Participants:
Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000016A
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00:17 To die from overwork is not something
00:19 that happens very often nowadays, 00:22 but in the early days of our church, 00:24 it seemed to happen on a frequent basis, 00:27 coupled with little information on what a good nutritious diet 00:31 consisted of as well as poor vaccination, 00:34 the graves of Mount Hope Cemetery here 00:36 have too many young people who died early 00:39 yet whose impact lasts far beyond, 00:42 their short years on earth. 00:48 The story of the Andrews family is particularly sad. 00:51 His wife Angeline died at the age of 48, 00:55 2 years before he left the US to be a missionary in Europe. 00:58 They had a close and loving relationship 01:01 and the separation that his travel cause was not easy. 01:05 Separation in death, though, was even harder. 01:09 And he moved from Rochester, New York 01:11 to Lancaster, Massachusetts and continued his work there. 01:18 Unfortunately, his daughter Mary, 01:20 who had been his backbone 01:22 of support contracted tuberculosis 01:24 and the prognosis didn't look good. 01:27 He took her back to the United States 01:29 to Battle Creek where he had Dr. Kellogg look at her. 01:32 Unfortunately, nothing could be done 01:34 to heal her. 01:36 And despite the advice from Dr. Kellogg, 01:38 J. N. Andrews insisted on spending 01:41 almost every day with his daughter. 01:44 She had been his support while he was in Europe 01:47 after his wife Angeline had died 01:50 and he refused to leave her side 01:52 in her dying days. 01:53 Dr. Kellogg warned that by proximity to his daughter, 01:57 he might contract tuberculosis, 01:59 but he was loyal right up until the end. 02:07 J. N. Andrews did contract tuberculosis 02:09 from his daughter and died way too young 02:12 at just 54 years old 02:14 and is buried here in Basel, Switzerland. 02:17 One can only wonder 02:18 what impact he would have had on the church 02:21 if he lived for 30 years longer 02:23 or how the outcome of the 1888 General Conference session 02:27 might have been different if he was there. 02:33 During the course of his life, James White held the position 02:37 of the editor of Review and Herald 02:38 as well as General Conference president 02:41 amongst other things. 02:42 He did the work not of one man but at least two, if not three. 02:46 From his younger years working on the railroad 02:49 and cutting grass by hand 02:50 to working tirelessly for the church. 02:53 He died 34 years before his wife in 1881 02:57 and he's buried here in the Oak Hill Cemetery 03:00 in Battle Creek. 03:05 Nathaniel and Anna White, siblings of James White 03:08 worked here in Rochester for a few years, 03:11 but both died young 03:13 in their early 20s from tuberculosis. 03:16 J. N. Andrews' other child Carrie 03:18 is also buried here along with the Orton family. 03:22 It was the Ortons 03:23 who prayed for James White's recovery in 1865, 03:27 and it was in the home of their daughter 03:29 where Ellen White had her Christmas Day vision 03:31 that led to the establishment 03:33 of the first Seventh-day Adventist sanitarium. 03:39 Here like the grave predominantly of young people, 03:42 young people in their teens and 20s 03:45 who dedicated their lives to a message, 03:48 to a belief that the world needed to hear 03:50 the truth of a crucified, risen, and soon to come savior, 03:54 young people who took their faith seriously, 03:57 young people who sacrificed and dedicated their lives 04:01 more than any others had. 04:03 To pioneer a new work, takes a lot more effort 04:06 and sacrifice than to just keep it running. 04:09 And these young people sacrificed in the early years 04:13 and pushed God's work forward. 04:15 May we examine our lives and see where we can commit 04:19 and dedicate more to finish this work. 04:36 The movement have focused on Christ from the beginning, 04:39 the early Advent believers asked a question, 04:42 "When is Jesus coming?" 04:44 However, after the great disappointment of 1844, 04:47 they then moved on to ask the question, 04:49 "What is He doing?" 04:50 By the early 1880s though 04:52 the church have lost sight of Christ 04:54 and has failed to make Him the center of its doctrines. 04:57 A spirit of debating had settled in 05:00 and they were winning people over to the church, 05:02 mostly debating and a theoretical ascent 05:06 of knowledge rather than by emphasizing hot change. 05:13 The 1888 General Conference session 05:16 is the most famous GC session 05:18 in our history but unfortunately, 05:20 it's remembered for negative reasons 05:22 with the questions often being framed, "What if?" 05:26 It was held here in Minneapolis, Minnesota 05:29 from October the 17th to November the 4th. 05:33 And it was the 27th session held. 05:35 It was held in the newly constructed Adventist church 05:39 that was located on the northwest corner 05:42 of the intersection behind me. 05:45 At the time world membership was 27,000 05:48 and there were 90 delegates present small 05:51 by today's standards. 05:53 Mission work in the South Pacific, 05:55 city evangelism amongst other ordinary matters 05:59 were discussed but no one remembers these. 06:02 Ellen White later commented, "I have been instructed by God 06:06 that the terrible experience at the Minneapolis conference 06:10 is one of the saddest chapters 06:11 in the history of the believers of present truth." 06:18 Prior to the GC session, 06:20 this theological tension had been building with articles 06:24 being published by both sides, 06:26 something that Ellen White spoke very strongly against. 06:30 Also, at the various camp meetings, 06:33 different presentations were given 06:35 and a spirit of opposition debate 06:37 and bitterness was aroused. 06:40 However, this would have come to a head here in Minneapolis. 06:44 The principal characters at this GC session 06:47 were A. T. Jones and E. J. Wagner, 06:50 both in their 30s, 06:52 and Uriah Smith and G. I. Butler, 06:54 both in their 50s. 07:00 As the two younger men 07:01 presented their messages of righteousness by faith, 07:04 they were met with opposition. 07:06 They were presenting on the importance 07:08 of the centrality of the cross and of Christ's righteousness 07:12 and the importance of seeing the law 07:14 in its correct context. 07:16 However, one of the arguments that they used to show 07:18 this was in the law in Galatians 3 07:21 was the ceremonial law and not the moral law. 07:24 This was met with stiff opposition 07:27 as some thought that the teaching of the Sabbath 07:29 was under threat 07:31 and would lead to misinterpretation 07:33 and misunderstanding from other denominations. 07:39 They were invited to debate and although this practice 07:42 was common at the time, they refused to. 07:45 They hadn't come to do that. 07:47 A rebuttal presentation was made, 07:49 but the only response at the next session 07:52 was to read Bible passages in turn on the love of God, 07:56 no explanation given just the Bible read, 07:59 the impact was profound. 08:06 Many were impacted by the messages with S. N. Haskell 08:09 and J. O. Corliss being two of them. 08:12 The following year revivals would take place 08:14 all over the United States of America 08:16 with Ellen White Jones and Waggoner leading out, 08:19 one of which took place 08:21 in South Lancaster, Massachusetts. 08:23 Commenting later on, Ellen White said, 08:25 "I have never seen a revival work 08:27 go forward with such thoroughness 08:29 and yet remains so free of undue excitement." 08:32 A few years later, Uriah Smith would apologize 08:36 to Ellen White for how he had responded 08:38 and would also make a public apology 08:40 in the Dime Tabernacle in Battle Creek, 08:43 not an easy thing to do. 08:48 One of the sad outcomes of 1888 08:51 is that the principal presenters 08:53 of Jones and Waggoner would eventually end up 08:56 apostasy and leaving the church. 08:58 The reasons for this are many 09:00 and cannot be adequately explained 09:02 in a few minutes. 09:04 Some of the responsibility rests with them 09:06 for not letting the message 09:08 completely change their own heart. 09:10 Yet some blame must be apportioned to the brethren 09:13 who so strongly and bitterly oppose them. 09:16 This opposition would become a difficult 09:19 and over mastering temptation to the young messengers. 09:22 And whilst this does not excuse their departure, 09:25 it does give us some understanding. 09:32 A key lesson that we didn't learn in 1888 09:36 and that we still struggle with today 09:38 is how to be a Christian whilst in conflict 09:42 with someone else. 09:43 How to show Christ like love when the person 09:46 that you're discussing or debating with 09:48 has a vastly different viewpoint to you 09:51 and or maybe treating you wrongly. 09:55 May we learn to be graceful with those we disagree 09:58 within the conflicts that we have today. 10:05 The church would move on over time and realize the issue 10:08 that was debated wasn't of the magnitude 10:11 that people thought it was at the time. 10:13 So often we major in minors, 10:15 Ellen White would say many times 10:17 that the law in Galatians wasn't a major issue 10:20 and that church shouldn't make it. 10:22 Today, it's easy to get sidetracked on other issues 10:26 and miss the bigger picture. 10:28 Jones and Waggoner were some great preachers, 10:30 some of the brightest minds that our church has seen 10:34 and yet ultimately, they lost sight of Jesus. 10:37 Today, we need to be careful 10:38 that we don't follow men but that we follow God's Word 10:41 and the message that is contained there. 10:44 It wasn't the message that was at fault, 10:46 but it was the attitude 10:47 and spirit of those involved on both sides. 10:51 The message that they gave will need to be given again 10:54 and God will raise up other people 10:56 who will overcome where they failed. 10:58 May we be part of sharing 11:00 the beautiful message of the love of God 11:03 and the righteousness of Christ to the world. 11:22 Stephen Haskell was born in the year 1833, in Oakum, 11:26 Massachusetts and would go on 11:28 to have a huge impact on the world church. 11:31 He was converted at the age of 15 11:34 and a few years later, 11:35 he would marry his first wife, Mary. 11:38 At the age of 19, he heard the message of Jesus 11:41 soon return 11:43 and started to tell everyone about this. 11:45 One day while he was talking to a friend, 11:48 he was encouraged that 11:49 he should start preaching himself. 11:51 At the time, he was a professional soap maker, 11:54 but he started to preach 11:55 and was known as being able to comprise sound, 11:59 logical, and powerful sermons. 12:09 In 1853, he attended a camp meeting 12:12 in Winsted, Connecticut, 12:14 after which he decided to travel through Canada. 12:16 On his way, he stopped in Springfield, Massachusetts 12:19 where he met William Saxby, a tinsmith, 12:22 who introduced him to the Sabbath. 12:24 Despite being initially opposed to it, 12:27 he listened to him and after studying it out, 12:29 he realized that it was biblical 12:31 and committed to keeping it. 12:34 A visit later on with Joseph Bates 12:36 would further solidify this decision that he had made. 12:45 By now he was living here in South Lancaster 12:48 and was active in ministering to the believers in the area, 12:51 keeping accurate records of the sabbath schools, 12:54 churches, and members. 12:56 In 1868, he handed a copy of this report to James White, 13:01 he showed J. H. Waggoner and J. N. Andrews, 13:04 and so impressed were they by his abilities 13:07 that they ordained him as a minister 13:09 formed a New England Conference 13:11 and appointed him as the first president. 13:14 He was 37 years old at the time. 13:23 Another initiative that he started during his time 13:26 here in South Lancaster 13:27 was the Vigilant Missionary Society. 13:30 They started by writing letters of encouragement, 13:33 lending books and papers, and praying for people. 13:36 Over time this small society would grow 13:39 and flourish until it became 13:41 the ABC or Adventist Book Center 13:44 as we know it today. 13:46 S. N. Haskell was a decisive 13:48 and organized leader and served as the president 13:51 here in New England 13:52 whilst also being president in California 13:54 and president of the main conference 13:56 for a time as well. 13:58 While he was president here in New England, 14:00 he saw the forming of the South Lancaster Academy 14:04 which would go on to become the Atlantic Union College. 14:07 Standing behind me is Founders Hall built in 1884, 14:12 the oldest original Adventist school building. 14:24 Stephen Haskell would be instrumental 14:26 in the start of the work in Australia 14:28 and New Zealand spending 13 months there. 14:31 Whilst he was away traveling, 14:33 his wife Mary would stay at home. 14:35 She was a committed Christian 14:37 and bore her physical pain with patients. 14:40 Later on, she and Stephen would move here to California 14:44 where she is buried. 14:45 Writing to Ellen White, Stephen said, 14:48 "I LOVED HER AND SHE LOVED ME." 14:50 In capital letters as if to emphasize the point. 15:02 The Lord would provide 15:03 another wife for Stephen, Hetty Hurd. 15:06 She was a pioneering type of woman 15:08 whom he had met several times 15:09 and was an active missionary having spent time in England, 15:13 Africa, and California. 15:15 They would get married in Australia in 1897 15:18 and would go on 15:19 to start a training school in New York City 15:21 before later moving to California 15:23 where they were instrumental 15:25 in the start of the health work here. 15:27 Later on, they would move to Nashville, Tennessee 15:30 and it was whilst there that 15:31 they heard the sad news that Ellen White had passed away. 15:35 S. N. Haskell had previously been asked 15:37 to share the message at her funeral 15:39 and delivered a message of hope and triumph. 15:46 As he reached his final years, he once commented to his wife 15:50 that he was frustrated 15:51 that he couldn't do more in life. 15:54 She told him that whereas he used to travel 15:55 and preach now his printed sermons 15:58 went to places that he knew never could. 16:01 He lies buried here in California 16:03 next to his first wife, Mary 'cause he told the brethren 16:06 that when he died to bury him 16:08 next to whichever wife was closest. 16:11 Years earlier at his ordination, 16:13 James White had told him, 16:15 "Always look to God rather than man 16:17 for direction in your work." 16:20 May we do the same to look to God 16:22 rather than our fellow man 16:24 for our directions in God's work. 16:45 When J. N. Andrews arrived in England in 1874, 16:49 on his way to Switzerland, 16:51 he didn't find any Adventist converts. 16:54 There was one Adventist English family, 16:57 but they had emigrated before he arrived. 16:59 In 1878, English born William Ings, 17:03 who himself had emigrated to America 17:06 arrived here in Southampton for a two-week stay 17:09 to visit his relatives and also to evangelize. 17:13 He passed out some literature while he was here 17:16 and was able to convince two people 17:18 to keep the Sabbath. 17:20 His next visit in 1878 would prove more fruitful. 17:24 And in May of that year, 17:26 they sent a request to the General Conference 17:29 to send a minister over. 17:31 In June of that year, 17:32 the General Conference voted to send the experienced pioneer 17:37 and administrator J. N. Loughborough. 17:44 Southampton was one of the cities 17:45 at the Mayflower left from on his way to America, 17:48 and it would prove the birthplace 17:50 of the Adventist Church here in Britain. 17:52 J. N. Loughborough found the work 17:54 here both different 17:55 and more difficult than in America. 17:58 He held a series of meetings in an area near 18:01 where the present Seventh-day Adventist Church is. 18:03 And its opening crowd of 150 dwindle quickly. 18:07 After 255 meetings in December of 1879, 18:12 he did not have a single baptism, 18:15 but he did have a Sabbath School 18:17 with 17 members. 18:18 The work was hard 18:20 and the challenges were multiple, 18:22 but they pressed on. 18:28 In January of 1880, the newly formed Track 18:31 and Missionary Society began sending Signs of the Times, 18:35 to libraries, and interested people. 18:38 By February of that year, 18:39 13 people were baptized in Southampton and by 1883, 18:44 the first Adventist Church was formed in Britain 18:47 with 19 founding members. 18:49 By the end of 1883, there were 65 members 18:52 in Britain and by 1887, there were 122. 18:57 The headquarters of the church in Britain with the staff 19:00 and the printing press would move to Grimsby, 19:03 a house there on the North Sea coast. 19:05 And by 1884, 19:07 two churches would be formed in Grimsby and Ulceby. 19:11 This building behind me 19:13 is the first Seventh-day Adventist 19:15 built and owned church in the British Isles 19:19 and was dedicated in 1889. 19:27 S. N. Haskell would come over 19:29 and take over the leadership of the church in Britain 19:32 and move the headquarters from the relative obscurity 19:35 of Grimsby down to London. 19:37 In London, using a house as their base, 19:40 they began to train local people 19:43 and continued with aggressive literature evangelism. 19:46 In June of that year, they baptized nearly 20 people. 19:50 Judson Washburn would further develop 19:52 the evangelistic work in England 19:54 with an emphasis on literature evangelism, 19:56 Christ-centered preaching, and musical singing groups. 20:01 He held audiences of up to 1,000 people 20:04 and in the town of Bath baptized 20:06 nearly 80 people. 20:13 In 1902, the British union was formed with three missions 20:17 and two conferences, 20:18 a newly formed college and a health food factory. 20:22 In 1907, the three institutions 20:25 along with the British Union headquarters 20:27 were relocated to the 25-hectare 20:30 Stanborough Park which still serves 20:32 as the headquarters of the British Union 20:35 to this day. 20:39 Even though church membership 20:41 increased by 20% through the war, 20:43 World War I would prove a huge test 20:46 to the young church 20:48 as the challenge of conscription was faced. 20:50 Some were able to serve as conscientious, objectors 20:54 but others were less fortunate 20:56 and were imprisoned and tortured 20:58 for refusing to compromise their faith. 21:01 This memorial stands here 21:03 as a testament to their faith under fire 21:05 and in recognition of the sacrifice 21:08 that they and their families made. 21:13 Even though the work 21:14 progressed relatively slowly here in Britain 21:17 with quite a few challenges early on, 21:20 workers from the British Union 21:21 and graduates from Newbold College 21:23 here would prove quite influential 21:25 in world missions, 21:27 serving as missionaries in Africa and India, 21:30 amongst other places. 21:32 Through dedication and commitment, 21:34 the work moved on. 21:38 As in other parts of the world, 21:40 there has never been a glory era of evangelism, 21:43 but the commission is to go into all the world, 21:45 no matter how easy or hard the work may be. 21:48 If you are living and working for Christ today in an area 21:52 and you're not getting the success 21:54 that you hoped or dreamed of, 21:55 then I want to encourage you to stay faithful 21:58 at your duty for God rewards us 22:00 not according to our seeming success 22:03 but according to the spirit in which the work is done. 22:22 How do you know 22:23 when you are called to do something 22:25 or go somewhere? 22:26 How do you decide if something is the right thing to do? 22:30 Do you always know in black and white 22:32 which path to take or which way to go in life? 22:36 Or is it sometimes less clear? 22:38 Does God leave some of the decision making to us? 22:41 Ellen White's call 22:42 and subsequent trip to Australia 22:44 illustrates in many ways the challenges that we face 22:48 in seeking God's Will as she faced these too. 22:57 In 1891, the General Conference officers 23:00 send an urgent request to Ellen White 23:02 to spend some time in the new field of Australia. 23:05 They felt it would be a great blessing 23:07 and if she had light in this direction, 23:09 she was invited to set sail that same autumn. 23:12 She prayed for weeks for guidance and direction 23:15 but nothing was forthcoming. 23:22 She was willing to go 23:24 even though it was a great sacrifice 23:26 as long as she knew that it was the will of God. 23:29 But despite her prayers, she only heard silence. 23:33 She said, "I have not special light 23:36 to leave America for this far-off country. 23:39 Nevertheless, if I knew it was the voice of God, 23:42 I would go." 23:44 She had no light either way. 23:50 In the absence of any clear light 23:52 either way rather than delay she decided to go. 23:56 Some have viewed her call to Australia 23:58 as the result of politically orchestrated circumstances, 24:02 but Ellen White never got entangled 24:04 in such debates. 24:06 She later said to her son Edson that she came in submission 24:10 to the office of the General Conference, 24:12 which I have ever maintained to be authority. 24:15 This decision would prove a huge blessing 24:18 to the work here in Australia, New Zealand, 24:21 and the South Pacific, 24:22 a blessing they are still reaping the rewards of today. 24:30 Not every decision we make 24:31 does God have to spell out clearly, 24:33 an action is better than delay. 24:35 Ellen White moved forward 24:37 and during her time here in Australia, 24:39 they would establish a sanitarium 24:41 and later a hospital, a publishing house, 24:43 a health food company, a college, 24:45 all of which would grow rapidly over time. 24:54 When Ellen White arrived in Australia, 24:56 she was soon sick with rheumatic fever 24:59 for about eight months. 25:01 She was in pain and was in bed for a long time. 25:05 Despite her pain, 25:06 she would continue to write in bed, 25:08 but it got worse and worse. 25:10 And it got to a point where they had to move her 25:12 every two hours so as to lessen the pain. 25:15 Eventually she asked to be anointed 25:18 and afterwards she said that, "She was relieved, 25:21 but not restored 25:22 but content to wait for the Lord 25:24 to work on her behalf." 25:32 During this time, while lying on her back in bed, 25:36 she spent a lot of time in prayer 25:38 and later on said that 25:40 she wouldn't exchange this experience 25:42 for anything in the world. 25:45 It was during this time that Jesus became a friend, 25:48 more dear than before. 25:50 And one of the results of this experience 25:53 was the writing of the book 25:54 The Desire of Ages later on during her time here. 26:03 Sometimes God was very explicit with how He led Ellen White, 26:07 and other times, He was less direct. 26:10 Sometimes He was quiet, 26:11 and she would have to figure it out. 26:13 If this was how God led a prophet, 26:15 then we cannot expect Him to be more prescriptive 26:18 in our lives today. 26:19 Not every decision we make, 26:21 does He spell out exactly for us. 26:23 And oftentimes, He expects us to use 26:25 our minds to reason as we come to a decision. 26:33 God leads us in many ways, primarily through His Word, 26:37 through the wise counsel of friends, 26:40 and through providential circumstances, 26:42 knowing God's will 26:44 is a constant struggle and challenge that 26:46 we face at the many stages in life 26:48 that we go through. 26:50 I pray that as you seek God's will in your life, 26:53 in the decisions that you have to make 26:55 whether to go into ministry or not, 26:56 what occupation to have, where to live, whom to marry. 27:00 But as you seek His will, 27:02 you may move forward decisively. |
Revised 2020-04-02