:: Transcript - "Our Job of Restoration"

Date: Thursday, September 20, 2007
Speaker: Vasile Buftea (Romania)
Key Text: Matthew 17:11-13

Beloved brethren delegates and sisters in Christ. It is a joy for me after this day of work and grace we have the privilege of meditating on the Word of God. I believe we might be a bit tired after this long day. Nonetheless I believe we have the opportunity of having Christ in our midst during this service.

Beforehand we talked about financial things and we might want to see those funds we talked about but let us forget the money and think of spiritual things now. We are delegates here at the 20th session of the GC and we have much more important things to talk about, to meditate upon and to wait to see their fulfillment.

I would like to invite you to open your Bibles to 2 Peter 1:19, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts."

So we have the sure word of prophecy to pay attention to and we do well if we pay attention to it. It was a light for the past generation can be a light for us as well. This light made the disciples ask a question.

"10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist" (Matthew 17:1-13).

The disciples asked this question, being somehow challenged by the scribes to do it. The ones who knew that Elias had come were the learned people of the time. And we are aware of the fact that Elias has to come again. Jesus told them that Elijah had already come and they did not recognize him, but did what they pleased with him. They understood that he talked about John the Baptist.

In Prophets and Kings, chapter 57 [page 678], we read, "In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored. The breach made in the law at the time the Sabbath was changed by man, is to be repaired. God's remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform and that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of the power of God. In clear, distinct lines they are to present the necessity of obedience to all the precepts of the Decalogue. Constrained by the love of Christ, they are to co-operate with Him in building up the waste places. They are to be repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to dwell in."

Something has to happen in the time of the end. Every divine institution is to be restored. We remember that at creation God regarded all things He created and noticed they were very good. Satan tried to destroy all the good things God created. We have just read that the first thing that we are to work on, to restore, is the Sabbath.

What other divine institution was perverted by the devil? The disciples understood He was talking about John the Baptist. Let us go back and take a look at John the Baptist. Let us look at the way he was dressed, the way he ate and the message of reproving sin which he gave.

The message of John the Baptist was a message that required action. To draw the attention of the people to one the people were expecting, namely the Messiah. They were not easy actions. But he had reproving words towards them. "You are like little serpents. Go and make deeds worth your repentance." These measures were required by John the Baptist.

Let's look at another quotation from The Minisry of Healing [pages 476, 477]: "We need to beware of self-pity. Never indulge the feeling that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your efforts are not appreciated, that your work is too difficult. Let the memory of what Christ has endured for us silence every murmuring thought. We are treated better than was our Lord. 'Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not.' Jeremiah 45:5. The Lord has no place in His work for those who have a greater desire to win the crown than to bear the cross. He wants men who are more intent upon doing their duty than upon receiving their reward—men who are more solicitous for principle than for promotion."

I believe that the words we just read make us ask ourselves a question. What is our desire? What are we looking for? To have the crown or to bear the cross? God’s people of these days need to be like Elijah, that Elijah will say, "How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God follow Him, and if Baal, then follow him."

In the work of God there is no need for people who just want the crown—who would rather get the reward than have the cross. It is true if we fulfill the duty to reprove sin we will be treated like Elijah, John the Baptist, and other men of faith. But such men we need in the work.

"Those who are humble, and who do their work as unto God, may not make so great a show as do those who are full of bustle and self-importance; but their work counts for more. Often those who make a great parade call attention to self, interposing between the people and God, and their work proves a failure" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 477).

As people in our human nature we want people to look at us. The same way the people looked to Elijah who was to come. They were people who knew the prophecies. I believe the doctrinal committee dealt with many points regarding the time in which we live in. They may have spoken about the Latter Rain, the Sunday decree, or maybe about the battle of Armageddon. We might be proud of ourselves because we know things that others don't know. But those who want people to notice how wise they are, are the ones who come between the people and God.

"We are now living in the last days, when the truth must be spoken, when in reproof and warning it must be given to the world, irrespective of consequences. If there are some who will become offended and turn from the truth, we must bear in mind that there were those who did the same in Christ's day. When the greatest Teacher the world has ever known spoke the truth, many of His disciples become offended and walked no more with Him" (Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, p. 180).

Often when we have to reprove sin, we are uneasy about it because we don't want the people to leave. We want them to know that we love them. But somehow we are afraid of telling them the plain truth.

I wish for myself and each of us here to have the experience of Apostle Paul: "19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: 20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:19-21).

We have a duty both towards the people of God who are entrusted to our care and those outside the church. Paul said, "I kept nothing back that was profitable to you and I was not afraid to tell you the plain truth."

In Prophets and Kings, chapter 10 [page 141], we read: "Words as unmistakably plain as these spoken by Nathan to David are seldom heard in the pulpits of today, seldom seen in the public press. If they were not so rare, we should see more of the power of God revealed among men. The Lord's messengers should not complain that their efforts are without fruit until they repent of their own love of approbation and their desire to please men, which leads them to suppress truth."

Plain words. The prophecy is for our time. They are seldom heard both from our pulpits and in our publications. Thus it is proven that we might try to please man, and not God. If you want to please man, it is true we might not have the experience John the Baptist had. We won't fear for our lives as Elijah did, we won't be in a position of running away without food. We will be accepted by the brethren as visitors in their houses. In their homes they will praise us but we will lose the gift of God which is salvation.

Reading on, "It is not from love for their neighbor that they smooth down the message entrusted to them, but because they are self-indulgent and ease-loving. True love seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Those who have this love will not evade the truth to save themselves from the unpleasant results of plain speaking. When souls are in peril, God's ministers will not consider self, but will speak the word given them to speak, refusing to excuse or palliate evil" (Prophets and Kings, pp. 141-142).

It is not due to the fact they love their neighbors that they try to smooth the message to them. There are two reasons they smooth the message. They like to feel comfortable and lenient to themselves and their families. And if we have not made a reform in our own lives and families, how can we lead others to reform?

Let us consider those things that are to be restored today. Shall we begin working on this, or do we want to postpone this till the session is finished? If we call things by their right names, some of the delegates might tell us we are too hard. We want to make them take measures against the people in their local places, and then there is a chance the people might not receive us when we go back.

I know these are not new things for you, that you are all aware of these things. My only sorrow and concern is that we do not put them into practice. And I am telling you that I came with a heavy heart here to Korea.

In August 9-13 Bro. Sureshkumar visited Romania. He said something is to be accomplished here, otherwise the time and money we spent to come here are worth nothing. The reports were read. Maybe if I had to read the reports I would have spoken the same things as those who read the reports—that I am grateful to the Lord that I am here. I'm happy because the work is going on successfully. But what does the Spirit of Prophecy say? Because the SOP did not speak of such a thing, and I am very concerned. Bro. Sureshkumar said something must happen in Korea. We cannot go on like this. We need to make decisions through which to stop the iniquity which is pervading our people.

Every divine institution is to be restored. This brings a cross with it. And Paul said even from the side of the Jews this cross comes. But God means that the man should be happier to bear the cross than to have the reward—because only the cross bearers will wear the crown.

I pray for this. I would like to have this joy, upon finishing this session, to realize that we have taken wise decisions through which all the divine institutions will be restored. A-men.