Transcription
Are Adventist standards quietly becoming a thing of the past? Listen to this.
If you asked me, "Pastor Mark, are you concerned about certain trends that are taking place in varying places within the Adventist church today?" My response would be this. I'm concerned about the almost overwhelming tide of worldliness that's coming into some of our churches. Standards that we once cherished as Seventh Day Adventists in the area of diet, in the area of dress, in the area of recreation and amusement and Sabbathkeeping are fast in some circles becoming a thing of the past.
Prophecies that were once proclaimed and trumpeted from Adventist pulpits are sometimes being marginalized. But yet when members are adorned but like the world, love the world's entertainment, are intoxicated with the world's pleasures, listen to the world's music, are captivated by Hollywood productions, genuine spirituality erodes. And I will be very plain with you this morning. You cannot feast your mind on TV and Hollywood and have a spiritual character. It's just not possible. Because by beholding we become what? Changed.
So if we are spending more time with Hollywood's productions than we are with the word of the living God, how can we expect ever to be ready for the coming of Jesus? And when the Adventist health message, which so many honest-hearted people in the world are embracing and they're attracted to it, you read the articles. When it's called legalism and fanaticism rather than a glorious gift from our loving Creator, something is tragically wrong.
We are ambassadors for Christ. We're the light of the world. We're the salt of the earth. Jesus says, "Let your light so shine that they may see your good works and glorify your heavenly Father." Millions all over the world are looking for something that we have. Deep within their hearts, they're tired of the aching longing to satisfy their desires through the things of the world. The things of this world do not satisfy. They just leave you empty and hollow and shallow and looking forward to the next pleasure. There are millions that are looking for genuine authentic Christianity. And we will never reach them by compromising our standards. We'll never reach them by trying to come down to their level.
This is a time to lift up the standard of Jesus Christ. This is a time to be so filled with Jesus, so filled with his spirit, so changed by his love, so charmed by his grace. This is the time to have our mind so saturated with the word of God. This is no time to flirt with the devil's allurements and conform to the world's standards. Jesus has a way of life that is much, much better than the world can offer. What do you say, church? This is the time to hold the standard high for the world to see.