervasive norm in ancient Egyptwe may not literally eat one another but we have devised a more cunning form. We think with horror of the cannibal who feasts on the still warm and trembling flesh of his victim; but are the results of even this practice more terrible than are the agony and ruin caused by misrepresenting motive, blackening reputation, dissecting character?Education, p. 235. How many families season their daily meals with doubt and questionings. They dissect the characters of their friends, and serve them up as a dainty dessert. A precious bit of slander is passed around the board to be commented upon, not only by adults, but by the children. The names of Gods chosen servants have been handled with disrespect, and in some cases with absolute contempt, by certain persons whose duty it is to uphold them.Vol. 4:195. No wonder it is impossible for ministers and other church workers to help the children in some homes. Their confidence in church leaders has been destroyed by gossip. Just like Israel of old, many intermarried with the Egyptians and the mixed multitude despite the stern warnings of God given through Moses. We are living in the last days when the mania upon the subject of marriage constitutes one of the signs of the near coming of Christ. God is not consulted in these matters....There is not one marriage in one hundred that results happily, that bears the sanction of God, and places the parties in a position better to glorify Him. The evil consequences of poor marriages are numberless. They are contracted from impulse. A candid review of the matter is scarcely thought of and consultation with those of experience is considered old-fashioned. Impulse and unsanctified passion exist in the place of pure love. Many imperil their own souls, and bring the curse of God upon them, by entering into the marriage relation merely to please the fancy. Vol. 4:503, 504. Marriage is often considered a joke and not half the study and thought given it as to a business partnership or even a business contract. Many young men are saying like Samson, she pleaseth me well, but note this very well young men, if you sit with Delilah youre going end up in shackles. On the exodus journey some of us may say that weve left Egypt behind but like Lots wife still have Egypt in our hearts. The long delay of the Exodus Movement was due to the fact that the Israelites did not sever all connections with Egypt and the things in Egypt. "In their hearts they turned back again

into Egypt." They continued to think of and lust after the things of the land of their bondage. This is also the cause of the long delay of the triumph of the Advent Movement. Those whose hearts are in the world, and whose affections are set upon the things of the world, will eventually follow their hearts and return to the world. Only those who make a complete separation from the world, and who "Seek those things which are above" and set their affections on things above, and not on things on the earth will eventually triumph with the Advent Movement. It is dangerous to retreat toward the world and to have our interests centered on the things of the world. Those who are living on the very borders of the world are courting tragic failure and eternal ruin. Some of say were not looking back but the journey it ends up being a little longer than we anticipated, it ends up being a little harder than we anticipated. We thought it would be quick and easy. Isnt that what our culture teaches usif its not quick and easy its not worth it? And so heres what we do when the journey is harder, longer and more sacrificial than what wed bargained for, we complain and wish for what we had when we were in Egypt. We look at our circumstances, our finances and our resources from a human point of view and we forget that this is what kind of journey? Its a faith journeytotal and implicit trust in God. We forget that we may face situations beyond our reserves but never beyond Gods resources. When we forget this we can say, we had it better in Egypt, of the abuse, you know whatit wasnt as bad as I thought it was. The financial bondage.yeah it was ok. The oppression, that was really tolerable. Maybe, Maybe, Maybe we should go back. That sort of mentally constitutes those in the mixed multitude.

The Exodus movement was purged by the shaking out of the rebels who made this mixed multitude. The Lord did not send a message declaring that the church had become Babylon and that the faithful must be called out into a new movement under a new leadership. He cleansed the movement by shaking out the rebels. Not one of the rebels were permitted to enter Canaan. The final purging came at Baal-Peor on the banks of the Jordan when 24,000 of the mixed multitude were eliminated. The judgments visited upon Israel for their sin at Shittim destroyed the survivors of the vast company, who, nearly forty years before, had incurred the sentence, They shall surely die in the wilderness. P.P.456. The Advent movement will be cleansed and purified in the same way: by the shaking out of the mixed multitude. The Lord will never send a message declaring that the church has fallen and is therefore rejected and become Babylon. We are told that those who get such a burden are not of God but are under satanic inspiration. It is for this reason that all offshoots and apostasies in the past have come to naught and all those of the present and future must likewise ignominiously fail. These false movements however are blessings in disguise because they constitute a part of the sifting process by which the chaff

and rubbish of the mixed multitude are shaken out. God will arouse His people; if other means fail, heresies will come in among them, which will sift them, separating the chaff from the wheat. Vol.5:707. The apostasies and offshoots from the Advent movement are composed of chaff and they call only chaff out of our midst. They are therefore rendering the Advent movement a valuable service. Gods Written Message Habakkuk 2:2, 3. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. The text highlights the importance God places on his written message. God speaks to us through the sacred pages of his word and through the prophetic writings of his servant. However in this day and age we all know that a vast majority of individuals dont fancy reading but they sure look a lot. And it has been proven that we believe in a thing when we are prepared to act as if it were true. To prove Christs teachings put them into practice. From the printer of our daily lives, are we publishing the noble and pure precepts as outlined in Gods word? It should be a paramount priority to utilize the publishing ministry for witnessing but truth of the matter is that people will appreciate the bible more if Christians lived its precepts. Thats how we write the vision individually.

Many of us while growing up were taught the golden rulewhich basically says do unto others as you would have others do unto you but it has come to my revelation that the golden rule is so much more than that. You can take the essence of the golden rule and you can distill it down to phrases like be nice, be sweet, be polite, after all you like it when people are sweet, nice and polite to you. Instead of rushing for the front seat of the car, offer for someone else to sit in the front seat of the car because isnt that what you would like? This is what were taught of the golden rulewere all happy and content with that golden rule. Just be nice to people. Now dont get me wrong, of course theres absolutely nothing wrong with being nice to people but the point is this: this is just the beginnings of the essence of the golden rule. In the book Thoughts From the Mount of blessings page 135: There is but a deeper significance to the golden rule. What do you suppose that might be? Well, she tells us. Everyone who has been made a steward of the manifold grace of God is called upon to impart to souls in ignorance and darkness, even as, were he in their place, he would desire them to impart to him. There is a deeper significance to the golden rule. We as the knowledgeable recipients of the grace of God are duty

bound to communicate what we know of the grace of God to others in spiritual ignorance the very same way that we would want them to communicate to us if we were in darkness and they were enlightened. Lets turn our bibles to Romans chapter 1 verse 14, the apostle Paul says By all that you have known of the love of God, by all that you have received of the rich gifts of His grace above the most benighted and degraded soul upon the earth are you in debt to that soul to impart these gifts unto him. Fellow Christians, there go your days of cultural Christianity, there go your days of evangelism is just for pastor and the elders if you are going to live by the golden rule, you not only have to live by being sweet and nice to people, you are also duty bound to give to others what you would them to give to you if you were in spiritual darkness and they were enlightened. There are only two things that youre taking to heaven. Number 1, your character: Theres no magical transformation that takes place during translation were you go from being a despicable individual into a nice person. That takes place right here and now! And number 2, do you know what it isconverts. In all my readings in the Spirit of Prophecy writings there is not one individual that will make it to heaven that hasnt won a soul for God. And a part of getting a character like Christ is to work for converts. Many people tell you that you need character yes but they dont tell you of the interconnectedness of soulwinning and developing a character like Jesus. Jesus was the consummate soul-winner, if I want to be like Jesus it doesnt just mean being a sweet and nice personJesus whole life was to save other people and if that is not somehow built into the fiber and fabric of my life, my goals, my bank accountthen I dont have that much in common in with Jesus. We need to reach out to others and say God loves you, God is your friend, and can I study the bible with you? As you reach out to others sometimes youll be rejected and it pains you in your heart and then its at that moment that youll be able to relate to Jesus. And sometimes people will say yes, you will say yes, another soul for kingdomhallelujah. Friends, those who will live by the golden rule in heaven, will live by the golden rule on earth. You can profess Christ without possessing Christ but you cannot possess him and not profess him.

Poem: By Michelle Jones The Church and the World walked far apart On the changing shores of time, The World was singing a giddy song, And the Church a hymn sublime. Come, give me your hand, said the merry World, And walk with me this way! But the faithful Church hid her gentle hands And solemnly answered Nay! I will not give you my hand at all, And I will not walk with you; Your way is the way that leads to death; Your words are all untrue. Nay, walk with me but a little space, Said the World with a kindly air; The road I walk is a pleasant road, And the suns always shinning there. Your path is thorny and rough and rude, But mine is easy and plain; My way is paved with flowers and dews, And yours with tears and pain. The sky to me is always blue, No want, little toil I know; The sky above you is always dark, Your lot is a lot of woe. Half shyly the Church approached the World Adorned in a robe like snow, The haughty world then grasped her hand And said in accents low: Your dress is too simple to please my taste; I will give you jewels to wear, Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,

And diamonds to deck your hair. The Church looked down at her plain white robes, And then at the dazzling World, And blushed as she saw his handsome lip With a smile contemptuously curled. I will change my dress for a costlier one, Said the Church, with a smile of grace; Then her pure white garments drifted away, And the World gave, in their place, Jewelry, makeup and fashionable gowns Of glamour, glitter and fame The Church and the World in matching suits Taste and style the same Your house is too plain, said the proud old World, Ill build you one like mine; With walls of marble and towers of gold, And furniture ever so fine. So he built her a costly and beautiful house; Most splendid it was to behold; Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there Gleaming in purple and gold. Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held, And the World and his children were there. Laughter and music and feasts were heard In the place that was meant for prayer. There-were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay, To sit in their pomp and pride; But the poor who were clad in shabby array, Sat meekly down outside. You give too much to the poor, said the World. Far more than you ought to do; If they are in need of shelter and food,

Why need it trouble you? Go, take your money and buy rich robes, Buy cars and materials fine; Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food, Buy the rarest and costliest wine. My children, they dote on all these things, And if you their love would win You must do as they do, and walk in the ways This is progress, its not a sin. Then the children of the World and the children of the Church Walked closely hand and heart, And only the Master, who knoweth all, Could tell the two apart. Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said, I am rich and my goods increase; I have need of nothing, or aught to do, But to laugh, and dance, and feast. The sly World heard, and he laughed in his sleeve, And mockingly said, aside: The Church is falling, the beautiful Church; And her shame is her boast and her pride. The angel drew near to the mercy seat, And whispered in sighs her name; Then the loud anthems of rapture were hushed, And heads were covered with shame. And a voice was heard at last by the Church From Him who sat on the throne: I know thy works, and how thou hast said, I am rich, and hast not known That thou art naked, poor and blind, And wretched before my face; Therefore will I purge thee out,

And blot names from its current place.