Why do Adventists come across in the wrong way?

[Jon0388g]

I've been on this site for about a month now and its come as no surprise that SDA's are even on the net seen as Bible bashing/false-doctrine having/'know-it-all'/legalist/only saved by keeping the Sabbath/'proof-texters' and all the other typical names we are called. Its almost as if whenever an SDA comments on a topic the whole thread rolls their eyes?! One post sticks in my memory when someone replied to an Adventist comment saying something to the effect of: "Why do you continue to proof-text your views? We already know what you and your church teach and myself and almost all other churches disagree with you!"

This is the same when trying to witness to others face-to-face of different faiths, its almost as if Adventists are the burden of the Christian faith? I'm sure I am not the only one that feels like this, and I'm wondering people's thoughts on this. If (as we do) we believe we hold the truth in these last days, why is it so hard to minister it without coming across as 'know it all', legalist Sabbatarians? How do people deal with this and try to disprove this commonly held view of Seventh-Day Adventists?

 

[capnator]

There have been evolving strategies by other churches against the sabbath.

100 years ago a lot of churches kept the sabbath as per the commandment however they kept it as Sunday, this was a big problem because it's easy to show the 7th day is Saturday so a lot of these people changed over to Saturday. That couldn't do so a change of view was needed so a switcheroo and the focus was now "the lords day" and the Law being nailed to the cross, saved by grace(which we are of course), we can worship anyday was the lines used.

Now with the Ten Commandments coming back in a big way the problem arises again of the Sabbath and the 7th day getting in the way so spam the legalism line.

To obey is better than sacrifice
To love God is to keep his commands.
is that legalistic?

I think you will find most people don't know very much about adventism, they just know that ellen white is bad and you don't have to keep the legalistic sabbath. There are also a lot of ex-"other denomination" converts in adventism and this really fuels some of the hate mongering towards adventism as well. Not to mention that "proof-texting" takes a lot of effort to explain your way around, if only those pesky adventists didnt know so much about the bible

 

[Sunrunner]

That's an interested thought, Jon. I'm trying to imagine what we would look like if I was a non-Adventist.

 

[woobadooba]

I've been on this site for about a month now and its come as no surprise that SDA's are even on the net seen as Bible bashing/false-doctrine having/'know-it-all'/legalist/only saved by keeping the Sabbath/'proof-texters' and all the other typical names we are called. Its almost as if whenever an SDA comments on a topic the whole thread rolls their eyes?! One post sticks in my memory when someone replied to an Adventist comment saying something to the effect of: "Why do you continue to proof-text your views? We already know what you and your church teach and myself and almost all other churches disagree with you!"

This is the same when trying to witness to others face-to-face of different faiths, its almost as if Adventists are the burden of the Christian faith? I'm sure I am not the only one that feels like this, and I'm wondering people's thoughts on this. If (as we do) we believe we hold the truth in these last days, why is it so hard to minister it without coming across as 'know it all', legalist Sabbatarians? How do people deal with this and try to disprove this commonly held view of Seventh-Day Adventists?

Those who are searching for the truth will find it; but those who think they have all the answers will reject it.

The best advice I could give you on this is when someone shows himself to be hostile to your witness, walk away, or ignore him.

There will always be people who have a desire to hear what you have to say when speaking the truth. Yet, there will always be people who will do whatever they can to disrupt your witness, so as to distract those who would receive it, from hearing it. Such people are obviously under the influence of demonic forces.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
(Eph 6:12 NKJV)

 

[drgibson]

As I didn't grow up an Adventist I have had some struggle with the approach we sometimes take when dealing with "Other Believers". But I have found that most of the time when people start attacking it is because they are unwilling to change and accecpt the truth. When people start to get defensive it is usually because they feel or they feel like or their belief system is being attacked. It is hard to witness to someone who has believed the same thing all their life.

I've found that is is a much slower process to witness to other Christians. Befriending is the best way to show them that we arn't just out to show them they are wrong and we are right.

 

[Dasdream]

ah it is so nice to notuice that you have realized how ignorant people are, we go with the Bible, everything we say or type that is "text proof" is frm the Bible. People are always saying ":The bible doesn't say this or that" Yes it does, there is your proof. I don't understand why people look at us as if WE wrote the bible, the Bible is the word of God, reject it and pay the price, but to sum it up their just to ignorant and selfish to put their wants to the side and make God first. Can you tell I am upset? lol

 

[woobadooba]

ah it is so nice to notuice that you have realized how ignorant people are, we go with the Bible, everything we say or type that is "text proof" is frm the Bible. People are always saying ":The bible doesn't say this or that" Yes it does, there is your proof. I don't understand why people look at us as if WE wrote the bible, the Bible is the word of God, reject it and pay the price, but to sum it up their just to ignorant and selfish to put their wants to the side and make God first. Can you tell I am upset? lol

It's important to realize that it's not always the case that people reject the truth because they are ignorant of it, but that often times they don't know what to do with the truth. For, they fear the repercussions that may take place as a result of adhering to it. For example, it's hard for a Sunday keeping pastor to start preaching the doctrine of the 7th day Sabbath, because he fears that he may lose his life's work (his congregation).

There are many reasons why people reject the truth. We should be careful that we don't try to decide what those reasons are; instead, we ought to try to ascertain the reasons for its rejection from those who refuse to accept it, so that we may learn how to use the information that they provide us with as a means to reach their heart, and assure them that the truth is worth dying for.

 

[Dasdream]

Well if he wishes to preach about the 7th day, then he can switch or shouldn't have put himself into that situation. I know another reason is lack of faith, like many don't keep the Sabbath because they may lose their job, but Ignorance and Lack of faith in my opinion seem to be the two major factors

 

[woobadooba]

Well if he wishes to preach about the 7th day, then he can switch or shouldn't have put himself into that situation. I know another reason is lack of faith, like many don't keep the Sabbath because they may lose their job, but Ignorance and Lack of faith in my opinion seem to be the two major factors

But you need to be more gracious, and not so commanding and judgmental.

You see, where the Sunday keeping pastor lacks faith to walk away from everything that he has worked hard to build up, you may lack faith and trust in God in other areas of your life.

Do you get the point?

Everyone lacks faith in some way. If we didn't we wouldn't keep on sinning against God.

Now, it doesn't mean that because we lack faith that these things are justified. It just simply means that we need to be more compassionate about dealing with them, and less judgmental.

There is a time to take a strong stand and thus rebuke those who reject the truth, especially when they call themselves servants of God. But then there's a time to seek to understand where they're coming from, so that we may learn how to use the information that they provide us with as a means to elicit their confidence in God well enough to encourage them to also take a strong stand on such matters, even if it means they'll have to give up everything that they've worked for.

Telling them that they're ignorant because they aren't willing to see things your way just isn't the right approach in dealing with such people. If anything, it just makes you look like a prideful person who seems to think that he has arrived. And no matter how well you know the message, it won't be received by those who you are endeavoring to reach because of the prideful manner in which it is spoken. Only by love will love for the truth be awakened.

 

[Dasdream]

You abvoiusly don't know who "Dasdream" is i get straight to the point, Is my name Jesus? No it isn't I say things that people don't like it, oh well, what we need to do is pay more attention to the point I am trying to get across instead of the words i chose to get my point across. Funny here you are judging me on what I say. Life comes easier to some of us based on our faith, i have given up many and I mean many things for God and it took me about 2 seconds to make the decision. I have alot of faith in that area and I am also weak in others, but correct me if I am wrong. Are people ignorant? If you say yes then what was the point in all this, Everybody is ignorant in some way, what i wrote was one of the examples of the areas some people are ignorant in, i didn't say everybody in this world was ignorant in the same area. How are you making a mountain out of a molehill?

"Some people refuse to give up certain things for God"

is that a better way of putting it? or should I change "refuse" to 'have no other choice"? There is usually a choice. As for the pastor why not talk about the 7th day? it is the truth after all isn't it? Are we going to deny the truth because we feel we will lose it all?

 

[woobadooba]

You abvoiusly don't know who "Dasdream" is i get straight to the point, Is my name Jesus? No it isn't I say things that people don't like it, oh well, what we need to do is pay more attention to the point I am trying to get across instead of the words i chose to get my point across. Funny here you are judging me on what I say. Life comes easier to some of us based on our faith, i have given up many and I mean many things for God and it took me about 2 seconds to make the decision. I have alot of faith in that area and I am also weak in others, but correct me if I am wrong. Are people ignorant? If you say yes then what was the point in all this, Everybody is ignorant in some way, what i wrote was one of the examples of the areas some people are ignorant in, i didn't say everybody in this world was ignorant in the same area. How are you making a mountain out of a molehill?

"Some people refuse to give up certain things for God"

is that a better way of putting it? or should I change "refuse" to 'have no other choice"? There is always a choice

If only you would listen to my words you would move on to becoming a great soul-winner for Christ. But you are too bent on making your point to hear what I'm saying.

Do you want to be an effective soul-winner for God's church? If so, you need to learn how to talk less and listen more.

Hear the words of Jesus...

Matt. 18:1-4

 

[Dasdream]

If only you would listen to my words you would move on to becoming a great soul-winner for Christ.

Oh so now you are judgng my relationship with Christ? First you take what I said the wrong way and now you are saying I am not a "soul winner" for Christ, nice

What you need to do is stop critisizing what people say. You have no idea what my life is like, so in your eyes I have said something 'incorrectly" that is no reason to start saying I am not close to God. noone is perfect so don't you dare judge my relationship with Christ based on my imperfection.

James Chapter 4 verse 12 “There is one lawgiver. Who is able to save and destroy, who are thou to judgeth another?”

 

[woobadooba]

Oh so now you are judgng my relationship with Christ? First you take what I said the wrong way and now you are saying I am not a "soul winner" for Christ, nice

The tone of your words tell me a lot about you.

Again, I urge you to meditate on Matt. 18:1-4

I will not respond to you again unless you come to me in brotherly love.

 

[Dasdream]

and I urge you to read my post in which I edited, heck I'll do you one better

What you need to do is stop critisizing what people say. You have no idea what my life is like, so in your eyes I have said something 'incorrectly" that is no reason to start saying I am not close to God. noone is perfect so don't you dare judge my relationship with Christ based on my imperfection.

James Chapter 4 verse 12 “There is one lawgiver. Who is able to save and destroy, who are thou to judgeth another?”

I am getting upset with you, Your last three post have done nothing but point out my faults and the way I wrote things. Honestly. I know my imperfections, I know what I have to work on, but there is no excuse for you doubting my relationship with God and saying that I am not close to him, just because you took what i said the wrong way or didn't understand what i was trying to say in one post? You have got to be kidding me.

 

[woobadooba]

and I urge you to read my post in which I edited, heck I'll do you one better



I am getting upset with you, Your last three post have done nothing but point out my faults and the way I wrote things. Honestly. I know my imperfections, I know what I have to work on, but there is no excuse for you doubting my relationship with God and saying that I am not close to him, just because you took what i said the wrong way or didn't understand what i was trying to say in one post? You have got to be kidding me.

When did I say you weren't close to God? I didn't say that at all.

You see, you're problem is that you don't listen. And you don't listen because you are too bent on making a point. Although you certainly aren't showing that you are close to God by using such harsh words.

Young man, you have a lot to learn about life, and how it works.

For the simple fact that you are even speaking to me in the manner that you are you are being disobedient to God. I am more than a decade older than you, and deserve to be treated with more respect than what you are giving me.

The ironic thing here is that this thread is about how SDAs come across the wrong way to others when witnessing. You have given us an illustration of this.

Matt. 18:1-4

 

[Dasdream]

Young man, you have a lot to learn about life, and how it works.

Brother you will be in a state of shock when my book is released and I can promise that you will eat those words later.

"If only you would listen to my words you would move on to becoming a great soul-winner for Christ."

There's your proof

 

[woobadooba]

Brother you will be in a state of shock when my book is released and I can promise that you will eat those words later.

"If only you would listen to my words you would move on to becoming a great soul-winner for Christ."

There's your proof

I think it's great that you're writing a book. Whatever you do however, don't do it for self-recognition. Always allow self to pale away in Christ.

Allow Jesus to be at the center of every page that you write, and your book will produce good fruit.

I wish you the best on this.

 

[BlackSabb]

Why do Adventists come across in the wrong way?

Read post number 16 of the "sda's and pentecostals" thread and you'll gain some understanding. It is particularly valid I believe because it is written on the observations of Adventist churches from an outsider.

 

[BlackSabb]

Oops!!! Accidentally put the above post in twice. Heck, what do I say now? Ummm.....so how's everybody doing? I hope you are all well.

 

[djconklin]

To get back to the original question:

One reason is because there are too many things said ab't the SDA church that are based on mis-hearing/mis-reading what the SDA church has said. Extending to the whole denomination what one person said. Some groups masquerade as SDA's. So we have had cases of people claiming to be SDA's when in fact they went to some cultic off-shoot.