WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN

Pastor George Dronen

Midland SDA Church

March 24, 2012

Opening Hymn        Break Thou the Bread of Life # 271

Text                             Mark 8:36-38

CLOSING HYMN     He Lives # 251

THEME:  How can I be saved, what must I do to be saved?

Introduction: How far back can you remember? How old were you when you started recalling events in your life? Two? Three? Four? Five?

I can remember some things when I was three, we lived in North Dakota, we were coming out of the depression and my parents had gone into farming. Times weren’t that good. My mom was a nurse and my dad a barber. So the winter of 1939-1940 my mom nursed and my dad cut hair in Chicago and my mom and I stayed in a little town called McVille where I was born. I remember a little bit about staying with my aunt in the day and sleeping with my mom at night. Then I remember my dad coming home and being with him.

Attention: Most of us recall an age of accountability. When we started to grasp right from wrong, good from bad. I remember my mother teaching me simple prayers to say before we ate, and when I went to bed at night.

Then there were right and wrong things. The process of development begins.

We don’t go into the bathroom or toilet when someone is using it.

We respect people’s privacy. We take our turn. I was taught that children are to respect adults. When there were guests sometimes children didn’t get to sit at the table but there was a special place for them.

I was taught that alcohol and tobacco is bad by my mother even though my dad smoked.

I learned that it is wrong to lie, not to tell the truth, tell what you saw or heard, don’t garble the evidence.

But there was something wrong with me. I didn’t always do what I knew to be right. I had an inclination to do what was wrong.

Any of you have that?

Interest: the Bible says we all have sinned. We were born sinners. We are by nature a sinful human race. We have no way out because our father Adam sinned and he has passed on to us his characteristics, his nature.

My Bible says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

Susan was an engineer she had designed overhead bridges on freeways etc. . . She thought she might be interested in some of our books for her five-year-old son. After showing her our books it was obvious that she had no interest at all. Susan was not a spiritual person.

We had packed up and I had my hand on the doorknob about ready to leave but I had one more question. “Susan,” I said, “What do you know about Jesus?” she answered, really nothing. I said; “Could I tell you very briefly about Him?” she gave me permission.

I told her about the Bible description of how humanity came into existence. The instructions that God had given to Adam and Eve and how they sinned against Him consequently because of their disobedience the whole human race was doomed, there was no hope for us. All we had to look forward was death and destruction. I continued the story of how God not wanting to loose His children offered His Son to come into this world and live among us, and then take our death penalty and die in our place.

“Susan”, I said, “because of this great sacrifice for us God is able to offer something to us that is wonderful. Because Jesus has died in our place and paid our penalty He is offering to take us back, adopt us into His family.” Susan, “if you consent, God will accept you as His adopted daughter. Would you mind if I prayed a prayer of acceptance for you right now?” she consented and I prayed that God would because of Susan’s willingness accept her as His adopted child. When I finished my prayer she looked at me and said; “I want to hear more.”

Desire:  There are many people who will respond to the simple gospel story. Many are on the verge of the kingdom waiting only to be invited in.

The simple gospel story still has appeal.

I conducted a funeral about a year ago for a young boy who had just turned 18. He had a twin brother, they were popular young people in their school in Bark River, Michigan. In preparing for the funeral the father of the boys spoke to me about saying this is a wake up call for their family.

He wanted me to speak to the young people at the funeral so they would know what the Bible taught about life and death.

I started my sermon with the three questions of life.

1.         Where did I come from.

2.         What am I doing here.

3.         What happens when I die.

The answer to question number 1 can only be answered by our belief in creation or evolution.

How we respond to the first question determines our answers to questions 2 & 3.

You see if you have fuzzy ideas of where you came from than you probably aren’t so particularly interested what happens while you are here. Like what will I do with my life etc. . .

If the story of creation and the fall isn’t interesting than the plan of salvation won’t be either. Society today has convoluted ideas about God. Even in our church.  Some are falling for the idea that Jesus is a created being that the Holy Spirit is not a person and the whole plan of salvation becomes a panacea. We have a heaven to win and a hell to shun.

For starters some believe Jesus saves us in our sin but not from sin. We believe Jesus covers our sin but we deny in our life that He gives a victorious Christian life.

Many people have a disregard for their bodies they don’t respect or even realize where they came from. God designed that we should be a holy happy healthy prosperous human beings. It is not His will that we should be sick.

Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, are general diseases of life style. Up to 80 percent of diabetics with type II diabetes could reverse this dilemma by changing the way they live and eat.

If we take seriously what we teach than we can be a spectacle to the world.  We have a message for the whole man.

1966-68 Cliff Okono worked for the R&H. He had been converted to our message. He was a cancer research scientist with the government and the presentation of the health message became his specialty.

A student literature evangelist worked for me two summers in N.DAK. Every home he started his presentation by showing  Life & Health and our medical books.

What an inspiration! Delmar led the entire Mid America Union in student sales. He sold more in two months than most did in three months.

I talked to Dr. Aitken several years ago and he told me that Literature Evangelism played an important part of his education process. Delmar went on to be a successful surgeon at Loma Linda.

Clifford Okono had a saying about SDA health literature. He said it was the most up to date, down to earth, practical, useful, healthful, lifesaving, health giving material ever presented. It still is!

“Health reform,” or caring for the body temple of the Holy Spirit, is therefore vital to spiritual worship; yet, if one’s focus is not upon Christ and a humble relationship with Him by the Holy Spirit, “health reform” will tend to breed self-righteousness and legalism. The key to restoration of paradoxical reality by the third angel’s message is a Spirit-directed focus on the supreme truth of the incarnate human and divine Creator-Redeemer.

Do you know which parable scares me? it is the parable of the lost coins. Why? Who is a woman in Bible prophecy? The church—and she lost the coin in the church. Here is a story about being lost in church. Is it possible to be lost while thinking we are saved? Doing the right things for the wrong reason. Believing we are right—and we probably are—but you can be dead right. At ease in Zion, the story of the ten virgins 5 were foolish 5 were wise. Outwardly you couldn’t tell the difference. They all had lamps, they all were virgins but only 5 brought along extra oil. The foolish hadn’t anticipated a delay.

Which are we the wise or the foolish? I ask myself the question—do I have the all essential oil, or am I going through the motions—playing church—studying my Sabbath School lesson—returning my tithe—practicing health reform—but not realizing the heart throb of our Savior. How anxious am I to seek and save that which is lost. What is my prayer quotient? Am I ready to take up residency in heaven—or am I still tied to this earth. I know we have to maintain a living—we must support our families—pay our bills—educate our children. Jesus said occupy until I come—but what is it going to take! Matthew 24:14 “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world and then shall the end come.” How about your world? My world? friend God really does love you and me and He is not going to come until people find out what He is really like.

Many have the attitude eat live and be merry tomorrow we die. They don’t have any more of a conception of life other than we are born we grow up      and than we die and that is all there is to it.

But if you believe a loving God created you, loves you and wants you to be His forever friend than life takes on meaning.

If you don’t believe that look how a young couple preparing for marriage go through the pains of preparation to live together.

But the sad part is that such a high percentage of people getting marriage spoil the event by jumping the gun so to speak.

It has taken me a long time to recognize this but petting and kissing are for the married not the single, that is if you want to have an exciting marriage.

Conviction:

In the beginning God—created this world in six days.

On the sixth day He created the land animals—then He created our parents—Adam and Eve.

There was only ONE prohibition—don’t eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:16-1716 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

We are still wanting to eat of that tree. Got to try it out. They said it was hot but I am going to see, and we touch, take, try, that which we know is forbidden.

Pre-martial sex, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, movie theaters’, internet, all designed for one purpose—separate us from our God.

Notice Genesis 3:7 “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”

It must have been terrifying, Adam & Eve knew they had sinned, they tried to run away but they couldn’t. Dear young people, it is terrifying when you realize what you have done, you have sacrificed your innocence for a moment of pleasure, whether it be sex, drugs, alcohol, pornography, and you will hate yourself. You will wish you could live that moment over but you never can, never will. You will wish that you could die to that moment when you did what you knew was wrong.

Sin pays wages, “the wages of sin is death!”  Adam & Eve shuddered when they realized what they had done. Never again in their life time would they be able to go back to their beautiful garden. Never again would they be able to enjoy the blissful innocence of their created being. Not in this life. The Bible says Adam lived 930 years and then he died.

Can you imagine watching a replay of the scene from the garden on that wide video presentation our Heavenly Father presents in the 1000 years we spend in heaven with Him. Each person’s life will be portrayed and we will see again the steps taken for our salvation—but I can imagine watching the episode between Eve and the serpent as he entices her to eat of the forbidden fruit. We will see her reach out her hand, and we will cringe and cry out to Eve in our innermost self, “don’t take it Eve!”

We will see David on the house top and we will say; “Don’t do it David, don’t do it!”

We will be with Judas as he bargains with Jewish leaders and he takes the money. In our minds we say, bring it back Judas, thirty pieces of silver is to high a price to pay. We hear Jesus pleading with him as He washes his feet. “Now Judas, this is your chance, accept His offer, it still isn’t too late.”

My heart goes out to that man. He could have been saved, he turned down the offer.

Then we see Jesus on the cross with the thieves, one on each side, we hear the one say, “Lord, remember me when You come into your kingdom.” Jesus answers, “I, will, even as we hang here today, you will be with Me in paradise.” What a joy and what a thrill it will be to see and hear from that unnamed man his story.

What would that thief say to us today? he would say I almost didn’t make it. I was almost lost but Praise God, Jesus saved me.

Close:

I think of those two men, Judas and the thief on the cross. One who had spent three and half years walking up and down the dusty roads of the holy land. Preforming miracles, realizing the power and presence of the Holy Spirit working in his very self and then walk away for 30 pieces of silver.

Dear people beware of becoming so familiar with the divine presence that we take it for granted.

Beware of the time when church is not a Holy place any longer but we come to church and we talk about everyday matters in God’s Holy sanctuary. It is dangerous to be at ease in Zion. To take for granted that we are okay.

If we for a minute could grasp the Holiness of our God, His beauty and majesty we would bow in shame and remorse.

It is an awesome privilege to handle sacred things. Our Bible, our books, many have belittled the gift that has been given the SDA church in the Spirit of prophecy.

Shortly after we came to Berrien Springs my wife heard an older gentleman speak, Harold Williams. I believe he was 90 years old when he spoke. This was probably back in 1980-81. Do a little math and in 1911 he would have been a man in his early 20’s. Elder Williams was attending PUC. He worked nights in the hospital.  He rented a room where he could look out and see Ellen White’s house.

One night he came home was undressing when all of sudden his room lit up brighter than the noonday sun. He said it was a most beautiful light. He looked out his window and he could see Ellen White sitting in her chair, her lap board in hand writing. Across from her he could see from the shoulder to the waist an angelic being. Mrs. White would look up and then write. This went on for some time. Then the light went out. This happened three nights in a row. Harold was anxious to know more and he happen on Ellen’s grandsons on the road. He stopped them and asked; “What is your grandmother doing at night?” “We hope she is sleeping.” Was the reply, “but the other morning at breakfast grandma leaned over and told daddy,  “the angel Gabriel is helping me with my manuscript.”

We first read about Gabriel in Daniel. He was the angel that spoke to Mary and Elizabeth and Joseph and Zacharias. He probably is the angel that took Lucifer’s when he fell.

What was happening in 1911? The Acts of Apostles was printed but even more significant is the Great Controversy was revised. The Great Controversy has one purpose. To prepare God’s people to meet Jesus and be ready when He comes.

But let’s go back to Daniel 8:15 “And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.”

What is so important about this vision? This vision given by the Angel Gabriel to Daniel is for God’s people at the end of time.

Daniel 12: 4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Historical evidence gives us indication when this took place.

The time of the end is the end of great persecution, your history book calls it the middle ages. A period of darkness. The Bible calls it the great tribulation. A period of time running from A.D. 538 to A.D. 1798.

The time of the end according to Bible prophecy is when time prophecy of Daniel of the 3-1/2 years, 1260 days, 42 months all the same time prophecy comes to an end. This is not the end of time but time of the end. A big difference. The Great Controversy has one purpose, TO PREPARE God’S PEOPLE FOR THE SECOND COMING OF Jesus AND SAVE THEM FROM DECEPTION.

The study of Daniel reveals to us who the Anti-Christ is, “don’t be deceived” is the words of Jesus.

The study of Daniel was enlightening to me and led to my conversion.

This is what Jesus referred to when He was speaking to His disciples on the Mount of Olives in reply to the question, “What shall be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?”

Jesus in His answer referred them to the prophecies of Daniel. He wants us to be familiar with them so that we can teach them to others. Not to be familiar with Daniel’s prophecies can lead us to fatal deception. Three times in Matthew 24 Jesus warns of not being deceived.

I am going to call you this morning.

At a worship in the General Conference office a senior leader offered the benediction in a meeting. He prayed, “Lord, we want You to come soon. But Lord, please don’t come until You find my son.” You could hear the gulps all around the room as so many people, in that moment of recognition, felt that this was their story too. I’m sure you’ve often heard from leaders who have given themselves prodigiously to work, but somehow wished they could “replay the tape” with their families.

Maybe you don’t have reason to come forward for yourself but maybe you would like to come forward because you have a son or daughter that you want to see in the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 49:25 “for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”

Anyone here today who has children that they want to be saved?

I do. I am going to come down and stand with you.

I am going to pray for revival to come to us and then to our children then to our loved ones then to our church, then to our community and then to the world then Jesus will come.

Then we can safely pray the last prayer in the Bible, “even so come Lord Jesus.”