“The Bible says we are in a war, and . . . if this doesn’t sober you up, nothing will,” said John Bradshaw, speaker/director of It Is Written during his Sabbath message at the 2025 Atlantic Union Conference Festival of the Laity, March 29. He then called every Seventh-day Adventist member to recommit to the cause of sharing the gospel and to join efforts to reach others for Jesus.
Worship, Inspiration, and Training
Before Bradshaw’s message, the morning of the second day of the festival brought presentations, congregational singing, and special music items for the more than 400 attendees gathering in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It also included moments of prayer, Bible study, and training.
One presentation by pastor and author Walton Rose sought to help laypeople to understand the modern complexities of sharing the gospel in a society that “increasingly functions without reference to God.” “How can the church communicate God’s message to younger generations, which view organized religion differently, as they seek authenticity over tradition?” he asked. How do we reach others in an environment in which “religious apathy and active skepticism are rising” and in which “many view faith claims with suspicion rather than interest”? Rose wondered.
He called Adventist church members to “reset evangelism,” to learn to share “good news, not fake news,” with this generation. Among several tips, one way of doing it, he explained, is to initially focus on the first angel’s message of Revelation 14, which calls us to share the everlasting gospel by helping people to learn how to worship God and “give him glory” (verse 7, NIV). “I think we have taken for granted the good news of the first angel’s message,” Rose said. “But congregations who have learned to share the everlasting gospel are growing by leaps and bounds.”
In that sense, “Jesus Christ must become the center of our sharing, no matter the specific doctrine we are discussing,” he emphasized. Rose quoted Jesus’ promise in John 12:32: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (KJV).
Battling Cosmic Forces
In his message later that morning Bradshaw hammered on the “war theme,” which is a biblical image, he emphasized. He explained that despite knowing that we are in the midst of a “great controversy” of cosmic dimensions, sometimes “we carry on like nothing’s going on, living our lives as if we are here only to gather and glean and harvest and collect and grow.”
But we are not warring against flesh and blood, Bradshaw reminded festival attendees. “This is crisis time for us, with casualties all around us . . . our own family members, church members . . . people we work with, wounded and harmed and damaged by the enemy who walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,” he said, referencing 1 Peter 5:8. “Many people have lost their spiritual lives, maybe their literal lives. We see people who have lost their spiritual moorings; they’ve become adrift; they have lost their focus.”
Stepping Up to Their Calling
Amid these casualties of war, people who say they are God’s followers should step up to fulfill their divine calling, Bradshaw said. The question is whether they are doing it. He explained, “If the devil would come looking for the remnant church—where people believe the everlasting gospel, where people preach the three angels’ messages—if he came to search the land and bring back a report, what would that report sound like?”
Bradshaw wondered if the hypothetical report would instill terror on evil hosts, knowing that there is a remnant that sticks to God and His truth, or if they would say, “There is something that looks like a church but . . . we have nothing to fear.” He added, “When Satan sees Seventh-day Adventists and sees a group of us gathering together around the Bible; sees Adventist missionaries being sent; sees a logo affixed to a sign in a new Adventist building—that ought to cause him to tremble! That ought to cause emergency meetings held in hell . . . for here come Adventists, and they are filled with God’s Spirit, and they are God’s people!”
A Great Work to Do
“There is a great work for all of us to be doing,” Bradshaw emphasized. He then shared how happy he is about the North American Division’s Pentecost 2025 initiative. He reported that so far, 5,200 local churches are conducting outreach and evangelism activities, well above the goal of 3,000. “There are churches and groups already baptizing people,” he said. “And the church is putting millions into this initiative. People are not just talking about it; they are doing it and anticipating great things are going to take place.”
“The good thing about Pentecost 2025—or not—is that God can use and will use anyone, no matter your age, your race, your educational background, your talent or lack thereof. God can use every one of us to make a significant difference for the kingdom of heaven.”
Bradshaw reminded festival attendees that the Adventist Church “is about the power of those in the pews.” He added, “If we can get out of the pews and into the mission field, [mission] work will blow up, and we will be hastening the return of Jesus Christ!”
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