In this first session we will look at the progression of the work of the everlasting gospel in the life of those who accept it.

Michigan Conference Campmeeting 2021: How Much More?

In this first session we will look at the progression of the work of the everlasting gospel in the life of those who accept it.

Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.

Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

The Three Angels' Messages

Travis Smith

01 The First Angel Part 1

You are about to enjoy a presentation recorded at the 2021 Michigan Conference Camp Meeting held at Cedar Lake, Michigan.

We pray that the Lord will bless you as you listen.

Father in heaven, we thank you for this time that we have to spend time in your word.

It's blessed so we don't have to ask you to bless it.

It is already blessed because it contains your word.

And wherever your word is, there is power.

Send us your spirit to understand spiritual things.

All right, everybody should have the handout.

There should be on the back page a big page with lines for you to write questions.

And my church members know that most of my sermons are teachy, not preachy anyway.

All right, let's get right to our message.

I am assuming that most of you here are Seventh Day Adventists, that you've been to a couple of our evangelistic meetings.

You probably know who the beast is, what his mark is, and all of that, which day the seventh day is, and I'm assuming that you have that information already into your brain, and so we're gonna move forward from there, okay?

If any of you do not know that information, feel free to ask me, and I'll give you a five-minute Bible study on all of that stuff, and you will be informed.

Okay, if I was to ask you to take out a piece of paper, 8 and a half by 11, and not write huge, how many could fill up everything they know on that whole piece of paper about the 3 angels' messages.

Okay, well, Most of our people understand the 3 angels' messages within the confines of an evangelistic meeting.

For instance, when is the last time you heard anybody preach about the 3 angels' messages, say on Sabbath morning or a Sabbath afternoon seminar?

Most people have heard the 3 Angels message within the confines, say, of Mark Finley Evangelistic Meeting, but when we go through the phrases of the 3 Angels message, not so much.

After the first angel message does his work or even her work, who knows, maybe angels look like women, I would assume so much.

Some look like men, some look like women.

I would assume that after the first angel's message does her work, the second angel comes, the third angel comes, and then what is the very next thing that happens in the book of Revelation?

By the way, if you have flash drives, bring them to me because I spent a year and a half of prayer meeting putting together a 62 presentation PowerPoint on the whole book of Revelation verse by verse.

Just bring me a flash drive and I'll get you the hookup, okay?

And I'll also give you my Bible studies so that you can give Bible studies to people and prepare them for baptism.

I'm not 1 of these guys that makes you buy my stuff.

So, because it's not mine, it's all God's.

Okay, what's the next thing that happens after the 3 angels do their work?

Revelation 14.14, I'd let you read, but I've got to have everything come off the mic, so I've got to be a preacher.

Or if I say a verse, a chapter and a verse, I mean Revelation.

I'll say anywhere else where I don't mean, I'll say Isaiah or Exodus or whatever.

But if I say a chapter and a verse, I mean Revelation.

Then I looked and behold a white cloud and on the cloud set 1 like the Son of Man.

That's a quote taken from Daniel chapter 7.

Having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle.

Having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle and another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud thrust your sickle and reap for the time has come for you to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." What is this a symbolic picture of?

Okay, so the first, second, and third angels' messages do their thing, and then what is the very next thing John tells us happens after that's over?

The 3 angels' messages are the equivalent of Noah's last sermon.

The 3 angels' messages are the messages that God has given his people to preach, which brings about the second coming, Okay?

Ellen White says, and I'm not going to Ellen White quote you to death here because I want you to know what we believe is from Scripture.

Ellen White's wonderful, she's beautiful, I believe that she's as inspired as Moses, but if a Catholic or a Baptist asks you a question, you got to know your Bible.

So we're going to try to do everything from the Bible mostly.

There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is what?

I have seen the danger of the messengers running off from important points of present truth to dwell upon subjects that are not calculated to unite the flock and sanctify the soul.

Satan will here take every possible advantage to injure the cause, but such subjects as the sanctuary in connection with the 2300 days, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus are perfectly calculated to explain the past, the present movement, and show what our present position is, establish the faith of the doubting, and give certainty to the glorious future.

These I have frequently seen were the principal subjects on which the messengers or preachers should dwell." That's early writings page 63.

Now, where is that phrase present truth taken from?

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the..." What?

Okay, what does she say the present truth for our time is?

The present truth for this time comprises the messages, the third angels succeeding the first and the second.

So she says that THE message for our time is the 3 angels' messages, with an emphasis on the third.

Okay, so there has always been a present truth in each age of the church's time.

02 The First Angel Part 2

Father in heaven, we're thankful to be here.

We ask that you would be with us as we study spiritual material.

We ask that you would send your spirit to help things be clear and plain.

You didn't get too wet on the way over here.

Let's open our Bibles to Revelation 14 and verse 6.

Hopefully, you learned some things that you never heard about before about the first angel's message.

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 saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of water." So, what we see here in just a few short verses is a lot of information going on.

We see there's 3 angels, there's the everlasting gospel.

We see those who dwell upon the earth fear God, giving Him glory, hour of His judgment, worship Him who made.

Okay, so we saw yesterday that the everlasting gospel goes out to those who dwell upon the earth.

What is the phrase those who dwell upon the earth all about, who can say?

It's always talking about the righteous, right?

No, it's talking about the wicked, right?

So the everlasting gospel of Jesus is preached, which leads to fear, respect, love towards God.

Before they used to fear something or someone or some things else, but they've heard the everlasting gospel and now they fear God instead of whatever it was they used to fear.

And then fearing God leads to something called giving him glory.

Fearing or reverencing God is the result of accepting the everlasting gospel.

You come to Jesus, no matter what you have done, he takes all your sins away.

That's called justification, which is the work of an instant.

Then that leads to giving God glory or keeping His law is the result of fearing God.

That is a process which takes a, okay, the first is our title, The second is our fitness to heaven.

Alright, so, the everlasting gospel has gone out.

They've began to fear God because the Holy Spirit made connection between here and here and now they begin a process where you need to be rewired.

You need to learn how to talk like Jesus, act like Jesus, and think and do like Jesus.

Because I don't know about you, Pastor Travis still needs a lot of work, right?

And so, that is why we're in this thing through the process of a lifetime called sanctification.

Sanctification is simply God rewiring your mind to make you less like you and more like Jesus.

And I'll tell you, I need a lot because 1 of my family members did an Ancestry.com and they found out that on the Smith side, I have family on both sides of the river in the Hatfields and McCoys.

So the gospel's gone out, they begin to fear God, Fearing God leads to giving glory.

That is the definition of the everlasting gospel.

John describes what the everlasting gospel is.

It's both loving God that leads to obedience, right?

And so the everlasting gospel is loving God, and then that leads you to want to naturally obey His law.

It is not all law and no love, or else you'd be a Pharisee.

It is not all love and no law, or else you would be, well, I don't know what you'd be.

So, John is simply rewording an earlier statement that he made.

Except in the first angel's message, he says, if you fear me, give me glory.

He's rewarding John 14, 15 in just different language, okay?

And then he does it again in 1 John 5, 2, and 3.

By this we know that we love the children of God when we fear God and give Him glory.

When we love God and keep His commandments.

For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous.

So in Revelation 14, 6 and 7, John is simply rewording what he has already stated and laid out.

God is in every step of our Christian experience.

It's not that we become a Christian and then God then expects us to figure it out.

The Spirit of the Lord is involved in every area of our Christian experience.

And I've even heard that some Seventh-day Adventists believe that during the time of trouble, the Holy Spirit's withdrawn from the earth and you're on your own to just figure it out, to go through Jacob's time of trouble.

Friend of mine, where was Jacob during Jacob's time of trouble?

So if Jacob was in the arms of the angel during Jacob's time of trouble, then where are you gonna be?

Didn't Jesus say, I will never leave you nor forsake you?

That promise is gonna be with you all throughout eternity, okay?

So, let's be biblical and let's study responsibly.

And he said with a megaphone, with a loud voice, fear God and give Him glory for the hour of His judgment.

So we understand the fear God and giving Him glory part pretty well.

The reason to fear God and give Him glory is because there is a judgment that we are in at this very hour.

The judgment has come and worship Him who made and which text is this repeating right here?

He's quoting the LXX or the Septuagint version of the Sabbath commandment of Exodus 20 verse 11.

But you'll notice that the sea and the springs of water is not in the Sabbath commandment.

He's also pulling from the authors of the Genesis Bible commentary have noted that this portion right here, the sea and the springs of water is taken from the flood where the fountains of the great deep broke up.

So, what John is saying, worship the 1 who gave you the Sabbath as the creator by keeping the seventh day Sabbath and the 1 who sent the flood.

So, this is a reference right here to the springs of water of the flood.

So, the text says that the reason for fearing God and giving Him glory is because the hour of His judgment has come.

What is the Old Testament background of the first angel's message?

03 The Second Angel

Father in heaven, we thank you for this time that we have to study your word.

We pray that your spirit would be sent and that we would completely depend on you to understand the truth.

Okay, In our first couple of presentations, we saw some amazing things.

Are you comfortable in saying, I think I understand the first angel's message?

By faith, it is good to say, I believe I understand as much as I can the first angel's message.

Now, a question that always comes up, what sources can I get to understand the book of Daniel and Revelation?

And here is my favorite book ever written on the book of Revelation.

He is a seminary professor at Andrews University.

And then here's the big thick textbook, which is about like that.

That gives you a little bit more more information and I spent a year and a half and I made a 62 presentation PowerPoint on the book of Revelation and I mostly based it off of that book and this book God Cares Volume 2, God Cares Volume 1.

Don't take a picture yet because there's more coming up.

Okay, so God Cares Volume 1 and 2 and then of course Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith, a very important book.

And then this book, Mark Finley just came out with it.

It's Understanding Daniel and Revelation by Mark Finley.

It's the most, 1 of the most spiritual content oriented books that I've ever seen on the topic.

Who's Afraid of the Judgment by Roy Gane.

He's also a seminary professor of Old Testament at Andrews University.

And 1844 Made Simple by Clifford Goldstein.

If you haven't read this book, sell something like you don't need like your shoes and go buy this book.

Clifford Goldstein's a very smart guy but he writes very simply and a lot of what I shared is from this book, okay?

I mentioned earlier in I think part 1 that a lot of what we hear today from the pulpits around the world is that we should love Jesus and only love Jesus and love, love, love is all we hear.

I want to read you a quote from the Spirit of Prophecy to show you what I meant by what I said a couple days ago.

When I say spiritualism, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?

But in the scriptures, spiritualism takes on a broader identity, and it also refers to false doctrines.

Okay, so giving heed to seducing seed, seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.

So you can you understand now that that spiritualism is much more than just dead people talking It is true that spiritualism is now changing its form and veiling some of its more objectionable features is Assuming a what?

Christian guys, but its utterances from the platform and from the press have been before the public for many years, and in these its real character stands revealed.

These teachings cannot be denied or hidden, even in its spiritualism present form.

So far from being more worthy of toleration than formerly, it is really a more dangerous because it is a more subtle deception.

While it formerly denounced Christ and the Bible, it now professes to accept both.

But the Bible is interpreted in a manner that is pleasing to the unrenewed heart.

While its solemn and vital truths are made of no effect, love is dwelt upon as the what?" I mean, is love very important to God?

It doesn't say He has love or likes love or is loving.

It says the very definition of God is what?

And so in a lot of pulpits around the world on Sundays that you'll hear, and even some of our pulpits, you'll hear, love God, that's all you have to do.

And you don't have to worry about keeping the Sabbath or obedience because it's all legalism.

No, if you keep the Sabbath because you think you're better than other people, or if you keep the Sabbath because you think that God will love you more, then that is legalism.

Legalism is not really what you do, but it's why you do it, okay?

So she says, "'Love is dwelt upon as the chief attribute of God but it is degraded to something that Martin Luther called cheap grace.

Cheap grace is God's power to forgive without God's power to overcome.

God's power to forgive sin without God's power to overcome sin is what Martin Luther called cheap grace and I 100% agree with that and I think the Bible does too.

Love is dwelt upon as the chief attribute of God.

It is degraded to a weak sentimentalism, making little distinction between good and evil, God's justice, his denunciations of sin, the requirements of his holy law are all kept out of sight.

The people are taught to regard the Decalogue, or the 10 Commandments, as a dead letter.

Pleasing, bewitching fables captivate the senses and lead men to what?" So teaching the Bible, they actually reject the Bible because the chief attribute of God is love.

We don't actually have to keep the Sabbath.

The sermon that Satan preached has the Lord indeed said?" Does he really mean what he says?

That's what Satan was saying, in other words, to Eve.

Well, how many times in the Bible can you think about when God told Naaman, go dip in which river?

The Jordan River, and he wanted to go to 1 of his rivers in his area.

And then God said, go dip in the Jordan River, how many times?

Suppose he said, well, the Damascus, and 6 times is okay.

The story of Naaman would have been totally different.

On the sixth, he wasn't clean, but on the seventh, he came up and guess what?

It was all gone because that is what God said.

It worked for the world because the world didn't know how to carry the ark but God's people do.

And so, they were supposed to carry the ark on the staves that go in between the rings and they carried it on the cart that was led by the calves and it tipped and fell.

04 The Third Angel

We pray that as people are making their way over here, that they wouldn't be too wet, but they would make it here safely.

Lord, Thank you for the rain, but we hope it stops soon.

So we can enjoy camp meeting a little better.

We ask that you would be with us and speak to us through your word, by your spirit.

Anybody ever heard of this man, Harry Orchard?

Okay, Harry Orchard was called the dynamite killer for a good reason.

He killed 21 men, 14 in 1 dynamite killing when he blew up a train loaded with miners that was just getting off the night ship.

He was hired by corrupt labor leaders who were determined to get their way and to get rid of anybody who stood in their way of getting what they wanted.

The biggest hit was the former governor, Frank Steuenberg, who stood in their way with his policies when he was the governor of the state of Idaho.

Orchard was playing cards in the Saratoga Hotel 1 night in December and saw his chance as Steuenberg was visiting with some friends in the lobby, and he was preparing to leave home.

Orchard hurried upstairs to his room, picked up the dynamite bomb, wrapped it under his arm in a newspaper, tucked up his arm and dashed Outside.

Orchard wired the bomb to the gate, to the front gate of the Steuenberg residence just before he got there.

And when the governor went to open his gate, boom.

Moments later, there was a big explosion, and Frank Steuenberg's blood poured out all over the white snow as his children and his wife saw their husband and father laying there, dying in front of their eyes.

He was tried and convicted and sentenced to die for his crime.

Steubenberg had every reason to hate this man for the crime that he had done, but she was a Christian, And she sent him a message with forgiveness and a little book entitled, you may have heard of it, Steps to Christ.

The guard told Harry, here is a package from the woman whose husband you just murdered.

Frightened, thinking that it was a bomb." See, he had made bombs out of books before that she had wired up to get revenge.

But when you know you're going to die anyway, you kind of run out of things to do in prison.

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Series

The Three Angels' Messages

01 The First Angel Part 1

Transcript

Description

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Parts

01 The First Angel Part 1

56m

02 The First Angel Part 2

58m

03 The Second Angel

54m

04 The Third Angel

1h 1m

05 The Elevation of the Bishops and the Priesthood

58m

Sound Doctrine