Participants:
Series Code: HCAU
Program Code: HCAU180010A
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00:05 And this is eternal life that they may know you,
00:10 the only true God 00:12 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 00:20 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming. 00:28 Well, Tim, this is the last program 00:30 for Friday night. 00:31 Right. And it has been a full day. 00:33 We have been here since like... 00:36 This morning. Early in the morning. 00:37 So but it's been a wonderful day. 00:39 Yes, it has. 00:40 Spending the day in the Word of God 00:42 is never wasted, right? 00:43 Oh, no, it's very good. And we've had... 00:44 Who's enjoyed the messages that we've had so far? 00:47 I have. 00:48 I see hands going up, but not a lot of amens 00:50 or praise the Lord. 00:52 They're silent amens. 00:53 Do you know that opening, I really enjoyed that 00:55 because there's a section 00:58 where John is with our grandson, 01:00 reading him the story of Zacchaeus 01:05 and when Diane's there and she's praying, 01:07 that pelican flew across just to shoot his head up 01:12 and so it was unplanned. 01:13 So that wasn't planned? 01:15 No. Unplanned. 01:16 Not at all. Oh, that's for the bird. 01:17 I'm sorry, it was a just... God just... 01:19 That was for the birds. 01:21 So God was really good. 01:23 It's was just exciting to have that happen, 01:26 but right now we have someone who's going to play the piano. 01:30 Right. Do you remember who that is? 01:31 That is Henry Higgins. 01:33 Henry Higgins. 01:34 Henry Higgins, yes. 01:36 Wonderful piano player and pan flutist. 01:38 Yes. And he plays the double bass. 01:41 Really? 01:42 And I think the cello, and he's a great musician. 01:46 Awesome. Yes. 01:47 And he will be followed by our speaker this evening. 01:50 Who is... 01:51 Pastor Gary Kent from the Incredible Journey. 01:54 And do you know what he's speaking on? 01:55 He's preaching on God, the Creator, 01:57 knowing God as God, the Creator. 02:00 That's right. 02:01 And Henry is going to play for us a beautiful song, 02:06 a hymn that you'll all know in the garden. 02:09 So, Henry, I really look forward to this 02:11 'cause I love your piano play. 02:13 Thank you. God bless you. 06:46 Well, Henry, thank you so much. 06:50 Friends, hasn't that music been heavenly this evening? 06:54 It's a privilege to worship with you 06:59 this Sabbath evening. 07:01 Robin and I left Sydney early. 07:04 We wanted to be here in good time to hear the music 07:07 and sharing the fellowship. 07:09 But have you noticed, 07:11 there seems to be 07:12 so many more cars on the road these days 07:15 between Sydney and Newcastle? 07:17 You know, we left just after 3 o'clock, 07:20 thinking that we'd have plenty of time. 07:22 We were in a traffic jam literally over half the way 07:28 but you know, we didn't waste the time. 07:31 We got our phones out 07:34 and we were able to speak to our daughter in Brisbane, 07:40 a son in Singapore, 07:43 another daughter in London, 07:46 and a sister in America 07:48 who's just welcoming her granddaughter 07:52 who was born today. 07:54 All while we were stuck in the traffic 07:56 on the way up here. 08:00 It's a reminder that we live 08:02 in an age 08:04 of tremendous technology and knowledge. 08:07 Isn't that right? 08:08 Think of the knowledge that makes it possible for us 08:11 to speak to family members all over the world 08:14 and to know what's happening there. 08:18 We're also able to check out some details 08:22 about some information we wanted to find out. 08:28 We were able to tap into the net. 08:33 And, again, a reminder that we live in an age, 08:39 in an era of knowledge. 08:42 We want to know everything today. 08:44 We want to know exactly the moment that happens. 08:49 That's our age. 08:51 Do you know, friends, how important 08:54 in this age of knowledge and knowing everything 08:59 that we don't forget 09:01 the importance of knowing God 09:06 and keeping our relationship strong, 09:09 and vibrant, and vital. 09:15 Let's bow our heads in prayer. 09:19 Dear heavenly Father, this Sabbath evening, 09:24 we bow before You, 09:26 acknowledging You as the Master of the Universe, 09:32 Creator of heaven and earth. 09:37 And, Father, we thank You that You love us, 09:43 and care for each one of us, 09:46 and are interested in everything about us. 09:49 We are so grateful that You want to know us. 09:54 And so, Father, as we worship You this evening, 09:59 we invite Your presence and ask for Your blessing, 10:04 in Jesus' name, amen. 10:10 Over the centuries, 10:12 the world's great men and women 10:15 have tried to alter the course of history, 10:20 and their actions and achievements 10:24 have influenced millions 10:29 and are still doing so today. 10:34 Some have tried to rule by might and power 10:37 and we know their names off by heart today. 10:41 Some of them we even call great, 10:44 Cyrus the Great, 10:46 Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, 10:52 Charlemagne, Napoleon, Hitler. 10:56 Yes, they have tried to rule by might, 11:04 but their empires have disappeared 11:08 because you see, friends, any ruler, 11:11 no matter how numerous their weapons 11:16 must ultimately rule by means other than might and power, 11:22 by means other than force if they are to retain power, 11:27 authority and influence. 11:33 If they are to retain that influence, 11:38 they must rule by persuasion. 11:43 And that is why those who have made 11:46 the greatest impact on our world are individuals 11:50 who have introduced concepts and ideas 11:55 that have persuaded that is, that have influenced 11:59 millions of earth's inhabitants. 12:03 And through their ideas, 12:05 their concepts, their philosophies, 12:08 they have reached into the minds of the masses. 12:11 They've reached 12:13 into the minds of millions of people 12:16 in their own generation and in future generations. 12:20 And, friends, by influencing and controlling 12:23 people's minds in a sense, they have ruled the world. 12:32 It's a reminder that the pen 12:37 is mightier than the sword. 12:40 Words, ideas, concepts, philosophies 12:45 can change the world. 12:48 And we know people who've done that, 12:51 Buddha, Aristotle, Plato, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, 12:56 Galileo, Newton, Copernicus. 13:02 All have made an impact on the world 13:06 and changed history by introducing new ideas, 13:10 concepts and philosophies. 13:13 These great ideas people, these thought makers 13:20 have influenced the minds of the masses. 13:24 And so in their own ways, they have conquered the world. 13:28 The last two centuries 13:31 have seen some of the most 13:33 influential thought makers of all time. 13:38 Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, 13:44 Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Mahatma Gandhi. 13:49 Tonight, we are going to consider 13:54 one of these great thought makers, 13:57 arguably the most influential of them all. 14:04 He pinned the most influential book 14:07 written in the last two centuries. 14:10 Now, friends, you think about it, 14:12 think about the amount of words 14:14 that has been, have been written, 14:16 the number of books that have been written 14:18 in the last 200 years, which one of them 14:20 was the most influential of all. 14:24 Well, friends, the most influential book 14:27 written in the last two centuries 14:30 was written by this man, 14:33 Charles Robert Darwin. 14:38 Charles Robert Darwin, his book 14:45 "The Origin of Species," the most influential book 14:49 written in the last two centuries. 14:52 This book has done more than any other 14:55 to shape modern thought. 14:57 This book has changed the way you and I live today. 15:01 It's changed the trend of religion. 15:03 It's changed theology, politics, philosophy. 15:08 It's changed the teaching of history, 15:10 biology, literature, and even morality. 15:17 This book, "The Origin of Species," 15:23 brought about a complete change in our modern world. 15:30 Charles Darwin came from a wealthy family. 15:35 His father was the physician to the king 15:37 to the royal household. 15:39 And Charles Darwin decided 15:41 that he was going to follow in the footsteps 15:43 of his father and grandfather. 15:46 And so he traveled to Edinburgh 15:48 and he enrolled in the University there 15:50 to study medicine. 15:52 He was going to be a doctor, but something happened. 15:56 He couldn't stand the sight of blood. 15:59 Not good for a doctor. 16:03 And so he had to change his plans. 16:06 He left Edinburgh 16:08 and he traveled down to Cambridge. 16:11 And he decided that now he was going to be 16:15 a church minister. 16:18 And so he enrolled in the theology program. 16:21 And he graduated from Cambridge from that theology program 16:25 in the year 1831. 16:27 And at the age of 22, 16:29 Charles Darwin was going to become the Reverend Darwin 16:34 in a small Anglican country church. 16:40 But then something happened 16:44 that changed the course of history. 16:49 He was invited to join the Beagle on a trip, 16:55 a sailing trip around the world. 17:01 He was a naturalist. 17:02 He was interested in the things of nature. 17:05 And so, rather than becoming a preacher of the Bible, 17:10 Charles Darwin instead accepted this invitation 17:13 and became a naturalist aboard HMS Beagle. 17:19 They sailed the world, circumnavigated the world. 17:24 But of all the wonderful places that they visited, 17:30 the one of supreme importance to Charles Darwin 17:35 was the Galapagos Islands. 17:38 Now, the Galapagos Islands 17:40 are situated about 1000 kilometers 17:43 west of Ecuador in South America. 17:47 It consists of 13 main islands 17:49 and a number of smaller islands. 17:52 And so as he made that trip 17:54 and saw all these wonderful places, 17:57 it was the Galapagos Island 17:59 that made the greatest impression on him. 18:02 And, friends, on the day that Charles Darwin 18:05 step to shore on the Galapagos Islands, 18:08 a new epoch of world history began 18:13 because, you see, Darwin 18:15 was immediately struck 18:16 by the number of unique plants and animals 18:19 in this one place. 18:21 And he wondered, 18:22 how can all this variety be here? 18:25 How did all this variety 18:27 come about in this isolated place 18:30 so far from everywhere else? 18:34 He was particularly fascinated 18:38 by the little finches, 18:42 the different kinds of finches 18:44 that lived on the various islands. 18:48 Although the birds, 18:49 these little birds all looked similar, 18:54 their beaks were different. 18:57 Their beaks were different, a different shape 18:59 on each of the islands. 19:01 And the shape of their beaks 19:05 depended on the type of fruit available. 19:09 On one island, 19:11 the finches had very thick beaks 19:14 because they lived on nuts, 19:16 they had to crack the nutshells. 19:19 But on other islands, 19:20 they needed different beaks to eat the fruit. 19:22 And so they had thin, narrow beaks, 19:25 so that they could easily feed on these fruit. 19:29 Darwin was very excited by his discovery 19:34 and as he documented 19:36 the various finches in these islands 19:39 with their funny shape beaks, he began to develop 19:45 the theory of evolution. 19:50 He realized that they had adapted 19:52 to their environment. 19:55 Oh, thank you very much, Aiden. 19:56 Thank you. 20:01 One of winter's gifts. 20:04 A cold. 20:07 So as he looked 20:11 at these funny shaped beaks on these little birds 20:17 and saw how they had developed different shaped beaks 20:23 according to their environment, 20:26 he began to develop the theory of evolution. 20:31 And little did anyone realize 20:33 that the seed sown in Darwin's mind 20:37 on the Galapagos Islands would divide history in half? 20:43 You see, friends, before Darwin belief in God, the Creator 20:50 had been almost, 20:52 well, believed by almost everybody in the Western world 20:56 before Darwin. 20:59 After Darwin, 21:01 faith in a Creator God would become impossible, 21:06 even irrelevant 21:09 for most people in the Western world. 21:15 And so when Charles Darwin returned to England, 21:20 they spend a little time in London, 21:23 and then he moved his family to the little town of Down 21:30 in the county of Kent. 21:33 What a good name. 21:38 And there he began to further develop this theory 21:44 that he was cooking up in his mind. 21:47 This theory that he was developing 21:49 that he was building. 21:52 And then in a letter to his friend Joseph Hooker, 21:57 written on the 11th of January 1844. 22:02 Darwin first expressed his theory of natural selection 22:08 as a driver of evolution. 22:12 It was all beginning to fall into place. 22:16 And then in the spring of 1844, Darwin wrote a 200 page essay 22:21 with nine chapters that outlined very clearly 22:24 and more carefully his theory of evolution. 22:28 It became known as the essay of 1844. 22:34 And was the first relatively complete outline 22:39 of Darwin's theory of evolution. 22:43 That same year, on the 5th of July, 1844, 22:47 Darwin wrote a letter to his wife 22:49 and in this letter he said, 22:51 "I have just finished my sketch 22:56 of my theory on the species, 23:00 the Origin of the Species." 23:04 But he didn't publish it. 23:06 He didn't publish it that year, 23:09 because he was afraid of the controversy 23:13 that these radical new ideas would create. 23:18 And so instead, he spent the next 15 years 23:23 collecting the evidence to support his new idea. 23:30 And then in the year 1859, 23:33 he pinned and published his book, 23:39 "The Origin of Species," 23:41 the most influential book in modern history, 23:45 "The Origin of Species," 23:48 and on the first page of that book, 23:51 it says, "It was in the year 1844 23:58 that I first made a sketch of my conclusions 24:02 regarding the origin of species." 24:09 In his book, Darwin's theory of evolution, 24:14 suggested that life on planet earth, 24:17 all plant and animal species evolved gradually over millions 24:22 and perhaps even billions of years 24:25 through a series of changes. 24:29 Behind the theory of evolution 24:35 lay a challenge. 24:37 A challenge to what the Bible said 24:43 about how the earth was created 24:47 in six days. 24:50 You see, there were now two views, 24:53 two views on how the earth was made 24:57 and how humans fitted into it. 24:59 There was the Bible's view and there was Darwin's view. 25:06 Now, before long, the scientific community 25:09 largely accepted Darwin's theory, 25:12 Darwin's view of the origin of species. 25:14 And then it was accepted by the wider scholarly world. 25:19 Today, my friends, almost every school, 25:24 college and university in the world 25:29 teaches the theory of evolution 25:31 as if it was an established fact. 25:35 The theory of evolution 25:39 has influenced millions around the world 25:43 to reject the idea 25:46 of a Creator God and to believe rather that 25:53 man evolved over millions of years 25:59 because of Darwin we live in a different era. 26:07 We live in a different world. 26:09 You see, friends, before Darwin, 26:12 God was the answer to life's big questions. 26:17 After Darwin, 26:20 most people today 26:22 look to evolution for the answer 26:24 to life's big questions. 26:26 Where did we come from? 26:28 Why are we here? Where are we going? 26:31 They look to Darwin and the theory of evolution 26:34 for their answers. 26:37 Now, my friends, the two positions, 26:41 the Bible's position and Darwin's position 26:45 are radically different. 26:48 Evolution and Bible creation are incompatible. 26:55 Evolution and Bible creation 26:57 are diametrically opposed to each other. 27:03 I want you to notice with me the progression 27:07 when the theory of evolution 27:08 is carried to its logical conclusion, 27:11 follow me. 27:13 Once the theory of evolution is accepted, 27:17 the first three chapters of the Bible 27:21 that tell us about creation 27:25 become nothing but a series of myths. 27:29 Follow the conclusion with me, 27:31 the logical conclusion regarding evolution. 27:35 Evolution says there is no God. 27:39 Certainly not the God of Genesis. 27:42 If there is no God, there is no creator. 27:48 If there is no creator, there is no Adam. 27:53 If there is no Adam, there is no Eve. 27:57 And my friends, if there is no Eve, 27:58 there is no fall into sin. 28:04 If there is no sin, there's no need of a Savior. 28:10 If there is no Savior, there is no gospel. 28:12 If there is no gospel, there is no divine law. 28:18 Darwin's theory of evolution 28:23 has influenced millions of earth's inhabitants 28:27 and is dramatically changed the thinking of our society. 28:32 The theory of evolution has largely been responsible 28:35 for the decline of Christianity in recent years. 28:42 In England where the theory was launched, 28:48 less than 7% of the population attend church today. 28:54 Here in Australia, it's virtually no different. 28:59 Only 7.8% of our population 29:03 attend church regularly each weekend. 29:06 And so, as the theory of evolution 29:10 has been accepted, and as grown, 29:12 and become more popular and accepted, 29:15 there has been a simultaneous decline 29:19 in the number of people 29:21 who believe the Bible who worship God, 29:25 and attend church regularly. 29:30 Darwin's theory of evolution has been accepted by the masses 29:36 and is played a leading role in people 29:39 no longer believing in God or worshiping God. 29:46 So, friends, how does God 29:50 respond to this devastating attack? 29:54 What is He to do? 29:56 What is God's answer to evolution? 30:06 In the Book of Revelation, Bible's, the Bible's last book, 30:12 God has a special message. 30:15 A message that is to go to all the world, 30:20 and that is to prepare men and women 30:22 for the soon coming of Jesus. 30:25 I want to read it to you. Revelation Chapter 14. 30:28 Notice with me if you have your Bibles 30:30 or follow with me on the screen. 30:32 Revelation 14:6. 30:35 Here it says, "Then I saw another angel 30:38 flying in the midst of heaven, 30:41 having the everlasting gospel to preach to them 30:44 that dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, 30:47 tongue and people," 30:48 he has God's message, 30:52 "Fear God, and give glory to Him, 30:54 for the hour of His judgment has come, 30:57 and worship Him who made heaven, and earth, 31:01 the sea and springs of waters." 31:05 And it continues saying with a loud voice," 31:09 you notice, 31:12 "Fear God give glory to Him, 31:17 the hour of his judgment has come, 31:20 worship, worship Him who made heaven and earth, 31:27 the sea and the springs of waters." 31:31 All my friends, in our modern age, 31:34 in the age of evolution that has led millions of people 31:38 lead the masses to believe that there is no Creator, 31:43 God sends a message, 31:49 He sends a message urging all people 31:53 to return to Creator worship. 32:00 But how does He do it? 32:02 How does He get the message out there? 32:04 How does God send his end time message 32:07 to all the world? 32:11 Well, my friends, in the year 1844, 32:16 the very year that Charles Darwin influenced 32:19 and launched the concept, the idea of evolution, 32:26 God raised up a movement. 32:28 A group of people 32:30 to proclaim the everlasting gospel 32:33 and to call people to worship the Creator. 32:40 My friends, in an age 32:42 when the theory of evolution has taken the scientific world 32:46 by storm 32:48 and it's been accepted by the masses. 32:52 God has a people, that people who know him. 33:01 God has a people 33:02 who are to proclaim this message, 33:07 His message, 33:09 calling people to worship the Creator. 33:16 How can we acknowledge God as our Creator? 33:20 How can we worship Him, 33:23 Who made the heavens and the earth, 33:24 the sea and the fountains? 33:26 How do we do that? 33:29 Well, friends, let the Bible answer. 33:31 It's found in the very heart of God's law, 33:34 the Ten Commandments given at Sinai. 33:37 Notice what it says here in Exodus Chapter 20. 33:41 And I'm going to start reading at verse 8. 33:43 Exodus Chapter 20. 33:46 Notice with me verse 8, it says, "Remember, 33:51 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, 33:55 six days you shall labor and do all your work, 33:58 but the seventh day 34:00 is the Sabbath of the Lord your God, 34:02 in it you shall do no work, 34:04 you nor your son, your daughter, 34:08 nor your manservent, nor your maidservant, 34:10 nor your cattle, nor your stranger 34:12 who is within your gates." 34:14 And then it says why? It gives us the reason. 34:18 Why? 34:21 "For in six days 34:23 the Lord made the heavens and the earth, 34:24 the sea and all that is in them, 34:28 and rested the seventh day. 34:31 Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, 34:36 and hallowed it. 34:43 The Sabbath 34:47 is a day for remembering. 34:52 It's a day for remembering and acknowledging our Creator. 34:59 The Creator who has been so carelessly challenged 35:05 by our generation, 35:08 challenged by the theory of evolution, 35:12 the theory that had its origins in the mind of Charles Darwin 35:18 as he watched the little finches 35:24 on the Galapagos Islands. 35:27 The Sabbath is a day for remembering that no, 35:32 we do have a Creator God. 35:35 A God who made the heavens and the earth, 35:37 the sea and the fountains of waters. 35:44 Friends, the Sabbath 35:47 is God's answer to evolution. 35:52 In 1844, the very year that Darwin 35:56 launched the theory of evolution, 35:59 God raised up a people 36:00 to proclaim his end time message, 36:03 and call people back 36:06 to worshiping the Creator. 36:12 And so you see, respecting the Sabbath 36:17 is God's appointed way of acknowledging Him 36:23 as the Creator. 36:25 In our modern age of evolution, the Sabbath calls us back 36:30 to the worship of God our Creator. 36:36 That's why, friends, 36:39 if you go right back to the beginning, 36:42 right back to the creation story, 36:48 the Bible begins with these words. 36:52 Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, 36:59 God created 37:02 the heavens and the earth." 37:07 And then it goes through the whole story, 37:09 the record of creation, what happened on day one, 37:13 two, three, four, five, six. 37:18 And as God comes 37:20 to the climax of His work, 37:26 as He creates man in His own image. 37:32 You know, it's interesting when you come to the end 37:35 of each creation day, it says, this is what was created 37:39 on the first day and God looked and He saw it was what? 37:43 It was good. 37:44 And He comes to the second day, 37:46 He created and He looked and He saw it was good. 37:51 He comes to the third day, He looks at the end of the day 37:54 upon His handiwork, and He looks and He says, 37:56 "It is good." 37:58 He comes to the fourth, the same thing. 38:00 He looks out over and He said, "It is good." 38:03 He comes to the fifth day 38:05 and all the wonders of creation, 38:08 He looks, and He says, "It is good." 38:11 And then at the end of the sixth day, 38:15 when He's created us, 38:20 when He's created us in His image 38:24 He looks and He says, it's not good. 38:28 It's not just good. It is very good. 38:33 Because you see, friends, God made us 38:38 to have a relationship with Him. 38:42 That's why we were made in His image. 38:45 And so I want you to notice what happens next 38:47 as we come to Genesis 2:1. 38:50 It says, "And thus the heavens and the earth, 38:53 and all the host of them were finished." 39:01 2:2. 39:02 "And on the seventh day 39:05 God ended His work which He had done, 39:09 and He rested on the seventh day 39:12 from all His work which He had done." 39:14 2:3. 39:16 Genesis 2:3, "Then God blessed, 39:21 God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, 39:25 because in it He rested from all His work 39:28 which He had created and made." 39:33 Friends, do you notice, 39:36 Adam and Eve's first day on planet earth 39:42 was spent with God and with each other. 39:48 God wanted to get to know them, 39:51 and He wanted them to get to know Him. 39:54 Their first full day of life on this planet, 39:59 they spent with God. 40:02 And, my friends, that is God's plan. 40:06 That's His intention. 40:09 The Sabbath is a memorial. 40:11 It's a sign that He is the Creator. 40:17 It's a time to get to know God better. 40:23 It's a time to spend with each other. 40:26 It's a time for worship, 40:29 worship of the great Creator God, 40:31 Master of the Universe, the One who made 40:34 the heavens and the earth in six days 40:36 and rested on the seventh. 40:42 That's why the Sabbath 40:45 is God's sign. 40:49 That's what He says in the Book of Ezekiel. 40:52 Ezekiel 20:12. 40:58 Ezekiel 20:12. 41:03 I want you to notice what it says here. 41:05 Very simple, very plain 41:10 and very important. 41:13 Ezekiel 20:12. 41:18 God says, "Moreover I gave, I also gave them My Sabbaths, 41:25 to be a sign, to be a sign between them and Me, 41:30 that they may know that 41:31 I am the Lord who sanctifies them." 41:38 So, friends, the Sabbath is God sign. 41:43 It's His memorial. 41:46 We build memorials to remember, isn't that right? 41:51 You can look at every town in Australia and New Zealand 41:54 and I guarantee you, 41:55 every one of them will have a memorial, 41:57 isn't that right? 41:59 There is an Anzac memorial in every town in our country. 42:02 Why? 42:04 Because we want to remember 42:05 those memorials are designed specifically 42:08 so that we will not forget, so that we will remember. 42:16 Now, friends, God 42:21 could have built His memorial. 42:26 He could have built it on the Mount of Olives 42:28 in Jerusalem. 42:30 He could have built it out of crystal. 42:34 He could have built His memorial 42:36 on the slopes of Mount Everest. 42:38 He could have built of a pure gold. 42:41 Memorial of His creation, but, my friends, 42:45 God did not build His memorial out of crystal, gold or silver. 42:52 God built His memorial out of time. 42:56 Time. 42:58 And He did it for two reasons. 43:03 For two reasons. 43:07 One, so that we could all access it. 43:13 We all live in time. 43:19 And secondly, friends, 43:22 God built His memorial in time, 43:28 because it takes time to build relationships. 43:34 You think of the most important relationships in your life. 43:41 The most important relationships are those 43:43 that we invest time in. 43:46 Is that not right? 43:48 You can't have a close friend or a close relationship 43:50 without investing time in that person, 43:53 in that relationship, and God knew that. 43:57 And so He built His memorial out of time. 44:04 Why? 44:06 Because God wants to know us 44:11 and He wants us to know Him. 44:17 And so He's given us the Sabbath as a special time. 44:21 Oh, yes, we should be in touch with God every day. 44:28 But He invites us to set aside the seventh day of every week, 44:36 so that we remember 44:41 how we got here, 44:44 why we are here 44:47 and where we're going? 44:51 And, friends, the Sabbath reminds us of all those things. 44:55 It answers all those questions. 44:57 It answers them all. 45:02 The Sabbath reminds us that God is our Creator. 45:07 We're not here because of an accident 45:09 because of chance. 45:11 We are here 45:13 because the Almighty God created us in His image. 45:17 The Sabbath reminds us 45:20 how we got here, where we come from. 45:28 It reminds us of the power of God, 45:31 the great Creator who hung the stars in space. 45:35 The great Creator who set the planets in motion. 45:38 The great Creator, 45:40 who made the heavens and the earth. 45:43 He is our God. 45:48 After creating for six days, 45:52 He rested when He had completed His work of creation. 45:56 He rested on the Sabbath, the seventh day. 46:03 The Sabbath is the reminder of that power. 46:07 And, friends, the Sabbath 46:11 is a reminder of God's love. 46:18 Because when the Son of God came to this planet, 46:25 and He completed His work of redemption, 46:29 the work of redemption on the cross, 46:32 when He finished that phase of His work, 46:38 He rested on the Sabbath. 46:43 He rested on the Sabbath. 46:46 And so not only does the Sabbath remind us 46:49 of God's power, 46:52 it also reminds us of His love. 46:56 How God Himself 46:59 came and died on Calvary's cross, 47:05 because He wants to spend eternity with you and me. 47:11 You see, friends, 47:15 when Jesus died on the cross, 47:21 God didn't give the best 47:25 that heaven had to offer. 47:28 He gave everything heaven had to offer. 47:31 He gave heaven itself 47:34 because heaven wasn't heaven when Jesus wasn't there, 47:39 and God was prepared to sacrifice everything 47:44 so that HE could spend eternity with you and me. 47:50 And so, friends, the Sabbath 47:53 reminds us of God's power. 47:56 And it also reminds us of God's love. 48:02 The fact that He was prepared to give His only begotten Son, 48:07 that whoever believes in Him should not perish 48:12 but have everlasting life. 48:16 And, my friend, 48:19 God has built a mansion for you 48:25 in His Kingdom. 48:28 It's got your name on it. 48:33 It's the exact color you would choose. 48:36 The color scheme is perfect. 48:39 He knows your likes and your dislikes. 48:43 Because you see, He knows all about you. 48:47 You are everything to God. 48:53 If you were the only sinner on planet earth, 49:01 if everyone around you was perfect, 49:06 Jesus still would have come 49:09 and died on Calvary's cross just for you 49:16 because He wants to spend eternity with you. 49:21 He wants to get to know you, 49:25 not just in heaven but now. 49:31 God wants to know us. 49:38 And, friends, how important that is to know God. 49:45 It's one of the reasons He's given us the Sabbath 49:49 that we will come to know Him 49:51 that we will start preparing for eternity 49:55 because, friends, when we do get to heaven, 49:59 we're going to worship on the Sabbath. 50:02 Sabbath worship will continue... 50:06 Pardon me. 50:07 You know, friends, it's quite interesting 50:09 when you consider this aspect of time. 50:14 We are people in the Western world 50:17 who are driven by time, isn't that right? 50:19 I mean, I've even got a clock up the back, 50:21 they ticking down every second, 50:24 telling me how much time I've got left 50:27 because time is important to us. 50:29 We've got to get these time programs, 50:31 these programs timed right. 50:34 And as a television evangelist and presenter, 50:36 I know that better than anyone. 50:39 Time is important 50:42 and so we have all these time measurements, don't we? 50:45 Seconds ticking away up there, the minutes, the hours, 50:50 the days and so on. 50:54 When you think about these time measurements, 50:59 all of them are determined by the movement 51:03 of the heavenly planets. 51:07 60 seconds make a minute. 51:10 60 minutes make an hour, they're all determined. 51:13 Every one of these are determined. 51:16 You know, the day is determined 51:18 by the movement of the planets. 51:21 The month, the year, all determined 51:24 by the movement of the heavenly bodies, 51:27 every one of them, with one exception. 51:31 The week. 51:34 The week is not determined. 51:39 It's our only time or measurement of time 51:42 that is not determined 51:44 by the movement of the heavenly planets. 51:49 Friends, there's only... 51:50 And let me say this, 51:52 it doesn't matter where you go on this planet, 51:57 they keep the week, don't they? 51:58 The weekly cycle. 52:00 And, friends, 52:01 that's because the weekly cycle is ingrained in our DNA. 52:07 It comes way back from creation. 52:10 It's the only answer to the origin of the week. 52:17 Time. 52:20 God made His memorial in time 52:26 because He wants to spend time with us. 52:32 And so, friends, as we prepare for eternity, 52:37 let us remember the Creator who has been scorned 52:42 by our modern age. 52:45 The Creator who has been forgotten 52:48 and replaced by eons of time, billions of years. 52:55 Friends, you and I are not here by chance. 53:00 We didn't evolve due to a series of mutations 53:04 or mistakes or accident. 53:07 You and I are here 53:09 because we are the handiwork of our loving 53:13 and Almighty God 53:16 who's coming back soon to take us 53:20 to live with Him forever. 53:24 And I say again, friends, there's a place for you, 53:28 a mansion with your name on it. 53:31 Right color, right design, right everything 53:34 because God knows you, loves you 53:38 and wants to spend eternity with you. 53:41 And that is my prayer that when Jesus comes 53:44 as King of kings and Lord of lords, 53:47 that each one of us here 53:49 will be found ready and waiting to meet Him 53:52 to spend eternity with Him. 53:55 May God bless You. Let us pray. 53:59 Dear heavenly Father, we thank You for Jesus, 54:04 our Lord and our Savior, 54:08 and the Creator of heaven and earth. 54:11 And, Father, tonight 54:14 we bow before You and we acknowledge You 54:17 as the great creator, Master of the Universe. 54:23 We worship You, we adore You. 54:27 We commit our lives to You. 54:30 And, Father, we look forward to the day 54:33 when Jesus will come 54:36 and we will be reunited with You again 54:39 to spend eternity with You. 54:42 Father, may that be our privilege. 54:45 May we be ready to meet You as unbroken families 54:49 to spend eternity in Your kingdom, 54:51 in the mansion You are preparing for us, 54:54 we ask these things in Jesus' name and for His sake. 55:00 Amen. |
Revised 2019-03-11