John the Seventh-day Adventist - with Daniel Mesa

Pastor Daniel Mesa shows the similarities to John the Baptist and the original Seventh-day Adventist movement raised by God.

Notes:

God has given us a beautiful microcosm revelation in the life of John the Baptist of how it will/should be at the end of time for Seventh-day Adventists.

• Lived outside of the cities
  • Matthew 3:1 “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,”
    • Mark 1:2-3, Luke 3:2-3
  • “The greater portion of his life was spent in the wilderness. . . . It was John’s choice to forego the enjoyments and luxuries of city life for the stern discipline of the wilderness. Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial. Uninterrupted by the clamor of the world, he could here study the lessons of nature, of revelation, and of providence…” AH 133-134
• He was homeschooled
  • “John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, received his early training from his parents.” AH 133
• Taught repentance from sin (the foundation of justification by faith)
  • Matthew 3:2 “saying, Repent ye…”
  • Mark 1:4 (Luke 3:3) “…preach[ed] the baptism of repentance for [unto] the remission of sins.”
  • Matthew 3:8 (Luke 3:8) “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”
• Was looking for the advent of Christ
  • Matthew 3:2 “…for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
  • Mark 1:7 (Luke 3:16) “There cometh One mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.”
• His coming was prophesied
  • Matthew 3:3 (Mark 1:2) “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”
  • Luke 3:4-6 “As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
• Was a forerunner for Christ
  • Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
  • Matthew 11:14 “if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.”
  • He therefore had a strong emphasis on family.

• Dressed differently than the world 
  • Matthew 3:4 (Mark 1:6) “The same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins;” 
    • (NOT androgynous – “Partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex. — dated having the physical characteristics of both sexes; hermaphrodite.)
      TIME MAGAZINE – 1/26/2015
    • “John had been called to reprove the sins and excesses of his time, and his plain dress and self-denying life were in harmony with the character of his mission. Rich apparel and the luxuries of this life are not the portion of God’s servants, but of those who live “in kings’ courts,” the rulers of this world, to whom pertain its power and its riches.” DA 218
• Was a health reformer
  • Matthew 3:4 “His meat was locusts and wild honey.”
    • Daniel 1 – keynote message to an end time book also shows a vegan, whole food diet.
• Taught baptism by immersion accompanied with repentance and confession
  • Matthew 3:6 (Mark 1:8) “And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”
• Presented warnings of coming judgment to the non-repentant 
  • Matthew 3:10, 12 “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire… he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
• Preached a message directly to the leaders of the church
  • Matthew 3:7 (Luke 3:7) “When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
• He had the gift of prophecy
  • Matthew 3:11-12 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner;”
• Was called to co-work with Christ to “fulfill all righteousness.” 
  • Matthew 3:14-15 “John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him.”
• Preached the heavenly sanctuary
  • John 1:29, 36 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
• Preached obedience to God’s Law (Including kept the 7th day Sabbath)
  • Mark 6:18 “John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.”
• Had an unpopular and counter-cultural message which lead him to be persecuted
• He had similar to the great disappointment and a time of trouble

• Mark 6:17-29…
• “Salome was in the first flush of womanhood, and her voluptuous beauty captivated the senses of the lordly revelers. It was not customary for the ladies of the court to appear at these festivities, and a flattering compliment was paid to Herod when this daughter of Israel’s priests and princes danced for the amusement of his guests.” DA 221.2
• “The oath had been made in honor of his guests, and if one of them had offered a word against the fulfillment of his promise, he would gladly have spared the prophet. He gave them opportunity to speak in the prisoner’s behalf. They had traveled long distances in order to hear the preaching of John, and they knew him to be a man without crime, and a servant of God. But though shocked at the girl’s demand, they were too besotted to interpose a remonstrance. No voice was raised to save the life of Heaven’s messenger. These men occupied high positions of trust in the nation, and upon them rested grave responsibilities; yet they had given themselves up to feasting and drunkenness until the senses were benumbed. Their heads were turned with the giddy scene of music and dancing, and conscience lay dormant. By their silence they pronounced the sentence of death upon the prophet of God to satisfy the revenge of an abandoned woman.” DA 221.5
• “The head of John the Baptist was carried to Herodias, who received it with fiendish satisfaction. She exulted in her revenge, and flattered herself that Herod’s conscience would no longer be troubled. But no happiness resulted to her from her sin. Her name became notorious and abhorred, while Herod was more tormented by remorse than he had been by the warnings of the prophet. The influence of John’s teachings was not silenced; it was to extend to every generation till the close of time.” DA 222.3

Many Civil leaders that were favorable toward the God-fearing minority in Biblical history: Potiphar (Joseph), Ahab (Elijah), Ahasuerus (Esther), Nebuchadnezzar (3 Hebrews), Darius (Daniel), Herod (John), and Herod and Pilate (Christ).

“In this time of well-nigh universal apostasy, God calls upon His messengers to proclaim His law in the spirit and power of Elias. As John the Baptist, in preparing a people for Christ’s first advent, called their attention to the Ten Commandments, so we are to give, with no uncertain sound, the message: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” With the earnestness that characterized Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist, we are to strive to prepare the way for Christ’s second advent” {4BC 1184.8}.

• The first angel of Revelation 14:7 is calling people to worship God the Father, giving glory to Him. The third angel makes it clear that both God the Father and His Son are mentioned. 

“Of John the Baptist, Christ declared, “Of them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater.” That prophet was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness, away from the contaminating influences of the city, to obtain an education that would qualify him to receive instruction from God rather than from any of the learned scribes. He was not to connect himself with the rabbis; the less he became acquainted with their teachings, their maxims, and traditions, the more easily could the Lord impress his mind and heart, and give him the pure mold of truth that was to be given to the people to prepare the way of the Lord. The teachings of the scribes and Pharisees were of a character to turn the people away from the unadulterated truth that was to be presented by the Great Teacher when He should enter upon His mission. The only hope of the people was to open their hearts and minds to the light sent from heaven by His prophet, the forerunner of Christ.” {Fundamentals of Christian Education, 310.2}

“Everywhere the searching testimony was heard, warning sinners, both worldlings and church members, to flee from the wrath to come. Like John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, the preachers laid the ax at the root of the tree and urged all to bring forth fruit meet for repentance. Their stirring appeals were in marked contrast to the assurances of peace and safety that were heard from popular pulpits; and wherever the message was given, it moved the people. The simple, direct testimony of the Scriptures, set home by the power of the Holy Spirit, brought a weight of conviction which few were able wholly to resist. Professors of religion were roused from their false security. They saw their backslidings, their worldliness and unbelief, their pride and selfishness. Many sought the Lord with repentance and humiliation. The affections that had so long clung to earthly things they now fixed upon heaven. The Spirit of God rested upon them, and with hearts softened and subdued they joined to sound the cry: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.”” {GC 369.1}  

“The childhood, youth, and manhood of John had been characterized by firmness and moral power. When his voice was heard in the wilderness saying, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Matthew 3:3), Satan feared for the safety of his kingdom. The sinfulness of sin was revealed in such a manner that men trembled. Satan’s power over many who had been under his control was broken. He had been unwearied in his efforts to draw away the Baptist from a life of unreserved surrender to God; but he had failed.” (DA 224.1)

“There are many professed Christians who, if they should express their real feelings, would say, What need is there of speaking so plainly? They might as well ask, Why need John the Baptist have said to the Pharisees, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Luke 3:7. Why need he have provoked the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother’s wife? The forerunner of Christ lost his life by his plain speaking. Why could he not have moved along without incurring the displeasure of those who were living in sin?  {PK 140.3}  

So men who should be standing as faithful guardians of God’s law have argued, till policy has taken the place of faithfulness, and sin is allowed to go unreproved. When will the voice of faithful rebuke be heard once more in the church?”  {PK 141.1}  

“Today, in the spirit and power of Elias and of John the Baptist, messengers of God’s appointment are calling the attention of a judgment-bound world to the solemn events soon to take place in connection with the closing hours of probation and the appearance of Christ Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Soon every man is to be judged for the deeds done in the body. The hour of God’s judgment has come, and upon the members of His church on earth rests the solemn responsibility of giving warning to those who are standing as it were on the very brink of eternal ruin. To every human being in the wide world who will give heed must be made plain the principles at stake in the great controversy being waged, principles upon which hang the destinies of all mankind.  {PK 716.1}  

In these final hours of probation for the sons of men, when the fate of every soul is so soon to be decided forever, the Lord of heaven and earth expects His church to arouse to action as never before. Those who have been made free in Christ through a knowledge of precious truth, are regarded by the Lord Jesus as His chosen ones, favored above all other people on the face of the earth; and He is counting on them to show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into marvelous light. The blessings which are so liberally bestowed are to be communicated to others. The good news of salvation is to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” {PK 716.2} 

“John was called to do a special work; he was to prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight His paths. The Lord did not send him to the school of the prophets and rabbis. He took him away from the assemblies of men to the desert, that he might learn of nature and nature’s God. God did not desire him to have the mold of the priests and rulers. He was called to do a special work. The Lord gave him his message. Did he go to the priests and rulers and ask if he might proclaim this message?–No, God put him away from them that he might not be influenced by their spirit and teaching. He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 40:3-5). This is the very message that must be given to our people; we are near the end of time, and the message is, Clear the King’s highway; gather out the stones; raise up a standard for the people. The people must be awakened. It is no time now to cry peace and safety. We are exhorted to “cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 5:1).”  {1SM 410.1}  

The best way to know if we will be willing to give all and die for Christ in the end, is to see if we are willing to accept all of His counsel and live for Him today.

Read the Desire of Ages, chapter 22.

Notes: https://phm.org/john-the-seventh-day-adventist