Open Church's Door to Youth, Women and All, Paulsen Pleads
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"As we leave this Session, let us accept God's design and plan and walk into His future for good of mankind," Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, invited his hearers today. |
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President of the Adventist world church, Jan Paulsen's sermon encouraged members to be more inclusive. [Photo: David Hittle]
"As we leave this Session, let us accept God's design and plan and walk into His future for good of mankind," Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, invited the crowd of 40,000 in the Edward Jones Dome, in St. Louis, and perhaps tens of thousands more watching by television today. "Let's walk into His future as one family of God's people," he added.
Paulsen, re-elected last week as Adventist world church leader, delivered a Sabbath, or Saturday, morning worship message on the final day of the church's meetings, after telling the congregation he is humbled to have been chosen to continue leading the movement for the next five years. Based on 2 Chronicles 7, Paulsen's message encouraged the widely diverse church to welcome everyone into the church, not keep them out because of their differences. He pointed out not only how diverse the church's world family is, but how this diversity is now reflected in the church's leadership.
He said, "How could you fail not to notice that we chose a leadership which also included the women in our church?" That comment was greeted with much applause. "Did you not see this as a signal, as [a] sign of God opening the doors?"
The Bible passage he spoke from was on the dedication of Solomon's temple. He spoke of how David wanted to build God's temple but God had other plans. God wanted Solomon to build His temple. David was so in tune with doing God's will that he supported God's plan.
This "teaches me that the cause, the church, God's plans, God's initiative is bigger than any one individual," he said. "Nothing shall divide God's family: we are on our way into God's future as one united family."
He equated Solomon's temple to the Adventist Church today. When Solomon's temple was dedicated he prayed that it would be a place where God will always hear prayers despite shortcomings and otherness of His people.
"In this prayer it is as if Solomon looks to the future." Paulsen said. "He says: 'Lord you have taught me to open the door because your door is open to all men, women, and youth. Lord, help me to keep the door open.'"
Throughout his sermon, Paulsen frequently referred to the need to open the church's doors, and recalled God's promise, noting, "if My people will ... I will."
Asking the church to "open the doors," Paulsen pleaded with his audience to "actively engage [our youth] as partners in our future. Please, for Christ's sake, bring in the youth. Trust them. Empower them."
Paulsen then cautioned, "It is important to understand God is not owned by any one people, even by the people He calls His own. I want Adventist churches to be known as houses of prayer for all people."
Paulsen added, "I have a word of caution to anyone who is looking for bad grapes in the church: only God can safely grade people. God loves all people globally. God, who loves all, but is still able to say, 'I have a people who I have called to [be] my own.'"
He explained that although God originally chose Abraham's descendants, they spurned Him: "Israel failed God primarily because of unbelief, their unbelief and apostasy in choosing other gods, God, the spurned lover looks other places."
Because of this "God opened the door to the Gentiles ... A new spiritual community a remnant ... I believe the Adventist Church [is] special to God today. We are not exclusive, but we are special. God has set before us an open door, which is not our privilege to close and keep others out."
He continued, "I believe the Adventist church is special to God today -- not exclusive but we are special. God has set before us an open door, which it is not our privilege to close, not to keep out, but keep in; we are entrusted with a uniqueness. We are there to serve God to accomplish this purpose. God says: if my people will act as I have taught them to act, will be what I have instructed them to be and to do and to yield their life of service to me?
The Adventist Church will continue to prove our connection to God by the way we live, he said. As God's people, the church should always display the trademarks of His people, he said. These marks say the church is compassionate and willing to fight for those who do not.
"I want the Adventist family around the world to be known as a compassionate family," he said.
But Adventists, he added, should always seek the traits of wisdom, humility and prayer: "Humility is not easily cultivated in this community. When we serve God, arrogance has to go," he asserted.
Paulsen said the most important trait of God's people is found in those who humble themselves before God and keep close to Him in prayer. "God says 'I will hear. I will forgive. I will heal.' This is a wonderful message assurance that God hears," Paulsen said.
"I have to remember as church leader God is driven by a passion to save every man, woman and child," said the world leader. "Walk with me, walk through this door. If you are His people then together we belong to Him."
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