Sabbath School Today
With the 1888 Message Dynamic
Ezra and Nehemiah
Lesson 11: Backslidden People
Nehemiah, after serving in Jerusalem for twelve years (Nehemiah 5:14), returned to Babylon to again serve King Artaxerxes (13:6). After several years, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and discovered that the main things to which he had made the leaders swear were not being followed (10:30-39; 13:6-11). They had failed in three areas of life and practice: (1) the support of the priests, Levites, singers, and gatekeepers and the services in the house of God through tithe and offerings (13:5, 10-14, 30, 31); (2) the observance of the Sabbath commandment (13:15-22); and (3) intermarriage with non-Israelites (13:23-29). These issues of backsliding raises the matter of the Lord's mind toward the Seventh-day Adventist Church in its lukewarm condition.
An important truth that will help us understand the mind of Christ toward the Seventh-day Adventist Church is our 1888 history. In spite of decades of lukewarmness within it, the Lord sent the "beginning" of the final latter rain through delegates to a General Conference session. He honored this people with the "revelation of the righteousness of Christ" in this "most precious message" destined to "lighten the earth with glory."
The 1901 reorganization was intended to bring revival and reformation and return to the leadership of Christ working through those who believe His word, "All ye are brethren." But the spiritual renewal did not take place. It was only a "what might have been." [1]
Ellen White did not withdraw her support from the organized church, but remained true and loyal until her death in 1915. This was despite the fact that she was deeply disappointed with the spiritual results of the 1901 session. The Lord continued through all those years to honor this church with the ministry of His messenger.
The solution to our problem does not consist in destroying or changing the system of our constitutional organization, but in finding repentance and reconciliation with Christ within it. Weaknesses in organization will be rectified almost overnight when the Holy Spirit succeeds in leading us to repentance.
Literally millions of people can testify that the only agency which led them to a knowledge of the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14 is the Seventh-day Adventist Church, despite its failures. The best hope for an ultimately successful proclamation of the last message to the world is a repentant Seventh-day Adventist Church that not only proclaims the message with crystal clarity, but demonstrates without question that it works. In the midst of the 1888 era of unbelief, Ellen White had hope for reformation:
"God is at the head of the work, and He will set everything in order. If matters need adjusting at the head of the work, God will attend to that, and work to right every wrong. ... God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of God safely into port." [2]
"When anyone is drawing apart from the organized body of God's commandment-keeping people, when he begins ... to pronounce judgment against them, then you may know that God is not leading him." [3]
After 1901 and 1903 Ellen White made some of the strongest statements of her lifetime, identifying this organized church as the true one and giving assurance of its ultimate success in ministry when repentance permeates the body:
"We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. We cannot now enter into any new organization; for this would mean apostasy from the truth." [4]
"I am instructed to say to Seventh-day Adventists the world over, God has called us as a people to be a peculiar treasure unto Himself. He has appointed that His church on earth shall stand perfectly united in the Spirit and counsel of the Lord of hosts to the end of time." [5]
"I am encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is still guiding His people and that He will continue to be with them, even to the end." [6] She clearly defined "God's people" as "this denomination."
Because ancient Israel failed repeatedly as has the church in modern times does not mean necessarily that the pattern of backsliding and apostasy will continue forever. The failures of God's corporate people have always involved the heavenly sanctuary in defilement.
The foundation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a belief in the good news of Daniel 8:14: "Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Then shall this constant cloud of failure which has hovered over God's Israel be lifted; then shall God's name be cleared as His people demonstrate His plan of salvation to be a success; then shall the sacrifice of Christ be vindicated. A cynical attitude which says, "Suppose the church fails and the conditions are not met" is the same as saying, "Suppose the sanctuary will not be cleansed." The honor of God requires that it shallbe cleansed.
This is the ultimate issue in the great controversy. We have the privilege of standing in absolute loyalty to Christ and to His Bride-to-be.
--Paul E. Penno
Endnotes (Ellen G. White):
[1] Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 104-106.
[2] Selected Messages, book 2, p. 390.
[3] Selected Messages, book 3, p. 18.
[4] Last Day Events, p. 55;Manuscript 129, 1905.
[5] Selected Messages, book 2, p. 397.
[6] Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, Remarks to 1913 General Conference Session, pp. 437, 438.
Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFsa9iXV_Hw
"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm
| RR |
