Participants: John Lomacang & John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL100003
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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 together 00:05 on this edition of "House Calls." 00:22 Welcome to another House Calls program 00:23 and I would suggest that you hit the record button, 00:26 right now. 00:27 Because I know you don't want to miss this program, 00:29 it's about the power and purity that God intends 00:33 for everyone of us to have. 00:34 You'll find out what that means in a moment. 00:36 But my good friend John Stanton here with us, 00:38 good to have you, John. 00:39 Hey, it's good to be here, John. 00:41 Looking forward to the program. 00:42 You know when we get a mail or an e-mail to John, 00:44 it's confusing because you know, 00:45 there's there both of us, 00:47 and then when John Dinzey sits in, 00:49 it really gets confusing. 00:51 So thank you for sending the e-mails, 00:53 it's always a pleasure to hear from you. 00:54 You know when some times when I just, 00:55 real quick, when I answer those e-mails, 00:57 I'll say Pastors John. Oh Pastors John. 01:01 It's a plural, Pastors John because 01:03 it kind of comes from all of us. 01:04 Okay, well, that's good, but you know it's 01:06 always a great opportunity to sit down and come 01:09 into you heart, into your home, into your living room. 01:11 Or if you're watching this at church, 01:13 into your church. 01:15 But thank you for joining us, 01:16 and we have a lot to cover today, 01:18 but before we do any of that we want to have prayer, 01:20 so John, have prayer for us. Okay. 01:22 Father in Heaven, 01:23 we are so thankful for another day here, 01:25 and we just pray that you'd bless us in a special way. 01:28 Imbibe us with the power of the Holy Spirit. 01:30 Hear this as we open your word and as we talk 01:33 about things that we know are things 01:37 that are important especially in the days in which we live. 01:40 To know you better and to prepare for your son's 01:42 soon return, in Jesus name, amen. Amen. 01:47 Whenever you send us questions we are excited 01:49 about it because it always gives us a glimpse 01:51 into what you are thinking. 01:52 Some of you like to write dissertations, 01:56 and it gets diffic ult to read it all through. 01:59 We've... we get someletters that are 02:01 hand written meticulously. 02:03 And some times we get written letters that 02:06 look like hieroglyphics. 02:07 So try to be really clear when you send it to us, 02:09 and if you send as e-mail to us, 02:11 you can send it to us at housecall@3abn.org, 02:15 that's to housecall@3abn.org 02:19 and we'll answer that as best we can. 02:21 So keep those letters, and those e-mails coming, 02:25 we appreciate it. 02:26 But John, what do you have for us today, 02:28 what's our first question? 02:29 Well, we've got a good question that 02:31 I think is indicative of many conversations 02:34 between people who are Christians who study 02:37 the word of God, and disagree on certain issues. 02:41 All right. And so I just read 02:42 the first part of this, and not the rest of it here 02:45 which gets into more one of those lengthier 02:47 dissertation type of things. 02:49 Okay. But it says, 02:51 dear pastors, in talking with my son-in-law, 02:54 why Adventist encourage vegetarianism, 02:57 I explain that our bodies are the temple of God. 02:59 And we are to give it the best, 03:01 and that we won't be eating any meat in heaven. 03:04 And we're to prepare our lives for them. 03:07 He said that your opinion. 03:10 When I give him Bible verses about such things, 03:12 he says, that's the way you interpreted. 03:14 He says, everyone can have a different interpretation. 03:18 I said, I believe if you pray the Holy Spirit 03:21 will give you the right interpretation. 03:23 I think, his reply was, 03:26 that's the way I interpret it or something 03:28 to that effect. 03:29 Okay, so this is the beginning of what... 03:31 in fact I am looking for the Ivan, 03:35 it looks like, sent in her conversation recently 03:39 with her son-in-law. 03:40 And so, you know, I began to think here, 03:42 this is a good question to talk about as far as 03:44 the subject of interpreting the Bible. 03:47 Okay. Because so often we have 03:50 in our discussions with maybe somebody else, 03:52 a friend, maybe someone from, 03:54 that belongs to another church. 03:56 And we get into the discussion, and there is a disagreement 03:59 about what the Bible is really saying in a particular topic. 04:03 I don't believe in this thing of relevant truth, 04:08 where, you know, 04:10 it's...it's truth for some but not for others. 04:13 You know, or you know God doesn't really 04:16 have a perfect truth in all these things, 04:18 it's kind of, there's a gray area here. 04:20 I mean there are some gray areas, 04:21 but those typically are ethical issues and other things 04:24 associated with that. 04:25 But God I believe does have a truth, 04:28 that's right, there's an absolute truth, 04:29 and that's why we have the word of God. 04:31 So if we are to agree as Christians that the Bible 04:34 is the arbiter or the handbook of absolute truth. 04:38 Then we need to be able to go to the word, 04:42 and find the truth on any specific issue. 04:44 That's right. Just before you answer 04:45 that I want to say this, 04:47 sometimes when you get into and I am listening 04:49 to the way that the question is framed. 04:51 Sometimes people build road blocks by saying, 04:55 well, that's your interpretation, 04:56 that's your interpretation, 04:57 that's what you think it is, and things like that. 04:59 And so sometimes it's... it's best in a family member setting, 05:04 not to jostle one family member against the other. 05:06 Because sometimes that's the most unproductive way 05:10 to try to convince innocent people have discovered 05:14 the truth in the Bible, 05:15 and have been clarified by...by the word of God 05:20 and then they take it to their mom, 05:21 or dad, or vise versa. 05:23 Parents take it to their children, 05:25 and they get into this battle because any drastic change 05:28 that requires a change in the person's life 05:31 in your own home. 05:32 It's a big challenge, and this is not... 05:35 in your own home, you know being the son-in-law, 05:38 but it still sometimes comes across as that's 05:41 your interpretation, that's your idea but... 05:43 Yeah, and I think in any discussion though, 05:45 when there is a disagreement, 05:46 I think at some point, fairly early on, 05:49 not later on, you have to just, 05:50 you know, agree to or disagree. 05:52 This is an issue that has to be hammered out 05:54 if you see both sides very polarized. 05:57 And especially with family like you're saying, 05:59 you don't want to hurt relationship by disagreeing so. 06:02 Anyway, but this issue of...of the Bible has 06:06 several interpretations. 06:08 And it's one interpretation verses another. 06:10 I just want to give a quick synopsis of how John 06:13 and myself interpret scripture, 06:17 of course, the power of the Holy Spirit, 06:18 we depend upon the Holy Spirit to give us 06:20 that interpretation. 06:22 But the other thing is that I think is very important 06:24 is the, what the courts would call 06:27 the preponderance of the evidence. 06:29 Okay. A vast amount of information, 06:32 and Isaiah speaks of that of truth being found 06:36 by going here and there in other scripture places, 06:40 cross referencing one topic or in one topic one verse 06:43 with another verse, one text with another text. 06:46 Very clear seems like that, that is the way to 06:49 bring about knowledge, in fact, 06:50 why don't we just read that here, 06:52 briefly, I am almost... I'm almost to it. 06:54 Yeah, Isaiah 28. 06:56 yeah, I was thinking of that too. 06:57 Isaiah 28, and I will read starting with verse 9. Okay. 07:02 Whom shall He teach knowledge? 07:05 It's a good question, and whom He'll make 07:08 to understand message? 07:10 And that's really we are talking about, 07:11 how do you find truth? 07:12 Right, those just weaned from the milk, 07:15 and those just drawn from the breasts. 07:18 Verse 10: For precept must be on precept, 07:21 precept on precept, line upon line, 07:24 line upon line, here a little, 07:26 and there a little. Right. 07:28 Very clearer that scripture is, 07:31 the truth is found by comparing scripture with scripture. Right. 07:34 So we have to be careful, and I would say anybody 07:37 needs to be careful, we're taking one verse or 07:39 one passage and saying here's the truth on that. 07:44 And isolating that passage to kind of be the decision 07:49 maker in a broad scale of a specific topic. 07:54 For instance, you know, 07:55 many of you have heard us talk about, 07:57 you know, what happens to the soul when you die? 07:59 You know, what happens to someone when they die? 08:02 And there's this verse that's frequently brought up 08:05 by some from Second Corinthians chapter 5, 08:08 where it says, "To be absent in the body 08:13 is to be present from, with the Lord, right? 08:16 So we...absent from the body, 08:18 excuse me to be present with the Lord. 08:19 And so we read that, some read that and say, 08:21 oh, look at there, that shows you that your 08:24 soul when you die returns to God and that's 08:26 when you live, in the immediate sense in the 08:28 conscious state. 08:29 And the...but the problem with that is that 08:31 if you accept that as the truth it contradicts numerous 08:36 other texts in the Bible that say much differently. 08:39 And so that's where truth is discovered in the 08:43 multitude of the text, 08:44 because one or two small text on the topic does not 08:48 a truth make, fine, as one would say. 08:50 And so, I would say to someone who is saying, 08:55 well, you know that's your opinion, 08:56 you know, you can have one, 08:57 I have another. 08:59 My thought would be just to encourage them to take 09:01 a look at all the passages on the topic. 09:04 Let's go away, let's study this on your own, 09:06 let's come back with 25, 09:08 just come back with 30 texts on this topic. 09:10 And let's see what the Bible says on it? 09:12 That's true, nothing if you hit the nail right on the head 09:13 because it's not a whole lot we could add to that. 09:16 Outside of the fact that sometimes when a person 09:18 looks at the passage, he'll go back to the absent 09:20 from the body present with the Lord. 09:21 How strange it is that passage never mentions the 09:24 word death, it never mentions the word soul. 09:28 It doesn't talk about that but people's minds 09:30 and the other things, the other road block for 09:32 many of those who are watching the program, 09:34 unless new to it is, many people have had 09:37 their minds molded by things they've heard before, 09:43 or things they have seen. 09:44 Let's just since you open the door to the topic of death, 09:48 people will go to a funeral and a preacher would say, 09:51 well, they're in heaven with the Lord. 09:53 But you won't find a single solitary scripture, 09:56 not a single solitary scripture, not one. 10:00 Not even one that said they died and went to heaven. 10:04 But you'll find text that says, 10:07 they have returned to the earth, 10:10 you know his breathe goes forth, 10:11 he returns to his earth in the very day he starts perish, 10:16 Psalms 146 verse 4. 10:18 So, you begin to see Psalms 115 verse 17: 10:22 "That the dead do not praise the Lord, 10:24 neither any go down into silence, 10:27 not onto to praise." 10:28 But those passages are never included in their deduction 10:31 about what happens when a person dies. 10:33 And so remember whenever you conclude on a topic, 10:38 make sure that the passage directly addresses 10:40 what happens. Right. 10:42 And so don't just pull a passage that sounds ethereal, 10:45 because when Paul says, 10:46 to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 10:48 Paul is absent from the body of the church, 10:51 many, many, many times, and he would write back 10:53 to the Corinthians and say, 10:55 though I am not there with you, I am there with you in spirit. 10:58 Well, what does that mean, does that mean his spirit 11:00 was floating around the church? 11:02 No, that doesn't mean that, 11:03 he's in essence saying I wish I was there with you 11:06 but I am not with you, 11:07 I'm...I'm....I'm you know I'm in the Lord's work, 11:10 I'm in you know, Antioch or Iconium, 11:13 so I am writing back to you in Corinth. 11:15 So be very, very careful, 11:17 because people often times, 11:19 their minds are molded by what they hear, 11:21 rather than by what the word of God says. 11:24 You know another passage here that we talked about death, 11:26 and another one is misinterpreting 11:29 Romans chapter 14. 11:30 Okay, you have about one day above the other. 11:31 You know one day above the other, 11:33 about eating and so forth, and it says, 11:36 with regard to the day. 11:38 One person esteems one day above another, 11:41 and other esteems everyday alike that each be fully 11:43 convinced in his own mind. 11:44 Some people will just say, well, 11:45 look the Sabbath there. 11:48 The Sabbath doesn't even come into play, 11:50 there's not even this the Sabbath. 11:52 Not even mentioned. Not even mentioned. No. 11:55 It is talking about observing a day, 11:56 now if you are observing a day, 11:58 and he's talking about eating and drinking, 12:00 who is he talking about? 12:02 Fasting, or he's talking about abstaining from foods 12:06 offered to idols, it's along those lines, 12:08 not Sabbath keeping. Right. 12:10 So this is a typical thing that a lot of people will 12:13 commonly get caught up with. 12:14 We have to be very careful to take a single passage 12:18 and say, oh, this is how it, 12:20 this is what it is saying without referring too many 12:23 other passages on that very topic. 12:25 Matter of fact, one that just came to my mind, 12:27 I'm gonna turn to it right now it is in First Timothy, 12:30 let's go there. 12:34 It's really amazing, how people like to, 12:37 okay here I am... 12:42 Second Timothy sorry, chapter 3 and verse 16: 12:47 notice what it says, and the reason I am reading 12:51 this passage because not a lot of people, 12:54 John, this is something I have discovered 12:55 Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17. 12:59 Not a lot of people like to be wrong, 13:04 now it's just a human nature. 13:05 We have the... I cannot afford to lose... 13:08 you cannot...I can't look bad, 13:11 I cannot appears though I'm not clear, 13:13 and informed on what I am talking about, 13:17 so sometimes he gets defensive. 13:18 When it comes to direction, when it comes to let me 13:23 use the example of the pilot on the airplane. 13:26 We get on the airplane because we trust the pilot 13:28 and the plane is going where we hope the ticket says, 13:32 and we don't argue with the pilot about direction. 13:36 And the same way, we shouldn't argue with God's word, 13:39 and the pilot is simply in the same sense following 13:43 his manual, following all the things that he has learned. 13:46 And so we don't, we don't argue with him 13:48 but in the sense of religion and politics to very volatile 13:54 topics people don't liked to be wrong. 13:56 But the Bible makes it clear that somebody's wrong 13:59 and I would prefer to it be the person wrong 14:03 than the word of God wrong, that's exactly the way. 14:05 Because if the word of God is wrong then God is not reliable. 14:08 But so notice what it says 14:10 in verse 16 of Second Timothy chapter 3. 14:13 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 14:16 another translation said it's God breathed, 14:18 and is profitable for doctrine. 14:21 Be careful if you are in a church that say 14:23 they don't teach doctrines, get out of it, get up and run. 14:28 It's better to be in a bar then in a church that 14:30 lies to you, and say we don't teach doctrines 14:32 but we use the Bible. 14:33 Any time a person uses the Bible, 14:36 they are teaching doctrine. 14:38 So don't ever go to a church that says 14:40 we use the Bible but we don't teach doctrine. 14:42 Another word for doctrine is simply teachings, 14:45 what it says... what it says about Christ and 14:47 about everything else he says, 14:48 is profitable for doctrine for reproof, 14:52 there it is, for correction, 14:55 and another word for reprove is for discipline. 14:57 For correction, for instruction, 14:59 giving direction in righteousness that a man of God 15:03 maybe complete or thoroughly equipped for every good work 15:07 or thoroughly furnished for every good work. 15:09 As the King James version says. 15:11 So when you read something in God's word 15:13 and it says you are wrong, you'll grow. 15:18 If you admit or accept what God word says over 15:22 what you think in fact is the case. 15:23 So, look at the word of God, 15:26 and see it for what it is because God's word 15:29 is never wrong, it's always right. That's right. 15:33 Anything else you want to add to that, John? 15:34 Yeah, just one of the thing, it says in, 15:38 let's see First no, Second Peter, okay, 120. 15:44 Look at that, and I'm turning up there. 15:46 In fact, let's start with 19. 15:48 "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed 15:51 which you do well to heed as the light that shines 15:54 in a dark place until the day dawns 15:56 And the morning star rises in your hearts, 15:58 knowing this first, that no prophecy or scripture 16:01 if of any private interpretation. 16:04 For prophecy never came by the will of man 16:06 but holy man of God's spoke moved there by the holy spirit." 16:08 That's right. 16:09 Now this is speaking of particularly prophecy, 16:11 but remember much of the word of God 16:16 especially in New Testament is derived from the Old testament. 16:19 Right. So when you are talking about the prophetic word, 16:22 in fact when people prophesied back then often 16:25 it wasn't necessarily a time prophecy, 16:27 it was speaking the truth of the word. 16:29 That's right. 16:30 And so in that sense, you know when someone says, 16:33 I believe it, I believe it the Bible says this without 16:36 other scripture to back you up. 16:37 They are giving you a private interpretation. 16:41 I'm always fearful when a person says, 16:43 what hears what I think. 16:46 Yeah. And I said to someone once, 16:49 and they didn't take it the right way, 16:51 I hope I said it the right way. 16:55 I said when it comes to God's word, 16:57 your opinion doesn't matter, it really doesn't, 17:02 can you imagine. 17:03 I'm cooking something and somebody, 17:05 I ask for what do you think I should put? 17:06 Well, in my opinion, well, you know, 17:09 I'm making a cake here, 17:10 your opinion could be disastrous, 17:12 what does the recipe say? 17:14 What's written down? 17:16 What are the instructions of putting this project together? 17:19 What are the blue printed building of this house? 17:22 What are the architectural drawings telling him to do? 17:24 What is this commenting, 17:25 telling me about the circulatory board? 17:27 What is the power circuit grid telling me about 17:30 the electronics of this lighting system? 17:32 And a lot of people would, would follow all of those things, 17:35 John, but they would just not follow God's word. 17:38 Because it just points out something that 17:40 we don't like to admit, we are wrong. 17:42 And it points to what is going on the inside. 17:45 I think Paul said it well, I know the law is spiritual 17:49 but I am carnal sold under sin. 17:52 Now I want to add this too, so no one gets 17:53 the wrong impression, I have been and you have been 17:56 wrong on many occasions in the past. 17:59 We're not speaking, we are not speaking as if 18:01 we've never had been wrong. 18:03 Right. I mean we've learned from mistakes of the past. 18:05 Right. We've learned from God's word throughout time, 18:09 and I have found many a times where I sat down 18:11 with someone, had a position, 18:13 had an opinion, and they had a more clearer, 18:18 a more clear passage or understanding of truth. 18:22 And I've had to say, you know what? 18:24 I can see your point, you.... You are right, 18:26 I can see where it, it's not in harmony what I have, 18:29 what I have come up with or what I believe that 18:32 I found this truth. 18:33 So this happens overtime as we study the word, 18:36 but I think it happens for those who are open 18:39 to an understanding from the word, 18:41 not closed in their personal, private, 18:44 interpretation and that's the key. 18:46 So you know the, and the last thing as we say, 18:48 you know, as we conclude this question. 18:50 Be open, be open to the word of God speaking to you, 18:55 not closed in your own personal opinion. 18:59 As soon as you close off, saying I'm sorry, 19:01 I won't accept anything else besides 19:02 what I've already believed. 19:03 Then you miss out, I think on the blessing of 19:07 further understanding God's word. 19:08 I had a guy that once said to me, 19:10 when we did go over a few passages that he did not 19:13 read before, he said, 19:14 I think this conversation is done. 19:16 And I said why, he said because you know, 19:18 you're arguing with me, I said, we haven't even 19:20 raised our voices. 19:22 The devil makes people throw that word into a situation 19:25 to kind of you know, make it inflammatory. 19:28 Well, I don't want to argue with you. 19:29 Don't argue with the word of God, 19:32 it's the real issue. 19:33 And so sometimes people look at parachutes 19:36 and escape routes, to get away from confronting 19:40 the word of God. 19:41 But you know, as the Bible says, 19:43 well, I say this, this my own statement. 19:47 Wherever you go, 19:49 you are there and the problem follows you. 19:51 Anyway, we did a lot for that question, 19:53 but here's another one, somebody asked the question, 19:57 the Sabbath talked about, in Leviticus Chapter 23, 20:02 the Sabbath talked about in Leviticus Chapter 23, 20:04 and it said, "There seemed to be so many Sabbaths, 20:08 are all the other Sabbaths as conditional and transitory, 20:12 now they believe, are they all conditional and transitory?" 20:17 No they are not all conditional and transitory. 20:19 Before I show you the text, that's referred to, 20:22 let me make this statement, they are the word Sabbath, 20:27 if you were to break it down, it means the holy convocation. 20:31 And they were many holy convocations in the Bible, 20:33 they were many holy days. 20:36 Now you'll find that in the book of Colossians, 20:39 matter of fact, John why don't we start in the Colossians, 20:42 do have that passage there? 20:44 Colossians 2, I'm turning there now, 20:49 every now and then I...I in my new Bible, 20:52 John, it's not as marked up, 20:53 I end up going back to my old Bible. 20:58 true word there. 20:59 Yeah, this one's falling apart a bit, okay, Colossians. 21:02 Colossians 2 of verse 16 and 17, 21:05 read that for us, "So no...let no one judge 21:09 you in food, or in drink or regarding a festival, 21:12 or a new moon, or Sabbaths. 21:14 Which are a shadow of things to come, 21:16 but the substance is of Christ." 21:17 Okay, notice the word, there Sabbath is pluralized, 21:21 and then, and then, you get down to, 21:24 let me just allow me to do this, I'll read the text here. 21:28 And I'll show you various translations of it, 21:31 Exodus Chapter 20 verse 8 to verse 11. 21:36 I'm going to read this in three different translations, 21:39 and the reason I'm going to do this is because 21:42 sometimes people read these different translations. 21:46 And because they sound different, 21:50 we sometimes come away with the idea, 21:53 that they are all saying something in contrast 21:56 to each other, or contrary to the real picture. 21:59 Now listen to this, I am going to first read this 22:02 in the King James Version, 22:03 and this will answer the question 22:06 that many people have. 22:08 First of all, Exodus 20 verse 8: remember the Sabbath day 22:11 to keep it holy, Six days shalt thou labor, 22:15 and do all thy work. 22:17 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, 22:24 all right. 22:25 And then verse 11: "I'm going to go down to that, 22:27 For in six days the Lord made, 22:30 the heavens and the earth, and all that in them is, 22:33 and rested the seventh day: there forth the Lord 22:36 blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." 22:40 Notice the definite, you don't get any misconception 22:44 that they are any other days that are blessed. 22:48 Right, in that sense once creation leak was done, 22:52 the seventh day was blessed, 22:54 unequivocally God didn't bless any other day. 22:57 But he used all the other days to create. 23:00 Now let's go the, the New King James Version 23:03 pretty much says it the same way, 23:04 here's where the discrepancy comes in when people 23:07 sometimes go to the NIV, this is where they get confused. 23:10 But I want them to hear very, very, carefully, 23:12 because while the NIV is not a translation that 23:14 I use as an authoritative, I don't use it as my main Bible. 23:18 But once in a while, there will be passage 23:21 that I would read there, that could say something clearly. 23:25 But in many cases I don't necessarily use the NIV. 23:28 And here's the reason because unless you are versed 23:31 in scripture, you can get confused 23:32 by this particular verse. 23:34 Now this is the NIV Exodus 20:8: 23:37 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, 23:41 definitive, Six days you shall labor, 23:45 and do all your work. 23:46 But the seventh day, and here's the discrepancy 23:50 that you'll get thrown by, but the seventh day 23:52 is a Sabbath to the Lord your God." 23:56 Now notice this, on it you shall not do any work, 24:02 neither you nor your son, nor your daughter. 24:04 It goes to that, verse 11, 24:06 "For in six days the Lord made the heavens 24:09 and the earth, and the sea and all those in them, 24:11 but He rested on the seventh day: 24:13 therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, 24:16 and made it holy." 24:18 Okay, the rest it all comes into play, 24:20 yeah the rest of it is fine. 24:21 But here's where people get thrown. 24:24 But the Sabbath day is a Sabbath to the Lord. 24:27 And friends you may... you may not see the picture there, 24:30 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day to the Lord. 24:34 It is the only day God blessed, 24:37 but when you look at the word Sabbath, 24:39 that's why in Colossians, notice when John read 24:42 in verse 16, Colossians 2:16: it says, 24:45 new moon or Sabbath days, plural. 24:49 So there were many Sabbaths talked about in the Bible. 24:52 And I think, just to say something, 24:54 I think the NIV writers weren't intentionally doing that. No. 24:57 I think, it's clear, and it is true that a seventh day 25:00 is a Sabbath. 25:02 Right. 25:03 But the emphasis when it is not using the seems 25:06 to take away from it being the Lord's Day, 25:08 rather than simply a day to the Lord. 25:11 And that's the point that we want to make, 25:13 that the Sabbath here, the seventh day is actually 25:16 the Lord's Day. 25:18 That's the clear, it belongs to Him, 25:20 we cannot change it or we cannot alter it. 25:22 Yeah, that is in fact the real problem with verse 10 25:26 in the NIV of Exodus 20 verse 8. 25:28 Because when you read the other translations, 25:30 and when you read the actual Hebrew, 25:33 it is saying that the seventh day is the Sabbath 25:35 of the Lord, your God. 25:37 The reason why that is very slippery is because 25:42 on that verse alone people will say, okay, 25:45 well, then I can pick a Sabbath to the Lord, 25:47 since there are many, 25:48 I could pick one and observe that. 25:51 So you have terms nowadays like well, 25:52 Sunday is my Sabbath, and you can really stretch it 25:55 and say, somebody may Friday as my Sabbath 25:57 as the Muslims honor Friday. 25:59 And you know, you can go on from there. 26:02 So they'll say, I'll have my Sabbath, 26:04 you have your Sabbath, and they would base it 26:06 primarily on that verse, verse 10. 26:09 But understand what they mean.....understand what 26:11 that verse is meaning, is...is the key rather than 26:14 tripping over it less understand what it means. 26:16 Go with me quickly to Leviticus chapter 23 26:18 Leviticus chapter 23. 26:21 Because we see now all these special days. 26:24 Feasts and festivals that Colossians 2 says, 26:27 and the reason why you read Colossians 2:16 26:30 the word Sabbath is small is because it is not referring 26:34 to the weekly Sabbath, it is not referring to 26:36 the seventh day of the week. 26:37 It's referring to festivals and feasts. 26:40 That's what's referred to there in Colossians 2:16: 26:43 New moon Sabbath days, the word Sabbath is small s. 26:47 And in Colossians, I'm in Leviticus chapter 23: 26:51 we have first of all weekly Sabbath is 26:53 talked about in verse 1 to verse 3. 26:55 You see, but notice how it reads, six days, 27:00 look at verse three "Six days shall work be done, 27:05 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, 27:08 a holy convocation. 27:10 You shall do no work on it, it is the Sabbath of the 27:14 Lord in all your dwellings. 27:16 See notice how the writer of Leviticus Moses leads 27:19 right into this. 27:20 Yes, he says, it's a Sabbath, but it's the Sabbath. 27:24 Exactly. He uses both there. 27:26 That's right, he says it's one of them but this one 27:29 is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings, 27:31 no matter where you are, this is the Sabbath. 27:33 But then he goes on to break down other ones like 27:37 for example in verse, in verse 4, 27:41 he talks about the Passover, he ends in verse 5, 27:44 it is the Lord's Passover, that's another Sabbath. 27:46 And then the feast of unleavened bread, 27:48 in verse 6 to verse 8, in verse 8, he says, 27:49 "the seventh day shall be a holy convocation, 27:53 you shall do no customary work on it." 27:56 But notice what he's talking about look at, 27:59 look at, it says, verse 6, "and on the 15th day 28:01 "of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord. 28:04 "Seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 28:08 "On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. 28:12 "But you shall proceed, but you shall offer an offering 28:15 "made by the fire to the Lord for seven days. 28:19 The seventh day shall be holy convocation." 28:21 And this sense, John, he's talking about concurrent. 28:24 Right. You start today on Tuesday, count seven days 28:27 later when you get to that one that's gonna be 28:29 a holy convocation. 28:32 He's now referring to the weekly cycle of the Sabbath. Right. 28:34 See, so and he even refers to, on the 15th day, 28:36 you start there go seven days ahead and you'll discover 28:39 that...that's the unleavened bread. 28:42 And then you find the feast of first fruits starting 28:45 from verse 9 all the way down, all the way down to verse 14. 28:52 Then you have the feast of Pentecost. 28:54 Notice this, look at verse 15 of Leviticus chapter 23. 28:58 "And you shall count for yourselves from the day 29:02 "after the Sabbath, that's the week of the Sabbath, 29:05 "from the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, 29:08 seven Sabbath shall be completed. 29:12 "Count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath, 29:16 "then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord, 29:19 "and that's and that's what Pentecost came from. 29:22 And verse 21 it says, it's a holy convocation, 29:24 and once again no customary work 29:26 should be done on that day. 29:27 But then you have the feasts of trumpets in verse 23 to 25, 29:31 the day of the atonement verse 28 down to verse 32. 29:34 And notice what he says in verse 32, once again, 29:38 "it shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, 29:41 notice the small s there, you shall afflict your souls on 29:45 the ninth day of the month that evening from 29:48 evening to evening you shall celebrate the Sabbath." 29:52 But then now goes to the feast of Tabernacles, 29:55 notice, how he's making this all, all these special feasts, 29:58 and in each of them you'll find the words Sabbaths interwoven. 30:02 Now the feast of Tabernacles, it talks about, 30:05 look at verse 36 well verse 35, 30:09 "on the first day there shall be a holy convocation, 30:12 "you shall do no customary work, 30:14 "for seven days, you shall offer an offering made by 30:17 "fire to the Lord, on the eighth day, 30:19 you shall have the holy convocation." 30:21 And going on further the verse, 30:22 "it is the secret assembly and you shall do 30:24 "no customary work on this, and it says, 30:27 "these are the feasts verse 37 of the Lord 30:29 which you shall proclaim to be a holy convocations." 30:33 But look at verse 38, and here's where we are 30:35 going to wind it up, he says, 30:37 "besides, the Sabbaths of the Lord, 30:41 "besides your gifts, besides all your vows 30:44 "and besides all your free will offerings 30:46 which you give to the Lord." 30:47 Also on the 15th day of the seventh month. 30:50 And then he goes, in the middle of that verse, 30:54 "you shall keep the feast, of the Lord for seven days, 30:56 "on the first day there shall be a Sabbath rest, 30:59 on the eight day a Sabbath rest." 31:02 So when you begin to look at that, 31:03 truly there are many Sabbaths talked about. 31:06 But when Jesus died, all of these the Pentecost, 31:11 the trumpets, the Day of Atonement, 31:12 the feast of Tabernacles, all of these pointed to 31:15 an aspect of the work that Jesus was going to do. 31:18 And all of these that were carried out in the temple 31:20 services that came to an end of the coming of Christ... 31:23 at the first advent of Christ meaning at the death of Christ. 31:26 After His first advent. 31:28 But do we now still talk about the Day of Atonement? 31:31 Yes, we dowe are living in the 31:33 anti-typical day of the atonement, 31:34 we are living in the time where the sins of the God's 31:36 people are being cleansed, we are living during that time. 31:39 The meaning of the feast continued to have an impact, 31:43 an application in life that we live today. 31:45 Not that we observe them as the Israelites did, 31:49 but they do have meaning in the overall plan of salvation. 31:53 Right, so that was the type back then, 31:55 now there is an antitype. 31:57 Does the feasts of trumpets have any significance today? 32:00 Of course, it does, not that we observe the feasts 32:02 of the trumpets like they did of old. 32:04 But now what is the... what is the trumpets today? 32:07 Isaiah 58 verse 1, 32:08 lift up your voice like a trumpet. 32:11 Show my people their transgressions and the 32:13 house of Jacobs their sins, that's exactly what the 32:15 trumpets were used for. 32:17 To blow ten days before the Day of Atonement services, 32:20 letting the people know that soon they will be under 32:23 God's judgment, if they don't have their sins atoned for. 32:26 So there's a lot of afterward application, 32:28 and so people ask the bottom question, 32:30 now here's the bottom line to this whole thing. 32:32 Shall we observe the feasts that the Jews observed? 32:36 The answer is no, do they have some antitypical semblance? 32:40 Yes, they do. 32:41 But what about the seventh day Sabbath is that antitypical? 32:46 No, that's just as it was from the book of Genesis 32:49 as it is going to be throughout time and also in eternity. 32:53 The seventh day Sabbath rest was added before sin 32:56 entered into the world, that hasn't changed. 32:58 Thank you so much for that question. 33:00 We have covered quite a bit, 33:01 now if we any challenges on what we just talked about, 33:04 if you are recording this, 33:05 you can rewind it and listen to it again. 33:07 Okay, you know it's so fun to talk about 33:10 all these different topics, and when we do get into it 33:12 and it's just wonderful the Lord has given us His word, 33:17 it's clear. I mean, it's, if we didn't had the word of God, 33:21 how we'll get to know Him? 33:22 How we get to know His truth? 33:23 How we know what He would like us to be in our 33:27 life of service to Him so.... 33:28 And you know, John, I didn't even get into this 33:30 sabbatical years, I didn't even get into the jubilee, 33:33 didn't even get to that yet. 33:34 The Jubilee Sabbath, and all that. 33:36 Didn't even get into that. 33:37 Well, that's a big misunderstanding 33:38 because Moses law encompassed all these 33:41 different areas. 33:42 That's right 640 laws you know, and the law of God 33:45 is Ten Commandments, that is the Decalogue. 33:48 And most, most don't realize that they are two distinctively 33:53 different laws, that's right, 33:55 though they work in harmony because the Law of Moses 33:58 really was given to the Israelites and God's people 34:01 because of their transgressions against 34:03 the Law of God. That's right. 34:05 So as you think about it when you read the New Testament, 34:08 you got to be very careful, that you are reading 34:10 about the right law. That's right. 34:13 You know, sometimes they throw in well, 34:15 see the law was done away with, and this is what, 34:17 you know the Paul says in his writings. 34:19 But I mean really what he is talking about is the 34:21 fulfillment of the law, ceremonial law of Moses and 34:25 those things that pointed to Christ, 34:27 and were shadows of Him. 34:28 It wasn't talking about the Decalogue. 34:30 Not at all. 34:31 So you got to be really careful about how you read 34:33 the word of God, that you are giving at 34:35 the biblical interpretation not a private interpretation 34:39 going back to our past. That's right. 34:40 So if you have any questions, you want to send to us, 34:41 I know we kind of, 34:44 so to speak wrangled your apple card, 34:47 send those questions at housecalls@3abn.org 34:51 that's housecalls@3abn.org that's a whole new phase John, 34:54 wrangled your apple card. 34:55 Anyway, if you want to ask us any questions, 34:57 we'll appreciate hearing from you. 34:59 Now our topic today is power and purity, John. 35:02 And the Lord wants us all to be pure, 35:07 but the reason why this topic is so vitally important, 35:10 I think for at least for two reasons, 35:11 one, people need to understand, 35:14 there's a transition between who we are when we were born? 35:17 And who we can become in Christ? 35:19 And secondly there are many Christians that have given 35:22 there lives to Christ through baptism, 35:25 and don't even know what happened. 35:27 Right. They don't know what to expect, 35:29 they don't know what the difference is, 35:32 and so this topic is important to re-familiarize 35:34 those of you who have been baptized, 35:37 either recently or for sometime. 35:39 And those of you who are considering baptism, 35:41 we want you to know how important it is. 35:44 It is just as important as getting on 35:47 the airplane and getting home. 35:49 It's the difference between standing there and looking at 35:52 the plane and thinking you gonna go home. 35:54 And or getting on the airplane. 35:56 So let's talk about that. 35:57 You know, a quick story here, there was the church that 36:01 I was involved with here recently that there was a large, 36:06 or what you call it? 36:08 It was a reaping series, like you should call it 36:10 an evangelistic series and many came out to hear 36:13 the word of God from night to night. 36:14 And at the end of these 20 something nights, 36:18 over, probably 5 or 6 weeks, they had a baptism 36:22 and 50 plus baptisms, praise the Lord. 36:26 Praise the Lord, but what happened was, 36:28 and I arrived later on, after those baptisms, 36:31 I arrived there we found out and what I heard was 36:34 that many of those that were baptized didn't realize 36:37 that they had become members of the church. 36:42 That they were not just being baptized as a confirmation 36:46 of what they heard was true but they were baptized 36:50 into the body of Christ and became one of His children 36:54 and one of His people involved in the work of that 36:57 local church. 36:58 They did not realize that, they had no idea that 37:01 one or two of them said, no I don't want to be 37:03 part of the church, 37:04 I just want to be baptized in the Christ, 37:05 and they didn't understand it. 37:06 And so I think it is very important, 37:08 as you say to, to study baptism. 37:11 And what does it mean? 37:12 Yeah. 37:13 And how it affect the believer because 37:15 when you are baptized, you are baptized into Christ body 37:18 His people, that's right, to be involved with him, 37:21 to work with him, for the preparation of souls 37:25 to meet the Lord when He returns. 37:26 That's right. 37:27 I have another example, that's the very good the way 37:29 that people think about, some people say, 37:31 well, I don't want to get baptized.... 37:32 I don't want to join a church, 37:33 I just want to get baptized into Jesus. 37:37 It's like going to the airport and saying, 37:38 I'm not getting on that plane with all those people, 37:42 I just want to get home. 37:43 I am not getting on that plane, 37:44 no matter what but I just want to get home, 37:46 I got a ticket but it's just I am not getting on that plane. 37:49 And this the very one they need to get on. 37:51 Right. 37:52 Can you get all the people off the plane, 37:53 let me go and come back and get them and take them? 37:55 Yeah, and that out is. Exactly. 37:57 And some people are like singular football team members, 38:00 they want to be on the... 38:01 they want to be on the team by themselves, 38:02 you know what, you'll learn any sport, 38:04 any arena of life, you can have a bakery shop, 38:09 and nobody comes in because you want a bakery shop, 38:11 but you don't want anybody in there to mess it up. 38:13 You can build the house and get white carpeting, 38:16 but you don't want anyone to visit 38:17 because they may dirty it up. 38:18 And it sounds ridiculous 38:20 but many people want to be Christians isolated 38:23 almost like monks up in Shangri-La somewhere, 38:26 isolated waiting for Jesus to come. 38:28 Baptism is a whole lot more than that. 38:30 So what I like to begin with, is first, 38:33 the point that you just made, 38:35 let's go the Acts chapter 2 verse 47 and... 38:37 and I preface all that by saying, 38:39 what we have to keep in mind is baptism is a second chance 38:43 to do what we could not do under our own strength 38:47 and what we could not do without Christ. 38:51 Baptism now puts up us where it can't be accomplished 38:54 but something happens in baptism and after this, John, 38:58 we gonna go to Romans chapter 6 39:00 and actually walk through baptism 39:02 and we gonna read that together and walk through it. 39:04 So people could know when you baptize what actually happens 39:08 that day outside of going into the baptismal water. 39:11 Read Acts 2 verse 47 for us, John, 39:14 if you have that, this is the answer for those 39:17 who believe that they don't need to be a part of a church, 39:20 notice what the Bible says. 39:23 Act 2:47, I should probably read 46 39:27 it falls right along this, 39:28 "So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, 39:31 and breaking bread from house to house, 39:33 they ate their food 39:34 with gladness and simplicity of heart. 39:36 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. 39:39 And the Lord added to the church 39:41 daily those who were being saved." 39:44 What did he add though, John? 39:45 He add them to the church, 39:46 he didn't have them to the roll, 39:49 he added them to the church. 39:52 Now why the church? 39:53 Because when Jesus said, 39:55 upon this rock I build my church 39:58 and the gates of hell will not prevail against it 40:01 the only thing that can keep you from being destroyed 40:04 or from being run over, 40:06 or being flattened out, or being taken out, 40:09 or being annihilated, is if you are established 40:12 on that rock, Christ Jesus, 40:16 so being added to the church 40:17 is not being added to just a building 40:20 or a congregation of people of different challenges, 40:23 of different walks of life. 40:24 But it's being established on the rock, 40:26 Christ Jesus and notice why He added them there, 40:29 the Lord added to the church, to the church daily, 40:32 those who were being, 40:34 I hope you get that, yeah, being saved. 40:38 Which is evidenced by baptism, by baptism. 40:42 You know, and I think there's a reason 40:44 why the Lord wants us to be the part of the church? 40:47 And He tied closely, 40:48 basically His body Christ is the head we are the body, 40:52 the different parts, and how we work together 40:53 and how the gifts kind of come together in a unified work. 40:57 And there's a reason for that, can you imagine John? 41:02 Wanting to be not involved with the body, 41:05 but to be saved, but to be in heaven. 41:07 And then getting to heaven, 41:08 and then living in your house as a hermit? 41:12 Because in heaven, it's about fellowship, 41:16 it's about relationships, it's about being with Christ, 41:18 and His people and loving your neighbor 41:21 and getting to know him or her, 41:23 and living with them throughout eternity. 41:25 Can you imagine, if you want to go to heaven, 41:27 and all you wanted to do is just live in your house 41:28 as a hermit? 41:30 That's not the Lord's plan, the Lord wants to change us 41:34 and to make us an individual who loves people, 41:37 who loves him, and who loves people around them. 41:40 And I think part of that includes getting to know 41:43 and He believes relationships with His people, 41:45 His children, all His one family in the body of Christ. 41:48 That's right. 41:49 And so, you have a family, 41:52 you have nieces and nephews, okay brother, sister. 41:56 I have a brother, I have a sister, 41:58 I have nephews on my brother side, 42:00 nieces on my sister's side, 42:02 I don't have any children, that's all right. 42:03 Many families have conflicts, 42:08 and strives and points of growth and love, 42:12 and connection, but it all happens in the family. 42:17 It's all a part of that. 42:18 And when the Lord says, Act 2:47: 42:20 those who are being saved, you have to keep in mind, 42:23 baptism is salvation, 42:27 and it leads you into the relationship 42:29 of being saved to be saved. 42:34 Let me say that again, baptism is salvation, 42:37 it leads you into the walk where you are being saved 42:41 so that you will be saved. 42:44 Baptism is salvation from the penalty of sin. 42:48 When you enter the church and walk with Christ to 42:51 salvation from the power of the sin everyday. 42:55 And then finally when your are glorified 42:58 and sealed in the righteousness of Jesus, 43:02 you are saved from the presence of sin. 43:04 From the penalty, from the power, 43:07 from the presence of sin. 43:08 Instantly, penalty of sin, 43:10 daily power of sin, eternally presence of sin. 43:15 Let's start with Romans 6 and John 43:16 I want you to go through that and brief that down for us, 43:19 because this is probably to me 43:21 one of the most direct explanations 43:24 of what exactly happens when a person is baptized? 43:27 Yeah, because the progression of salvation, 43:30 that you talked about there, from the penalty, 43:35 from the power, and from the presence of sin. 43:38 We're going to see launched here in Roman 6, 43:42 very quickly, that's right, with this question. 43:44 "What shall we save and shall we continue to sin 43:47 so that the grace may abound." 43:50 And of course was the answer by Paul, verse 2 43:52 "certainly not, exactly, did he.... 43:55 how shall we who died a sin lived any longer in it?" 43:59 Okay, so look at that John, read that again, 44:01 what's the very first thing that baptism is? 44:04 The very first thing is being saved from the penalty of sin. 44:07 That's right, and look at the verse 2, 44:09 what's the word in verse 2 44:10 that tells us about the fact that we....are baptized, 44:13 how shall we who...died to sin, died to sin, 44:17 that's what he's going to springboard out of here. 44:20 That's right. 44:21 What is the evidence that you have given 44:23 to those around you that you have died to sin? 44:26 That you put the old life behind you, 44:29 and you gonna walk in the newness of life, 44:32 that's right, in Christ. 44:33 And we gonna go that, we gonna stop it, 44:35 we gonna stop it, make certain points along the way. 44:37 The first thing of baptism is, is death to sin. 44:41 Yeah. Now what's the option? 44:43 The option is death in sin, 44:46 see, Jesus came to save His people from their sin, 44:49 Matthew 1 verse 21. 44:51 Call His name Jesus, 44:52 He shall save His people from their sin. 44:55 Okay, that's what baptism is all about, 44:57 when Jesus got baptized, 44:59 He didn't get baptized to be saved from His sin, 45:02 He got baptized to make a way for us 45:04 to be saved from our sin, you see. 45:06 So the first thing that baptism is, is death too sin. 45:11 Not death in sin that man is being put to death. 45:17 That's why, I just want to go ahead, 45:19 and let's just dispel the various myths 45:23 about the kinds of baptism. 45:25 Because when you go to a cemetery, John, 45:27 they don't...they don't sprinkle rose petals on the dead person, 45:31 and consider him baptize. 45:32 They don't pour oil on that person 45:36 and consider that person baptized. 45:38 They don't sprinkle them, they don't pour wine on them, 45:41 they don't call the guy that, 45:43 they don't call the dead person and say, 45:45 by the way, you're dead. 45:47 They don't send them a letter in the mail 45:50 telling them that they are dead. 45:51 There's only one way to be buried 45:54 and when you go to the cemetery, 45:55 at least here in America, what do they do? 45:57 You go down. 45:59 You're six feet under. 46:02 Now we know that in the Caribbean, 46:05 my mom is buried in the Virgin Islands, 46:08 and because of the water table, 46:09 you know, you can't put them underground too far 46:13 because it is pretty saturated in those islands. 46:15 So they bury them above the ground 46:17 but they bury them inside something, they are sealed in. 46:20 So the first thing that baptism is death, death to sin. 46:24 Go to the next level for us. 46:28 The next verses 3 and 4: 46:30 Yeah. 46:31 "Oh do you not know that as many of us as were baptized 46:35 into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. 46:39 Okay. 46:40 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death. 46:44 That just as Christ was raised from the dead 46:48 by the glory of the Father 46:50 even so we also should walk in newness of life. 46:54 Notice they are buried, now there's only one definition 46:58 of buried and that is to go down in to something. 47:01 That's right. To be covered, 47:03 and it says, of course, that Christ, 47:06 that is we're raised into the newness of life. 47:09 There is only one definition of raised that you come up, 47:12 so to come up you've got to go down. 47:14 And that's the important point about baptism, 47:17 to have a new life in Christ, 47:19 you have to put the old life away. 47:21 You've got to bury it, that old man's got to die. 47:24 That's right. 47:25 Then you can take on Christ. 47:27 Who puts that newness of life with in you so that 47:29 from that day forward you can live in the power 47:32 of the resurrection that Christ has given to us. 47:36 Thank you John, that shows us the utter futility 47:40 of just going to church and sitting in the building. 47:43 It's like going to the funeral parlor 47:45 and sitting in the room where all the caskets are, 47:49 and you think you are dead. You are not dead. 47:51 When you die you, I don't say you know it, 47:55 but when you die it will be the final act 47:58 before in the sense of the new life in Christ. 48:01 Death is the final act before the new life begins. 48:05 It's the final act before the new life begins, 48:07 because you are putting to death. 48:09 And so, so don't get... don't get confused 48:14 that because you are sitting in a building 48:15 or because you've been going to that church for a long time, 48:19 that you are in Christ. 48:20 According to this you are in the building, 48:23 you maybe eating right, you maybe dressing right, 48:26 you maybe singing the right songs. 48:28 But you haven't yet died. 48:31 Yeah, and it doesn't matter what church you're in. 48:33 That's right. 48:34 I mean the churches I've pastored, 48:35 I find that the wheat and the tares grow together. 48:39 Those that are not in Christ are there, 48:41 those are in Christ are there, that's right. 48:43 And that's why there's a conflict 48:44 a lot of times, there isn't Christ like behavior 48:47 in the way they interact, in the way they work together. 48:49 The body isn't functioning well together because there are 48:52 many who have not died to their old man. 48:54 or they have been baptized. 48:56 But they don't understand what truly being baptized 48:58 or baptized truly means to their spiritual life? 49:02 You know we could look behind this spiritual curtain 49:04 and see this, John, and you know like, 49:05 whenever auto shows, one thing I missed 49:07 when I lived in California. Around Thanksgiving each year, 49:10 we used to go the auto show right there in Moscone Center, 49:12 it was always really good... But here I'm in the MidWest 49:15 and you know for whatever reason, 49:18 whenever the auto show has happened in St Louis, 49:20 I was out of the country. 49:21 It was just two years in a row, 49:23 but my point is this, if you go to a showroom, 49:26 a local car showroom where new cars are displayed. 49:30 Just imagine going into a showroom 49:32 and you see a beat up, old dirty, 49:34 rusted car in the middle of a showroom 49:38 where every other car around it is just 49:39 brand spanking leather smell that scent of new. 49:44 You thinking, and nobody us saying anything. 49:48 And the bright lights are running and spinning around 49:50 on that nice table? 49:51 Yeah, and there was what on earth, and then....and then 49:56 there's a... and the sales person says, 49:59 hey, make me an offer. 50:02 And then you say, there is no way, 50:04 I want that car, I'm here for a new car, 50:07 right. Now, no honestly make me... 50:08 me...it's a car, it's got four wheels, 50:10 it's got seats, it's got a window, 50:11 forget about the dents, ignore that. 50:13 Yeah. 50:14 That's like Christ looking into His church, 50:19 and seeing it filled with old, old cars, 50:22 and the people don't even know. 50:24 That they are rusting away in sin, 50:27 they are falling apart in sin. 50:30 But they're just content to be in the same showroom 50:34 as those who are new in Christ. 50:37 There's a very big significant difference between 50:41 being in the same showroom and being new in Christ. 50:45 Want you to continue in that particular 50:46 because right now so follow we gotten is 50:49 that a thought come to your mind, 50:50 that you're looking for something there John? 50:52 No, no, I am not, my wheels are spinning 50:55 as they always are spinning. 50:57 Okay. 50:58 So what thought came to mind, and let just give me the thought 51:02 Christ speaking through His church 51:03 through one of His apostles James. 51:09 James writes how the garments are moth eaten, 51:12 they've got holes in them. 51:13 Oh yeah. 51:14 And he's taking to the church, and he's encouraging 51:16 them to realize their condition. 51:20 And I think as you are talking about 51:21 Christ looking at His church, and seen the used cars. 51:24 The analogy in the Bible is garments 51:27 that have holes in them, marked eaten, 51:30 and its references throughout scripture, 51:31 you see it over and over again, the garment. 51:33 And the interesting thing about the garment is that 51:36 when they came into the church, the garment was perfect, 51:39 That's right. 51:40 Christ surrounded them with His righteousness, His life. 51:44 And overtime, moth began to eat the garment. 51:49 And what is it with moths, you know you go in your closet, 51:51 you pullout your wool suit, you haven't worn for a while 51:53 and you pulled it up. 51:55 And what's this whole doing there 51:57 I mean, I've been walking around this house, 51:59 I've been living from day to day 52:01 and I didn't know this hole eating moth was in my suit, 52:04 or was eating away in my suit. 52:06 Sometimes, it so imperceptible, we do not realize it, 52:10 until I believe one day it become so full of holes 52:13 and so dilapidated, and so falling apart. 52:16 That Christ righteousness is no longer there. 52:19 Right. 52:20 That the garments are no longer on, 52:21 and when the bridegroom comes into 52:24 and inspects the guests, and it looks around 52:26 and everybody got there garments on. 52:28 But there is guy over there in the corner as Matthew 22 says 52:30 who does not have his garment on, 52:32 right, he got there in the garment, 52:34 it's the only way to get in. 52:35 But he has no garment on, 52:38 they ask him where's your garment? 52:40 And...and he says, nothing, he's so speechless, 52:45 he can't even realize, he doesn't eve realize 52:48 that he was naked. 52:49 That's right. 52:50 And I think in the church today we find that there are so many 52:53 that don't even realize but there garment 52:55 is being eaten away by the world that cares of this life, 53:00 the things are going on around them. 53:01 And they need Christ again, they need that renewing again 53:06 the life of Christ to make sure that His righteousness 53:09 is now surrounding them, and the old life is dead again. 53:12 That's right, it's a very good analogy because 53:14 it happens with you knowing, and on that very note 53:17 I saw here two moths yesterday, lying in the house, 53:20 and I thought, oh no, where they are going? 53:25 So I like wool, yeah, and they like wool too. 53:29 And I guess, we have to talk about this one. 53:32 But the first two things we pointed out 53:33 so far about baptism. 53:35 First of all baptism is death, death to sin, 53:38 how could we verse 2, 53:40 who died to sin live any longer in it. 53:45 Now you got to get this, John, this is powerful, 53:48 if we've died how could we live anymore? 53:51 How could we live any longer in sin. 53:54 And I am going to expand this, in order for us 53:57 to still be alive in this world, we are physically alive. 54:01 But in whom are we alive? 54:04 Yeah, whose, whose is motivating us in life as well? 54:10 What power? What source? 54:12 And...okay where's the source of our power coming from? 54:15 Because I know this, if I go the grave, 54:17 in order for that dead person to leave when I leave, 54:20 they have to get a resurrection, 54:22 they have to be resurrected to life. 54:24 They have to be brought back to life again. 54:26 Once the person dies, if they hope to live anymore past that, 54:30 the source of life has to come from some place else, 54:33 it cannot come from them. 54:35 And that's why the verse you read, 54:36 look at... go back and hit on verse 4, 54:42 verse 4, yes hit that again for us. 54:43 "Therefore we were buried with Him 54:45 through baptism into His death. 54:46 That's right. 54:47 They just as Christ was raised from the dead 54:49 by the glory of the Father, 54:50 even so we also should walk in newness of life." 54:53 Okay, there we go, so we...baptism is death, 54:56 but baptism is also resurrection. 54:58 And notice whose life they are coming forth in now? 55:00 They are not coming forth on their own. 55:02 Here it is verse 5: "For if we've been united 55:04 together in the lightness of His deaths, 55:06 certainly we also shall be in the lightness 55:08 of His resurrection." 55:10 That's right, there it is. 55:11 And so Second Corinthians 5:17 comes to my mind which says, 55:15 "if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation." 55:18 New creation, old things have passed away, 55:22 behold all of things had become new. 55:25 So we begin to see, in that transition 55:27 from where we were to where we are now. 55:30 You are not an old car in a new showroom, 55:33 you are a new car in a new showroom. 55:35 Now here's the part that we don't 55:37 have the time to finish up with. 55:38 But I just... I just got to throw in there, 55:39 because pick it up give it next time. 55:41 This death is linked to Christ death in the cross. 55:44 We can't deny that. No way. 55:47 And if that's the case then as Paul says, 55:51 he needs to die daily, take up your cross and die daily. 55:55 He encourages the church, 55:57 everyone in the church to do that. 55:58 This death that we experience in baptism 56:01 isn't a one time deal, the baptism is. 56:04 But it is an expression of what we'll do everyday, 56:07 which is when I wake up, I'm going to die again to self, 56:11 That's right. 56:12 Because if I don't in any specific date, 56:14 die to myself, you know what's going to creep in again? 56:17 The old man. oh yeah. 56:18 Old man Sin and his power will creep in again. 56:22 I've got to die everyday, and that is the continuing 56:26 of my baptism experience 56:28 where it originated going forward. 56:30 You know, as we wind up this program, 56:32 I did a sermon many years ago, I had to change the title 56:35 when I preach it on the 3 ABN. 56:36 I changed it to, I changed it to until death do his apart. 56:41 But the old title was kill your husband. 56:45 And people said no, I don't know somebody may take that 56:47 in a wrong way, so I changed it to till death do its part. 56:50 In our next program, we're gonna see that, 56:53 in reality why is it important to kill that old person, 56:58 that old nature. 56:59 Why is it important to put that to death for us 57:02 to have that new welcome Christ 57:03 we've got to put that to death. 57:05 What do you say? Amen, amen. 57:06 And so just think about where you wanna be whether 57:10 you want to be the old car hanging out in the new showroom, 57:13 whether you want to be a brand new reflecting the glory 57:17 and the beauty and the righteousness of Jesus 57:19 in a new showroom, 57:21 in the relationship with Christ Jesus as your Lord. 57:24 And then He'll add you to the church, 57:26 and get you ready for the walk that He has just for you. 57:29 Ask Christ into your life and begin that walk 57:31 with Him today. 57:33 God bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17