Is the gospel hidden from view in the Adventist church?  This blog report describing an Adventist evangelistic crusade in Chattanooga, implies that it is. “We recently attended a big crusade in Chattanooga. It’s like watching the world series and it’s our team against everyone else. [You] should’ve heard the AMENS when the speaker shared truths that are peculiar to our denomination. However, on the one night that we heard the speaker focus on the gospel, the amens were few and far between.  Something’s WRONG with the picture when we are more excited about 29 doctrines than about Jesus Christ!”

The blog author makes a very good observation about the current state of affairs in a large part of the Adventist church. Preaching the gospel has taken a back seat to the special truths of Adventist eschatology and prophecy. The loudest amens are reserved for any teaching that affirms Adventism as the remnant church, while the gospel which has the power to save souls remains obscured from view.

A major reason for this may be that many Adventists perceive the gospel as something every Christian church has access to and has been preaching since the time of Christ.  As such, this message has become so familiar as to be almost boring. Built into this mindset is a belief that if Adventists can’t point to their unique doctrines, the church won’t look any different than the other Christian churches that have historically been referred to as “Babylon.”

The apostle Paul knew nothing of these denominational distinctives and his inspired testimony is just as applicable to today’s church as it was when he penned it to the Romans:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV)

As long as denominational distinctives are placed at the forefront, the gospel will remain hidden and the “power of God for salvation” will be in short supply. 

In years past, more than once I have heard historic SDAs say demeaningly, when speaking of other Christian denominations, “All they have is Jesus.”

That is truly a sad indication of deep spiritual blindness on the part of those individuals. 

ALL I WANT IS JESUS!

Greg,

What blog is that report from?

But it is so correct. I remember Smuts Van Rooyen saying that he was giving an evangelistic series on the book of Romans and the gospel in Romans 1-4. After the first night or so, some brethren came up to him and asked him when he is going to start preaching the message? Smuts replied “This is the message”!

Stan

Stan,

The blog is written by a women who goes by “trailady” and is entitled “My Journey.”

http://gracewood.blogspot.com/ (this site is apparently down but I’ve linked to an archive of it in the first post above)

Incidentally, there is more archive material from 2005 here: http://web.archive.org/web/20051217030447/http://gracewood.blogspot.com/ )

Greg

Posted anonymously by: Barbara

That’s 28 fundamental beliefs (used to be 27).  I know you were quoting but people need to get it straight!! (just a joke).

Welcome Barbara to 4TG.

Hope to hear more from you soon.

Stan

Thank-you for bringing this thread back into focus.

I agree that the most amens at an Adventist service, are usually in response to the Adventist distinctives.....most often in reference to the Sabbath or the Remnant theology.

It is unfortunate that more sermons are not based on the Good News of the gospel.  I suspect they are few and far between because it is difficult to preach only Jesus and faith in Him as our way to salvation, when the distinctives emphasis the Law and striving for perfection.

Welcome Barbara to 4TG, I look forward to hearing more from you.

And we have been graced with a note or two from “Trailady”, and I have to say she has an interesting website from which she shares her thoughts and experience. 

Hi Barbara!  Welcome!

Randy, I agree with everything you said.  When we look beyond the gospel to denominational distinctives, thinking this is “the really good stuff,” we’ve essentially admitted that the gospel is not unbelievably good news.

As Bob said, “All I want is Jesus!”

Greg

Well; I am sure you will accuse me of “lying” or having wrong motives, or some such thing; but I have often experienced the opposite of what you are accusing us of here; and all over this web site.  Of not having the Gospel, and of only saying “amen” to “the distinctives.”

The last sermon I preached was just three words.  It was the gospel, in verity.  Hmmm, I wonder, if you had to preach the gospel in just three words; and leave nothing out, what would you tell me?  Would I finally get some of this “good news for Adventists” that you keep talking about; but are keeping hidden?

Protestant 101 - 16 June 2009 08:26 AM

Well; I am sure you will accuse me of “lying” or having wrong motives, or some such thing; but I have often experienced the opposite of what you are accusing us of here; and all over this web site.  Of not having the Gospel, and of only saying “amen” to “the distinctives.”

The last sermon I preached was just three words.  It was the gospel, in verity.  Hmmm, I wonder, if you had to preach the gospel in just three words; and leave nothing out, what would you tell me?  Would I finally get some of this “good news for Adventists” that you keep talking about; but are keeping hidden?

Protestant 101,

Would you kindly give us more information about yourself? Please give us your definition of the gospel and tell us how we become saved and inherit eternal life?

Stan

Stan Ermshar - 16 June 2009 11:48 AM

Protestant 101 - 16 June 2009 08:26 AM

Well; I am sure you will accuse me of “lying” or having wrong motives, or some such thing; but I have often experienced the opposite of what you are accusing us of here; and all over this web site.  Of not having the Gospel, and of only saying “amen” to “the distinctives.”

The last sermon I preached was just three words.  It was the gospel, in verity.  Hmmm, I wonder, if you had to preach the gospel in just three words; and leave nothing out, what would you tell me?  Would I finally get some of this “good news for Adventists” that you keep talking about; but are keeping hidden?

Protestant 101,

Would you kindly give us more information about yourself? Please give us your definition of the gospel and tell us how we become saved and inherit eternal life?

Stan

OK, the best way I can do this is to give you this link: http://www.protestant101.net In return; I would hope that you, greg, and gabriel can be more upfront about what denominations you belong to - and what your specific faith back ground/beliefs are.  Everytime I try to guess, I am accused of lying or worse, so you guys could save the hassle by just coming out with it yourselves.  At the time of this posting; there is some tecnical problem with the webhost so if you cannot reach this page; just try again later.

Protestant,

I did read your testimony and was quite impressed. It was very moving, and I will take this at face value that you are a Christian.

However, with regard to your article about anti-SDA cults, I thought you were very unfair and tended to generalize.

I was a personal friend of Dr. Walter Martin, and he was a great apologist. He did not do as you say in the way he handled SDAs.

But, you seemed to be sympathetic to Mormons and JWs on your site, and alleged that the counter-cult ministries also attack them unfairly.

Could you elaborate on this?  Do you believe Mormons are Christians?

Stan

Protestant 101 - 16 June 2009 08:07 PM

Stan Ermshar - 16 June 2009 11:48 AM

Protestant 101 - 16 June 2009 08:26 AM

Well; I am sure you will accuse me of “lying” or having wrong motives, or some such thing; but I have often experienced the opposite of what you are accusing us of here; and all over this web site.  Of not having the Gospel, and of only saying “amen” to “the distinctives.”

The last sermon I preached was just three words.  It was the gospel, in verity.  Hmmm, I wonder, if you had to preach the gospel in just three words; and leave nothing out, what would you tell me?  Would I finally get some of this “good news for Adventists” that you keep talking about; but are keeping hidden?

Protestant 101,

Would you kindly give us more information about yourself? Please give us your definition of the gospel and tell us how we become saved and inherit eternal life?

Stan

OK, the best way I can do this is to give you this link: http://www.protestant101.net In return; I would hope that you, greg, and gabriel can be more upfront about what denominations you belong to - and what your specific faith back ground/beliefs are.  Everytime I try to guess, I am accused of lying or worse, so you guys could save the hassle by just coming out with it yourselves.  At the time of this posting; there is some tecnical problem with the webhost so if you cannot reach this page; just try again later.

Protestant,

I make no secrets on here as many of us including myself give our full names, and don’t hide behind screen names. I attend a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) which is a very conservative church that believes in the absolute inerrancy of scripture and affirm the great truths that Jesus and the apostles taught about grace, and teachings that were later restored by Luther and Calvin.

I think that if you have really read our site, that you will know where we stand on the great fundamentals of the faith.

Stan