House Calls

Power Of Purity, Pt. 1

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Lomacang & John Stanton

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Series Code: HCL

Program Code: HCL100003


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.


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Revised 2014-12-17