Participants: Jac Colon
Series Code: RNN
Program Code: RNN000008
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00:19 We were there in meeting in Washington DC
00:21 and on a day off, I just had to go down 00:24 to see the wall. 00:29 Big stark stone wall 00:36 with thousands and thousands of names 00:38 of men and women who lost their lives 00:42 fighting for freedom, 00:45 things that we hold so dear. 00:49 And I walked down that wall looking at those names 00:52 until finally I saw it. 00:59 Thomas T. Norman, 01:05 my best friend 01:09 and I reached out and just touched the letters 01:15 and instantly I was flooded 01:18 with memories of the time that we spent together. 01:25 Hours of target study, simulator practice 01:29 and then out on the football field, 01:31 Tommy was the quarterback 01:33 and he could throw the tightest spiral 01:35 that just settled into your hands 01:37 like catching an eggshell. 01:41 And then when he met Jeanette 01:44 and they were married and little Tarah came along. 01:47 All of these good memories just rushed over me. 01:54 You see that's what a monument is supposed to do. 01:59 It's supposed to take us back in to the experience 02:03 that it commemorates. 02:07 That's what a monument is for. 02:12 Now God knew from the very beginning 02:16 that Satan would attack His authority 02:19 as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 02:23 God knew that this would be the platform, 02:26 the stage for his final warfare against God's people. 02:33 And as we learned in the mid 1800s, 02:35 Charles Darwin published his book 02:38 "The Origin of Species" 02:41 popularizing the theory of evolution 02:44 and the church joined hands with modern science 02:47 infiltrating the ranks of God's people 02:50 with a new philosophy that would in fact undermined 02:53 God's authority as the Creator. 02:56 God knew that this would happen. 02:59 And that's why at the very beginning, 03:02 He created a monument, 03:04 a memorial to remind man for ever that He is the Creator. 03:11 Now God knew that if He made His monument 03:14 and carved it out of stone or wood, 03:17 that man would either destroy it 03:19 or decorate it with gold and silver 03:22 and worship the monument 03:24 instead of the God of the monument. 03:27 And so He didn't do that. God did something else. 03:33 He made His monument out of something 03:36 that would forever be out of the reach 03:39 of mankind and the devil. 03:42 Instead of carving it out of stone, 03:45 He carved His monument out of time. 03:50 That's why the Bible tells us in Genesis 2:2. 03:54 "By the seventh day God had finished the work 03:59 He had been doing, 04:00 so on the seventh day He rested from His work. 04:06 And God blessed the seventh day 04:09 and He made it holy because on it He rested 04:15 from all the work of creating that He had done." 04:18 So God intentionally worked six days 04:22 and then rested on the seventh day. 04:25 And when your Bible says that God rested 04:29 that's the Hebrew word Shabbat, 04:31 He Sabbath on the seventh day. 04:34 So God created the Sabbath 04:37 carving it out of time as an eternal reminder 04:42 that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 04:46 In the Book of Revelation picking up on that very theme, 04:50 in Revelation 14, God knowing 04:53 what would happen in the last days, 04:56 created a special package of messages 04:59 to delivered by three angels and in Chapter 14:6, 05:04 "I saw another angel flying in the midair, 05:06 and he had the eternal gospel 05:08 to proclaim to those who live on the earth, 05:10 to every nation, tribe, language and people." 05:13 Every living being on this earth 05:16 is going to have the opportunity to hear this package 05:20 God's last message. Listen to what it says. 05:23 "He said in a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, 05:27 because the hour of his judgment has come.' 05:29 This is an intense time, a time of God's judgment, 05:33 it's the end time. 05:35 'Worship him who made the heavens, 05:38 the earth, the sea and all that is in them.'" 05:43 God's last call is for His people to worship Him 05:49 as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 05:55 And we learned in Revelation 13 at this very time, 05:58 practically the whole world will worship the beast, 06:01 the beast is the creature, God is the Creator. 06:05 The world will be divided 06:07 between those who worship the creature 06:09 and those who worship the Creator 06:11 of the heavens and the earth. 06:15 That's why we need to take the time 06:17 to understand the issues. 06:21 And when God said in His message, 06:24 "Worship him who made the heavens, 06:26 the earth, the sea and the springs of water." 06:28 He's taking us all the way back to the Old Testament, 06:32 Exodus 20 when He gave His Ten Commandments 06:37 to His people 06:39 and embedded in the heart of the law 06:42 is the message from God with all of the authority 06:46 of the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 06:48 After all who has the right to establish the law 06:52 other than the Creator who made us? 06:58 And so when the dragon tries to give his authority to the beast 07:03 is just a mockery, it's just a sham 07:05 because all authority is established 07:08 by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 07:12 And so in Exodus 20, 07:14 he said in verse 8 to His people, 07:16 "Remember the Sabbath day." 07:19 These were people that had been slaves in Egypt 07:22 and He delivered them out of Egypt 07:24 and now they are free. They are a redeemed people. 07:29 And to a redeemed people, He says, 07:32 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 07:35 Six days you'll labor and do all of your work 07:38 but the seventh day is the Sabbath 07:40 to the Lord your God." On it you'll not work, why? 07:43 Because, verse 11, "In six days the Lord 07:48 made the heavens, the earth, the sea, 07:51 and all that is in them, 07:52 but he rested on the seventh day. 07:55 Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day 07:59 and He made it holy." 08:03 So God is saying to those who want to live 08:06 within that circle that He created. 08:10 Here's how I made you, 08:11 here are the principles for peace and joy and happiness 08:15 and one of those principles is to work six days 08:20 and to rest with Him on the seventh day. 08:23 You see God created man in His image. 08:29 And there was something in the heart of God 08:33 that caused Him to work six days 08:37 and then blessed the seventh day 08:39 and rest on that day. 08:41 I don't know why He did that 08:43 but the fact that He did 08:45 proves that there was something in His heart 08:48 that made Him want to do it. 08:50 He finished, He rested on the seventh day 08:54 and then He made man in His image. 08:59 And says, I want you to be like me. 09:02 You work six days 09:06 and rest on the seventh day. 09:12 Something in the heart of man. 09:14 Now why did God rest? 09:19 Did God worked so hard six days 09:22 creating the heavens and the earth and then after, 09:25 man, I'm pooped, I need a siesta, 09:30 is that what it was for? No. 09:34 Well, why did God rest? 09:37 John Paul II captured the essence of God's rest 09:41 in a paper that he published years ago. 09:44 Dies Domini, apostolic letter of the Holy Father 09:47 John Paul II to the bishops clergy in faith 09:49 for the Catholic Church on keeping the Lord's Day holy. 09:53 Listen to what he said, 09:55 he said, "The divine rest of the seventh day speaks, 09:59 as it were, of God's lingering 10:02 before the 'very good' work which his hand had wrought, 10:08 in order to cast upon it a gaze full of joyous delight. 10:14 This is a 'contemplative' gaze 10:16 which does not look to new accomplishments 10:19 but enjoys the beauty of what he had just achieved." 10:24 Don't you like that? 10:26 God worked six days and He rested. 10:28 You know, my wife, she has so much talent, 10:31 she can do all kinds of things and she paints pictures too. 10:35 You know, she-- I don't know 10:36 if you've ever seen an artist paint. 10:38 Dina is up there painting and painting 10:41 and I'm looking at the picture, looks done now, right? 10:44 No, not done yet. Oh, why not? 10:46 Watch, and she gets the brush 10:48 and puts a little paint on there and go, blip, did you see that? 10:52 No, I don't see. Well, it's not ready yet. 10:55 Blip, there's another one. 10:58 I can't tell the difference. 11:03 But soon, she puts down the brush, 11:09 steps back 11:12 and rests in the picture 11:16 she had just painted. 11:19 That's what God did, He created everything. 11:24 The crowning act of creation was a man and a woman 11:29 and when He had finished that, 11:33 He put down the brush, 11:36 step back and rested in what He had done. 11:43 What a picture of God? 11:46 John Paul II captured that beautifully. 11:50 Interestingly, he goes on to say, 11:54 "God blessed the seventh day and He made it holy." 11:58 Genesis 2:3 and that's correct. 12:01 It's exactly what we just read from the Bible. 12:04 But curiously, in the next paragraph, 12:09 "Sunday then is the day of rest 12:12 because it is the day blessed by God 12:16 and made holy by Him. 12:18 And set apart from the other days 12:21 to be among them the Lord's Day." 12:25 Now how can he say God blessed the seventh day 12:29 and made it holy, 12:30 therefore Sunday is the day that God blessed 12:34 because when I look at my handy little calendar on my desk, 12:37 it says the seventh day is Saturday not Sunday 12:41 and when I open my encyclopedia, 12:43 it's sitting right here for me, this is the yes volume 12:46 and I open it up to the word Sabbath 12:49 and even the world book encyclopedia says 12:51 Sabbath comes on Saturday, the seventh day of the week 12:55 but today Christians observe the Sabbath on Sunday 13:00 because that's the day they believe 13:01 Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. 13:04 But the seventh day, it says is the Sabbath. 13:07 So how can John Paul II say that 13:11 God blessed the seventh day 13:13 and then therefore Sunday is the day that He made holy? 13:18 Well, maybe he thinks Sunday is the seventh day. 13:22 Well, how could he say that? 13:28 God rested, He created the man 13:33 and the woman and He rested. 13:40 Sometimes people tell me, oh, well, if that's so good, 13:44 I want to do every day, 13:47 I want to keep holy every day, I want to rest every day, 13:50 you can't do that for two reasons. 13:52 One, God said I worked six days 13:56 and I rested on the seventh day 13:58 and I want you to work six days 14:00 and rest on the seventh day, 14:02 working six days is just as much a part 14:04 of entering into the Sabbath rest 14:06 as resting on the seventh day, no lazy Christians, sorry. 14:12 You can't keep every day, 14:15 can't rest in God every day like you can on the seventh day 14:19 because that's the day God rested. 14:21 And secondly, He did not bless any other day. 14:25 The Bible tells us God blessed the Sabbath day 14:28 and He made it holy. 14:31 Genesis 2, "God blessed the seventh day 14:34 and He made it holy." 14:36 He did not bless the first, second, 14:38 third, fourth, fifth, sixth day, 14:39 He blessed the seventh day. And He made that day holy. 14:44 So we can't keep any day holy, 14:48 we have to keep the day God made us holy. 14:53 Now follow me, some people try to say, 14:56 well, I start my work on Monday 15:00 so my seventh day is Sunday, 15:02 that's why John Paul II said that, no. 15:06 it's not your seventh day that He blessed, 15:11 it's God's seventh day that He blessed. 15:16 It's not your rest that's holy, it's His rest that's holy. 15:24 God rested on the seventh day. 15:27 In fact, He created Adam and Eve on the sixth day 15:33 and the very first full day that Adam and Eve 15:36 had on this earth was the seventh day 15:39 when God was rested. 15:40 So on their first day, 15:43 they entered into God's seventh day rest. 15:47 It's not their rest day and haven't worked yet, 15:49 it's God's rest that He wants us to enter into, 15:55 on His day not ours. 15:58 Hebrews, okay, Hebrews makes that clear 16:00 in the fourth Chapter. 16:02 Go back to the old-- 16:03 the New Testament, now Hebrews 4:3 says 16:08 we who have believed can enter that rest, 16:11 the rest that the Old Testament saints never did enter into 16:15 because in verse 3, 16:17 he says God's work has been finished 16:19 since the creation of the world. 16:21 Verse 4, to someway he had spoken 16:23 about the seventh day which day, 16:25 the seventh day in these words on the seventh day, 16:29 God rested from all of His work. 16:33 Therefore, verse 6, it still remains 16:35 that some will enter into that rest, what rest? 16:38 His rest, God's rest. 16:42 Verse 9, "There remains therefore 16:45 a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 16:50 Because anyone who enters into God's rest 16:57 rests from his own work just like God did from His." 17:03 So how did God rest from His work? 17:06 Because that's what we want to do to enter into His rest. 17:11 We work six days 17:15 and rest on the day that He blessed, 17:19 made holy, set apart and rested. 17:26 God is not gonna withhold the blessing from you 17:30 just because you happen to be born 17:31 in the New Testament times. 17:34 Good news for us today. God's reminder. 17:41 Well, then which day is the Sabbath day? 17:49 I just read from the encyclopedia, 17:52 says the seventh day is the Sabbath day. 17:57 Well, which day is that? 17:59 I just read it from the encyclopedia, 18:02 it said Saturday. 18:04 So how come John Paul II said Sunday. 18:07 Well, we're gonna come to that, just hold on, 18:10 that's on page 12, I'm still on page 2. 18:16 Which day? How do we know the seventh day is Saturday? 18:21 Well, you could look at the encyclopedia, 18:23 but I don't know about you, 18:24 but that's not good enough for me. 18:27 I rather get it from God's word, wouldn't you? 18:31 So let's take a look, what does the Bible tell us 18:34 about which day the God blessed and made holy. 18:38 The New Testament makes it clear for us. 18:41 Look at Luke, the Gospel of Luke 23, 18:44 this one is fun, Luke 23. 18:50 Jesus had just died and in verse 53, 18:53 they took His body down from the cross 18:56 and they wrapped it in linen cloth, 18:58 placed it in a tomb. 19:01 Verse 54, when did Jesus die? 19:04 Verse 54, it was the preparation day, 19:09 so when did he die? He died on the preparation day. 19:14 And the Sabbath was about to begin. 19:16 So when is the preparation day? 19:18 It's the day before the Sabbath, 19:21 that's when Jesus died. 19:23 The preparation day, the Sabbath was about to begin, 19:26 so what did they do? 19:27 They went home, they prepared 19:28 spices and perfumes 19:30 but they rested on the Sabbath 19:32 in obedience to the commandment. 19:34 So when did he die? 19:35 On the preparation day, what was the next day? 19:37 The Sabbath. What did they do? 19:39 They rested on the Sabbath. 19:44 And then Chapter 24:1, 19:48 "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, 19:52 the women took the spices 19:53 they had prepared and went to the tomb. 19:54 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 19:56 when they entered, they did not find 19:58 the body of the Lord Jesus." Why not? 20:01 Because He had risen, He had risen. 20:04 When was this? 20:05 When they went to the tomb early in the morning, 20:08 first day of the week. 20:11 So now we have the days of the week 20:12 lined up from the Bible. 20:14 When did He die? The preparation day. 20:17 What was the next day? The Sabbath. 20:19 And then the next day, when He was raised up, 20:23 what does it say? The first day of the week. 20:27 Now follow me, 20:29 practically, the whole Christian world 20:31 like John Paul II said, 20:33 practically, the whole Christian world observes Sunday 20:37 in honor of the resurrection of Jesus. 20:40 Am I right or not? 20:43 Are we fighting over which day is the resurrection day? 20:46 Nobody is, maybe a few people, 20:48 nobody is fighting over that. 20:51 Practically, the whole world observes Sunday, 20:54 Christian world in honor of the resurrection of Jesus 20:57 but the Bible says it was on the first day of the week. 21:01 So the resurrection day is the first day of the week, 21:04 then and the first day of the week is Sunday 21:09 and it doesn't take much of a computer 21:12 to figure out that the day before Sunday, 21:14 it must be the seventh day of the week and that's Saturday. 21:18 And you know that the Jews still observe Saturday today. 21:24 They still do. They know when it is. 21:31 Sunday the resurrection is the first day, 21:35 seventh day, Saturday. 21:37 That's the day that God blessed and made holy. 21:44 God didn't create the Sabbath and then say, 21:50 well, I got a holy day here what am I gonna do? 21:53 I know what I'll do I will make a man to keep it. 21:57 He didn't do that. 22:00 He made the man on the sixth day 22:03 and then He created the Sabbath it says, 22:06 I got a man here and a woman, what am I gonna do? 22:10 I know what I'll do, 22:13 I'll rest with them and He created the Sabbath. 22:19 And gave it to us as an eternal reminder 22:24 that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 22:29 Oh, what a God? 22:30 No wonder the devil hates the Sabbath so much 22:34 because it commemorates the thing that he can't do. 22:40 He can't create and he hates it. 22:46 By the way when the Bible says 22:50 they went to the tomb on the first day of the week, 22:54 Greek lesson here, 22:56 the Greek word mia ton sabbaton 22:59 is translated first day of the week 23:01 but the actual meaning of mia ton sabbaton is 23:06 first day after the Sabbath. 23:09 So the first day after the Sabbath 23:12 can't be the Sabbath. 23:18 Because it's the first day after the Sabbath. 23:23 What kind of an example did Jesus give for us in Luke 4:16, 23:28 "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, 23:30 and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, 23:32 as was his custom." So what did Jesus do? 23:37 He observed the Sabbath. You'd say, well, He was a Jew. 23:41 Yes, He was, 23:43 but He was also the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 23:46 He was also a man 23:48 and He's also our example, isn't He? 23:52 And by the way who is the true Israel of God today? 23:57 Those who believe in Jesus Christ, 24:00 it doesn't matter if you're Jew and Gentile 24:03 that day that special appointment, 24:06 that's a divine appointment, 24:07 it comes on the seventh day of the week. 24:10 Time to meet with God, celebrate who He is, 24:15 forget about all the problems of the world. 24:17 Wow, He must have been looking ahead of our time 24:20 and saw how badly we would need it. 24:25 So Jesus went every Sabbath, 24:29 God would ask me, Colon, why did you insist 24:32 on observing the seventh day 24:34 instead of the first like everybody else? 24:36 And I said because Jesus did, 24:40 I think that's a pretty good answer. 24:43 I think God will accept that. 24:46 Just follow the Lamb, amen. 24:49 May not be, He may go places we don't want to go 24:54 but follow Him and you'll always be blessed. 24:59 Well, what did He teach about it anyway? 25:04 In Matthew 12 He said, when He went to a synagogue, 25:08 he saw man there with the shriveled hand, 25:10 verse 9 looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. 25:12 The Jews asked Him, 25:13 "Is it lawful to heal on a Sabbath?" 25:16 Oh, they wanted to trap Him. 25:18 And He said to them verse 11, 25:20 "If any of you have a sheep and he falls into a pit. 25:23 Aren't you gonna take him out on the Sabbath day?" 25:28 Then how much more valuable is a man than the sheep, 25:31 therefore it's lawful to do good on the Sabbath. 25:35 You see if sheep was money 25:37 and one of the sheep fell in the pit, 25:38 they're gonna take him out because that's valuable to them. 25:41 But Jesus is saying you don't understand 25:43 a man is a lot more valuable than a sheep. 25:47 So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. 25:49 He wasn't saying, well, you don't have 25:51 to keep Sabbath anymore, New Testament's coming up. 25:56 No, He taught them how to observe 26:00 and enjoy a Sabbath blessing. 26:05 They had attached so many traditions to the Sabbath 26:08 that Jesus had to strip away their traditions 26:11 and show them the true beauty of the Sabbath. 26:13 Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man, 26:16 it was made for mankind. It was made for you, 26:20 you were not made to observe the Sabbath. 26:22 It was made for you to rest with Me from your work, 26:27 like I rested from Mine. 26:30 What better way to rest than to do good for other people. 26:35 He was showing them how to observe the Sabbath. 26:37 Well, they were not happy campers. 26:40 In fact the Bible says in verse 14, 26:43 they went out and plotted how they might destroy Jesus. 26:46 People get angry when you start tampering 26:50 with traditions that they have attached 26:53 to the Sabbath. 26:56 The Pharisees did it, 26:57 they've done it through the ages. 27:00 They got angry when we tamper with man's traditions 27:03 that he attaches to the Sabbath. 27:05 Why did they get so angry? 27:07 What was it that made them so angry? 27:09 Romans 8:7, "The sinful mind is hostile to God. 27:14 It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 27:19 You, however, are not controlled 27:21 by the sinful nature but by the Spirit." 27:24 You see the reason they got angry is 27:26 because they were controlled by this sinful nature. 27:29 The sinful nature rebels against the things of God. 27:32 It rebels against the law of God. 27:35 It rebels against the good things 27:37 that God made for us to enjoy 27:39 within that circle that He made for us. 27:41 It rebels against that. 27:43 And whenever I find myself rebelling 27:45 against something that I discover God made for me, 27:49 I know that's my sinful nature 27:51 trying to stick up its ugly head. 27:53 And I got to smash it back down again and say, 27:55 "God, let me be led by the spirit 27:58 and not by my sinful nature." 28:05 What did Jesus command about the Sabbath? 28:11 This is one, Matthew 24, this is so powerful. 28:16 Here's the verse that convinced me 28:18 that God still had a Sabbath blessing for us, 28:21 even in the New Testament times. 28:24 You want to see it? I will show you anyway. 28:28 Matthew 24, disciples were looking at the temple 28:32 and they said, "Oh, look how beautiful the building." 28:34 They're always caught up in things, 28:36 oh, beautiful building. 28:39 And Jesus said, "I tell you the time is coming 28:41 and there will not be one stone left standing on another here." 28:45 "When is that gonna be, give us a sign" they asked Him. 28:48 So Jesus gave them some signs 28:50 as to when the end of the world would be 28:53 and when the temple would be destroyed. 28:56 And listen to what He said, "When you see these signs, 29:00 I want you to flee." 29:02 Flee the city, flee for your lives. 29:05 And when you do, verse 20, 29:09 "Pray that your flight will not have to take place 29:12 in the winter or on the Sabbath." 29:18 When you see these signs, 29:20 Jerusalem is about to be destroyed, 29:21 you better get out of there. 29:23 But I want you to pray that 29:24 it won't have to be on the Sabbath. 29:27 Now Jerusalem was destroyed, 29:30 Roman General Titus destroyed that city, 29:32 there wasn't a stone left on another. 29:34 It's like Jesus said and it was in the year 70 AD. 29:41 Now Jesus died on the cross in 31 AD. 29:45 So here He is before 31 AD looking ahead 29:48 to 70 AD about 40 years into the future after the cross 29:54 and He is saying on that day when you have to flee, 29:56 pray you won't have to flee on the Sabbath. 29:58 So Jesus, this is what nailed it for me, 30:01 Jesus expected New Testament Christian 30:04 to still be enjoying a Sabbath rest 30:07 40 years after He died on the cross. 30:11 That proves to me it was not done away 30:13 with that at the cross. 30:14 No way, He still 30:16 or maybe Jesus didn't know... know. 30:19 Jesus knew, didn't He? 30:22 He made the Sabbath, 30:24 He knew 40 years after the cross. 30:30 In fact what we're talking about 30:32 the command is a neat thought 30:36 and it's in two verses, 30:37 and I don't know if it's a coincidence or what 30:39 because I know the Bible didn't have verse numbers 30:41 when it was written originally. 30:44 But in these two verses, Acts 4:12 and James 4:12. 30:50 In Acts 4:12, "There's no other name under heaven 30:54 whereby you can be saved." 30:56 What name is that? That's Jesus, isn't it? 30:59 No other name except Jesus whereby you can be saved. 31:02 Acts 4:12 and James 4:12, 31:06 in James 4:12 the Bible says, 31:08 "There is one judge, there is one law giver 31:10 and that is He who is able to save." 31:14 Now if there's only one name under heaven 31:16 whereby we can be saved 31:18 and if there's only one judge and one law giver 31:20 and that's the one who is able to save, 31:23 then the law giver has to be the one who is able to save. 31:28 And if the one who is able to save is Jesus Christ, 31:33 then the law giver has to be Jesus Christ. 31:37 Who was it that reach down 31:40 from the cloud on top of Mount Sinai 31:42 and took those tables of stone out of the hands of Moses 31:45 and wrote on the tables of stone with His own finger. 31:49 Remember the Sabbath of the Lord your God, 31:53 it was the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 31:56 Before He became a man, no wonder Jesus said, 32:00 "The son of man is Lord of the Sabbath." 32:06 Remember the Sabbath of the Lord, your God. Wow. 32:12 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath because He made it. 32:17 It was the Son of God who made all things we learn. 32:21 It was Jesus before He became a man. 32:24 Jesus who bent down formed the body 32:27 from the dust of the ground, 32:28 breath into at the breath of the life 32:30 wants to become a living being. 32:32 It was Jesus who created man, 32:34 it was Jesus who said with His tables of stone, 32:37 "Look, here is how I made you. 32:40 Here is the circle, stay inside the circle 32:43 and you will have peace and joy and happiness. 32:46 Step outside of the circle 32:47 and you will suffer and be hurt." 32:50 It was Jesus, the Son of God. 32:56 And He wrapped the Sabbath into one big package 32:59 and says, "Here this is for you, 33:01 I made it for you." 33:04 Sabbath was made for man. 33:09 I'll tell you another something special about the Sabbath. 33:12 We just learned Jesus died on the preparation day, 33:15 that's the day before the Sabbath. 33:18 And then He rested on the Sabbath day. 33:23 And then He rose up again on the first day. 33:27 Do you think it was a coincidence 33:29 that Jesus finished His work for you 33:33 and me on the preparation day 33:36 and rested on the Sabbath? 33:39 And then rose again on the first day of the week, 33:42 the Sabbath is the sign that God is the Creator 33:45 of the heavens and the earth 33:47 but it's also a sign that He is our redeemer 33:50 and re-creator in Jesus Christ. 33:54 It wasn't a coincidence. 33:57 That's why the devil hates the Sabbath. 34:05 But why does almost everybody observe 34:07 the first day instead of the seventh day? 34:12 Surely the New Testament must have changed it. 34:16 Well, let's take a look. 34:17 There are eight verses in the New Testament 34:20 that explicitly mentions the first day of the week. 34:25 Six of them we've already seen, 34:27 they're all just like the one we read in Matthew 34:29 that says early in the morning 34:31 they went to the tomb on the first day of the week 34:33 and they found the stone rolled away 34:34 and the tomb was empty. 34:36 There's no hint there that the Sabbath was changed 34:39 from the seventh day to the first day. 34:41 In fact when it says on the first day of the week, 34:44 it was on the first day after the Sabbath, 34:47 they went to the tomb, so it couldn't be 34:49 changing the Sabbath in those six verses. 34:52 But there are two others that are often used today 34:55 to try to show that the Sabbath has been changed 34:58 from the seventh day to the first. 35:00 And so I want to take a look at those 35:02 in 1 Corinthians 16 35:04 is one of them, 1 Corinthians 16:1. 35:09 Paul writes to the church at Corinth, 35:11 "He says now about the collection for God's people, 35:14 do it I told the Galatian churches to do. 35:16 On the first day of every week 35:18 each one of you should set aside some of money 35:21 in keeping with his income, 35:22 saving it up so that when I come 35:24 no collections will be have to be made." 35:25 When do they have to do this? 35:27 On the first day of the week. 35:29 And so many will point to that verse that you see 35:32 they were passing the collection plate in church 35:34 on the first day of the week. 35:35 So now they're keeping the first day 35:37 instead of the seventh. 35:39 But I would ask where does it say anything 35:43 about passing the collection plate in church. 35:48 Listen to it again, "On the first day of every week 35:52 each one of you should set aside 35:55 a some of money in keeping with his income, saving it up. 35:59 So that when I come no collections 36:00 will have to be made." 36:02 Does it say anything about passing 36:03 an offering plate in church? 36:06 In fact in the original Greek meaning of set aside, 36:09 it really means set aside by himself not in church. 36:15 And furthermore even if there was a meeting in church. 36:19 Listen, when was that meeting? 36:20 It was on the first day of the week 36:23 but in the Greek it says 36:25 on the first day after the Sabbath. 36:27 So how can the first day 36:28 after the Sabbath now be the Sabbath? 36:32 See, it never fits. 36:35 Now there's one other verse, 36:37 Acts 20, this is the fun one. 36:40 So turn there with me. Interesting story. 36:44 "On the first day of the week 36:46 we came together to break bread." 36:48 Now Paul is preaching 36:51 and they're breaking bread on the first day of the week. 36:54 Now we have a little worship service, 36:57 church service may be on the first day of the week. 37:00 But we have to ask a question. 37:05 Just because they worshipped 37:08 and preached and prayed together 37:09 and broke bread together on the first day of the week, 37:12 does that prove that the Sabbath has been changed? 37:16 Not really because when it says 37:19 on the first day of the week 37:20 if we're reading in Greek remember 37:22 on the first day after the Sabbath. 37:24 We came together to break bread. 37:27 But why would they be coming together 37:29 on the first day after the Sabbath? 37:32 Well, that's a good question. 37:35 Let's ask ourselves another question. 37:38 When was this on the first day of the week? 37:41 Watch. 37:42 "On the first day of the week 37:43 who came together to break bread." 37:45 Now breaking bread can also mean eat. 37:48 Acts 2 says they came together 37:50 and they broke bread every day. 37:56 So that doesn't mean that it's a Sabbath, 37:59 in fact they were eating. 38:01 Now watch, Paul intended to leave the next day 38:06 so he kept on speaking until midnight, 38:08 they were many lamps in the upstairs room 38:10 where they were meeting. 38:12 Paul preached until midnight 38:16 and only get to go till 8:30? 38:21 I wished I'd been born in Paul's day. 38:24 I could go till midnight but don't worry, 38:26 I won't do that to you. 38:31 You didn't have to say that, amen. 38:38 There were lights in the upstairs room 38:40 where they were meeting-- when was this meeting? 38:42 It was in the evening, wasn't it? 38:44 It was in the evening of the first day of the week. 38:48 Now we learnt that there was evening 38:51 and there was morning the first day. 38:54 So when does the day begin? 38:56 The day in Bible times, 38:58 they didn't have watches in Bible times. 39:02 God didn't say Adam, when you see Mickey's 39:04 big hand go around 24 times 39:06 and the little hand two times 39:07 and they both end up on twelve, 39:09 it's a new day there. 39:12 He didn't say that, He said, Adam, 39:16 when you see the sun go down in the evening, 39:19 the day is over and the new day is beginning. 39:23 There was evening and morning, 39:26 the dark part of the day comes first. 39:29 So if it was the evening of the first day of the week 39:32 then the seventh day was just coming to an end. 39:36 Are you following me? 39:38 The seventh day was just ending. 39:41 So as in today's terms it was Saturday, 39:45 the sunset, it was Saturday night 39:48 and the first day of the week began 39:49 because the dark part of the day comes first. 39:52 This was the Saturday night meeting. 39:54 It wasn't a Sunday morning worship service, 39:57 why were they meeting? Well, you see why. 40:00 Right here, verse 9 and a few more verses. 40:02 "Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, 40:05 who was sinking into a deep sleep 40:07 as Paul talked on and on." 40:12 That encourages me 40:13 because I sometimes see people's heads nod 40:16 and they will come apologize to me, 40:18 pastor I'm so sorry, I felt, I say don't worry, 40:21 they fell asleep when Paul preached. 40:24 So who am I to get upset. 40:28 "As he felt into deep sleep, 40:30 Paul talked on and on 40:32 and when he was sound asleep, he fell out to the ground 40:34 from the third story and was picked up dead." 40:37 And let that be a warning 40:38 to anyone who falls asleep in church. 40:48 So what happened? What happened? 40:52 In verse 10, "Paul went down, 40:55 threw himself on the young man 40:56 and put his arms around him. 40:58 And he said 'Don't be alarmed, 41:03 he's alive!' 41:07 Then he went upstairs and broke bread and he ate." 41:10 Again, see breaking bread was just eating. 41:15 "Broke bread and they ate. 41:17 And then after talking until daylight, he left." 41:20 And verse 13 says, "We went on to the ship 41:23 and sailed for Assos, 41:24 where we were going to take Paul abroad." 41:26 Paul hiked 14 miles to Assos 41:28 on Sunday morning to catch a ship. 41:32 So why were they meeting on the first day of the week 41:35 because he had been with them all day Sabbath. 41:38 He was getting ready to leave, 41:39 he wants to spend his last few precious moments with them. 41:42 So he had another meeting Saturday night 41:45 and then Sunday morning he hiked to catch a ship, 41:48 that can hardly be understood as changing the Sabbath 41:51 from the seventh day to the first day of the week. 41:54 No. 41:58 Paul didn't do it. 42:00 Did the disciples? 42:02 Did any of the disciples changed the Sabbath? 42:04 Chapter 13 of Acts, in Acts 13, 42:08 let's see if there's any evidence to that. 42:10 In Acts 13, the Bible says 42:14 that, "Paul went to Antioch and on the Sabbath day 42:17 they entered the synagogue sat down 42:19 and after reading from the law and the prophets, 42:21 synagogue readers set word to them saying, 42:22 'Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement 42:24 for the people, please speak.'" 42:26 So here's Paul on the Sabbath 42:28 going in the synagogue to worship. 42:31 Now I need to make something clear 42:32 before we go any further as we talk about the Sabbath. 42:35 I'm not saying that you can only worship on the Sabbath, 42:40 I'm not saying that it's wrong 42:42 to worship God any other day of the week. 42:45 We should worship God every day of the week. Amen. 42:50 This isn't talking about when you worship God, 42:52 you worship God every day. 42:54 Now the Bible does say 42:55 the Sabbath is the day of sacred assembly, 42:57 it's a good day to come together and worship. 43:00 But we should worship God every day 43:01 and it's never wrong 43:03 to assemble together to worship God. 43:07 Well, here we are assembled together 43:09 at Sunday night. 43:10 It's not wrong 43:13 but what we're talking about 43:14 is that God rested on the seventh day 43:17 and said, "I want you to rest with Me." 43:21 That's much broader than just going to church, folks. 43:25 But today and that's what 43:26 John Paul II was all worried about. 43:28 He said it's not a holy day anymore, it's a holy hour 43:34 or didn't even that because Sunday isn't holy at all, 43:36 the seventh day is what's holy. 43:39 And maybe that's why God condensed to a holy hour. 43:46 So Paul observed the Sabbath 43:48 and then they say, "Come back next week." 43:51 Paul and Barnabas were leaving to synagogue 43:52 the people invited them to speak 43:54 further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43:58 Well, on the next Sabbath, verse 44, 44:00 almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord, 44:02 he didn't say well, now you have to wait till next Saturday, 44:05 tomorrow morning we're gonna be meeting now. 44:08 No, he didn't say that 44:09 on the next Sabbath they assembled. 44:11 14 years after the cross 44:14 and they're observing the Sabbath still. 44:16 Well, some say that's because there was a synagogue there 44:18 and it's was kind of handy to go. 44:20 Well, we discover in chapter 16:12 44:23 that "Paul went to Philippi, 44:25 a Roman colony and leading city of the district of Macedonia." 44:30 No synagogue there so what did he do? 44:32 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate 44:34 to the river to find a place of prayer. 44:37 22 years after the cross we've already seen 44:40 three examples here of Paul 44:41 observing the Sabbath on the seventh day still. 44:45 In Thessalonica 17:2, "As his custom was, 44:49 Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days 44:52 he reasoned with them from the Scripture." 44:55 Six times already, 44:56 we see them observing the Sabbath. 44:58 Chapter 18:1, 45:00 "Paul left Athens, went to Corinth. 45:01 He met Aquila and Priscilla. 45:03 He stayed and he worked with them." 45:05 Verse 4, "Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, 45:09 trying to persuade Jews and Greeks." 45:10 Jews and Gentiles, both together 45:12 worshipping together in the synagogue. 45:14 Well, what did they do in there? 45:15 We'll come back to that. 45:16 "Every Sabbath--" how long was he there? 45:18 Verse 11 tells us Paul stayed for year and half 45:21 teaching them the word of God, 45:23 do the math, a year and a half times 45:25 52 weeks that's 78 times 45:28 that he observed the Sabbath there add the other six, 45:31 84 examples of disciples observing 45:34 the seventh day of the week 45:35 and zero examples of anybody ever observing 45:38 and making holy the first day of the week. 45:43 Jesus didn't change it, the disciples didn't change it. 45:48 Well, who did? 45:50 Well, I want to show you how it changed 45:52 but in order to do that I have to close the book 45:59 because it's not in here. 46:03 Where is it? 46:05 The history tells us, 46:07 early in the history of the church 46:08 we saw the Jews and the Gentiles 46:11 worshiping together, the church members 46:13 worshipped together. 46:16 They didn't just immediately split off the church 46:18 and the Jews, the church were Jews 46:22 that they accepted Jesus Christ. 46:25 And so they were, the only difference between the two 46:28 was some of the Jews accepted Jesus, 46:29 they were Christians, other Jews didn't accept Jesus, 46:32 they weren't Christians, 46:33 but they were still worshipping together. 46:37 But then it wasn't until 46:44 later when the Jews began to rebel against the Romans. 46:49 But the Romans came down hard on the Jews 46:52 and began to persecute them. 46:55 And when the Jews were being persecuted by the Romans, 46:58 the Christians who were worshipping there 46:59 with them got persecuted too 47:01 because in the eyes of the Romans 47:03 the Sabbath was the sign of a Jew. 47:06 And there were those Christians 47:07 worshipping together with the Jews 47:09 and they were getting persecuted 47:10 because of what the Jews did. 47:13 Now they were not happy about that. 47:16 And so they decided, hey, this isn't any fun, 47:20 we don't want to worship with those guys anymore, 47:22 we just keep getting beat up. 47:24 So let's worship on our own. 47:27 And they continue to observe the Sabbath 47:28 but they separated from the Jews. 47:31 But they continued to get beat up and persecuted 47:35 because they were observing the Sabbath 47:38 and the Sabbath in the eyes of Romans 47:39 was proof that they were still Jews. 47:42 In fact they turn so bitterly against the Jews 47:45 in the early church, this is the beginning 47:47 of the anti-Semitism that we know today. 47:50 And they turn bitterly against the Sabbath 47:53 because there was the Sabbath 47:54 that was causing the church to get persecuted. 47:57 Barnabas, 135 AD, wretched man those Jews 48:01 who were deluded by an evil angel 48:03 were abandoned by God. 48:05 They became anti-Jewish, Justin Martyr 150. 48:10 "It was by reason of yours sins 48:11 you Jews and the sins of your father, 48:13 the God impose on you the observance of the Sabbath 48:15 that there's a mark. 48:16 The purpose of this was that you 48:18 and only you might suffer the afflictions 48:20 that are now justly yours." 48:21 The Bible never says the Sabbath is a curse, 48:24 the Bible says it's a blessing. 48:26 But the church had become 48:27 so persecuted and turned so much against the Jews 48:30 that it cause them to turn against the Sabbath. 48:34 Now in Rome all of these forces were converging. 48:39 Because in Rome there weren't that many Jews. 48:42 In Rome the church was mainly converts 48:45 from the Pagan religions 48:46 where they worshipped the sun god 48:50 on the day of the sun, Sunday. 48:58 And so they decided, 49:01 they, hey, I'm tired of getting beat up 49:02 because of these Jews 49:04 and because we keep the Sabbath. 49:06 So let's keep the Sabbath at home privately 49:09 and have our worship services on Sunday. 49:13 And we can do it in honor of the resurrection 49:17 and furthermore it will make it 49:18 a lot easier for us to witness 49:20 to the rest of the pagans out there 49:23 'cause they wanted to change a day 49:24 and they won't have to become Jews 49:26 in their mind and keep the Sabbath, 49:28 it made a lot of sense to them. 49:30 It didn't make sense to the Bible 49:32 but it made sense to them. 49:35 So the church began to observe Sunday 49:37 until Constantine in the fourth century 49:39 became a nominal Christian and he passed Sunday laws 49:43 enforcing Sunday worship and forbidding Sabbath worship. 49:50 And that's how it all began 49:53 but the church finally met 49:58 at the Council of Laodicea in 364 AD. 50:03 I've been talking about this for years and years 50:05 and finally when the internet came out 50:07 I started searching around on the internet, 50:10 still couldn't find it. 50:11 But one day I found the Vatican website 50:15 and I started probing around in the archives of the Vatican 50:19 and I found it right here. 50:21 Council of Laodicea, canon 29 I printed it out, 50:25 so I could show you right here. 50:29 Christians must not judice, 50:32 be like Jews by resting on the Sabbath. 50:37 But they must work on that day 50:40 and rather honor the Lord's day, Sunday. 50:46 It was the church that officially decreed 50:50 that the commandment to keep the Sabbath 50:53 would now be observed by keeping Sunday. 50:57 It was the church, the Roman church, 51:02 the early church, the medieval church 51:06 that began to substitute the tradition of Sunday 51:11 for the observance of the Sabbath. 51:15 That's why John Paul II could say 51:18 the Lord blessed the seventh day 51:20 and made it holy therefore Sunday 51:22 is the Lord's day to keep holy. 51:26 Did he think that it was Saturday? 51:28 Did he think that Sunday was the seventh day of the week? 51:32 No, because he tells us 51:35 in catechism that he endorsed. 51:38 He said, "Sunday worship fulfills 51:41 the moral command of the Old Testament 51:44 taking up its rhythm and spirit 51:46 in the weekly celebration of the creator 51:49 and redeemer of his people." 51:51 Well, how can he say that? 51:53 What gives him the authority to say that? 51:55 Down at the bottom of the page. 51:57 The conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days 52:02 and transfer them to Sunday with their own authority. 52:07 The church has the authority to change the Sabbath 52:10 from the seventh day to the first day of the week. 52:13 That's how he can do it. 52:14 What makes him think he can do that? 52:16 The church does not derive 52:18 for certainty about all revealed truth 52:20 from the scripture alone. 52:21 No, both scripture and tradition 52:24 must be accepted and honored 52:25 with equal devotion and reverence. 52:28 John Paul II says, we did it, we change the Sabbath 52:31 from the seventh day to the first. 52:33 Rev. John O' Brien, former dean of Notre Dame, 52:37 at the university of Notre Dame says, 52:39 "The Bible does not contain 52:40 all the teachings of the Christian religion 52:42 nor does it formulate all the duties of its members. 52:45 Take for example the matter of observing Sunday. 52:48 Let me address my dear non catholic readers." 52:51 So he's talking to Protestants now, 52:53 "You believe the Bible alone 52:55 is a safe guide in religious matters. 52:57 You believe that one of the fundamental duties 52:59 enjoined on you by your Christian faith 53:00 is out of Sunday observance. 53:02 Where does the Bible speak of such an obligation? 53:05 I've read it from Genesis to Revelation, 53:07 I found no reference to the duty 53:09 of sanctifying Sunday in the Bible. 53:11 No the day mentioned in the Bible is not Sunday, 53:13 the first day of the week 53:15 but Saturday, the seventh day of the week. 53:17 It was the church, 53:19 the church which changed the observance to Sunday 53:24 in honor of the day on which Christ rose from the dead." 53:29 The church, but does the church, 53:32 does the pastor and preacher have the authority to change 53:38 one of God's commandments? 53:42 Can the church do that? 53:46 God knew that this was gonna happen, folks. 53:50 He knew it. 53:51 In case you're wondering about 53:52 what this has to do with Revelation. 53:56 The beast and the little horn are the same. 53:59 In Daniel 7:25 looking ahead 54:01 to the work of the little horn of the beast 54:03 he would think to change the set times 54:07 and the laws. 54:10 The beast would try to change God set times and laws 54:14 and now we've seen exactly how it happened. 54:18 And Rome even boast about having the authority to do it. 54:24 Well, pastor, why do all of the Protestants 54:26 still keep Sunday? 54:28 Because they stand on the scripture 54:30 and the scripture alone. Good question. 54:35 What do the Protestants think 54:37 about what we have just read? 54:41 I'm gonna read to you 54:44 from the printout to save time here, 54:46 these are all in your printouts, 54:47 so you will be able to go back and look. 54:51 Here's one Methodist scholar, Dr. Benny, 54:54 he wrote to Methodist Episcopal Theological Compendium 54:57 and you have to be able to say that 54:58 in order to graduate from the seminary. 55:01 He said it is true there is no positive command in the Bible 55:04 for keeping holy the first day of the week. 55:06 Christian church, Dr. Alexander Campbell, 55:09 founder of the Christian church wrote in the report. 55:12 "Now there is no testimony in all the oracles of heavens, 55:14 Sabbath is changed so, the Sunday came in its place." 55:17 Now, Baptists, there wasn't His commandment 55:21 to keep holy the Sabbath day 55:22 but that Sabbath was not Sunday. 55:25 It will however be readily said that 55:26 was some show of triumph that the Sabbath was changed 55:29 from the seventh day to the first day of the week. 55:31 I ask where can the record of that change we found. 55:35 Not in the New Testament, absolutely not, 55:37 there is no scriptural evidence 55:39 for the change of the Sabbath institution 55:40 from the seventh day to the first day of the week. 55:42 Of course I know how it happened. 55:44 Early in Christian history from the Christian fathers 55:47 but what a pity it comes branded 55:49 with the mark of paganism 55:50 and crimsoned by the name of the sun god 55:53 then adopted and sanctified by the papal apostasy 55:56 and bequeath as a sacred legacy 55:57 to Protestantism. 55:59 Dr. E. T. Hiscox, Baptist scholar 56:01 who wrote the Baptist manual. 56:05 They agreed with what I'm saying tonight. 56:07 No real Bible scholar will try to argue 56:10 that Saturday is not the Sabbath day, folks. 56:13 That's a fact, they won't, they know they can't. 56:18 But why did they keep Sunday? 56:20 I don't-- I can't answer that, 56:23 I just know that I want to follow the Lamb 56:27 and the word of God. 56:28 In fact I found this on the internet, 56:29 let me just share this with you, 56:31 it came from world net daily, this is about 8 years ago. 56:37 There's a pastor in Illinois who started 56:40 with $50,000 of his own money 56:42 for anyone who could produce a verse 56:43 in the Holy Bible showing that 56:44 God commands us to keep holy the first day of the week, 56:47 Sunday instead of the seventh day, Saturday. 56:50 50,000-- you want to get rich fast, 56:53 find one verse, 50,000. 56:56 Now watch this it gets better. 56:58 He will increase in $25,000 increments 57:02 every week capping it off at a million. 57:05 So you want a million dollars it's still out there. 57:09 All you need to do is find one verse 57:11 that shows from the Bible, Sabbath was changed 57:14 from the seventh day to the first day of the week. 57:16 Dr. James Orford, 57:17 professor of biblical interpretation 57:19 at Duke University, divinity school said, 57:22 "I'm afraid you're not gonna find the exact 57:23 Bible verse to counter the good pastor's challenge 57:26 and collect the reward. 57:28 As far I know there is no verse 57:30 which specifies that Sunday is a day 57:32 for Christians to observe the Sabbath. 57:36 Now the question to me is do I want to follow the Lamb 57:40 or follow man's traditions. 57:45 Follow the Lamb. |
Revised 2014-12-17