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Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000179S
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00:38 Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode
00:41 of Behold the Lamb Presents. 00:42 I'm Chris Shelton. 00:44 I want to thank you for joining us. 00:46 Today's message is entitled, 00:48 "They mocked the messengers of God." 00:50 I want to open by sharing a key text 00:52 that Pastor Kenny will be using 00:54 during this message today as found in Jeremiah 26:4-6. 00:59 And I'm going to be reading 01:01 from the New King James Version. 01:03 It says, "And you shall say to them, 01:06 'Thus saith the Lord, 'If you will not listen to Me, 01:09 to walk in My laws which I have set before you, 01:13 to heed the words of My servants, 01:16 the prophets, whom I have sent to you, 01:18 both rising up early and sending them, 01:21 but you have not heeded, 01:23 then I will make this house like Shiloh, 01:26 and will make this city a curse to all nations of the earth.'" 01:32 Friends, are we following in Judah's footsteps 01:35 of whom Jeremiah was giving this warning to? 01:39 Hasn't God sent to us His servants, His prophets, 01:43 His pastors and lay messengers 01:45 to give us warning after warning 01:48 to turn away from our sins 01:51 and to follow in His law of righteousness? 01:54 Have their instructions been often mocked and turned away 01:57 from in our home, our churches, 02:00 and even in our government for the most part? 02:03 If so, is there yet a little time 02:06 for repentance and reformation 02:08 before probation closes upon our nation? 02:13 Together, let's consider 02:15 these questions as Pastor Kenny Shelton 02:18 unrolls before us what God has placed 02:20 upon his heart as he presents, 02:23 they mocked the messengers of God. 02:25 But first, as always, 02:27 let's visit 3ABN and listen to a song 02:30 that is entitled, 02:32 How Deep is the Father's Love 02:34 as sung by Sandra Entermann. 02:51 How deep the Father's love for us 02:57 How vast beyond all measure 03:03 That he should give his only son 03:10 To make a wretch his treasure 03:16 How great the pain of searing loss 03:22 The Father turns His face away 03:29 As wounds which mar the chosen one 03:35 Bring many sons to glory 03:53 Behold the man upon a cross 03:59 My sin upon his shoulders 04:06 Ashamed I hear my mocking voice 04:12 Call out among the scoffers 04:18 It was my sin that held him there 04:24 Until it was accomplished 04:31 His dying breath has brought me life 04:37 I know that it is finished 04:55 I will not boast in anything 05:02 No gifts no power no wisdom 05:08 But I will boast in Jesus Christ 05:15 His death and resurrection 05:21 Why should I gain from his reward 05:28 I cannot give an answer 05:34 But this I know with all my heart 05:41 His wounds have paid my ransom 06:43 Thank you for joining us once again here 06:45 at Behold the Lamb Ministries. 06:46 We appreciate you so very much. 06:48 We wouldn't have a study if it wasn't for you folks. 06:50 And so we appreciate your cards, your letters, 06:52 and support to get this message around the world 06:55 so Jesus can come. 06:57 Now we realize that it takes a lot of effort 06:59 and a lot of effort is being put 07:01 into making sure these programs are produced 07:03 and that they're going, being sent out. 07:05 And this so that you can be aware of it 07:06 and you can pass it along. 07:08 So again, we thank you very much for joining us. 07:10 We're going to be studying a subject today 07:12 that I believe it will be very heartwarming to your soul, 07:16 but also albeit make some soul searching. 07:18 So I want to make sure you search your heart today. 07:20 They mocked the messengers of God. 07:23 Surely, none of you have done that. 07:25 What if maybe we have? 07:27 Maybe we've said something, maybe we've done something, 07:29 maybe we've just kind of laughed at the Word of God 07:32 because maybe we just didn't understand it 07:33 at the time. 07:35 But we're going to look at some things today 07:36 that I believe will bring conviction 07:37 upon our hearts and our minds. 07:39 But first, we always pray, don't we? 07:41 I'm going to kneel up here and have prayer. 07:42 And I'd like for you at home 07:43 and those who may be going down the road 07:45 or whatever you might be doing, 07:46 where you can, please pray with me. 07:48 Shall we pray? 07:51 Merciful heavenly Father, 07:52 we thank You again for the privilege of prayer. 07:54 Thank You that we can call You our Father. 07:56 Lord, we come today because we have nothing good 07:58 within our self in which to offer. 08:01 But through the power of Thy Holy Spirit, 08:03 You will bring strength, and courage, 08:04 and conviction upon hearts and lives. 08:07 And we know Lord that as You come near to 08:10 each and every one of us today, 08:12 that we praise Your Spirit speaks to our hearts, 08:14 that we will make the right choice 08:16 and the right decision. 08:17 Not for just a day, but for eternity. 08:19 Cleanse me of any sin, 08:20 anything in my heart and life that needs not be there. 08:23 Oh Lord, I need to hear from heaven. 08:24 We all need to hear from heaven. 08:26 In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. 08:30 They mocked the messengers of God. 08:33 There's a powerful example given in Scripture. 08:34 And I just want to just allude to that 08:36 and go just quickly through that. 08:37 And because you'll say, "Well, I don't know of anybody 08:39 that ever mocked God's messengers." 08:42 See, we need to be careful what we say, what we do, 08:44 what seeds that we plant about those whom God has appointed 08:49 to give the message to the world. 08:52 And some of us have been very loose over the years, 08:54 including myself as a, certainly as a younger person 08:57 of making a lot of comments 08:58 that maybe should not have been made. 09:00 And seeds that I've planted that influence 09:02 other people's thought and their attitude. 09:05 In 2 Kings, I'd like for you to have your Bible. 09:07 You turn with me to the book 2 Kings. 09:09 This is very familiar, nothing new. 09:12 But notice how God views, how God views His people 09:18 and the ones He is called to do a work for Him. 09:21 And sometime we might get in the way, 09:23 and God has ways to remove 09:26 those who are trying to slow down 09:28 or retard His work. 09:30 And you don't want to be 09:31 one of those and I don't either. 09:33 You'll know this very well as in second... 09:36 It's found in 2 Kings Chapter 2. 09:38 2 Kings 2:23-24. 09:42 Soon as I began to read it, if you're not... 09:43 You haven't been familiar say, "Oh yeah, I remember that." 09:46 Now remember, Elijah had just right... 09:49 The way he went up into the heavens. 09:52 And the... 09:53 His mantle or his power was given to Elisha. 09:57 So God had been at work 10:00 in a marvelous mighty way 10:02 and then something happened. 10:04 Remember, anytime God is working in a marvelous way, 10:08 the devil is also working. 10:11 And make sure me, you, 10:13 we're not that one that the devil can use 10:15 to try to slow it down. 10:17 Here's what happened in verse 23 at 2 Kings 2. 10:20 It says, "And he went up from thence unto Bethel: 10:24 and as he was going up by the way, 10:26 there came forth little children," 10:29 young people really is what it means, 10:30 "out of the city and they mocked him 10:34 and said unto him, 'Go up, thou bald head, 10:36 go up thou bald head!" 10:38 Verse 24, "And he turned back, 10:40 and looked on them and he cursed them 10:42 in the name of the Lord." 10:44 Interesting. 10:45 "And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood 10:48 and tare forty and two children. 10:51 Bears had killed them. 10:53 They were killed forty and two young people. 10:56 Man, that sounds drastic. 10:58 Why would something like this take place? 11:02 It's a powerful example of 11:05 how God views, you know, 11:07 those who laugh, those who mock, 11:11 those who make light comments, 11:14 show a lack of respect 11:16 for those God has called to work in His vineyard. 11:20 Think about it. 11:22 Sounds like a harsh punishment. 11:24 When I first heard that as a young child, 11:26 I said, "Surely, that was not of God." 11:30 But as you study and as you look, 11:32 certainly God was in control. 11:36 These young people, see, 11:38 they had heard about Elijah's ascension. 11:44 Remember this ascension time was a solemn act. 11:48 God had worked a mighty miracle. 11:53 Heaven came down. 11:55 Elijah translated into heaven without seeing death. 12:00 It was directed by God. 12:05 This was a man of God. 12:08 And God looked down and saw him and said, 12:10 "I want you where I am." 12:12 What a representative of mankind 12:16 how God wants us to be today. 12:17 So I look at it as a miracle was performed 12:19 right then and there. 12:21 But Elijah now was gone and Elisha had the mantle 12:27 and was going to take where Elijah left off. 12:31 So remember, God then appointed him, 12:33 and now here came some ungodly youth. 12:39 There's ungodly everybody in the world today, 12:41 be it young, old, whatever it might be, 12:43 but these ungodly youth came on 12:45 and they mocked and they laughed at Elisha, 12:48 who was right on 12:50 getting ready to pick up his work. 12:51 He wasn't going to take a vacation. 12:53 I've just been appointed. 12:54 I'm going to take some time off. 12:55 He immediately went to work. 12:58 And they basically said to him, 13:00 "Well, why don't you just go on up too? 13:02 We don't need you." 13:03 Let me paraphrase. 13:05 Why don't you too just go on up? 13:06 We don't need you. We don't like your kind. 13:07 You might have heard that some time in your work. 13:10 We don't need your kind around here. 13:11 We don't need your kind of message 13:12 around here. 13:14 So why don't you just go on, get out of here. 13:17 Remember, as God had just appointed him as leader, 13:21 just immediately, who steps in? 13:24 The enemy, the devil steps in immediately 13:27 and tries to steal the miracle. 13:30 Tries to steal because eyes, ears, 13:33 and this would be told and retold over the centuries. 13:37 And certainly as it took place, it circled the villages 13:39 and the town just like that. 13:41 And the devil says 13:42 we can't have no religious, you know, 13:45 just uprising right now, which is a good thing. 13:48 We just can't have it. 13:50 They mocked the messengers of God. 13:54 And so the enemy says, "I'm going to stop it 13:56 because I'm going to try to hurt the work. 13:58 And then I'm going to try to hurt the messenger of God 14:01 because if something can be said 14:03 to hurt the message and the messenger of God, 14:05 it won't do what it's supposed to do." 14:09 Think about... 14:10 Well, that still sounds like, 14:12 oh my, 42 young people killed by some she-bears. 14:16 What if that mockery and what they had just done 14:20 in spite of what God had just done, 14:23 and there had been no rebuke? 14:25 Huh. 14:27 What if they were permitted to go unpunished 14:29 and nothing said? 14:32 Elisha's work would have been retarded. 14:37 Elisha's work would not have been the same 14:39 because the people would not look at it 14:41 the same anymore. 14:42 Just like we must be careful what we say about leadership 14:45 and different ones in certain positions, 14:48 because it can hurt the cause of Christ, 14:51 not just an individual, but the cause of Christ. 14:55 If it had gone unrebuked, 14:58 the enemy would have won a battle. 15:01 Prophets and Kings, 15:03 236 says this, "The so-called..." 15:05 Notice this, "The so-called tenderness, 15:08 the coaxing." 15:09 Listen, this is for parents. 15:11 Listen carefully, "The so-called tenderness, 15:14 the coaxing, and the indulgences 15:16 used toward youth by parents or guardians," listen, 15:21 "is one of the worst evils 15:23 which can come upon them. 15:26 In every family, firmness, decision, positive requirements 15:31 are essential." 15:33 Did you get that? How interesting. 15:37 It's one of the worst evils 15:38 that can come upon the young people 15:40 when you just try to coax. 15:42 You don't have rules and regulations and times, 15:44 and you just try to pat 15:46 and get by and, you know, that's not good. 15:52 Our young people need to be 15:53 taught to respect, we call, their elders. 15:57 They need to be... 15:58 You know, taught to respect people. 16:00 Respect and reverence should be 16:03 shown for God's representatives, 16:09 should be shown for God's ministers, 16:11 it should be shown for God's teachers. 16:14 His people, the teachers, 16:16 parents who are called to be spokesmen 16:19 or to speak for God. 16:21 See, sometime we forget that. 16:22 Oh, it's just the preacher. 16:23 Oh, it's just the Sabbath school teacher. 16:25 It's just so... 16:27 But have they been called of God? 16:29 If they've been called of God, 16:31 there's an anointing 16:32 or should be an anointing in their life. 16:35 We must respect that. 16:36 Certainly, it must line up with Scripture. 16:39 But we must respect that because God has called them. 16:44 He's honored them. 16:47 Now just quickly think about this. 16:50 There was this one bad situation 16:53 because of the ungodly attack to what God had done. 16:57 But you know what happened? 16:59 That lasted over 50 years. 17:03 Fifty years Elisha came 17:06 and went through the gates of the city. 17:08 He traveled all around the land 17:11 and not one time is ever recorded 17:13 that anyone ever said anything to him again. 17:21 Not one thing, not one youth, not one ungodly. 17:25 And he walked among them constantly. 17:27 They never said anything 17:28 because there was a lesson that was taught. 17:32 Maybe not so severe like that, 17:34 but there's lessons maybe that 17:35 we can learn too that we make sure 17:37 we're not mocking the messengers of God. 17:41 In Jeremiah 26, turn with me 17:44 there if you will in your Bible. 17:46 I want to just read that one more time here. 17:47 I think that's very good. 17:49 I think that our scripture reading. 17:50 Jeremiah 26. 17:53 There are some real points of interest in here that 17:56 we just might overlook, and please don't do that today. 18:00 Jeremiah 26:4-6. 18:03 I always love to say, 18:04 "This is what the Word of God says." 18:06 Right? This is what the Bible said. 18:08 Or this is what the pastor said. 18:11 This is what the elder said. So what? 18:14 This is what the evangelist said. 18:15 So what? 18:17 Now I'm not trying to be a little lad, 18:18 I don't want you to think. 18:19 This is the Word of God. 18:21 The Word of God says in Jeremiah 26:4-6, 18:25 "And thou shalt say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord.'" 18:28 So you don't go to them saying, 18:30 "This is what I tell you I want you to do." 18:32 You come and say, "In the name of the Lord, 18:34 this is what the Lord said." 18:35 He said, "If you will not hearken to me to walk in my..." 18:40 Yeah, walk in my what? 18:42 "My law which I have set before you, 18:45 to hearken to the words of my servants the..." 18:49 God said to the law, right? The law. 18:51 "And then to the prophets here, 18:53 whom I sent unto you both rising up early 18:56 and sending them, but ye have not hearkened." 18:59 God said, "I've loved you so much. 19:01 I love you so much 19:02 and I'm going to send you extra help." 19:05 We're going to need help. We know that. 19:06 We need help here in these last days 19:08 of earth's history like never before. 19:10 If we ever needed a prophet of God, 19:12 we need one now. 19:13 If we ever need direction, we need it now. 19:16 There's too much, too many men getting out there 19:18 giving what they think and what, 19:19 you know, their thoughts. 19:21 I want them as if they were the mind of Christ. 19:23 I want to know what God wants me to do. 19:26 And he said, "Then will I make this house like Shiloh." 19:28 God says, "Here's what I want you to do. 19:30 Notice this, about two things notice there. 19:32 Hearken to meet, walk in My law, and then what? 19:35 And listen to My prophets. 19:37 "If you don't," He said, 19:38 "I will make this house like Shiloh, 19:41 and will make this city a curse 19:43 to all the nations of the earth." 19:44 And sure enough, it happened. 19:46 History proved that. Because what? 19:49 They mocked the messengers of God, 19:51 because they would not listen to what God said in His Word. 19:54 Why? 19:55 Because sometimes many of us 19:57 as Christians think we're smarter than God. 20:00 Is it okay to say that? Sometimes we... 20:03 You wouldn't come out and say that, 20:04 I wouldn't come out and say that, 20:06 but our actions prove it sometimes. 20:08 I know what it says, but I know what it said. 20:10 This is the 21st century. 20:12 I know what it says, but things have changed now. 20:15 Remember, God's Word does not change. 20:16 He said anything I've altered... 20:17 What? 20:19 It cannot be altered or changed, 20:20 anything has come out of My mouth. 20:21 I'm the same yesterday, today, and forever. 20:24 And how easily we lose those verses 20:26 when it's convenient to our lifestyle. 20:30 This passage of scripture tell me 20:32 right there that it was the prophet's duty, 20:35 messengers of God. 20:37 It was his responsibility to teach. 20:41 His responsibility to teach 20:42 so that God's people can learn, 20:44 so that we can all learn together. 20:46 To get up in the pulpit and waste time, 20:48 somebody needs to get a different job. 20:51 I've said it over and over 20:52 and I'm going to continue to say it. 20:53 If you're just getting up wasting time 20:55 and trying to say little cute sayings 20:56 and little rhythms and rhymes or whatever it might be, 20:59 you're wasting your time because Jesus is soon to come. 21:02 There needs to be some straightening out 21:04 done among us as God's people. 21:06 We want to repopulate heaven, 21:08 and we need to study what heaven is like. 21:10 Isn't that right? 21:11 And I look up and stare what heaven is like and angels, 21:13 and holiness, and goodness and I find myself undeserving. 21:17 And God says, "You are, but My son, he's deserving." 21:20 Right? 21:21 I need to accept him and his life, 21:23 but it doesn't excuse me from living the life 21:26 under the direction of the Holy Spirit. 21:29 Interesting how that people look at the prophets, 21:33 they were to teach the law. 21:36 That means right and wrong. 21:37 Well, it's right, that's all the law does. 21:39 Remember when I mentioned law here? 21:41 It's not a means of salvation, all that, blah-blah. 21:43 The law can't save you, 21:44 the Ten Commandments can't save you. 21:47 Come on, church. 21:48 The law cannot save you. 21:51 It's by grace are you saved through faith. 21:54 There's a different... There's... 21:56 Oh, I'm a New Testament. I'm under grace. 21:58 Praise God, you're under grace. 22:00 New Testament, grace was instituted 22:02 as soon as sin came into the world. 22:05 Saved in the Old Testament, same way as in the New. 22:09 But were it not for grace, it just would not happen. 22:12 But law is... There's a function of the law. 22:15 It points out what sin is. 22:19 And the penalty for breaking of the law, 22:22 and then it drives me to the Savior 22:23 and for His blood. 22:25 Jeremiah 7:13 just says that the prophet, 22:29 the people of God, the preachers, 22:31 the pastors needs to rise up early and speak. 22:35 When they rise up early and speak, what you... 22:37 Maybe what you might need, 22:39 what I need today is I need to hear somebody 22:41 that's speaking under conviction of the Holy Spirit. 22:44 I need to hear somebody 22:46 that talks about something that's earnest. 22:48 You just feel it. You just sense it. 22:50 You just know it, harmonized with the Bible. 22:51 It's coming from their innermost soul. 22:55 Somebody that speaks it continuously. 22:57 They're not saying one thing one day 22:59 and next day they're saying something else. 23:02 And that's what the Bible said. Jeremiah 7:25. 23:04 Just jot it down so we move quickly as we can through here. 23:07 Tells us, it says, "Since the day 23:10 that your fathers 23:11 came forth out of the land of Egypt," 23:13 notice this, "and unto this day." 23:17 Notice what he says. 23:18 Jesus said, God says, "I have sent unto you 23:22 all of My servants, the prophets, 23:25 daily rising up early and sending them." 23:28 He goes back and points from the days of your father... 23:30 When you came out of the land of Egypt, 23:32 I sent you help and you did not want that help. 23:36 I did it early. 23:38 I didn't wait until you're too far gone. 23:41 I sent it to you. I wanted to help you. 23:46 I just encourage God's people today. 23:48 Be careful that we do not reject that 23:50 which God sends. 23:53 Because you've been told different, 23:54 you've been raised different, you've taught different, 23:58 it's easy to come back and say, 23:59 "This is what I thought. 24:01 I thought this was the way it was." 24:02 Most of us have done that. I'm still doing it today. 24:05 I used to think... 24:06 I thought this is the way that... 24:08 But now as the Holy Spirit enlightens, 24:11 as truth is progressive, 24:13 now that I see this is what God really means 24:16 and it's backed by His Word over and over. 24:21 God says, "Don't let it go too long, Kenny, 24:24 till there's no remedy for the judgment." 24:26 If you let it go too long, there's no remedy. 24:29 I can't, I won't call it off, 24:31 I can't call it off because you went too far. 24:34 2 Chronicles 36. 24:37 Again, jot it down and study to show yourself approve. 24:40 Chapter 36 verses 15 through 16 is so important today. 24:46 It says, "And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them 24:49 by his messengers," 24:51 notice again, "rising up betimes." 24:55 Betimes here is translated continually. 24:58 And I like this one, carefully. 25:01 See, God's careful how He deals with us. 25:03 He doesn't have to be, but He is. 25:06 He knows who you are. 25:07 He knows how you feel about things, 25:08 and He's careful how He deals with you. 25:11 And that might help us 25:12 as Christians dealing with one another. 25:14 Let's be a little careful. 25:16 There are some who are sensitive. 25:19 And we need supposed to be aware. 25:21 Nothing's wrong with that, but we have to be careful 25:23 with that and try to reach them 25:26 and not drive them away. 25:29 Now why did God say it, go to them betimes, 25:33 keep over and over sending the message? 25:35 The Bible goes on there in 2 Chronicles. 25:37 It says, "Because He has compassion on His people 25:41 and on His dwelling place." 25:43 Aren't you glad God has compassion 25:45 on you and on me? 25:47 And we'd all be gone if it wasn't. 25:48 If anybody sits back snuffly today, 25:50 just sitting back, oh, man, I tell you, 25:52 well, I know that God. 25:53 No, He has compassion on us. 25:55 There's none good. 25:57 The Bible said there's no, not one. 26:00 The only good was Jesus Christ, and that we've all sinned. 26:02 We've all come short of the glory of God. 26:05 We're all under the death penalty. 26:07 We need a savior. But what happened? 26:10 He said, "I rose up early, I sent it to you. 26:12 I love you. 26:13 I wanted to have compassion on you. 26:14 I want you to change. I want you to be ready." 26:16 But he says in verse 16, 2 Chronicles 36. 26:20 "But they mocked the messengers of God. 26:23 They mocked the messengers of God 26:25 and they despised his words. 26:28 They misused his prophets until the wrath of God 26:31 arose against his people till there was no remedy 26:35 or no healing." 26:37 That means there's a limit. Is that right? 26:39 There's a limit to God's forbearance. 26:40 You say, "Well, there's no limit 26:42 to God's mercy." 26:43 There is a limit. 26:44 The time will come when he said that's enough. 26:46 Did he? 26:47 Well, you say, "Well, I don't know." 26:49 What, did he not do that on the cross? 26:51 Yeah, He said it's finished. 26:53 There's no more that he could do for His people. 26:57 No healing. 27:00 Again, we must be 27:01 if God chooses us to be His mouthpieces. 27:05 He chooses you. He chooses me to be... 27:09 Deliver a message. 27:11 But remember, I always say, because someone says, 27:14 I hold this position, you know, I feel they have to be 27:16 the one they earn that position. 27:19 You respect somebody, they have to earn respect. 27:21 Isn't that right? Yeah. 27:23 You don't just give it to them 27:24 because of, "Well, he's a leader. 27:25 So we have to listen to him." 27:27 I'm going to compare 27:28 what he says with the Word of God. 27:29 And you should too. 27:31 Something to consider here, those who reject His prophets, 27:35 those who reject His mouthpieces, 27:37 Jesus said this. 27:39 I think it's very crucial. 27:42 Crucial to see how Jesus viewed these things. 27:45 Don't you? This is what it's all... 27:47 Regardless of how anybody else accepts it, 27:50 how did Jesus speak about His mouthpieces 27:52 or His prophets? 27:54 The ones he used. 27:55 Here, he was speaking to the scribes 27:57 and the Pharisees in Matthew 23. 28:00 You might want to look at that quickly. 28:02 Matthew 23 and we'll read verses 33, 34 and 37. 28:08 He starts out like this. 28:09 Matthew 23:33. 28:11 He starts out like this. 28:13 "Ye serpents." Oh, my. 28:16 "You generations of Vipers! 28:20 How can you escape the damnation of hell?" 28:23 That don't sound like Jesus. What's going on here? 28:27 Maybe I've got the wrong thing here. 28:29 Anybody checked me out to make sure 28:30 I've got the right verses? Well, somebody ought to. 28:33 Thank you. We got a man that's checking. 28:35 That's good because Jesus was saying 28:37 something here very important that the scribes 28:40 and the Pharisees needed to hear. 28:42 When he says, "You serpents," that means you snakes. 28:48 That means a sly, like a sly snake. 28:50 It means something that is malicious. 28:53 He said, you malicious people. 28:55 They were the leaders. 28:56 Surely, they wouldn't be malicious, but they were. 29:00 And in parenthesis, you might put Satan. 29:03 Interesting he called them Satan. 29:07 He said the vipers, and I thought, interesting. 29:10 Vipers means an adder or it means poisonous snakes. 29:14 Huh? 29:16 How can you escape the condemnation, 29:18 damnation of hell? 29:21 Now again, that... 29:22 The word there is translated Gehenna, 29:24 which is, you know, the valley there in Jerusalem. 29:26 Therefore, burning or the place of punishment, 29:29 a burning or hell. 29:33 He said, "How are you going to escape hell 29:35 when you're thinking like this? 29:36 You won't receive the message. 29:38 I send it to you day in and day out early. 29:40 I tell you exactly what needs to be done. 29:42 If you'll just do a couple of things, 29:44 I'll cause you to ride 29:45 on the high places of the earth." 29:47 "If you don't," He said, 29:48 "Hell is what's going to happen." 29:49 Is it okay to say that? Jesus said it right here. 29:54 Oh, it's pretty heavy duty, 29:55 so He must have meant business. 29:57 Verse 34 says, "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you," 30:00 here's the message, 30:02 "I send unto you prophets 30:04 and I sent you wise men and then scribes." 30:08 And notice this, listen carefully with this, 30:10 "And some of them ye shall kill." 30:14 What's the context or the, you know, of this timeframe? 30:20 He didn't say, "Well, it's like Old Testament 30:22 and they killed the prophets before." 30:24 He said, "There's going to be some in the future, 30:26 that's prophets that you're going to kill." 30:29 Do you see it? 30:30 It's pointing in the New Testament time. 30:32 He said, notice, how does it read? 30:35 "Some of them ye shall kill." 30:37 So they hadn't been killed yet. 30:41 "And you're going to crucify some of them. 30:44 You shall scourge them 30:45 in your synagogue and persecute them 30:47 from city to city." 30:48 Why in this world would anyone want to persecute, kill, 30:51 scourge a message that God would give to His people? 30:55 The same way they want to get rid of you today 30:57 when you say something a little different than 30:58 what they think should be said. 31:00 They want you out of the way. 31:02 They don't want to hear you. 31:03 They make excuses of 31:04 why they want to get rid of you. 31:06 One man said when he was challenged, 31:08 "Well, what did he say that was so wrong?" 31:10 "Well, I can't find anything 31:12 he said that was really wrong, 31:13 but it was the way that he said it." 31:18 I wouldn't have said it that way. 31:22 God doesn't have any two people alike. 31:24 Does He necessarily? 31:26 And we'll all say things differently. 31:27 As I speak, is it truth or is it not truth? 31:31 And Jesus goes on to say 31:33 there in verse 37, "Oh, Jerusalem, 31:34 Jerusalem, thou that killest," what? 31:37 "That killest the prophets. 31:38 God's last day people. 31:40 He said, what are you doing in Jerusalem? 31:41 You're killing the prophets. 31:43 You stonest them which are sent unto thee. 31:47 Could we be possibly doing that today without the stones, 31:51 without the, you know... 31:53 Could we be killing their words? 31:57 Could we be changing the meaning 31:58 and say, oh, that's... 32:00 Let me bring something up. 32:01 Some people give this passage of scripture 32:03 and several we could go into. 32:04 I won't do it because as usual, there's never enough time. 32:09 But Luke 16:16, here's what some people 32:13 will throw to you. 32:14 And I'm going to throw it back to you. 32:17 Is it okay? 32:19 Because I believe that they're not... 32:21 You know, as they study it, 32:22 they're not coming up with the right meaning here. 32:24 Luke 16:16 say, people say, 32:26 oh, yeah, to the law and the prophets, absolutely. 32:28 They were until the time of the gospel, 32:30 or the New Testament Church, 32:32 or until the time of John the Baptist. 32:33 You remember? 32:35 But so now we don't have to worry about that anymore. 32:37 Really? Is that what it's saying? 32:38 Let's read it. Luke 16:16. 32:40 It says, "The law 32:41 and the prophets were until John." 32:43 Woo! 32:44 If we're a surface reader 32:46 or we want to quit right then and there, 32:47 that's what it sounds like, doesn't it? 32:50 Are you going to quit there? Should I? 32:51 The Bible didn't quit there. I'm going to go ahead. 32:54 Jesus didn't quit, Holy Spirit didn't quit there. 32:58 Says, "Since that time the kingdom of God is preached, 33:03 every man presseth into it." 33:06 This passage confuses surface readers. 33:11 And you throw everything out that 33:13 God has said so positive over and over 33:15 and over for a verse like this, that somehow 33:17 we just can't seem to figure out they say. 33:19 It says... Let's examine it a little bit. 33:21 The law and the prophets. 33:24 That is simply the writings of the Old Testament, right? 33:27 Again, the writings of the Old Testament. 33:29 Until John, until John who? 33:31 Until John the Baptist came. 33:35 Notice this, until the preaching 33:37 of the kingdom of God by John. 33:41 Now notice with me closely 33:42 the sacred writings of the Old Testament 33:45 was man's guide to salvation. 33:49 Hello, is that right? 33:52 The Old Testament scriptures, 33:53 my friend, listen, brothers and sisters, 33:55 was man's guide to salvation. 33:57 Read Romans 3:1 and 2 when you have the opportunity. 34:01 So the word, until. 34:03 This is what people look at and they'll say, 34:04 "The law and the prophets until." 34:06 John came, he preached the gospel until. 34:08 This word, until, look it up, 34:10 in no way, form, or fashion implies that 34:16 the Old Testament lost any of its power, 34:19 any of its sanctity, 34:20 any of its force when John began to preach. 34:25 Well, what did Jesus mean then here in this verse? 34:31 You see, until the ministry of John, 34:33 the law and the prophets, 34:37 they were all that men had. 34:40 Does that make sense? 34:43 That's all that mankind had, right? 34:46 Until John, as it were, was Old Testament. 34:49 That was it. The law and the prophets. 34:52 Jesus Himself referred to that. 34:54 Remember when He's talking about 34:55 the road to Emmaus. 34:56 What did He say? 34:58 He said, "I went all the way back 34:59 and I began to expound from Moses 35:00 and all the prophets." 35:02 Jesus must have believed in him. 35:05 Man, what a good example for us. 35:09 And then, of course, 35:10 John the Baptist came on the scene 35:12 and the gospel, the New Testament came. 35:15 But remember, when the New Testament came 35:17 and the gospel came, 35:18 it did not replace or annul what Moses 35:23 and the prophets had written. 35:26 But all that it did was to enforce, 35:30 to confirm their writings. 35:33 That makes sense? 35:35 Matthew 5:17-19, "Jesus said, 35:39 'Think not that I come to destroy the law 35:40 and the prophets. 35:42 I came not to destroy the law and the prophets, 35:43 but I came to..." 35:44 What? 35:46 Here again, somebody took until, 35:47 and they made a big deal out of it, 35:48 which is wrong. 35:50 Here we take fulfill, 35:51 and we make a big deal out of it, 35:53 which is wrong interpretation. 35:54 Fulfill is not what you 35:55 and I think today in the English word. 35:57 It means what it's made up of. 35:58 Jesus came to show us what the law and the prophets 35:59 was all made up about. 36:01 He came to fill it up. Isn't that beautiful? 36:04 Not to get rid of it. 36:08 The gospel, my brothers and sisters, 36:11 does not stand in the place of the Old Testament, 36:15 but in addition to it. 36:19 Please keep this in mind. 36:20 It was the Old Testament scriptures 36:23 that the New Testament 36:24 believers confirmed their faith. 36:28 Did you get it? 36:29 Oh, yeah, please think about it. 36:31 People want to run down the Old Testament. 36:32 Oh, that Old Testament. 36:34 Wonder God doesn't strike you dead. 36:36 Is that okay to say? It's a wonder. 36:40 Same Holy Spirit, same God in operation. 36:44 Remember the Old Testament scriptures. 36:46 Huh? 36:47 They're the ones that the New Testament believers 36:50 confirmed their faith on. 36:54 In fact, listen, it was the Old Testament 36:58 was the only Bible that the first generation 37:01 of the New Testament Church possessed. 37:06 Isn't that beautiful? What did they preach? 37:08 What did Paul preach out of? What did Jesus preach out of? 37:11 What'd they memorize? Old Testament. 37:13 And certainly was good for salvation, was it not? 37:16 But he said, "Then know the gospel would come, 37:17 Christ would come. 37:19 Right? 37:20 And more light would be given to us. 37:23 Jesus sets forth the writings of the Old Testament 37:26 as a sufficient guide to salvation. 37:30 How wonderful that is today? 37:32 Read that if you want to... 37:33 It can lead men to heaven. 37:35 Luke Chapter 16, just read the whole chapter. 37:37 You'll get it. 37:39 And then the New Testament 37:41 writer Paul agrees with that statement in Acts Chapter... 37:45 I think it's 26. Read that whole chapter. 37:48 They're in agreement with that. 37:50 This is what they read the New Testament Church. 37:54 Read the Old Testament. 37:55 Today, it seems like 37:57 there's little respect for scripture. 37:59 There's hardly any respect for the office of those 38:03 whom God has called to be His mouthpiece. 38:06 Which I mentioned, which could be the prophet, 38:07 or it could be a pastor, or a teacher, 38:09 or evangelist, or an elder of the church 38:12 or whatever it might be in some cases. 38:14 Listen, in some cases, in some churches, 38:16 in places that I've been in, 38:17 I'm going to say this 38:19 with the most respect about this, 38:20 but there are those who have more respect 38:23 for a used car salesman 38:24 than they do for a prophet of God. 38:27 Can I say that? 38:28 And we've got a lot of people who use car... 38:30 They're very good and honest. 38:32 Did you get it though? But they do. 38:35 People have more respect for a used car salesman 38:37 than they do for a prophet of God, 38:39 or a pastor, or a teacher. 38:40 And again, it's not 38:41 because there's not good ones in there 38:43 and tell you the truth and make good stuff. 38:44 I just want you to know because of what is said about it. 38:47 Some of the same sins that caused the fall of Judah, 38:52 God's people, all those abominations, 38:55 I believe, we're looking at them today face to face. 39:00 You remember Ezekiel's vision? Yeah. 39:05 You know, things that he saw, 39:06 it brought judgments of God against them. 39:09 They're being repeated today. 39:12 And so they're being repeated today, 39:13 we can expect the doom of this world at any time. 39:18 Ezekiel 8:16. 39:20 Jot it down. 39:21 Tells us of great abominations done 39:23 in the Lord's house 39:25 between the porch and the altar. 39:28 You remember there were 25 men there. 39:30 You remember? 39:31 God's leaders, God's pastors, His teacher, His priest, right? 39:33 They were there, 39:34 but they turned their back on the temple as it were. 39:37 And they turned toward the east 39:39 and they worshiped the sun toward the east. 39:42 That's what the Bible says. 39:45 We need to be careful about that today. 39:48 I can go into some more detail. 39:49 I will not do at this time, 39:52 but we need to be careful that 39:53 we're not turning our back on Christ 39:55 and worshiping the sun. 39:59 That has taken place for many, many years. 40:02 Sun worship was practiced with the Canaanites. 40:07 All the way back to the Canaanites. 40:08 Think about how long that's been. 40:12 And the kings began to do it, and the people began to do it, 40:15 God's people began to do it. 40:17 In fact, 2 Kings, 40:19 if you want to read more about that. 40:20 Chapter 23, verse 5 goes on and says, 40:23 "God's people even worship Baal." 40:26 They worshiped the sun, they worshiped the moon, 40:29 they worshiped planet and stars. 40:32 All the host of heaven. 40:34 People are still doing that 40:35 today under the disguise of religion and of heaven. 40:39 We need to be careful. 40:40 You remember, paganism is paganism. 40:42 It doesn't matter where it came from 40:44 or what happened. 40:45 It's still paganism. 40:46 God's people fell to the lowest point. 40:49 See, we think that can't happen today. 40:51 But let me tell you, 40:53 the enemy is the biggest trickery 40:54 he's ever was. 40:55 He's a trickster. 40:57 He came to the point to where even... 40:58 Listen, God's people, 41:01 the one who should have been taught, 41:02 the one who should have known what truth is, 41:05 they were sacrificing their children to Moloch. 41:08 You remember? Burning them. 41:10 How could a man or woman of God 41:12 even let your kids be burnt as it were, 41:14 to some pagan god? 41:18 Well, the mind had to be crazy. 41:19 The devil had to take them. 41:21 Devil might say, 41:23 "Well, you're a little sharper today, 41:24 maybe you wouldn't be doing that." 41:25 But he's got us doing some other things, let me tell you. 41:29 I'll just say a warning to moms and dads today. 41:33 I believe that many are sacrificing their children 41:36 to the modern day Moloch. 41:38 Are you still with me? You all, how? 41:40 How? 41:42 And what they say all the time and we don't want to hear? 41:45 We don't want to hear it. Well, that's too bad. 41:48 We need to hear it. 41:50 Throw it out if you want to, but we need to hear it. 41:52 Entertain it. How you say. 41:55 By simply allowing our children 41:58 to observe the customs of the world. 42:01 Well, they're not happy if we don't... 42:02 You know, we don't let them run with the world, 42:04 they're just not happy. 42:06 Well, then be unhappy. 42:08 Remember, they always say 42:09 they have a problem with roses or rose garden. 42:12 You heard that? 42:13 You know, and most generally, none of us are happy 42:16 unless we get our own little selfish ways. 42:20 Think about it. 42:22 Sacrificing customs of the world. 42:25 Let me just get a little bit plain here, 42:27 a little clear so that we don't miss it. 42:29 And the list could go on and on. 42:33 Mom and dad should not allow... 42:35 You're sacrificing your children to Moloch, 42:38 right, the world, 42:39 if you allow them to attend worldly parties. 42:42 Things that are going on. 42:44 Oh, the children say, "Oh, no, they're all good. 42:46 They're all good." 42:48 I tried that in high school myself. 42:50 I never got away with it. 42:53 I gave them the good example, everybody's going. 43:00 Mama looked at me and she says, 43:02 "That's exactly why you're not." 43:05 I remember that long time ago. 43:08 If everybody's going, you're not going to go. 43:12 But because we let them go to certain parties 43:14 because they're going to be unhappy if they don't. 43:16 We weren't allowed to even be unhappy 43:18 for a very long period of time in our house. 43:23 If we were unhappy, Daddy always said, 43:24 "I'll give you something." 43:25 Right? Do you get over that? 43:27 And if you don't get over it, 43:28 then you're going to get something else. 43:29 We don't do that anymore. 43:31 We allow them to go to concerts, 43:32 the devil's concerts, 43:35 and we want them to be like Jesus. 43:36 That's not going to ever happen at these miserable places. 43:39 We allow them to go to dances and carry on like they are... 43:42 Lord, have mercy. 43:44 Like they did when Moses came down with the Ten Commandments. 43:47 Anybody following along what was going on? 43:51 Movie going, watching the wrong things, 43:53 running the streets, 43:55 even spending too much time, our younger people, 43:57 with the opposite sex. 43:59 You have to be very careful about that. 44:02 You'll say, "Well, what's the matter with that?" 44:04 Because the world does it. 44:05 That's why. 44:07 That's exactly what the world does. 44:09 Jeremiah called into the prophetic office. 44:13 The 13th year of Josiah's reign. 44:14 I'm going to have to hurry with... 44:16 Oh, my. 44:17 He was called to preach a warning message. 44:21 People didn't like the message that he gave. 44:24 They wanted to kill him, get rid of him. 44:26 He said, "You know what? 44:28 If you don't straighten up 44:29 and start doing the right thing here, 44:30 this temple here that you're speaking 44:32 so highly of, it's going to be like Shiloh." 44:34 You know what they said, "Let's get rid of him. 44:36 We don't want to hear that kind of business." 44:38 Lot of time people don't want to hear their sin 44:39 in the church. 44:41 People don't want to hear, 44:42 you know, who and what the church is. 44:44 They don't want to hear that kind of stuff. 44:46 And they want to get rid of the message 44:47 and the messenger. 44:48 But you know what? 44:50 God's people are going to stand. 44:52 Remember, they said, 44:54 "How in the world would God do that after all? 44:56 How would it become like Shiloh? 44:58 We've had the Ark for 300 years." 45:02 Because of their paganistic ideas 45:04 and following, worshiping idols, 45:07 God let the Philistines come in and take it. 45:10 Do you remember? It was gone for their idolatry. 45:15 God forsook them. 45:19 They became angry. They ended up... 45:21 Of course, he took a lot of beatings. 45:23 He was in prison for a time. 45:26 Death threats as it were, they wanted to kill him. 45:28 But finally, he was let go out of jail. 45:30 In the early days of Jeremiah, you had the Assyrians, 45:34 you had Egypt, and you had Babylon, 45:36 all battling for power at that time. 45:40 Jeremiah, during the last 40 years 45:42 of Judah's existence... 45:44 Think, children, listen. 45:46 Existence as a kingdom, 45:47 he gave warnings of reproof 45:50 and getting set right to five different kings. 45:53 God used him marvelously, 45:55 but notice his work was largely fruitless. 46:00 After all those years appointed by God, God called him, 46:03 God equipped him, God took care of him. 46:05 And yet, most rejected 46:07 because they mocked the prophets of God. 46:11 They thought they knew more than 46:13 the prophets of God. 46:16 Each of the message 46:17 and warnings had to do with corruption. 46:21 And corruption comes from a wicked heart. 46:24 It's inside then it begins to come out. 46:28 Jeremiah come at him, said, 46:29 "You know, you need a new heart. 46:31 You need new motives. 46:32 You need, you know, new entrust. 46:36 You need a new spirit within you." 46:38 Man is not capable of doing it. 46:40 He needs outside help. He needs a Spirit of God. 46:44 And he encouraged him. 46:46 The only time that change can take place 46:47 is if you let the Spirit of the living God come in. 46:50 If you are the same as you've always been, 46:53 and it's not what God wants you to be, 46:54 it's because you haven't let the Spirit of God come in 46:57 and do the work that he wants to do. 47:00 Idolatry separated the people of God... 47:03 God from His people. When King Josiah... 47:07 Listen, if we were a little bit more on the ball, 47:09 and I'm not saying go this extreme here in just a moment. 47:12 A little more, we would take care of things 47:14 that need to be taken care of in the church. 47:18 How they took care of her back then. 47:20 2 Kings, just write down 23. 47:22 Chapter 23, read the whole thing. 47:26 King Josiah when he came in, he wanted to please God. 47:29 He found the book of the law and he began to read that. 47:32 And you know what the book of the law said? 47:34 We need to keep the commandments of God. 47:36 You can't fight that. 47:38 How are you going to fight that? 47:39 Keep the commandments, and the testimonies, 47:40 and the statutes, 47:42 is what it said, with all your heart. 47:43 Here's what he did. 47:46 King Josiah went all out in the community. 47:48 And those who were dabbling in idolatry, 47:52 he slayed all of their priests, 47:54 killed all of their priests, 47:56 killed all of their workmen, 47:58 got rid of those with familiar spirits, 48:01 those dabbling in spiritualism. 48:03 We have it in town, different things... 48:05 Come here and let me read your palm, 48:06 come here and let me blah-blah. 48:08 We just deal with it. We say nothing. 48:09 Familiar spirits, images and idols, 48:12 all an abomination 48:14 because God said they're an abomination. 48:17 He even went so far as this 48:18 when he went around to the tombs. 48:20 He went through there and he began to ask questions. 48:22 Who was in there here? 48:23 It was some of those who had participated in this. 48:26 And he said, "Dig up their bones 48:28 and burn them." 48:31 In other words, he's going to get rid of it. 48:34 Get rid of it. 48:35 And man, what zeal. 48:40 Acceptable to God, 48:42 but could not atone for past generations. 48:47 He cleaned up the land from adulterous shrines, 48:51 but the hearts of the people had not been changed. 48:54 They would not listen to the people, 48:56 to God's prophet, the prophets of God. 48:59 Jeremiah 6:16 quickly says this, 49:01 "Ask for the old paths, 49:03 where is the good way, and walk therein, 49:05 and you shall find rest for your soul." 49:07 For what are we as Christians were to ask what? 49:10 Oh, everything... Ask for the old paths. 49:13 Where that's the good way, 49:15 and then you walk therein 49:16 and you will find rest for your soul. 49:20 On one instance, do you know what 49:21 God told Jeremiah the prophet to do? 49:23 Maybe some of us ought to do that if God asked you to do it. 49:26 He went to the main entrance of the city 49:28 and he urged the people. 49:30 Listen to this. 49:31 The reason that they had fallen short, 49:33 the reason they were going through 49:34 the misery that they had, 49:35 that they continue to go through 49:37 until they're rejected as a nation, 49:39 is because they would not keep and honor the Sabbath. 49:42 Now some of you say, "Well, that's not..." 49:43 That's what the Bible says. 49:46 The Lord told Jeremiah. 49:47 He said, "I want you to go to the main entrance of the city 49:49 and urge the importance of keeping holy the Sabbath day. 49:54 Why? 49:55 Because the people of Jerusalem 49:57 were in danger of losing the sanctity of the Sabbath. 50:02 They were warned against following 50:04 after the secular pursuits of that day. 50:07 There's a difference between secular pursuits 50:10 and what God said is My holy day. 50:13 A blessing was pronounced upon obedience 50:17 if we would be obedient just like now. 50:21 These verses, many of them... 50:23 You read Jeremiah 17:21 and 22 when you have time to do that. 50:27 God simply says that... 50:28 He said, "I don't want you carrying 50:29 a burden on My day." 50:31 Maybe I'll just read that. Jeremiah 17:21-22. 50:34 Only five, six minutes left. 50:36 "Take heed to yourselves," is what he said, 50:38 "and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, 50:40 nor bring it into the gates of Jerusalem." 50:43 Verse 22, "Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses 50:46 on the Sabbath day, neither do you any work, 50:49 but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers." 50:54 These verses show that Sabbath... 50:55 Notice this. 50:57 There was a desecration of the Sabbath. 50:59 It was an issue there in Jerusalem, 51:01 especially at the city's gates. 51:03 There was loose Sabbath observance. 51:05 I present to you today, I believe with all my heart, 51:08 there's a loose Sabbath observance 51:10 going on with the people of God today. 51:15 It's going against the Word of God. 51:18 He said, "Bear no burdens." 51:19 You realize all he's talking about? 51:21 He's talking about the supposedly 51:22 the people of God were bringing their supplies 51:24 so that they could do business. 51:26 They were even selling 51:27 some in the temple to begin with here. 51:29 And that, you know, even Nehemiah talked about it, 51:31 and Jeremiah talks about it. 51:32 They ended up throwing them out. 51:33 Throw them outside the gate. Do you remember all that? 51:35 I wish we had more time to go into it. 51:37 And so what they do, 51:39 they begin to buy and sell outside the gates. 51:41 And he said, "I'll tell you what, 51:42 if you continue to do that, I'm going to lay hands on you." 51:44 I mean, I'm going to arrest you. 51:46 And then they scattered. 51:47 There's things that have to be done. 51:49 God wants it there. 51:50 Nehemiah 13, read that when you can. 51:52 The Sabbath, the gentile, sons of the stranger. 51:56 Nehemiah was absent for a while. 51:59 And when he came back, he found that the Levites 52:03 were all went out into the field 52:04 to get a secular job out there 52:05 because somebody was shenaniganing around 52:08 with the tithes and the offering, 52:09 which the Levites were supposed 52:11 to be getting for their livelihood. 52:12 He restored that because God said that's what I want. 52:15 And they did. 52:17 And then he looked around and said, 52:18 "There are still some problems here." 52:19 And Nehemiah said, "I need to straighten it out." 52:21 And you know what he found out? 52:23 Some were working 52:24 on the sacred hours of the Sabbath. 52:26 They were treading grapes. 52:28 That's an open violation of the fourth commandment. 52:31 Others brought with them produce 52:33 from the field to sell. 52:36 There was buying and selling being done on the Sabbath, 52:38 which God's law prohibits. 52:40 Nehemiah 13, 16, 17, 18. 52:43 He said, "They even brought fish, 52:45 all manner of ware. 52:46 Sold on the Sabbath with the children of Judah 52:49 and in Jerusalem." 52:50 Nehemiah said, 52:52 "What evil thing is it that you do?" 52:55 He's either a prophet of God or he wasn't a prophet of God. 52:57 He was telling the truth 52:59 or he was not telling the truth. 53:00 He said, "By doing this, 53:02 you've profaned the Sabbath day." 53:05 18, "Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel 53:09 by you profaning the Sabbath." 53:10 The wrath came upon Israel because, 53:12 as it is the world today, 53:13 because we refuse to obey the laws of God. 53:17 The audacity of us to think about, 53:18 all the laws are done away with. 53:21 "Where there is no law," Roman says, "there is no sin." 53:25 The wages of sin is death. 53:28 So Nehemiah said what? "Shut the gates." 53:30 You know why he said shut the gates? 53:31 Friday evening before the sun went down, he said, 53:33 "Shut the gates 53:35 so you don't bring your stuff in here." 53:37 And man, they shut the gates 53:39 and no one could come in and bring their stuff. 53:41 They were open after the Sabbath hours. 53:44 They said, "I don't want you to bring in your burden 53:45 or your visuals 53:47 or what you're going to be selling." 53:48 The merchants and the sellers 53:50 I mentioned while ago lodged outside the walls. 53:53 They did it for a first week, or second week, 53:55 a couple of weeks there in a row 53:56 and then he said, "Don't come back. 53:59 If you do, I'm going to put you in jail." 54:01 They never came back. 54:02 Blessing is still pronounced upon the people of God today. 54:06 I think some of us need to be so much aware of that. 54:08 You say, "Well, I've never heard it." 54:10 I want to read it before our time runs out here. 54:14 Let me read it. Where is it? 54:15 Isaiah. Yeah. 54:17 Isaiah. 54:18 You're familiar with this, but let's just read it quickly. 54:20 Our time is running out. Isaiah chapter 58. 54:22 Here's what the Bible says. Verse 13 and 14. 54:26 Here's what God says to His people today, 54:28 "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath..." 54:31 Notice true Sabbath keeping. Notice. 54:34 "From doing thy pleasure on my holy day..." 54:37 We are so selfish and self-centered. 54:39 We want seven days to do 54:40 what we want to do when we want to do it. 54:42 God said the seventh day 54:43 is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. 54:45 It is not Adventist, it's not the Church of God, 54:47 it's not the Baptist, Seventh-day... 54:49 It's none of that. 54:50 He said it's My day. 54:51 It's 24-hour period of time. 54:53 I blessed, I sanctified, I've set it apart. 54:56 Nothing is clearer in Scripture. 54:57 And He says this, 54:59 "I don't want you doing your own pleasure on 55:00 My holy day, call the Sabbath a delight." 55:04 Oh, legalism. 55:05 Call the Sabbath a delight, is what the Bible says. 55:08 Holy of the Lord, honorable. 55:10 Notice this. And you... 55:11 Notice this. How you want... 55:13 You want to honor God? I do. 55:14 And honor him not doing thine own ways. 55:18 Not doing thine own ways, 55:21 nor finding thine own pleasure, 55:23 nor speaking your own words. 55:25 We got six days that we can talk about 55:27 everything under the sun. 55:28 We say on the Sabbath 55:30 we need to guard our conversation 55:32 because it's God's holy day. 55:34 It's all about Him and keeping the day. 55:37 And it's not just any day will do, 55:39 he said the seventh day 55:41 is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. 55:43 Then he said, 55:44 "Thou shall delight thyself in the Lord. 55:46 I will cause thee to ride upon," what? 55:49 "High places of the earth, 55:50 feed thee with the heritage of Jacob 55:52 thy father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." 55:55 Oh, there's much more, 55:56 but that just kind of hits it a little bit there. 55:58 Hopefully hit you in the stomach 55:59 just a little bit, or maybe in our head 56:01 a little bit, that we can say, "Oh, God have mercy on us. 56:04 I've been speaking my own words. 56:05 I've been doing my own things. 56:06 I've been buying. I've been selling. 56:08 I've been running around and doing everything 56:09 what I'm supposed to be doing." 56:11 It's going to be the work for God. 56:13 Everything else is put aside. 56:15 We don't need the TV, we don't need radio, 56:17 we don't need all that junk of the world six days. 56:19 We just need time alone with God. 56:22 Is that what we want? That's what I want. 56:24 I don't want to mock the prophets of God. 56:27 I don't want to mock the Word of God. 56:29 And I know you don't either today. 56:30 By God's grace, purpose in your heart 56:32 as I purpose in my heart. 56:34 You have other questions, 56:35 I'd be glad to spend some more time 56:36 with you on that issue. 56:38 Because I'm telling you, 56:39 it's the one of the clearest in Scripture, 56:40 and the devil has muddled it like no other. 56:44 Hello and welcome back. 56:46 Before the message today, 56:47 we listened to a song 56:49 that was sung by Sandra Entermann. 56:51 And it was entitled, 56:52 How Deep the Father's Love for Us. 56:55 What a sacrifice God has made to sound the alarm 56:59 and make a way of salvation 57:01 for each and every one of His children. 57:03 But the choice still remains to be ours. 57:07 If we choose to turn away and mock the messengers of God, 57:11 there is left unto us just what we've asked for. 57:15 And that being to perish in our sins for eternity. 57:19 What a sobering and a sad thought. 57:22 The title of today's message again, 57:25 was they mocked the messengers of God. 57:27 But there's good news. 57:29 None of us need to be amongst this group any longer. 57:33 While we still have breath, 57:36 we still have life, we may repent 57:38 and walk the straight and narrow path of reformation 57:42 in Christ, 57:43 which will lead all of us 57:45 to those pearly gates in heaven. 57:48 I want to be a part of the second group. 57:50 How about you? I hope you do. 57:52 Thank you again for joining us for this study today. 57:55 This study can be yours to view time 57:57 and time again, and to share with those loved ones 58:00 that you care so much about. 58:02 We are offering they mocked 58:03 the messengers of God to you 58:05 for a love gift of just $8 or more. 58:09 Call for your copy today. 58:11 Our phone number here 58:12 in the United States is 618-942-5044. 58:17 That's Central Time. 58:18 Or you may also mail in your request to 58:21 Behold the Lamb Ministries, PO Box 2030. 58:25 Herrin, Illinois 62948. 58:28 You may also email us 58:30 at contact@ beholdthelambministries.com, 58:33 or visit us on our website at beholdthelambministries.com. 58:37 And, friends, don't forget to subscribe 58:39 and share important messages 58:41 that we release on a weekly basis 58:43 on our YouTube channel. 58:45 And as we close, 58:47 I just want to thank you for your prayers 58:49 and your financial support of Behold the Lamb Ministries. 58:53 So until next time, may our precious Lord 58:56 continue to richly bless you and yours. |
Revised 2021-11-11