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3. The Remnant Characteristics from the SevenChurches
By John ThielAudio -http://www.harvestgleaner.com/audio/The%20Remnant%20Church%20Series/The%20Remnant%20Characteristics%20from%20the%20Seven%20Churches.%20JWT.mp3
The most distinctive features of the remnant are found in the churches of Revelation2 and 3 God’s remnant in all ages. The prophetic sketches point to Christ’s firstadvent spanning to the Second Advent as a particular point in time in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of theworld: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sinby the sacrifice of himself.
What was the first advent of Christ in terms of time? Now - once in the END of theworld. When Jesus came as the sacrifice for sin what did Apostle Paul call that time?The END of the world. That’s not only one quote as it’s repeated in others as well.
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, andwatch unto prayer.
As the apostles were preaching, they were declaring the end of all things is at hand.
Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and saidunto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all [ye] that dwell at Jerusalem, be thisknown unto you, and hearken to my words:2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is [but] the third hour of the day.2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of mySpirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, andyour young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:Page 1 of 14http://sabbathsermons.wordpress.com/http://scribd.com/sabbathsermons/
 
2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those daysof my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
What did Peter just do? He applied the message of the outpouring of the latter rain inthe last days to his time. That was the end of the world. That is where he applied,that which we apply to our time. It’s the end of the world. The end of all things iscome.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in timepast unto the fathers by the prophets,1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hathappointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
When Jesus came to this world and spoke it was in these last days.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard thatantichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we knowthat it is the last time.
I have quoted five bible texts that have all said that when Christ did his work backthere at his first advent, that was the end of the world, the last time.
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples:and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world arecome.
There was the beginning of the end. The things written in the Old Testament are for those living in the end. The end of the world commenced in the time of Jesus firstadvent and it’s a period of ends plural. Apostle Peter applied Joel to these peoplewho are moved by the Holy Spirit and as they received the outpouring of the HolySpirit at Pentecost, he said this has been prophesied for the end of the word. It’sapplicable for them onwards. The remnant church of the last days commenced then.Before that time, right from the beginning, from the foundation of the earth fromAdam and Eve there was always a remnant. The remnant of the end commencedthen. The work will be out of the common order of things is how God will work at theend. We have applied that statement in Joel that it will be your sons and daughtersprophesying (preaching), no longer the big leaders of the church. Indeed whom didGod use in that remnant of the time of Christ? Was it the leaders? Fishermen,unlearned fishermen.
He chose the unlearned fishermen to be His disciples, in order that they mightlearn of Him, and become wise unto salvation. Why was it that He did notchoose the scribes and the Pharisees?--It was because He could not trustthem. He said of them, "In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines thecommandments of men." Why is it that the Lord does not choose the learnedand the popular today, and work with the churches?--It is because they followPage 2 of 14http://sabbathsermons.wordpress.com/http://scribd.com/sabbathsermons/
 
the same course as did the scribes and the Pharisees. {BEcho, October 8, 1894par. 4}
Ever since the beginning of the end, the remnant church is chosen away from thelearned theologians of the day.
In choosing His disciples, Christ passed by the dignitaries of the Jewishnation, and chose lowly, unlearned fishermen. He chose men who had notbeen spoiled by praise or flattery, men who were not filled with self-sufficiency. {ST, June 7, 1905 par. 6}
“I have gone to college, I have received training under Gamaliel as the Phariseeshad, as Paul had.”What are we to learn of this? The end of the world commenced with these disciples.He bypassed the dignitaries and focused on selecting and choosing, not focusing onthose who had been trained in literary institutions but the unlearned who had notbeen spoiled by the rise of glee of being well educated and who can patronise thosewho are below them.
Let us learn the lesson
The commission that Christ gave to His disciples just before His ascension isthe great missionary charter of His kingdom. In giving it to the disciples, theSaviour made them His ambassadors and gave them their credentials. {8T14.2}
The word credentials, you have to have credentials to have position in a church.What are your credentials? If you go to a delegation session you have to come withcredentials so the church will recognise you from a particular area. Christ gavecredentials to the fishermen. The organised church didn’t have those credentials.
If, afterward, they should be challenged and asked by what authority they,unlearned fishermen, went forth as teachers and healers, they could reply: "Hewhom the Jews crucified, but who rose from the dead, appointed us to theministry of His word, declaring, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and inearth.'" {8T 14.2}
Where did they get their credentials from? From the one who had all power and whotrained them under his schooling. This was the beginning of the remnant church of the last days. See Desire of Ages page {DA 232.2}. The ecclesiastical authoritieschallenged the disciples and ever after in the time of the end of the world, theecclesiastical authorities that had developed would always challenge the authority of those whom Jesus chose and gave his credentials to.
... the disciples of John looked with jealousy upon the growing popularity of Jesus. They stood ready to criticize His work, and it was not long before theyPage 3 of 14http://sabbathsermons.wordpress.com/http://scribd.com/sabbathsermons/
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