President David Granger preached the Word of God to the congregation at the Central Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church at Church and Oronoque Streets in Queenstown, Georgetown last Friday evening.He reminded visitors to the opening of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) of the simplicity of Jesus Christ, and he spoke of the differences between the Son of God and the Pharisees.

Guyana’s Head of State told the gathering of SDA worshippers from across the country that Christ came to mankind with a mission, as a messiah and not as a king or emperor or ruler. “He came to us in a manger, a place where cows and donkeys eat,” the President said.

He reminded the gathering of what is written in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them”.

The President noted that Christ’s mission was to fulfill the Mosaic Laws of the Old Testament. “As you know, the first five books of the Old Testament contain rules; rules of behaviour which govern every aspect of social and religious life of the Jews,” he reminded those seated. He said it was suited to those days.

Speaking to the gathering self-admittedly as a Christian and not as a theologian, the President spoke of how Christ operated. He said Christ moved away from punishment under the law, as compared to the requirements of the day; and he gave the example of an adulterous woman who was brought before Him.

“The law stated that she must be stoned, but Christ said ‘he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone’,” the President said.

The Old Testament highlighted God’s wrath against sinners, but the method of Christ in the New Testament reveals God’s mercy towards sinners, the President noted.

“It is preached today as a gentle message,” he added, to chants of “Amen!” “and “Hallelujah!” from those in the congregation.

SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE
The Head of State noted that Christ’s method of teaching was simple and effective. He added that Christ taught in parables.
“Anyone could have understood, even the illiterate, which was an important oral position and easiest way to learn,” he explained.

He said the dogmas or principles were handed down from one generation to the next, but Christ made those into simple life’s experiences, which was appealing.

“They were in context, and people could relate to what he was speaking about,” Mr Granger added.

The President said that the leadership style of Christ was also different from that of the Pharisees. He said that, today, some church leaders use “very elaborate titles, which they give themselves”, as the congregation chuckled.

“Last month I received a letter from a person who says he has now become a ‘pope’,” he informed, to bouts of laughter from those seated.

As he continued, he noted that Christ gave mankind a new style of leadership, while the Pharisees kept themselves separate from the masses and ordinary people.

He said that, in the New Testament, it reads that Christ embraced the ordinary people while the Pharisees were more concerned with their robes and prestige.

“When you define yourself as a shepherd, come down from your pedestal and mingle with the flock,” he added, to more chants of “Amen!”

He then quoted from the Book of Matthew: “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

The President recounted that, in the United Kingdom, at a military academy where he trained, there lies a simple message: “Serve to lead”; and he noted that one who cannot serve will find his/herself incapable of leading.

As he concluded his sermon, the Head of State reminded the congregation that Christ’s message was one of humanity, unlike the Pharisees’. He was able to marry faith with work. To this end, he said, the SDA Church is at work, and he commended the church for its support to the local society.

He reminded those present that the message of Christ was one of love and humanity. Then the President wished the church success, and gave his blessings to the conference.

The conference was held under the theme, “Embracing Christ’s method– Making a difference”.

The conference concluded on Saturday with presentations on religious liberty and the role of a leader, creative religious liberty programming, and breaking walls and building bridges.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty, which has an arguable origin, is contended to be the first liberty granted by God, and should be enjoyed by everyone, Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr Karen Cummings, who spoke at the conclusion, said.

Minister Cummings noted that while religious liberty has an arguable origin, it is the first liberty granted to everyone by God, and is protected in the First Amendment of the United States (US) Constitution.

She noted that religious liberty encompasses people’s ability to contribute freely to the common good of their fellow human beings, and she said that the Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which she is a member, strongly believes in religious freedom for all people.

“A person’s conscience — not Government — should dictate his or her choice of worship. True religious liberty is the freedom to perform your duties to God as He directs one — the freedom to do what God created you to do while coexisting in a secular world; this represents religious liberty,” said Minister Cummings, who has been a devout Christian since age 10.

Commenting on her professional life, she related that her belief in God naturally permeates everything she does and says, and she divulged that her aim is to establish Guyana as a model of excellence and assist in providing quality healthcare services to the people of Guyana.

“My goal is to improve both the physical and mental health of all Guyanese through a variety of policies and programmes,” Dr Cummings added.

And having been a living example of someone who has been able to successfully balance both areas of her life, she urged the gathering to ensure that their professionalism and professional responsibilities never impede on their ability to lead a religious life.

Likewise, she said, their religious responsibilities should not preclude their ability to lead a professional life. According to her, being able to establish that equilibrium is important.

She highlighted that the strongest work ethic one can adopt is to imitate God, and she said it is her religious faith which has allowed her to stand up to social injustices in Guyana.

“You have to stay steadfast to your purpose — the thing that drives you to want to do better. Prayer is important, it is what allows you to perform to your optimum,” she said, adding: “We must be able to coexist with others in our working environment.”

The key to doing that, she opined, is establishing a balance between one’s spiritual life and professional life. “Religious liberty is found in God,” Minister Cummings said.

By Alva Solomon