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Selected Messages Book 2
Holy Spirit is to make the Word efficacious and powerful.—
Letter 105,
1900
.
A Call for Old-fashioned Sermons
A new order of things has come into the ministry. There is a desire
to pattern after other churches, and simplicity and humility are almost
unknown. The young ministers seek to be original, and to introduce
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new ideas and new plans for labor. Some open revival meetings, and by
this means call large numbers into the church. But when the excitement
is over, where are the converted ones? Repentance and confession of
sin are not seen. The sinner is entreated to believe in Christ and accept
Him, without regard to his past life of sin and rebellion. The heart is
not broken. There is no contrition of soul. The supposed converted
ones have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus.
The Old and New Testament Scriptures show us the only way
in which this work should be done. Repent, repent, repent was the
message rung out by John the Baptist in the wilderness. Christ’s
message to the people was “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish” (
Luke 13:5
). And the apostles were commanded to preach
everywhere that men should repent.
The Lord desires His servants today to preach the old gospel
doctrine, sorrow for sin, repentance, and confession. We want old-
fashioned sermons, old-fashioned customs, old-fashioned fathers and
mothers in Israel. The sinner must be labored for, perseveringly,
earnestly, wisely, until he shall see that he is a transgressor of God’s
law, and shall exercise repentance toward God, and faith toward the
Lord Jesus Christ—
Undated Manuscript 111
.
Cold Formalism or Fanaticism
Formality, worldly wisdom, worldly caution, worldly policy, will
appear to many to be the very power of God, but when accepted, it
stands as an obstacle to prevent God’s light in warnings, reproof, and
counsel from coming to the world.
He [Satan] is working with all his insinuating, deceiving power,
to lead men away from the third angel’s message, which is to be
proclaimed with mighty power. If Satan sees that the Lord is blessing