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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49549
04/06/05 06:36 PM
04/06/05 06:36 PM
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Dedicated Member
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,009
Ohio
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It sounds like we agree, just looking at the same thing from a different perspective.
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49550
04/07/05 01:44 AM
04/07/05 01:44 AM
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SDA Charter Member Active Member 2019
20000+ Member
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,256
Southwest USA
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quote: Who is the focal point of the SDA church?
Lost souls!
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49551
04/07/05 02:27 AM
04/07/05 02:27 AM
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Posts: 1,009
Ohio
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49552
04/07/05 02:33 AM
04/07/05 02:33 AM
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Dedicated Member
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,009
Ohio
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quote: You must not have any other gods except me. Exodus 20:3
I've always understood that anything that we place before God becomes an idol or a god. Case in point, do we go to church each week to worship lost souls, or do we go to worship God? If we are to be worshiping God, then we must enevatably be foucusing on Him.
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49553
04/07/05 05:15 AM
04/07/05 05:15 AM
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SDA Charter Member Active Member 2019
20000+ Member
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,256
Southwest USA
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Dave, according to the many quotes I've posted, the primary reason Jesus raised up the SDA church is to proclaim the 3AMs, to seek and save the lost. It is the sole purpose of our existence. It has nothing to do with worshipping lost souls at church.
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49554
04/07/05 05:50 AM
04/07/05 05:50 AM
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Dedicated Member
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,009
Ohio
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And acording to the Bible, God is jellous for our attention. If we do not have our focus on Jesus, we do not have a desier to tell anyone about him.
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49555
04/07/05 02:53 PM
04/07/05 02:53 PM
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SDA Charter Member Active Member 2019
20000+ Member
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,256
Southwest USA
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Dave, please produce an inspired quote that refutes the multitude of quotes I've already shared. The focus of the SDA church, as a body of believers, is lost souls.
ChS 15 The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.--The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9. {ChS 15.1}
FE 217 How few have qualified themselves in the science of saving souls! How few understand the work that should be done in building up the church, in communicating light to those who sit in darkness! {FE 217.2}
LS 187 I wrote out pointed testimonies not only for those who had erred greatly and were out of the church, but for those members in the church who had erred greatly in not going in search of the lost sheep... The church that engages successfully in this work, is a happy church. {LS 187.1, 5}
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49556
04/07/05 02:55 PM
04/07/05 02:55 PM
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SDA Charter Member Active Member 2019
20000+ Member
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,256
Southwest USA
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LHU 210 [Jesus] demands cooperation on the part of His followers in rescuing lost sinners… Why is it that the members of the church are so willing to let the whole burden rest upon the shoulders of the minister? How great a mistake is this, since every subject of grace is to have a part to act in saving those that are lost. {LHU 210.2}
To every man Christ has given his work, and personal efforts must be put forth to save the perishing… He made the church the depositary of sacred truth. He left His church a stewardship of sacred truth, and it is the work of the church to carry forward His mission of saving the world. {LHU 210.3}
All heaven is interested in the work of saving the lost. Angels watch with intense interest to see who will leave the ninety and nine, and go out in tempest and storm and rain into the wild desert to seek the lost sheep. The lost are all around us, perishing and sadly neglected. But they are of value to God, the purchase of the blood of Christ. . . . We are to seek to save those that are lost. We are to search for the one lost sheep, and bring him back to the fold; and this represents personal effort (Review and Herald, June 30, 1896). {LHU 210.4}
PM 285 What are you doing, my Christian brothers and sisters? Can you say that as far as it was in your power, you have declared, or represented, Christ and His love for fallen humanity to those who know Him not? If you have confined your efforts mostly to those who are of the same faith as yourself, what about seeking those who are lost? If the curtain could be rolled back, you would see souls perishing in their sins, and the church idle, indolent, unsympathetic, absorbed in selfish interests, and caring not whether souls are saved or lost, so long as they themselves can have an easy time, and be secure in the hope of salvation. But no one will ever enter heaven who is not a laborer together with God.--RH, Feb. 12, 19, 1895. {PM 285.2}
3T 198 Although they profess to be servants of God they are serving their own interest and loving their own pleasure, and souls are perishing around them. These souls can truly say:" No man careth for my soul." The church have neglected to improve the privileges and blessings within their reach, and through their neglect of duty have lost golden opportunities of winning souls to Christ. {3T 198.2}
6T 422, 423 Their lack of interest in the salvation of souls showed that they had lost their first love; for none can love God with the whole heart, mind, soul, and strength without loving those for whom Christ died… {6T 422.2}
Is not this experience of the Ephesian church repeated in the experience of the church of this generation? How is the church of today, that has received a knowledge of the truth of God, using this knowledge?... {6T 422.3}
Brethren and sisters who have long claimed to believe the truth, I ask you individually, Have your practices been in harmony with the light, the privileges, and the opportunities granted you of heaven? This is a serious question… {6T 423.1}
But what are the members of the church doing that they should be designated "laborers together with God"? 1 Corinthians 3:9. Where do we see travail of soul?.. {6T 423.2}
TM 198 Unless the church awakes and attends to her post of duty, God will charge the loss of souls to her account. I have a deep interest that the work of God shall advance. {TM 198.3}
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49557
04/07/05 04:00 PM
04/07/05 04:00 PM
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Dedicated Member
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,009
Ohio
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I am not denighing that we must seek to save lost sols. All I am saying is that it is not a human nature quality to want to do so. How many people that do not focus on Jesus want to lead people to Jesus? Who do we worship? Wo do we praise? Who do we pray to? quote: You must not worship or serve any idol, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. If you hate me, I will punish your children, and even your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Exodus 20:5
quote: Don't worship any other god, because I, the Lord, the Jealous One, am a jealous God. Exodus 34:14
quote: The Lord your God is a jealous God, like a fire that burns things up. Deut. 4:24
quote: I am jealous over you with a jealousy that comes from God. I promised to give you to Christ, as your only husband. I want to give you as his pure bride. 2 Corinthians 11:12
quote: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
quote: Whoever serves me must follow me. Then my servant will be with me everywhere I am. My Father will honor anyone who serves me. John 12:26
There are really no quotes needed hear. It is just plain common sence. To lead someone to a person, we must be in tune with the person we want to lead them to. Everything Jesus did was through his father. Everything we do must be through His Son.
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Re: Who is the Focal Point of the SDA Church?
#49558
04/07/05 07:28 PM
04/07/05 07:28 PM
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Dedicated Member
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,009
Ohio
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quote: So they moved the stone away from the entrance. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said these things because of the people here around me. I want them to believe that you sent me." John 11:41 & 42
Jesus focusing on His Father.
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