You and I, everyone of us, are called upon to be preachers. And everyone of us are preaching a message today. “Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.” 1 Samuel 13:19–23
“Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. . . .
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.” 1 Samuel 14: 1, 6–12
Jonathan and his armour bearer were preaching a message to the Philistines. And what kind of message did they preach? One of faith and courage, wouldn’t you say? The Israelites didn’t have sharp weapons, but the Lord’s hand is not constrained to save by many or by few. He can bless even a dull weapon or message to make it effective in His service. Do you see what I am saying? “But Brother Jerry,” you may say, “I cannot go door to door like you do, or give a Bible study like you do”—and that may be true. But still, you are preaching a message. You do so by the look on your face, by your attitudes and actions—by the way you eat, and the way you dress. In fact, even without opening your mouth, you are preaching a message with all of these things. So, we may not know it, but we are still preaching a message each and every day.
“Let the members of the church now put away their pride and lay off their ornaments. Each should keep a missionary box at hand, and drop into it every penny he is tempted to waste in self-indulgence. But something more must be done than merely to dispense with superfluities. Self-denial must be practiced. Some of our comfortable and desirable things must be sacrificed. The preachers must sharpen up their message, not merely assailing self-indulgence, and pride in dress, but presenting Jesus, His life of self-denial and sacrifice. Let love, piety, and faith be cherished in the heart, and the precious fruits will appear in the life.” –Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, p. 293
How are you doing in sharpening your spiritual weapons and your message? Deepening your self-denial, your self-sacrifice? Deepening your repentance and your faith?
“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” 1 Peter 1:17–22
It is a solemn thought, that we even have to sharpen our message by deepening our faith and our experience with Christ, isn’t it? For what is the human tendency? To take it easy, settle down in complacency and self-satisfaction, right? But of what are we assured if we do this?
“What shall I say to arouse the remnant people of God? I was shown that dreadful scenes are before us; Satan and his angels are bringing all their powers to bear upon God’s people. He knows that if they sleep a little longer, he is sure of them, for their destruction is certain.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 263
“In these final hours of probation for the sons of men, when the fate of every soul is so soon to be decided forever, the Lord of heaven and earth expects His church to arouse to action as never before. Those who have been made free in Christ through a knowledge of precious truth, are regarded by the Lord Jesus as His chosen ones, favored above all other people on the face of the earth; and He is counting on them to show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into marvelous light. The blessings which are so liberally bestowed, are to be communicated to others. The good news of salvation is to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” –Prophets and Kings, p. 716–717
“Not one in a hundred among us is doing anything beyond engaging in common, worldly enterprises. We are not half awake to the worth of the souls for whom Christ died.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 148
“If the followers of Christ were awake to duty, there would be thousands where there is one today, proclaiming the gospel in heathen lands. And all who could not personally engage in the work, would yet sustain it with their means, their sympathy, and their prayers. And there would be far more earnest labor for souls in Christian countries.” –Steps to Christ, p. 81
How about our dress standards? Are you and I advancing, sharpening our experience in the things of the Lord in this way? Don’t we like to think that we are just about all right? We are pretty complacent about that, if we are complacent about anything. And of course, we dress so much more modestly than the world, don’t we?
But is that how God’s people are to compare themselves—with the world? Here is what inspiration has to say about the subject. “If all our sisters would adopt a simple, unadorned dress of modest length, the uniformity thus established would be far more pleasing to God, and would exert a more salutary influence on the world, than the diversity presented four years ago. As our sisters would not generally accept the reform dress as it should be worn, another, less objectionable style is now presented. It is free from needless trimmings, free from the looped-up, tied back overskirts. It consists of a plain sack or loose-fitting basque, [a short waist coat] and skirt, the latter short enough to avoid the mud and filth of the streets. The material should be free from large plaids and figures, and plain in color. The same attention should be given to the clothing of the limbs as with the short dress.
“Will my sisters accept this style of dress and refuse to imitate the fashions that are devised by Satan and continually changing? No one can tell what freak fashion will take next. Worldlings whose only care is, ‘What shall we eat, and what shall we wear?’ should not be our criterion.
“Some have said: ‘After I wear out this dress, I will make the next plainer.’ Now, if conformity to the fashions of the world is right and pleasing to God, where is the need of making a change at all? But if it is wrong, is it best to continue in the wrong any longer than is positively necessary to make the change? Right here we would remind you of the zeal and earnestness, the skill and perseverance you manifested in preparing your dress according to the fashion. Would it not be praiseworthy to manifest at least equal earnestness to make it conform to the Bible standard? Precious, God-given time and means were used in fashioning those garments; and now what are you willing to sacrifice to correct the wrong example you have been giving to others?” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p.640
What does this testimony mean for you and I?
In Testimonies for the Church, volume 4 we read that exhibitions of pride and dress were occasions for church discipline.
How are we doing at uplifting Jesus—and comparing ourselves with Him? We certainly are not sharpening our spiritual weapons or message when we neglect this important counsel regarding our dress. How are we doing at imitating Jesus’ love and self-denial? His wondrous sacrifice for you and I?
How are we relating to the reality of His soon coming? “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25–26
“Signs and wonders appeared, foreboding disaster and doom. In the midst of the night an unnatural light shone over the temple and the altar. Upon the clouds at sunset were pictured chariots and men of war gathering for battle. The priests ministering by night in the sanctuary were terrified by mysterious sounds; the earth trembled, and a multitude of voices were heard crying: ‘Let us depart hence.’ The great eastern gate, which was so heavy that it could hardly be shut by a score of men, and which was secured by immense bars of iron fastened deep in the pavement of solid stone, opened at midnight, without visible agency. –Milman, The History of the Jews, book 13.” –The Great Controversy, p. 29
Have you heard about all of the mysterious sounds and sights that have been appearing in the heavens that people all over the world have been noticing and talking about? On the news they have shown very strange cloud formations, looking like dark, approaching hands coming over a city. And, of course, we know that many people, not even Christians necessarily, are looking for the world to end this year.
He is coming again, and of this we cannot deny. Will you and I sharpen our spiritual weapons and message accordingly? All the strange happenings—the voices and sounds from the sky, tell us of the approach of an offended God. “Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” Isaiah 24:1–5
But, He is coming back for His people. He is coming for those who are keeping His commandments, sharpening their spiritual weapons and message, by deep and true repentance.
Did you know that all the ice has melted in Greenland? In the space of three or four days, all the ice has melted in one of the coldest places on Earth—can you believe it? What more can God do to tell us to wake up, to get ready. Deny yourself. Work for others. For everyone of us is preaching a sermon every day. In the way we eat and dress, the way we think and are. Are you and I deepening our faith and experience with Christ? Jonathan and his armour bearer preached a message of self-denial, love and power—and even though it was only the two of them, the Lord triumphed gloriously in putting to flight the enemies of God, even so that those enemies destroyed one another.
May the sermons we preach give honor and glory to Him who is coming again, is my prayer.
Jerry Eaton