Participants: Jim Reinking
Series Code: LDS
Program Code: LDS000019
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00:34 And today we're dealing with this incredible
00:37 and it is absolutely incredible 00:39 the confusion that we find in the Christian world. 00:43 I told you last night and I want to repeat it tonight 00:45 there are in this world tonight, 1,200 different denominations. 00:50 And I didn't just make that up, 00:52 I've got a list of them on file. 00:54 In the United States alone there are 300 00:57 I'm talking about 1,200 worldwide which is incredible. 01:00 The confusion is that, so many of us 01:02 just in a state of the wilderment, 01:05 in a state of as I said confusion. 01:08 How in the world did the Christian church come to this? 01:11 So, you know, so fragmented. 01:14 Was this God's purpose? 01:16 Did God have a purpose in this or not? 01:20 And then again the question, how do you sort it all out? 01:26 Let me tell you the church that Jesus established 01:28 2,000 years ago was a church that was united. 01:32 And my friend, it's clear that, it was God's purpose 01:35 that the church will remain united 01:37 but that's not what happened 01:38 and that's what we're going to study tonight. 01:41 We're gonna find out impart 01:42 what happen to the church that Jesus established. 01:44 But let's get a sense of what was happening in that church 01:47 as we turned to Acts 2, the New Testament page 93. 01:52 Page 93, Acts 2 and beginning with verse 37. 01:56 I'm taking you to the Day of Pentecost 01:58 as recorded here in Acts chapter 2. 02:01 The apostles. 02:03 Jesus is resurrected, He's ascended to heaven, 02:06 the Holy Spirit, as he's promise as he ascended upon them 02:09 in the powerful and mighty way. 02:11 And on the Day of Pentecost, they are in the temple 02:14 and they are proclaiming boldly, Jesus is Lord and Savior. 02:18 Crucified? Yes. 02:19 Died? Yes. 02:20 But resurrected. 02:22 And I want you to notice how powerfully 02:24 the Holy Spirit was working on that occasion 02:27 as indicated in verse 37. 02:29 For it says, "Now when they heard this," 02:31 the multitude that was there. 02:33 "When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart." 02:37 That means they were under deep conviction. 02:42 Pierced to the heart. 02:43 "And they said to peter and the rest of the apostles, 02:46 brethren, what shall we do?" 02:50 I like that, don't you? 02:52 You see my friend, the gospel is not pastern, it's active. 02:56 We would use the term proactive. 03:00 The gospel, when our hearts begin to understand 03:03 and comprehend the depths of God's love 03:06 involved in our salvation it demands of us a response. 03:12 And what is the answer to the question what shell we do? 03:15 Well, we find in the verse 38, 03:17 where Peter said to them, "Repent." 03:19 That's the first thing we're to do. 03:20 We're to repent. 03:22 That's the acknowledgement that we are sinners. 03:24 That we fallen short of the glory of God. 03:28 Repent. 03:29 And then the second thing and each of you be baptized 03:33 in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins 03:37 and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 03:40 So we're to repent, we are to be baptized 03:43 and the promise is we will receive 03:45 the gift of the Holy Spirit. 03:46 Again, it's not that the spirit is not been at work, 03:49 because we wouldn't be at the point of repentance 03:52 and embracing Jesus as Lord and Savior 03:54 in the waters of baptism. 03:57 But there's a special infilling of the Holy Spirit, 04:01 that's what we are to do repent 04:02 and we're to be baptize. 04:04 And now as we drop on down to verses 41 and through 43. 04:09 Notice, what was going on in the early church. 04:13 It says, "So then those who received his word." 04:17 What did they do? "They were baptized." 04:20 Those who received the word, the testimony, 04:23 the word of truth. 04:25 "They were baptized and that they-- 04:27 there were added about three thousand souls. 04:30 They were continually." Notice what was happening. 04:33 They were devoting themselves to the apostles teaching 04:36 and to fellowship. 04:40 Teaching, fellowship, those are important things 04:43 in our Christian growth, right? 04:47 Teaching and fellowship, we need both. 04:50 We need the church and we need the right church, 04:55 the church that's teaching the truth. 04:58 I know there's a lot of truth out there and fragrance of truth 05:01 but you know, we want to put it together as fully as we-- 05:03 We want to don't we and our love for Jesus 05:06 get as close to the truth 05:07 when it comes to matter of fellowship 05:09 as close as we possibly can. 05:11 It's not that we're exclusive, 05:13 it's not that we can't fellowship 05:14 and don't fellowship with other Christians 05:16 we're always free to do that. 05:18 So to fellowship 05:19 and they devoted themselves to eating. 05:23 Yes, when it talks about breaking bread 05:25 it's not talking about communion, 05:26 because the cup is not mentioned. 05:29 And when the cup's not mentioned 05:30 it's talking about taking a fellowship meal. 05:34 They loved eating together. 05:35 And now notice this about this church. 05:38 Every Sabbath after the service 05:40 there is a meal over there in the fellowship hall. 05:44 And for the more they devoted themselves to prayer. 05:47 All good, wonderful things that will help us 05:50 in our spiritual growth, right? 05:53 Verse 43, says, "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, 05:56 and many wonders and signs were taking place 05:58 among the apostles." 06:00 I mean, that was what was going on in the early church. 06:03 But take a look at Jude 3, the New Testament page 188. 06:08 188, this is a one chapter book by the Book of Revelation 06:13 just as assuredly it is inspired as any of the books 06:18 of the New Testament or the Old Testament of the Bible. 06:22 And notice what we find a prophecy embedded here 06:26 about what would happen to this church 06:29 that Jesus established. 06:30 We're indeed going to be looking at four prophecies 06:32 in the New Testament 06:34 that indicated what would happen to the church. 06:39 That will set the church up for-- 06:41 it eventually is division and its fragmentation. 06:47 And so here we are Jude 06:49 and we're looking at verses 3 and 4. 06:52 "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you 06:55 about our common salvation, 06:57 I felt the necessity to write to you 06:59 appealing that you contend earnestly 07:03 for the faith which was once for--" a few, 07:07 for some, the faith which was once for Adventists. 07:16 No, no, no, it's not there, is it? 07:17 No. 07:18 It says, "The faith which was once for all 07:23 handed down to the saints." 07:25 To all of God's people. 07:28 You know, there are certain aspects of the message 07:30 that as Adventist, certainly we--you know, 07:32 we're preaching and teaching because in the word of God, 07:35 things like the Sabbath. 07:36 Of course, we would. 07:38 Because, you know, we really do believe in the book 07:41 and preaching all of it. 07:44 You know, that's-- I have to say this 07:46 that's one of the marvelous things 07:48 about being a minister in the Adventist church, 07:52 because there's a lot of content, 07:55 there's a lot of biblicalness in the message. 07:58 And I believe God is entrusted to us, 08:00 but it's up for all peoples. 08:02 I love being a preacher in this church. 08:05 I never have to see, am I allowed to preach this? 08:09 Am I allowed to preach from that text? 08:11 I wonder let me just check over here 08:13 and see if it's all right. 08:15 I never have to do that. 08:16 I feel absolute freedom to preach anything 08:19 that is in God's word. 08:21 And that's the way it should be. 08:23 Amen. Right? 08:25 So we should-- you know, contain earnestly 08:27 for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 08:31 Now for some of us, what we've been sharing at times 08:35 is something new. 08:36 But let me tell you, though it maybe new to us, 08:39 as I mentioned ago, a moment ago like the Sabbath, 08:43 though maybe new to us 08:44 my friend, it is a part of that body of truth, 08:48 that body of faith that God has given us 08:51 from the very beginnings 08:52 and I'm talking of the Christian church now. 08:55 It's always been there. 08:56 We just have been ignorant of it. 08:59 And it's because we haven't had a chance to study, 09:01 but notice verse 4. 09:03 It says, "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed." 09:06 Crept in where? That is into the church. 09:09 "Crept in unnoticed. 09:10 Those who were long before hand marked out 09:13 for this condemnation, ungodly persons 09:16 who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness 09:19 and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." 09:23 And the relevant term here is these individuals, 09:26 ungodly individuals. 09:29 The relevant term is here-- is they crept into the church. 09:34 They kind of snuck into the church door 09:38 and they just fermented. 09:42 And my friend, it is prophecy that indicated a change 09:46 as a result would take place in the church 09:48 that Jesus had established. 09:50 But we are-- clearly here we are to content earnestly 09:54 for that primitive truth, 09:57 that primitiveness as God has given to us as His people. 10:01 But let me take you onto another prophecy 10:04 in the New Testament which found in Acts 20:28. 10:09 And Paul is speaking now. He's in conversation 10:12 with the leadership of the church in Ephesus. 10:15 The elders of Ephesus. 10:17 When he says, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, 10:20 and to all the flock to feed the church of God." 10:25 Notice first of all, he says, "Take heed to yourself." 10:29 And my friend, if anybody is in spiritual leadership, 10:33 they better heed that council. 10:36 Less self interject itself into the ministry 10:40 or into the leadership of the church. 10:43 And my friend, whenever self is interjecting yourself 10:46 into a spiritual process it creates problems, right? 10:52 It absolutely create problems. 10:56 And I have been clear about this 10:57 for a very long time in my thinking. 10:59 I never want my ministry and my teaching 11:03 and while I'm teaching I never wanted to be an issue about me. 11:08 Because if it becomes the issue about me 11:11 then somehow we've gotten off track. 11:15 Because it's not about me, it is about Him. 11:20 How many problems that we had in the church 11:22 when it becomes an issue about me? 11:27 Pride, yeah, lots of problems. 11:29 And to me that's one of the challenges 11:32 of the mega church phenomena, 11:33 because it's all personality centered 11:35 and so personality driven. 11:38 And the only personality I want to see driving 11:41 the process in the church 11:42 is a personality of Jesus Christ. 11:45 And it says, "And to feed the church of God." 11:48 What is that we ought to be feeding the church of God? 11:51 Manmade traditions, 11:53 the teachings of church councils, 11:56 fine sounding philosophizing. 12:01 What is that, that we really want? 12:05 What are we to feed the church of God? 12:06 It's right here, my friend. It is the word of God. 12:10 And this ought to be the focal point. 12:13 This ought to be the foundation 12:15 of the teaching and the preaching 12:18 that is going on within the church. 12:21 My friend this is what the power is, it's right here. 12:24 When the Holy Spirit is at work 12:25 and when hearts are soften 12:27 in the love of Jesus to receive the truth. 12:32 And my friend, apart from all of that, 12:34 we're just-- we could be playing games as a people, 12:38 playing games as a church. 12:41 And you know what? 12:42 I'm not interested in playing games. 12:45 I'm not interested in that, are you? 12:47 No. 12:49 I-- I really-- I really-- This is vital to me. 12:53 This is vital in my own personal faith. 12:55 I want something that's real. I want something that's genuine. 12:58 I want something that's spiritual. 12:59 I want something that's quiet centered 13:00 and I want something that's biblical. 13:05 All of those things are important to me. 13:07 And I don't feel like, I have been fed 13:10 on those occasions that I'm allowed to sit 13:12 where you are sitting. 13:13 I don't feel fed unless those things are present 13:17 to feed the church of God. 13:19 He goes on to say, "For I know this, 13:21 that after my departing." 13:23 Paul speaking here again "after my departing 13:25 shall grievous wolves enter in among you 13:30 not sparing the flock." 13:33 Not sparing the church. 13:35 He says further, "Also of your own selves," 13:38 speaking of the spiritual leadership of the church. 13:40 "Of your own selves shall men arise, 13:42 speaking perverse things." 13:44 Speaking what? Not the truth. 13:47 But speaking perverse things. And for what purpose? 13:52 "To draw away the disciples after them." 13:56 It's--you know, it's really about me. 13:58 You know this thing could be really subtle. 14:02 It can be really subtle. 14:03 And often times it could be even more than that, can't it? 14:09 But my friend, it is not-- it's not about 14:11 drawing disciples to any one individual 14:15 apart form Jesus, but it predicted. 14:19 Again, they would arise speaking perverse things 14:23 in the leadership of the church. 14:24 We're gonna trace this in just a few moments 14:26 historically exactly how that happen. 14:28 That is a warning against spiritual leadership. 14:31 And my friend, listen, must be honest about this. 14:35 Those of us who are in ministry, you know, 14:38 I do want people to respect the office. 14:41 But my friend, we are human beings. 14:45 We are fallible human beings. 14:48 Sometimes we have our foibles. 14:50 And sometimes we have our failures. 14:53 And we have our own challenges 14:55 let me tell you as a ministry. 14:57 And we are human, believe it or not, we are human. 15:01 And sometimes, we make mistakes and we have weaknesses. 15:07 And we too have to get out on our knees 15:09 at the end of the day, often to confess that we fallen short. 15:14 Don't you ever forget that? 15:15 Don't you ever put those of us, 15:17 who are in ministry on pedestal? 15:19 Don't do that. 15:24 Didn't get one amen out of that 15:26 and I thought that was such a good point, 15:28 because I believe it. 15:31 It's becomes problematic when we do that. 15:34 It becomes problematic for those who are doing that 15:36 and becomes problematic for those of us who are in ministry. 15:40 Don't put us on a pedestal. 15:43 I take you to another prophecy 15:44 as we find it in II Timothy 4:3, 4. 15:48 Where Paul says, "For the time will come," 15:50 speaking of the people of God now. 15:52 "For the time will come when they will not endure 15:54 sound doctrine" or sound teaching, 15:57 "but wanting to have their ears tickled, 15:59 they will accumulate for themselves, 16:01 teachers in accordance to their own desire, 16:05 and will turn away their ears from the truth, 16:08 and will turn aside to myths." 16:12 And my friend, whenever we turned away from the truth 16:15 that's exactly what we have left myths. 16:18 Man-made ideas, practices and traditions 16:24 and that's exactly what happens to the church 16:26 that Jesus established. 16:27 We have one more prophecy in the New Testament, 16:29 II Thessalonians Chapter 2. 16:31 The New Testament page 162, 162. 16:36 II Thessalonians 2:3. 16:40 Remember this one, Paul again is the writer 16:43 who is writing to the believers in Thessalonica 16:47 and this is what he tells them. 16:48 II Thessalonians 2:3. 16:51 He says, "Let no one," no one "in any way deceive you, 16:54 for it will not come." 16:56 Speaking of the coming of Jesus. 16:58 "It will not come, unless the apostasy come first." 17:03 And remember we've talked about this apostasy. 17:05 What is apostasy? 17:07 Literally, it means falling away, 17:10 spiritually falling away, away from God, 17:15 away from faithfulness to Jesus, falling away from the truth. 17:21 Again, it is not talking about the wicked, the ungodly. 17:25 They can't fall away, because they never were 17:29 in a right relationship to fall away from in the first place. 17:34 So it predicts that apostasy would grip the church 17:39 that Jesus established. 17:41 And then it goes on to say, "And the man of lawlessness 17:43 is revealed, the son of destruction, 17:45 who opposes and exalt himself above every so called God, 17:48 or object of worshipped, 17:49 so that he takes his sit in the temple of God, 17:52 displaying himself as being God." 17:53 And clearly that is speaking of the antichrist. 17:57 And that makes a definite and a cleared link 18:00 between the fall of the church, the apostasy of the church 18:04 and the emergence of the antichrist. 18:08 That was the end result of what happened 18:10 to the church that Jesus established. 18:12 As we now looked at these four prophecies 18:15 as they turn away from sound doctrine, 18:17 from sound teaching, as men begin to arise 18:20 speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. 18:24 The end product of it was that it brought forth 18:28 the antichrist, that church that Jesus established. 18:33 Absolutely astounding, when you consider it 18:36 and notice down in verse 7 Paul says, 18:39 "For the mystery of lawlessness." 18:42 And my friend this is at the heart of the apostasy, 18:44 it does relate to this matter of the law, 18:46 the commandments of God. 18:48 When he says then, "For the mystery of lawlessness 18:52 is already at work in the church." 18:58 Already at the work in the church in Jesus, 19:01 in the time of the apostles. 19:03 It is astounding how early this process began 19:07 in the Christian church. 19:09 And we can trace it historically as we will do so. 19:15 I take it to Magsburg Centuries. 19:18 It's written by Jena in 1560, page 2, 19:22 where this historical observation is made. 19:25 It says, "The apostles had hardly died 19:27 ere the spirit of deception 19:29 thought it could easily break into the churches. 19:32 It may be conceived that in this second century 19:35 originate nearly all the heresies 19:37 which afterward raged in the church." 19:41 How early second century already, 19:45 heresies, false teachings? 19:48 And how could that happened? 19:50 Because my friend there was a process taking place 19:53 that was leading the people of God 19:54 away from the centrality of the word of God. 19:59 And my friend, that is why it is absolutely necessary 20:04 that the church keep the focal point 20:06 upon the Revelation that has been given us 20:09 by God in His love and mercy. 20:11 The Revelation that we have, the privilege of studying 20:14 from God's word, it is foundational. 20:19 And anything else that has put in His place 20:22 as a substitute is a poor substitute. 20:27 Oh, yeah. 20:29 Truth is foundational. Yeah. 20:34 Reminds me of the parable of Jesus told 20:35 that the two builders. 20:38 One building their house upon the rock 20:40 and the other building their house upon the sand. 20:43 And Jesus said the storm-- there's storm coming. 20:46 Jesus said in the parable, there's a storm coming, 20:48 there's a storm coming. 20:50 And when the storm came, you know, 20:53 the house build on the sand felt flat, 20:56 but the house that was built upon the rock 20:58 stood firm in that foundation. 21:02 And we must have foundations. 21:04 And do you remember what Jesus said is the rock. 21:07 They'll say that is Jesus, because that's not what He said. 21:10 It is his saints. 21:14 The one who keeps my saints, Jesus said is the one 21:17 that builds his house on the rock. 21:19 Look at it, that's what it says. 21:22 And so that-- when we talk about building up the church, 21:25 truth is pretty vital in it 21:28 and it is certainly relevant to our relationship. 21:31 In the Book Ancient Church pages 6 and 7, it says, 21:34 "In the interval between the days of the apostles 21:37 and the conversion of Constantine" 21:38 which was in the 4th century. 21:41 "Rites and ceremonies, of which, Paul nor Peter 21:45 ever heard, crept silently into use." 21:48 Notice how insidious this process was? 21:52 It wasn't blatant. 21:53 It wasn't in your face, kind of a process. 21:56 It was happening kind of quietly. 21:59 And you know, when you look at the phenomena of cults 22:02 that is often how the cultic or cultic experiences 22:06 often develop, gradually like the Jim Jones experience, 22:11 he was very gradual. 22:12 You hear the testimony of some of the members 22:15 of the people's temple there in San Francisco it was gradual. 22:20 It was gradual. 22:22 And I remember one of the members talking about, 22:23 it was only, if you look back over time 22:26 that you realize how far and time one had really come 22:30 under the influence of Jim Jones. 22:33 So it was gradual. It was gradual. 22:36 Yeah. 22:37 "So they crept silently into use, 22:39 rites and ceremonies, practices." 22:43 And Constantine had the tremendous effect 22:45 upon the church in the 4th century AD. 22:48 He had himself declared the foremost of all of apostles. 22:54 Constantine, after his death was declared 22:57 to be one of the saints of the church. 23:00 Constantine. 23:02 Constantine was the one who called forth 23:04 the church counsels in his day. 23:07 Constantine was the one who set the agendas. 23:10 Constantine is the one who often put the decisions 23:15 of the church councils into imperial decree. 23:21 Constantine not only had tremendous influence 23:25 upon the church but shares a tremendous responsibility 23:28 to what the church became particularly 23:31 during the medieval period of time. 23:34 Constantine. 23:35 It was Constantine that first time ordered 23:38 to proclaim himself a Christian. 23:40 And it was Constantine who in 313 AD 23:44 declared his empire a Christian empire. 23:49 Oh, you would think that, that would have been 23:51 a wonderful and great thing for the church. 23:55 But the problem was, you see, it became the popular thing 23:59 to do to become a Christian, 24:00 because even the emperor himself proclaimed 24:04 to be a Christian and politically 24:06 if you wanted to get a head, you know, 24:11 wouldn't hurt, you know, that take that name, you know. 24:17 Declare yourself to be a Christian, 24:20 of course in the political process in our own day 24:22 and age and our country 24:24 that certainly wouldn't happen, you know. 24:28 Would it? 24:30 Our politicians weren't stupid that, 313 AD, 24:34 declared his empire to be a Christian empire. 24:37 And that what you thought would have furthered 24:39 the prosperity of the church have the very opposite effect, 24:42 because people were embracing the faith not of a conviction 24:45 not because they were converted, 24:47 not because they have accepted Jesus Christ, 24:49 but it can because it was 24:51 the popular convenient thing to do. 24:54 And he further the process of the apostasy 24:57 the downfall of the church as we see indicated here 24:59 from Wharey's Church History page 54. 25:03 "Christianity had now become popular, 25:05 and a large proportion, perhaps a large majority 25:09 of those who embraced it, only assumed the name. 25:14 They are as much heathen," it says, further on, 25:17 "as they were before." 25:19 They haven't been transformed to the love and grace of Jesus. 25:23 They still were pagans at heart is what its saying. 25:26 "Error and corruption now came 25:28 in upon the church like a flood." 25:32 In the spirit of time. 25:33 And in the Centuries of Christianity, 25:35 A Concise History, Page 58, it adds, 25:38 "The new Christians were, as far as thinking 25:41 and habits went, the same old pagans. 25:44 Their surge into the churches did not wipe out paganism. 25:47 On the contrary, hordes of baptized pagans 25:51 meant that paganism had diluted the moral energies 25:55 of organized Christianity to the point of impotence." 26:00 And my friend, that's exactly what happened. 26:03 Just as Paul said in II Thessalonians 2, 26:07 apostasy that take place in the church 26:11 that Jesus had established, troubling to be sure, 26:15 but that's exactly what happened. 26:18 And paganism coming in, 26:20 accommodation with pagan teaching 26:23 and pagan practices took place in the word compromise 26:29 that's what was taking place. 26:30 We have another word theologically for this 26:33 we called it syncretism. 26:35 That is the combination of Christian teaching 26:37 and practice to pagan teachings and practices. 26:43 And that's exactly what happened during this time of apostasy. 26:46 Illustrated by this, this is from a quote from the History 26:49 of the Eastern Church, page 184. 26:51 It's talking about Constantine's coins, 26:53 which is an illustration 26:55 of what I'm sharing with you at this point. 26:57 It says, "His (Constantine's) coins bore on the one side 27:01 the letters of the name of Christ, " Christos," 27:04 and on the other, the figure of the sun-god 27:07 as if he could not dare to re-linguish 27:10 the patron-age of the bright luminary." 27:13 So you see the syncretism that was going on, 27:15 the assimilation of paganism and Christianity. 27:18 On one side where the word for Christ 27:23 and on the other was the symbol of the sun-god. 27:27 In fact as they have excavated under Saint Peters 27:30 guess what they have found underground, 27:33 I believe it's under the main alter in Saint Peters. 27:36 They found a statue of Jesus 27:39 riding in the distinctive characteristics 27:42 of the chariot of the sun-god. 27:46 Amen. 27:48 And simulation was taking place on paganism. 27:53 And this is from the Development of Christian Doctrine Page 372. 27:57 It says "We are told by Eusebius." 27:59 Eusebius was a bishop that was very closely 28:01 with Constantine in that period of time. 28:04 "We are told by Eusebius, that Constantine, 28:06 in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen, 28:10 transferred into it the Christian faith, 28:13 the outward ornaments." 28:16 Interesting language, isn't it? 28:17 "Ornaments to which they had been accustomed in their own." 28:21 It's a simulation of paganism into Christianity, 28:26 troubling but that's exactly what happened. 28:28 And it was during this time of apostasy 28:32 that the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday 28:38 that is the day of the sun-god. 28:43 Yes, it was in this context that this is happened. 28:46 And it's been transmitted down through the centuries 28:49 through the various churches to our own day. 28:52 Interesting how old and how really pagan 28:56 this whole thing of Sunday really is and its origins. 29:00 And after it was at the council of Nicaea 321 AD 29:06 it was at that point that we have the Edict of Constantine 29:11 in which he declared, "On the venerable Day of the Sun 29:14 let the magistrates and people residing in the cities rest, 29:19 and let all workshops be closed." 29:21 The first Sunday closing blue law, 29:24 we would call it, isn't it? 29:27 It was initiated by Constantine as he made it an edict. 29:31 But one other statement about this matter, 29:33 the change of the Sabbath and the incorporation 29:37 and the assimilation of the pagan day of the sun. 29:43 This is from the History of the Eastern Church again page 184. 29:47 "The retention of the old pagan name 'Dies Solos,' 29:50 or Sunday is, in great measure, owing to the union of pagan 29:55 and Christian sentiment by which the first day of the week 29:58 was recommended by Constantine to his subjects, 30:00 pagan and Christian alike, 30:02 as the 'Venerable Day of the Sun.'" 30:05 Let see there was a lot-- 30:07 there was a lot of politics involved in this whole matter. 30:11 This whole thing of the simulation 30:13 on paganism and Christianity under the reign of Constantine. 30:18 A lot of politics was going on, 30:20 it was Constantine that had reunited 30:24 the various parts of the Roman Empire, 30:26 reunited, and united it. 30:29 And he had a tremendous political pressure 30:32 of trying to find a mechanism 30:34 that would help him to keep the empire united. 30:39 And he fell upon this genius of an idea 30:43 that he could use the vitality 30:47 and the parent spiritual power 30:49 that was present among Christians 30:51 in the church for a political purpose. 30:55 He thought to bring them into harmony together 30:59 on this issue of the Christian faith. 31:04 This is from The Papacy page 12 where it says, 31:07 "There is palpably present in Popery the polytheism 31:10 of ancient Rome in the gods and goddesses 31:13 which under the title of saints, 31:15 fill up the calendar 31:16 and crowd the temple of the Romish Church." 31:19 I don't like some of this terminology, 31:20 but that's what it says here. 31:22 "Here then, all the old idolatries live over again. 31:25 There is nothing new about them but the organization." 31:29 As people were fighting into the church 31:32 they had a simple-- it was a systemic problem 31:36 where would they're gonna house them 31:38 and here where all of these temples. 31:41 This was familiar ground. 31:42 And so they took over many of these temples 31:45 and they made them into Christian churches. 31:49 In fact, what you're seeing here is the pantheon. 31:52 The pantheon devoted to the gods of Rome. 31:58 And the pantheon was in 609 AD 32:02 dedicated and made a catholic church. 32:07 They give you some idea of what was going on. 32:09 And when they went into these temples 32:11 again it was familiar ground, 32:12 there were all these beautiful statues that were present. 32:15 And who wanted to get rid of these beautiful statues 32:19 in these now churches. 32:21 And so they just decided, there's a little bit simplcity, 32:24 but they sprinkle a little holy water here 32:26 and they consecrated this went to Paul 32:28 and they consecrated this went Peter 32:30 and the rest of the apostles 32:32 and then they began to working on the saints. 32:35 That's how images came into the Christian church. 32:41 That's exactly how they came in. 32:43 And by 377 AD, it was fairly well established in the church, 32:49 the use of images, adoration images, 32:53 burning candles before them, praying before them, okay. 33:00 This is what happened to the church again 33:02 that Jesus established. 33:03 And then there was an introduction an introduction 33:07 an introduction of the priesthood. 33:11 They came, you know, 33:12 a few centuries after the founding of Jesus Christ 33:16 and certainly by the 13th century, 33:20 not only was the priesthood well established, 33:23 more than well established, but with it the confessional 33:26 was established within the church. 33:31 And I could share a little bit with you where that came from. 33:33 I think I did that one night with you. 33:36 And so we have the intercessory function of the priest 33:39 that supplanted the intercessory function of Jesus. 33:43 And this is what it says 33:44 from the Missionary Review of the World, 33:46 "Few of us have ever grasped the full significance 33:48 of sacerdotalism as a papal device. 33:51 It puts the priest between the soul and all else, 33:53 even God, at every stage of development." 33:57 And that's exactly what it does. 33:59 But remember it says in 1 Timothy 2:5, 34:02 "For there is one God, and one mediator also 34:05 between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 34:09 We have direct access to God through Jesus. 34:11 But we have a system, 34:13 we have the intercession of the priest. 34:16 Then you have the intercession of the saints. 34:19 Then you have the intercession of Mary. 34:22 And then if you kind of work through 34:24 quite a system to reach God. 34:29 This is true in orthodoxy as well. 34:32 When I was in Romania in the ancient capital of Iasi. 34:37 And King Stephen, the best known 34:39 of all of the kings of Romania for he who's the one 34:42 to stop the incursion of the Ottoman Turkish Empire 34:47 in a epic battle that took place about an hours drive 34:53 from the city of Iasi. 34:56 He has chapel. 34:58 King Stephen Chapel Stile was there 35:01 and was fascinating to go into this chapel. 35:03 This orthodox chapel. 35:04 And you saw painted all over the walls. 35:07 You had Patriarchs, 35:09 well known men of faith within the orthodox system 35:14 and then you would have another layer of saints. 35:19 And I thought man, this really-- 35:20 I couldn't get a good picture of it. 35:23 I would have loved to get a picture that would-- 35:25 that you could clearly see this. 35:27 It was just pretty-- pretty big. 35:30 And then over main altar way up there in the dome 35:35 was Jesus looking down, looking down. 35:39 And I thought, here's one layer after another, 35:41 if you worked up high enough, 35:42 there He is, there He is way up there. 35:45 That's what the system did, interjected all these layers 35:50 between the individual and Christ. 35:54 And then even the position of Mary 35:58 under this apostasy went through an alteration. 36:01 This is from the book Glories. The Glories of Mary, page 67. 36:05 It says, "God will not save us 36:07 without the intercession of Mary. 36:09 He has placed the whole price of redemption 36:11 in the hands of Mary that she may dispense it at will." 36:15 And in fact the church, the Church of Rome 36:18 just within recent years has declared Mary 36:23 as a co- redemptorist of Christ. 36:28 A co- redemptorist of Christ. 36:30 Even arise by which one was initiated into the faith, 36:34 you know, went through alteration. 36:36 Even the practice of communion 36:39 was altered during this period of time. 36:41 Communion, the cup and the bread 36:43 which we understand to be symbolic 36:47 became an actuality at the consecration 36:50 of it by the priest, the blood and the body of Jesus. 36:55 This is from the Catechism of the Council of Trent. 36:57 It says, "The sacrifice of the mass 36:59 is and ought to be considered 37:02 one and the same as that of the cross, 37:05 and the victim is one and the same, 37:08 namely Christ our Lord." 37:11 Now those of us from a protestant background 37:13 this is kind of strange to our thinking. 37:15 Because we think of it as symbolism, don't we? 37:18 But in the thinking of the church, 37:20 it becomes actually, the blood becomes 37:22 the actual book of body of Jesus 37:24 and those are re-sacrificing 37:26 that takes place within the mass. 37:30 The Roman 6:10 says, "For the death that He died, 37:33 He died to sin, once for all." 37:36 Once, no need of re-sacrificing. 37:40 And then even views of the after life 37:43 went through an alteration. 37:45 And it was absorption of pagan teaching. 37:48 I'm talking about purgatory. 37:49 Now listen from Faith of Our Fathers where it says, 37:52 "There exists in the next life 37:54 a middle state of temporary punishment, 37:56 allotted for those who have not satisfied the justice of God 38:00 for sins already forgiven." 38:04 Are you catching this? 38:05 Oh, yes, you've been forgiven of your sins, 38:08 but when you die 38:10 you're gonna have to spent a little bit of time 38:12 suffering in purgatory to satisfy the justice 38:16 required of God for your sins forgiven 38:21 but you got to suffer a little bit. 38:23 It's that--It's that what the Bible teaches. 38:28 Oh, my friend, there is sufferings 38:29 of only one that will satisfy, 38:32 it is the sufferings of Jesus that satisfies. 38:35 Our sufferings will atone for nothing. 38:38 The bible does not teach purgatory. 38:40 It is a pagan teaching that is what we find. 38:44 And as I said a moment ago 38:46 even the rise of baptisms were altered 38:48 that the Council of Mela 416 AD it began 38:53 the practice of sprinkling was practice by the church. 38:57 And then the baptizing of babies, 38:59 all began to become the establish practice. 39:04 It was a departure from the clear teachings 39:06 of the world of God. 39:07 In fact, in this process of apostasy, 39:09 the church went so far down the road of apostasy 39:12 that departing from the truth that in the year 1299, 39:18 the Bible was banned, 1299. 39:24 How could the church get away with it? 39:27 I'll tell you exactly how they got away with it. 39:30 Because they said, how can the holy writings 39:34 of the scripture be entrusted 39:36 in the hands of the common people 39:38 who are largely uneducated, given over to superstition. 39:43 Of course that can be. 39:46 And so the people were taught 39:48 if you want to know what you have to believe 39:50 and what you are to practice, go to your priest. 39:53 He's been educated. He's been trained. 39:55 He's been to seminary. 39:56 He has been consecrated for this purpose, 40:00 that's how they got away with it. 40:02 Of course that couldn't get-- that couldn't happen today, 40:05 not in this modern era, could it? 40:08 Or could it? 40:10 You get somebody that seems well educated, well spoken. 40:15 And my friend, it's so easy to sit back and say, 40:17 "Well, he sounds articulate." 40:19 It must be true. 40:21 He's got an education. 40:23 It sounds-- it sounds reasonable. 40:26 But my friend, don't ever get into that at all. 40:30 Check it out. 40:32 All right, those normal bereans, 40:34 who checked out the apostle Paul and they checked it out, 40:37 because they study the scriptures daily 40:39 to find out whether those things were so. 40:43 In Matthew 15:9, Jesus said, 40:47 other religious leaders of his day. 40:49 "And in they worship Me, teaching as doctrines 40:52 the commandments of men." 40:55 And my friend, that's what the truth I come to, okay. 40:59 In Daniel 8:12, prophetically talking about this process 41:03 and the development of the antichrist. 41:05 It said, "And it will fling truth to the ground 41:07 and perform its will and prosper." 41:10 It will fling truth to the ground. 41:12 There was--I mean the church that Jesus has established 41:15 was in and awful state. 41:18 And so what was God going to do. 41:20 Well, take a look at a prophecy in Isaiah 58, 41:23 the Old Testament page 528. 41:26 528, Isaiah 58 and we're gonna look specifically at verse 12. 41:32 And this will have a ring. 41:33 This will remind you of the statement of Paul 41:36 as we saw it in the Book of Acts 41:38 where he's speaking to the elders 41:41 of the church in Ephesus. 41:43 Where he's warning them that from among your own selves, 41:46 your own selves shall individuals arise 41:50 speaking perverse things. 41:52 So notice here, Isaiah 58:12 where it says, 41:58 "Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins. 42:04 You will raise up the age-old foundations, 42:06 and you will be called the repairer of the breach, 42:08 the restorer of the streets in which to dwell." 42:11 What is this talking about urban renewal in the end time? 42:15 No. 42:16 But it talks about the-- rebuilding the ancient ruins. 42:19 It's talking about rebuilding the ancient ruins of faith. 42:23 It talks about raising up the age-old foundations, 42:25 its speaking of raising up the old foundations of truth. 42:29 Where It talks about you will be called 42:31 the repairer of the breach. 42:35 It's talking about the breach that was made in the law of God. 42:39 That's what it's talking about. 42:42 My friend, it was predicting 42:44 what we know historically as the reformation. 42:47 There was an attempt-- 42:51 There was an attempt to reform the church 42:56 and reform it in light of what the Bibletaught. 42:59 This is where the reformation comes in. 43:01 Now don't forget what our subject is, 43:03 because this is all relevant. 43:05 And one reformer after another, 43:07 we think primarily Martin Luther there in Germany 43:10 and he certainly was 43:11 in the forefront of the reformation, 43:12 but he certainly was the only one. 43:15 Mark Luther in Germany, in Scotland we had John Knox 43:19 and we can go through quite of list. 43:21 And I will take you to a little bit of list. 43:23 In England there was John and Charles Wesley. 43:26 And in France and in Switzerland, John Calvin 43:30 and from these movements, from these attempts 43:33 that we formed a church 43:34 and the church would not be reformed. 43:37 Eventually developed what we called 43:40 the mainline protestant churches. 43:44 From Martin Luther, we have the Lutherans. 43:48 And they began to cluster around these leading individuals, 43:53 these instruments of reformation. 43:56 And in the end time they began to collapse 43:58 and in the end my friend, it met a fragmentation 44:02 began to take place in the church. 44:05 This was never God's intension, but it happened. 44:08 Now fragmentation of the church developed all of this. 44:11 And the followers of these different individuals 44:15 as churches were formed came to the point where they were, 44:19 you know, the cluster around certain points and truths 44:22 and then it began to solidify 44:24 but they were not willing to advance any further. 44:28 And they left the church again 44:30 in the state of divisiveness and confusion. 44:33 Notice this from the History of the Puritans 44:35 Volume 1 page 269. 44:38 It's an observation what happened 44:39 to the reformation churches. 44:41 It says, "I cannot sufficiently bewail 44:44 the condition of the reformed churches 44:46 who will go at present no farther 44:48 than the instruments of their reformation. 44:51 The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw 44:54 the Calvinists, you see, 44:55 stick fast where they were left by that great man of God, 44:58 who saw yet not all things. 45:01 Though they were burning and shining lights in their time, 45:04 yet they penetrated not into the whole council of God, 45:08 but were they now living would be as willing to embrace 45:11 further light as that which they first received." 45:15 And my friend they came to the point 45:16 where they weren't willing to move forward 45:19 in the process of reformation. 45:21 They began to say things like, 45:22 "Well, Martin Luther didn't teach that, 45:24 we're not gonna accept it. 45:26 John Calvin didn't teach it that way." 45:29 And my friend, that really if you think about it 45:32 is the state of the church today, the churches today. 45:36 I'm an Adventist. 45:38 You know, I'm not willing. 45:39 I'm a Methodist or I'm a Baptist or I'm a Pentecostal. 45:45 And it impedes the willingness 45:48 to progress in matters of faith. 45:51 The churches have become an obstacle and you know that. 45:56 The churches had actually become an obstacle. 45:59 That's not what my church teaches, 46:03 that's the problem with the denominationalism. 46:07 I just say, even though I know 46:09 Gods people scattered throughout the various denominations, 46:11 I do not at heart believe in denominationalism. 46:16 I do not believe in the fragmentation 46:18 of the Christian church. 46:21 I don't believe in it, I don't accept it, 46:23 because the Bible says God is not the author of confusion 46:27 1Corinthians 14, "He is not the author of confusion." 46:30 But that's exactly what we're finding in the Christian world. 46:33 We're not all speak in the same language. 46:35 We're not all speak in the same tongue. 46:38 So what has happened? 46:40 Let me take you to Malachi 4:5, the Old Testament page 678. 46:46 So we find the church fragmented as a result. 46:50 And my friend the purpose of the reformation 46:52 has not reached its conclusion. 46:56 This is my last prophecy, I'm gonna share with you tonight. 46:59 And in it we find an answer to the problem. 47:02 In Malachi 4:5, it says, "Behold." 47:05 God is speaking, "Behold, 47:06 I am going to send you Elijah the prophet 47:09 before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord." 47:12 That is a reference to the coming 47:14 of our Lord Jesus Christ. 47:15 "I'm gonna send you the prophet Elijah." 47:20 Literally or symbolic? 47:21 That's the question, one of the questions 47:23 that we want to settle. 47:24 And it's interesting that the Jews of Jesus day 47:27 were certainly acquainted with this prophecy 47:29 and it came up in a discussion 47:32 that the disciples have with Jesus. 47:34 And would you like to know how Jesus handles this matter 47:36 of this prophecy and what it meant? 47:39 Well, whether you wanted or not, you're gonna get it. 47:41 And it's Mathew 17:10. 47:44 And you'll discover as Jesus addresses this issue 47:47 He makes it dual application of this prophecy. 47:51 You see, He'll make a future, 47:54 a future application of the prophecy 47:56 and then He makes a past application. 47:58 Here it is, "And His disciples asked Him saying, 48:00 'Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?' 48:04 And He answered and said, 'Elijah is coming.'" 48:08 Future tense. And what will he do? 48:12 "And will restore all things." 48:16 Remember, the age-old foundations 48:19 would be restored of truth. 48:21 "He will restore all things." 48:23 Then He goes on to say, 48:24 "But I say to you, that Elijah already came." 48:27 That's past tense. 48:29 "And they did not recognize him, 48:30 but did to him whatever they wished. 48:32 So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 48:36 And so what He was talking about? 48:38 Well, the disciples picked up on this as we see. 48:41 It says, "Then the disciples understood 48:43 that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist." 48:46 It was not talking in literal terms 48:49 that somehow Elijah will return 48:51 to this earth to pick up His ministry, no. 48:55 It's talking that it work 48:57 similar to that which the prophet Elijah did 48:59 among his people would take place 49:01 and John the Baptist was a partial fulfillment of this. 49:04 John the Baptist, remember the setting, 49:07 again what was the condition of God's people. 49:11 They were in a state of apostasy. 49:14 They ended up involved in this conspiracy 49:17 to eliminate the Messiah. 49:21 A perceived, a perceive threat 49:24 to their position and to their authority. 49:27 And so who is John the Baptist ministry to? 49:32 He wasn't sent to ungodly to the, 49:34 you know, to the heathen. 49:36 He was sent to the people of God. 49:37 And what was his message to the people of God in a word? 49:41 The message was one of repent and be baptized, right? 49:46 Okay, that's clear. 49:47 Now we'll see how this applies in the end time. 49:50 In Luke 1:17, it says, "And it is he" speaking of Elijah 49:54 "who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit 49:58 and the power of Elijah, 50:01 to turn the hearts of the fathers 50:02 back to the children, and the disobedient 50:05 to the attitude of the righteous, 50:06 so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 50:11 So one of the functions of John the Baptist in the spirit 50:15 and the power of Elijah was to prepare a people 50:18 for the coming of Jesus. 50:20 And when Jesus talked about a future application 50:23 in which all things will be restored. 50:27 My friend, we see a parallel 50:30 that it will come to prepare a people 50:32 for the coming of our Lord, 50:35 His second coming is what we're talking about. 50:38 Now let's pick up a little bit more of what was going on 50:40 with the prophet Elijah back in 1 Kings 18. 50:42 I just have two or three more texts. 50:45 So let's take a look at them. 50:46 1 Kings 18, this will make it relevant 50:50 to some of the issues we've been looking at. 50:54 1 Kings 18, after three and half years of drought, 50:59 there's a meeting between Elijah and Ahab 51:03 out there in the wilderness. 51:04 Ahab's looking for water. 51:05 They're so desperate for water. 51:07 And notice this change that takes place between them. 51:09 It says, "When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, 51:12 'Is this you, you troubler of Israel?' 51:16 And he said, 'I have not troubled Israel, 51:18 but you and your father's house have, 51:20 because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord 51:23 and you have followed the Baals." 51:26 They have forsaken the commandments of God 51:28 to follow Baal, the sun god. 51:33 And Guess what Baal, the sun god had a day 51:37 that was consecrated to his service and that day was Sunday. 51:44 They have forsaken the commandments 51:47 to worship Baal the sun god. 51:52 And what has happened? 51:53 What is the condition of the church today? 51:55 The teachings of antinomians 51:57 the commandments have been done away with. 52:00 The Sabbath has been done away with 52:03 and the church has come down well, 52:05 through the centuries by tradition 52:08 has embraced the day of the sun. 52:14 I know, that's pretty straight out there, isn't it? 52:18 You all see the Elijah message in Revelation 18, 52:20 the New Testament page 198. 52:23 Let's take a look at it as we wind up our study tonight. 52:27 Revelation 18, and here it is. 52:30 In the Book of Revelation, the Elijah message, 52:34 where it says, verse 1, "After these things 52:36 I saw another angel coming down from heaven, 52:39 having great authority, 52:41 and the earth was illumined with his glory. 52:46 Verse 2, "And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, 52:48 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!'" 52:52 Babylon comes. 52:54 That word-- that term comes from the word Babel. 52:57 It was at the Tower of Babel 52:58 that God confuse their languages, right? 53:01 And that's come into the English language, 53:04 Babel of sound. It's a confusion of sound. 53:07 And Babylon in the Bible represents the confusion 53:13 that envelopes the Christian church. 53:16 It represents the confusion that is there. 53:19 Let me show you in verse 4, it makes us so very clear. 53:21 Verse 4, "And I heard another voice from heaven, 53:24 saying, 'Come out of her,'" that is out of Babylon, 53:27 "'come out of her my people, 53:30 so that you may not participate in her sins 53:32 and receive of her plagues.'" 53:35 Come out of what? Confusion. 53:39 It's one of God's last messages to the world. 53:42 Come out of confusion. 53:44 And my friend, that ought to settle it 53:46 for where are the people of God up to this point. 53:51 They're scattered through the various divisions 53:55 and the confusion that represents 53:57 the Christian church today. 53:59 But just before the coming of Jesus, 54:01 there is a message that goes out to all of His people, 54:04 "Come out of her." 54:07 Come out of Babylon. Come out of confusion. 54:10 I was hold in the series years ago in McMinnville, Oregon 54:13 down the road, up the road. 54:15 Not knowing that I had a pastor and his wife 54:20 and two couples from the church 54:21 that we're attending, night after night after night. 54:23 I didn't know this until probably month into this series. 54:27 They always sat down here. 54:29 I know they tend to raise their hands 54:31 as they were singing the songs. 54:33 And I found out that David Hayes 54:36 and his wife Cathy was attending. 54:38 And he was a-- he was a Pentecostal pastor. 54:44 And having come, night after night 54:47 they were coming all the way from Salem into McMinnville. 54:50 He had a church in McMinnville. 54:53 And another student of the scriptures 54:57 and he was convicted. 55:00 And let me tell you, his decision cost him something, 55:04 because he made a decision that he was going to become 55:07 a Sabbath keeping Christian. 55:10 And that cost him his position 55:11 as a pastor in the Pentecostal Church. 55:14 He lost his church. 55:15 And he shared with me when he sat down with his supervisor 55:19 to explain to him his decision 55:22 that he fell compelled to follow the path of truth. 55:27 And his supervisor knowing him said, 55:29 "I'm not gonna argue with you, David." 55:32 He knew him to be an honest man, 55:34 but he lost his credentials to preach. 55:37 He lost his church. 55:40 How valuable? 55:41 How valuable this truth to us? 55:44 What's more important the church to us, the fellowship? 55:48 And fellowship's important, the social connections 55:52 or is our commitment to Jesus 55:55 and our commitment to the truth more important? 55:58 And as you can see on the picture here, 55:59 David and his wife chosen to be re-baptized 56:03 and they're now members of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 56:07 Does it take a lot of commitment? 56:09 It does. 56:11 That does not come easily. 56:15 And the one does not do that lightly. 56:18 And some of us we face with similar decisions. 56:23 My friend, the church must not be a hindrance 56:27 from our following the pathway of truth. 56:32 It must not be allowed to do that. 56:36 We must feel free in our love 56:37 for Jesus to follow all the truth. 56:40 And if you know you're not gonna be free in your church 56:43 to believe and shares some of the things 56:45 you've been hearing here from the word of God 56:49 then my friend, you know you'll be put in the position 56:54 of having to make a tough decision. 56:57 But I want to tell you God will bless you in it. 57:00 He will. |
Revised 2014-12-17