by Pastor Victor Vaughn is a minister of the gospel in the Michigan Conference 

The church of today is not the church I grew up in. In some cases that is a good thing, in other cases it is definitely not good. The following is a list outlining symptoms of the current condition of the church. Symptoms may be either positive or negative. Symptoms are, by definition, an indication of a cause, in this case, a spiritual one.

What is it that determines whether a symptom is good or bad? Some would argue that culture dictates whether something is positive or negative and whether it is acceptable. If culture is indeed the determining factor, there can be only one culture that defines good and bad, and that is the culture of heaven. If anything conflicts with that culture, it must cease to be a part of our lives if we are preparing for heaven.

Revelation 2:5 states, “So remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works, or else I shall come to you speedily and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” The following list is meant to simply remind us from where we have fallen and to encourage us to renew our commitment to the culture of heaven.

When did it become acceptable to only attend church and not Sabbath School?

When did it become acceptable to not attend prayer meetings?

When did it become acceptable to not attend church functions because you'd rather do something else, usually not related to religion?

When did it become acceptable for church members to bring and serve flesh meats at church functions?

When did it become acceptable to put our priorities ahead of God's priorities?

When did it become acceptable to disregard the guidance of the Spirit of Prophecy?

When did it become acceptable for church leaders to openly defy the decisions of the church in General Conference session?

When did it become acceptable for church leaders to openly disrespect and defy other leaders?

When did it become acceptable for Divisions to protect those institutions below them who are out of compliance with voted, accepted, biblical church policy and then claim it is not rebellion?

When did it become acceptable to promote homosexuality in the church when God calls it an abomination?

When did it become acceptable to have official campus organizations for homosexuals in our schools?

When did it become acceptable to ordain an elder who is an open transvestite, something God calls an abomination?

When did it become acceptable to sanction sporting events for Seventh-day Adventist schools on Sabbath?

When did it become acceptable to use books on religious subjects in our schools, written by those who do not know the truth?

When did it become acceptable to have varsity sports in our schools?

When did it become acceptable that our schools of theology must be accredited by worldly institutions?

When did it become acceptable to value vocation more than mission?

When did it become acceptable for our schools to follow the world’s theories/methods of education?

When did it become acceptable to go out to eat at a restaurant on the Sabbath?

When did it become acceptable to wear jewelry everywhere except to church, and sometimes even in church?

When did it become acceptable to promote mystical practices in our schools, the church, and even from the pulpit?

When did it become acceptable to not discipline people guilty of grievous sins and to let them hold office in the church?

When did it become acceptable for pastors and leaders in our institutions of higher learning to play in rock and roll bands?

When did it become acceptable for our institutions of higher learning to teach things in opposition to church standards, like coffee drinking is ok, like evolution is correct, like promoting women's ordination, like teaching contemplative spirituality, etc.?

When did it become acceptable for people who don't like the way the church is run to stay in the church and create havoc instead of taking their dissatisfaction somewhere else?

When did it become acceptable to say that Jesus was born, begotten, or emanated from the Father and didn't exist at some time in eternity past?

When did it become acceptable to say that there is no third Person of the Godhead in the Person of the Holy Spirit?

When did it become acceptable to doubt the veracity of the Spirit of Prophecy?

When did it become acceptable to baptize people into the church without first teaching them the beliefs and affirming their acceptance of those beliefs?

When did it become acceptable to dance in Adventist churches and schools?

When did it become acceptable to play rock and roll music in our churches?

When did it become acceptable to go to the movie theater or watch Hollywood movies that portray things diametrically opposed to biblical Christianity?

When did it become acceptable for our schools to show movies that promote unbiblical ideas like lesbianism, unwed sex, etc. in the name of education?

When did it become acceptable for our hospitals to serve unclean meats and other unhealthy foods?

When did it become acceptable for our hospitals to perform abortions?

When did it become acceptable to teach and preach ecumenism in the church?

When did it become acceptable for prominent leaders and writers to rewrite Adventist history?

When did it become acceptable for those not of our faith to preach in our pulpits?

When did it become acceptable to celebrate Lent in the Adventist church?

When did it become acceptable to hold Easter sunrise services in Adventist churches and schools?

When did it become acceptable to go to churches who don't know the truth to learn how to share the truth?

When did it become acceptable to rely on Bibles and biblical paraphrases that are translated from inferior manuscripts and that leave out portions of the Holy Writ?

When did it become acceptable to divorce when there are no biblical grounds, i.e. violation of the marriage bed?

When did it become acceptable for those so divorced to remarry and still be members in good standing in the church?

When did it become acceptable for men and women to live together out of wedlock and still be members in good standing?

When did it become acceptable to preach on Sabbath in blue jeans, sneakers, and a plaid shirt?

When did it become acceptable to not wear your best clothing to church to meet the King of the universe?

When did it become acceptable to dress like the world instead of dressing modestly?

When did it become acceptable to call yourself a Seventh-day Adventist (or a Christian for that matter) when you don't live like one?

When did it become acceptable to let these things go on in the church without the membership standing firm and speaking out loudly against them?

These things were once unacceptable, but now many have embraced them wholeheartedly. We have allowed the unacceptable to be come acceptable and the acceptable to become unacceptable. Therefore, I must ask:

When did it become unacceptable to preach the truth in the Adventist church?

When did it become unacceptable to speak out against the sins of the church?

Isaiah 58:1-3 (Translation 4 Translators)

Yahweh said to me, “Shout loudly! Shout like a loud trumpet! Shout to warn my . . . people about their sins! They worship me every day; they come to my temple because they say that they are eager to know what I want them to do. They act as though they are a nation that does things that are righteous, who would never abandon their God. They request me to decide matters justly, and they delight to come to worship me. They say, ‘We have fasted to please you, but you did not notice our doing that. We humbled ourselves, but you did not pay any attention!’ I will tell you why I did not pay attention. It is because . . . you do it only to please yourselves . . .”

Who is to be warned about their sins, the world? God’s people are the ones to be warned. They say they worship God, but only to make themselves feel good. Is that discouraging to you?

--5T 136 (1882) “When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few--this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.”

We shouldn’t let these things discourage us or cause us to cower down. We should allow these things to strengthen us to zealously and unflinchingly “fight the battles of the Lord.” And in any battle, there may come a time when it appears all will be lost. But we must not lose faith.

--2SM 380 (1886) “The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out--the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.”

Although the battle is fierce, and it may seem that we are about to lose all that is precious to us, we should take courage in the promise of God that His church, His people, will stand! It will not fall, but those unfaithful, who have not heeded the messages of warning, will be shaken out.

God will have a pure church when He returns. It is up to those of us who are a part of that church, to act in ways that will glorify Jesus Christ, that will cause the straight testimony to be preached and the sinners in Zion to be sifted out. Terrible as it is, this is the Lord’s doing and we must take courage from His promises.

As we go through this time of sifting, let us individually commit ourselves to obey our Lord, follow His way, His plans for us, through His power, that we will be ready to meet Him when He comes.