The document discusses how prophets in the Bible preached the plan of salvation and fulfilled their duties of leading God's people and condemning sin. It provides examples of how Moses, Isaiah, Peter, Paul and Ellen G. White preached salvation through Jesus. It also explains how prophets organized worship, confronted moral issues, accurately predicted future events, and communicated their messages through writing, preaching and interviews.

1. THE WORK OF THE PROPHETS Lesson 7

2. WAS PREACHING THE PLAN OF SALVATION A DUTY OF THE PROPHETS?

3. HOW DID MOSES MAKE IT? Preaching the plan of salvation He showed the plan of salvation to the people of Israel through the services of the sanctuary

4. HOW DID ISAIAH MAKE IT? Preaching the plan of salvation In the chapter 53 of his book, Isaiah tells how Jesus will die for the sins of the world through his expiatory sacrifice.

5. HOW DID PETER MAKE IT? Preaching the plan of salvation We find the plan of salvation in all his speeches: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts, 4: 12) Jesus

6. HOW DID PAUL MAKE IT? Preaching the plan of salvation He showed the salvation through Christ to the churches with his letters: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians, 5: 9)

7. ELLEN G. WHITE Preaching the plan of salvation We find 8,000 references to the Gospel and 6,000 references to Jesus at the cross in her writings. “ Let the science of salvation be the burden of every sermon, the theme of every song. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Bring nothing into your preaching to supplement Christ, the wisdom and power of God. Hold forth the word of life, presenting Jesus as the hope of the penitent and the stronghold of every believer. Reveal the way of peace to the troubled and the despondent, and show forth the grace and completeness of the Saviour ” (Gospel Workers, chap. 5, page 160)

8. HOW DID THE PROPHETS EXECUTE THEIR FUNCTION OF LEADING THE PEOPLE OF GOD?

9. Leading the people of God Moses organized the spiritual, political and judicial life of the people of Israel (Exodus, 18: 16) Nathan, Gad and David, arranged the services of the Temple and its music (2 Chronicles, 29: 25) The apostles started to organize the primitive church appointing deacons (Acts, 6: 2-6) Paul, Barnabas and their assistants took care of the complete organization of new churches (Titus, 1: 5) ORGANIZING

10. ELLEN G. WHITE Leading the people of God Sister Ellen was a key in the organization of Adventist Church. She pointed out the need of building sanatoriums and schools, sending missionaries to other countries, etc. She also indicated how the institutions of the church should work . Delegates in the Minneapolis Congress (1888)

11. ELLEN G. WHITE Leading the people of God In the 1860’s, Ellen G. White and her husband fought hard in the organization of the Adventist Church. Those years were crucial, since the church started to put the emphasis on the health message. Responding Mrs. White call, the church as a body understood the importance of a healthy Christian life. In response to her vision in 1865, our first health institution was inaugurated: the Western Health Reform Institute. It became the Battle Creek sanatorium later.

12. HOW DID THE PROPHETS CONDEMN SIN?

13. Condemning sin Prophets in the Old Testament like Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others; fought against apostasy and moral and spiritual problems among the people. Paul, John and James confronted problems of immorality, apostasy and social injustices within the church (1 Corinthians, 5: 1-5; 1 John, 4: 1; James, 2: 1-9) COLLECTIVELY

14. Condemning sin Peter scolded the sin of Ananias and Sapphira and the sin of Simon the sorcerer (Acts, 5: 1-11; 8: 17-24) INDIVIDUALLY Obed scolded Azariah, Berechiah, Hezekiah and Amasa, rulers of the kingdom of Israel, for holding capture their brothers of Judah (2 Chronicles, 28: 1-15) Nathan accused David directly of his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel, 12: 1-14)

15. ELLEN G. WHITE Condemning sin “ When I have been compelled by the Spirit of God to reprove sins that others did not know existed, it has stirred up the natural feelings in the hearts of the unsanctified. While some have humbled their hearts before God, and with repentance and confession have forsaken their sins, others have felt a spirit of hatred rise in their hearts. Their pride has been hurt when their course has been reproved. They entertain the thought that it is Sister White who is hurting them, instead of feeling grateful to God that He has in mercy spoken to them through His humble instrument, to show them their dangers and their sins, that they may put them away before it shall be too late for wrongs to be righted ”. Testimonies for the church, vol. 3, chap. 29, page 314

16. DID THE UNCONDITIONAL PREDICTIONS OF THE PROPHETS COME TRUE?

17. Predicting the future “ And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense, He cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord: "O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you ”. (1 Kings, 13: 1-2) “ Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image. As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words ”. (2 Kings, 23: 15-16) Prediction (931 B.C.) Fulfilment (628 B.C.), after 300 years

18. Predicting the future “ And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar ”. (Acts, 11: 27-28)

19. Predicting the future “ The time is not far distant when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation, in the decree enforcing the papal Sabbath, will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains ”. ELLEN G. WHITE Ellen G. White predicted future events, like the emergence of modern spiritualism (Fox sisters), the union of Protestantism and Catholic Church, and others. As Seventh-Day Adventists we have to bear her prophecies about future events in the end time in mind . ( Last day events, chap. 8, page 121 )

20. HOW DID THE PROPHETS CARRY OUT ALL THESE FUNCTIONS?

21. In writing, through personal letters or books (Elijah, 2 Chronicles, 21: 11-15; John, Revelation, 1: 11) In private interviews (Jeremiah, 37: 17) Preaching before a group of people (Paul, Acts, 9: 20-22)

22. When Ellen Harmon (Ellen G. White’s maiden name) received her second vision in December 1844, she was told that she must go and relate to others what had been revealed to her. For several days, she prayed that this burden might be taken from her, but the words of the angel sounded continually in her ears, “ ‘Make known to others what I have revealed to you.’ ” (Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 69). Early in her ministry, Ellen White also was told to write out the things revealed to her. Messages to individuals frequently were communicated to their recipients through letters (often called testimonies). Thousands of such communications were mailed from her home over the years. Of these she wrote, “In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 67. When Ellen White died, she left behind about one hundred thousand pages of published and unpublished material.

23. A SSOCIATE truth – Why should I study this lesson? D ISCOVER truth – What does the Bible say about this truth? A PPLY truth – How can this truth affect my life today? P LAN using the truth – How can I use this truth today? T RANSFER truth to life – What changes do I need in my life ? Effective for SMALL GROUPS Slideshare.net/chucho1943 ADAPT it! Teaching Approach