Michigan Camp Meeting 2018: As a Witness, Matthew 24:14

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Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Amazing Disciples

Mark Howard

4. It’s Not My Gift

Kameron DeVasher

1. Orientation

2. What is a Disciple?

3. Your Gift or Mine?

5. As a Witness

Marshall McKenzie

7. Friendship Evangelism, Part 1

8. Friendship Evangelism, Part 2

Wes Peppers

9. How to Reach the Atheistic Mind, Part 1

10. How to Reach the Atheistic Mind, Part 2

Jean Ross

11. Divine Commission

12. Cycle of Evangelism

Jim Howard

13. Grow Your Church, Part 1

14. Grow Your Church, Part 2

15. Giving Bible Studies

16. Missing Members

Doug Batchelor

17. Christ-Centered Doctrine, Part 1

18. Preparing for Baptism

19. Discipleship

20. Gospel Presentation, Part 1

21. Gospel Presentation, Part 2

22. Christ-Centered Doctrine, Part 2

23. Outreach Lab

24. Keys to Success!

25. Nurturing New Believers

26. Fishnet Demonstration

27. Caveman Theology

6. Christ’s Method Alone

Key number 1 is knowing the Lord and making sure your personal relationship with the Lord is strong.

Number 2 is believing the message yourself.

And I know a lot of people, and this is the thing, and We talk about, it's unfortunate today that we're using terminology that sounds really good like just uplifting Christ and focusing on Jesus, but we're actually in many cases using it as an excuse not to know or believe Adventist doctrine, Adventist beliefs.

And I say doctrine, doctrine has become a bad word.

I mean there are some groups that I even say that today and somebody is thinking, he's 1 of those.

Doctrine, he says, it's all about doctrine.

Just so you understand, Doctrine is a word that means what?

You can't talk about, even talking about who Christ is, is a doctrine.

And so you've got to believe the message or you're not going to be sharing the message.

I want you to notice the statement there by Ellen White from Testimonies Volume 1.

She says, I saw that the mere argument of the truth will not move souls to take a stand with the remnant, for the truth is unpopular.

The servants of God must have the truth in the soul.

A few that are conscientious are ready to decide from the weight of evidence, but it is impossible to move many with a mere theory.

There must be a power to attend the truth, a living testimony to move them.

Just don't put your questions to yourself and say, I have questions about the Adventist faith and I'm just not going to investigate it for the next 5 or 10 years.

I don't understand why the Seventh-day Adventist says, I've got questions about Ellen White.

In other words, this ought to be the most important thing in our lives if I'm not certain about it, I ought to get certain about it.

Because, hey look, let's be honest, maybe I'm in the wrong church, maybe this church is a delusion and the devil's going to take me to hell because I'm in this church.

I mean, for me not to know what I'm about, spiritually, demands an answer.

And I'm going to tell you that if you do study it you'll be confident that you're in the right place.

That's I mean 1 thing I loved about being up when I was an Adventist Bible worker that I love that because I can answer everything from Bible.

I didn't have to pull out Ellen White to answer any biblical question and I firmly believe in Ellen White and I use Ellen White's writings and everything else because I think that's what God gave the prophets for.

And so I mean you know I talk to other people and they got to say well you know I know you don't find this in the Bible but you know if you find in history there was this change back here and you know Sunday and the resurrection and they give their reasons for it, I don't have to do that, I can go to scripture for everything.

And that's why I'm a Seventh-day Adventist.

Some helpful resources are listed below If you have questions of your own, oh I got to read that other 1 on the bottom of the page, it says, truth is not truth to those who do not what?

Truth is only truth when you live it in the daily life.

Truth is not just something in your head.

You know when the Bible talks about truth, truth is something by nature that embraces you, or it's really not true.

So if you have questions, a Bible and Spirit of Prophecy reading plan, I mentioned that in our meeting this morning.

The Discipleship Handbook has a great 1 in the back.

Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary is a great commentary if you've got questions on certain passages to look them up.

The Discipleship Handbook is a great resource on giving the reasons from the Bible why we believe what we believe.

And then there's an old book called Answers to Objections by Francis D.

Nickell, you can, they've republished it but it's like it's an outrageous price.

So you can also get it as a PDF online for free.

You just search answers to objections by Francis D.

Nickel, but it's a great resource as well.

Sometimes it's sad that the people who are embracing the truth should be the most Christ-like people in the world.

And the fact of the matter is, I can't point any fingers here, because there's been times when I have acted like, in retrospect, say, I've got this theory of the truth, but if I'm unkind, it's only a theory.

And it's very important that, you know, sometimes we get to defending something that's true, and rightfully so.

We know it's true, it's biblically true, it could be the Sabbath, it could be something else, it's a biblical teaching and we're passionate about it and we should be, but don't let your passion be unkind.

And I think there are times that most of us do that and some of us don't.

Some of you are so meek and gentle that I don't know that you would ever offend in that way.

But then maybe your problem is being bold when you need to be bold but I think for many of us we have times of maybe pushing it the wrong way.

I'm going to tell you that I've had people say you know I just don't witness anymore because I went some time ago and I just said the wrong thing and I just realized I'm not good at that and I'm not going to do it again." Who was behind you saying the wrong thing?

Why do you think he made you say the wrong thing?

So I like to tell people when they don't come to church because all hypocrites.

They don't come to church because somebody hurt me.

This is somebody hurt me and I'm just not going back to that church.

Who do you think worked behind that person to get him to hurt you?

You're always going to have people that...

We want to be loving and earnest in our contact with people.

You know, the quote is here about how Christ never needlessly spoke a severe word, but he spoke everything in love.

Tears were in his voice and I'm not going to read the whole statement.

We just need to make sure that we have the Spirit of Christ when we're sharing the truth.

Series

Amazing Disciples

24. Keys to Success!

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Leading Souls into the Truth

1h 5m

Emmanuel Institute - Ignite Your Church

Ignite Your Church - Part 3: GROW-The Soul-Winning Road

1h 5m

Are You a Wise or a Foolish Virgin?

51m

Morning Devotional

1. Off to a Good Start

58m

Sabbath School and Personal Ministries: Getting the Most Out of BSO

05 From Click to Christ: Winning Souls with BSO

1h 9m

Plenary

Are We First or Last?

57m

The Way of Love

The Way of Love- Part 7

31m

Plenary

Why Was Jesus Always Talking About Plants?

48m

Hope in the Seed Grower

42m

Amazing Disciples

4. It’s Not My Gift

47m

GYC SE 2013 Plenary Sessions

The Model Ministry

59m

A Seedless Field

52m

Sound Doctrine