By Paul Monteith
Christ-centered teachings helped Feastgoers around the world focus on the reason for keeping the Feast--to worship God.
Many commented on the wonderful Festival atmosphere. "People came because they genuinely desired to be there; and the joy that abounded this year was palpable," said Mark McCulley, Festival Administration manager.
Pastor General Joseph Tkach, in his message carried by satellite to the church worldwide Oct. 9, asked: "Are you willing to become a church that truly belongs to God?"
From two domestic satellites, the transmission "was received flawlessly" at 25 sites in the United States and Canada, according to Larry Omasta, electronic media manager. The signal was also received in England and Australia by two international satellites. Two sites in England and one in the Bahamas viewed the services live. Eighty-one sites received a videotape of services.
Mr. Tkach's message was a call to discipleship, a call to truly follow Jesus Christ and become genuine Christians.
Using the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 as a comparison, Mr. Tkach pictured a church dedicated to God as being fervent for the things of God, a church preaching the gospel of Christ, a church that lives in the world but is not of the world, a church reaching out to the lost, to the least and to those in need.
"God wants a church that is truly his church," he declared. "He wants authentic Christians. I ask you, Are you willing to be that church?"
Mr. Tkach said that in the past our Christian identity was defined by the things we did or did not do. "But today we understand that we look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. We look at what he has done and is doing for us, and what he will do for all humanity."
It is because Christ lives in us through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can live a godly life. It is because Christ lives in us that we can have love for others. If our identity is not in Christ then we are not Christians, he explained.
"So we must proclaim God's uniqueness and not accompany the gospel with other messages," Mr. Tkach said. "We must proclaim his glory, not how well we keep the Ten Commandments. We must proclaim his majesty, not our greatness.
"We must acknowledge that we are commissioned to proclaim the same gospel the original apostles proclaimed. We have not been commissioned to preach a chronology of end-time events. We are servants of Jesus Christ, not Old Testament prophets.
"That's the legacy my father left us, the legacy Jesus Christ left us."
The pastor general explained that the church's mission is to focus upward, exalting Christ in all our worship, in all our outreach activities, in all our preaching and in all our publications.
First we emphasize God and Jesus Christ. He is the one changing us from the inside out. He is the one who motivates us to love one another. We also focus inward, ministering to those in our fellowship; and outward, evangelizing the world around us, encouraging others to embrace Christ and helping those in need.
Continuing with his plan for the church, Mr. Tkach said our magazine has received a lot of praise over the past two years. "When people hear the name Worldwide Church of God, we want them to connect the church with the magazine that proclaims Jesus Christ."
Mr. Tkach said the church will conduct annual pastoral reviews. The church will explore the possibility of having a few centralized mega-Festival sites and many local sites. More services will be conducted in the evening so the public can attend.
Ambassador University is launching a distance learning program and will make classes available to members to help them with youth programs, theology and Christian mission programs, and training for practical service and leadership.
The church will sell the BAC 1-11 airplane and the church property in Pasadena. "We only need a few acres to effectively do the work God has given us," he pointed out.
Mr. Tkach asked people to make a financial commitment. While tithing is not required for salvation, the Bible teaches that we should give as we are able. He thanked everyone for their financial support and asked members to decide on a percentage and be consistent in giving that amount.
The church will ask for donations on a variety of literature and produce video programs for sale.
"Serve God and become a living advertisement for the glory of Christ," Mr. Tkach concluded. "Let the fact that Christ lives in us be obvious and let us together move forward ... in the light of Christ."
After his sermon he mingled with members. The next day he flew by commercial jet to join his wife, Tammy, son, Joe, and daughter, Stephanie, at the Kona, Hawaii, site.
[ Worldwide Church of God | Worldwide News | November 14, 1995 ]
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