It is early in the morning, one spring day in Galilee. A large crowd of people has just landed on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, on the outskirts of Capernaum.
As the last of the boats is hauled up on the beach the people are beginning to spread out. They are searching. Searching for the amazing miracle worker who, just yesterday, fed well over five thousand people with a small lunch of five loaves of bread and two fish a young man had happened to bring along with him. They had tried to make Him king after all was said and done, but he had disappeared, and his disciples had gone across the Sea of Galilee overnight. Now they must find him!
Eventually, someone happens upon Him at the synagogue in Capernaum, and the word spreads that Jesus has been located. Once again, a large audience forms around him, and at last, someone asks: “Rabbi, when camest thou hither?” (John 6:25). The people are confused. Jesus did not ride over the sea with His disciples, and no boats were left after they had taken some to follow the disciples. So how did He get over here?
Instead of answering their question, Jesus says:
“Verily, verily I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26).
This leads into a discussion about Christ being the bread of life that is far more important than physical bread, but the more Jesus says, the less the people like what they hear. At last, Jesus says:
“He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him” (John 6:56).
This statement is misconstrued, until many of His disciples, even some who had been with him almost since the beginning of his ministry, turn, most likely with thoughts similar to the modern phrase “I didn’t sign up for this,” and walk away from Jesus, no more to return.
As Jesus watches these people go, sadness fills His heart. The sheer number of the crowd walking away is disheartening. Finally, He turns to his twelve disciples. “Will ye also go away?” he asks. Peter then answers him: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:67-68)
Lately, I’ve been feeling quite a bit like Peter. I’ve grown up in the Adventist Church and although my family has not always been as conservative as we are now, when we made changes in our lives to align with what we saw in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. My parents made sure that my sister and I always had at least a few friends who were of a similar mindset to us, so that we would have encouragement and influences that would tend to lead us upward.
However, more and more I feel in the minority. Many of those we thought to be good influences when I was younger are all of a sudden leaving everything behind. A couple of years ago, one of my sister’s friends ran away from home, because she thought her parents were too “strict,” and completely went out into the world. We rarely hear anything from her now and when we do it’s not good.
More recently, a family who we thought to be an authority on how to properly order the family in order to glorify God, has departed from the foundations of our faith and some of the members of that family are now actively working against the Remnant church by disparaging it online.
On top of all this, there are many with whom I was friends in my early to mid-teens and who, at the time, seemed solid individuals, who now, though they may not be leaving the church outright, are dropping the standards their parents have taught them, and are turning to the customs and ways of the world.
As this all has been going on, and I have watched the circle of my friends and acquaintances who shared my beliefs and standards grow smaller and smaller, I have felt probably very much like Peter did on that day in Galilee as many of those he had associated with, as followers of Jesus, just got up and left. And I feel as though I too have been receiving the question, though of course in my heart and mind rather than audibly, “Will ye also go away?” to which I answer, “Lord, how can I? Where could I go?”
I realize of course that leaving those questions hanging is not good enough. They must be answered. The obvious answer to the first part is “I can’t,” but then that begs the question: “Why? Why can I not leave?”
In order to answer this question—both for the benefit of myself and those who will read this article—I will enumerate the reasons for my not being able to leave. Hopefully, this will reinforce our minds so that when the devil tempts us to look at all those who are forsaking the banner of the Remnant, and tells us we might as well do the same, we can remind ourselves and him why we cannot leave the ranks.
1. Prophecy
This is probably one of the most obvious ones, but because of that, it might also be easily taken for granted. Our church’s understanding of prophecy is unlike that of any other denomination. From the 2,300 days to the 70 weeks, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 and the four beasts in Daniel 7, the Adventist message lays out a logical and consistent explanation for each of these prophecies that, when linked together, creates a timeline of history that perfectly matches what has actually happened in the world’s history and leads us into the future events that are not far distant.
2. The Sabbath
This one is also quite obvious. Although not as distinctive as some of our other doctrines, nevertheless, it is no less important. While there are many other churches today that observe the Sabbath, few understand it the way we do. For us, the Sabbath is not a stand-alone doctrine but dovetails into all our other doctrines, and especially prophecy, to create an unbreakable network that holds up under honest examination. It holds both physical and spiritual significance as it benefits us with physical rest each week, but yet also reminds us of the work that was done for our creation and the work that was done for our redemption. It signifies the spiritual rest we find in Salvation.
3. The Gospel
This is one that is not so obvious as all other churches claim to have the Gospel. The understanding we have been given of the Gospel, however, is different. To most churches, the equation is very simple: Law = Bondage, Grace = Freedom; however we see that the two ingredients in these equations are not actually at war with each other, but when understood rightly work in harmony together for the salvation of man.
Also, most Christians think that belief in Christ as your Savior is all that is needed for salvation. As a cause of salvation, this is correct, but belief always must be proved by action, as James says in James 2:17“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
But of course our own power fits nowhere into this equation. Christ is the one who does the works through us and enables us as Sister White wrote:
“As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings” {COL 333.1}.
4. The Spirit of Prophecy
In Revelation 12:17 we read:
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
In this passage we are told that “the remnant of her seed” has the testimony of Jesus Christ, which we know by the explanation of Revelation 19:10, is the Spirit of Prophecy. Though the devil raised up his own movements with prophets, around the same time that our movement was born to muddy the waters and make it more difficult to discern the truth, the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White stands out among all of them, for her ministry is the only one that meets all points in the biblical test of a true prophet.
Among her writings are insights into science and health that for decades were thought to be ridiculous by the world, but which, in time came to light as the truly advanced insights they are. There are also councils, that, if followed, make one’s life so much easier.
5. The Health Message
In 3 John 2 we read:
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
Christ does not only wish that we will be saved, but also that for the time that we are on this earth, we may enjoy the best quality of life possible. Of course this is not only for ourselves, but also for the benefit of others, for we cannot truly serve others properly if we are inhibited by poor health. We are to be a living sacrifice and part of the requirements for a sacrifice, in the Old Testament system, was that the lamb had to be healthy. God supplied the directions for health in Leviticus and later through the modern-day manifestation of the Spirit of Prophecy.
But of course, this is also not just for our benefit. This message of health is the entering wedge and right arm of the Gospel. When Christ was on earth, he addressed peoples physical needs before anything else, and this opened their minds to accept truths that would address the spiritual needs and so today, Christ still works for the physical needs of people, through the person of his last day people, for their betterment, before addressing all the needs of the soul.
6. Our History
Anyone who knows me knows that this is my favored area of study, and in fact, the last article I wrote for Fulcrum 7, several years ago, was on the history of our church. But the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is another reason I can’t leave. No matter where it is that you look in our history, you find the fingerprints of God. Story after story could be told of God’s leading in our history, and these stories, whenever I may have had doubts about the church, have proved to be a source of encouragement, reminding me that, though men may mismanage the church or rebel against God while in office, such as in 1888, this is still God’s church and he will bring it to triumph at last.
“We are to be a living sacrifice and part of the requirements for a sacrifice, in the Old Testament system, was that the lamb had to be healthy.”
Of course, there is much more I could say in regard to what is keeping me in the church, but for the sake of brevity, I will have to stop here. But even just looking over the six reasons I have listed, I have the answers to the two questions I asked before. I cannot go away, for if I were to leave, there would be no place to go. To leave the Seventh-day Adventist Church, at this time in earths history, would be just about as wise as jumping off the ark to swim for a mountain top during the flood. In plain language, it would be suicidal.
So my Brothers and Sisters, perhaps you have also been watching what has been going on in the church and, like me, feel like Christ is asking you “Will ye also go away?” If so, take courage. You have answers to this question, but it is up to you to answer. You may see others leaving the ranks of our church, but be strong and look with confidence to your Savior and take the Standard of His Remnant Church and raise it higher and ever higher. We have a sure foundation. Our church has a sure foundation and He will never fail us.
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Bio:
Micah Zummach is a young person in central North Carolina who deeply loves the Three Angels Messages and the church founded upon those messages. He loves history, but especially the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and takes any opportunity he can to inform others of the blessed heritage we have. He enjoys working with wood and currently works at Old Salem Museum and Gardens in Winston-Salem, NC where he combines his passions, recreating historical furniture while teaching the history of the Moravian Church in North Carolina in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.