Unlike other years, Annual Council 2021 occurred in a mostly empty General Conference Auditorium. Covid fears (when are people going to get over that?) and social distancing combined with travel restrictions for some GC Executive delegates to greatly limit the number of attendees. There were about 95 people where have been around 400 in the past.
On Sabbath, Elder Wilson delivered the sermon, a sermon that greatly agitated progressives in the Church on Twitter and other social media(s). That convinced me that it was probably a good, (or great) sermon.
I finally had an opportunity to review the sermon tonight. It was very good.
He opened with 2 Peter 1:19.
“And we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Wilson affirmed the reliability of the Word of God as a guide to holy living and a roadmap for the Last Days. He rightly stated that our members long to hear messages regarding conviction and affirmation for the biblical beliefs of our Advent Movement. They do. At Fulcrum7, we see the same longing in our interactions with church members around the world.
Wilson identified 14 different aberrations that he said are from the Devil, designed to confuse us. Here they are with commentary:
1. The Word of God is not accepted by some as authoritative.
This was seen in the principle-based hermeneutic that is being used by the NAD to justify ordaining women. It is a method of rejecting the clear teachings of the Bible while pretending to respect them. Wilson pointed out that divine plagues will fall on those who add to or take away from the words of the Bible (Revelation 22:18-19).
2. Attempts to diminish the spirit of prophecy.
This has been going on for a long time. While millions are discovering the Spirit of Prophecy and hearing in its voice a loving Saviour, many—often multi-generational—members scornfully reject this gift from God. How do they do that? Some openly deride and mock it, while others just ignore it, filling their cup of rejection. Remember Ellen White predicted that there would be attempts to destroy God's work through her (Testimonies to Ministers page 5).
3. Misconceptions About Justification and Sanctification
Thanks to new theology among us, many Church members see salvation as justification only, deriding sanctification as legalism. Make no mistake friend. We need God’s justification in Jesus Christ so very badly. It takes away our yesterdays, covering them with the perfect works of Jesus Christ. We are complete in Him (Col. 2:10) No works of mine could take the place of His. We also need His tomorrows, a grateful people walking in truth, revealing to the universe that God’s wonderful Law can live in the hearts of His people. This demonstrates to the universe that God’s government is holy, just and good. This is the Great Controversy, and it has a great culmination.
4. Denial of the Urgency of the Times
Chill out. It may be many years before the Second Coming of Christ. If it happens at all. Peter foresaw a generation of believers laden with unbelief, saying “It’s been a long time, why continue to believe?” This reveals them as unbelievers. They are no longer members of the Body of Christ. Wilson is right to condemn such unbelief, indeed the Word of God condemns it.
5. Humanism versus Heavenly Inspiration
This is common in western culture. Many members today are living on a diet of television entertainment and national media with a helping of politics for dessert. A much better way is to rightly divide the Word of God, accepting the lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. Walk in the light friends, cling to, read and study the Word of God, that you may be accepted as a worthy worker in the Lord’s vineyard.
Avoid the ungodly notions of Critical Race Theory and social justice. These are humanistic deceptions seeking to undermine your soul.
6. Disregard for the Sanctuary Service and the Gospel Message
There are those who have no regard or understanding of the beauty of the sanctuary and its services which point to the Gospel: the Lamb slain on the cross. By forgetting where we have come from, they have no concept of where we are going.
7. Ecumenism vs The Shaking and Sifting of God’s Church
Being friendly with other believers is commendable. We don’t want to become so insular that we cannot understand where others are coming from, but we don’t want to adopt unbiblical beliefs that some of them hold. Let us share the wonderful message that we hold, a message deeply rooted in biblical truth, and in some cases learn from other believers’ good points.
8. Congregationalism
We have a segment among us who continue to see themselves as the epitome of the Advent Message, willfully isolated from the 200+ countries that our Adventist brothers and sisters live in. We are a worldwide movement, friends. We are instructed by God to not become insular, rebellious and headstrong—like those in the NAD who resent the other countries that are more faithful to the Bible regarding male leadership.
9. Attacks Against the Godhead
The anti-trinitarian contingent that sprang up in the last 4 years adds nothing to Adventism, but the fragmenting of our union. Like the WO rebels, the anti-trinity group is strongly obsessed with their private opinion, and willingness to fracture the church in order to get their own way. Many of them have been disfellowshipped; many of the WO agitators ought to be disfellowshipped as well.
10. Opposition to God’s Law and His Ten Commandments
You are the mayor of a village with a perfect set of ten instructions to live by. Problem is, all the people in the village are breaking the rules. What do you do? You grab the instructions and tear them down and rip them up. Problem solved, right? Wrong. Ii would be better to instill love for the instructions in the hearts of each citizen and empower them to obey. Far better.
People in the Church who have enmity against God’s Law don’t realize that there is something wrong with their heart. Lawlessness results from a lack of love, and a lack of love leads to lawlessness (Matthew 24:12). God can fix this if we humble ourselves and repent (2 Peter 3:9).
11. Evolution vs Biblical Creation
If we are unclear how the world was created, we will never get to know the Creator. We will also be vulnerable to nature worship (Romans 1:25). We will become gods unto ourself, acting on every unholy impulse that makes us feel good for a moment. We will live a life of unbelief, sitting on sand instead of solid Rock. Adventists that have educated themselves away from wisdom, are of all people most miserable. Their only hope is to repent, and receive a new love for the truth that brings joy and peace into their lives. If the Adventist educational system assists people in cultivating unbelief in creation, it would be better to tear those buildings down and ask God to forgive us. Genesis is just as important as any other book of the Bible; in it we find truth, wisdom and understanding. The foundation of a house is extremely important, and Genesis is the foundation of our faith in the Word of God.
12. Aberrant Lifestyle Behavior vs Biblical View of Sexuality
Adultery, fornication, and LGBTQIA+ are in direct opposition to God’s law and heavenly plan for human sexuality. We must make a conscious choice, even though unpopular, to speak up for Bible truth and not simply go along with societal trends. Amen. The culture has built an idol to homosexuality and is now trying to force us all to celebrate it or face increasing political, cultural and even financial marginalization. To that we say “Nope.” Our conscience is captive to the Bible.
13. Rejection of Temperance vs God’s Comprehensive Health Ministry and Health Reform
Amen. Alcohol has no place in a believer’s life unless he prefers to die (Proverbs 31:6). God wants us to flourish and bring honor to Him. In His wisdom, we can live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age (Titus 2:12).
14. Disastrous Influences of Eastern Mysticism
Today we face a powerful force of mystical liberalism, by a significant group of modern leaders in the Adventist church. Packaged in a kind of chronological snobbery that says “That which is latest is best!”, liberals in the church want to redefine the Adventist Message in a way that will leave little beyond a lingering sentiment to tie us to the work of the pioneers. It is an effort to blend the church with Babylon.
Summary
I appreciate Elder Wilson’s willingness to call these aberrations out. The church needs a leader who is willing to address unbiblical errors and warn our people about them. This is no time for pie in the sky and heads in the sand, it is time for fidelity to the Word of God and the courage to call us to repentance and cleansing.
We Adventists have a tremendous Message. People hearing it want to come and dwell with us in the Advent ‘house.’ Part of loving people correctly is not inviting them into a building where the bar joists are almost ready to collapse, bringing the roof down on their/our heads. We MUST repair the sagging joists, and then invite people to come in and dwell with us. To do less is to endanger the people with whom the Lord entrusts us.
Elder Wilson’s sermon with its fourteen points is a call to repair the damaged bar joists. Doing so makes the Adventist building stronger and safer (Ephesians 2:21).
SDA Pop Liberals want the Adventist building to collapse so they can build a new idol to unbelief in its place. I guess that’s why they were so upset with it (the sermon).
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