Behold the Lamb Presents

How to Keep the Sabbath

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Chris Shelton (Host), Kenny Shelton

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Series Code: BTLP

Program Code: BTLP000074A


00:41 Hello, and welcome to "Behold the Lamb Presents."
00:44 I'm Chris Shelton your host
00:45 and today's message is the third message
00:48 of a five part series that we have entitled
00:51 "The Sabbath, a Test of Faith." So stay tuned.
00:55 In today's study we will address
00:57 how to keep the Sabbath.
00:59 People are waking up to the fact
01:01 that God does have a special day
01:03 in which we are to come apart for worship
01:06 and to keep holy.
01:07 This special day began during the week of creation.
01:11 Let's read this
01:12 as found in the Book of Genesis 2:2, 3.
01:17 "And on the seventh day God ended His work
01:19 which He had made
01:20 and He rested on the seventh day
01:22 from all His work which He had made.
01:24 And God blessed the seventh day,
01:26 and sanctified it
01:27 because that in it He had rested
01:30 from all His work which God created and made."
01:34 In another book
01:35 entitled Patriarchs and Prophets on page 48
01:38 we find this inspirational thought
01:41 that is basically
01:42 the foundation of our study today.
01:46 "God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man,
01:49 even in Paradise.
01:51 He, man, needed to lay aside his own interests
01:54 and pursuits for one day of the seven,
01:57 that he might more fully contemplate
02:00 the works of God
02:01 and meditate upon His power and goodness.
02:04 He needed a Sabbath to remind him
02:06 more vividly of God and to awaken gratitude
02:10 because all that he enjoyed and possessed
02:13 came from the beneficent hand of the Creator."
02:16 So just how do we do this?
02:18 How do we put aside our own interest,
02:21 our own pursuits and meditate upon God
02:24 and His power and goodness?
02:26 Does the Bible have more to say about
02:28 how we are to keep the Sabbath holy?
02:30 All these questions and many more will be answered
02:34 in today's message
02:35 with Pastor Kenny Shelton
02:37 as we study "How to Keep the Sabbath."
02:40 But first we are blessed to listen to a song entitled
02:43 "The love of God"
02:45 as played by Reggie Samuel from the 3ABN worship center.
05:38 Thanks for joining us once again
05:40 "Behold the Lamb."
05:41 I know you don't want to miss this program
05:43 but I'm going to warn you right up front here,
05:45 if you missed the first part
05:47 which is "The Origin of the Sabbath"
05:49 you missed the second part
05:51 which is " Law and Grace"
05:53 this just might be a little over your head.
05:56 Now I don't mean that in a bad way.
05:57 But we are going to be looking at--
05:59 it's not we're trying to prove
06:01 is the seventh day Sabbath
06:02 still binding today
06:03 because we've done that previous to this.
06:05 But "How to Keep the Sabbath."
06:08 Unless you are here at this ministry
06:10 some of you will say,
06:11 "Oh, it's a bunch of dos and don'ts
06:13 and I can and I can't."
06:15 Not that way at all.
06:16 If you get those first two you'll understand it better.
06:18 But we are responding to calls and letters
06:22 we get from people
06:24 who are mostly been Seventh-day Adventist
06:28 for many, many years, and bless their heart,
06:30 they asked some honest hearted questions,
06:33 should I do this on the Sabbath or shouldn't I?
06:35 So when you hear in this study
06:37 we are going to be doing
06:38 about the things that we should do
06:40 in preparation for the Sabbath.
06:41 The things that would be pleasing to God,
06:43 the things that would not be pleasing to Him.
06:45 Please don't look at it as dos and don'ts.
06:47 And for those of you
06:48 who don't understand the subject at all
06:51 about the seventh day Sabbath
06:53 I still encourage you to go ahead
06:54 and watch and take some notes down.
06:57 And again it's gonna take
06:58 a little bit more study for you.
07:00 But you know what?
07:01 I believe if you are tuned in
07:03 it's because God wants you to be tuned in
07:05 and you are ready for something
07:06 you don't even realize you are ready for.
07:08 So I just pray that you will stay with us.
07:11 But always before we get into the Word of God,
07:13 what do we do? Oh, that's right.
07:15 We kneel and we have prayer.
07:16 I'm gonna kneel up here.
07:18 And wonderful to know those of you
07:19 who are writing in. And I just-- I love it.
07:22 It makes me feel so good inside.
07:23 They say warm and tingly. As we realize people say
07:26 when you kneel and have prayer,
07:28 where I can in my home I kneel and I pray with you.
07:31 Thank God for that. We love prayer warriors.
07:33 So would you pray with me right now as we kneel?
07:38 Our gracious heavenly Father,
07:39 we thank You for the privilege of having prayer.
07:42 Thankful to be part of the family of God
07:44 and we ask in a special way, oh,
07:46 Lord, send Your Holy Spirit,
07:47 anoint this message
07:49 the only way that You can anoint it.
07:51 Put it out around the world
07:52 where Your honest hearted people
07:54 they will see it, they will hear it,
07:56 they will understand it, they will respond to it.
07:58 Only Your spirit can do that.
08:00 So I pray that You will take this mess
08:03 that I'm getting ready to make with it
08:04 and you'll anoint it with Holy Spirit power
08:07 and Your people will be able to hear.
08:09 I thank You for answered prayer,
08:11 I thank you for the cards and the letters.
08:13 I thank You for the response,
08:14 but most of all responding to you.
08:16 Now I pray that you'll cover me with Your blood.
08:19 Forgive me of any sin,
08:20 anything in my heart and life that needs not be there.
08:22 Oh, Lord, I need to hear from You.
08:24 In Jesus name we pray and for His sake, amen.
08:28 It's always good
08:29 there is a lot of information always.
08:31 Please remember when we are doing this study
08:33 we are only going on the edges.
08:35 We are just trying to scratch you into
08:37 saying I want to study this.
08:39 And I'll say some things but,
08:40 you know, actually the Holy Spirit that may just--
08:43 I've heard it say get under your craw.
08:44 Some of you will know that, some of you won't.
08:46 It may agitate you.
08:47 I'm not trying to do that.
08:49 But I want to get your attention
08:50 because this is a vital, vital subject
08:53 especially for those who say
08:56 that they are Sabbath keepers.
08:58 Now keep this in mind, you say, "Well,
08:59 I'm a Sabbath keeper." But,
09:01 you know, you can profess to be a Sabbath keeper
09:03 and be breaking the Sabbath every seventh day.
09:06 So we are gonna be looking at this subject in a,
09:08 I think, maybe a little different way.
09:10 And there will be a lot of,
09:11 you know, this is what we do, this is what God has said
09:13 and this is what God said we shouldn't do.
09:14 So I know that your spirit's gonna be right.
09:17 I'm just gonna go over just a few things
09:18 in the Word of God
09:20 so that we get a handle as we are going.
09:22 The Bible said, you know, after six days of creation,
09:25 the Bible talks about here in Genesis 1:31
09:28 after six days of creation the Bible said,
09:31 "God saw that every thing that he had made,
09:34 it was" good "very good."
09:37 What He had made was very good.
09:38 And so then we look and we say in Genesis 2:2,
09:41 then the Bible simply says
09:42 and we are condensing it down, Genesis 2:2
09:44 "On the seventh day
09:45 God ended His work which He had made,
09:48 and He rested the seventh day."
09:50 Wow, what good direction we have
09:52 following His footprints.
09:54 Genesis 2:3 "God blessed the seventh day,
09:57 he sanctified it,"
09:58 He set it apart for holy use.
10:01 Yes, a lot could be said about it,
10:03 we'll say it as we continue in our study.
10:05 But please keep this in mind, number one is,
10:08 after six days of creation, right,
10:10 God said everything He created was all good.
10:13 So keep that in mind as we continue to study here,
10:15 everything that God had created, right,
10:18 He said it was good.
10:19 So we are gonna look at that, keep that in mind as we go.
10:22 God gave this rest day,
10:24 the seventh-day of the week to Adam,
10:26 so Adam may pass it on to mankind.
10:29 Sabbath simply a memorial.
10:31 The Sabbath, seventh day of the week,
10:32 is simply the birthday of this world,
10:36 the work of creation.
10:37 Praise God for that.
10:39 You know, I love Psalms 111:4 the Bible said
10:43 "He hath made His wonderful works
10:46 to be remembered."
10:47 Oh, He's made His wonderful works
10:50 to be remembered, not forgotten.
10:52 The Sabbath is to be kept in our memory
10:57 and it's for all of us,
10:58 not just for a little group over here.
11:00 Sabbath was known to Israel what?
11:03 Before Mount Sinai,
11:04 we understand that by studying.
11:06 And so it's not just for the Jews,
11:08 it's for the whole world.
11:10 Praise God for that.
11:11 We find also the Sabbath is distinguished
11:14 and it continues to be distinguished.
11:17 Distinguishes God's true people.
11:20 Wow.
11:21 So God's true people in the last days
11:23 will be observing the seventh day Sabbath.
11:25 A lot of study,
11:26 those of you don't know so get into the Word.
11:29 Remember the Jews made
11:31 the seventh day Sabbath very difficult,
11:33 they made it a burden for many, many people.
11:37 And so Jesus came,
11:38 notice Jesus came to clear the way
11:40 of many of these misconceptions.
11:43 So we are gonna look at some of those today.
11:44 We're gonna try by the grace of God
11:46 to condense it down and say,
11:48 how do we really keep the Sabbath?
11:50 We claim to be seventh day Sabbath keepers.
11:53 Probably if we really look down
11:55 we would see that the majority of those
11:57 who profess to keep the Sabbath
11:58 break the Sabbath.
12:00 And, you know, we are viewed in the heaven as what?
12:02 Lawbreakers.
12:03 We should know how because the Bible tells us how.
12:06 If we fall, you say, well,
12:07 it's just one point. You know, James 2:10-12
12:11 the Bible says, "For whoever shall keep" what?
12:13 "The whole law, and yet offend in one point,
12:16 he is guilty of all."
12:18 Keep these in mind.
12:19 Study some more on that if you will do that
12:21 because the Bible simply said the end results there
12:23 that we are all gonna be judged by the perfect law of liberty.
12:28 I love it when I read about
12:29 God's Ten Commandment law, it's spiritual.
12:32 Ten Commandment law is holy.
12:34 Ten Commandment law is just and it's good
12:37 and it's the perfect law of liberty.
12:39 So it doesn't put you in bondage.
12:40 You are not, you know, don't look and say, "Oh, no."
12:43 No, a perfect law of liberty and freedom.
12:45 But I think we need to be sensitive,
12:46 I know as we study this in regard
12:48 to what it means by the grace of God
12:51 to keep His laws.
12:52 And I think we need to be very sensitive
12:54 in regard to whether we are keeping it
12:57 or whether we are breaking it.
13:00 What if we really thought in all honesty
13:02 that we were keeping it
13:04 because we really haven't got into the Word and
13:07 we should be, but we are breaking it?
13:09 Wouldn't you want to know?
13:11 Oh, I do.
13:12 James 4:12 said "There is one lawgiver,"
13:16 praise God, "who is able to save"
13:19 and who is able "to destroy."
13:22 There is how many lawgivers? There is only one.
13:23 What is he able to do?
13:24 He is able to save, the Bible said,
13:26 and he is able to destroy.
13:28 Keep that in mind.
13:29 I believe the Sabbath is to be proclaimed
13:32 I'm telling you here
13:33 more fully here in these last days than ever before.
13:37 People need to hear that obedience
13:40 to the seventh day Sabbath is a life and death issue.
13:45 People say, you know, it doesn't matter.
13:47 It's a life and death issue
13:49 when you get in to start studying the Word of God.
13:51 And I will say this
13:52 and I will say it right upfront,
13:54 people who refuse to keep the Sabbath, after they hear,
13:58 they study and they say,
13:59 "I understand it," you are going to know
14:03 and you are going to taste,
14:04 we are talking about death, the reward of the transgressor.
14:08 Did you get that? Once you hear it,
14:10 once you study it, once you say I know,
14:12 if you don't follow it you're gonna taste,
14:14 you're gonna taste the reward of the transgressor.
14:17 You know, people continue to trample
14:19 upon the seventh day Sabbath.
14:21 And many people say they have a knowledge of it.
14:24 So what are we going to do?
14:26 You have a knowledge, you know what you should be doing.
14:29 Once again we will taste of the seven last plagues.
14:32 No one wants to do that. I know it's heavy duty.
14:35 Now with these thoughts in mind let's do a little more digging,
14:38 a little more examining
14:39 and consider how the seventh day Sabbath
14:42 should be kept according to Scripture.
14:45 Now remember according to Scripture.
14:46 And if you find any of these things
14:48 that I'm talking about here that's not backed by Scripture,
14:52 the principle of God's word, why don't you let me know?
14:55 Some of you are pretty good about that.
14:56 And it's okay, because I do appreciate it.
14:58 Because when you send those questions and comments
15:00 I'm very well aware of that, and I look those things up.
15:03 And I go back and study to make sure
15:05 that I'm approved of heaven.
15:07 The Sabbath question
15:08 is to be the great issue in this final crisis
15:11 we realize, this conflict,
15:13 and all the world is going to play a part.
15:16 So if this is a big issue, it seems to me
15:20 that we need to understand the real issue.
15:22 And are we really observing it
15:24 and being pleasing to the God of heaven?
15:27 Man is not going to be able, the Bible said,
15:30 is going to be able to buy or sell
15:31 save he have the mark.
15:33 Have you read that in Revelation 13:17?
15:36 You are not going to be able.
15:37 And for He causes all, the Bible said,
15:39 that would not worship the image
15:41 of the beast should be killed.
15:43 Have you read that in Revelation 13:15?
15:46 These are life and death issues
15:48 and so we need to understand them.
15:50 Wouldn't it be nice if maybe if we just go over some,
15:52 I want to say some important things for us
15:55 to think about as we go?
15:56 Remember you will not keep all these things in mind,
15:59 you need to have a pencil and paper,
16:01 jot them down as quickly as you can.
16:03 These are to me some of the highlights,
16:05 and then we'll get into some specifics
16:08 as we continue to study.
16:09 When we talk about
16:11 is the Sabbath really important,
16:13 what does it really mean
16:14 to keep the seventh day Sabbath?
16:16 Does God really mean what He says?
16:18 Is it in the heart of God's law?
16:20 Has it been jerked or out
16:21 and it does no longer pertain to us?
16:23 Or is it binding upon us, and if so, shouldn't we know?
16:27 First of all and this is
16:28 high on my list, this is it,
16:31 is God established it.
16:34 God established the seventh day Sabbath,
16:36 that should be good enough for all of us.
16:38 If we can't understand all the ins and outs, say, well,
16:41 God did establish it.
16:42 God did make--
16:44 After all it bears God's sign and His mark for all of us.
16:50 And the seventh day Sabbath is as old as the world itself.
16:54 Interesting.
16:56 The seventh day Sabbath signifies
16:57 that we are worshipers of the true God of Jehovah.
17:02 Interesting how God's always pointing back
17:04 from creation, His people, to follow it and it signs
17:07 that they are His people, they either are or they aren't,
17:09 so we need to study, show ourself approved.
17:12 As I was reading the Bible the Sabbath was made
17:14 for man and not man for the Sabbath.
17:17 You remember reading that in Mark 2:27, 28,
17:19 I know that you have.
17:21 The Sabbath was made for man.
17:23 Didn't say for the Jews, didn't say for Gentile,
17:24 it's made for man, all of mankind.
17:26 Praise God.
17:28 And I've been reading the Bible,
17:29 and I see that its observance,
17:31 we see man, it's his duty to observe
17:34 the seventh day Sabbath because God commanded.
17:36 He didn't ask, He commanded it.
17:38 You're not gonna go against God, are you?
17:39 I don't think that you are, you don't want to.
17:42 Seventh day Sabbath to me is simply just
17:45 a constant reminder of my accountability to God.
17:49 Are you accountable to God? Are you giving account to God?
17:54 As you observe the Sabbath you'll see these points
17:56 that I'm talking about.
17:59 God, in fact, promised a blessing on those
18:01 who would observe the seventh day Sabbath.
18:03 You want a blessing or do you want a curse?
18:05 You know, I want to be blessed,
18:06 I don't want to end in curses. But God said,
18:07 I set before you today a blessing
18:09 and a curse so you can choose which one.
18:12 I want the blessings of God. I know you do, too.
18:14 And you know what, the seventh day Sabbath
18:16 is a constant reminder of who God is.
18:20 I can't forget God, can't forget God.
18:23 It's designed to direct man's mind back to God.
18:28 Seventh day Sabbath, what is it?
18:30 It directs our mind back to the God of the universe.
18:33 Praise God.
18:35 Seventh day Sabbath was designed for men,
18:37 and that means mankind, that's all of us,
18:39 to assemble together for worship
18:41 because He designated the seventh day Sabbath.
18:45 And let me tell you, the seventh day Sabbath
18:47 we are seeing right here, and has always been,
18:49 it distinguishes God's true people and the ones
18:52 who serve Him and the ones who refuse to serve Him.
18:56 But, you know, let me remind you this,
18:58 people say I don't know about the Sabbath, I'm not sure.
19:00 Listen, in order to keep
19:02 the Sabbath holy, man must be holy.
19:06 Wow, what a thought.
19:08 In order to keep the Sabbath day holy, man must be holy.
19:15 He must be full partaker
19:17 of the righteousness of Jesus Christ,
19:19 sold out to Jesus Christ.
19:21 Are you sold out to Jesus Christ?
19:23 Friends, maybe that's why many are not keep
19:26 the Sabbath the way it should be
19:27 because we're really not sold out to Christ.
19:30 Oh, how important that is for us, a reminder.
19:33 God reminds us to keep the Sabbath because it's holy.
19:39 Praise God for that.
19:41 Praise God He distinguishes
19:43 the people here in these last days.
19:46 You know, you read in the Bible as the children of Israel
19:48 kept the Sabbath, it distinguished them
19:49 from all other people and all other nations, didn't it?
19:52 God even went further with that, if we may say it
19:55 that way, that He told the children of Israel,
19:56 He said I want you to sew some blue on your garment.
19:58 Do you remember that?
19:59 All right, sew that blue on there.
20:01 It's a reminder about God's laws,
20:03 that we're always walking in God's law
20:05 and that you are different from everybody else.
20:07 And you should be
20:08 because you honor and serve the God of heaven.
20:11 God said in His word, yeah, I've read it.
20:13 You have, too, Genesis 20:8,
20:15 He says that you shall keep it holy.
20:18 And then He goes on in Exodus 22:31, He said
20:21 "Ye shall be holy men unto me."
20:25 There is something holy then about the Sabbath day.
20:28 There is something holy about the way
20:30 that we should observe it.
20:31 Why?
20:32 Because God is in that day
20:34 and where God is in, it becomes holy.
20:36 Is it possible that we've lost
20:39 the importance of the seventh day Sabbath?
20:41 I'm almost-- I don't want to use the word shock,
20:43 but I'm almost shocked
20:44 to what I see and see people doing
20:46 who say we're Seventh-day Adventist
20:49 or we're Sabbath keepers.
20:51 And the things that are going on,
20:52 the things that you are doing
20:54 is blatant against the Scripture.
20:56 What is wrong?
20:57 Maybe just a little illustration
20:59 as we think about it.
21:00 Remember the Jews, as they departed from Christ
21:05 they failed to make Christ,
21:07 the righteousness of Christ their own.
21:09 You know what happened?
21:10 They lost the significance of the Sabbath.
21:13 Remember when they turned away
21:14 from the righteousness of Christ,
21:17 when they took their eyes off of Jesus
21:18 then they lost the significance of the Sabbath.
21:21 So some of you have lost that
21:22 is because maybe you've taken your eyes off of Jesus.
21:25 You begin to look at your neighbors,
21:26 you begin to look at your friends, you look at your job.
21:28 You want to be more like the world
21:29 rather than be like God.
21:31 Let me tell you today, I believe more than ever before
21:34 in the hour that we live that Satan is--
21:36 he works to corrupt the Sabbath.
21:40 He works to change it. He works to misapply it.
21:44 He works to distort it.
21:46 He works to twist it all up in the minds of the people
21:49 because it is a sign of the power of Christ.
21:53 It is the sign between God and man.
21:56 You remember reading that?
21:57 Oh, I know that you have.
21:58 Exodus 31:17, please keep this in mind.
22:03 I know, it's a lot and a lot being said
22:05 and so that's why the DVDs.
22:06 You can stop them and play them and you can jot it down,
22:08 you go back and study to show yourself approved.
22:11 You remember Jesus when He walked
22:12 this earth about the rabbis, you remember what they did?
22:15 They followed Him around wherever He went.
22:18 Merciless hostility, they shoved our Lord
22:22 and our Savior to try to get Him to break
22:25 the law and to elevate the traditions of men.
22:29 Very interesting that Jesus-- Let's say it like this.
22:32 Jesus didn't pay any attention to them.
22:35 He went about His Father's business.
22:38 He wasn't afraid of them,
22:40 He wasn't worried about what they thought about Him.
22:43 He knew what He should be doing and we too.
22:45 Well, He didn't even-- Interesting,
22:47 I read one time, He said, He didn't even appear
22:50 to conform to the rules of men, requirements of men.
22:54 But He kept the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week
22:56 according to the commandments.
22:59 Wouldn't that be enough for us
23:00 to kind of stand on to say, my Lord and my Savior,
23:03 the one was nailed on the cross for me.
23:05 The one that came down to this miserable old world
23:07 and died and took what I deserved.
23:09 This is what He did in life.
23:11 Would it not be safe to follow in His footsteps?
23:13 Oh, I believe so, don't you?
23:16 Especially when He said,
23:17 I have kept my Father's commandments.
23:20 Do you remember reading that in John 15:10,
23:23 "I have kep My Father's commandment."
23:25 So why is it you and I say we're free to do
23:27 what we want to do?
23:28 I've kept my Father's commandment.
23:29 I'll tell you this, as a Christian
23:30 I'm free to do what I want to do.
23:33 By the grace of God I just choose,
23:34 by the grace of God, not to do the wrong things.
23:36 All right, that's freedom, isn't it?
23:37 Sure it is. Praise God.
23:40 There's hostility in the world today,
23:41 there's hostility in the movement sometime.
23:43 When you want to lift up the standards
23:45 that God has given, this movement,
23:47 and when we see them lowered, it breaks our heart.
23:50 We want to sigh and cry for those abominations
23:52 that be done.
23:54 Then so we need to go straight forward
23:55 in presenting what is truth.
23:58 And so by God's grace we are going to do that.
24:01 In fact, Jesus, remember He declared Himself
24:04 Lord of the Sabbath.
24:06 Wow, originator.
24:08 Matthew 12:8, you remember that?
24:11 So today what I'm saying, Jesus our Lord,
24:14 our Savior, He is one above all question.
24:18 He is above all law and yet He kept it
24:23 by the grace of His Father.
24:24 Let's just read three important Bible passages.
24:27 And I'm trying to make it quick as I can because of our time.
24:29 Because we are building on just three little passages here,
24:33 and one of them was already read, Genesis 2:1-3.
24:37 Then we're gonna read Exodus 20:8-11,
24:40 Isaiah 58:12, 13, 14, okay.
24:45 If you'll jot those down, it's very important.
24:48 So if you have your Bible,
24:49 you're gonna turn with me as we read these.
24:50 Shall we?
24:51 We can do this together. I know it takes time.
24:52 I know it does. And I realize time is very valuable
24:56 and it goes by quickly.
24:57 But listen, if we read these, I think you'll get a concept.
25:00 If you want to observe the Sabbath
25:02 just listen to these three little passages.
25:05 We realize in Genesis 2:1-3,
25:07 "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished."
25:09 The Bible said the heavens and earth were finished
25:11 "and all the"
25:12 what? Good.
25:13 "All of the host of them and on the seventh day
25:16 God ended His work which He had made. He rested on the,"
25:19 what day?
25:21 "On the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
25:23 God blessed the Sabbath day, he sanctified it."
25:26 Why? He sanctified it.
25:27 Set it apart for holy use. Why?
25:29 "Because He had rested from all of His work
25:31 which God created and made."
25:34 Turn over with me Exodus Chapter 20,
25:36 Exodus Chapter 20 and we read.
25:38 See, it's important that we put these together
25:40 and let the Holy Spirit begin to speak
25:42 to our hearts, and to our minds.
25:44 Oh, you know this, this is the Ten Commandments.
25:46 Seventh day Sabbath is right in the heart.
25:48 Oh, it just pulls my heart out when I see people try to take
25:51 in the middle of this fourth commandment
25:52 and rip it out and replace it,
25:54 you see, with the first day of the week.
25:56 Are you still with me?
25:57 Hope some of you are still,
25:58 not trying to get them turned it off.
26:00 You need to really think about this issue.
26:01 Verse: 8, Exodus Chapter 20, "Remember the Sabbath day,"
26:04 the Bible says, "to keep it holy.
26:06 Six days shall thy labor and do all thy work,"
26:08 but what?
26:09 "But the seventh day
26:10 is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."
26:12 Friends, can we count the seven?
26:14 Come on, pray, come on.
26:16 It said, "In it thou shalt not do any work."
26:18 You see that? "Thou nor thy" what?
26:19 "Son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant,
26:21 nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle,"
26:24 the Bible said "nor" what?
26:25 "Even the stranger that is within thy gates."
26:27 You need to be careful about the stranger,
26:29 the persons in your house.
26:32 And then it says why.
26:34 "For in six days the Lord made heavens and earth, and sea,
26:36 and all that in them is, and He rested the seventh day,
26:39 wherefore the Lord blessed
26:41 the Sabbath day, and He hallowed it."
26:43 Isn't that beautiful?
26:45 Isaiah Chapter 58. Let's do Isaiah Chapter 58.
26:49 You know, when we read that, these verses--
26:52 Most of you have them memorized but, you know,
26:54 remember who we are speaking to.
26:55 If you 're just tuning in, if you missed part one,
26:58 part two, you're not going to get this
26:59 because we are gonna hurriedly go over a lot of things
27:01 that we should be doing in preparation
27:03 for God's Sabbath day in order to keep it holy.
27:06 These verses right here are just imperative.
27:08 We need to be reading these like never before
27:11 and let God speak to you.
27:13 Isaiah Chapter 58, let's begin reading from 13, shall we?
27:16 Let's do 12, okay, let's do 12.
27:19 "And they that shall be
27:20 of thee shall build the old waste places"
27:22 you get that?
27:23 "Thou shalt raise up the foundations
27:25 of many generations and thou shalt be called,
27:28 The repairer of the breach,
27:30 The restorer of paths to dwell in."
27:32 God said there will be people in these last days,
27:34 they are gonna raise up these little foundations.
27:36 People's been throwing stuff, they've been covering all up.
27:38 They are gonna come up and they are gonna proclaim
27:40 something. And notice what it says verse 13.
27:43 "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath,
27:45 from doing thy pleasure on my holy day,
27:49 call the Sabbath a delight-- Don't any of you be calling
27:52 and saying, well, you know the Sabbath is for the Jews
27:54 and the seventh day Sabbath is for Seventh-day Adventist?
27:57 Bible says right here, the Sabbath, what is it?
28:01 For the Lord thy God.
28:02 It's God's day, wow.
28:04 He said, we should "call the Sabbath a delight,
28:06 holy of the Lord, honorable and shalt honor him."
28:08 Notice this, we honor Him by not doing what?
28:12 "Not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure,
28:15 nor speaking thine own words."
28:17 Then it goes on.
28:18 You say well, that's an awful lot.
28:19 Oh, it is, but notice what it says.
28:22 "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord."
28:25 If we are doing all these things, you know,
28:27 what God has said not to do and we are still doing them
28:30 how you gonna delight yourself in the Lord?
28:32 He said, "I'm gonna cause you to ride on
28:34 the high places of the earth,
28:36 and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob."
28:38 Okay, it'd be nice to finish all those thing
28:40 but I want you to just keep
28:41 those passages in mind as we go.
28:43 So first of all what will we do?
28:46 What are we going to do here?
28:47 We are gonna say, okay, I want to observe the Sabbath.
28:49 And, you know, there are people who have no idea about
28:51 when the Sabbath even begins.
28:52 Can we run through that just quickly?
28:54 Let's do that.
28:55 The Bible says in Genesis 1:5, the Bible said
28:58 "The evening and the morning were" what?
29:00 Good "the first day."
29:02 Then if we go down Genesis 1:8
29:04 "Evening and morning were the second day."
29:06 Genesis 1:13 it says,
29:07 "The evening and morning were the third day."
29:09 So it goes on and on and on.
29:10 So when does the Sabbath begin? It begins what?
29:14 In the evening when the sun goes down.
29:16 Why?
29:17 Once again because Leviticus 23:32 says
29:20 "From even unto even, shall you celebrate your Sabbath."
29:24 Interesting, Sabbath, the word here means
29:26 you are going to desist.
29:28 You are not gonna be working.
29:29 You are gonna seize from exertion.
29:31 You are going to rest that's what the Bible said.
29:33 You are going to keep the Sabbath.
29:35 Very interesting.
29:36 Celebrate
29:37 simply talks about honoring Him.
29:39 It means the public worship.
29:41 It means what?
29:42 Bring honor and glory to God.
29:44 So if I ask you the question now,
29:45 when does the Sabbath begin?
29:46 You say, oh, when the sun goes down.
29:48 So when the sun goes down, right,
29:50 on Friday evening, that's the beginning
29:52 of a 24-hour period of time.
29:54 And when the sun sets on Sabbath, right,
29:57 Saturday, that's the end of the Sabbath.
30:00 So there is a 24 hour period of time we have to look at.
30:03 Now remember in order to keep the Sabbath holy
30:05 there must be some preparation to do it.
30:08 Many of us don't keep it
30:09 because we are not preparing to meet with God.
30:12 We're not getting all the things done
30:13 that we need to get done and we try to do
30:15 them on the sacred hours of the Sabbath
30:17 and it turns out to be a mess.
30:19 Now remember if you are just tuning in,
30:21 you don't know anything about the Sabbath, bless your heart,
30:23 we love you and we are praying for you.
30:24 These are people who understand but I'd encourage you
30:26 to get studying because this is in the Scripture.
30:29 Prepare, what does it mean?
30:30 I need to prepare for the Sabbath.
30:31 How do you-- Let's talk about prepare.
30:33 Let's say, prepare means to remove all things
30:36 that might hinder us, right,
30:38 or it might take from the holy hours of the Sabbath.
30:41 So you don't want anything to come in your home,
30:43 anything around you that will take
30:45 from the precious hours of the Sabbath.
30:47 No unnecessary work needs to be done.
30:50 Why?
30:51 Because God says those 24 hour period of time
30:54 is to be spent with God doing those things, right,
30:57 His will and not our own.
30:59 It doesn't belong to you, it doesn't belong to me.
31:01 The Bible said it's God's day and we need to keep it holy.
31:05 Why?
31:06 Because He is in this so only holy things can be done.
31:08 So when you see dos and don'ts that's what
31:11 some of you will think. And I'm gonna say it nice,
31:13 then maybe your mind is not converted on this question.
31:17 If it is, you will understand where we are coming from.
31:21 So Friday then, you'll say,
31:23 well, yeah, but Friday, I've heard of Good Friday,
31:24 I've heard of-- you know.
31:26 It's very interesting to me that many people they can,
31:28 they can tell exactly Friday is the sixth day
31:31 and they can tell you Sunday is the first day
31:33 but they can't figure out which is the seventh day.
31:35 Give you the sixth, give you the first
31:37 but can't figure out which day is the Sabbath.
31:39 I know who is behind that, don't you?
31:41 So we know Friday, the Bible talks about here
31:43 Matthew 27:62, let me read it.
31:47 Said, "Now the next day,
31:48 that followed the day of preparation."
31:50 So there is a preparation day.
31:52 Preparation for what?
31:54 Think about that.
31:55 Matthew 15:42 says "And now when even was come,"
31:59 notice "because it was the preparation,
32:02 that is, the day before the Sabbath."
32:04 That's simple to me.
32:07 Friday preparation is the day before the seventh day Sabbath.
32:11 So if there's preparation, preparation need to be--
32:13 I need to know about being prepared for the Sabbath
32:16 because there's much more than just going to church,
32:17 much more than just reading the Bible.
32:19 There's much more than just coming and saying, okay,
32:20 and fellowshipping and--
32:23 How is your heart?
32:25 I would love to see people come in, you know,
32:26 on Sabbath morning and sit down,
32:28 maybe kneel down in prayer instead of coming
32:30 and talking about everything under the sun.
32:33 You're gonna drive the Holy Spirit away.
32:34 We want the spirit to come.
32:36 There's preparation that needs to be made.
32:39 Now I remember Luke 23:53, 54
32:43 let me read what it says, it talks about Jesus.
32:45 If you're confused a little and we have to remember
32:47 when we are talking to people we're talking to some
32:49 who have never heard, they've never understood.
32:51 You have to cover maybe the ABCs or 123
32:54 to help people understand.
32:56 Many of you understand somewhat
32:57 but you are not interested.
32:59 I pray that you are.
33:00 You're gonna get interested here.
33:01 Remember he is talking about Friday,
33:03 it says, that Jesus body was taken down.
33:05 You remember crucified on Friday.
33:06 "Wrapped in linen, laid in sepulchre
33:08 that was hewn out of store, wherein never man was laid.
33:14 And that day" the Bible said
33:15 "was preparation, and the Sabbath drew on."
33:19 Oh, it's so simple to understand.
33:20 So on Friday preparation day,
33:23 we should be planning to do what?
33:26 We should be planning with the Sabbath in mind.
33:29 In fact we should plan for the Sabbath what?
33:31 As soon as one Sabbath ends
33:33 we need to be planning for the next Sabbath.
33:35 Well, how wonderful that would be.
33:36 How things would be different in our homes,
33:39 maybe in the community, maybe with us.
33:41 If we begin since we end the Sabbath
33:44 we start planning and thinking about the next Sabbath.
33:47 Oh, how interesting.
33:48 Let's go over just a few things,
33:49 shall we,
33:50 quickly that will help us to observe the Sabbath
33:53 so it would be pleasing to God.
33:55 Remember this, this is not dos and don'ts.
33:57 God has set up the criteria.
33:59 God has set up what He would like
34:01 that would be pleasing to Him
34:02 and I know we all want to please Him.
34:05 You might maybe say, well,
34:07 maybe I keep the seventh day Sabbath.
34:10 And I just pose a question to you and pose it to myself,
34:13 do I really, do I really?
34:20 So let' say, you say, okay,
34:21 we are talking about the Sabbath. Oh, it's good.
34:23 You know, where it's possible it's nice that you get off
34:26 on noon on Friday,
34:28 so that you can what?
34:29 We are preparing for the Sabbath now.
34:30 When it comes in, a lot of people have to work
34:32 a little bit later, but where you can get off noon
34:35 so you can make some preparations for the Sabbath.
34:38 Now I'm gonna really get personal.
34:39 Somebody will turn it off but, you know,
34:41 if you're really wanting to get ready and meet the Sabbath
34:44 the way that it should before the sun goes down
34:47 on Friday evening, oh, boy, baths and showers
34:51 and, you know, shoe shined, all those things should be done
34:55 before the sun goes down.
34:57 You are gonna say, oh, boy, why?
35:00 Listen, because that time belongs to God
35:03 and only those things that are pleasing to Him
35:05 and is holy should be done on that day.
35:08 If we don't what are we doing?
35:09 We are just taking care of our own stuff,
35:12 doing like we do during the six days.
35:14 Remember His day is holy time.
35:17 So if I go a little bit further with this, you would say, well,
35:19 what do you mean preparation for Sabbath?
35:22 Sometime on Sabbath you try to get up,
35:23 you try to shine your shoes, you try to, you know,
35:26 pick out clothes and you try to, you know,
35:28 get everything all ready. And, oh, boy,
35:30 what are you saying?
35:32 Remember, you don't want to occupy time
35:35 that's not yours, it's God's time.
35:38 You don't want to occupy with your own personal things,
35:40 they need to be done prior so you can come in mentally,
35:43 physically, spiritually to accept the Sabbath
35:45 and be ready for the blessings of God.
35:47 But you can't when you are doing your own things
35:48 and you can't find this, you can't find that
35:50 and pretty soon everybody is tight, you know how it goes.
35:53 Listen, I've seen it more than once,
35:54 I've seen it many, many times,
35:56 where the enemy comes in just like this,
35:57 because we are not prepared for the Sabbath.
36:00 We get up in the morning,
36:01 Sabbath morning, we start running around,
36:02 My dad always said, like a chicken with your head off.
36:04 You're just running back and forth and pretty soon
36:06 the kids don't have, you can't find their shoes,
36:07 you can't find this, you are late.
36:09 You get all upset. Momma's burning everything
36:11 and what do you say?
36:12 I'm not going to church today, man, I can't do it.
36:14 And you lose the blessings of the Sabbath
36:16 because we haven't prepared.
36:18 So if you think I'm getting personal
36:19 I'm not really trying to, but I think it will make sense.
36:21 Remember, on the Sabbath we do those things
36:23 that pertain to God, not to ourself, we prepare.
36:27 People have written in and said, well,
36:28 what about cooking? How much cooking can I do?
36:30 Just look at the principles of the Bible, food preparation.
36:34 Sure we should do that,
36:35 we are preparing for the Sabbath,
36:36 we should prepare the food, right, before the Sabbath hours
36:40 and certainly if you get to church. Somebody said
36:41 I'm not even-- it's wrong to warm it up.
36:43 Well, you know, I kind of like it warmed up just a little bit.
36:46 Hope somebody is with me.
36:47 There is a balance in scripture.
36:49 You don't have to overdo it.
36:51 Some people say, well,
36:52 I don't want to clean up.
36:53 You shouldn't have to on the Sabbath.
36:55 You know, because you should do it before the Sabbath hours.
36:58 There is something about
37:00 you don't want to go to church dirty.
37:01 Hope somebody is with me.
37:03 You know, if we look at all the secular work
37:05 everything should be just set aside, everything laid aside.
37:09 That means the books and the magazines
37:11 and things of the world, the newspaper,
37:14 that's all of the world, you don't need it.
37:15 If you're like me I have enough of that stuff.
37:17 Put it all aside before the sun goes down.
37:19 And let me tell you brothers and sisters,
37:21 you know what, Sabbath observant,
37:23 Sabbath should begin in the home, not out running
37:26 around somewhere or doing this or that.
37:28 Why?
37:29 Because you are missing some precious holy time.
37:32 We are desecrating the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.
37:37 I believe this with all my heart,
37:38 the Sabbath is a test for this time.
37:41 The seventh day Sabbath is the test for this time.
37:43 Right now what we are living is a test.
37:46 Why?
37:47 Because the Sabbath truth is connecting, you know,
37:51 it's a connecting link between God and man.
37:54 God is connecting us.
37:55 He is drawing us up closer to Him
37:57 because we are gonna need Him like never before.
37:59 I'm telling you, time's about to fall apart, we know that.
38:02 And I believe all Christians should be keep the Sabbath.
38:05 And remember, it's not just, well, I choose it.
38:08 It's a command that God has given in His word.
38:11 You have the same Bible,
38:12 we should be reading the same thing.
38:14 Why are we so twisted on these issues?
38:16 Are we listening to everybody else and not listening to God?
38:21 Realize when people keep the seventh day Sabbath
38:24 God treats them, that's My family.
38:27 That's My family.
38:29 They are honoring what I've instituted.
38:31 Praise God.
38:32 On the Sabbath we need to center our thoughts on God
38:36 and our thoughts on heaven.
38:39 You know, we should restrict our thoughts
38:41 for any other thing except things connected with God.
38:44 Can I say this way, religious themes.
38:47 We need to really be so focused that we don't what?
38:50 Break the Sabbath.
38:53 Many are just not clear and I'm learning, too.
38:56 Many are just not clear about the high standard
38:59 that we must reach in order for heaven to be our home.
39:02 In order to really be called Sabbath keepers
39:04 there is a high standard
39:05 and most of us have fallen short.
39:07 God help us.
39:09 He is looking for the real McCoy today.
39:10 Who is gonna surface?
39:13 See God has a claim on every individual in the world today,
39:16 everyone of us in regard to His holy day,
39:20 God's seventh day Sabbath.
39:23 God's day is holy we've talked about here.
39:25 We should not rob Him of one minute, one second, one hour.
39:30 It doesn't matter. Not rob Him of any time, holy time.
39:32 Why?
39:33 Because it's His time and once again it's not ours.
39:36 And so we must be constantly on guard, constantly on guard.
39:39 That we do not use God's time, listen carefully,
39:42 use God's time to say and to do
39:47 and to go for our own use.
39:50 See how many times we have done that
39:52 and think that it's all right.
39:53 We need to rethink the issue.
39:56 Call yourself what you will, call myself what--
39:58 this is what God has said, we can't use,
40:00 remember, His time to do our things.
40:03 It has to pertain to Him.
40:04 Again, we talked about in Isaiah Chapter 58
40:07 and we read that.
40:08 I wish we could go, do some more about that.
40:10 But I tell you, some will say, well, I can't do it.
40:12 Our time is running down, stay with.
40:14 Some will say-- you know what,
40:15 you are going to have to do just like myself.
40:17 We have to retrain our mind.
40:19 We have to discipline our mind like never before.
40:23 What?
40:24 To dwell on sacred themes. Because our mind
40:27 six days is dwelling on things of the world.
40:30 So we have to train it by the grace of God,
40:32 ask the Holy Spirit to come in.
40:34 This passage in Isaiah 58 really condenses it down,
40:37 it really helps us to understand these things.
40:39 Notice, that please God, it is not dos and don'ts.
40:43 I'm gonna keep brining this, it's not dos and don'ts.
40:45 It's not a matter-- you talk about, well,
40:46 you know, I'm gonna earn merit with God. No.
40:49 We want to do it because it's pleasing to Him,
40:52 and if it's not pleasing to Him
40:53 then it would be displeasing to Him.
40:56 And you don't want to do that, I don't either.
40:59 Isaiah 58, as I read it, it compels me as God asked me,
41:03 He said, Kenny, don't turn your foot away from the Sabbath.
41:07 Interesting.
41:08 Kenny, don't turn away from the Sabbath.
41:11 Don't trample it under a foot.
41:14 Don't break it.
41:15 Don't treat it like it's just an ordinary day.
41:17 Don't treat it like it doesn't mean anything.
41:20 Please notice several points with me if you will.
41:23 These points are very valuable,
41:25 this is my opinion, you can look at them
41:26 and, you know, principles of God's word.
41:29 Do we want to please Him, number one?
41:30 Oh, yes, we want to please Him.
41:33 Once again, I'll say again.
41:34 It's not about works, it's not legalist,
41:37 it's not about doing, but it's our love toward God.
41:42 If you love Him, you want to please Him, won't you?
41:45 And again, He's commanded us it's not just a choice.
41:49 Works, it's not going to save anybody.
41:52 We're saved by grace through faith, the Bible is very clear.
41:55 But we do need a living faith
41:57 that simply means a faith that works.
42:00 God's calling, He is preparing the people.
42:03 You remember the Book of Ecclesiastes, you know,
42:06 it's written in chapter 7 verse 26, it's interesting.
42:09 It said, "Whoso pleaseth God shall escape."
42:14 And then you can fill in the blanks if you want to.
42:16 If you please God, notice this, you shall escape.
42:19 What?
42:20 All the other things that's in the world.
42:22 God said, I'm gonna take care of you if you please God
42:26 and these are ways to please God.
42:27 1 John, the Bible says in 3:22,
42:31 "Whatsoever you shall ask you will receive of Him."
42:34 Notice we receive of Him
42:36 because we keep His commandments.
42:38 Wow.
42:39 Is anybody asking anything of God?
42:42 It says "We receive it,
42:43 because we keep His commandments
42:46 and we do those things"
42:48 notice "that are pleasing in His sight."
42:52 You can claim the promises of God that way
42:54 my, brothers and sisters.
42:55 If we do what?
42:58 Because we keep His commandments,
42:59 we do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
43:02 Notice with me,
43:03 we need to call the Sabbath, Isaiah 58
43:06 brings out, a delight.
43:07 How many of us really say, oh,
43:09 goody, goody, the Sabbath is coming on?
43:11 Can't wait for the sun, you know, to set
43:13 and the Sabbath hours begin.
43:15 Oh, I tell you, can't wait to get to church.
43:17 Most people are just saying, oh,
43:18 man. Look, we are breaking the Sabbath that way.
43:22 It's not the right attitude of the mind.
43:24 We need to call, the Bible says the Sabbath,
43:27 God says the Sabbath a delight.
43:29 Look forward to it, plan for it,
43:32 ready to receive it when it comes in,
43:33 ready to impart it to others.
43:35 That's what we are looking at here.
43:37 Bible said it's holy unto the Lord, it's honorable.
43:42 And notice this, how do we honor Him?
43:44 Oh, it's interesting. We honor Him by keeping it.
43:48 That's pretty simple, isn't it?
43:51 There are several ways that can reveal
43:54 whether we honor Him or not.
43:55 So John 12:26, jot these things down quickly.
43:59 "If any man serve me, let him follow me,"
44:01 interesting, "where I am,
44:03 there shall also my servant be."
44:05 Notice "if any man serve me, him will my Father honor."
44:11 If you serve Jesus my Father is going to honor.
44:13 If you are gonna do what God has said,
44:15 Father is gonna honor. Praise the Lord.
44:18 Revelation 4:11 the Bible said,
44:20 "Thou art worthy,
44:21 O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power."
44:25 So how do we honor Him?
44:27 Now what does it say we honor Him.
44:28 We call the Sabbath a delight.
44:31 We read that Isaiah 58:12, 13, it's simple.
44:35 "We honor God by not doing" what?
44:38 "Thine own ways."
44:40 You know what, one of the word you look at,
44:42 it says doing our-- our course actions.
44:47 Wow.
44:50 Our own conversation, our own mannerism,
44:53 the things that we do all the time.
44:55 Things done on everyday basis, wow.
45:00 We're gonna find real joy in doing things His way.
45:05 Because why?
45:06 Because Isaiah 58:2 says
45:08 "Delight" we need to delight "to know His ways."
45:12 Is it a delight to know God's ways?
45:14 Oh, it should be.
45:15 "Not finding thine own pleasure."
45:19 What does that mean?
45:21 Not finding thine own pleasure,
45:23 not finding thine own desire.
45:25 Your own delight or things that you like to do
45:28 even if they are good
45:30 as it were within themself, is God's time.
45:34 It's God's time.
45:35 Now I'm gonna get a little more personal with you.
45:36 I hope we have enough time
45:37 to get into some of these things because,
45:38 you know, we need to realize that we need not do
45:42 our own things the Bible said.
45:46 Not those things that we do
45:47 on other six days of the week, it's different.
45:50 And the Bible says, not speaking our own words.
45:54 Why?
45:55 We ought to speak the words of Christ.
45:58 We ought to speak encouragement, holy words.
46:01 Not everyday words, not everyday conversations,
46:04 but our conversation should be holy,
46:06 different than all the other days
46:09 and then comes the promise, then.
46:12 If we do these things, not your own pleasure,
46:15 not your own seeking, not your own words.
46:17 Find it a delight, and then the Bible says,
46:19 I like that,
46:21 "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord."
46:24 Wow. He will cause you to ride on the high places.
46:28 God does require us to restrain
46:30 as were from physical labor on the Sabbath.
46:32 We know why. Why?
46:34 Oh, dos and don'ts? No.
46:36 Because it separates us from Him.
46:39 It separates us from Him.
46:41 If it weren't for the Sabbath, if you're like I am,
46:43 I'll probably be busy seven days a week.
46:45 Interesting.
46:46 God's knows His body, it needs some rest.
46:48 And we need to spend it with Him.
46:50 Work for money is just--
46:53 it's forbidden on the Sabbath.
46:54 As I read it, work for, you know, for our self,
46:57 work for money is forbidden on the Sabbath.
47:00 Work for anything that brings,
47:02 you know, money into our own pocket
47:03 is wrong on the Sabbath.
47:05 Some of you are gonna say
47:06 and I know you've written before you're gonna say,
47:07 yeah, but I work at the hospital.
47:08 Well, praise God,
47:10 there are people at the hospital
47:11 that need to be cared for.
47:12 Nothing you are going out of line
47:14 but you need to-- but you know what,
47:15 that money still does not belong to you.
47:19 If the humanity needs some help,
47:21 they can't get any help,
47:23 you don't neglect the sick on the Sabbath.
47:25 You meet that need but don't put a nickel,
47:27 don't put a penny, don't put a meal,
47:30 whatever it is in your pocket.
47:31 That money you earn on that day is God's money.
47:34 It is holy and you need to turn it
47:35 in as such for the winning of souls.
47:38 It's not to pad your pocket, it's to win souls for God.
47:42 Why? Six days you can labor.
47:44 We mentioned conversation, let me do it quickly
47:46 right here, the fourth commandment
47:47 talks about we can even break the Sabbath by what?
47:49 Our conversation such as who is getting married,
47:52 you know, how to go work today,
47:55 who is partying, jesting and laughing
47:57 and talking and unimportant chatter.
47:59 We break the Sabbath by our conversation.
48:01 God help us. We've been guilty of it.
48:03 We don't want to do that,
48:04 we want to please you in everything.
48:07 You said don't speak your own words.
48:08 We can't deviate.
48:10 Remember the Bible,
48:11 we rest from our work on the Sabbath.
48:13 But you know what it says, too? Guard that tongue.
48:15 Guard that tongue on the Sabbath for it speaks
48:18 what's in the mind and in the heart.
48:20 Did you get it?
48:21 We are talking about all these things,
48:23 it reveals what's inside.
48:25 Bible said,
48:26 "Out of the abundance of the heart
48:28 the mouth speaketh,"
48:29 Matthew 12:34, interesting.
48:32 None should feel free to spend sanctified time
48:36 in an unprofitable manner for sure.
48:39 We should be doing good on His days,
48:41 only those things that pertain to God.
48:45 Let's cover some of those areas.
48:46 I'll get a little bit personal with you.
48:48 Again it's not for everybody,
48:49 if you don't understand the issue I'm talking about,
48:52 you know, you need to pray about.
48:53 Just listen. Cover several areas
48:55 once again how to keep the Sabbath,
48:57 how to observe it,
48:58 how to leave it out in our lives.
49:00 You know why,
49:01 because it means eternal salvation
49:03 to be kept certainly by the grace of God.
49:06 Sabbath is holy unto the Lord.
49:08 Notice once again what happened.
49:09 God blessed and sanctified what?
49:11 The Sabbath day like no other day.
49:13 It's blessed, it's sanctified.
49:14 What God blesses is blessed forever.
49:17 Day of rest, day to go to church on,
49:19 day to fellowship.
49:20 Interesting, all the Bible writers,
49:22 the Old and the New Testament
49:23 were seventh day keepers, by the way.
49:25 You do know that, don't you?
49:26 And that included Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior.
49:29 Can't go too wrong there, can you?
49:30 Yes, remember guard the edges of the Sabbath.
49:34 It's consecrated, it's holy, holy time.
49:37 Now notice, this is really personal
49:39 because some of us, we need to learn
49:40 how to dress when we come into the sanctuary
49:42 on the Sabbath.
49:43 Did some of you hear that?
49:45 We should know how. What?
49:47 We're are talking about sacred regard for God's day,
49:51 of heaven's day,
49:53 and it should be shown by the way
49:55 in which we come and which we meet.
49:56 We never just wear everyday clothes.
49:59 People write and ask these questions
50:00 so I'm trying to answer them.
50:02 Because you have sacred and you have common.
50:05 God requires the very best. I know that you have.
50:08 The best that you have He requires.
50:10 And let me tell you we should never
50:12 enter the presence of God in our everyday work clothes.
50:15 If that's all you have, we understand that,
50:17 but we can get some more.
50:19 Why? Because He is holy, because--
50:21 And I do believe this with all my heart, you know.
50:25 A man should have a special Sabbath suit,
50:27 the woman should be wearing a dress
50:29 in the sanctuary on the Sabbath day.
50:31 I don't believe a woman wearing slacks and jeans
50:33 and stuff in the sanctuary on the Sabbath.
50:35 I don't believe that a minister should be getting up,
50:37 you know, in his tennis shoes and his jeans
50:39 and undershirt preaching from the pulpit.
50:41 I don't believe that at all. Why?
50:43 Because God's holy. He expects more than that.
50:45 You say, well, how do you know?
50:48 Do you remember what God talked at Mount Sinai
50:50 before the law was given?
50:52 He told the priest exactly what to wear
50:54 when they work for Him.
50:55 Do you remember?
50:56 And certainly when He came to give the Ten Commandments
50:58 what He told the people, you remember that?
50:59 He told them they need to sanctify themselves
51:01 and get it right,
51:02 get it cleaned up and clean yourself,
51:03 wash yourself up.
51:06 To appear into God's presence we must be clean,
51:08 we must be neat and trim
51:09 without adornment inside and out.
51:11 No business transactions on the Sabbath.
51:14 No work for livelihood, please keep that in mind,
51:18 not on God's day.
51:19 God forbid.
51:20 He gives us six days in which to do that.
51:23 No business conducted on the Sabbath.
51:25 Some people say, well, the circumstances.
51:26 No, there is no circumstances,
51:28 God said no, that's what He means.
51:30 And some people say they work so hard for six days
51:32 that they can hardly go to church on Sabbath
51:34 because they are too tired and they are too worn out.
51:36 I encourage you
51:37 to change your job if you have to.
51:39 People want to sleep the Sabbath hours away,
51:41 that's unacceptable to God.
51:43 It's nice to rest, we're supposed to rest.
51:45 But we sleep the Sabbath out,
51:46 remember, it's not your time to sleep.
51:48 Certainly you can rest a little bit
51:49 but not sleep all the hour.
51:50 It's God's holy time.
51:51 We ought to be out ministering to our fellow man.
51:53 We ought to lift up the name of Jesus.
51:56 God's given us wonderful example.
51:59 Of all the days of the week,
52:02 the seventh day is just suited for devotion,
52:04 it's for study, it's for thoughts,
52:06 it's for deeds,
52:07 it's for the Sabbath, the fellowship together.
52:11 Please, don't sleep in on Sabbath.
52:13 Bless your hearts. Some of, I'm telling you,
52:14 sleep in, oh,
52:16 and you come to church in such a mess.
52:17 It is such a mess, I'm telling you.
52:20 You know, we need to think about all these things.
52:22 Our time is running out,
52:24 we have more information, but we need to be very careful.
52:26 Even the food we eat,
52:27 how much we eat, it all can affect our thoughts.
52:30 And it can clog our mind
52:31 that we cannot get the blessings
52:32 that God wants to give us.
52:34 Remember, it's all about it's His time, it's not our time.
52:37 Be careful, the choices and decisions that we make
52:40 because it's God's day.
52:42 Do you want to please Him or are you gonna displease Him?
52:45 It's one or the other.
52:46 Is God is gonna say, well, I know, you know, it's okay.
52:49 I guess if they--
52:51 He makes it real clear
52:52 what He approves of and what He doesn't, you know.
52:56 Don't give the Sabbath the pleasure seeking
52:58 or doing your own ways.
52:59 Don't use the Sabbath for personal purposes
53:02 that we've been talking about.
53:03 Buying, selling, eating out, buying cars. Talked to many
53:06 of them who said, I keep the Sabbath,
53:08 you're buying cars on the Sabbath,
53:09 you're eating out,
53:10 you're doing all kind of things,
53:11 you're playing sports, you're swimming.
53:13 You know what,
53:14 you say what's wrong with those things?
53:16 We forget God when we do those things
53:18 and Sabbath is put all those things away
53:20 and we spend our time with God.
53:22 It's holy, holy time, be careful, be careful.
53:27 You know, Sabbath, I'm gonna say this before we close,
53:30 the seventh day Sabbath is not made for us
53:33 to attend family reunions,
53:35 not to have birthday parties and weddings
53:37 and baby showers and graduations
53:39 and anniversary parties, washing the car,
53:41 cutting the hair, all these kind of thing.
53:43 I know it's personal.
53:44 That's not what the Sabbath's for at all.
53:46 These and many other things honor man
53:50 and the Sabbath, the seventh day,
53:51 24 hour period of time, is to honor what? God.
53:54 Shall we go over these things?
53:56 Our thoughts, our service are spiritual.
53:59 You know, in eating, our drinking, picture taking,
54:01 merriment, all these things.
54:03 Do they really honor God?
54:06 Maybe we need to rethink some things.
54:07 Maybe we need to ask God to help us.
54:10 And before I have prayer with you,
54:11 remember Sabbath day, quickly eight things,
54:13 healthful rest, two, holy deeds,
54:16 improve our spiritual condition,
54:17 rest from our labors, worship-- to worship on,
54:20 meet together,
54:21 meet and help suffering humanity,
54:24 comfort the sorrowing,
54:25 and make it a blessed day of the week.
54:28 Do you want to do that?
54:29 I know it's too much for some of you,
54:30 bless your heart, but others may wake you up
54:32 because sometimes in the pulpits
54:34 we are hearing things that we shouldn't be hearing.
54:35 And it's like everything is all right on the Sabbath.
54:37 Not on God's day.
54:38 So I pray the Holy Spirit is helping.
54:39 Can we pray about it?
54:41 I'm gonna kneel here. Where you can, well, you kneel.
54:42 Let's pray together.
54:45 Our kind loving heavenly Father,
54:46 we thank You for your word today.
54:48 Maybe difficult, heavy for some ears
54:51 but there are many ears longing to hear the truth,
54:54 the way it would be pleasing to be able to keep the Sabbath
54:57 that will please God.
54:58 So we pray as hearts and minds and ears are open,
55:00 where we fail we ask for forgiveness
55:02 and ask that You would train us.
55:04 Help us to see the spiritual, spiritual truths.
55:06 We are gonna thank You in advance
55:07 for what You are going to do.
55:08 And we thank You for the seventh day Sabbath
55:10 and the time spent with You. In Jesus name, amen.
55:15 Again we thank you for joining us,
55:17 you know. And we want to thank you
55:18 for again your cards and your letters
55:20 and your support to the ministry.
55:22 The present truth is that things that people want to hear
55:24 most generally not but, you know,
55:26 they are from the Word of God.
55:27 If He's got them in here, it's for you, it's for me.
55:29 It's not just for this group, that group,
55:30 it's for everybody.
55:32 Why don't you just prayerfully consider everything
55:33 that's been said here, pray about it?
55:35 And then would you pray, while you're praying,
55:37 how you can support this ministry
55:38 and keep these present day truths message
55:40 coming to you?
55:41 God bless you. We love you, we'll see you next time.
55:45 Hello again and welcome back.
55:47 I certainly hope that you found answers to your questions
55:51 on keeping the Sabbath holy.
55:53 Perhaps even, even answers to questions
55:56 that you didn't realize you should be asking.
55:58 God is holy and what He has sanctified
56:01 to be kept holy is to be treated as such.
56:05 The problem lies with us.
56:07 We are so far separated from understanding
56:10 true holiness that we often misunderstand
56:13 what God is asking of us in keeping the Sabbath holy.
56:17 But no more excuses now.
56:19 We just need more prayer and more study
56:22 and decisiveness to do that which is right
56:25 in the sight of heaven.
56:26 And Behold the Lamb Ministry wants to help you
56:29 do just that by making this five part series
56:33 available to you for your study library.
56:36 In ordering it from us
56:37 you will also be blessing the ministry
56:40 to do this work and to keep these messages
56:43 in front of our faithful partners
56:45 just like yourself.
56:46 We need your support,
56:48 we need workers in the field that are supporting us
56:50 and prayerfully keeping us going in reaching out
56:53 and sharing this blessed message
56:56 with other people.
56:58 This series "The Sabbath, a Test of Faith"
57:00 contains the following messages.
57:02 The Origin of the Sabbath, the Law and Grace,
57:06 How to Keep the Sabbath,
57:07 Revelation 14, and finally Avoiding the Mark of the Beast.
57:11 You don't want to miss any of these messages.
57:14 This series is being offered for a love gift
57:17 of just $35 or more here in the United States.
57:21 Mailings outside of the Untied States
57:23 will incur additional shipping fees.
57:26 Simply contact us here at Behold the Lamb Ministries,
57:29 by calling 618-942-5044,
57:34 that's Central Standard Time.
57:36 Or you may write
57:37 to Behold the Lamb Ministries, PO Box 2030,
57:41 Herrin, Il 62948.
57:44 You may email your order
57:45 at BeholdtheLambMinistries @yahoo.com
57:48 or visit us on our website
57:50 at www.BeholdtheLambMinistries .com.
57:54 Until next time, my precious friends,
57:57 may our wonderful Lord
57:59 continue to richly bless you and yours.


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Revised 2015-06-11