It is time to know who we are – and whose we are
Published:Saturday | January 26, 2019 | 12:13 AM
Ellen Street, Manchester:
They grew up in the Church, became ardent leaders, and held dear the principles of the faith. But then they subsequently leave, moving over to another faith or completely denouncing the existence of the one they once worshipped. A very common practice by many, for reasons explained or unknown. But why does it continue to happen?
President of the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Levi Johnson, in his sermon at the Ellen Street Church recently, acknowledged that as a people, we must be sure of who we are and to whom we belong.
“In a time when our leaders are wavering, I want to say upfront that God is the One that leads this church – the last-day church. You need to spend time each day to go through the lessons, to study the Word – and this is for everyone, adults and children.”
“The book of Revelation is the book of certainty, destiny, and concrete answers. This church has a destiny, and the destiny of this church is sure, not because of any of us, but because of Jesus, the ultimate judge,” he added.
He said that life without Jesus is impossible, and as much as persons try to convince themselves otherwise, it does not work.
“If you want to be triumphant in life and in the church, stay with Jesus. Those of us who have been in the church for years can attest to the fact that so many individuals have left the church – and the church has left them. They have apostatised.
“The Bible says, ‘And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free’. If you want to know the truth, you must follow Jesus Christ. If you want your church to grow and to be a lighthouse, lift up Jesus.
“The counsel that Luke 1:3 and 4 gives us says we should know the certainty. It’s not time for us to come to church and warm benches. We must be on fire for God and know what we are about.”
Too easily led
Johnson added that some people are too easily led because they are not grounded in their faith or sure of what they stand for.
“Some people get excited over every teaching. If a stranger comes to town and once he uses the word Jesus, there are people who get excited. The time has come for us to know who we are and whose we are. I tell people all the time that if you are having a problem with keeping the principles and teachings of God’s church, if you don’t want to conform, you can stay outside. Don’t stand in the way of others. Let the church roll on because Jesus is the one that leads His church.”
Johnson said that the book of Revelation contains three specific chapters that gives certainty regarding the identity of God’s children and the true church: Revelation Chapter 14, Revelation 1,2 and Revelation 10.
“The Church must lead men and women back to the obedience of God. A Christian should not be fed up with the Word. They should not be fed up with Bible study. Our churches should be filled. Once we were known as the people of the book, now we are known as the people of music. We need to get back to the Word.
“Church is not the place where you come to have a good time. It is where children come and learn to be disciplined, where family values are learnt, and where men and women understand and uphold their roles. God has set up His church for a purpose. It is not our responsibility to get complacent,” he ended.