Participants: Pr. John Lomacang (Host), Pr. John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL090001
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00:01 Hello friends, grab your Bible and a friend
00:03 and sit back as we explore God's word 00:04 together on this edition of House Calls. 00:22 Welcome friends to another House Calls 00:23 program my name is John Lomacang 00:25 and I have with me in the studio John Stanton, 00:27 good to have you here John. It's great 00:29 to be here John. It seems like its been 00:31 a little while since we have actually 00:32 come to sit in these seats and open the word 00:35 of God, but you know what from week to week 00:37 we know that these programs continue on 00:39 and people are enjoying them and we just 00:41 thank you for your feedback. That's right 00:43 we're back in the saddle enjoying what the Lord 00:45 has called us together to do. And so friends 00:47 we wanna encourage you to sit back, 00:49 hit record, this is a program you absolutely 00:52 don't wanna miss. We haven't talked about 00:53 this before. If you ever had problems 00:55 with the shadows of things to come 00:57 and expressing the ceremonial verses 01:00 the more or lot. This is the program that 01:02 you definitely want to record. But before we do 01:04 anything more we need to have some prayer 01:06 John. Let's do that, lets do that. 01:08 Father in Heaven, we just ask that 01:09 you would bless us with your presence. 01:11 Send the Holy Spirit Lord, to lead 01:14 and guide us through this study today 01:15 and we just pray that you'll open our hearts 01:18 and we may understand the words that 01:19 you bring to our, our eyes here, 01:23 but Lord even more than that, 01:24 that we will obey and follow these things 01:27 that you reveal to us. In Jesus 01:29 name we pray amen, amen. 01:31 Well friends, as you know this program 01:33 is made of your questions and your 01:35 comments and I know you would like to 01:36 send them to us, if you like to do so send 01:38 those to housecalls@3abn.org 01:41 that's housecalls@3abn.org 01:43 and we'll download those Bible questions 01:45 and try our best to answer them. 01:48 Today we're gonna begin with John, 01:49 the guy over there. What do you have today John? 01:52 John, I have some couple of real good questions 01:55 in fact just a comment on the questions. 01:57 Okay. We get lot of them and so it is tough 02:00 to get to all of them. That's true. 02:01 And one of the things we try to do is group 02:03 similar questions together, yeah, 02:05 that are often repeated and then answer 02:08 those on the program so some of these have 02:11 come several times and now we're getting 02:12 to those. So this first one is from Damia 02:17 and she is from Jamaica. And she's got a great 02:22 question here. She says that we need 02:24 the statement at one point that leaves her 02:27 to wonder and we said there is never a point 02:30 to where you cannot be saved. 02:32 Isn't that a contradiction to what 02:35 the investigative judgment is about, 02:37 bearing in mind probation. 02:38 My understanding is that once, 02:41 one cannot be saved after his or her 02:43 probation closes. And also isn't the 02:46 Holy Spirit slowly being withdrawn from 02:48 the earth. Let's answer the last question 02:51 that slow, but sure we know the Holy Spirit 02:53 will be withdrawn from those who don't follow 02:57 the Lord. Who have pushed him off, 02:59 who have rejected his moving to him, 03:01 so that, that is happening though 03:03 and has been happening for quite sometime. 03:05 But let's talk about in the context 03:06 of the first question there. Is there a point, 03:09 ever a point where we're past whether or not 03:12 we can be saved and as far as the time 03:15 is concerned, there is coming a time John 03:17 where probation for salvation 03:20 will be closed. Right. In fact if you go back 03:24 to Daniel chapter 9 you will see 03:26 at the beginning of that chapter there is a 03:27 probation period given to the Jewish nation, 03:30 right, for probation and that was to bring 03:32 in the ministry of the Messiah, Jesus Christ 03:37 to usher in righteousness, 03:39 to make sure they put away their sins 03:40 all those things that were very important 03:42 to do, right, as part of their receiving of 03:44 Christ into their overall ministry 03:46 to the world. And we know that, 03:48 that probation passed for them as a nation 03:50 of God's people proclaiming the gospel 03:52 which is the only reason why we have a church. 03:54 There would have been no church had Israel 03:58 as a nation fulfilled their mission. 03:59 The probation closed with them. 04:01 As will probation will close for the church 04:04 in the last days, which is that people 04:06 will have a time where salvation will, 04:10 that opportunity to be saved will be closed 04:12 because Jesus is coming very, very soon. 04:15 But in terms of an individual. I don't 04:21 personally; I don't see what the Bible says 04:24 that any of us is beyond the reach of salvation 04:27 from God. Some will say well you know 04:30 what about the unpardonable sin. 04:32 Well its not God's problem when we commit 04:35 the unpardonable sin. It's our issue, 04:37 so anybody that wants to be saved I believe 04:40 God will never in anywise cast out, 04:43 so He offers salvation will continue to that 04:45 until probation does close to anyone 04:48 who wants to be saved. And so several things 04:52 that we talked about here to answer 04:53 this question, but I think hopefully we have 04:55 covered the context of what we were saying 04:57 that originally in it. Right. And then 04:59 of course acknowledging that they will come 05:01 in time in the future where probation 05:02 will close as it did once, it will close 05:05 for the church and for all the people 05:06 on the earth. Well you know probation closes 05:08 two ways. It closes corporately 05:12 and that's what you're talking about 05:14 for all humanity. But then also, when I said 05:17 corporately I'm specifying 05:20 for the church, because the Bible says in Acts, 05:22 First Peter 4:17, for the time has come 05:26 for judgment to begin at the house of God. 05:29 And if it begin at us first what shall be 05:32 the end of those who obey not the gospel 05:34 of God, if the righteous fiercely be saved. 05:36 Right. Where shall the sinner and ungodly 05:38 appear, so it starts with the church, 05:41 Ezekiel 9, brings that out began at Jerusalem. 05:45 Right. The sealing takes place among those who 05:49 have known the message of Revelation chapter 7. 05:52 So that's the corporate aspect of it 05:54 and then after that it then it goes on 05:56 to the world. Right. But then the individual 06:00 aspects of what we talked about here 06:01 there is never time if you, if you're alive. 06:04 And, and you haven't grieved 06:07 to the Holy Spirit. There is no point 06:09 at which you cannot be saved. Right. 06:11 As long as you are alive, 06:12 but when you die your probation individually 06:15 closes, so this individual probation, 06:17 corporate probation for the church 06:18 and then probation for mankind in general, 06:21 that's where Revelation 22 verse 11 and 12 says. 06:24 Verse 11 says, He that is unjust, 06:27 let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, 06:29 let him be filthy still. Beyond that point 06:31 there is no chance for anyone to be saved, 06:32 because the mediation of Christ has ended. 06:35 The work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary 06:38 is done. He is no longer our mediator. 06:41 Now we live in this presence of God 06:43 without a mediator, that is without the 06:46 word of Christ. So there is no more 06:48 mediation work and that's where the 06:50 probation closes. And this is, 06:51 I don't want to jump ahead, but this is where 06:54 the shadow and the type verses the anti-type 06:58 the real comes into play here, 07:00 because what we see in the old service. 07:02 The sanctuary service on the earth was that 07:05 there was a time where the mediation 07:07 of the high priest did cease, it did end. 07:09 And that was the day that it was a very 07:12 solemn day where the people afflicted 07:15 their souls or what they did was they searched 07:17 their souls to see whether or not there was 07:18 a sin between them and their God. That's right. 07:20 They needed to be confessed. 07:21 And so that is typified then to the reality 07:25 of now which is we're living in a time where 07:28 we need to search our own souls to see 07:30 those sins or find those sins that are between us 07:33 and our God, to put them away, to confess them 07:36 allow him to cleanse those sins from us, 07:38 so when probation or that mediation from the 07:41 high priest Jesus Christ ceases 07:43 we will be cleaned. That's right. 07:44 The atonement is referred to as at 07:47 one moment, go to remember that. 07:48 When the atonement work was done. 07:50 If the sins of the people were confessed 07:52 they were forgiven and blotted out, 07:54 if they were not confessed, 07:55 there was no more sacrifice for them. 07:58 Right. Very good point though, 08:00 thank you for that John. Here is another one, 08:02 I think the person's name is Tasha. 08:06 Thank you Tasha. John, John, 08:10 I guess that's you and me. 08:11 I'm a Baptized Christian and I know that 08:14 Jesus has paid for my sins, but there is 08:18 one sin that I committed against someone 08:21 a while before my Baptism that 08:23 consistently haunts me. Could you please 08:26 tell me, what do I have do to put my past 08:31 behind me? How am I sure that 08:33 this sin is covered and forgotten? 08:36 Tasha, here is the answer of the question 08:39 first of all. First John 1:9 here is the 08:43 first promise that the Lord makes to us. 08:44 If we confess our sins, He is faithful 08:48 and just to forgive us our sins, 08:50 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 08:51 That's the promise He makes. So whatever sin 08:53 we confess Jesus is faithful to forgive us 08:57 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 09:00 That's a promise, that's not gonna change. 09:01 But sometimes we sin against another person 09:04 and that's why the Bible tells us also to confess 09:07 our faults one to another. 09:10 If I were to a sin of a public nature 09:14 or a sin of a, that has injured someone 09:17 and I said Lord forgive me for injuring that 09:21 individual. Well they'll never know that I've 09:24 asked for that sin to be forgiven. 09:26 But if I go to them and said okay I've asked 09:30 the Lord to forgive me of what 09:31 I've done to you. Will you also forgive me, 09:34 that's the ministry of reconciliation. 09:36 And so the Lord has not only given us 09:38 the word of reconciliation his word, 09:40 his promise, but also the ministry 09:43 of reconciliation that we go and reconcile 09:46 that we become one with each other. 09:49 Let me read that text for you here now. 09:51 Second Corinthians 5 verse 18 and 19 09:55 and the Bible reads as follows. Now all things 09:58 are of God, who has reconciled us to himself 10:02 through Jesus Christ. That's the forgiveness 10:05 of our sin. Jesus is the one that brings us 10:08 back to the Father. And has given us 10:11 look at the counterpart to that. 10:13 The ministry of reconciliation. 10:16 When you reconcile with someone 10:18 when their hearts are open to it 10:20 and I'll share in a moment about 10:23 a situation where people's hearts are not 10:24 necessarily at the moment open to it. 10:26 But the Lord has given us the ministry of 10:29 reconciliation and He has committed to us 10:31 the word of reconciliation. 10:33 So, when you pray and ask God to work through 10:36 you to mend a break or an infraction in a 10:40 relationship between you and someone else. 10:41 He will give you the words of reconciliation 10:43 to make the ministry of reconciliation 10:46 an affective mending of that broken 10:48 relationship. But sometimes we have 10:51 to say, lets flip that around, if somebody 10:54 has done you something wrong, 10:56 not everybody is willing to put that 10:59 behind them and so maybe like Jesus 11:02 did on the cross, you will say Father 11:03 forgive them for they not what they do 11:05 and give the Lord the time to soften 11:08 their hearts to comeback and apologize 11:11 to you for what has been done. 11:12 The apology sometimes is not necessary to go 11:16 overall the details, but to say you know 11:18 I have, I have, I'm broken before the Lord. 11:20 I want to simply say all that I've put you 11:23 through. Matter of fact John once I received 11:25 an e-mail from someone and it was 11:29 really, really interesting. 11:31 Matter of fact it was not an e-mail, 11:34 it was an actual visit from someone 11:36 and they said I wanted to apologize to you 11:39 for all the trouble that we put you 11:41 and your family through. I know that 11:42 there has been some things done in the past 11:45 that have really hurt you and injured you 11:48 and I just want to apologize, 11:49 because I wanna go to the kingdom. 11:50 And I don't want this to be against me 11:53 when the Lord comes. And so if there is 11:55 something that's bothering you, 11:57 I will suggest that you can get in touch 11:59 with the person. You would say to them, 12:01 well I'm a Christian now what I did when 12:02 I was not a Christian, I now see that 12:05 it was wrong. And I want to ask your forgiveness 12:08 of that, will you please forgive me? 12:09 And you know what, give them time to think 12:11 about that and to come to the point where 12:13 they could honestly let that thing go. 12:15 Don't say that I've asked for your 12:17 forgiveness, now give it to me. 12:18 Right 'cause if they don't, you still 12:20 need to accept that. Right, you got to accept 12:22 the fact that well. This is one of those things 12:24 that gonna have to be give at the time 12:26 and to God's grace. Right, I agree. Okay. 12:30 In fact, I think Jesus even talked about 12:33 how if you're to bring offerings, 12:35 if you're bringing an offering to the alter. 12:36 And you remember at that point something 12:39 you've against your brother. 12:41 It says leave your offerings. That's not 12:44 the most important part, the most important part 12:46 is that you reconcile to your brother. 12:47 And then comeback. And then comeback 12:49 and you can give your offerings. 12:50 Now I now that, that's talking in the context 12:52 of brother and sister in Christ, 12:54 but still I think if the Lord is bringing this 12:57 to your memory where you're convicted of it. 12:59 You know I think your e-mail there, 13:01 it talks about how they, they're not at peace 13:04 that means the Holy Spirit is working 13:05 on them somehow to go back 13:07 and reconcile the situation that's 13:09 you need to engage in that ministry of 13:11 reconciliation to go back to him or her 13:13 to help to turn that situation around. 13:15 Yeah, I remember the situation John. 13:17 And this, this is before I was converted. 13:22 I remember a young man who was just kind 13:25 of a hoodlum mentality, that's a New York word, 13:28 a hoodlum, meaning he was just kind of like 13:30 a rebel. And visited my house when we were 13:35 teenagers and I had a new guitar 13:37 and I told him don't sit on my guitar, 13:39 don't touch it. And he picked it up 13:41 and threw it on the ground. My new guitar 13:44 and I punched him in the mouth 13:46 and knocked his teeth out. 13:47 Broke one of his teeth. And I've apologized, 13:52 I want you to know that that's not hanging over 13:54 my head. And I even asked him 13:56 I said see what, and I said see what you've 13:58 made me do. Well, he didn't make me do that, 14:01 but we reconciled the situation, 14:05 fortunately I did knock it out, loosened it up. 14:08 Right. And he kind of straightened it back up 14:10 and the Lord was gracious, he forgave me 14:14 for that terrible infraction. 14:16 That terrible transgression. 14:18 And he still has his tooth, and never it 14:20 had to taken out and it, however it works. 14:23 The roots were strong enough to keep it 14:25 in there. Good. But you know if you have 14:28 those kinds of experiences in your life 14:30 and you use the word of haunts you 14:31 and this is a very strong phrase 14:33 haunts you. That means the Spirit of God 14:36 is convicting your heart to deal 14:38 with that situation. Right, right. 14:40 Very good, here is another question 14:43 I have from Wayne. And he says hello 14:46 John and John and all others, 14:47 I have a question can you tell me 14:50 what the seven spirits of God mentioned 14:52 in Revelation 3:1, 4:5 and 5:6 are. Okay. 14:56 And so thank you for in advance for, for that 15:00 and may you continue to be a blessing 15:02 in the ministry. Thank you very much, 15:04 we appreciate that Wayne. Let's go to two 15:07 texts here I think if we connect these it will 15:09 help a little bit for us to understand. Alright. 15:10 The first one is Revelation 3 verse, 15:13 excuse me 4 verse 5. Okay. 15:16 Revelation 4 verse 5. That's the last book 15:20 of the Bible right John? It is the 15:21 last book of the Bible. Revelation 4 15:23 verse 5 okay. And the seven spirits of God 15:25 are only mentioned specifically 15:27 John in Revelation. You can't go another place 15:29 in the Bible where it says seven 15:30 spirits of God. Right. Okay, so we're going 15:34 to the book of Revelation, three places 15:36 it's mentioned here as Wayne gives here 15:39 Revelation 3:1, 4:5 and 5, chapter 5 verse 6. 15:43 Okay so Revelation 4 verse 5 we will go ahead 15:47 and read that here. It says, And from 15:50 the throne proceeded lightnings, thundering 15:52 and voices, seven lamps of fire were burning 15:56 before the throne, which are the 15:58 seven spirits of God. And you can see 16:00 in the other couple of verses what the 16:01 spirits of God are also doing. 16:03 But it never really gives a definitive 16:05 answer there, but if we connect the dots 16:07 I think we can come up with a good conclusion, 16:11 okay, what these seven spirits of God are. 16:13 Now lets turn to Revelation 1 verse 20, 16:19 now remember the seven spirits of God 16:21 are the fire that's coming okay 16:24 from the lamps, now look at this. 16:25 Revelation 1 verse 20 it says, 16:31 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw 16:34 in my right hand and the seven golden lamp 16:36 stands, so now we are talking about the lamp 16:39 stands not the actual burning fire 16:41 on the lamp. Right. And it says then, 16:44 The seven stars are the seven angels 16:46 of the seven churches and the seven lamp 16:48 stands which you saw are the seven churches. 16:51 So as the lamp stands themselves 16:54 which hold the fire are the seven churches. 16:58 Now the fire is burning above are from those 17:01 lamp stands and the seven spirits of God 17:03 are the fire that's coming, then that is 17:07 God's work within the seven churches. 17:10 And we know that Revelation 2 and 3 17:14 talking about the seven different churches 17:15 and we believe that, it was a historicist 17:18 approach to Revelation that is showing 17:20 not only things are going on in the 17:22 seven churches at the time John wrote it, 17:24 but it means to point us down through time 17:27 to the history of God's church. 17:29 The end being the church of Laodicea. 17:32 So throughout history God has had his spirit 17:36 working in the church at that time 17:38 and He's worked mightily and we find in fact 17:40 in this the context of Revelation 1 17:43 that Jesus himself is walking in the midst of 17:46 the lamp stands. That's right. 17:47 So Jesus is working through the power 17:49 of the Holy Spirit in a united way to bring 17:52 about strength and vigor and energy 17:55 and success for the ministry of the churches 17:58 and that power comes from the Holy Spirit 18:00 itself. So I think that's what the 18:03 seven spirits of God are working in the churches. 18:06 Right, the Holy Spirit of God working 18:07 throughout the generation of the 18:09 New Testament churches and the number 7 18:12 as you know denotes completeness. Yes. 18:15 The complete work of God's Holy Spirit 18:18 working throughout the churches, 18:19 seven being the affect and the application 18:22 of that, thank you very much for that question. 18:24 Here is another one. It says I enjoy 18:27 your program. Thank you very much. 18:29 We like questions and comments like that. 18:31 This is from Beverly, sometimes people ask 18:35 questions that I've also wondered about, 18:38 forgive me if someone has already asked, 18:40 asked this question. Now this was based 18:44 on the Sabbath school lesson and I won't tell 18:46 which one it is, because I don't want to date 18:47 the program. But the quotation 18:50 read as follows, there is no question 18:52 that there will be people in heaven 18:54 who have never heard the gospel. 18:57 How can that be? God commands us to go 19:00 unto all the world and preach the gospel, 19:04 then he will come. I've always been under 19:06 the assumption that everyone on earth, 19:08 everybody on earth must have been told about 19:12 the gospel truth before God can come again. 19:17 This statement from the Sabbath School lesson 19:20 sounds like we don't have to wait until 19:21 everyone knows the truth before God, 19:25 Jesus comes again. Well let me encourage you. 19:29 There will be the gospel being preached 19:33 in the New Testament is not the only gospel. 19:38 The knowledge of Christ, the gospel was 19:41 preached in the Old Testament, 19:42 the gospel was preached in all the ages not 19:45 necessarily is mentioning the name 19:48 Jesus in the Old Testament 19:49 or not necessarily even mentioning the name 19:51 Jesus among heathens. But the Bible 19:54 makes it clear in Romans 1 and I'm gonna read 19:57 from verse 16 to 21 that there is gonna be 20:00 no one that has an excuse to say 20:02 what we haven't heard in the gospel. 20:04 Because even David's Psalms talks about 20:06 creation in and of itself, there is no 20:10 place where their voice is not heard. 20:13 And if the heaven is declared the 20:14 glory of God and their voice is heard 20:17 everywhere and the glory of God has been seen 20:20 and heard everywhere. Acknowledging 20:22 the fact and this is amazing how some 20:24 scientists nowadays John are, are pushing hard 20:27 to keep the word intelligence out of the 20:30 science community, because of it, 20:32 this is a strangest thing. If you see that 20:34 science shows that we are surrounded by 20:37 intelligent design then you have to 20:40 conclude that, that intelligent design came 20:42 from an intelligent being. Nothing 20:45 intelligent just showed up. You know 20:47 there is a new vehicle that came out now, 20:49 I don't mention which one it is, but 20:50 a new very hi-tech foreign vehicle. 20:52 And then what's so unique about it is 20:55 not only does it, that you know, 20:57 like you know you are the reverse sign 21:00 when you're getting close to a car 21:01 how that sonar it beep ups, beep, beep, beep 21:05 as you're get closer and closer, 21:06 but there are some vehicles that have it 21:07 for the front letting you know you're getting 21:09 too closer to the vehicle in front of you, 21:10 but this new vehicle now has a device built 21:13 into it where if you, if you, for whatever 21:16 reason don't stop soon enough it'll stop 21:18 the vehicle for you. In the same way the Lord 21:21 has built into his word, means where by 21:23 we will know that just as a vehicle 21:26 we'll have no excuse for hitting another one. 21:28 We will have no excuse for saying 21:30 we haven't heard the gospel. 21:31 And so I wanna expand that, 21:33 because there was a time in the history 21:34 where the gospel wasn't being preached 21:36 as it is now. You know that commission 21:39 to go into all the world and preach the gospel 21:40 was given to the disciples. 21:42 So is that to say that prior to that there was 21:44 no gospel being preached? No the gospel 21:47 was being preached. Matter of fact today 21:48 we're gonna talk about that how it was 21:50 being preached in type and then later on 21:53 in anti-type. Let me read the text for you. 21:55 Romans 1 verse 16 to verse 21, 21:59 Paul begins by saying, For I'm not ashamed 22:03 of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power 22:06 of God to salvation, for everyone who believes, 22:12 for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 22:16 For in it the righteousness of God 22:19 is revealed from faith to faith as it is 22:22 written the just shall live by his faith. 22:25 Now follow carefully, For the wrath of God 22:28 is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 22:31 and unrighteousness of men, who suppress 22:34 the truth in unrighteousness. 22:36 Because what maybe known of God is manifest 22:40 in them for God has shown it to them. 22:46 Watch this, verse 20. For since the creation 22:50 of the world, now notice how far back we go. 22:53 For since the creation of the world 22:55 his invisible attributes are clearly seen. 23:00 Being understood by the things that are made, 23:03 even notice what else was revealed. 23:06 Even his eternal power and God had 23:08 and watch this, so that they are without excuse. 23:13 So there is no time that somebody can say 23:17 well I have an excuse. No. If you've been 23:19 here since the creation of this world, 23:21 you have no excuse. So in that sense 23:24 there is not a generation who hasn't 23:26 heard our presentation to let them know 23:29 that God is God. Whether they called on the name 23:33 of God in the Old Testament. 23:34 Whether they called on the name of Jesus 23:37 in the New Testament, same person. 23:38 Only one way to be saved and clearly 23:42 here is the reason why many probably 23:45 won't be saved. Well let me just rephrase that, 23:48 many won't be saved, because although 23:50 they knew God, verse 21, although 23:52 they knew God they did not glorify him as God. 23:54 And so clearly when this passage says 23:57 there is no question that there will be 23:59 people heaven who never heard the gospel. 24:01 It maybe talking about the gospel 24:05 presentation of today. Yeah I mean this are 24:07 the simple ways of presenting the gospel. 24:09 Yeah. Whether they have the preaching 24:10 of Christ in this ministry and where 24:12 he's done, right, and that appeal draws hearts 24:14 to them. But you know the gospel is being 24:16 preached through nature as well, 24:19 so there are those who have received the gospel 24:21 through, through what they see in creation, 24:24 a loving God who, who's created them 24:27 and wants a relationship with them. 24:28 And they see to draw that into that 24:30 relationship, we draw close to the God. 24:32 The creator God who established that 24:35 relationship with them and so they're, 24:36 there is that gospel being preached as well, 24:39 not just the preaching of the ministry of 24:41 Jesus Christ and what he's done. 24:44 Now, you know some would take to the nth degree 24:48 and I say nth degree, but I mean its, 24:51 you know this, you have heard this where only 24:55 through Christ and accepting Christ 24:56 can you be saved. You know and that's the 24:58 statement that we know was accurate, 25:00 but the meaning of that statement isn't always 25:02 clear, because we're clear with 25:04 what we're saying here, that some may not have 25:05 heard the name of Jesus Christ 25:07 and still be saved. That's right. 25:09 I think what, what that text is saying 25:10 more is that if it wasn't for Christ 25:14 and what he did, no one could be saved. 25:17 Exactly. More than just accepting 25:20 the name as you hear it and then by mentally 25:23 sensing, I'm following Jesus. 25:25 And by faith is well. So what it's really saying 25:28 is without what Christ did for us, 25:30 we, no one will be saved. Whether they've 25:33 heard of Jesus Christ or not. Now I'm gonna, 25:36 I'm gonna, I'm gonna piggy back on what 25:37 you said. I'm gonna tell you something else from 25:39 Romans 2 verse 14. Okay. Romans 2:14. 25:42 For when Gentiles who do not have the law, 25:45 by nature do the things in the law. 25:49 These although not having the law are a law 25:52 to themselves. Who show the work of the law 25:55 written in their hearts. Their conscience 25:58 also bearing witness and between themselves 26:01 their thoughts accusing or else excusing 26:03 them in the day when God will judge 26:06 the secretes of men by Jesus Christ 26:08 according to my gospel. So there are those 26:11 who don't have the law, who don't have 26:14 all the things that the Jews have, 26:16 the oracles of God, the ceremonial laws, 26:18 the things that drove them to Christ. 26:20 Yet they obey the things of the Lord, 26:23 because it's in their hearts. And you see 26:25 they are lost because they didn't hear 26:27 about the law, but they're obeying it. 26:29 No, no. Yeah that's where the text to whom 26:33 much is given, much is required. Yeah. 26:36 And you also find in First Peter 3 26:38 and I don't want to, I may open another 26:41 can of worms here, but the gospel 26:43 was also preached in Old Testament times. 26:45 Those who perished in the flood, 26:48 the gospel was preached to them. 26:51 And the gospel was before the Cross, 26:54 notice that the gospel, the good news 26:56 that simple word gospel means the good news. 26:59 There was good news before the Cross, 27:01 but that good news was, was pertinent, 27:04 was subject to the Cross, you see 27:07 they look to the coming Messiah, 27:08 now we look back to the Messiah who came. 27:12 So the Cross is the central focus of it all. 27:14 And First Peter 3 and verse 18 talks about 27:18 it this way, For Christ also suffered 27:20 once for sins, the just for the unjust 27:23 that he might bring us to God. 27:25 Being put to death in the flesh, 27:28 but made alive by the Spirit. 27:30 By whom he also went and preached to spirits 27:33 in prison, who formally were disobedient 27:37 when once the divine long suffering waited 27:40 in the days of Noah, while the Ark was being 27:42 prepared. So what happen is those spirits, 27:45 those who are once in prison in the past, 27:48 in the prison house of sin that's what 27:51 the reference is being made to. 27:52 The Lord through the same Holy Spirit 27:54 preached to them. That's right. 27:56 So the spirit of God has never been inactive, 27:59 but we can go down many, many more roads, 28:02 but I don't, when it comes to this. 28:05 I think that's, that's a particular application 28:07 rather than a broad statement saying that 28:09 people will never have heard the gospel 28:11 in any age. But not heard the gospel 28:14 as it pertains the way that the apostles 28:16 preached in the New Testament times. 28:18 Right, right. Anyway we have. 28:20 Actually a good transition 28:21 to our topic too. Matter of fact its good. 28:24 Because you're talking about the shadows, 28:25 you know back then being preached to, 28:27 they were being preached the gospel, 28:29 but Jesus had not come. That's right. 28:31 But there was something in place back 28:33 then that pointed them to Jesus who would come. 28:36 And that's what we really wanna talk about 28:38 today are the shadows of the past, 28:42 of the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus, 28:45 the Messiah who would come and fulfill 28:47 all those things being the reality, 28:49 not the shadow, but the reality. 28:51 John, you and I, we're both looking forward to, 28:55 I'm sure the Sun. The warmth of the Sun. 28:57 There is no, nothing like a warm nice 28:59 sunny day. We're coming off the hills of some 29:01 cold winter weather and I can't wait for that. 29:04 But one of the things that Sun brings 29:05 are shadows. Yeah. So you're walking down 29:08 the street and you look and you see your shadow. 29:10 Now if you're a young kid remember you used 29:11 to like to try and step on shadows 29:13 and having fun with those shadows. 29:14 But when you step on and you don't feel 29:16 anything different. Right. Okay, 29:18 it's just an image or a little picture of what 29:21 the real is. And so the Bible does talk about 29:25 shadows and the reality. And the Old Testament 29:29 has a lot to do with shadows and pointing 29:31 to Jesus who was the reality. 29:32 And I think today and many of you out there 29:36 may have heard this from your Pastors 29:38 or from your churches that you attend, 29:40 this teaching that somehow the shadows 29:43 of the past not only are removed or obsolete, 29:49 they're in the past only, but you've heard 29:51 that they are so done away with, 29:52 that they have no application 29:54 for the future. And this we would like to debunk 29:57 today that shadows were there to teach us 30:01 something. They teach them something, 30:03 but also they still teach us something 30:05 today about the ministry of Jesus. 30:07 What he's doing now and also all the other 30:10 doctrines and truths we find in his word, 30:13 how those apply and how they were shadows 30:15 of the past. Many of them pointing 30:16 to the reality of the future as well. 30:18 So John it's an exciting topic, I know that 30:20 you and I really have never talked about 30:22 this in detail on this program, shadows 30:24 and the reality. But I think it's time 30:26 that we do, because this is a very deceptive 30:29 twist on the scripture that if we don't, 30:33 if one doesn't get the difference between 30:36 the shadows and the reality 30:37 and how that all works. I think they can be 30:39 led down a path that is error, filled with error 30:43 and see that there are things that apply today, 30:45 that are very important in our spiritual life 30:47 as Christians that we can completely eliminate 30:50 and just, and get rid off just 30:52 by the mere fact that we think well they're 30:54 Old Testament teachings and they don't apply 30:56 to today, but in fact they do. 30:57 They do apply to today and as we transition 31:00 to that very important part, don't forget 31:02 if you have any Bible questions 31:03 and we have talked about a lot today. 31:04 If you have any Bible questions that 31:06 you like to submit to us send them 31:08 to housecalls@3abn.org that's 31:10 housecalls@3abn.org and once again 31:14 we will make our best attempt by God's leading 31:16 Holy Spirit to answer those questions. 31:18 The text I wanna begin with today John 31:20 is a text that people have sighted, 31:22 you know there are, there are darling texts, 31:26 there are, there are favorite texts 31:30 in various denominations that people use to 31:35 buttress their beliefs or to prove their point. 31:39 This one verse has, has been so unjustly 31:43 accused of getting rid of what it never got rid 31:46 of that we want to begin with this today. 31:49 Yeah. Now let I'm gonna say that again. 31:51 This text has been so unjustly accused 31:54 and misused and pointed to as the culprit 32:00 as the one who had in these words. 32:03 These are the words often used to make it 32:06 appear though the thing that we're gonna refer 32:08 to is none void and done away with it never 32:11 to rise again. And I'm gonna go ahead, 32:13 have you read that John. We're gonna turn 32:16 to Colossians 2 and we are gonna go from 32:20 verse 14 down to verse 17, but if you want 32:24 to get the context of it. If you read 32:26 the earlier verses and maybe we should do 32:28 this John because. I think we should start 32:32 with 13, you pick up a good bit of the context 32:34 there anyway. Yeah right, that 32:35 matter of fact I was gonna go to 11, but 32:37 13 will be fine because we know. 32:40 13 I think pulls the whole picture together 32:42 very well. Pointing out what the content 32:46 and the context of this whole passage is about. 32:50 So John start with us, start by 32:53 reading verse 13. Colossians 2 beginning 32:55 with verse 13, verse 13 yeah. 32:57 And you, being dead in your trespasses 33:00 and this uncircumcision of your flesh. 33:03 He has made alive together with him, 33:06 having forgiven you all trespasses. 33:08 That's good news. Right. We were once dead 33:11 and our trespass is down, He's forgiven us 33:12 and made us alive and having forgiven us. 33:15 Having also, verse 14, having wiped out 33:19 the handwriting of requirements that was 33:21 against us, which was contrary to us. 33:24 And he has taken it out of the way having 33:27 nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed 33:31 principalities and the powers, 33:33 He made a public spectacle of them 33:35 triumphing over them in it. 33:37 So let no one judge you in food, 33:39 or in drink, or in regarding a festival, 33:41 or a new moon or a Sabbath, 33:43 which are a shadow of the things to come; 33:45 but the substance is of Christ. 33:49 Now what I want to do also, because the verse 33:52 that we just read I'm gonna go and turn 33:54 to it here in my, I gonna use my computer. 33:57 I don't want you guys to think I'm sneaking up 34:00 on you, but I wanna go ahead and look at verse 34:03 the same thing again in the King James Version. 34:07 This is the one often used. 34:08 The New King James Version is very clear, 34:12 but the version that is often used is used 34:15 to give strength to the argument, 34:18 so let me read that again. Just verse 14 34:20 and there is a particular word 34:23 in verse 14 that if you, if you exclude 34:26 this word it begins to loose the context, 34:30 but listen how it reads in the 34:32 King James Version. Blotting out 34:34 the handwriting of ordinances that was 34:38 against us, which was contrary to us, 34:41 and took it out of the way, 34:43 nailing it to the cross. And I'm gonna just go 34:48 to verse 16, because it uses the two verses. 34:50 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, 34:53 or in drink, or in respect of a Holy day, 34:57 or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days. 35:01 Now you notice, it's referred to as Sabbaths 35:05 in the New King James Version and Sabbath days 35:09 the word days was added by the translators 35:12 to show that it was more than one. Right. 35:15 Sabbaths, and so let me go ahead 35:18 and give you my thesis right here or my, 35:20 my yeah I'll use the word thesis that's gonna 35:22 sounds good. People often use this verse 35:25 to say that the Sabbath of creation the 35:29 Seventh-day Sabbath is no longer in affect, 35:33 because it was a shadow. Now lets go ahead 35:37 and for a brief moment and John we could 35:39 jump back and forth on this, 35:40 I want us both to register on this before 35:42 we get into the Bible texts. And then 35:44 after this we gonna go to Ephesians 2 35:46 and look at this very same application, 35:49 Paul said to the Colossians as well as 35:52 to the Ephesians the very same passage. 35:54 We emphasize at both times. And the word I 35:56 want you to catch is the phrase or the word 36:01 ordinances. We're gonna look at ordinances 36:04 and we're gonna look at how they applied to, 36:06 how they were against us, how they became 36:10 contrary to us. Now here is my spiel. 36:13 The Sabbath that was created at the end 36:18 of creation it was created before the sin. 36:20 Just like the marriage institution was created 36:23 before the sin. Two things God established 36:26 in the very beginning was the Sabbath, 36:28 husband and wife and the, sorry the 36:33 marriage institution, husband and wife 36:35 and the Sabbath. Husband in heaven and wife 36:39 on earth okay. So you need to look at both 36:42 of those as husband and wife institutions 36:44 and both of them the marriage on earth 36:47 is a sign between man and woman that God 36:49 has sanctified them. Follow me carefully. 36:51 And the Seventh-day Sabbath is a sign 36:55 between God in heaven and man on earth 36:58 that we are sanctified. I don't know 37:00 if you ever caught that before, 37:01 both are symbols of sanctification and both, 37:04 the man and the woman were sanctified before 37:09 sin by the marriage institution and humanity 37:13 is continually sanctified by its 37:15 observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath. 37:18 Both of those things established before 37:21 the sin. Right. Let me let you register on that 37:22 before we go any further. No, I think, 37:24 I think you've said it very clear. 37:25 There's nothing, there is no problem 37:27 with the Seventh-day Sabbath or with 37:30 marriage, because there was no problem 37:32 at the time anyway, there was no sin. 37:34 Okay, so now has marriage been done 37:36 away with? No. Has they be an attempt 37:39 to redefine marriage? Absolutely, okay. 37:41 Has the Seventh-day Sabbath be done 37:43 away with? No. Has they been in an attempt 37:45 to redefine it? Yes, okay. Somewhat 37:47 successfully. Very, very successfully in both 37:50 cases there is a pushing for many laws 37:53 and props this and prop that to redefine 37:58 marriage and they say well as long you love 38:00 somebody that's all that matters. 38:01 That's not God's economy. God established 38:03 and I say this unapologetically, 38:05 but scripturally God established marriage 38:07 should be between a man and a woman. 38:09 And just because I love somebody 38:12 of the same sex does not negate 38:14 God's requirements. That's right. 38:16 You can't modify that and say it's based 38:19 on love. It's based on the image of God 38:21 and the human race. Not based on the word 38:23 love which is in fact love is God 38:25 and God is love. But it's based on 38:26 completing the image of God and the human race. 38:29 Any attack on the marriage institution 38:31 the way that God established 38:32 it is an attack on God's image. That's right. 38:35 In the human race, in the same way 38:37 the marriage being a sign of God's divinity 38:40 the Seventh-day Sabbath is a sign 38:43 of his divinity also. Once again saying 38:45 the text to the divinity of Christ through 38:47 both of those institutions. 38:48 And so John, let me you register 38:51 because I could keep going on here 38:52 and I wanna, I wanna regroup by going 38:54 to the Ephesians 2 here and then 38:56 talking about ordinance. Okay, to back up 38:59 and give context to all of Paul's writing. 39:01 Right. Because I think we need to do that. 39:04 Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles he's spoken of 39:07 sometimes. Was dealing with the early church 39:11 that was made up of Jews and Gentiles. 39:14 Both completely different backgrounds 39:16 and there was this constant debate, 39:19 this is constant struggle for control 39:22 or superiority or whatever it maybe 39:25 between the Jews and Gentiles, 39:27 because the Jews thought that, 39:28 many of those things that they have always 39:30 done as shadows. Were still applicable 39:35 in the church. And those are the things 39:36 that we mentioned here in verse 16, foods 39:41 and you've eaten, drinks, drink, food 39:43 and drink offering and you have got 39:44 the festivals that you observe 39:46 and the new moons and Sabbath, 39:47 those things they continually try to bring 39:50 into the church and keep their established. 39:53 And Paul, in writing this was saying is not 39:56 about that anymore. It's not about that 39:59 and he has really writing to many of the 40:01 Jews in the church that were being very 40:02 dogmatic about this. You ever met somebody 40:04 dogmatic, I used to be dogmatic. 40:07 Win the argument, it doesn't matter 40:10 if you win the friendship, win the 40:12 argument you know and hammer it as well as 40:15 you can and you're good. And I think many 40:18 to a great degree the teachers of the law 40:21 and those that were now part of the early church 40:23 were trying to keep these things going 40:26 forward in the new covenant era 40:28 of the early church. And so Paul here is writing 40:31 on that. He is saying no, no, no, 40:34 those pointing to Christ and we're gonna get 40:37 to Colossians. Colossians talks a lot 40:38 about this. Right. Those pointing to Christ 40:41 leading us to Christ and his ministry 40:43 and once Christ is here those aren't important 40:46 anymore. Right. But what we will find 40:49 as we do a little further digging 40:50 in this passage here is that we're not talking 40:53 about the moral law of God. 40:55 The Ten Commandment law of God, 40:57 because that was never called a shadow. 40:58 But we are talking about the ceremonial law 41:02 that was given through the written 41:04 law of Moses. And so I will bring one thing 41:08 as we transition one text. Okay. 41:10 I will bring here to the plate, 41:11 to the table. Many more but just go ahead. 41:13 Many more but here is one that we can kind 41:14 of spring board from and I'm reading from 41:16 Deuteronomy chapter 31. Okay 41:18 Deuteronomy chapter 31. And this is beginning 41:19 with verse 24. So it was when Moses had 41:25 completed writing the words of this law 41:28 in a book, when they were finished that 41:31 Moses commanded the Levites, 41:33 who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 41:35 saying: Take this Book of the Law, 41:38 put it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 41:42 your God, that it maybe there as a witness 41:44 against you. Okay. So now remember in the 41:49 ark of the covenant, the law of God written 41:53 by God's own finger on tablets of stone was 41:56 put inside. On the inside. Inside 41:59 of the ark and the mercy seat was close over it. 42:02 This law, notice it says, this law. 42:06 It's a different law John. It's a different 42:08 law Moses was instructed by God 42:11 and he is instructing the Levites 42:12 to put it beside the Ark of the covenant. 42:15 That was Deuteronomy what? Deuteronomy 42:17 31, 24 to 26. It wasn't to go inside. 42:21 It was a law yes, but it was to go beside the Ark 42:24 of the covenant. Not in the inside, 42:26 because it did not have the place that 42:28 the Decalogue. The moral law God had. 42:31 And dec means how many. Ten, ten 42:33 that's what we call the Decalogue. 42:35 So it did not have that kind of place 42:38 in position, because why? Because 42:41 it was a witness against them. That's right. 42:44 Because of their sins. That's right. 42:46 And not only it was a witness, 42:48 that word witness there is a very interesting 42:50 word. It means it was a testimony against them. 42:54 It told them that they needed a savior. 42:58 It told them, they needed redemption 43:00 and that the redemption could only come outside 43:03 of their own works. But no matter 43:06 what they can do. And this image is just 43:09 coming to mind I'm getting excited 43:10 now John. Okay you go ahead. 43:12 No matter what they can do, 43:14 they couldn't take the observation of this law 43:16 on the outside and get themselves on the inside 43:19 of the ark. In harmony with the 43:22 Ten Commandment law of God. Right. 43:24 There was always gonna be an outside 43:25 observance, but still it pointed them 43:28 to what God wanted ultimately 43:30 for their lives on the inside the Ark of, 43:34 or the Ark containing the Decalogue, 43:36 the Ten Commandments of God. Right. 43:38 And so here we are finding I think 43:40 in this text John clearly diminution 43:42 between two laws one on the inside 43:45 the Ten Commandments which God wrote 43:46 with his own finger and one on the outside 43:48 that was placed the only temporary as a witness 43:50 against them by Moses himself 43:53 not to be placed inside the Ark. 43:55 And do you know what I also like to add to that 43:57 John and that's a very powerful point friends 43:59 don't miss that, the ceremonial laws 44:01 which were written in a book and they were 44:05 referred to as the Torah the Pentateuch, 44:08 first five books of the Bible, the Torah 44:10 and these were about 640 laws 44:13 and you'll find them in Exodus, Leviticus, 44:17 Numbers and Deuteronomy. You will find them 44:20 in those books all the specifics 44:22 and we're gonna make some, we're gonna make 44:23 some references to that and not just 44:25 this program, but we're gonna work on another 44:26 program with this, helping you understand 44:28 the shadows, because a lot of times people say, 44:29 well the Sabbath of the fourth commandment 44:33 it was a shadow, we don't keep that anymore 44:36 although we keep the Ten Commandments, 44:38 but we don't keep the Sabbath. 44:40 You know the funny thing about that John 44:42 and let me use this illustration. 44:43 And by the way before I even use 44:45 the illustration, I'm gonna go 44:46 and read a text that shows the difference 44:48 between what John read in Deuteronomy 31 44:51 verse 24 to 26. And what the Bible says 44:54 about the Ten Commandments. 44:55 The other writing of them in the book of 44:58 Deuteronomy chapter 5 and listen to what 45:00 the Lord says in verse 22. After the 45:03 Ten Commandments are written all ten of them. 45:05 It's in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy chapter 5 45:08 listen to it what it said in verse 22. 45:11 These words the Lord spoke to all 45:14 your assembly in the mountain from the midst 45:18 of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness 45:21 with a loud voice: and follow these next 45:24 five words and He added no more. 45:28 Ten Commandments and he added no more. 45:33 Do you mean all those inquiry things 45:35 I go through line at the grocery store 45:37 that says they found another three or five 45:39 or eight commandments that can't be true. 45:40 And not only, terrible. But listen 45:43 what it goes on to, it only says and he added 45:47 no more in verse 22. But it goes on to say, 45:49 and he wrote them on two tablets of stone 45:54 and gave them to me. That is to Moses. Yes. 45:57 He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 45:59 Stone tablets, not in a book. That's right. 46:03 Only ten, he added no more. 46:05 So you clearly see two, two different laws 46:08 here. But I wanna also show that the 46:11 ceremonial law was added, because the 46:15 moral law was violated. Galatians 3:19 46:20 John read that for us. Galatians 3:19, 46:23 now we have to define something here, 46:26 First John chapter 3 verse 4 and 5. 46:30 The Bible makes it very clear that sin is 46:32 the transgression of the law. 46:33 Sin is the transgression of violation of the law. 46:36 When the law of God the Ten Commandments 46:38 were violated, that was from the very beginning 46:41 when Adam and Eve sinned, the commandments 46:43 of God were violated. When Cain killed Abel 46:46 the commandments were violated, 46:48 so he added now another system of types, 46:52 of washings, of ordinances, 46:55 of ceremonies of, ceremonial Sabbaths, 46:58 many Sabbaths to lead them back to Christ. 47:03 But going to read Galatians. 47:05 And lead them into harmony with the law 47:07 that was broken that's thing. Harmony with it. 47:09 Right, right. And so I'm reading from 47:11 Galatians 3 verse 19, what purpose then does 47:14 the law serve. It was added because of 47:17 transgressions. Till the Seed that is capital 47:22 Seed Jesus should come to whom the promise 47:27 was made. Okay. And it was appointed 47:29 through angels by the hand of the mediator. 47:31 Okay, it was appointed to angels by the hand 47:34 of the, the mediator is Christ, but get this, 47:36 it was added and follow this till the seed. 47:40 Added came inn, till the seed go out. 47:44 It had a time flame, it had a time period. 47:46 It was a time line. It was added. 47:48 But when something is added, it comes out 47:50 a particular time. It comes in after until, 47:53 it has an ending point. I'll be coming 47:57 to your house, added to the company 47:59 until 5 O'clock tomorrow evening, 48:01 then I'm gonna leave. Have a time flame. 48:03 And so clearly this law had a time flame 48:05 and to show you when John read Colossians 2 48:08 he began with verse 13 that brought in the word 48:11 circumcision, uncircumcision, 48:14 but lets see what Paul says here in 48:16 First Corinthian 7:19 then I'm gonna use 48:19 the illustration that was so clearly 48:21 pointed out, blotting it out, 48:25 taking it out of the way, nailing it 48:27 to the cross, I'm gonna point that out here. 48:29 But listen to what Paul says in 48:30 First Corinthian 7:19 circumcision is nothing, 48:35 that was the part of the ceremonial law. 48:37 You will read the Ten Commandments 48:38 and you will not find anything about 48:40 circumcision. Circumcision is nothing, 48:43 and uncircumcision is nothing, 48:45 but keeping of the commandments of God 48:47 is what matters. Here we go. 48:50 Notice circumcision, ceremonial law, 48:52 uncircumcision doesn't really matter. 48:54 Wait now, Paul wrote that? Paul wrote that. 48:56 So he will be contradicting himself. 48:58 Right. If he did in fact mean that the 49:01 Ten Commandments were done away with in 49:02 Colossians 2 Right. So it can't mean 49:04 that the Ten Commandments were 49:06 done away it. No, he couldn't mean that. 49:07 Not at all. He referred to it as a handwriting 49:11 of ordinances. And we gonna talk about 49:12 those ordinances in just a moment, 49:13 but now how many commandments 49:14 are there John? There are ten. 49:16 Okay now watch this. I'm gonna use my 49:19 phone as an illustration here for just a 49:20 brief moment. Really what kind, 49:22 it doesn't really matter, but each phone 49:23 has 10 digits from one all the way down 49:26 to zero alright. Now I'm gonna use this phone 49:29 in the illustration of the Ten Commandments. 49:30 Ten digits on this phone, but I'm also 49:33 gonna begin by the illustration of this 49:36 being the ceremonial law. That means 49:39 we are by God is communicating with men. 49:42 In Exodus chapter 25 verse 8 and 9 he says, 49:45 let them make a sanctuary that 49:47 I may dwell among them. And the one he made, 49:49 he made it from a pattern shown 49:52 to Moses when he was in the mount. 49:53 The pattern was from an original that exists 49:55 in heaven and we even hear that when Jesus 49:59 sat down on the right hand of his Father 50:01 and the true tabernacle not made with hands, 50:05 that is not of this building. So, you had 50:08 a system put in place and let's refer to this 50:11 phone as a ceremonial system 50:12 and the Lord communicated. 50:14 Now, if John was in Europe and I'm here 50:16 in America and I didn't see him 50:18 the only way I could communicate him, 50:20 with him is through this phone. 50:21 I dial the number John, are you there? 50:24 Yes and everything on this phone enables me 50:27 to communicate to him and him to communicate 50:29 with me, but now while John is sitting right 50:31 in front of me can you imagine the ridiculous 50:34 stupidity of picking up his phone 50:37 and saying John, are you there 50:38 and I'm looking right at him, the phone then 50:41 becomes something that's contrary. 50:44 So, what do I have to do with this thing 50:46 that's contrary is there anything wrong 50:47 with the phone no. But it's contrary, 50:50 so how am I gonna make this broken 50:53 communication an unbroken communication, 50:55 I've got to take this out of the way. 50:57 And so when the Lord came there was no more 51:00 need for the ceremonial system that kept us 51:03 connected with Christ with what he was going 51:05 to eventually do. There was no need for it 51:08 to be in the middle of us any longer 51:10 so the Lord took that out of the way 51:14 and I could have open communication 51:16 with Christ, that middle wall was removed, 51:18 it was taken out of the way, it was a partition 51:21 until Jesus came, that's why John when he died 51:25 you may notice in Matthew that the curtain 51:27 of the temple, what happened to the curtain 51:29 of the temple, tell us. It was torn 51:30 from top to bottom and why? Because it showed 51:35 revealed complete access now to the presence 51:38 of God through Christ sacrifice. 51:40 There was no more avail it was torn into 51:42 and making the two one now, the lamb 51:47 that was on the altar to be sacrifice 51:49 that day was no longer needed to be sacrifice 51:52 because the lamb of God, John 1:29, 51:56 was the one that was sacrifice. 51:58 Which is why Galatians 3 goes on to say 51:59 in verse 23: But before faith came, 52:02 that is speaking of faith through Christ 52:04 in person that's right, we were kept 52:08 under guard by the law, kept for the faith 52:10 which would afterward be revealed. 52:12 Now revealing is, Jesus revealing himself, 52:15 that's right. Therefore the law was our tutor 52:18 to bring us to Christ, that we might be 52:21 justified by faith. But after faith has come, 52:24 we are no longer under a tutor. 52:26 In other words after Jesus came 52:28 we don't need the sacrifice 52:30 of other things, we have the sacrifice 52:31 of Christ we can depend upon by faith, 52:33 there you go. After I show up back 52:36 from Europe you had me on a trip to Europe 52:38 where did I go by the way? I don't know, 52:39 you went to France, that's why 52:41 I came back from France you don't need 52:43 the phone anymore because I could talk 52:44 to you directly as we're talking together 52:46 and that's what this is saying that law 52:48 that ceremonial law was done away with, 52:51 it was done away with. Now, John, I know 52:54 we're gonna continue on with the analogy 52:56 I have here but in Daniel 9 52:58 also has a similar verse where he is pleading 53:02 to God in behalf of his people that's right. 53:05 And he says: "Yes, all Israel has transgressed 53:09 Your law." What verse you reading, 53:10 I'm reading from Daniel 9 verse 11 okay? 53:12 All Israel has transgressed Your law, 53:15 and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; 53:19 therefore the curse and the oath written 53:23 in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, 53:26 have been poured out on us, 53:27 because we have sinned against him. 53:29 See, before it was just the law of God 53:32 but when they transgressed it 53:34 the Law of Moses was added to draw them 53:38 back because of that transgression, 53:40 because of that curse to draw them back to God. 53:42 So, see repeatedly throughout the Bible 53:44 we have many verses it's not one 53:46 we're reading but over and over again 53:47 we see two laws, one bring them to Christ 53:50 and one which they transgressed that God 53:55 wants to bring them back into harmony with, 53:57 in other words bring them back into keeping 53:59 because by faith through Christ we have a 54:02 perfect life that he offers us 54:05 by his own life. And you know what happened 54:08 and I wanna and the reason why this verse 54:09 came up and we're gonna talk about 54:11 some of the types here and some antitypes 54:13 if we get to at this program that be find 54:15 but if we don't get it in this program 54:17 look for the next program and we will 54:19 cover some of these shadows that existed 54:22 to point us to Christ. Now, what I wanna 54:24 also do John now because there is also another 54:28 segment of Christianity that says 54:29 the Ten Commandments are in effect 54:31 but they only observe 9 and then 54:34 there is a battle to get rid of one of them. 54:36 So, now let's go ahead and say I wanna show 54:40 you friends how Satan has sold you phone 54:42 that doesn't function but he's convinced you 54:44 that it works. I wanna show you how Satan 54:48 has sold you a phone that doesn't function, 54:51 it's broken but he's telling you it works. 54:53 Now, let me go ahead and use the illustration 54:55 make it very obvious, this phone has 54:58 ten digits, Ten Commandments. 55:01 Now, you're transitioning, 55:02 this is not a ceremonial, 55:03 not ceremonial any longer. This is a 55:05 Ten Commandment example, Ten 55:06 Commandment phone. Two sides of the phone, 55:08 ten digits, one all the way down to zero which 55:13 is ten digits. Let's say I get rid of 55:16 digit number four or in this case 55:19 commandment number four, right. 55:21 Digit number four doesn't work John comes 55:24 to my store to buy a phone and I say 55:26 I have a phone I would like to sell you John 55:28 and I'm not telling him that digit number four 55:31 doesn't work. He buys the phone, 55:33 he goes to home and tries to make a phone 55:34 call and discovers that he can't get through 55:36 to most of the people because 55:38 one of the digits don't work. 55:40 He comes back to me and says you know, 55:42 you told me this was a brand new phone 55:44 and there's no scratches on it, 55:47 it will look perfectly intact. And I say, 55:49 John well, okay it's a, the phone is working 55:53 mostly. The only problem is digit number four 55:57 doesn't work, but don't worry about 55:58 that it's still a phone. Digit number four 56:00 is there, but it doesn't work to impressive, 56:03 it doesn't, it doesn't work, you could see it, 56:05 but it doesn't function when you press it, 56:07 right. Now, in Christianity today 56:10 commandment number four doesn't work 56:12 for them because Satan has broken it. 56:16 He has violated it, giving you a phone 56:20 and said to you, it has ten digits don't worry 56:23 about it. It has ten digits; you can see 56:25 ten digits, when you press the fourth one 56:27 it doesn't work. The commandments of God, 56:30 the fourth commandment is not at work in many 56:32 Christian churches because it has been 56:34 violated, broken by the enemy of truth. 56:38 And he is giving everybody else a phone 56:40 Christianity has a phone they think works, 56:43 but that digit is not functioning. 56:45 And we will point out what that digit 56:47 has been replaced with in our 56:50 upcoming programs. You know, 56:52 the we're talking about the shadows here, 56:56 right, kind of keeping the context of what 56:57 our program is here. We're talking about 56:59 the shadows; it is so I can't say 57:01 how important it is to understand 57:03 the difference between the law of God 57:04 and the law of Moses, right, and ceremonial 57:06 laws. And that's why we're gonna spend 57:08 another hope program on this very topic 57:11 because it is so important. 57:12 And I think, if you do get it, 57:14 if you catch it from that point on, 57:16 you'll be able to read scripture much more 57:18 clearly and understand what God 57:19 is trying to tell us. That's right, friends 57:21 so stay tuned for the next 57:22 House Calls program. We're gonna make it 57:24 very clear that the shadow has passed; 57:26 the real has come until we see you again study 57:29 God's word trust Him because Christ is 57:32 waiting to be in your life. 57:33 Have a great day in Christ. |
Revised 2014-12-17