Sermon/The Duties and Dangers of Our Time
Battle Creek, Michigan
August 25, 1878
Previously unpublished.
Sermon (excerpts only), delivered by Mrs. E. G. White in the “Mammoth Tent” at Battle Creek, Michigan, Sunday eve, August 25, 1878. Reported by the Battle Creek Reporting Club. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 1
“Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 2
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:21-27. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 3
Here Christ was evidently without enclosed walls. Many were following Him and He was teaching as He walked. He walked by the riverside, by the lake. As He was passing on His way, He sought to bind up His lessons of divine instruction by the objects before Him, that as the people should look upon these things, they might ever bear in mind the lessons which He had illustrated by them. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 4
Here, as He passes along, He sees a man building a house upon a rock that is apparently inaccessible. It seems to the disciples as they pass along that it is impossible to climb the steep to the rock upon which that house is being built. They are making remarks in reference to it. Some were speaking their thoughts, while others kept them to themselves; but Christ, who readeth the heart, understood what was in their hearts. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 5
That house built upon a rock seemed to the disciples and those following Christ the greatest inconsistency. Here were beautiful building places all around them. It was so easy to build where the house would be accessible. It would be so much more pleasant to build upon the level ground. But here was a house being erected where the inmates would have to climb to reach it, and it would not be an easy thing to gain access to this house. While the disciples were making their remarks, Christ illustrates the kingdom of heaven by the man who was building his house upon the rock. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 6
“Whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them.” [Verse 24.] Then there is such a thing as hearing without its doing those that hear any good. And why? Because they are hearers of the Word and not doers of the [Word]. But He represents the hearer and doer of the Word by that man who is building his house upon a rock. The storm may come, the tempest may beat upon that house, and it falls not because it is built upon a rock. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 7
As He is passing along and conversing, lo, the buildings are going up—to the admiration of the disciples, just where they thought they would build—upon the level, pleasant ground, easy of access. Beautiful flowers are springing up around them to delight the eye, and it all looks very desirable. Then a little farther, in the very same position, they come to the debris and ruins of buildings which were in a similar location to those which were being erected nearer to the water’s edge, upon the level plain. 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 8
Pointing to those who are erecting their buildings here, Christ says, “Every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man.” The structure was apparently faultless and very attractive, the location to all appearances right; but here, says Christ, he shall be likened to a “foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew”—passing right along giving His lessons—“and beat upon that house”—and here is the debris—“and it fell; and great was the fall of it.” [Verses 26, 27.] 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 9
Thus those who hear and do not accept the truths which are spoken to men—the truth of God which had been brought to them by the prophets, which had been preached to them by the apostles, which Christ had been presenting to them in His teachings—are represented by the man “which built his house upon the sands; and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it.” [Verses 26, 27.] Why? It was built upon sliding sand. This is just the same thing which is represented here. “Not everyone that sayeth unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.” [Verse 21.] How much, I ask you, is profession worth without representing Jesus Christ in the life and in the character? 3LtMs, Ms 2, 1878, par. 10