Winning the Great Controversy in Every-day Life
Back in my literature evangelism days, I was sitting in the Oklahoma Adventist conference president’s office along with 4 or 5 other literature evangelists. We were discussing what one book, in addition to the Bible, we should be promoting for these last days. One person said we should be promoting books warning people about the mark of the beast. I suggested if we promoted books like The Desire of Ages, and encouraged people to fall in love with Jesus, then when the mark of the beast becomes an issue, people will make the obvious choice and follow Jesus. A few of them agreed.
The Great Controversy
Several years later I was in a vespers service at my church, where the group doing the presentations were telling us that instead of preaching the three angels’ message, we should be preaching the gospel. Apparently they did not understand the three angels message is the gospel. The first angel has the everlasting gospel which prepares us for judgment. The second angel warns us against choosing man-made religions instead of God. The third angel warns us against trusting in our own works to save us instead of resting on God’s Sabbath and letting Him save us.
Over the years I have heard people say Seventh-day Adventists should not be preaching about every-day living but should be warning people about last day events. I hope those of you who have been following my contributions to Sabbath School Net the last 13 years have found my articles to be balanced. I have done my best to stay Jesus-focused, and present our Bible teachings and crucial themes like the great controversy and the three angels’ message in the light of the cross. Here is why I believe we need to have a balanced blend of the cross in all our teachings, especially about last day events.
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4 NKJV
Notice first, our repentance does not lead to God’s goodness. God’s goodness leads us to repentance. Therefore, if we want the world to repent and prepare for the judgment, shouldn’t we be preaching about God’s grace and goodness? The Conflict of the Ages series, which covers the great controversy from start to finish, begins Volume 1 (Patriarchs and Prophets) of that series with one sentence. That same sentence is the very last sentence in the last book of the series. That one sentence is not “Sunday is the false Sabbath.” The author of this series well knew Sunday was not the Sabbath, but that is not the main focus of her Conflict of the Ages series. That one sentence is not, “The Ten Commandments can be obeyed.” Again she well knew that, by God’s grace, we can live in harmony with God’s law. These are important aspects to consider in the great controversy, but the opening and closing sentences in the entire Conflict of the Ages series is, “God is love.” The number one reason the Seventh-day Adventist church was brought into existence is to proclaim the unadulterated truth about Jesus. Jesus came to show us the true character of the Father.
God is love!
- The first angel has the everlasting gospel. Jesus is the everlasting Gospel. John 3:14-17. John 19:17-36.
- The first angel reminds us about the creation Sabbath. Jesus came to give us rest and gave us an example of Sabbath-keeping, demonstrating God’s love and mercy. Matthew 11:28-30. Matthew 12:1-8.
- The first angel also tells us about the judgment. Jesus showed us how to prepare for the judgment by loving God first and others second. Matthew 5:17-19, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 25:34-40, 1 John 4:17.
- The second angel warns us not to follow man-made religions instead of God. Jesus showed us how to trust God instead of man-made systems of worship. Matthew 4:8-10, Matthew 15:3-9. John 3:14-17.
- The third angel assures us that only God’s grace can save us. If we trust our own works and ability to do work, – doing business buying and selling in order to put bread on our family’s table – then we have rejected what Jesus did for us on the cross, and we will thus have to drink the bitter cup ourselves that Jesus already drank for us in Gethsemane. (See Luke 22:41-44.) Jesus teaches us that we can trust God’s grace instead of our own work to put bread on our family’s table. Matthew 6:25-33
When we properly share the three angels’ message and great controversy themes with our friends and neighbors, we are sharing the gospel. The seventh-day Adventist Church was brought into existence to help others see the gospel more clearly. Our Bible teachings about the Sabbath, judgment, the great controversy and the three angels’ messages help us to see God’s love more clearly in a world full of deceptions and lies about God’s loving character.
This is why I believe that, if people see the love of God in all His glory, they will be so in love with Jesus that when the test of the mark of the beast comes, they will not take that mark. Maybe they knew it was coming, maybe they didn’t, but either way, they will love Jesus so much they will not fall for it. After all, throughout earth’s history, people have been tested in various ways. The Sabbath is not always the test that is given. Perhaps on the Titanic people passed the test by putting others first and giving up their place on a lifeboat for someone else. Isn’t that what the gospel is all about?
Knowing that it is God’s goodness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), how important it must be to show God’s goodness in everyday life. After all, consider this,
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:31-40 NKJV
Consider that in the judgment Jesus did not reward people for what they preached but by what they did to show His love for others. The most crucial theme in the great controversy is if God is love or not. While Satan is busy telling all kinds of lies about God’s character, the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be showing the mercy and goodness of God with those in need. This goodness will lead people to repent from believing Satan’s lies about God’s character. This goodness will also keep people from believing Satan’s lies about Seventh-day Adventists themselves. The great controversy won’t be won by preaching behind the pulpit. It will be won by everyday Adventists loving their neighbors in everyday life.
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Blessed be GOD for giving you the light and wisdom to show clearly how the 3 angels messages - are a revelation of GOD’s character of love and the righteousness of GOD which is by faith. (Romans 3:22; Philippians 3:9)
I really appreciate this article. Very apropos to our embarkment of the study of the Great Controversy. Yes the love of God is not only at the begining and end of the conflict series but permitted throughout The Great Controversy. As example the chapters on the origin of sin explain the Love of God through the conflict. The distruction of Jerusalem and following persecution emphasize God's Love through these times, watching over those faithful to Him.
We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan." The Great Controversy 36.1. The Love of God shines through.
I am glad that the lessons are not merely a history lesson, rather they bring out the Chactor of God, the love of God. I hope our people read the chapters of the Great Controversy along with the lesson and don't shy away. Yes I know just reading the lesson is tremendous in itself.
Thank you for giving us the insight with details that the Gospel is given by also the Three Angels Message.
and
We are united in Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are united in His love.
Love for the waiting people of the world,
People who need our Saviour’s love...
Yes, yes....to falling in love with Jesus as the fertile soil for good works, and to your whole message here, Pastor Earnhardt....
Jesus said “IF YOU LOVE ME, you will obey me and keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Obeying God in Spirit and doing things truly for God is the FRUIT of loving God. We know that loving God does not equal simply obeying God because Jesus warns us about being in the group who did good, and even miraculous, things and yet He will say, "I never knew you" (Matt.7:21-23). He wants our hearts before our hands.
Humans may love each other, but they may love family more than they love God. A parent may treasure and delight in their children more than treasuring and delighting in God. Fallen people who don't believe in Jesus as Savior can make great personal sacrifices for many reasons, but not out of love for God.
Loving God is getting to know Him and being in an intimate relationship with Him. Communicating with Him all day long. Trusting Him. Loving God is being satisfied in God more than anyone or anything - spouse, family, children, friends, work, health, entertainment, creativity, life, knowledge (Matt.10:37). Loving God is experiencing God as our greatest delight. Loving God is treasuring Him more than anything or anyone else. We feel our strongest commitment and binding affections for Him. We cherish Him..in sickness and in health. And out of that, our love for people simultaneously grows...if we love God we will love people and all that God loves (1 John 4:20).
Amen and amen, Pastor Earnhardt. Thank you for sharing such wisdom. And amen to other comments.
Growing up, my parents stressed family devotion daily - sometimes twice a day - to the chagrin of us children. My siblings and I weren't always fond of it. I preferred my own personal devotion. My parents didn't force us to read the Conflict of the Ages series, but they did have these incredible treasures on a bookshelf. And the Holy Spirit led me to read some of them. I can't say how many times I've read the Desire of Ages.
Also growing up, having experienced consistent rejection by boys/young men, I subconsciously felt inadequate and experienced some measure of depression as a teen. Wondering why I was excluded from this wonderful thing of being loved (or liked), like other girls/young women, my heart was often heavy. I didn't feel like I belonged here. On earth. Among others. I suppose I didn't feel human, as I was not allowed to participate in this element of humanity.
During my teen years, I gravitated to two books that continue to inspire me and undergird my faith at the age of 55. They are Patriarchs & Prophets and the Desire of Ages - the best two books I've ever read, alongside the Bible. I'm convinced that Ellen White's visions and subsequent writings are an incredible gift from God to mankind. I wonder how many of us know just how miraculously God shared these precious truths with her. How while in vision, Ellen White didn't breathe - anywhere from a few minutes to hours. Physicians tested her physically while she was in vision and concluded that she wasn't breathing for impossible spans of time. Also, how many of us know that as a young girl, Ellen White was injured while being bullied, which left her sickly, feeble and unable to be educated in school. Due to physical deficits from her injury, reading and writing literally made her sick. In her human capacity, Ellen White may have been incapable of authoring anything. Yet, how great, powerful and gracious is our God. Rising from her visions, Ellen White penned the most eloquent manuscripts written on earth, illustrating our Father's love. Her words are like nothing I've ever heard before. And I completely believe they are inspired by God. How just like God: He gifted the capacity to one most unlikely. Perhaps so readers would understand that this message about Him - this description of His character (Love) was a gift from Him.
In Patriarchs & Prophets, God's love is beautifully illustrated in stories about the life journeys of Adam & Eve, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, etc. In every story, the Spirit whispers in heart-gripping ways: "God is love." Despite what we've done. Despite what we've experienced. And we can't possibly miss God's love expressed through the character, teachings, deliverance and miracles of Emmanuel - God with us, as described in the Desire of Ages. He has also blessed us through The Great Controversy with knowledge and prophetic insight about the war between good and evil, from the beginning until the end of time.
I cherish the Conflict of the Ages series, as a message from God's heart. Weaving through it and the Biblical message is the question and answer of who God is. Who we are. And whose we are. In order to truly know who we are, we have to first know who God is. That He is Alpha and Omega. He is our Omnipotent Creator. And Redeemer. He is our Father. And we must know that He is love (His character). And that He loves us. This IS the great controversy. (1) Who is God? (versus who the enemy says He is). (2) What will He do if we sin? (He showed us in the Garden of Eden, and one starry night in Bethlehem - He comes to us in our sin. Because He loves us. (3) How can God truly love us, because ____ (we might fill in the blank).
Woven consistently throughout scripture, I find that our God wants to show us and tell us who He is, and He's honored when we believe in Him. Like Job. Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do men say that I am? Who do you say that I am?" This is the great controversy. Is God faithful? Is He selfish? Is He just? Is He a good Father? Is He the Messiah? Is He forgiving? Trustworthy? Will He provide? All answers are predicated on His love for us. So, how fitting (as Pastor Earnhardt shares): that Patriarchs & Prophets begins: "God is love." And The Great Controversy ends:
(Whew... my. Such writing from the pen of a sickly, feeble, informally educated being. Little does become much in our Creator and Miracle-working Re-creator's hands).
I am facilitating a Bible Study/Support Group for individuals who have been challenged by addiction and/or are struggling with childhood trauma (mostly a lack of love or support from their parents growing up). Each group member has received a copy of Patriarchs & Prophets and The Desire of Ages. For starters. Yes, it's important that they understand about the Sabbath, earth's history and what's to come. But first, they must know Him. In order to love Him. In order to worship Him on Sabbath - or at all. And in order to serve Him, come what may. As our sister, Esther Pelletier writes so beautifully, "God wants our hearts before our hands."
I believe that when people see God as He truly is, they will fall in love with Him. Yes, it is God's goodness (and love) that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). And our Redeemer says, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me."(John 12:32). Jesus is our example. He met the needs of men and women, then taught truths. Love has always been a great need in our world. So, I choose to share God's love first. And I pray that when people love God, that they (and I) will walk with Him, abide in Him, and serve and follow Him, come what may.
Thank you all for your insightful comments and testimonies. I pray everyone is enjoying a blessed week.
Thank you for this, all you do to show God's love and remind us of the true Gospel.
I think this should be presented at church as a sermon
If one of the Elders agrees, do we have permission to give this as it is written, if you are given credit?
Sure! Blessings!