The church asks a number of important questions and gets some useful answers.

<p>The church asks a number of important questions and gets some useful answers.</p>

<p>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.</p>

Eugene Prewitt

White Salmon

Part 1: The Wise Can’t See It

Our Father in heaven, I thank you for the Sabbath, for the beauty of your Holy Bible.

And I ask as we look at your word this evening that you would help us to understand it.

I ask for this gift in the name of Jesus.

I want to speak to you tonight about a problem and then a gift and a solution.

The problem, which has been developing for several years is related to how wise humans are.

1 Corinthians 1 verse 17, For Christ, that is the Messiah, did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

I want you to think about the verse for a minute, just an idea that's in there.

Paul was sent to preach and he wasn't sent to baptize.

That part is relevant to Adventist missions everywhere.

Not that baptism wasn't important, but he was sent to preach the gospel.

But then he said something about how he was to preach.

And he didn't say so much what he was to do in verse 17, but what he was avoiding.

He was avoiding what he calls the wisdom of, the wisdom of words.

Now, I don't think for a minute that Paul meant that he valued improper grammar or foolish speaking or something like that, but do you see why he wanted to avoid the wisdom of words?

It would neutralize the power of the cross.

There's something about the cross, maybe different than chemistry or physics, that when you use educated or in some sense wise words to describe it or to speak about it, that it loses its power or its ability to do what God intended for it to do.

Verse 18, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.

Now think about verse 18 for a minute because it doesn't say it's foolish to everyone, but the cross when you preach it properly will be foolish to a class.

And what class is it that sees it as foolish?

So if you follow that idea, if you develop it in reference to Adventist mission, would it be sensible for me to try to change my preaching of the cross to the point where it made sense to the class called the lost?

I don't know, I think I might confuse you by that question, but let me say this another way.

It doesn't surprise me that the followers of the Quran can't see wisdom in the cross.

It doesn't surprise me that Buddhists don't see anything just or fair about a Savior dying for someone else.

It doesn't surprise me that even here in America, a number of physicians that I know can't see any sense in the idea that 1 person could sin and someone else could suffer and that could be called justice.

The cross is foolishness to a certain class.

I hope that you and I will never be chagrined or troubled by the fact that the lost mock the cross and the ideas of justice and atonement that are in that message.

But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.

I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Who is it in verse 19 that brings to nothing the understanding of the prudent?

God has a plan or a message or a means of destroying the wisdom and the prudence of that class of wise people, which must be the same class in verse 18 that are called the lost.

The wise of verse 19 are the lost of verse 18, those who might be impressed by the wise words in verse 17.

I don't know if you can follow that idea.

But there are wise words that would impress wise people, But those wise people that would be impressed by those wise words are the lost, and that same class of people do not see wisdom in the cross.

In verse 19 I see that God does not intend that the wisdom of man will get honor among the spiritual believers in the Bible.

Maybe this is too theoretical for you and I need to help you know where I'm coming from or where I'm going.

Some deeply respected persons, respected by me, that I know well, have written me in the last week troubling messages about what I call substitutionary atonement.

When I use that phrase, what I mean, I think it would be just counter my main message tonight if I used words that couldn't be understood.

But I mean by that the idea that Jesus could take the sins of those, his created beings, on him, he could die for those sins, and that we could have access to his righteousness that we had nothing to do with.

And he could carry our sins that he had nothing to do with.

The idea that his righteousness could be substituted for my sinfulness and he could carry sinfulness, that idea of substitution is what doesn't make sense to an entire class of people.

I'll say some names right now, but they're not the men I mentioned that I deeply respect because I don't want to mention their names until I've had a fair chance to do what I can to change things.

But the name Timothy Jennings, a physician or a psychologist or a psychiatrist, I always forget which, out of Tennessee.

Herb Montgomery, a man who was my student when he was 17 years old.

Cole, and Graham Maxwell, are all persons who have been promoting some of these same ideas.

If you go back far enough in church history, you will find an interesting character by the name of Peter Abelard.

You don't need to know him, and If you don't remember his name, I don't care that you write it down, but if you want to, you'll find an interesting article about him, I'm sure, on Wikipedia.

Peter Abelard was 1 of those men who you might say was the forerunner of the Renaissance, that he was a man who began to ask questions that no 1 else had the guts to ask.

So if an authority said the world is flat, He wouldn't just take it, he would ask, why do you think so, what is your evidence, let's see it, and then he would have the audacity to pick that apart if he saw holes in the logic, if there was a flaw in your reasoning.

He really questioned things that had been held for a long time.

But what he did with human reasoning, he carried to an unsettling extreme.

He did the same thing with the word of God.

There is a difference between the word of God and the word of man.

Yea, let God be true and every man a liar, it says in the Bible.

Peter Abelard invented what has come to be known as the moral influence theory.

In short, it says that Jesus died for the purpose of showing us God's love.

If that was the whole theory, I would say, Amen, because isn't that the truth?

Romans 5 says very plainly that God commended His love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

It is true that some men would even dare to die for a good man, but Jesus went far beyond that.

He gave his life for us while we were still his enemies.

It is true that The cross shows us the love of God.

If you have a ribbon or something to leave here in 1 Corinthians 1, that would be good if you did so.

1 Peter 2.21 1 Peter 2.21 For even to this place we were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps.

Is it true that Jesus died for the purpose of moral influence?

Indeed, it is true that he died to exert a moral influence.

Who in his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness." So Jesus' death on the cross, there was an intention there that would lead us to live a good life.

Maybe it's on the same page for you like it is for me.

First Peter 4, verse 1, For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself likewise with the same mind.

For he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

So Jesus' death on the cross was so I could arm myself with what?

The same mindset that he had when he went to the cross.

Part 2: Kind Atheists and Christ’s Righteousness

I'm not a highly emotional person, but this is an above-average emotional day for me.

Is there anyone here that was a grandparent by the time you turned 50?

My mother has wanted to be a grandparent since she was 50.

But 3 hours ago today, she became a grandparent.

And Nicholas, excuse me, Nathan Alexander Pruitt was born into the world this morning in Illinois.

So I dedicate this message to him as the first gift I can give to my 1 and only nephew.

I don't think he'll understand it for quite some time.

Also I'm pleased because I am in a church full of parents.

I don't see the young people here as much as I thought I might see them.

I'm speaking of the young people ages like 15 to 25 or 30 or 35, I guess we're getting older now, some of them.

But I have had an opportunity to work with young people whose parents attend this church since 1997.

And that is just to me an evidence that God has put a heavy responsibility on this congregation.

Or let me say that plainly, how I understand it.

If this church never did 1 smidgen of outreach, never did anything at all to help the community, but it cultivated Miss Laura Calkins into a missionary-minded girl who would spend her life doing mission work in Southeast Asia, then this church has had a tremendous impact on the planet.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't do outreach.

I think it's hard to cultivate young people and to mission-minded young people if you're not doing something.

And I suppose that you've done something here that has been helpful to them.

But I just want to thank the parents in this church who have done what they could to raise children for the Lord.

I don't suppose that every parent who has tried has been at this point successful.

Because I suppose Adam and Eve tried and it didn't go well for Cain.

But still, it's a beautiful thing, those who try.

To do what you can to help young people grow up to know the Lord and to be in his service.

None of these things that I'm saying are highly relevant to the message, but they're relevant to the church.

And that's why I wanted to say them first.

I have 3 messages, but I won't go over time.

A short 1, a very short 1, and then a short 1.

And I'd like you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Jude.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt after we're destroyed them that believe not.

So there's a sad thought at the end of the verse that we just read, and that is the people that were saved out of Egypt, that very same class of people, what happened to them?

The same class of people that were saved were destroyed.

And thinking about that is a solemn thought.

It should be solemn for you, it's solemn for me.

I want us to notice the first half of the verse.

When Jude says, I will put you in remembrance though you once knew this.

There is a mentality towards religion that leads to spiritual ignorance.

Let me complain about it for just a moment.

It shouldn't be in a Christian school that Bible class is the easiest class.

It shouldn't be that Bible is something that you can get an A in without application and homework and deep consideration.

It shouldn't be so that you can come to church and listen to Sabbath school and church week after week and not be challenged with biblical insights and knowledge that are beyond what you've understood before.

It's also true, as it says in verse 5, that some things that we've heard before, we need to hear them again.

You knew that even before you were forwarded that YouTube video 20 times in the last week and a half about the Pope speaking to the evangelicals.

And if that wasn't forwarded to you 20 times, at least you heard it once.

And if it hasn't come to you even once, then you can ask about it at potluck and whoever's near you will know what I'm talking about.

But it's not because of that video that you knew that Jesus was coming back.

It's when you think about the fact that he's coming back that's relevant to the decisions you make.

When I think of decisions, I'll give you a practical type.

When you decide to move and go live somewhere else for your retirement home, if you think about the fact that Jesus is coming back soon, then you would be thinking, I hope, about where could you live where you could have an impact and help people be ready.

But if you're not thinking about that, you might think, and this isn't a bad thought, it's just a deficient thought, but you might be thinking, where could you have the most social enjoyment and be closest to family?

Which might, because of the way statistics work, might be the same place where there are far too many Adventists per capita.

Let me even explain that to you just for a minute.

In terms of size, it's large, but I mean in terms of population, It's very large.

We have an insert in our bulletin that says that by numbers, China is the church's number 1 mission field.

In India, in Andhra Pradesh, there are almost 700, 000 Seventh-day Adventists.

That is, the ratio of Adventists to the general population there is better than in many parts of the United States.

In Northern India, where more than half of the people of India live, it is extremely different.

A ratio that is by more than a magnitude worse than in Andhra Pradesh.

So, if you were going to go on a mission trip to India to reach people, statistically I would hope you wouldn't go to Andhra Pradesh.

But statistically I expect you probably did.

Does it make sense to anyone what I'm trying to say?

But I'm saying there are things that we know that we need to hear about more often.

Things that when we hear about them they make a difference in how we think.

Turn back to 2 Peter, that's back like just 3 or 4 pages for you.

Wherefore, I will not be negligent, 2 Peter 1, verse 12.

I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you, what's the verb?

Peter, why are you going to tell me things I already know?

It says though you know them and be established in the present truth.

Why Peter are you going to tell me things I already know if in fact I know them very well.

Verse 13, yes I think it is appropriate as long as I am in this body to stir you up, that is to get you moving, by putting you in remembrance.

The truth affects you only when it has your attention.

It's when you think about the truth that the truth has an impact on your life.

It's when you're not thinking about the truth that the truth has an impact on your life.

It's when you're not thinking about the truth that the truth has little impact on your life.

So what happens is when I think about Jesus and what he's done for me, that softens my heart.

When I am not thinking about that, even though I still know it's true, somewhere in my mind it's there, when I'm not thinking about it, it has very little impact on me at all.

It may be that the cross can change me today, and because of what it does today, I can be a better person tomorrow.

But if I don't consider or continue thinking about the cross, I will be on a downhill slant.

Part 3: Sin Debt and Blind Wise

So I think this is a familiar passage to us, even though we haven't read it in a while.

This is part of the Lord's Prayer, and it says, give us this day our daily bread, and then look at verse 12, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

I want to introduce an idea this afternoon and develop it in the Bible, and that is the idea that sin creates a debt.

Do you see in this verse 12 very clearly that Jesus uses the word debt to refer to my sins against God and also your sins against me?

And part of the prayer we should pray routinely is forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

That is, when you do me wrong, you owe me.

And when I do wrong, even if I do it to you or anyone else, I don't only owe you, but who else do I owe?

This is why David could say when he had killed a man and committed adultery, he said, against you only have I sinned.

He didn't mean that God was the only 1 he had injured, but he meant that very directly it was directly God that is injured by our sins.

It wasn't like someone else and God was hurt, but when we do wrong, We owe God because God is the 1 who is the author of the law of God.

I haven't really said anything you don't know, but I want you to think about these ideas that sin creates debt.

Turn a few pages forward to Matthew chapter 11.

Matthew chapter 11, and looking at verse 25.

I'm interested here that we have translation into sign language.

Are you familiar with the website, Audioverse?

Audioverse has a project right now, this year, 2014, to create our messages in a transcription form, which would open them up to an entire new class of people, you know, where you can read them.

And that's just something for you to be thankful for and pray about, and it does require some money if you wanted to even do more than pray about it.

And at that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, Because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and you have revealed them unto babes.

Even so, Father, for it seemed good in your sight.

Do you see that when the Father was looking on earth, that it seemed good to the Father to reveal some things to simple-minded people and to keep those same things secret from others that were called wise and prudent?

And did Jesus feel good about that view of the Father or did he feel badly about it?

He said, I thank thee, O Father, that you have revealed these things unto babes and that you have hid them from the wise and prudent.

I just want you to see this passage as it relates to this morning's message and the last night.

I think that there is an idolatry today that is as prevalent as idolatry in the days of the Canaanite kings, but where they worshiped sticks and stones back then, we worship academia today.

We honor the wise and the prudent, and we believe what they have to say, and in fact, there's an entire system built around assuring that they get proper honor and prestige in the way that we speak to them and the way that they talk.

There's an entire system of honor built around that.

And maybe some of you here are in that class of highly educated people I'm thinking about, it doesn't look to me like merely being wise and prudent sets you up to be blinded by this passage.

But it looks like it's if you're wise and prudent in your own eyes.

That if your wisdom and your prudence that you get in the process of developing or doing your academic studies, if somehow it lifts you off the earth where you feel bright or educated.

I don't know how to express the idea so simply.

If academia makes you feel especially on target and right and smart, it has really compromised your spiritual life.

And anyway, you've seen the passage in Matthew 11.

Take heed to yourselves, which means pay close attention.

Pay close attention to your own decisions, your own thinking, what's happening to you.

If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him.

And if he trespass against you 7 times in a day, and 7 times in a day turn again to you saying, I repent, You shall forgive him.

This is when the disciples said, Lord, increase our faith.

But what I want you to see here is this idea.

Jesus, in the Lord's prayer, called guilt, he illustrated guilt by the word debt.

He said forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And here speaking about what you owe me when you do wrong against me, even though you owe me, the obligation is not entirely on you to set things straight.

When you owe me, part of the obligation is on me.

If you sin against me, do I have an obligation?

What's my first obligation in this passage?

I need to confront you and to let you know what you've done and then forgive you.

That whole process is important because God does the same thing.

Series

White Salmon

Part 4: Questions and Answers

Transcript

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