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Our church was born amid a fiery, Holy
Spirit-inspired conviction that Christ was coming soon; our church will end
amid a similar, Spirit-inspired conviction, even more feverish than the one
in which it was born. Until then, we struggle with the limpid, Laodicean
lukewarmness (Rev. 3:14-19) that has separated these two prophetic perimeters
by 150 years (and counting). Adventism began with a certainty that God had
raised this people to proclaim the last warning message to the world, a message
of the "everlasting gospel" in the context of the three angels of Revelation
14. Yet as these years have passed, new generations have arisen far removed
from the excitement, passion, and commitment that burned within the souls
of their forebears, those who dedicated their lives in the belief that God
had given this church a unique message for a dying world.
Today some among us even assert not only that we are not that different from
other churches, but that we shouldn't be. Sadly, there's a certain logic
to that thinking. After all, if we don't have something unique, something
better to offer everyone else, why not be like everyone else?
Despite those voices, many among us still believe-and rightly so-that God
raised up the Seventh-day Adventist Church not because He wanted just another
denomination but because He has given us something different, something better,
to proclaim to the world. If He hadn't, what justification do we have for
our existence? It's hard to find one.
And what He has given us are crucial, distinctive truths that make us Seventh-day
Adventists. Not Lutherans, not Episcopalians, not Baptists, not Methodists,
but Adventists, Seventh-day Adventists. Not that all these truths are uniquely
Adventist. Many aren't nor should they be. But taken together, in the context
of what we call "present truth," these teachings make up a distinct message
that no one else is proclaiming. And because no one else is, we have to.
That's, in fact, why we're here.
This quarter we will examine those distinctive biblical doctrines that underpin
our identity. We will study each doctrine from the perspective of Christ
as the hub from whom all truth radiates. Each doctrine is to be a window
that reveals Christ in all His matchless beauty. The Cross, the sanctuary,
the high-priestly ministry of Christ, the three angels' messages, the antitypical
day of atonement, the judgment, the Second Coming, and others all form a
cluster of interrelated lessons that-understood in the light of Christ-define
who we are and what we are supposed be in these last days as we await the
glorious return of our Lord, a return to be preceded by a fiery, Holy
Spirit-inspired conviction burning in the hearts of those who "keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12).
EDITOR'S
OVERVIEW "Identity
Crisis"
Czech writer Franz Kafka wrote a short story, called "The Metamorphosis,"
about a man who, overnight, was transformed into a huge dung beetle. "As
Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams," the story begins, "he
found himself transformed into a gigantic insect." The rest of "The
Metamorphosis" deals with poor Gregor and the Samsa family as they adjusted
to this new and unfortunate set of circumstances.
Kafka's tale, however, wasn't meant to be science fiction. It meant, instead,
to deal with the problem commonly known as an "identity crisis." Here was
Gregor, toiling away at some dead-end job for no other purpose than to support
his parents and sister, who had grown accustomed to the nice lifestyle that
he had provided for them.
But who, really, was Gregor Samsa? Why was he there? What was the purpose
of his existence other than to allow his dad to read the newspaper all morning
or to give his sister the money to sleep late, dress well, and go to parties?
However unique his approach, Kafka touched an issue that faces not just
individuals but entities, as well--and that is the question of identity.
For example, we call ourselves Seventh-day Adventists. But who are we? Why
are we here? What's the purpose of our movement? How do we justify our existence?
With so many other Protestant denominations out there, why the Seventh-day
Adventist Church?
The answer is, really, simple. Our identity is intricately tied in, if not
inseparably linked to, our message. What we believe, and what we do with
that belief make us who we are and justify our existence. Without our message,
without our distinctive teachings, we could wake up one day and suddenly
discover we're of no more importance or significance than a beetle.
This quarter's guide, Pillars of Our Faith, looks at our core doctrines,
the teachings that make us Seventh-day Adventists, the truths that give us
our distinct identity. After all, what we believe defines who we are, who
we are defines why we are here, and why we are here defines our purpose.
We can no more separate our identity from our mission than we can separate
heat from fire. The message is the mission. Only as we understand what we
believe can we know what we are to do.
Lesson author Dr. Joel Musvosvi, a native of Zimbabwe
and (as of the writing of this Bible Study Guide) ministerial secretary of
the Eastern Africa Division, understands these concepts. Thus he deftly covers
the teachings that give us our identity, purpose, and call. He covers a lot
of ground in the lessons. But that makes sense because, as Seventh-day
Adventists, we have a lot to say. And as long as we keep believing it, as
long as we keep saying it, our identity is sure. On the other hand, the day
we forget, the day these things depart from our hearts, we might not wake
up one day and discover we're a giant beetle, but Gregor Samsa's problem
will, nevertheless, be ours as well.
Clifford Goldstein
Contents: (all lessons may not
be posted)
Giardina Sabbath School
Study Helps
Jerry Giardina of Pecos, Texas, assisted by his wife, Cheryl, prepares a
series of helps to accompany the Sabbath School lesson. He includes all related
scripture and most EGW quotations. Jerry has chosen the "New King James Version"
of the scriptures this quarter. It is used with permission. The study
helps are provided in three wordprocessing versions
Wordperfect; Microsoft
Word; RTF for our MAC friends; and
HTML (Web Pages).
Last updated on June 16, 2001
Editorial Office: 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904.
Principal Contributors: Joel Musvosvi
Editor: Clifford Goldstein
Associate Editor: Lyndelle Brower Chiomenti.
Editorial Production Manager: Soraya Homayouni Parish.
Art and Design: Lars Justinen.
Pacific Press Coordinator: Paul A. Hey.
Copyright © 2001 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist.
All Rights Reserved.
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