Continuing the Vision

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Uchee Pines Institute

Mark Finley

Genuine Fakes Won’t Do! Medical Missionary Work in the 21st Century

We've been on a journey these last 5 days.

This is our fifth presentation in a series of 6 presentations.

We've been studying the restoration of the image of God.

The central theme of Scripture is God's desire to restore His image in humanity.

When God created the human race in Genesis 1, verse 26 and 27, it says that God created man in the image of God.

The first 2 chapters of Genesis begin with a perfect world.

The last 2 chapters of the book of Revelation end with a perfect world.

And from Genesis 3 until Revelation 20, we see God's desire to restore man in his image.

We've looked at that theme in our first 2 presentations, and then most recently we have been looking at the 3 angels' messages and evaluating and studying them a little more deeply, seeing how they reveal God's attempt to restore man into his image.

Because there are a number of you that are here new, I'll spend some time reviewing what we've done this week in the 3 Angels messages, then we'll plunge right into our topic for today.

Father in heaven, thank you so much that you have entrusted this people with a unique message to prepare a world for the coming of Jesus.

Thank you that as we open the Word and we look more deeply at those messages in the book of Revelation called the 3 angels, that you will illuminate our hearts, enlighten our minds, but mostly move us more deeply to a deeper commitment with you and also a greater passion to share your message of love with others.

So guide us as we study, in Christ's name, Amen.

A number of years ago, Pastor HMS Richards was speaking to a large group of pastors.

Actually, he was not the primary speaker, he was attending the meetings, but he was sitting at a table after 1 of the presentations and they were eating together.

He was eating with this group of non-Seventh-day Adventist pastors.

This was a meeting of Protestant pastors that Pastor Richards had been invited to.

A number of the pastors at that table did not recognize Pastor Richards.

He was sitting there and they didn't ask who he was, they didn't realize that he was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor.

And the discussion came up about Seventh-day Adventists.

Pastor Richards, of course, was very interested in that discussion.

And 1 of the pastors said this, it is too bad that the book of Revelation is in the Bible.

Because he said, you know, Revelation is quite a confusing book, and it's too bad that book of Revelation is in the Bible.

Because if the book of Revelation was not in the Bible, we wouldn't be troubled by those heretics the seventh day Adventists.

Now, that statement is partially true and partially false.

It's certainly not too bad that the book of Revelation is in the Bible.

It's certainly not true that Seventh-day Adventists are heretics, but in a special sense, Seventh-day Adventists identify with the book of Revelation.

We believe that in the book of Revelation, God has given us a special end-time message for this generation.

And we find our prophetic identity outlined in Revelation 14, verse 6 to 12, and it's here that we find our passion to proclaim the gospel to the entire world.

In the book of Revelation, there are 3 great chapters that describe the rise of God's people.

Revelation chapter 10 describes the historic rise of the true church.

Revelation 10 describes just how God's people would rise out of disappointment.

Revelation chapter 12 describes the identifying characteristics of God's true church, that God would have a people that would be identified by keeping his commandments and guided by the gift of prophecy.

And Revelation chapter 14 describes the message of the true church.

And we've been unpacking that message, we've been looking at it more deeply.

The message of Revelation 14, Revelation 14 is divided into 3 parts.

The first 5 verses talk about a group that will stand on the sea of glass called the 144, 000.

Revelation 6 to 12 describes a message that prepares that group to stand on the sea of glass.

And Revelation chapter 14 verse 13 to 20 describe the event for which they are prepared, the second coming of Christ.

So you have a people, a message, and an event.

As we look at Revelation the 14th chapter, We're going to look again and review the 3 angels' messages.

Then I saw another angel, read it with me please.

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.

Now there are 3 things about this passage to notice.

When God pictures an angel flying in midheaven with an urgent message, is that something to wake up about?

Here, this, the angel does not float in midheaven.

The angel does not dilly-dally in carrying the message, but here is an urgent message, angel flying in mid-heaven.

Notice it says, I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven with the everlasting gospel.

So here the essence of this message, the heart of this message is the everlasting gospel.

The gospel is the good news of Christ who stepped forth in heaven before sin ever began, and in the divine council meetings of heaven, made an eternal decision to come as the Redeemer of the human race.

So it's the everlasting gospel because it is, that gospel echoes and re-echoes throughout all eternity.

Even before the inception of sin, Jesus Christ stepped forth, willing to come as man's Redeemer.

It speaks of the past, the present, and the future.

It's universal, because it's not for 1 ethnic group or 1 language group, it's to be proclaimed to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.

Now there are many misunderstandings of the gospel.

There are those people that have the idea is that the gospel has to do with forgiveness and deliverance from condemnation of sin.

It has to do with that, but it has to do with much more than that.

The essence of the gospel in the New Testament is that God delivers us from the guilt of sin, but he also delivers us from the grip of sin.

That God delivers us not merely from the penalty of sin, but he delivers us from the power of sin.

So the gospel has to do with the love of Christ that breaks the spell of sin in our lives.

And when we come to the cross, we find a Christ whose love was poured out there, who bore on Calvary's cross the guilt, condemnation, and shame of sin for you and for me.

And Jesus would rather have died and go into the grave and never, ever come out, rather than have you be lost and have you not be in heaven.

Jesus was willing to be separated from the Father if necessary forever.

Somebody says, well didn't Jesus say, destroy this body and in 3 days I'll raise it up again?

But as he hung on the cross, the guilt and shame and condemnation of sin was so great, he could not see himself coming through the portals of the tomb.

That's why Galatians 3 verse 13 says, curse it is every 1 that hangs upon the tree.

That's why 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 says, He who knew no sin became sin for us.

So hanging on the cross of Calvary, Jesus tasted the lostness that every sinner will face when they're lost with weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus died more than the first death on Calvary, but he died the second death.

Because if Christ did not die the second death, there'd be no salvation for you and me.

So to understand the depths of Calvary, to understand what Christ went through, is to understand what it's like to be lost.

Lostness is a sense that 1 will be separated from the Father forever because of the guilt and shame and condemnation of sin.

So when Christ hung upon the cross, as Desire of Ages said, he could not see himself coming through the portals of the tomb.

He couldn't see the other side of the grave.

So what is the essence of the 3 angels' message?

I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, the eternal gospel of God's grace, the eternal gospel of God's love, that breaks human hearts and breaks the spell of sin in life.

Because it's only love that can break the spell of sin in our lives.

It is not the fear of hell or the favor of heaven.

It is rather God's love poured out into our hearts that changes our behavior.

That love delivers us from the guilt of sin and it breaks the grip of sin and the chain of sin in our life is broken.

Some time ago, Ellen White was asked the question, is the message of righteousness by faith the message of the 3 angels?

Her response is printed in First Selected Messages, page 372, paragraph 2, and in the Review and Herald, April 1, 1890.

She said, the Lord has proclaimed himself to be merciful and gracious.

Longsuffering and abundance in goodness and truth.

Several have written to me inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel's message.

And I have answered, it is the third angel's message in verity.

Genuine Fakes Won’t Do! Medical Missionary Work in the 21st Century

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