Further Study:
Read Ellen G. White, "Lazarus Come Forth," pp. 524-536; "Before Annas and the Court of Caiaphas," pp. 710-715; "Judas," pp. 720-722, in The Desire of Ages."In the work of soul-winning, great tact and wisdom are needed. The Saviour never suppressed the truth, but He uttered it always in love. In His intercourse with others, He exercised the greatest tact, and He was always kind and thoughtful. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave unnecessary pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes. He never made truth cruel, but ever manifested a deep tenderness for humanity. Every soul was precious in His sight. He bore Himself with divine dignity; yet He bowed with the tenderest compassion and regard to every member of the family of God. He saw in all, souls whom it was His mission to save"—Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 117.
Discussion Questions:
Dwell on this idea of loving your enemies. What does that mean, in a practical sense? How is this love to be manifested? Is there a time when it would be impossible to love your enemies? If so, what might that situation be? 
What is the situation of the children in your local church? How much attention is paid to their needs? What could you as a church be doing better in that regard?
In what ways is it easy to confuse love with cheap grace? That is, what danger is there of allowing people to get away with things that they should not be doing, all because we want to reveal to them love? When is love sometimes best manifested by strict, moral accountability? How can we strike the right balance? If you are going to err, which side is it best to err on?
What parallels can you find between the Jewish nation (during the time it was a theocracy) and the SDA Church today? What lessons should we learn from their example? Are we learning them?
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| Rosswick's Church by NOS TERRY Aniwa is a tiny island in the Vanuatu group in the South Pacific. The island is home to about 500 people, but the Seventh-day Adventist Church had no presence there. However, Adventists on nearby islands have been praying to reach these people. Recently God answered those prayers. Rosswick lives on Aniwa Island. He was a leader of a cargo cult* for years, and traveled to a neighboring island to attend cult activities. Occasionally, when he could not return to his home because of rough seas, he would stay with Adventists on the host island. He watched his Adventist hosts pray and noted how they took their religion seriously. And he went to church with them. He learned a few Christian songs and enjoyed their hospitality until he could return home. During his visits, he became convinced that Adventists were right in what they believed, for they lived according to their actions. These small acts of kindness made a big impact on Rosswick. In a bold move, he stepped down from leading the cargo cult and pronounced himself a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. He cleared a piece of land and built a small thatched grass house-church in which to worship. Every Sabbath morning he took his little granddaughter to worship in the church. They sang the three Christian songs they knew; he told the child that God loves them both and that Jesus is coming back someday. Then they prayed. After their simple Sabbath worship service, Rosswick and his granddaughter returned to their house to pray and rest. At sunset Rosswick and his granddaughter returned to the grass church, sang the same three songs, prayed, and closed the Sabbath. I visited Rosswick shortly after I heard his story and was humbled to realize how God used this man to light the flame of truth on a dark island. Today on Aniwa Island the door is fully open to the Adventist message. Youth groups have visited in homes and introduced the Adventist message, and today a Global Mission pioneer is fanning the flame of faith on this tiny island. Because of Rosswick's faithfulness and world mission offerings, today many others on Aniwa Island are worshiping with Rosswick and his granddaughter each Sabbath. * A cargo cult is a religion that rose out of European efforts to colonize the islands of the South Pacific. Cargo cults focus on material goods that followers hoped would come to them if they worshiped certain deities.
NOS TERRY is the Sabbath School, Personal Ministries, and Global Mission director in the Trans Pacific Union Mission, part of the South Pacific Division. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Web site: www.adventistmission.org |
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