FOURTH QUARTER 2023
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #2
OCTOBER 14, 2023
“GOD’S MISSION TO US: PART 2”

 

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, NKJV).

God raised up the Seventh-day Adventist church as a movement to flood the world with “the light of the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). We were not meant to be a stagnating pond but a refreshing river, a waterfall, filled with the glorious truths “kept secret since the world began” (Romans 16:25).

“And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everyone will live wherever the river goes” (Ezekiel 47:9).

Jesus said He would make us fishers of men. When the waters flow, the fish thrive.

It was God’s purpose that this river would penetrate every “nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6).

When someone tells you a secret, how easy is it to keep? Not easy, right? Especially if it’s good news, it’s hard not to tell someone!! God has entrusted His followers with a secret that is meant to share.

Heaven itself kept this secret under wraps from eternity past, but at last it was revealed, or at least hinted at, after the fall of man.

“The incarnation of Christ is a mystery. The union of divinity with humanity is a mystery indeed, hidden with God, ‘even the mystery which hath been hid from ages.’ It was kept in eternal silence by Jehovah, and was first revealed in Eden, by the prophecy that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head, and that he should bruise His heel” (Ellen G. White Sabbath School Notes, p. 13).

The fulness of Christ’s gift, His sacrifice on the cross, and His unfathomable love for our rebellious race will be our study throughout eternity. It was also the theme of the message that burned within the hearts of the 1888 messengers and those who heard it.

“The Saviour knew that no argument, however logical, would melt hard hearts or break through the crust of worldliness and selfishness. He knew that His disciples must receive the heavenly endowment; that the gospel would be effective only as it was proclaimed by hearts made warm and lips made eloquent by a living knowledge of Him who is the way, the truth, and the life” (Ellen G. White Sabbath School Notes, p. 17).

Do you long to share the most precious message of Jesus with others?

“As we draw near to the coming of Christ, more and still more of missionary work will engage our efforts. The message of the renewing power of God’s grace will be carried to every country and clime, until the truth shall belt the world . . . . But before this work can be accomplished, we must experience here in our own country the work of the Holy Spirit upon our hearts” (Ellen G. White Sabbath School Notes, p. 16).

We start at home, but the world is our field of labor. Recently we had opportunity to serve short term with an AWR 360-sponsored health clinic for internally displaced persons in Ukraine who have suffered the loss of family members, homes, and livelihoods as a result of the ongoing war. A short evangelistic series followed the outreach, and many who had received care at the clinic attended the meetings. Some have already been baptized. When the body of Christ comes together to share the love of Christ with those in need, hearts are melted and souls are saved for eternity. There’s healing in that water!

Appeals for financial assistance and personal investment of time and travel to meet the needs of our suffering world come almost daily. We’ve been told they would.

If you find yourself encumbered by the cares of this life and too overwhelmed with your own personal challenges to answer the cries for help both near and far, take time to rest by contemplating the great sacrifice of Christ on the cross and let Him draw you close.

And if you would like to join others in beholding the glory of the cross, you’re warmly invited to a monthly zoom Bible study utilizing Elder Wieland’s classic book, In Search of the Cross, as a guide.

To participate, please contact info@1888msc.org for the schedule and zoom link. You’ll be blessed. And when your heart is full to overflowing with gratitude for what Jesus has done for you and you ask, “What can I do for You?”, abundant resources are just a click away, and so are the opportunities!

The Sabbath School memory text this week is the theme of Adventist Frontier Missions. AFM teaches lay people how to be disciples of Jesus and how to become disciple makers.

Our world is ripe for discipling. Every day, billions of people are choosing to follow someone on social media. Why not invite them to follow Jesus?

To learn more, go to: https://afmonline.org/resources/.

 

~Patti Guthrie