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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Siegfried Roeske

From Crisis to Victory

Pleasure for me to be here on this beautiful Sabbath morning.

I have only attended Sabbath school a couple, 2, 3 times since you've been in this new building.

But I do teach on the third floor, spend a lot of time up there the last 2 quarters.

And it's wonderful to look at all these happy, healthy, and holy people's faces this morning.

It always kind of gets us ready for the divine worship hour.

Some time ago, I attended a civic function, actually it was a luncheon featuring Michael Josephson, unique name, who gave up his work as an attorney, sold his business, and is crisscrossing America, meeting the civic leaders, holding workshops on character education.

I have to say that I was amazed at seeing that civic leaders in our country are still concerned about this subject, this topic.

Now this gentleman felt that the church had lost, had failed in getting the job done, and he had given up on the church, and now he's going to the civic leaders, the mayors, presidents of universities, this was associated with Lincoln, Nebraska University, and goes directly to the civic leaders in order to talk to them about morality and character development in young people and in their community.

Evidently the gospel of many churches has lost its power.

At least he felt it's weak and self-pleasing.

It changes the head, but not the heart, and not the life in any significant way.

In 2 Timothy 3, 1 through 5, he felt certainly applied today.

And we're going to begin this morning by a reality check.

It's going to be a little negative as we get started.

And then we'll find the answer in God's word and we'll get a more cheery and a little more hopeful about God's plan for his people.

This also know that in the last days, perilous times shall come.

However, they come so gradually that many people don't even notice the perilous times.

They feel everything is just fine like they've always been.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection.

The brother in our Sabbath school kind of shared some of these things with us from another reference.

Without natural affection, truth breakers, false accusers, incontinent fears, despisers of those that are good.

Ridiculing, making fun of those who love the Lord.

Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

Having a form Like a door swings on its hinges, doing what appears to be in some areas, you know, going along with what the church teaches and yet in the heart it's not there.

Now When I heard all these things, I was reminded of my textbook in church leadership that I taught at Union College by a gentleman called James Means.

And the title is Effective Pastors for a new century.

And he has checked out a few polls by the major polling companies.

Anyway, we'll come to that in a minute, but he writes like this.

Neo-paganism distinguished itself from the old kind by its baptism in the church during the Dark Ages.

The Dark Ages began with good intentions.

Trying to bring in paganism and trying to make it a Bachler against it.

The church didn't manage to convert to culture.

The lifestyle of innumerable professing Christians differs but little from the practical atheist of our culture, this heavy, so I say, culture check, you know, kind of reality check.

Indeed, in most cases, a lifestyle is indistinguishable from that of the unregenerate.

More than 40 million Americans claim a born-again experience.

Yet, it's difficult to imagine a time when so many professions of faith have produced so little evidence of transformation and spiritual vitality in daily lives.

And then he goes to the polling and we trust those pretty much, not all together all the time, but I think they give us a pretty good idea where we stand.

Religion is growing in importance among Americans.

The same poll found very little difference between the behavior of the church and the unchurched on a wide range of items including lying, cheating, and pilferage.

And some time ago, the survey by the Roper Organization showed little difference in the moral behavior of born-again Christians before and after the conversion experiences.

Then the Barna Research Group, you got the 3 big ones here, surveys demonstrate there is virtually no difference in the lifestyle of the average American and the born-again Christian.

More born-again Christians read Penthouse than watch the top rated Christian TV shows.

And he says, these people have not altered their lifestyle 1 bit since accepting Christ.

The acceptance of Christianity has cost them nothing.

Now that's not the way it is in China or that's not the way it was in Russia or that's not the way it is in Somalia or some of these other parts of the world.

When you become a Christian, it'll cost you everything.

Now, at a time of moral decay and compromise, God is calling his people to stand like Daniel.

And so this morning I thought it would be great.

You know, I thank the Lord that somebody asked me to preach once in a while and teach a lesson once in a while because you know what?

The oil of heaven is flowing through my life.

That was my intention when I was a theology student just come from Germany.

I said, I don't know whether I'm gonna make it or not, but I would like to be a minister to save my soul.

But I place myself in a condition where the Holy Spirit can work in my heart.

This is Jesus' favorite place, Sabbath morning.

You know, the kids love the story they already know.

The new stories, they only get about 10% of it.

After they heard it about 25 times, they really love it.

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From Crisis to Victory

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