Just as individual spiritual searching has risen dramatically worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s latest Adult Bible Study Guide, a quarterly resume of lessons that are studied worldwide, offers a look at the importance of Making Friends for God: The Joy of Participating in His Mission.

Veteran Adventist evangelist Pastor Mark Finley wrote the lessons and spoke with the South American Adventist News Agency (ASN) about the theme of this three-month study.

Finley has preached in person throughout the world, as well as hosting Adventist TV and radio programs for many years, most notably a 13-year run as host of “It Is Written.” He’s written several books, including Hope in The Midst Of Chaos, Revive Us Again, Revival For The Mission, Satisfied, The Forgotten Day, and The Mystery Of Prophecy. 

“Testimony” is an important word in this study guide. How does witnessing promote a Christian’s spiritual development?

At the heart of the great controversy is the struggle between love and selfishness. The original root of sin is a self-centered life instead of a God-centered life. Witnessing enables us to focus on others. When we recognize what Christ did for us and His incomparable love on the cross, we want to share that love with others. The more we share the love of Jesus, the more it grows. We become like Him by participating in His mission to save a lost world. Witnessing starves selfishness.

Rationalization risks

Can Adventists be effective witnesses for Jesus in an age when so many want to rationalize Bible truths, and witnessing can be viewed as an attack on someone’s individuality?

Jesus lived in a secular, materialistic, and often very crude Roman culture. His message was highly unpopular for many people. His impact was enormous because He attended to needs and ministered to the person as a whole. He healed the sick, encouraged the afflicted, freed the oppressed, and strengthened the weak. His life of altruistic service demonstrated the truth of His words. By lovingly caring for the needs of those around us, hearts will be touched by the grace of Jesus. We are living demonstrations of the realities of the gospel. People may reject what we say, but they will accept our genuine concern and support when they are in need. Christ's method of evangelism was simply this: meet human needs and then share the gospel.

What can we learn about sharing faith from Jesus' ministry?

One of the best things we can learn from Jesus' ministry is His care for people. What U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once said is true: “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care” Effective evangelism methods are important, but Christ-centered care is absolutely essential to soul winning. If people are genuinely cared for, their hearts will open to receive the divine truths of the Scriptures.

God's mission

Biblically we know that the process of spiritual conversion is a supernatural act on the part of God. So how far does the role of the human being go in that process?

Mission is always first of God. We are happy to participate with Him in His mission. If Jesus could finish the work alone, He would have finished it long ago. He invites us to collaborate with Him in the work of redemption. We have the privilege of cooperating with Christ by sharing the message of salvation with lost humanity. He placed in our hands the responsibility of sharing His message for the last days with others.

It is part of God's plan to use human beings as His instruments to win the lost. In Jesus' sermon on the end times, in Matthew 24, the Savior makes this extraordinary declaration: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world, as a witness to all nations; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). In Matthew 28 and Mark 16, He exhorts His disciples to "go to all the nations" and preach the gospel. The Holy Spirit works in people’s hearts regardless of our testimony, but by sharing the graceful truths of the Bible, people have the best opportunity to respond to God's truth. The clearest revelation of the character of God, the grace of Christ and the truth of the Scriptures, is in the Word of God.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site