MP3

Matthew 10:5 Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

What did Jesus mean to call the members of the church of his time “lost sheep?” He called the house of Israel, the members in the house of Israel of His time, “The lost sheep of Israel.”

Why did He call them? The members of the church of His time, “The lost sheep of Israel”?

The Jews had sought to make a monopoly of the truth which is eternal life. They had hoarded the living manna, and it had turned to corruption. The religion which they tried to shut up to themselves became an offense. They robbed God of His glory, and defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world [men] {DA 36.1}

Here is the condition of the church of Christ’s day. What was their condition? What had they done? They were preaching. They were preaching truth which is eternal life, but they monopolized. They made a monopoly of the truth.

They hoarded the living manna, and it had turned to corruption. {DA 36.1}

The religion which they tried to shut up to themselves became an offense. They robbed God of His glory and defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. {DA 36.1}

They had a gospel, but a counterfeit.

They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world, and they became agents of Satan for its destruction. {DA 36.1}

The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God, and cause the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified. In presenting their sacrificial offerings, they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away. {DA 36.2}

The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. They had chosen a ruler who chained them to his car as captives. Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin, – to death in which is no hope of life, toward night to which comes no morning. {DA 36.3}

This was the condition of the church at that time. As a consequence of the neglect of the priests, the preachers, to impart the true understanding of what they were involved in in the gospel of the truth, they were not feeding the flock and the poor sheep were as described.

Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin…{DA 36.3}

That was the condition of the church at that time and Jesus raised his apostles and he told them, “Go now to the lost sheep of Israel.”

How does inspiration compare the church in Sister White’s time to that Israel back there? Sister White is describing the condition of the church which was about 1880s hundreds.

“My heart aches day after day and night after night for our churches. {5T 93.2}

How about today? What would she say about today?

Many are progressing but in the back track – [Progressing backwards], “The path of the just … shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Their march is onward and upward. They progress from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and from glory to glory. This is the privilege of all our churches. But, oh, how different has it been with them! They need divine illumination. They must face square about. I know what I say. Unless they shall become Christians indeed, they will go from weakness to weakness, divisions will increase, and many souls will be led to perdition. {5T 93.2}

What a state back there in 1880s?

My heart aches…{5T 93.2}

All I can say to you is: Take up the light which God has given you and follow it at any cost to yourselves. This is your only safety. You have a work to do to come into harmony, and may the Lord help you to do it even if self is crucified. Gather up the rays of light that have been slighted and rejected. {5T 93.2}

Gather up the rays of light that have been slighted! Very similar to the talk of Christ. And have been rejected.

Gather them up with meekness, with trembling, and with fear. The sin of ancient Israel was in disregarding the expressed will of God and following their own way according to the leadings of unsanctified hearts. Modern Israel is fast following in their footsteps, and the displeasure of the Lord is as surely resting upon them. {5T 93.3}

You see why I have entitled, “The lost sheep of modern Israel,” to this sermon?

Sister White here says that in her time, Modern Israel are fast following in the footsteps of ancient Israel. Fast following in their footsteps at that time of the 1880s. They are following in the footsteps of ancient Israel as we read it there in the time of Christ.

How does the true witness describe the church? That is what Sister White was talking about which is none other but the Seventh-day Adventist church. How does the true witness describe it? We know well and the language is unmistakable in regards to what Sister White has written there.

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works…

You might have a profession but I know your works.

Revelation 3:15 …that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked

What makes him sick? Why does he want to spew them out? Because they are just like the pharisees of Christ’s time, full of assurance that – we are blessed of the Lord, we are his people, we are rich and increased with goods, we have need of nothing, we are sure of the truth. Sister White enlarges all this. We know the truth. We can argue the point and we can win arguments. We have all that we need but you do not know that you are wretched and miserable, poor, blind and naked. This makes him sick.

This is modern Israel.

I was shown that those who are trying to obey God and purify their souls through obedience to the truth are God’s chosen people his modern Israel. 2T 109.1

She was shown. They are his modern Israel.

God says of them, through Peter, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 2T 109.1

Modern Israel is the church that she is addressing. Examine the history of ancient Israel. As I said, this discourse is here to make a comparison with ancient Israel and modern Israel – the history.

The Israelites, the Hebrews, started well. What happened in the history as it came to King Saul, king David and king Solomon?  Solomon had really messed up, and because he messed up so badly, the kingdom was torn apart – Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

Rehoboam was the son of Solomon. The kingdom was split was what God had told Solomon, “That because of what you’ve done,” the kingdom of Israel, and Israel was split and now Rehoboam continued with the Jews. The Tribe of Judah and Benjamin stayed in Jerusalem. Jeroboam who was actually perverting God’s truth took the kingdom of the Northern tribes – the ten tribes and there in Samaria it became the capital of the ten tribes. The ten tribes of Israel to whom God sent Elijah to king Ahab – he was not of the Jews. He was of the ten tribes – and Elijah was sent there to help them to the fallen tribes.

As time went on, they didn’t listen and eventually they were called the Samaritans. They were mingled with all sorts and they were scattered all over the world. They became a deranged Israel. But the Jews continued and we know their story well; how they came to the just the same condition of a fallen state.

Isaiah chapter 6 gives us the lead up to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. God called Isaiah as his servant, to deal with these fallen states of Israel back there.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, 12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the middle of the land. 13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Here God foreshadows the experience of ancient Israel of the Jewish and Benjaminite tribes. That there will come the time as they become fat in their ears – they are hearing the word of Isaiah and just like Laodicea; rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing  but it’s going to lead to their destruction. We know that after Isaiah came Jeremiah and then came the destruction of Jerusalem for a period of time. But did you notice verse 13 when that time came?

Isaiah 6:13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return… and the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

These words are very important out of this ancient demoralised sinful Israel. There would be a remnant, a tenth, a remnant, and the holy seed will continue through that remnant. Very important!

From the time of the Babylonian captivity and the restoration of Jerusalem after 70 years, we remember that story, this took the holy seed of Judah through to the time of Christ.

Is the history of the Christian church the same as Israel? As we saw there coming through to the time of Christ, with only a little remnant that will finally stand as a seed and Jesus would commence the holy seed through the Christian church. Is the story the same as ancient Israel?

All you need to study is the seven churches, because the seven churches is God’s church from the time of Christ through to the end. We’re not studying the detail of this, but as you study the seven churches, you end up with the same experience of those of that whole period of time of Laodicea which I just quoted before.

Come to Revelation 2 in regards to the church of Pergamos and Thyatira as what the true witness is saying there about Pergamos – is that she is a church; she is God’s church that is sitting in a in a place where Satan’s sits.

Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.” 14  But I have a few things against thee…

You have people there upholding the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. False doctrines were coming in and they were dwelling in the place where Satan’s seat is.

Where is Satan seat? In Rome. That was the Roman church that were given an opportunity, the church; the Christian church that was situated in the place where Satan’s seat was all through pagan Rome. In pagan Rome they are there. God is speaking to his church and he says to them that I’ve got these things against thee.

Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

After that period of Pergamos, we come to the period of Thyatira. How does it continue? He’s speaking now to the church that is under the oppression of the papal church.

Revelation 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Here is the description of the Christian church falling into disarray exactly like ancient Israel, and as he says, I gave them time to repent. Didn’t he give ancient Israel time to repent unto Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah and Jeremiah? There is a repetition of the same story of ancient Israel.

This seed that came out of Israel out of the Jewish church, the holy seed, this is God’s church now – the holy seed the Christian church.

The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people. {AA 11.2}

Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has sustained His church. Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has not prepared for; not one opposing force has risen to counterwork His work, that He has not foreseen. All has taken place as He predicted. He has not left His church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and that which His Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell has been brought about. All His purposes will be fulfilled. His law is linked with His throne, and so on. {AA 11.3}

During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. {AA 12.1}

What church is the Lord talking about here? It is that holy seed that goes through those times of spiritual darkness from age to age to successive generations. That’s our study of Revelation chapter 2 and 3 – the seven churches. That’s what she’s talking about here. Faithful souls are those people is God’s church.

During ages of spiritual darkness God’s faithful people continued and the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense, his supreme regard. It is the theater of his grace in which he delights to reveal his power to transform lives and hearts. The church is the theater where God is doing the operating on the lives of people.

Through those successive generations, the Christian church, the faithful remnant that came out of Israel continues through and from generation to generation, continues as a faithful company through all the darkness of the falling of other churches that were once God’s people. We arrive at the last period – Laodicea, the very last period. And what have we got here? What is taking place in modern Israel? What is taking place?

Matthew 24

Jesus is addressing the situation in the period of Laodicea. He is speaking directly over in reference to this last period.

Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Remember the message to Laodicea was to the angel of the church which is the ministry. In the ministry of this church period, there is the faithful but in the same church there is the evil servant:

Matthew 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming

We are rich and increased with goods; the Lord will come in due time but by his works.

Matthew 24:49 And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In the Laodicean period, you have the faithful remnant and you have the angel of the church that says, “We are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.”  He is leading the church into a desperate condition just like the Jews did in the time of Christ – exactly parallel. The description of this demise of the Christian churches is powerfully connected with the time of Christ through to the very end.

What happened to Christ and his disciples back there?

As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding generation. {DA 232.2}

What happened to Christ? They threw him out. Didn’t they? They crucified him.

The ecclesiastical, the church leaders, the angel of the church, they threw him out.

…so it has been rejected in every succeeding generation. Again and again the history of Christ’s withdrawal from Judea has been repeated. When the Reformers preached the word of God, they had no thought of separating themselves from the established church; but the religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those that bore it were forced to seek another class, who were longing for the truth. In our day few of the professed followers of the Reformers are actuated by their spirit. Few are listening for the voice of God, and ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. Often those who follow in the steps of the Reformers are forced to turn away from the churches they love, in order to declare the plain teaching of the word of God. And many times those who are seeking for light are by the same teaching obliged to leave the church of their fathers, that they may render obedience. {DA 232.2}

There is the description of the seven churches, the repeated rejection of Christ and his faithful remnant. That’s perfectly described here. The people who had no desire to leave their church came to the point, especially the preachers. They couldn’t go and preach there anymore so they had to seek another class. That’s what it says and those who wanted to hear it, also had to leave their church so that they may render obedience.  That’s a serious description!

To make this subject even more intense, Sister White, speaking directly for the very end time in which we are living now. She goes over the same concept.

The Lord Jesus will always have a chosen people to serve Him. When the Jewish people rejected Christ, the Prince of life, He took from them the kingdom of God and gave it unto the Gentiles. God will continue to work on this principle with every branch of His work. When a church proves unfaithful to the word of the Lord, whatever their position may be, however high and sacred their calling, the Lord can no longer work with them. Others are then chosen to bear important responsibilities. But, if these in turn do not purify their lives from every wrong action, if they do not establish pure and holy principles in all their borders, then the Lord will grievously afflict and humble them and, unless they repent, will remove them from their place and make them a reproach. {UL 131.3}

This leaves you with no doubt as to where we stand today. The Lord has been rejected by each successive generation and only a little remnant has always gone through faithfully doing their work, God’s faithful church – as a little remnant all the way through. If they start well like Israel did and then become distracted and turn away from their high calling, the Lord has to reject them and the faithful ones continue. That’s how it finishes in Revelation 12:17 precisely as we have been reading there.

Revelation 12

Because the church of Laodicea is the woman, and of course the dragon was wroth with the woman – verses 17 of chapter 12 – and went to make war with her. He gets the church of Laodicea, and crushes her, and he makes war with whom? The remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

This description is very important in the lineup that we have just been reading both from the Bible and the spirit of prophecy in the very last days. The period of Laodicea; there is the woman. The Laodicean condition of that woman is lukewarm and he spews her out and there is a seed that continues. As we read it there from Isaiah, “the seed,” but who does Satan really fight? The remnant of the seed!

Here you can see that there’s going to be division in the church. I could read many statements here that she foreshadows that there’s going to be a division in the church. Divisions come because the faithful ones can’t continue. They get pushed out like Jesus and his disciples got pushed out against their own will. They didn’t want to leave but it just happens that way because the faithful servant as we read in Matthew 24 is smitten by the wicked servant. That’s the description. That’s what we expect.

The Remnant

The remnant at the very end, what are they going to experience?

The opposition which Christ received came from his own nation, who would have been greatly blessed had they accepted him. In like manner the remnant church receive opposition from those who profess to be their brethren. {RH August 28, 1883, par. 13}

That’s precisely what we read in Matthew 24.  What then is the final analysis of this sequence of unfaithful churches and faithful ones continuing and then that becoming an unfaithful one and then the faithful one continues sequence through these last two thousand odd years? What is the final analysis of this?

Song of Solomon 6;  they all become strong churches but not faithful anymore just like ancient Israel. Ancient Israel thought they were the queen, they were faithful, but they were not.

The Final Analysis

Song of Solomon 6:8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. (That’s the final analysis of that) 9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. 10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

Here’s a description of what’s written in Revelation. How the Israel of old ended up with a woman standing there?

You remember the woman with the twelve crowns, a twelve pronged crown? Also the faithful woman representing the twelve tribes and the twelve disciples and launching out? Here it comes to the end, a faithful church at the very end that comes as a result of coming out from one false experience of a church to another, to another over the generations. What is their work? What is thes faithful remnants work at the very end?

In the description of the seven churches and the description of Laodicea; the people of the judgment in which the three angels’ messages come and the three angels’ messages are being taught within the ranks of Seventh day Adventism. You’ve got the first angel, the second angel, and the third angel, those are the people of God preaching on earth. Then you get to the Revelation 18 angel which again is a church, and then you get to the remnant. In Revelation 18, you can see the final remnant and their work.

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.

As in the time of the apostles Jesus said, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” There it is now, the preaching and the work of this final remnant of faithful people, only a tenth – a little remnant.

What is their work? They are to go for the lost sheep of Israel. Where are they? They are eating and drinking with the drunken. The unfaithful servant has led them there just like the Israel of Christ’s day had led them into this dismal reality. We use this scripture as calling out of Babylon. They have the idea that its God’s people in the fallen churches. Yes, that’s correct. But this last analysis is the people who are the lost sheep, where? In modern Israel. Not in Babylon. In modern Israel.

Many people think that we must not leave the Seventh Day Adventist church. What does Sister White call the Seventh-day Adventist church? Modern Israel. She said that they were going the same way as Israel of old. The words are Come out of her my people, the lost sheep of the house of Israel, come out.

As we see the scriptures describing this picture, we see that the danger of the house of Israel claiming to be God’s church in the last days has lost sheep in it that need to come out. Why? Because like Israel of old, if they would have stayed in Jerusalem, what would have happened to them?

Jesus told them you had to run for your life. Leave Jerusalem, not Babylon, leave modern Israel as well as Babylon.

The unfaithful servant; who’s eating and drinking with the drunken, is going to come to his end. Doesn’t it say there? He’s going to have his place with Matthew 24: 48, 50, 51. He’s eating and drinking with the drunken, and he is going to be destroyed with them all.

Many people think, “No, no, no, don’t call the Seventh Day Adventist church, Babylon.” No, we don’t. The Seventh Day Adventist church is not Babylon. She is fallen Israel. She is modern Israel and the danger of her is recorded.

The sin of ancient Israel was in disregarding the expressed will of God and following their own way according to the leadings of unsanctified hearts. Modern Israel are fast following in their footsteps, and the displeasure of the Lord is as surely resting upon them. {5T 93.3}

That was in Sister White’s time. Now we come to the very end – the last three sentences

A neglect to repent and to render willing obedience will bring upon men and women today as serious consequences as came upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which the judgments of Jehovah can no longer be delayed. The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a solemn warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and admonitions given them through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity. {PK 416.2}

The destruction of Jerusalem in the time after Christ is exactly on the same level again – a terrible warning. Because to the fallen state of the church of God, the Israel of God, that fallen state will bring them to the same desolation as happened to Jerusalem, to ancient Israel.

I hear somebody say, “Oh, you don’t call them out of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, she’s not Babylon.” To be faithful like Isaiah and Jeremiah, our message is to modern Israel as well as to Babylon. For we need to be out of her not to meet her doom as the apostles had to flee Jerusalem before the Roman destruction. To us who are receiving this message, Christ’s words apply as to the disciples.

Matthew 28:19 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach [preach] and I am [will be] with you always, even unto the [very] end of the world.

Like he was with the disciples. Like he was with the faithful remnant all the way through. I will be with you in these last days and what is the message that he gave to the disciples that he is giving to us in these last days? Go not to the gentiles, go to the lost sheep of Israel. Come out of her. Who is to come out? Come out of her my people – my sheep – that the false shepherds have confused with the false doctrines.

Are we surrounded with false doctrines and Seventh Day Adventism today?

We are to reach out for God’s faithful sheep who have been lost by the false teachings to bring them to come out of the destruction that’s going to come their way. Not just Babylon but modern Israel, Laodicea.

Amen