As many of us remember, there was an all-time 1984 classic commercial that aired around the country from Wendy’s fast food chain. Clara Peller was shocked and amazed that what she ordered, what she wanted, was not there except a tiny portion.
Much like Clara’s amazement and disappointment, we as truth-seekers, often come away from our Sabbath sermons asking the same question –where’s the beef? How come I don’t feel fed? In other words, where’s the thought-provoking, heart-stirring, even solemn messages from our pulpits today?
To be clear, SOP states–
“There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is “present truth” that the flock needs now.” (EW, p.63)
So let us look into our present leaders, our shepherds as it were, and what they are really doing from the pulpit.
In order to relate to our subject, let me tell of my personal history as a preacher from the pulpit.
When I first came into the Sabbath truth, naturally I was led to the SDA church. Slowly but surely I developed friends within it and soon the pastor took me under his wings, so to speak. God, of course, was directing all this, the great All-Seeing One.
I told the pastor of how I became an Adventist, the sign given me that first Sabbath, and he became excited and said, “Brother Rob, how about you going up in front of the church and telling your story?”
Of course, I accepted as my excitement was still very fresh and I wanted my new church family to know what great things God has done. Taken me, a heathen through and through, into His marvelous light!
So a couple weeks later I was asked to speak during the sermon address. The pastor began his sermon and soon led it into introducing me to share my story. Not really experienced in public speaking, I went up in full faith that I could do it and bring glory to God. Yes, I was nervous, rarely looking straight into the crowd, but the Spirit led and the story was well-received.
But little did I know God was getting me ready for much more public speaking and presentations on a yet to be created, the worldwide viewing platform called YouTube.
The first “sermon” had been a success, and soon the head elder asked me to go up and give the short “pre-Sabbath School” talk. This was exciting and I enjoyed it, particularly because it was my chance to expound upon the Scriptures.
This worked out very well for a few months. But around this time, on that fateful day May 21, 2011, I discovered the life-changing Elijah message of the Lord. So naturally, I embarked on a new direction, Scripture that was only dark sentences to me such as —
“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”(Isaiah 2:2-3)
Now became clear and understandable. The “when and how” now was seen. So towards the end of my short lived SDA public speaking career, I started to speak of “present truth”. I was careful not to mention “The Rod” or “Shepherd’s Rod” as I learned that this would be rejected by the leaders and labeled “heresy” “false doctrine”, etc. putting my position as an SDA in “good standing” in jeopardy.
But the last day I spoke in the pre-Sabbath School talk, I was led to be particularly straight and solemn. I don’t remember all that I said but I do remember the following Scripture spoken —
“You will leave your name for my chosen ones to use in their curses; the Sovereign LORD will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name.” (Isaiah 65:15)
This no doubt shook up some in attendance that day. But let us remember the words of the prophetess –
“There is nothing in the popular ministry that stirs the wrath of Satan, makes the sinner tremble, or applies to the heart and conscience, the fearful realities of a judgment soon to come.” (EW, p.273)
But after this last presentation, the head elder later told me “Brother Rob, we were very blessed by your speech today, we need to get you up there again next week.”
But Satan’s workers were there that day and they “trembled” at the straight solid testimonies. A certain woman came up after the talk and asked “what is your name?” I told her and she walked away in a huff. No doubt to inform the Pastor of the straight testimony.
Sure enough later that week I get a call from the Pastor asking me to come into his office before Sabbath service starts the next Sabbath. Long story short they inquired if I was a “Shepherd’s Rod” believer. “Of course” I responded, “why aren’t you guys?” The Pastor had tricked me into thinking it would be a one to one talk, but instead, he had invited the head Deacon and one of the Elders into his office to “warn” me as well.
Sad to say, the spiritual “food” the Spirit was leading me to give the members, many who outright showed much appreciation, was to no longer be dispensed from the pulpit anymore. For Satan had once again blocked the way for God’s people to be fed!
The SOP again gives us great counsel —
“Ministers who are preaching present truth should not neglect the solemn message to the Laodiceans. The testimony of the True Witness is not a smooth message. The Lord does not say to them, You are about right; you have borne chastisement and reproof that you never deserved; you have been unnecessarily discouraged by severity; you are not guilty of the wrongs and sins for which you have been reproved.” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p.257)
“…books and papers that contain little of present truth are exalted and men are becoming too wise to follow a ‘Thus saith the Lord.’…many of the watchmen are asleep. They are as the blind leading the bind. Yet the day of the Lord is right upon us. As a thief it is coming with stealthy tread, and it will take unawares all who are not watching. Who among our teachers are awake, and as faithful stewards of the grace of God are giving the trumpet a certain sound?” — (Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 166)
“What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right, when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God is a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and his testimony must be correct.” — (Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 252, 253.)
The Lord’s Rod also has great counsel —
“Unquestionably the time has come for all church members to realize that they are now passing from Christian childhood into Christian maturity, and should, therefore, no longer try to reach the stature of the full grown by continuing to feed on the food of babes. Hence each one, even the younger members (the born after the flesh), can now be enabled to recognize their spiritual parents, so as intelligently to say, “my Father and my Mother”: for to know their God aright through the Son, and to know their church aright through timely Truth, is what brings life eternal. And as each assimilates the “strong meat,” he will thereby become wise and strong “to refuse the evil and choose the good.”
Of necessity, therefore, the “special work” for the church, predicted in The Great Controversy, page 425, has been ordained to bring every honest member to Christian maturity.
Accordingly, also the two foods which Immanuel was to eat in order to “refuse the evil, and choose the good” must be symbolical; for butter and honey in themselves possess no virtue or efficacy to transmit moral discernment, vitalize the will, and purify the heart.
Besides, He ate of all lawful foods in general (Matt. 11:19). These two points therefore witness that the “butter and honey”, are symbolical of the Scriptures unfolded — “meat in due season,” — the only food that gives one the knowledge and the will to do right instead of wrong. Thus Christ said: “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” John 4:32. Hence, the Christian who would truly know his God and his church in order to be emptied of evil and be filled with the good, must now feed on Present Truth, — the progressive Truth of the living Word revealed through Inspiration. (For the interpretation of the remainder of Isaiah seven, see our Tract No. 6.)” (Tract 14, p.38-39)
The Scriptures as well —
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” ( 2 Tim. 4:3-4)
In closing, is it no wonder that many SDA church members are lethargic and lazy in their spiritual lives? Their food each week, instead of being nourishing, is causing them spiritual degeneration. The real truth seekers want more.
Let us be now firmly aware –there is a reason you are reading a blog like this, or watching a YouTube video. You want “real food” that satisfies your soul and the Lord is now working through these channels and we praise His name!
They no longer have to say “Where’s the Beef?”
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