Participants:
Series Code: IIWSS
Program Code: IIWSS024022S
|
00:00 [uplifting music]
00:11 ♪♪♪ 00:14 >>Eric Flickinger: Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:16 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:18 We're glad that you can be here with us 00:20 as we take a look at "The Great Controversy," 00:22 an amazing subject that we've been studying 00:25 for several weeks, and we still have a few to go, 00:28 but this week we're looking at the foundation 00:30 of God's government, 00:32 something very important for us to understand. 00:34 But let's begin with prayer before we dive in. 00:37 Father, we ask that You will bless us as we look once again 00:40 at this important subject of the great controversy. 00:44 As we're looking at the foundation of Your government, 00:46 help us to understand the significance of it 00:48 and how we can help others understand it as well. 00:51 We thank You in Jesus' name, 00:53 amen. >>Mark Finley: Amen. 00:55 >>Eric: We're happy once again this week 00:56 to have with us Pastor Mark Finley. 00:58 He is the author of this quarter's "Sabbath School" 01:00 lesson, a well-known speaker, author, evangelist, 01:04 and good friend of It Is Written. 01:05 Pastor Mark, welcome back. 01:07 >>Mark: I am a good friend of It Is Written. 01:08 I appreciate it very, very much and praise God 01:11 for what It Is Written is doing. 01:13 >>Eric: Oh, you have no small part that you played in that 01:16 in the past, and we're grateful to have you here 01:18 every single time. >>Thank you. 01:19 >>Eric: Pastor Mark, as we dive into this, 01:21 "The Foundation of God's Government," 01:24 give us a little bit of background before we dig 01:26 into this particular week's subject 01:29 on how this whole quarter came into being, 01:33 this study on the great controversy, 01:37 and how what we're studying parallels with the book 01:41 "The Great Controversy." 01:43 How does that all come together? 01:45 >>Mark: This year--in fact, over the next couple years, 01:48 the General Conference and world field-- 01:50 world divisions--are emphasizing the passing out 01:54 of the book "Great Controversy." 01:56 Ellen White said that the book "Great Controversy" 01:59 should be distributed far and wide. 02:01 It was the most significant of the books that she had written 02:04 regarding the conflict between Christ and Satan. 02:08 During that emphasis on the distribution of the book, 02:14 I was asked to write the "Sabbath School" lessons 02:16 on the great controversy. 02:19 So, I wondered, is this the theme great controversy? 02:21 Is it the book "Great Controversy"? 02:23 And the idea was to kind of model the lessons 02:26 after the book, so what I did is read 02:28 each chapter in "Great Controversy" and began 02:32 to come up with a thematic approach that would take us 02:37 from the fall of Lucifer in heaven, 02:38 then followed the chapters of "The Great Controversy." 02:42 So, for example, 02:44 in "The Foundation of God's Government," 02:46 this lesson is based on chapters 25 to 27 02:49 of "The Great Controversy." 02:51 We usually don't put that in the "Sabbath School" lessons, 02:54 but I hope that each of our viewers 02:57 and each of our church members 02:59 are reading "The Great Controversy" 03:01 along with the "Sabbath School" lessons. 03:04 Then one thing that I would do is I'd read the chapter, 03:07 and I'd look at the key thoughts in that chapter, 03:10 and, you know, every chapter is filled with Bible text, 03:12 so I'd use those Bible texts as a basis, 03:15 then add text to it, add concepts to it 03:18 as I fleshed out that chapter. 03:20 So, the lessons are strictly biblical. 03:24 They're solidly based on Scripture. 03:26 But I've used a lot of the text in the chapters, 03:30 auxiliary texts, other texts, and then I've used the comments 03:35 on the lesson more than usual 03:37 than we would usually do by Ellen White 03:40 in the book "Great Controversy" throughout the lessons. 03:43 >>Eric: And so, that kind of has guided us through nine weeks 03:48 so far, and we still have a few to go. 03:51 This week is "The Foundation of God's Government," 03:53 a very interesting title for this week's subject. 03:57 Where does that title come from? How did we get there? 03:59 >>Mark: Well, certainly Christ is the center of all the Bible, 04:02 but the foundation of the government of God 04:05 is the law of God. 04:07 The law of God is the very foundation of God's throne; 04:10 the law of God is a very reflection of God's character; 04:14 the law of God is a revelation of how loving people act. 04:18 So, the foundation of God's government really 04:22 is God's law because God's law is love, and love is the law. 04:27 >>Eric: Now, some people, when you talk about the law, 04:29 they see that as a negative thing, 04:31 but if, as you're suggesting, it gives us a picture 04:33 of who God is, then that shouldn't be a negative thing. 04:37 It gives us a picture of who Christ is, and Jesus said, 04:40 "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." 04:42 So, we're seeing a more loving, perfect picture of the law. 04:49 Now, we spoke recently about the sanctuary, 04:51 the significance of the sanctuary. 04:54 How does the sanctuary relate to the law of God? 05:00 Where do these two ideas, concepts come together? 05:02 >>Mark: Let me talk a little bit about it historically 05:04 and then biblically. 05:06 Early Seventh-day Adventist pioneers studying the sanctuary 05:11 looked up into heaven by faith. 05:14 They saw Jesus, their High Priest, ministering 05:17 in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. 05:20 When they began to study the most holy place 05:22 in the heavenly sanctuary, they studied the law of God. 05:26 They saw in the most holy place, in the ark of the covenant-- 05:32 they saw they are-- in that ark--God's law. 05:36 As they looked at God's law in the most holy place, 05:39 then they saw the significance of the Sabbath commandment. 05:45 Let me share that with you from scripture itself. 05:48 We've looked at it a little bit historically. 05:51 Once the early Advent pioneers-- and we're looking 05:54 at Revelation 11--once the early Advent pioneers 05:56 understood that the sanctuary to be cleansed 05:59 was not the sanctuary on earth but the sanctuary in heaven, 06:02 they began looking into the sanctuary in heaven. 06:06 There, in the most holy place, 06:07 they saw the ark of the covenant. 06:09 One of the texts that really touched them or impressed them 06:12 was Revelation 11, verse 19. And would you like to read that? 06:16 >>Eric: "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, 06:19 "and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. 06:22 "And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, 06:24 an earthquake, and great hail." 06:26 >>Mark: When the early Advent pioneers studied this passage, 06:30 they saw the temple of God opened in heaven, the sanctuary, 06:33 the ark of His covenant, the ten-commandment law. 06:37 That was opened in heaven. 06:39 And so, the ark of the covenant contained the tables of stone, 06:44 Aaron's rod that budded, and the manna. 06:47 Each of those three things are very significant. 06:50 They become the basis of God's throne. 06:53 The law of God reveals how loving people act. 06:56 The moral law of God guides and directs us. 06:59 The pot of manna shows that God will provide for us 07:02 what we need in our diet-- it's heaven's diet. 07:05 Aaron's rod that budded shows that-- 07:08 the authority of God's church. 07:10 So, God would have an end-time church that loved Him enough 07:13 to keep His law in the area of morality, the Ten Commandments, 07:17 and His physical laws in the area of health. 07:20 So, when Adventist pioneers understood that, they began 07:24 to have a comprehensive view of the sanctuary 07:27 and the necessity of obeying God's law. 07:30 >>Eric: So, the sanctuary and the law go together. 07:32 >>Mark: Exactly. 07:33 >>Eric: Beautifully. 07:35 With respect to God's law, there have been groups at times 07:39 that have tried to downplay the significance of the law, 07:43 to say that it's been changed, it's been altered, 07:45 it's no longer valid-- 07:47 we don't need to--"We're not under the law anymore; 07:49 we're under grace," and so forth. 07:52 What about the changeability, the alterability-- 07:56 I may have just invented a word there--of God's law? 07:59 Can it be altered? 08:01 And if it can be altered, what does that mean? 08:04 What are the ramifications? 08:06 What are the repercussions if God's law can be changed 08:09 or altered in some way? 08:11 >>Mark: I think there are a number of implications of that; 08:14 then we'll look at scripture. 08:15 First, if you can change God's law, that means God's-- 08:20 Himself can be changed. 08:22 It means that God is fickle; it means that God is unreliable. 08:26 He's untrustworthy if you have one law applying 08:29 to one group of people and another law applying 08:31 to another group of people. 08:33 What about if a parent says to their child, 08:37 "Look, if you do such and such, these are the consequences," 08:42 but then the child does such and such 08:44 and there are no consequences? You know, what does that do? 08:47 It undermines the authority of the parent. 08:51 So, if you change God's law at the whim of any individual 08:56 or at the whim of religious leaders, 08:58 you make God undependable. You make Him unreliable. 09:02 The second aspect of this is this: 09:05 If God's law could be changed, why would Jesus need to die? 09:09 The Bible says-- 1 John 3, verse 4-- 09:11 "Sin is the transgression of the law." 09:14 Jesus died to atone for our sins. 09:18 If you can change God's law, there would be no sin 09:24 because you couldn't break the law 09:26 if the law was changed and Jesus wouldn't need to die. 09:28 So, I think there are some very serious implications of that. 09:31 The Bible is very clear. 09:33 If you look, for example, at Monday's lesson, 09:37 "The Immutability of God's Law," 09:40 you look, for example, at Matthew, 09:42 chapter 5 and verse 17. 09:45 Matthew, chapter 5 and verse 17... 09:50 and go ahead and read that, 09:53 Jesus' statement in Matthew 5. 09:56 >>Eric: "Do not think that I came to destroy 09:58 "the Law or the Prophets. 10:00 I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." 10:04 >>Mark: Notice Jesus says, 10:05 "I didn't come to destroy the law. I came to fulfill." 10:07 What does it mean to fulfill it? Does "fulfill" mean to do away? 10:11 If I say, "I fulfill my marriage vows," 10:14 does that mean I do away with my marriage vows? 10:16 Yeah, if I fulfill my marriage vows, I keep them, right? 10:20 If Jesus fulfills the law, He keeps the law, 10:23 not so that I wouldn't have to keep the law 10:25 but so that I could keep the law. 10:27 "To fulfill" means He fills it full of meaning. 10:30 Jesus didn't come to do away with the law 10:32 "Thou shalt not commit adultery." 10:33 He said, "If you look at a woman with lust in your heart, 10:36 you've committed adultery in your heart." 10:38 See, so, He didn't say, "I've come to do away with the law 10:42 'Thou shalt not murder.'" 10:44 He said, "If you get angry with your brother--" 10:45 so Jesus came to fulfill the law, to fill it full of meaning. 10:49 Then the text goes on in verse 18: 10:52 "For assuredly, I say to you"-- so this is something 10:55 that He gives us assurance, very strong language-- 10:57 "till heaven and earth pass away, 10:59 "[not] one jot or one tittle ...by no means 11:01 "[will] pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 11:04 "Whoever...breaks one of the least of these commandments, 11:07 "and teaches men [also], shall be called least 11:09 in the kingdom of heaven." 11:10 Some people say, "Oh, they'll be in heaven. 11:12 They've been breaking the commandments." 11:13 No, heavenly beings will call them "least" 11:16 because they have been breaking God's law. Call them "least"-- 11:19 we could say "by the kingdom of heaven." 11:21 Either word works in that passage. 11:23 So, to openly break God's law, to rebel against God 11:27 is rebelling against the immutable, 11:30 unchangeable law of the universe. 11:32 Psalm 111, verse 7 and 8 also bring that out. 11:38 Psalm 111, verse 7, verse 8 also bring out this idea 11:44 of the immutability of God's law. 11:47 Go ahead and read those as well. 11:48 >>Eric: "The works of His hands are verity and justice; 11:51 "all His precepts are sure. 11:53 "They stand fast forever and ever, 11:56 and are done in truth and uprightness." 11:59 >>Mark: Don't you like that? "All His precepts are sure. 12:01 They stand fast forever and ever." 12:03 We serve a God that's given us the moral way 12:07 to live the happiest life possible. 12:10 You know, in John 10, verse 10, it says, 12:12 "The thief...comes [not but for] ...to steal, 12:14 to kill, [or]...destroy." 12:15 But Jesus says, "[I came to give them] life, 12:17 and...[give them] more abundantly." 12:19 So, the devil tries to tell us that breaking God's law 12:23 brings the happiness. 12:25 Jesus says the abundant life, the abundant life 12:29 is the one that He has given us to keep His law. 12:35 So, obedience is the way to happiness. 12:37 Jesus said in John 13, verse 17, "If [you] know these things, 12:42 happy are [you] if [you] do them." 12:44 >>Eric: And I think we all want to experience 12:46 that kind of happiness that 12:47 Jesus wants us to experience. >>Mark: Right. 12:50 >>Eric: We're looking at the foundation, the immutability 12:52 of God's law, the foundation of God's government. 12:55 We have a companion book that goes into deeper detail on this. 12:59 Share with us a little bit 13:01 about why we might wanna pick that book up. 13:04 >>Mark: Let me tell you a little bit about how the companion book 13:06 is written, "The War Between Good and Evil." 13:09 When one writes the "Sabbath School" lessons, 13:10 the author-- the publishers asked us 13:13 to write a companion book. 13:15 The reason for this is when you're studying 13:18 for the "Sabbath School" lessons, you know, 13:19 you may put 10, 12 hours into one lesson, 13:23 and you can only put a small fraction 13:26 of what you've studied in that lesson. 13:28 So, as the result of that, they've asked us 13:30 to write companion books so those studying the lessons 13:34 can have a much richer, broader, deeper experience. 13:37 And so, all the study that the author has done 13:40 to get the lessons ready still can be preserved. 13:44 So, if you want more broader, deeper lessons to supplement 13:50 your lessons, here's the companion book just for you. 13:54 >>Eric: Thank you, Pastor Mark. 13:55 And it's very easy for you to pick up that book. 13:58 You can find it at itiswritten.shop. 14:01 Again, that's itiswritten.shop. 14:03 Just look for the companion book there, 14:05 and it will be a blessing to you. 14:06 We're going to continue looking at 14:08 "The Foundation of God's Government" in just a moment 14:10 when we come back here on "Sabbath School," 14:12 brought to you by It Is Written. 14:14 ♪♪♪ 14:19 >>Announcer: If you'd like to deepen your understanding 14:21 of the powerful themes brought out in this program, 14:23 we invite you to explore the book "The Great Controversy." 14:27 For more information, simply text the code "GC24" to 71392. 14:32 This book delves into critical end-time themes, 14:35 offering profound insights into historical events, 14:37 Bible prophecy, and spiritual preparation 14:40 essential for today's unique challenges. 14:43 Discover how "The Great Controversy" 14:44 can illuminate your path in these uncertain times. 14:49 >>John Bradshaw: They were told they couldn't do it. 14:51 They were told they weren't good enough to do it. 14:54 They were told they weren't allowed to do it. 14:57 And then they did it. 15:00 And as they did, they changed a nation. 15:04 They became some of the most renowned aviators 15:07 in the US military, paving the way 15:09 for an even broader impact on society. 15:13 The Tuskegee Airmen, who fought on two fronts: 15:17 overseas as they strove to turn back tyranny 15:21 and at home as they battled tyranny of another kind. 15:26 Don't miss "High Fliers." 15:29 Advances made should never be relinquished. 15:32 And as the Tuskegee Airmen paved the way for a better tomorrow, 15:36 we remember that Jesus lived and died so that this world 15:39 could experience a better day. 15:41 "High Fliers," brought to you by It Is Written TV. 15:49 ♪♪♪ 15:54 >>Eric: Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 15:55 brought to you by It Is Written. 15:57 We're looking at "The Foundation of God's Government," 16:00 His law. Pastor Mark, as we look at the law, 16:05 we've seen how it applies to the sanctuary. 16:07 We've seen how it can't be changed. 16:09 It shows us who God is. 16:12 But part of the law is the Sabbath. 16:15 One of the commandments is the Sabbath. 16:17 What role does God's law, and specifically the Sabbath, 16:21 play in the events that this world 16:23 is shortly going to be experiencing? 16:26 What do we know about what's to come, 16:28 with respect to these things? 16:30 >>Mark: One of the reasons Satan has attacked the law of God 16:33 so viciously, and specifically the Sabbath, 16:36 is because the Sabbath reveals Christ as Creator of our world. 16:41 If you do away with the Sabbath, you do away with, ultimately, 16:45 creation because the Sabbath is a memorial of creation. 16:48 The two are linked together: Sabbath and creation. 16:51 So, to destroy Sabbath, you impact creation. 16:54 To destroy creation, you impact Sabbath. 16:56 If you do that, you destroy the basis for worship. 17:00 The Bible says in Revelation 4, verse 11, 17:03 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory... 17:05 honour and power [because You have] created all things." 17:09 So, the very basis of worship is the fact 17:12 that God is the Creator. 17:14 We find in Revelation, chapter 14, verse 6 and 7, 17:19 the first of the three angels' messages that are calling 17:24 the world at end time back to worship the Creator. 17:29 Revelation, chapter 14, verse 6 and verse 7 puts it this way. 17:35 It says, "I saw another angel 17:36 "flying in the [middle] of heaven, 17:38 "having the everlasting gospel to preach to [them that] dwell 17:41 on the earth--to every nation, [kindred], tongue, and people." 17:45 So, here is the eternal, everlasting gospel 17:48 that's to go to the ends of the earth. 17:50 Then it says, "Saying with a loud voice, 17:53 "'Fear God and give glory to Him, 17:55 "'for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him 17:58 "'[that] made heaven... earth, the sea 17:59 and [the fountains] of waters.'" 18:02 So, here in the light of the judgment, 18:05 just, let's analyze that text-- says, "Fear God." 18:08 What does fearing God mean? 18:10 It means to reverence God, to respect God. 18:13 It means to take God seriously. 18:15 Fear God and give Him glory. 18:18 How do we give Him glory in our lifestyle? Why? 18:21 Because the hour of His judgment is come. 18:23 Now, notice this linkage: The hour of His judgment 18:25 has come, and worship Him that made heaven and earth, 18:28 the sea and the fountains of waters. 18:30 That's a direct quote from the fourth commandment, the Sabbath. 18:35 So, there's a linkage between the sanctuary, the judgment, 18:39 the law of God, and the Sabbath. 18:41 At end time, God gives His final appeal to worship, 18:48 to keep the Sabbath as a memorial of creation 18:52 and as a--as a sign of our allegiance to God at end time. 18:59 >>Eric: So, we see a clear connection here with this, 19:02 between the Sabbath and God's law, 19:03 and, as you mentioned, the sanctuary and judgment. 19:07 For those who have studied some measure of Bible prophecy, 19:10 they've seen a connection between the Sabbath, God's law, 19:14 and the mark of the beast. 19:16 Now, that's kind of a buzzword topic that people even 19:19 outside of Christianity have heard of the mark of the beast. 19:22 But how does God's law come together 19:26 with the mark of the beast. 19:27 How are those two related or unrelated, 19:30 and what sense can we make of this? 19:33 Because this is an issue that's going to be facing the world 19:35 in the not-very-distant future. 19:37 And we, of course, don't want to receive the mark of the beast. 19:40 I don't--I haven't met anybody yet who does. [Mark laughs] 19:43 But how can we avoid the mark of the beast 19:46 through our understanding of what we're looking at this week? 19:49 >>Mark: In Revelation, chapter 14, you have the linkage 19:53 between worshiping the Creator, the Sabbath, 19:58 worshiping the beast, and the law of God. 20:00 Let's just look at it clearly in the text, 20:04 and if you who are watching, viewing this "It Is Written 20:08 Sabbath School," if you have your Bible, 20:11 I'd like you to take it here and notice a few things. 20:14 Revelation 14, and we're looking there at verse 7: 20:18 "Saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to Him; 20:21 "for the hour of His judgment is come: 20:24 "and worship Him that made heaven,... 20:26 earth,... the sea, and the fountains of waters." 20:28 So, who is the one that made heaven, 20:30 earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters? 20:31 What do we call Him? The Creator. 20:34 And what is the basis of all worship? 20:36 It's that God created this world. 20:38 So, Revelation 14:7 is a call to worship the Creator 20:43 in the light of the judgment. 20:45 Now, let your eyes drop down to verse 9, and, Eric, 20:48 go ahead and read verse 9. 20:50 >>Eric: "Then a third angel followed them, 20:52 "saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast 20:55 "'and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead 20:59 "'or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine 21:03 "'of the wrath of God, which is poured out 21:05 "'full strength into the cup of His indignation. 21:08 "'He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 21:10 "'in the presence of the holy angels 21:12 and in the presence of the Lamb.'" 21:14 >>Mark: The wine of the wrath of God, of course, 21:16 is the seven last plagues. 21:17 Revelation 14:7 calls us to worship the Creator. 21:21 Revelation 14:9 says, do not worship the beast. 21:25 So, what are those two polarities: 21:28 worshiping the Creator on this hand, 21:30 worshiping the beast on this hand. 21:32 So, there are two worships. 21:35 This is the battle for allegiance. 21:39 Here is the great controversy, 21:42 the cosmic conflict over worship. 21:45 So then, where does this conflict find its focal point? 21:50 Where are those people that do not worship the beast? 21:55 Verse 12. Eric? 21:57 >>Eric: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those 22:00 who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." 22:04 >>Mark: So, verse 7-- Revelation 14:7 says, 22:07 worship the Creator. 22:09 Revelation 14:9 says, do not worship the beast. 22:13 Revelation 14:12 says, "Here is the [endurance] 22:17 of the saints," of the believers. 22:19 "Here are those that keep the commandments of God 22:22 and the faith of Jesus." 22:24 So, those people who are keeping the commandments of God 22:29 are those people who are worshiping the Creator-- 22:32 namely, keeping the Sabbath-- and not worshiping the beast. 22:37 So, Sabbath becomes a sign. 22:40 It becomes the seal of the living God at end time. 22:44 Now, does that mean all Sabbath keepers will be saved? 22:47 Not at all. 22:48 What it does mean is that the Sabbath is the external sign 22:52 of an inner faith, an inner commitment. 22:55 It is, in that sense, the seal of God. 22:58 What is the seal of God? 23:00 It is the settling into truth, both spiritually 23:03 and intellectually so you cannot be moved, and the Sabbath 23:07 is the external manifestation of that inner seal, 23:10 that inner-heart commitment. 23:13 >>Eric: So, a clear connection there between the law of God, 23:17 the creatorship of God, the mark of the beast, 23:20 and that delineation between at the end, 23:22 the righteous and the wicked, 23:24 and, of course, we can be making right decisions today: 23:27 choosing to follow our Creator and our Redeemer. 23:30 You've been reading here from Revelation, chapter 14 23:32 a very significant portion of the Bible 23:35 often referred to as the three angels' messages. 23:37 This is a chapter of the Bible, which if somebody asked us 23:41 to put our finger in the Bible in a place 23:43 where we are currently living, 23:45 your finger would probably come squarely down 23:47 in Revelation, chapter 14. >>Mark: Sure. 23:50 >>Eric: Share with us a little bit more about 23:52 the three angels' message 23:53 and the immutability of God's law and how these come together. 23:58 >>Mark: The three angels' message starts 24:00 with the expression "I saw another angel 24:03 flying in the midst of heaven," 24:05 so this message must be urgent. 24:07 Angels flying indicate a message carried. 24:11 "I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 24:13 having the everlasting gospel." 24:15 So, what--how does the three angels' message begin? 24:18 Begins with the gospel, the good news that Christ forgives, 24:21 the good news that He delivers us from guilt, 24:24 the good news that we can be changed and transformed 24:27 by His grace. 24:28 Then it says "to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people." 24:31 Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24, verse 14: 24:34 "This gospel of the kingdom [shall] be preached 24:36 "in all the world as a witness to all...nations, 24:38 ...then the end [shall] come." 24:40 So, here is a call, a call to you and a call to me. 24:45 Here is something to give your life for. 24:47 Here's something that's bigger than we are, 24:49 a message that's "go to the ends of the earth." 24:52 You can be part of something big and grand for God by giving out 24:56 a piece of literature, by giving out a book, "Great Controversy," 24:59 by giving a Bible study, by holding a lay 25:02 evangelistic meeting. 25:04 And then it says, "Fear God." How do we fear God? 25:08 We fear Him by obeying Him. 25:10 We fear Him, but you can never obey Him unless you first accept 25:14 the gospel of verse 6. 25:15 So, the gospel leads you to obedience, not disobedience. 25:19 My love for God leads me to do what God says, 25:22 not to disobey what God says. 25:25 "And give glory to Him." How do we give glory to God? 25:28 We give glory to God in honoring Him in what we eat, 25:31 what we drink, the things we see, our lifestyle. 25:34 And then "the hour of His judgment is come." 25:37 We're living in the judgment hour. 25:38 We're living at a unique time of earth's history-- 25:41 not will come in the future, but it has come. 25:43 We're living in that judgment hour. 25:46 Then the message to the first angel is, "Worship Him 25:49 that made heaven, earth, sea, and the fountains of water." 25:50 What is the call? To worship the Creator, 25:53 the call as the very basis of worship to keep the Sabbath. 25:57 The Sabbath is the link between the past, 26:00 the present, and the future. 26:01 The Sabbath leads us back to the past, 26:04 reminds us that God has created the world 26:07 and that if He created us, He cares for us. 26:10 The Sabbath is an indication of what Christ did for us. 26:12 We rest in Christ every Sabbath. We rest in His grace, His love. 26:17 The Sabbath also reminds us that He's gonna 26:19 create a new heavens and a new earth. 26:21 And then the Bible says, second angel's message, 26:23 "Babylon has fallen." 26:25 What's that about? 26:26 It's about all confused religion. 26:28 It's about religion that is based on tradition 26:32 and it's based on the teachings of man. 26:34 It's a call to be faithful to Scripture. 26:37 And what about this mark of the beast business? 26:40 Although we'll study about, more about it in next week's lesson, 26:43 it is the call from the commandments of men 26:47 to the commandments of God. 26:50 >>Eric: So, God is working on the hearts of people right now, 26:53 today, around the world to make that choice, and, really, 26:58 that's all that it is-- >>Mark: Right. 26:59 >>Eric: ...a choice to turn away from traditions 27:02 and the teachings of man to the Word of God, 27:05 the teachings of God, and the law of God. 27:08 And we hope that you have made that decision, that choice 27:11 to turn your life over completely to God 27:14 and to trust Him. 27:16 There's no amount of good things that you can do 27:18 to save yourself, there's no amount of money 27:21 that you can pay, but what you can do is say, 27:24 "Lord, here I am; save me." >>Mark: Amen. 27:27 >>Eric: And you turn your life over to Him, 27:29 you turn your will over to Him, and say yes to God 27:32 with every choice that you know you have to make. 27:35 He will give you grace, He will give you strength, 27:39 and He will give you hope for the days to come. 27:43 Are there challenging times to come? 27:45 Yeah, the Bible makes it very plain that there indeed are. 27:47 How can we be ready for them? 27:49 Surrender our wills and our lives to Jesus. 27:51 It's that simple. 27:53 We're gonna be digging into this in more depth, 27:55 in more detail in next week's lesson, 27:57 and we look forward to seeing you then, 27:59 here again on "Sabbath School," 28:01 brought to you by It Is Written. 28:03 ♪♪♪ 28:23 ♪♪♪ 28:26 [Captions provided by Aberdeen Captioning www.abercap.com] |
Revised 2024-05-23