Note: This article is adapted from Elder Ted Wilson’s sermon given during the Annual Council on October 12, 2024, in Silver Spring, Maryland. For the full sermon, visit: bit.ly/AC24Sermon.
We are a precious Seventh-day Adventist family, growing rapidly, with more than 23 million believers, to the glory of God and through His power. It is obvious to most people that we are living in unprecedented times, with the world falling apart physically, socially, economically, politically, and spiritually.
As we hurtle toward the end of the world and Jesus’ soon second coming, God is calling us as His Advent movement to be faithful to Him and His last-day message more than ever before. Jesus implores us, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). There are pressures on every side to sidetrack us from our faithfulness, but God wants us to focus completely on Him and His Word.
God’s Last-Day People
The book of Revelation identifies God’s last-day people as those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). And Revelation 19:10 tells us: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” What a privilege to have received instruction, counsel, and inspiration from God working through Ellen G. White as a part of the Spirit of Prophecy. Stand faithful to God’s Holy Word and to His instructions in the writings of Ellen White as the Spirit of Prophecy.
As part of the powerful three angels’ messages found in Revelation 14:6-12, we hear the call to be faithful reinforced in verse 12, again identifying God’s people: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
This profound truth of faithfulness to God, His Word, and His commandments is beautifully reflected in Deuteronomy 7:9: “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
Everyone has a place in God’s work and is called to be faithful in proclaiming God’s last-day message.
Two Great Classes
In that marvelous book The Great Controversy we read, “In the issue of the contest all Christendom will be divided into two great classes—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. Although church and state will unite their power to compel ‘all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond’ (Rev. 13:16), to receive ‘the mark of the beast,’ yet the people of God will not receive it [Rev. 15:2, 3].”1
It is Christ who is the center of all our faithfulness to His Word, His Ten Commandments, and His three angels’ messages. It is His righteousness that is at the core of all that can be accomplished through Him.
Ellen White wrote, “At times we shall be in great perplexity, and not know just what to do. But at such times it is our privilege to take our Bibles, and read the messages He has given us; and then get down on our knees, and ask Him to help us. Over and over again He has given evidence that He is a prayer-hearing and a prayer-answering God. He fulfills His promises in far greater measure than we expect to receive help.”2
As God’s last-day people called to be faithful in believing and proclaiming His Word, let us be dynamic, faithful people of prayer, depending only on the merits and power of Jesus Christ. We are told, “The greatest victories gained for the cause of God are not the results of labored argument, ample facilities, wide influence, or abundance of means; they are gained in the audience chamber with God, when with earnest, agonizing faith men lay hold upon the mighty arm of power.”3
He Is Faithful
In 1 Thessalonians 5:24 we are reminded of God’s faithfulness in rewarding our faithfulness to Him: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” Jude admonishes us, in verse 3, “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” There are a host of biblical heroes who were faithful, and God is calling us to be faithful as they were—such people as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Jochebed, Moses, Esther, Elijah, Hannah, Samuel, David, Abigail, Peter, Paul, Dorcas, John, and so many more.
In this unusual time in earth’s history we are called to be faithful to the Word of God. We are clearly told, “God has given sufficient evidence upon which to base faith if he wish to believe. In the last days the earth will be almost destitute of true faith. Upon the merest pretense, the Word of God will be considered unreliable, while human reasoning will be received, though it be in opposition to plain Scripture facts.”4
My friends, we are living in those very days. The Word of God is being neglected, despised, and twisted to reflect human reasoning rather than what the Bible actually says. This is most notable in what God calls sin in its many forms, including the biblical truth about human sexuality. We are called to be faithful to God and His Word.
As we head into the very last battle against Satan and sin, God is calling us to be faithful to Him, His Word, to the Advent message, and to the proclamation of the three angels’ messages, which focus on Christ’s righteousness and His beautiful Ten Commandments, showing that His character is based on His everlasting love for each of us.
All Are Called
Everyone has a place in God’s work and is called to be faithful in proclaiming God’s last-day message. We are told, “We have no time, no words to spend in controversy. . . . There is need of sanctified energy. The armies of heaven are on the move and where is the human agent to cooperate with God?”5
The personal stories and witness of each of us are to be shared with the world as we faithfully testify of Jesus and His saving power. As we lean on Him, He will empower us to be faithful because He is our all in all. Being faithful to His Ten Commandments through His power is not legalism but a highlighting of His justifying and sanctifying righteousness since Jesus Christ is our sufficiency.
Are you willing to be part of Global Total Member Involvement (TMI) in sharing God’s message to the world? Are you willing to answer Christ’s plea—“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matt. 24:45). You are chosen for mission and called to be faithful. Move ahead and say, “Yes, Lord, I will go.” May God bless you as you are faithful to Him. Maranatha!
1 Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, Calif: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), p. 450.
2 Ellen G. White, in Pacific Union Recorder, Dec. 26, 1912.
3 Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1915), p. 259.
4 Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts (Battle Creek, Mich.: Seventh-day Adventist Pub. Assn., 1864), vol. 3, p. 94.
5 Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Southern Africa (Cape Town, S.A.: South African Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1977), p. 44.
