GCAS Trans-Asia Pacific Seminar

January 26-29, 2015

Ellen G. White, Education: 18.2

Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children. Godliness--godlikeness--is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his efforts will be directed to objects as much higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are higher than the earth.

Our PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE must never stop until we become Godly and God-like.

1. The PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is not a Quest for Superiority.

WHAT THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS NOT

• In The American Heritage Dictionary, excellence is defined as “The state, quality, or condition of excelling; superiority. The word excel is defined as, “to do or be better than; surpass; to show superiority, surpass others.

• This is NOT Biblical because it encourages COMPETITION.

• We are not here to surpass and outdo each other but to be like Christ.

“Success means being the best. Excellence means being your best. Success, to many, means being better than everyone else. Excellence means being better tomorrow than you were yesterday. Success means exceeding the achievements of other people. Excellence means matching your practice with your potential.”

SUCCESS vs. EXCELLENCEBrian Harbour , Rising Above the Crowd:

2. The PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is not Limited to a Certain Task or Position

WHAT THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS NOT

• Everyone can be excellent in any given task at any level or position.

• Ecclesiastes 9:10- “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.”

• Whether we are CEO or president or just an intern, we must do our best because in doing so we give glory ad honor to God. 1 Corinthians 10:31/1 Corinthians 15:58

1. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WORK

• Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

• Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”

• "Good enough never is." – Debbi Field, founder, Mrs. Fields Cookies

• 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding (excelling) in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

1. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WORK

• The following sign was posted in a farm equipment repair shop: "We do three types of jobs--Cheap, Quick, and Good. You can have any two.

• A good, quick job won't be cheap. • A good, cheap job won't be quick. • A cheap, quick job won't be good."

(Reader's Digest, February 1994, p.127)

2. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WALK

• 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NASB) “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”

• God hates mediocrity. God told the Laodicean church that their halfhearted, lukewarm lives disgusted Him. (Revelation 3:15) He expects us to live lives that exalt Him.

• Colossians 1:10 (NASB) “… walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God ;”

2. PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN YOUR WORSHIP

• Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

• In worship, excellence is offering the very best to God, and striving to become better. It is taking that which we have been given and, with hearts focused on the one who gave everything, returning the gift to God as an act of worship. It is not about being the best. It is about offering our best.

THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IS A PURSUIT TO KNOW CHRIST, TO LOVE HIM MORE AND MORE AND TO BE LIKE HIM.

Through faith in Christ, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement

cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.

—Education, 257.

The Excellence of Christ—Manuscript 10, 1889

There is a colorful illustration in the life of the great violinist, Paganini, which shows the value and

power of attitude on the pursuit of excellence.

The colorful, nineteenth-century showman andgifted violinist Nicolo Paganini was standing before

a packed house, playing through a difficult piece of music. A full orchestra surrounded him with magnificent support.

Suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung gloriously down from his instrument. Beads of perspiration popped out on his forehead. He frowned but continued to play, improvising beautifully.

To the conductor’s surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Now there were

three limp strings dangling from Paganini’s violin as the master performer completed the difficult composition on the one remaining string. The audience jumped to its feet and in good Italian fashion, filled the hall with shouts and screams, “Bravo! Bravo!” As the applause died down, the violinist asked the

people to sit back down. Even though they knew there was no way they could expect an encore, they quietly sank back into their seats.He held the violin high for everyone to see. He nodded at the conductor to begin the encore and then he turned back to the crowd, and with a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and shouted, ‘Paganini…and one string!’ After that he placed the single-stringed Stradivarius beneath his chin and played the final piece on one string as the audience (and the conductor) shook their heads in silent amazement. ‘Paganini…and one string!

May your Pursuit of Excellence LEAD you to the MOST EXCELLENT ONE, our LORD JESUS CHRIST. And may we all become like Him more and more each day.