Sabbath Services by W. A. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 28, 1903

Sabbath Services.

By W. A. S.

LAST Sabbath’s services were of special interest to the church and visiting brethren in Battle Creek. On Friday evening Elder L. R. Conradi spoke on the work of the gospel in the lands of the Bible. Our work is making progress in the regions where apostolic missionaries labored long ago.

Elder George I. Butler spoke Sabbath morning. It had been fifteen years since Brother Butler had stood in the Tabernacle pulpit. Fifteen years have wrought many changes, and Brother Butler spoke feelingly of the passing away of some of the older workers, especially of Elder Smith, by whose side he had hoped to stand when next he should come to Battle Creek. But in clear and thrilling distinctness he set forth the blessedness of the hope of the glorious reunion at the soon coming of Jesus, the truth that has made us a people and given us a mission in the world.

Developing his theme from the text, “Despise not prophesyings,” he showed how, all through the history of the advent movement, God had been guiding and directing by the exercise of this spiritual gift in the church, so that the message and the gifts are forever bound up together. Solemn warnings were uttered as to increasing worldliness and tendencies to hold this gift in light esteem in these times of peril and testing. The setting forth of the great certainties of the third angel’s message and the certainty of its speedy triumph in the earth stirred hearts, as the testimony of the old pioneers in the advent movement must ever do.

In the afternoon service Elder Daniels led out with a study of our work and message as illustrated in the experience of John the Baptist. His experience in his message made him the greatest prophet that had arisen. Just so, in these days, the experience of the third angel’s message is to be wrought into lives, and make this movement the mightiest, under God, that the world has ever seen. Brethren Prescott and Knox followed, emphasizing the same theme. The message of preparation is the Elijah message, calling upon men to take their stand and choose between the service of God and the service of the world. The addresses were followed by a social meeting.

W. A. S.