Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research 1992 Towards Understanding Distinctive Seventh-day Adventist Preaching John Harold Hobart Mathews Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Mathews, John Harold Hobart, "Towards Understanding Distinctive Seventh-day Adventist Preaching" (1992). Dissertation Projects DMin. 197. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/197 This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertation Projects DMin by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING DISTINCTIVE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PREACHING by John Harold Hobart Mathews Chair: Steven P. Vitrano ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Project Report Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING DISTINCTIVE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PREACHING Name of researcher: John Harold Hobart Mathews Name and degree of faculty chair: Stephen P. Vitrano, Ph.D. Date completed: August 1991 Problem As early as 1957 there has been concern by some church members that Seventh—day Adventist preaching |has lost its uniqueness or as some have said, "the old Adventist ring." Are SDA preachers losing the church's mission in their preaching? That assertion continues to be a voice within Adventism. Method A study from the Bible, writings of Ellen G. White and other church publications helped me understand the mission of the SDA church and preaching's relation­ ship to that mission. An analysis of sermons by J. N. Andrews, W. A. Spicer, and H. M. S. Richards, Sr. demonstrate how leading SDA preachers accommodated preaching to the SDA mission. A survey of participating churches in the Iowa-Missouri Conference indicates what members perceive regarding what SDA preaching is and ought to be. A survey of the members of the SDA church in Springfield, Missouri indicates their perceptions with respect to six sermons I preached that by design reflect distinctive and non—distinctive SDA preaching. Results SDA mission and preaching's relationship to that mission is clear. Andrews, Spicer, and Richards demonstrated a proper understanding and use of preaching as it relates to that mission. Respondents from the Iowa—Missouri Conference indicate that their perceptions of SDA preaching did not meet their expectation of what preaching ought to be. However, only 12 percent were unhappy with SDA preaching. Ministers and teachers were less positive about preaching they heard. The majority of respondents in the Springfield church considered all six sermons I preached distinctive, although the three designed to be distinctive received a higher response than the non-distinctive. Conclusions SDA's seem to know what distinctive Adventist preaching ought to be but may not always recognize it when they hear it. In light of this, the SDA preacher should develop his theology of preaching as it relates to the SDA mission, keeping in mind injunction from the Bible and Ellen G. White with respect to preaching the three angels' messages and seeking lost souls. SDA's do respond positively to preaching that nurtures spiritual needs and to a deep spirituality perceived in the preacher himself. The authority of Ellen G. White must be better understood and implemented as a distinctive characteristic of SDA preaching. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING DISTINCTIVE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PREACHING A Project Report Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by John Harold Hobart Mathews August 1991 Copyright by John Harold Hobart Mathews 1991 ®All Rights Reserved TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING DISTINCTIVE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PREACHING A project report presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by John Harold Hobart Mathews APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: Date approved DEDICATION TO DAD, MY HERO IN PREACHING iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES................................ ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................ XV INTRODUCTION ..... 1 Chapter I. UNDERSTANDING THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH AND THE RELATIONSHIP PREACHING HAS TO THAT MISSION 7 Biblical Resources that Indicate SDA M i s s i o n ......................... 7 Seventh-day Adventist Interpretation of Daniel 8:14 and 9:24-27 ................ 8 1844 Message of Judgment .................. 8 Seventh-day Adventist Interpretation of Rev 14:6-12 ........................... 9 1st Angel's Message ............. 10 2nd Angel's Message .................. 1° 3rd Angel's Message .................. 11 The Relationship Preaching Has to the SDA M i s s i o n ....................... 11 The Phenomenon of Preaching................. 12 Matthew 24:14 ............................... I3 Gospel to Be Preached ................... 13 To the World ............................. I4 For a Witness to the E n d ................. 14 Matthew 28:19-20 I5 Go, Teach, B a p t i z e .................... 15 I Am with You to the E n d .............. 15 Communication of the Prophetic Message . 17 God ' s Last Prophetic M e ssage ............. 17 The Everlasting Gospel ................... 18 Compulsion to Preach ..................... 19 Soul Winning........................ • 20 Ellen White's Understanding of SDA Mission 20 A Historical Foundation ..................... 22 The Task of SDA Mission ..................... 24 The Three Angels' Messages ............... 24 God's Last Warning Message ............... 25 Urgency................................. 26 Motifs of SDA M i s s i o n ....................... 25 iv Light of the W o r l d .................... 26 Restoration .......................... 27 God's Purpose for the Church .......... 27 Ellen White's Understanding of Preaching's Relationship to SDA M i s s i o n .......... 28 Historical Development .................. 28 Purpose of Preaching .................. 29 Practicality in Preaching ............ 30 Other M e t h o d s ............ ........... 30 Interaction with the Holy Spirit .... 31 Resolutions Regarding SDA Mission ........ 33 General Conference Committee Actions . 33 General Action Resolutions ............ 33 Mission Strategy Statements ...... 34 Resolutions Regarding SDA Mission in the Adventist Review and SDAs Believe . 37 The Adventist Review ................... 37 Seventh-dav Adventists Believe ........ 39 Resolutions Regarding Preaching's Relationship to SDA Mission ...... 40 Resolutions Regarding the Relationship Preaching Has to SDA Mission in The Adventist Review, Ministry, and SDAs Believe .......................... 41 Adventist Review ...................... 4^ Ministrv................ .............. 41 Seventh-dav Adventists Believe ..... 42 Sermons by J. N. Andrews, W. A. Spicer, and H. M. S. Richards, Sr., and How They Related Preaching to the Mission of the Church............................ 43 J. N. Andrews, the Preaching Scholar . 44 Sermon I: Absent from the Body and Present with the L o r d .......... 45 Sermon II: Salvation through Christ • • 46 Sermon III: Dedicatory Sermon ..... 47 J. N. Andrews: Relationship of Preaching to SDA M i s s i o n ........................ 48 Sermon I: Absent from the Body and Present with the L o r d .......... 49 Sermon II: Salvation through Christ . 49 Sermon III: Dedicatory Sermon ........ 50 General Comments Regarding Andrews' Preaching and Its Relationship to SDA M i s s i o n ............... 50 W. A. Spicer, the Preaching Administrator . 52 Sermon I: Funeral Sermon .............. 53 Sermon II: Medical Council Meeting Talk 54 Sermon III: What I Have Seen of Denominational Progress ....... 55 W. A. Spicer: Relationship of Preaching to SDA M i s s i o n ........................ 55 Sermon I: Funeral Sermon .............. 56 v Sermon II: Medical Council Meeting Talk 56 Sermon III: What I Have Seen of Denominational Progress ............ 57 H. M. S. Richards, Sr., the Preaching Pastor/Evangelist • • 58 Sermon I: The Holy Spirit and the Latter R a i n ............... 58 Sermon II: Armageddon and Beyond .... 60 Sermon III: Christ's Message for Today . 61 H. M. S. Richards, Sr.: Relationship of Preaching to SDA M i s s i o n ..... 62 Sermon I: The Holy Spirit and the Latter Rain ................... 63 Sermon II: Armageddon and Beyond .... 64 Sermon III: Christ's Message for Today . 65 General Comments Regarding Richards' Preaching and Its Relationship to SDA M i s s i o n ................... 66 S u m m a r y ............................. 67 II. REPORT AND ANALYSIS OF THE DISTINCTIVE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PREACHING SURVEY CONDUCTED IN THE IOWA-MISSOURI CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS ................... 69 Geographical and Population Parameters . 69 Survey Population Statistics ............... 70 Reporting the Facts ......................... 70 Method of Analysis . ................... 71 Respondents' Perceptions Regarding SDA Preaching in the Iowa-Missouri Conference .................. • • 72 Members' Perception of What SDA Preaching Ought to Be in the Iowa-Missouri Conference of S D A ....................... 97 Conclusion.............................. 121 III. CRITICAL ISSUES IN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PREACHING ...................... 125 Critical Issues.......................... l2i> Compulsion