Matthew Bediako
SermonGC
Session, St. Louis, Missouri
July 2, 2005
Don't Give Up
In 1986, while I was
conducting revival meetings on the Cook Islands, I got to know one
of the church members very well. Every night, after the meeting,
this lady would come with friends and sometimes with young people,
and asked that I offer a special prayer for them.
One night after the
meeting, she informed me that the pastor and I would have lunch at
her home the next day. The church had arranged for me to have meals
with the members in their homes.
The pastor was at my
place at 12:30 p.m. to take me to her house, and as usual, I asked
the pastor to give me a little information about the family.
The pastor indicated
to me that this lady was going through a terrible experience. Her
husband, a well-to-do businessman, told her he was going to sail in
their new boat for a few hours and would be back soon. The wife
waited for the rest of the day, but he did not return. It was
reported to the police and a search team went out looking for clues
as to his whereabouts. For a whole week they searched for him on
some of the islands but had to call off the search. It had now been
five years and still nobody knew what happened to him or the boat.
This lady has gone
to the shore every week for the past five years, hoping to meet her
husband. Friends have advised her to put the incident behind her
and go on with her life. But she believes that her husband will
come back one day.
This information was
very helpful to me as I would know better what to say while at her
home.
She had invited some
of her friends and two elders to join us. After the meal, she
showed us pictures. When we got to their wedding picture, she told
me what had happened to her husband, and that it was hard for her
to believe that he could be missing for five years. It was a very
emotional experience for all of us.
She turned to me and
said, "Pastor, last night you assured us of the certainty of the
soon return of Jesus. You spoke with conviction about the blessed
hope. I have been a member of the church for ten years and I have
believed the coming of the Lord. But for the past five years, with
the husband's situation, it has been difficult to keep on believing
that Jesus is coming soon. My husband made a promise to me to be
back in a few hours and it has now been five years. How long do I
have to wait for Jesus to fulfill His promise?
"Should I continue
to believe in His promise? Can I trust Him? It has been too long
waiting for my husband and I hope I don't have to wait too long for
Jesus to fulfill His promise of His soon coming."
I invited her to
take a seat and I sat on the chair next to her. I opened my Bible
and read to her the promise, "Let now your heart be troubled; ye
believe in God, believe also in Me. In My father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare
a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again and receive you to myself; that where I am there ye may
be also." (John 14:1-3)
I ended our
conversation with a passage from the book of Hebrews. "Let us hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful. . . . For yet a little while and He who is
coming will come and will not tarry." (Hebrews 10:23, 37)
We held hands
together and prayed. In my prayer I asked for God's will to be done
in her husband's situation and assured her that very soon she will
not only see her Lord coming, but she will have a reunion with her
loved one.
THE DANGER FACING US
AS ADVENTISTS
Unfortunately, this
lady is not alone. There may be somebody here this morning under
the stress of life, disappointments, and discouragements, wondering
how long we have to wait. There may be those who first believed and
broadcasted the second coming who have become cynical about it.
They waited with longing as they watched for the signs of the
second coming. They were confident that Christ would come in their
youth. But now, decades later, as they struggle through terrors of
the golden years and hear what is happening around them, they have
become disillusioned for He has not appeared to put an end to sin.
There are those who no longer believe the promise. They have
relinquished their beliefs in the soon coming.
There are even
Christian preachers who have decided that they will not preach on
the topic of the second coming. Unfortunately, it includes even
some Seventh-day Adventist preachers. You hear of some theologians
and Bible teachers among us who feel that we need to take a second
look at our interpretation of the second coming. They don't want to
discuss it in the academic circles because they claim it is
embarrassing. They will tell you it has caused so much false
anticipation, anxiety, and negative sentiment in the past that they
don't want to contribute to it. The message of the soon coming is
not preached in many churches today. You hardly hear about the
message of the blessed hope in classrooms, youth camps, and many
church gatherings.
A friend of mine
told me two years ago when I first met him after our high school
days, "I don't want to hear any sermon about the second coming of
Christ. I was born into it and grew up hearing the same story. At
school we heard over and over again that Christ was coming soon.
The time of Jacob's troubles was upon us. Morning and evening
worships, Weeks of Prayers . . . the same sermon. Look at me now,
ready to retire and Jesus has not come." He stood and asked, "Where
is He? I don't want to hear any more sermons on this so-called soon
coming."
My friend concluded
his outburst statement with this. "I hope you know better and stop
scaring people. After all, how many times can the warning, 'wolf,
wolf' be sounded before it loses its power to convince people?"
I was very surprised
by his reaction. I never expected to hear those words from him. He
was born into a strong Adventist family, grew up in a strong
Adventist environment, and was educated at one of our schools in
Ghana.
Yes, I believe it is
a human condition that those who labor long and hard for the Lord
will get tired. And it has been a long, long day of waiting since
you first heard this promise. To some of you here this morning, it
has been too long and the work too hard, with many afflictions. I
plead with you, don't give up! The end of your waiting is almost
here.
Fifty-three years
ago, as a young boy, I heard the message of the second coming of
Jesus. I still remember the way the preacher narrated the events.
It was very appealing. I also believed that Jesus was coming soon .
. . that I was not going to finish high school . . . not go on to
college . . . that there would not be time to marry and have a
family.
Here I am. All the
things I thought would not happen in my life, have happened and
Jesus is not here.
But this morning, I
want to declare to you that I m not ready to give up. This message
is still appealing to me. I am not disillusioned. I am not
embarrassed to tell people that not only do I believe in the second
coming of Jesus, but also I am anxiously waiting and watching for
it to happen. I cannot, and will not, by His grace, give up! I say
with the song writer, "I have come too far from where I started.
Nobody told me that the road would be easy. I don't believe He
brought me this far to leave me."
Give up . . . for
what? What is the alternative for me? Go back to worshipping idols?
What hope do I have in the world today other than the hope as
promised by Jesus? I have come so far that quitting is not an
option for me.
IS THERE A LESSON
FROM THE PAST?
I want you to
journey back through time with me this morning to the first advent
of Jesus. The Jews in AD 27 looked hopefully forward to the
fulfillment of Malachi's prophecies. "Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day
of the Lord." (Malachi 4:5)
They longed for the
return of Elijah, but even more, they longed for the coming "day of
the Lord" when everything would be set right in Israel. When God
would come suddenly and purify His people and restore their former
glory.
If you had stopped
any person at random on the street in Jerusalem to inquire, "Do you
believe in the coming of the Messiah?", the answer would have been
a positive "yes." Everybody knew about it. It was part of their
tradition to believe in it. Yet, only a handful were ready to
receive Him. In Luke, chapter 2, we read about a man in Jerusalem
whose name was Simeon . . . a devout man. The Bible says he was
waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Ghost was upon
him.
Then, there was a
lady--Anna--and the Bible says, "And was coming in that instant,
and gave thanks, likewise, unto the Lord and spoke of Him to all
them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."
These individuals
never lost hope of the promise of the Messiah. They believed the
promise of God and built their whole lives around this hope.
But, the majority of
the professed people of God were not ready. The priests, the
scribes, and the Pharisees rejected Him. They were unprepared for
the coming of the Messiah. It was not because they did not know.
The coming of the Messiah was the cherished hope of Israel. The
problem was that they had heard of it far too long and had become
used to it. They continued their lives as if nothing was going to
happen.
George R. Knight, in
his book The Abundant Life Bible Amplifier writes about a
fable that Barclay related. Three apprentice devils were coming to
the earth to complete their training. Each presented his plan to
Satan for the ruination of humanity. The first proposed to tell
people that there was no God. Satan replied that that would not
delude many since most have a feeling to the contrary.
The second said he
would proclaim that there was no hell. Satan rejected this tactic
also.
The third said, "I
will tell men that there is no hurry?" "Go," said Satan, "and you
will ruin many by the thousands." pp. 242, 243
The problem facing
us as Adventists is to accept the delusion of the devil that there
is plenty of time. No need to get ready now. We have heard this
promise far too long. There is still time. How soon is soon?
THE PARABLE OF THE
FAITHFUL AND EVIL SERVANT
It is against this
attitude that Christ gave about five parables to warn us about
watchfulness and readiness. (Matt. 24:45-51; Luke 12:42 - )
The faithful
servants, while waiting and expecting the master to return, do not
sit idly but continue to serve with expectation. Christians have
duties and ethical responsibilities as we watch and wait for the
second advent of Jesus.
On the other hand
the evil servant neglected his responsibilities and misbehaved due
to the unfortunate delay. The Bible indicates that the evil servant
began to beat his fellow servants, eat, and drink with the
drunkards. Because he assumed that his master had delayed in
returning . . . that there was plenty of time . . . he began to be
unkind to others and to live a loose life.
Commenting on this
parable, the servant of the Lord, Ellen White, writes "The 'evil
servant' may not admit openly that he believes his Lord is delayed,
but his way of life betrays him. He does not act as if he believed
his Lord would soon return. He is not one of the scoffers who deny
the reality of Christ's return (2 Peter 3:4). He pretends to
believe. In fact he has accepted the responsibility of giving the
members of the 'household of faith' spiritual food that will help
them to prepare for their Lord's return. But his words lack
conviction. He is not in dead earnest. His life and labor proclaim
that he doesn't really believe His Lord is coming soon. In a time
of crisis he does not stand 'between the dead and the living.' He
does not minister 'in season and out of season,' nor does he 'reprove,
rebuke, exhort; rather he adopts his message to the "itching ears"
of his parishioners. He forgets that the message of Christ's soon
coming is designed to arouse men from their absorption in worldly
things.'" Christ's Object Lessons, p 228
The idea of a delay
of his master affected his attitude. His relationship with his
fellow servants changed. He began to treat them unkindly and felt
superior to the rest of them. Could the seeming delay of our Lord
also affect our relationship with one another in the family of
faith?
Again Ellen G. White
warns us about the devil's plan. "As the people of God approach the
perils of the last days, Satan holds earnest consultation with his
angels as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their faith.
He sees that the popular churches are already lulled to sleep by
his deceptive power. By pleasing sophistry and lying wonders he can
continue to hold them under his control. Therefore, he directs his
angels to lay their snares especially for those who are looking for
the second advent of Christ and endeavoring to keep all the
commandments of God. Says the great deceiver, ' . . . We must cause
distraction and division. We must destroy their anxiety for their
own souls and lead them to criticize, to judge and accuse and
condemn one another, and to cherish selfishness and enmity. For
these sins, God banished us from His presence; and all who follow
our example will meet a similar fate.'" Testimonies to Ministers,
pp. 472-475
Are you surprised
about what is happening in some churches today? Are you surprised
about name calling among us? We identify some members to be
liberals and some as conservatives--the progressive and
non-progressive Adventists. Are you surprised that in every world
division, every union, conference, and church there are "concerned
Adventists"--Adventists reporting fellow members to government
authorities?
With the plan of
Satan in place these last days, I am not surprised to note the rise
of tribalism, nationalism, regionalism, racism, nepotism, and
congregationalism among the people of God.
The debate still
continues about the proper style of worship. We fuss about the
rigidity of our standards or the increasing lack of them. We spend
time arguing about who is right and who is wrong.
As we receive
letters of complaint and hear what is happening in some of our
educational institutions and of refusals to accept church authority
in churches, it is very hard to believe that we are looking forward
to the soon return of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Paulsen, our
president, in his book Let Your Light Shine, makes the
following appeal to the church. "It is late in the day and we are
almost home. We cannot now become reckless and careless. We owe it
to the church, which is His body, to shore up and strengthen the
whole body--the international family.
"In this context 'congregationalism'
does not belong; it is an alien concept that is irreconcilable with
what God has given to this church. It is critical that elected
leadership accepts this and discharges its leadership in harmony
with what God has given to us. So I say to the elected leadership,
'Don't undo the elements that bind us together.'" pp 16, 17
He continues, "I
pledge to do what I can to make our church a loving community in
which we support each other--carry each other if need be, lift up
our Lord and seek to live our lives in obedience to Him and arrange
our lives, values, and choices personally and in the church
accordingly. Now let us embrace and hold hands firmly. Let us press
together as we move forward to finish the journey."
At the 1970 General
Conference Session, the late Elder Robert Pierson made this appeal
to the delegates and the church at large. "Men and women professing
to be the people of God, living on the brink of eternity, must have
no barriers between them. Human dignity must be respected by all of
us as children of the King. No nationalism, racism, or tribalism
must hinder the union of God's people in these last turbulent days."
"We cannot love and
hate with the same heart. We cannot love brethren and sisters of
another race in the mission field and mistrust and dislike those of
another color in our own country. True Christian love does not work
this way. The love of Christ draws men together. Christians of
different ethnic backgrounds are not forced together by church
membership. They must be drawn together by the tender cords of
compassionate love." Review and Herald, June 17, 1970.
I pray that in our
Seventh-day Adventist church in Ghana we will not speak about
Ashantis, or Gas, or Eves; in Rwanda, no Hutus or Tutsis; in South
Africa, no black, white, or colored; in America, no black, white,
or Latino. But that we will speak about the members of the church
as the children of God.
Could it also be
that although we have not denied the second coming of Christ, our
lifestyle clearly indicates that we don't believe His coming is
very soon?
There was a time
Adventists were called the "people of the book." We were earnest in
Bible study and prayer. Today, our own survey indicates that not
many Adventists are spending enough time studying the Bible and
praying.
In some parts of the
world you are lucky to have 20% of the members on time for Sabbath
School.
There was a time
that you could recognize two Adventists when they met. Each one
will try to give the other person a tract. Thank God that, with the
Sow One Billion initiative, the old tradition of giving a tract to
a neighbor is revived.
Divorce among
Adventists, I understand, is higher than the average in some parts
of the world. The new trend in some places is people living
together when they are not married.
You don't hear
promotion of Christian education as the right investment in the
youth of our churches. I am informed that less than 1/3 of our
young people are attending our high schools and colleges. I can go
on and on about some of the changes taking place in our church
today.
The man, woman,
young adult, youth of the remnant church who believes in the second
advent should have a different outlook on life than the one who
doesn't. The hope of Jesus' soon return should govern our thinking,
our speech, our attitude, activities, and every single thing that
we do.
1 Corinthians
16:13--Listen to the appeal of the apostle Paul to the church this
morning. "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith." Be brave. Be strong.
Be vigilant and firm as soldiers of the cross. We are passing
through the enemy's land. This is not the time for debate,
indifference, or apathy. Our own hearts are deceitful. The
strongest have been overcome; the wisest, deceived; and the boldest,
intimidated. The devil is on the war path.
He continues, "Stand
fast in the faith." Do not abandon your post of trust and honor.
Stand fast on Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages.
Your standard of
faith is the Word of God. "Let it dwell in you richly. Let your
eyes be directed to the cross."
Avoid all that is
childish and fanciful. Be courageous men and women. Be strong, not
in yourselves, but in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Strong in
the Lord. Jesus is the Captain of Salvation. Be transformed in
Jesus. The victory is certain and the reward will be glorious.
Don't give up!
Jesus expects His
transformed believers, prior to His soon coming, to be like the
wise virgins (Matt. 25:1-13), engaged in prepared watching.
- That we will
continuously ask for the Holy Spirit so that we will keep our
spiritual passion alive. That the Holy Spirit will lead us into
an ever deepening love for God. That the Holy Spirit will lead us
into a meaningful life of study of the Word of God and communion
with Him.
- That His
transformed believers, like the active investors in the parable
of the talent, will develop the spiritual gifts that He has
entrusted to us. We have too many members, what are needed in
these last days, are disciples.
- That His
transformed believers, like the righteous in the parable of the
sheep and goats, will care for the needs of the least of these (poor,
naked, and homeless).
JESUS IS ABOUT TO
EXCEED OUR EXPECTATIONS
If you are having
doubts about the soon coming of Jesus...if you feel disappointed or
even feel that Jesus did not mean what He promised...I want you to
read John 11; raising Lazarus from death.
The chapter begins
with the sad news that Lazarus was sick in the town of Bethany. Who
was this man? He and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were
Christ's best friends on earth. Because Jesus was known by these
friends as a great healer, they sent a messenger to go and inform
Jesus. The message was an SOS call. "Your friend, Lazarus, is very
sick and the doctors have not given him any hope."
The sisters'
expectation was that Jesus would leave everything He was doing and
hurry to be with them. Or, that he would speak a word of healing.
They had that faith in Jesus.
Verse 4. Jesus
listened carefully to the message and His response was, "This
sickness will not end in death." This was good news to the
messenger. The Bible says Jesus went about His business, teaching,
preaching and healing. The messenger returned the following day,
running to tell Mary and Martha the good news from Jesus, their
Friend.
As he approached the
town, he heard weeping. He heard the wailers and the noise, and
said to himself, "They are not mourning Lazarus." It may be another
person because Jesus said his sickness was not unto death. He soon
discovered that, indeed, Lazarus was dead.
Mary spotted him and
she ran to him and asked, "Did Jesus come with you?" Then Martha,
who was running after Mary, posed the question, "What did Jesus say?"
The messenger could not speak. He knew the relationship between
these ladies and Jesus, and the trust they had in His word. He
began to go away but the ladies were anxious to know the message
from their Friend. Finally he gathered strength, looked down, and
said, "He asked me to come back; that the sickness would not end in
death."
Mary and Martha went
back into the house and faced the greatest contradiction and
greatest disappointment in their lives. They had to accept the fact
that even Jesus could be wrong sometimes.
Did He really mean
what He said, or did He lie?
They were confused
and despaired. Was Jesus what He claimed to be? They had trusted
Him all this time but now He had let them down.
Are you disappointed
and let down because he has not fulfilled His promise? Can you
still trust Him? Are you ready to give up?
Two days had passed
and Jesus had not said a word about Lazarus, His friend. Suddenly
He suggested to His disciples that they should cross the Jordan and
go to Bethany. It was after they had objected to it that He said to
them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."
Well, Lord, if he sleeps, he will wake up.
Finally Jesus
informed them that Lazarus was dead. But them He added, "For your
sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." John
11:15
Lazarus had been
dead for four days and Martha was the first to hear of the arrival
of Jesus. She ran to Him and with a voice full of disappointment
and frustration she said, "Lord, if you had been there, my brother
would not have died."
She looked into
Jesus' face and added, "But I know that even now God will give you
whatever you ask." Even then, Martha was not ready to give up.
The Bible says Mary
soon joined them and Jesus wept with them. They told Him about the
sickness, death, and burial.
In the eyes of the
sisters, Jesus had delayed His coming and had proved unfaithful to
His word. He arrived late. Why didn't he come when they needed and
expected Him? Can we trust Him again?
Jesus asked to go
and see the grave and when they got there, He asked that the stone
be removed. He spoke and Lazarus rose from the dead and walked away
from the grave.
Friends, Jesus not
only met people's expectation; He exceeded their expectation.
The faith of these
sister and all their friends might have been tested as they passed
through the dark hour. There was a time of uncertainty as they
waited for Jesus to come. They had expectation.
Yes, it has been a
long, long time of waiting. It has raised some doubts in our minds
and has affected the way we live.
I want to assure you...don't
give up! Don't look back! I have found that Jesus has a plan--a
better plan than what people expected and I know he will exceed our
expectation.
When Jesus said that
Lazarus' illness was not unto death, He was right even though it
seemed for a time He had been wrong. Jesus' timing was different
then the sisters'. Jesus will fulfill His promise.
ENTEBBE RAID
During the
presidency of Idi Amin of Uganda, an Air France plane was hijacked
and landed in Entebbe, Uganda. There were almost on hundred
Israelis on that plane. They were detained by President Idi Amin.
Israel and France
condemned and appealed to Amin to release the passengers. They were
soon joined by the western governments and the United Nations. The
more the western press made noise and criticized Idi Amin, the more
he threatened to execute the hostages. He made demands for Israel
to release some Palestinian prisoners. He would visit them and tell
them their government did not care about their safety.
Finally he gave a
deadline and threatened that on a certain date, if the Israeli
government had not complied with the demand, the hostages would be
killed.
All diplomatic
avenues had not yielded any positive result. The people lost
confidence in their government and gave up any hope of their
release.
Meanwhile, Israel
was working on a plan of rescue should diplomacy fail. They had
sent spies to Uganda and observed how Idi Amin visited the people
at the airport. The rest of the world gave up since they could not
convince President Amin.
The military put
together a rescue team of commandos. They laid out the plan and
knew it would not be an easy assignment. But they needed to find a
way to save their people.
It was not easy for
the Prime Minister to make that decision. Finally it became a life
and death situation. The order was given. Two C-130 planes took off
heading towards Eastern Africa. One of the planes carried the
rescue team. The other had a black Mercedes car and a Land Rover.
Somehow they managed
to land at the Entebbe Airport undetected.
The vehicles were
unloaded and the commandoes got into the Land Rover. But, inside
the Mercedes Benz was a man that looked like President Idi Amin.
The car was also like the one he used. The coat of arms and flag of
Uganda were the same.
They proceeded
towards the building where the hostages were. When the Uganda
security forces saw the vehicle, it was not different. They stood
at attention and gave a salute. When they stopped near the building
where the president always stopped, again the security hurried and
opened the doors. The commandoes followed and, if I remember, it
took less than 10 minutes for them to rescue the people. They were
rushed to the plane and when they crossed into Kenyan air space,
they shouted "free at last!"
I have seen the
video of the reception back in Israel. The Prime Minister, the
Cabinet, relatives and friends were at the airport to welcome their
heroes home. There were plenty of tears of joy and everyone was
shouting "Welcome home! Welcome home!" As I watched the video, I
was drawn into the celebration.
Friends, about 6,000
years ago the devil hijacked this planet--this world. He is holding
us as hostages. We live in the enemy's land. He claims to be the
king of this world.
But the good news is
that our Rescue Team is on the way--led by Prince Emmanuel--led by
our Lord and Savior Himself.
Our rescue team will
not be camouflaged. There will be no impersonation. It will not be
in secret.
The second advent of
Christ will be a glorious event. "For the Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with
the trumpet of God," says Paul in 1 Thess 4:16.
The Son of Man will
appear with power. "And He will send His angels with a great sound
of a trumpet." Matt 24:30, 31
The second coming of
Christ will have no secrecy about it. It will be by far the
greatest visual and audible show the earth has ever witnessed. "Every
eye shall see Him." Revelation 1:7
It is Christ, the
God of the universe, Who created all things. He is coming. The same
Jesus who ascended into heaven--our Savior and Friend--will return
for us! He, Who once dwelt among us, will come back to take us home
with Him. John 17:3
Our rescue is on the
way. Don't give up. Hold on a little longer. Soon our waiting will
be over. Angels will escort loved ones to the arms of Jesus. Don't
give up. Graves will burst open and the sleeping saints will rise
again. Don't give up.
"Let us not grow
weary in watching and waiting, but fix our eyes on Jesus, the
Author and Perfection of our faith." Don't give up.
I want to assure you
this morning. It is almost over. We are almost at the end of the
journey. Hold on a bit longer. DON'T GIVE UP!
Jesus will not only
fulfill your expectation. HE WILL EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATION! DON'T
GIVE UP! For:
God is not a Man
that He should lie.
God is the great
Promise-keeper.
God has never failed
His people yet.
God is going to
finish what He started.
God's Word is true
and I trust His Word.
Yes, you might have
to weep sometimes, but don't give up.
You might have some
tough times, but don't give up.
You might have some
questions that have no immediate answers, but don't give up.
You might be
disappointed by the brothers and sister, but don't give up.
You might even
disappoint yourself, but don't give up.
In whatever
circumstances you might find yourself, don't give up.
Today, God is
summoning a people. He is inviting a people who are willing to live
by faith in His Word and to proclaim by faith the nearness of His
coming; to prepare the way of the Lord. Are you ready to respond to
God's call to play your part in announcing the glorious reunion
with our Savior, Jesus Christ?
He Himself says, "I
am coming quickly." Let us respond by saying, "Even so come, Lord
Jesus!"
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