Farewell Sermon from Pastor Pete Geli

Pastor Pete Geli served the Santa Barbara Seventh-day Adventist Christian church for many years. He recently retired and preached a farewell sermon on the 25th of May 2013. I wrote down some notes to share his main points.

In the Book of Revelation 22:6-8, John writes:
The Time Is Near

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

In verse 7, Jesus is declaring: Certainty-Urgency-Importance.

The Urgency is repeated in Revelation 22:20 where John wrote:

I Am Coming Quickly

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

One hundred and fifty years ago, the Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church gathered and was formed in Michigan. The founders of the church were Christians that came from several different Christian denominations:

Baptists
Catholics
Methodists
Presbyterians

The name that was chosen includes the ‘Seventh-day’ to signify Jesus and His Holy Sabbath Day. The Seventh-day also signifies the work He has done as our Creator and Redeemer.

The term ‘Adventist’ was chosen to stress how important the second coming of Jesus is for the Christian faith.

Three times in the Holy Bible you will find the statement: “Behold, I come quickly”. Jesus is making a Request, a Challenge, and a Blessing and you find this in the last prayer in the Holy Bible found in Revelation 22:20.

Deuteronomy 33 is Moses’ Farewell Sermon. God gave to Moses a panoramic vision of Canaan and redemption. In Deuteronomy 34, the people wept for Moses for 30 days.

Elijah represents those who are translated.

In Acts 20, Paul gave a Farewell Sermon. Paul cared for the early Christians deeply and gave powerful messages to them in Greece and his last sermon was given to the Ephesians.

Jesus farewell sermon is found in John 14. In the words Come Lord Jesus are 3 actions for us as people.

Come is a Request. 

Lord is a Challenge.

Jesus is the Blessing.

Many people accept Jesus as Savior but have a hard time accepting Jesus as their Lord and serve Him. 1 John 2:4 says: He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Do we have idols in our life? Is self or material things in our way? We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing. Have you ever seen a moving van at a funeral?

What is it to be a Seventh-day Adventist Christian? Have a Loving Relationship with Jesus as our Savior. God has raised an end time church to share the Gospel message to the world.

Disneyland and Disney World pale in comparison to the Second Coming of Jesus!

The third word ‘Jesus’ is best depicted in Matthew 11. Study that chapter.

What Is Holding Back the Second Coming of Jesus?

1. Strife
2. Unbelief
3. Unconsecrated 
4. Worldliness

What can we do? Our bulletin statement says it all:

It is our Mission-
To Know Jesus Fully
To Reflect His Character Clearly
To Share His Message Joyfully

Revelation 12:11 reads: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Ask Jesus to Take Over Your Life Today! Let Us Hasten His Coming! God Be with You!

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