Sermon Tone Analysis

The Great Controversy

The great controversy is a uniquely seventh-day Adventist perspective and it is a beautiful way to view scriptures and life.

It gives us a unifying perspective when viewing history, current reality and the future.

The great controversy is essentially viewing the entire human story through the lens of an ongoing heavenly story.

Today I will be looking at the concept of the great controversy, history seen through its perspective and the need to pick a side.

Next week and the week after we will look at the current state of the great controversy and we will hopefully have a chance to hear how God has worked and intervened within the narromine area.

Next week I have asked several ministry leaders to share how God has used their ministries within the framework of the great controversy, so we can glorify not in their works but in the works of God.

The week after I am talking to some people to have them share their personal testimonies on how God acted in the lives in the context of the great controversy.

The reason for this is because I want to demonstrate that the great controversy is not a historical doctrine, but its a concept that is unfolding right before our eyes.

On the last sabbath of this month, I will preach about the vision of the church going foreward will look like and how God can use you, your church and your community to make a difference in the great controversy that is happening all around us.

The concept of the Great Controversy was developed by Ellen White, who recieved it mainly through visions that she recieved over time.

However there were times when she would enter into a state of vision and see the great controversy unfold from beginning to end.

One such time was whilst her husband, James White, was conducting a funeral service and after comforting the congregation with thoughts of hope in the resurrection, James white requested that Ellen could say a few words.

Ellen white also started talking about the resurrection when she became had a vision that lasted two hours.

The church waited patiently for the vision to finish so that they could hear what she had to say.

After two hours the vision finished and she spoke about what she had seen.

Along with a few things relating to the local church, the vision mainly consisted of a panoramic and comprehensive view of the conflict between the war in heaven and the creation of the new earth.

This was the very last time that she would receive such a vision that spanned such a great amount of time and highlighted the entirety of the plan of salvation for a lost world.

She was taken back to the war in heave as described in .

She witnessed the issues that started the war and she witnessed it first hand, having an angel there to describe to her what she was seeing.

She saw the expression on Adams face when he left the garden of Eden.

She witnessed how the controversy unraveled through the ages to the birth of Jesus.

She saw the death of Jesus and she saw His Resurrection.

She saw how the early church quickly became corrupted leading to the dark ages.

She saw the reformers stand up to the church.

She saw the events that led to her current time and she saw past that time into the future.

She saw the time of trouble.

She saw the resurrection and she saw the second coming of Jesus and she saw the creation of the new earth.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.

And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!

But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

the vision ended with the angel by her side telling her to write out in a little book exactly what she had just seen, “but she would have to contend with the powers of darkness, for satan would make strong efforts to stop her from writing that book.”

“but the angels of God will not leave you in the conflict but you must put your trust in God.”

After sharing the images of the Resurrection with the church, they were greatly encouraged.

Apparently they said that they would not even follow the casket to the grave, instead they wanted to hear more about what God had shown her.

After completing the funeral they headed home and this is what she wrote in her diary:

“While riding in the cars we arranged our plans for writing and publishing the book called The Great Controversy immediately on our return home.

I was then as well as usual.

On the arrival of the train at Jackson we went to Brother Palmer's.

We had been in the house but a short time, when, as I was conversing with Sister Palmer, my tongue refused to utter what I wished to say, and seemed large and numb.

A strange, cold sensation struck my heart, passed over my head, and down my right side.

For a while I was insensible; but was aroused by the voice of earnest prayer.

and on the way home they stopped at a close friends house.

However they were only there for a short time before

On the arrival of the train at Jackson we went to Brother Palmer's.

We had been in the house but a short time, when, as I was conversing with Sister Palmer, my tongue refused to utter what I wished to say, and seemed large and numb.

A strange, cold sensation struck my heart, passed over my head, and down my right side.

For a while I was insensible; but was aroused by the voice of earnest prayer.

WV 265.8

I tried to use my left arm and limb, but they were perfectly useless.

For a short time I did not expect to live.

It was the third shock I had received of paralysis, and although within fifty miles (eighty kilometers) of home, I did not expect to see my children again.

I called to mind the triumphant season I had enjoyed at Lovett's Grove, and thought it was my last testimony, and felt reconciled to die”

As earnest prayer was continued in her behalf, she soon felt a prickling sensation in her arm and leg, and she praised God that the power of Satan was broken.

The night after the stroke was one of great suffering, but the next day she seemed sufficiently strengthened to continue the journey by train to Battle Creek.

On arrival home she was carried up the steep stairs to the front bedroom in their Wood Street home.

She reported:

Three months later a vision given to her in Battle Creek opened to her what was really behind the distressing experience suffered in the Palmer home.

WV 266.1

For several weeks I could not feel the pressure of the hand, nor the coldest water poured upon my head.

In rising to walk, I often staggered, and sometimes fell to the floor.

In this condition I commenced to write The Great Controversy.

I could write at first but one page a day, then rest three; but as I progressed, my strength increased.

The numbness in my head did not seem to becloud my mind, and before I closed that work, the effect of the shock had entirely left me.

“Three months later a vision given to her in Battle Creek opened to her what was really behind the distressing experience suffered in the Palmer home.

I was taken off in vision.

In that vision I was shown that in the sudden attack at Jackson, Satan designed to take my life to hinder the work I was about to write; but angels of God were sent to my rescue, to raise me above the effects of Satan's attack.

I saw, among other things, that I should be blessed with better health than before the attack at Jackson.”

I was taken off in vision.

In that vision I was shown that in the sudden attack at Jackson, Satan designed to take my life to hinder the work I was about to write; but angels of God were sent to my rescue, to raise me above the effects of Satan's attack.

I saw, among other things, that I should be blessed with better health than before the attack at Jackson (Ibid., 2:272).

WV 266.2

Satan had tried to kill Ellen White to stop her from the story of the great controversy between himself and Jesus.

You see in this vision she had not only seen what Satan had done, but she saw what he was about to do, how he was going to tempt the people of the last days and divert them from the salvation of Jesus Christ.

The book was written within a year of this all occuring and she began her story with the fall of Satan, the plan of salvation, and the great controversy between Christ and His angels and Satan and his.

The book was called Spiritual Gifts: Volume 1.

This was later fleshed out throughout her lifetime to form our doctrine of the Great Controversy and later formed the basis of the book that we call the great controversy.

The book was written within a year of this all occuring and it starts with a description of the victory

I could write at first but one page a day, then rest three; but as I progressed, my strength increased.

The numbness in my head did not seem to becloud my mind, and before I closed that work, the effect of the shock had entirely left me (Ibid.).

WV 266.5

she began her story with the fall of Satan, the plan of salvation, and the great controversy between Christ and His angels and Satan and his.

In the evening she continued her narrative until nearly 10:00.

WV 266.6

This is what she says of her book:

my tongue

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.

And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!

But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Tell about the book

The last

1858

about Ellen white nearly dying