Trailblazer
Whitman Preaches on HeavenSaturday, June 24, 2006 By Staff
Sabbath services at the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 24 began with a song service led by Registrar Lois Davis, accompanied by teacher James Brenneman (Florence Paulk has been in the hospital). Staff member Wendy Carr welcomed everyone and read John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” Then Anna (a senior) read a letter from Laurelbrook graduate Elizabeth Bautista about her experiences at the European Bible School in Norway. Two students then collected the Penny Offering. Wendy Carr then read a letter from Jaimie (a sophomore) about her experiences in the Megabook program in Kansas. Amanda (a sophomore) played “Let Your Heart Be Broken” on her clarinet, accompanied by James Brenneman. Wendy closed the Sabbath School program with some thoughts, and the congregation dispersed to their classes to study the work of the Holy Spirit in the last days of this earth’s history. When services resumed in the sanctuary at 11:00, C.N.A. Laura Farrar played a piano prelude. Darwin Whitman, an expert on the sanctuary, had the opening prayer or invocation. Mr. Bob (Robert D. Zollinger) welcomed everyone and made the announcements, the congregation sang “Sweet By and By”, and Mr. Bob had the morning prayer. Roger Westfall and Daryll Ellis collected the morning offering (Conference Advance). Darwin Whitman then spoke on “A Glimpse of Heaven”. The congregation sang “Don’t Forget the Sabbath” for the closing song. Darwin Whitman had the closing prayer. Following are notes on Darwin’s sermon: 1. Revelation 11:19 “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” 2. Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” 3. God reveals certain things about heaven for a certain purpose having to do with His law. Right in the heart of the Law, the Sabbath The Sabbath commandment is fundamental is central. No time for worship. 4. Deuteronomy 5:12-14 “12Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. 13Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: 14But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.” 5. I want us to think about this a moment. What did they use for transportation back then? Where do we find menservants or maidservants? Our children shouldn’t be put to unnecessary work on the Sabbath. 6. Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” God wants us to see the big picture. 7. Philippians 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” 8. Hebrews 4:14 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” 9. Hebrews 8:1 “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” 10. Deuteronomy 5:14 “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.” 11. Man is to cease from his own works as God did from His, but we want to have a positive experience of a properly lived life on Sabbath. 12. Christ did good for others on the Sabbath day. 13. Luke 4:16 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” 14. Christ went into the synagogue and had a part in the service and then socialized after the service. 15. Luke 4:38-39 “38And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. 39And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.” 16. Christ went home with others, but He directed the conversation to heavenly things and practiced medical mission work (healing). 17. Christ rebuked the evil that he dealt with on Sabbath. What would 9-11 have been like if some Christian had stood up and rebuked the terrorists? 18. Christ walked in the fields on the Sabbath day and made the day a day of joy and happiness. 19. Travel for leisure or sightseeing is not acceptable for God. 20. Why has God not come yet? It is not because of what people are doing or not doing but what Satan and Christ have or have not done. We need to focus on what God has done, not people – take the story of Lot and Sodom, for example. 21. Satan’s reign will be continued until everyone in the universe sees what Satan is about and how God has reacted to what Satan does. 22. God gives us a glimpse of heaven on Sabbath so we can stand in the last days. 23. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 24. Have we become a legalist people who abstained from certain things on Sabbath to be saved? 25. In the end, we will accept the spurious Sabbath and be lost if we don’t keep the Sabbath in the right spirit. 26. Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” |