Into All the World
“Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters,” Isaiah 32:20
“The church of Christ is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. Its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. And the obligation rests upon all Christians. Every one, to the extent of his talent and opportunity, is to fulfill the Savior’s commission. The love of Christ, revealed to us, makes us debtors to all who know Him not. God has given us light, not for ourselves alone, but to shed upon them.” Steps to Christ, p. 81.
Tn this paragraph we see the duty of the church. When Jesus was about to ascend to heaven, He gave the gospel commission of “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15. Unfortunately sometimes peoples’ religion does not proceed further than their front door. Once they leave home, they have left Christ at home. They dress like the world, they act like the world, and they go to places that worldly people go. No one takes any notice of them, that they are different. This is not the purpose of Christ. Christ’s righteousness is compared to white raiment that is to be worn all of the time, wherever we go.
While we are to be exemplary Christians wherever we may be, we are also to make special efforts to reach our friends and neighbours with the gospel message. We are to actually go to them and bring them the message of salvation. The Jewish nation lost their way when they decided to become exclusive. They lost their missionary zeal and kept their religion within the borders of Jerusalem.
Ancient Israel eventually came to a point where they would peacefully co-exist (although sometimes not so peacefully) with their neighbours but would not bring them the message of salvation. Often it went the other way and Israel went into idolatry. It would never have happened if they had not lost their missionary zeal. When Jesus came to this earth this false idea of exclusiveness had degenerated to the point where the Gentiles were considered dogs, unworthy of salvation — without any hope. So, of course, they put forth no effort to reach this class of people. Jesus came to bring the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, hope.
There is also a real danger that we will fail as did Ancient Israel by neglecting other cities and villages in our country while we all congregate in one area. The blood of souls will be on our garments if we fail to reach out and bring the message of salvation far and wide. We have been put on this earth to serve our fellow man. Jesus is our perfect example and He went about doing good for others. This earth is only a temporary home while we are waiting for the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare.
Tn the time of the Apostles, there were two churches. There was the Christian church and the Jewish church. Both claimed to worship God. Why could they not peacefully co-exist? One was a false religion and it was the duty of the members of the true church to preach the message to the false church. When we see Paul travelling to different localities, he often went to the Synagogue and brought the message to the Jewish believers and then he went to the Gentiles. He went first to the “Lost sheep of the house of Israel.” If they rejected the message he went on to others who would listen, but he gave an opportunity to the former chosen people of God to receive the message of salvation. Unfortunately many of them were lost in their traditions and rituals and made the organization their salvation.
Paul said, “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” Rom. 1:14. Paul recognized that, “There is no respect of persons with God.” Rom. 2:11. Therefore the obvious conclusion is that everyone is entitled to know the truth. It doesn’t matter if they are in the world, or what church they currently belong to, if they are not a part of God’s church they need to be told the truth in a spirit of meekness and humility, with genuine love and concern for the person’s salvation.
We have the example of the Waldenses. They were persecuted for their faith and fled to the mountains for safety. Here they could practice true religion without violating their consciences. Yet did they remain hidden away? Many of them ended their lives as martyrs as they went into the cities below with the precious words of the Bible, bringing hope to people who had been enslaved by false religion. They went at the peril of their lives, but they loved the truth. It was more precious than life itself and they loved their fellow man as Jesus did. They did not question as to who was worthy to receive the message. They went lo sow beside all waters.
The Protestant movement began with the blood of many martyrs. They boldly stood firm for the truths they had learned through the study of the Bible. They stood against the powerful force of the Papacy, which was creating fear in the minds of the masses of people through their false religion. There was a great contrast between the two forces. What do we see today though? There is now a joining of these two religious bodies. They have signed an agreement called, “ECT-Evangelicals and Catholics together, bringing Christianity into the 2lsl Century.” This is a 1994 agreement pledging mutual support between Protestants and Catholics. In this document both Protestants and Catholics have joined forces to fight against the evils of society. Also Protestants agreed to no longer lead Catholics to salvation through Jesus Christ. 1 don’t know what else is written in that document and what other concessions the Protestants made, however it is not God’s will that they peacefully co-exist.
Protestantism began with the protest of errors taught in the Papal system and now they want to join forces and co-exist peacefully.
What would the great reformers think if they read that document today? Men like Martin Luther, who had a very different document lo post on the doors of the church in Wittenberg. Why did he not keep his new found faith to himself? He was so excited about the truth he wanted everyone to know of the hope he had found in Christ. Did these reformers keep their religion quietly to themselves and peacefully co-exist with false religion? No they did not. They loved their fellow man enough to show them the way of salvation through Christ and not through a priest and a false religious movement. They did this often at the peril of their lives.
Coming to William Miller, lie studied his Bible for ten years until he was convinced of the truths he found that Jesus was coming soon. At first he did not want to openly preach the message as he was not a minister or preacher. He was only a farmer. He only revealed his studies to a few close friends. However the Lord had a different commission for him. The Lord told him he was to go and preach, which is what he finally did. It was not enough to study the good news and keep it to oneself.
After the Great Disappointment, did the Adventist people keep the message to themselves? As hard as it was in their human nature, they went out and preached again according to the command of the Lord .(>, “prophesy again before many people, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev. 10:11. They humbled themselves, admitted their error in the reckoning of the time and they went out to preach the message of salvation to everyone. They sacrificed their time, their energy and their means for the cause they loved – the love of a crucified and risen Saviour.
In the year 1914, the Seventh-day Adventist church fell off the line of truth when they joined the military and encouraged all their young men to do so, disfellowshipping those who would not. What were these disfellowshipped ones to do? The Lord did not expect them to wander spiritually, independently on their own. He brought them together and had them form a new organization. In 1925 they organized their church. What was ‘ their duty now? Were they to peacefully co-exist with the members of tl f,ir former organization? Or did the Lord expect them to warn those in the Seventh-day Advcntisl church of the apostasy that their church had fallen into and how God had rejected the organization as His church? We see they followed the Lord’s commission and first attempted to reconcile with the leaders of the organization. When this did not work, they went to the individual members. This is the commission the Lord has given to us. Just as the Apostles were to go to the “Lost sheep of the house of Israel,” we too are to warn those in churches, that once were God’s church, of the fact that their organization has apostatized. We will be held accountable if we do not go. Are we to peacefully coexist? We arc to be “wise as serpents, but harmless as doves,” in bringing the truth lo these people. At one time the Lutherans were God’s people, at another linv the Baptist church was God’s church, and the list goes on. The truth goes forward but the organization may change if she is unwilling to continue in the newly unfolding truths that God is revealing to His people. It is the duty of those who have accepted the new truth to first bring the message to those who belong to the previous organization that was rejected. Those churches who have a lot of light and only a little error are in the greatest danger since they feel that they are better than most other churches and therefore are fine where they are.
What about churches that never were God’s church? Those that perhaps have branched off from God’s church through slight errors or grievances? In this day and age there is much confusion amongst Adventism due to the numerous independent groups in existence.
Each claims to have the full light. Some arc loosely connected with the main Seventh-day Adventist Church – some have severed all connection and are standing independent of any organization. Some have created a new organization as the off-shoot in 1951 has. Yes, some of these independents and off-shoots may have almost the full light, BUT are they God’s church? Almost is not enough for God. How many churches does God have? In the Bible we read that there is only one bride of Christ. Therefore what is our duty to those who are without the borders of God’s church? Are we to peacefully coexist since they are practicing the truth almost fully? Or perhaps there are a few isolated members who are living up to the full light in a false organization. Does this make the organization correct? Not really, what is important is what the church teaches.
Some have believed that we should leave these people alone and not “trouble” them. They have even worshipped with these people occasionally, thinking what wonderful people they are. Yes, they may be nice and kind people, but this is all the more reason for us to fulfill our duty. If we really love them as we say we do, we will not let them perish in a church that is not God’s church without warning them. No, it is against the Bible teaching for us to simply peacefully co-exist with false religious organizations. We are to sound the warning and call them out of their false churches in the Spirit of Christ. Although the 1951 group seems to have all the light, they are not God’s church today and we must let them know the truth. If they will not listen, we will leave them to the Lord and go on to warn the world. We have done our duty. We still love them and pray for them.
Often we will find more receptivity to the gospel message from the world than we would from false churches, as often these false churches are “rich, and increased with goods, and in need of nothing;” Rev. 3:17. “Many apparently good things will need to be carefully considered with much prayer, for they are specious devices of the enemy to lead souls in a path which lies so close to the path of truth that it will be scarcely distinguishable from it. But the eye of faith may discern that it is diverging, though almost imperceptibly, from the right path.” EV, p. 590.
When we are commissioned to go into ALL the world, and preach the gospel, that includes the Seventh-day Adventists, the 1951 group and all the independent Seventh-day Adventists in existence today. They need to see the way of salvation also and join God’s visible church today.
Often we meet with independent Christians in our work who refuse to have anything to do with any church organization. They believe that they can sit at home and read their Bible on their own and God will reveal His will to them. When they come in contact with God’s people, they turn away and choose to remain alone.
This was not God’s will. When Cornelius was praying, the Lord sent and angel to speak with him. This angel could have preached the gospel to him better than any man on earth could, but the angel did not. He told Cornelius to “send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon.” “Thus God gave evidence of His regard for the gospel ministry and for His organized church. The angel was not commissioned to tell Cornelius the story of the cross. A man subject, even as the centurion himself, to human frailties and temptations, was to be the one to tell him of the crucified and risen Saviour.” AA, p. 134. And yes, Peter had to humble himself to accept the commission from the Lord to go and preach to this Gentile. Yes the Lord meant the Gentiles also when He told his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.”
Again when Saul was converted on the Damascus road, Jesus spoke directly to him, but did not give him the gospel message personally, “In the record of the conversion of Saul important principles are given us, which we should ever bear in mind. Saul was brought directly into the presence of Christ. He was one whom Christ intended for a most important work, one who was to be a ‘chosen vessel’ unto Him; yet the Lord did not at once tell him of the work that had been assigned him. He arrested him in his course and convicted him of sin; but when Saul asked, ‘What wilt Thou have me to do?’ the Saviour placed the inquiring Jew in connection with His church, there to obtain a knowledge of God’s will.” AA, p. 120. “Thus Jesus gave sanction to the authority of His organized church and placed Saul in connection with His appointed agencies on earth. Christ had now a church as His representative on earth, and to it belonged the work of directing the repentant sinner in the way of life.
“Many have an idea that they are responsible to Christ alone for their light and experience, independent of his recognized followers on earth. Jesus is a friend of sinners, and His heart is touched with their woe. He has all power, both in heaven and on earth; but He respects the means that He has ordained for the enlightenment and salvation of men; He directs sinners to the church, which He has made a channel of light to the world.” AA, p. 122.
Here we see that a mighty leader in the Jewish Sanhedrin was not beyond the reach of the gospel message. No one is unreachable and we must bring the message to all, whether it be the poorer classes or the wealthy classes of people. Whether they be infidels, world-loving people, or ministers and leaders in false churches. They all need to see that God has a church on earth and where that church is.
GOD HAS A CHURCH
God does indeed have a church on earth and it is to this church that He bestows His blessings. “But near the close of earthly harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of Man.” AA, p, 55.
“To the end of time the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church.” AA. P. 54
“God has a church upon the earth, who are his chosen people, who keep his commandments. He is leading, not stray off-shoots, not one here and one there, but a people. The truth is a sanctifying power.” RH, 09-12-93.
‘The order that was maintained in the early Christian church made it possible for them to move forward solidly as a well-disciplined army clad with the armor of God. The companies of believers, though scattered over a large territory, were all members of one body;” A A, p. 95.
“God has a church on earth who are lifting up the downtrodden law, and presenting to the world the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. The church is the depositary of the wealth of the riches of the grace of Christ, and through the church eventually will be made manifest the final and full display of the love of God to the world that is to be lightened with its glory. The prayer of Christ that His church may be one as He was one with His Father, will be finally answered.” 1NL, p. 49.
“God has a distinct people, a church on earth, second to none, but superior to all in their facilities to teach the truth, to vindicate the law of God. God has divinely appointed agencies, – men whom he is leading, who have borne the heat and burden of the day, who are co-operating with heavenly instrumentalities to advance the kingdom of Christ in our world. Let all unite with these chosen agents, and be found at last among those who have the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments, and have the faith of Jesus.” RH, 09-12-93.
“We should all feel our individual responsibility as members of the visible church and workers in the vineyard of the Lord.” 4T, 16.
“Christ, after His resurrection, delegated power unto His church,” 4T,p. 17.
And there arc many more statements regarding the fact that God has a church on earth and He works through His church to accomplish His will. If we truly believe that we belong to this body of believers that is the church of Christ, what will we be doing? We will be proclaiming the present truth for today which is the Loud Cry of the Third Angel. What is a part of its message? “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev. 18:4. Yes, we will be calling them out of their false churches.
So it is my wish and prayer that we would have the love of Christ take root in our hearts for our fellow men that we can warn them of their danger in attending false churches. They are really playing with fire literally. If we love them as Christ does we will not leave them be, to peacefully co-exist in false churches and movements. It doesn’t matter what church it is, if it is not God’s church it is a false church. Who wants to face people in the judgment day and be asked, “Why did you not tell me the truth when you knew what it was?” It may mean our salvation also. I pray that we can all invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts and ask Him to lead and guide us in the way we are to go und to give us the right words to speak at the right time to be a help to our fellow man.
AMEN.