Participants: Pr. Richard Daly (Host), Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: 16LON
Program Code: 16LON000008A
|
00:10 I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
00:13 "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" 00:17 Then I said, "Here am I. Send me." 00:34 Three Angels Broadcasting Network 00:36 and the South England Conference present London 2016. 00:44 Good evening once again, everyone. 00:47 We are so pleased to know that once again as I look around, 00:51 the Church is full and not only in this Church 00:55 but we have a wonderful online audience as well 00:59 and I just want to share with you two individuals 01:02 who have written in 01:04 and expressed their appreciation 01:07 and send their greetings as well 01:09 and we have someone from Brooklyn in New York 01:13 and his name is Jeffrey Wilson and he says that, 01:16 "I've been following this series 01:18 from the very beginning. 01:20 Wonderful singing 01:21 and uplifting messages from Pastor Lomacang. 01:25 I've invited my neighbors to watch this evening." 01:30 Also we have Mary and John Swellow, 01:33 they're listening in from Edinburgh in Scotland 01:37 and they say, 01:39 "It's a joy to see the everlasting gospel 01:42 gonna the ends of the world." 01:44 So we are part of something very big here in Croydon 01:48 and it's a wonderful privilege for us to just be involved 01:52 in something which I believe God has predestined, 01:56 should happen and that we can be a wonderful part 01:59 of that experience to see souls give their lives 02:03 to Jesus Christ. 02:05 We have been hearing inspiring messages 02:08 from Pastor Lomacang' 02:10 and we certainly appreciate his ministry with us here 02:14 and tonight his message will be entitled, 02:18 'God's blessed day. 02:21 God's blessed day. 02:23 Now we had a blessed day today, didn't we? 02:25 Now we're gonna hear 02:27 the dynamics of that from the Word of God 02:30 as to why today was a blessed day. 02:33 And so as we prepare our hearts to receive his message, 02:37 we're gonna ask Reggie and Layde Love to come 02:40 and they're gonna bless us with a musical item, 02:42 thank you very much. 02:48 Good evening. Good evening. 02:51 We were in Brixton this morning and we missed you, 02:54 we had a lovely service hour with Pastor Jamal, 02:56 but it was good to be back with you here tonight, 02:58 your lovely smiling faces has been a wonderful, 03:01 wonderful day. 03:02 Can you hear me? 03:03 Yes. Yeah. 03:05 So it's been a wonderful day 03:06 and I got to tell you something about Pastor Lomacang. 03:09 I can tell you a lot about Pastor Lomacang 03:12 but the one thing I can tell you 03:13 is this man can shoot a basketball. 03:16 He's from Brooklyn, right? 03:18 The Bronx? 03:20 Oh, Brooklyn, no, excuse me, the wrong one, Brooklyn, 03:22 and you just said Brooklyn really quickly. 03:24 This man can... 03:25 Just don't try to take him on a basketball, 03:27 he can shoot from 40 feet, 03:28 50 feet, 60 feet, it doesn't matter. 03:31 He throws them up in just... 03:32 But, you know, it's an honor to be with him 03:34 because he's a gentleman and we love to hear him speak, 03:39 we love to hear him preach. 03:41 So you're blessed to have him. 03:43 We're gonna sing a song that was on a project, 03:45 3ABN project few years back and some of you might know 03:49 and if you do, please just sing along with us, 03:50 "Remember the Sabbath." 04:25 Remember the Sabbath 04:29 To keep it holy 04:34 Honor the day 04:39 That our Lord commands us 04:42 To cease our toiling 04:48 And we obey 04:53 That we may know Him 05:00 And lift His patient ways 05:07 Keeping the Sabbath holy, 05:13 In all our days. 05:24 So enter His temple 05:27 With high thanksgiving 05:33 Worship the Lord 05:37 And fill up this house 05:41 With your voices ringing 05:46 Let them be heard. 05:51 For we adore Him 05:58 And lift our hearts in praise 06:05 Keeping the Sabbath holy 06:12 In all our days. 06:22 Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy 06:29 Honor the day Honor the day 06:35 That our Lord commands us 06:39 To cease our toiling 06:43 And we obey And we obey 06:49 That we may know Him 06:56 And learn His patient ways 07:04 Keeping the Sabbath holy 07:11 In all our days. 07:26 Amen. 07:31 Can we say 'Amen' again? Amen. 07:34 Thank you, Reggie. Thank you, Layde. 07:38 It's a blessing to know that we can join together 07:41 and uplift Jesus and that song is so instrumental 07:44 to the topic tonight, 07:47 even though we know that the sun has set, 07:51 we are listening to this message 07:53 on different days from different places 07:55 in different locations and so wherever you are, 07:59 when you listen to this message, 08:01 we know that the Lord will find a way 08:03 to make it relevant to your heart. 08:07 Tonight, I'd like to invite you to bow your heads with me 08:09 as I ask the Lord to give me clarity 08:11 that His name could be exalted. 08:13 Father in Heaven, 08:15 another opportunity has come to a frail human being. 08:19 Lord, I lean on Your sufficiency. 08:22 May You be glorified. 08:23 I pray in Jesus name. Amen. 08:30 We begin by focusing on the very message 08:32 where by sanctification takes place. 08:36 Amen. 08:37 All week long we've been talking about a relationship 08:40 with the Jesus and this subject is no different, 08:44 speaking about the Sabbath, 08:46 the importance of this day is completely centered 08:50 on a relationship with Jesus. 08:54 I say at the very outside which I'll reiterate during tonight, 08:57 there is nothing that God can ask you to do 08:59 that does not require a relationship. 09:03 If you don't have a relationship, 09:04 you're trying to do somebody else's work 09:06 and you have no connection to who He is 09:09 and so the first and foremost thing 09:11 that we must do is allow the Lord to sanctify us. 09:15 Amen. Look at John 17:17. 09:18 The Bible says, "Sanctify them by Your truth. 09:22 Your word is truth." 09:25 The foundation of our growth in Christ is sanctification. 09:30 Knowing this, Satan has sought to obliterate 09:35 two sanctification pillars that have been established 09:40 during creation week, the Sabbath and the family. 09:44 And if you look at our world today, 09:46 the reason why our world is into trouble 09:48 that it is in is whatever God established 09:51 in the very beginning, 09:54 Satan has made it his determined focus 09:58 to obliterate whatever God has blessed. 10:01 Something's happened most recently, 10:03 you know that there is a new definition for marriage. 10:07 But I rather God's definition, what do you say? 10:11 But thousands of years ago, 10:13 the change that we're going to address tonight, 10:15 the Sabbath, 10:16 was blessed thousands of years ago 10:18 and the change was made a very, very long time ago 10:22 and I would suggest if the change was made today, 10:26 there might be more of an uprising 10:28 in the hearts and lives of Christians 10:31 but because the change was made before we came into existence, 10:34 we look back now at this change and to some degree, 10:38 it has been established in our minds 10:40 as though it's just another thing that has been done 10:44 and we often don't approach the Sabbath with the intensity 10:48 and the conviction that we now have 10:50 on the change of marriage in the world. 10:53 The Sabbath is a vertical relationship, 10:58 a vertical sanctifying connection between God and man. 11:02 The marriage is a horizontal connection 11:05 between man and woman 11:08 and God established that in the very beginning. 11:11 The reality is if sin had not entered the world, 11:14 there would be no thought of changing the Sabbath 11:17 and there would be no thought of changing 11:19 the marriage institution but be assured that 11:23 whatever God established in the very beginning, 11:25 Satan has been attacking it ever since his... 11:30 What could I use here? 11:31 Ever since he was expunged from heaven, 11:36 since he'd been kicked out, since his address has changed, 11:40 since he has lost the rebellion, 11:42 everything that God has blessed, 11:45 Satan has sought to make it appear 11:48 as though it is a curse instead of a blessing. 11:54 Now to examine any of these institutions, 11:56 we just have to see how they have been distorted 11:58 but let's begin with one of the sanctifying institutions 12:01 as we visit Genesis 2:1-3 and the Bible says, 12:07 "Thus the heavens and the earth, 12:09 and all the host of them, were" What? 12:11 "Finished. And on the" What day? 12:15 Seventh day, let's say that again and on the what day? 12:18 "Seventh day God ended His work which He had done, 12:23 and He rested on the," What day? 12:27 "Seventh day from all His work which He had done." 12:31 And then God did something, God blessed the seventh day. 12:34 What did He do, church? 12:36 He blessed the seventh day and what else did He do? 12:39 He sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work 12:43 which God had created and made. 12:47 Now when you examine, a few nights ago, 12:48 we talked about the veracity and validity of the Bible 12:51 and I mentioned to you that we can find the 24 hour day 12:54 as we examine the heavens, 12:55 the rising and setting of the sun. 12:57 We can find the 30 day month 12:59 as we look at the four cycles of the moon, 13:01 we can find the year as we look at the changing of the seasons 13:05 but the only place that we can find the week 13:07 is in the Bible. 13:09 There is no other literature on earth 13:12 that can introduce to you the Bible, 13:14 that can introduce to you the seventh day 13:16 week of creation other than God's Word. 13:19 And when you think about the six day physical process 13:23 including a one day spiritual insert, 13:27 it finishes what God did during creation week. 13:31 For the first six days, God created 13:33 everything physical, everything what? 13:36 Physical. 13:37 So when you walk in the world today, 13:38 everywhere around you, 13:40 you can see signs of God's physical Lordship, 13:43 the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, animals, humanity, 13:46 the water, the seasons, everywhere around us 13:49 there is a physical sign of God's ability to create. 13:54 So the question is why did God make a seventh day? 13:58 There's nothing tangible 14:00 that you can put your hand on to show you 14:03 what God did on the seventh day. 14:05 What God did on that seventh day 14:07 was very much spiritual. 14:10 God blessed the seventh day. He did what, church? 14:13 Blessed. 14:14 He blessed it and let me make it very clear, 14:16 I'll reiterate this later on in the message, 14:18 there is no other day of the week blessed 14:21 other than the seventh day of the week. 14:25 Now what God blesses, we cannot remove the blessing. 14:27 What God has not blessed, we cannot add a blessing. 14:30 Nothing can be added to it, nothing can be taken away. 14:33 So the last day of the week serves no other purpose 14:36 other than to remind us that God is not only redeemer 14:41 but He is very much creator, what do you say? 14:44 That's why Jesus said 14:46 what He did in Mark 2: 27 and 28. 14:48 Listen to the words of Jesus. 14:51 "And He said to them, 14:53 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 14:58 Therefore the Son of Man is also, 15:02 " Together "Lord of the Sabbath." 15:05 In other words, God made man first 15:09 and then He made the Sabbath as a blessing for man. 15:13 There is a physical cadence that comes, even as a pastor, 15:17 when the sun begins to set on Friday, 15:19 I get so relaxed, my brother, 15:21 that sometimes I have to remember, 15:22 I have to finish my sermon. 15:25 I mean, there's a physical rest that becomes apparent to me 15:28 as my mind says, "Relax." 15:31 The work is behind us. 15:34 Even though we preach our heart out on Sabbath morning, 15:37 it is not working, it is exalting Jesus, 15:39 what do you say? 15:41 When the sun sets on Friday, 15:43 a special time of relationship with God is inserted 15:49 into this canopy of time. 15:52 We step under this umbrella of blessings. 15:55 God says to the world around us, "hush." 15:57 He puts into cadence this 24 hour cadence 16:01 reminding us that you are where you are 16:04 because I am who I am. 16:06 I have made you to exalt me and what Satan has sought to do 16:10 is he knew that he did not want God 16:13 to be remembered beyond the fall of man 16:15 and so he decided that whatever God has established, 16:18 he made the utmost effort in obliterating 16:23 and substituting what God made for man to be a blessing. 16:27 Now let's revisit the command what we talked about. 16:30 The Sabbath is more than just a day. 16:32 Look at Exodus 20:8-11, 16:39 "Remember the Sabbath day," To do what? 16:41 Keep it holy. 16:42 Now if you remember the night what I talked about the book 16:44 that briefs, before we get to verse 8-11, 16:48 we began in Exodus 20:1 16:50 where the Bible says, "And God said." 16:55 Remember that. Yes. 16:57 When the Bible says, "And God said." 17:00 Whatever is said beyond that is a direct quotation 17:04 from the words of God Himself. 17:06 These are not the words of Moses. 17:08 Moses simply penned what God told him to write. 17:11 These are not the words of Paul or any other prophet, 17:14 these are the words of God, so do you think it is important 17:18 when God says, "Remember." 17:22 He said, "Remember the Sabbath day," To do what? 17:23 Keep it holy. Keep it. 17:25 In other words, don't make it holy, 17:26 keep it holy. 17:28 And then He says, "Six days you shall labor, 17:31 "And do how much of your work? All your work 17:34 "All your work, but the seventh day 17:36 is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. 17:39 In it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, 17:44 nor your daughter, nor your male servant, 17:46 nor your female servant, nor your cattle, 17:49 nor your stranger who is within your gates." 17:52 Let me pause and say something, 17:54 when people visit my wife and I, 17:55 whether they are Christian or not, 17:57 there is no activity in our homes 17:59 during the Sabbath. 18:01 I say like Joshua, "As for me and my house, 18:04 we will serve the Lord." 18:06 But some people tend to go on 18:08 vacation and alter their time with God. 18:11 I know some Christians 18:12 who had gone on vacation and they... 18:14 When I was a young man, let me just tell the story. 18:16 When I was a young man, about 15 years old, 18:18 I never forgot being invited to go to South Carolina. 18:22 And I went down with people that were not Christians, 18:24 did not honor the Sabbath but I never forget my brother, 18:27 when the Sabbath came, it was Sabbath morning 18:29 and they were going to a picnic and I was really not, 18:31 I was, kind of, in and out of the church. 18:33 The lady who raised me had already passed away, 18:35 so there was no one to say to go to church. 18:38 But I was so deeply entrenched, in other words, 18:40 God's word was so deeply embedded in my heart. 18:43 Amen. 18:45 That Sabbath morning they said, "Let's go to a picnic." 18:47 And as a 15-year-old in a stranger's home, 18:50 I said, "No, leave me home." They said, "Why? 18:54 We're going on a... You're gonna miss the picnic." 18:56 I said, "No, leave me home. This is the Sabbath. 18:59 This is a sign between my God and I, 19:01 I must stay home, 19:02 I'll see you when you come back." 19:04 Fifteen-years-old. 19:07 When you have a relationship with Jesus, 19:09 let me just say this, 19:11 you have no reason to be ashamed 19:13 of your connection to God. 19:15 I mean, who? 19:16 What better connection can you have 19:18 than a connection with the almighty God? 19:21 So I said, "No, leave me home." I sat at home, read my Bible. 19:23 The house is fearly quiet, 19:28 just me and God and God honored that. 19:31 And God said, "If you can stand for me 19:32 in the midst of a generation 19:33 that does not find a need to stand for me, 19:36 I can use your life." 19:38 And the Lord began to chisel away all the things 19:40 that did not reflect Him 19:42 and began to get me ready for what I'm doing today. 19:44 Praise God for that. 19:46 The Bible continues in verse 11, 19:48 "For in six days," How many days? 19:50 Six. 19:51 "In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, 19:54 the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the," 19:57 What day? 19:58 Seventh day. "Seventh day. 20:00 Therefore the LORD," What? 20:01 "Blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." 20:05 Three very important points about the Sabbath. 20:07 One, there is no other day of the week 20:12 that God blessed. 20:14 So to try to find a blessing where God never put it, 20:20 you are on a return, 20:21 you're not gonna find where God never puts something. 20:25 You're not gonna find any evidence 20:26 of the presence of God 20:28 where God never inserted His blessing. 20:31 Nothing wrong with Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 20:32 Thursday, Friday, Saturday, nothing wrong with that. 20:34 Nothing wrong with Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 20:36 Thursday, Friday, but once the Sabbath come, 20:41 God inserted something there 20:43 that is found in no other day of the week. 20:47 Not only that, there is no other day 20:50 that connects us with the God of creation and redemption 20:55 and as I said to you, 20:56 the Sabbath is more than just another day 20:58 because the Bible says, 20:59 "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, thy God." 21:04 So the question really is, here's the powerful truth. 21:06 The question really is, if the God of creation 21:09 and redemption is not your God, you can pick any day. 21:17 You can say, I want Monday 21:19 or I want Thursday or I want Wednesday. 21:21 You can pick any day but when you are connected 21:25 to the God of creation, He already picked the day. 21:30 My wife and I, May 22nd married 1983. 21:35 That's a fact, I can't change that. 21:38 I was born July 30th, 21:40 I can jump up and down all I want, 21:41 I can't change, that's a fact. 21:43 I can say 'Happy birthday' any other day of the week 21:45 or 'Happy Anniversary,' my wife will say, 21:47 "What are you talking about? 21:49 May 22 is our anniversary." 21:51 Now what if a husband year after year after year would say 21:55 'Happy Anniversary' to his wife on a wrong day. 22:00 She'll say, "Honey, is there somebody else in your life?" 22:04 Or more specifically, 22:05 what if a man was married to a lady for 29 years 22:09 and that anniversary was July 4th 22:12 and all of a sudden unfortunately, 22:13 his first wife passed away and he married a new bride 22:17 and he said, "You know, 22:18 I've been honoring July 4th for the last 29 years. 22:24 And I know our wedding day is October 2nd, would you mind? 22:33 Would you mind, 22:34 I know we've got married on the October 2nd 22:36 but would you mind if we just go ahead 22:39 and observe July 4th?" 22:41 And she will say, "Honey, that's a different woman." 22:44 Amen. 22:46 It's not about a day alone, it's about a relationship. 22:51 So when God said, "Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy." 22:53 You gotta keep in mind, 22:54 whatever God does cannot be changed. 22:57 It has the connection that you cannot find anywhere. 23:00 October 2nd connects him to the new woman, 23:04 July 4th to the old woman. 23:05 The Sabbath to the true God, 23:07 any other day to the false God, that's a fact. 23:12 Ecclesiastes 3:14, notice, how the wise man, 23:15 Solomon conveys the unchangeable nature 23:20 of whatever God blesses. 23:22 He says, "I know that whatever God does, it shall be, 23:25 "For how long? 23:27 "Forever. Nothing," How much? 23:29 "Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. 23:34 God does it, that men should fear before God." 23:39 So when God created the Sabbath, 23:42 the bewildering question that comes to my mind 23:45 whenever I sit down and study with this topic with someone, 23:48 I've talked to pastors 23:49 of all different kinds of denominations. 23:52 I've spoken to the catholic pastor, 23:55 the catholic priests, a Nazarene pastor 23:59 and a pentecostal pastor. 24:01 When I was a young man 24:02 and I was in the world of partying, 24:04 gambling and pool hustling, 24:05 I tried to find a day that I could honor, 24:10 still be saved and still party anyhow. 24:14 Follow my story. 24:15 So I was so connected to the club life, 24:17 to the partying and the gambling, 24:19 the pool hustling, the disc jockeying, 24:20 that had become the fiber of my attraction 24:23 and so I decided, well, you know, 24:25 I was raised to honor the Sabbath 24:27 but if I could keep another day and still be saved, 24:31 that'd be just fine. 24:32 So I went to a Nazarene church on a Sunday morning 24:36 and I went to the youth group, I was the young man, 24:38 I went to the youth group and I got invited in 24:40 and as they were having their Sunday School, 24:42 I asked the Nazarene youth pastor, 24:44 I said, "Can I ask a question?" 24:46 He said, "Sure, go right ahead." 24:49 "Can you tell me about the Bible Sabbath?" 24:53 He said, "Young man, come with me." 24:55 "Sure, no problem." 24:57 He walked me from the class, 24:59 down the hallway, I thought he was taking me 25:01 to where I could get the information. 25:02 Across the hallway, down the steps, 25:05 then we went to the exit of the church, 25:06 down the church steps and he said to me, 25:08 "Don't you ever come back here again." 25:11 That's a fact. 25:13 I tried it again. I went to a pentecostal pastor. 25:18 Big pentecostal church right across the street 25:21 from where I lived in Brooklyn. 25:23 Church is packed every Sunday, triple park, double parked. 25:26 They threw down every Sunday. 25:28 So I've thought, "This bother ought to know something." 25:31 So I went to his office as his massive office 25:33 was being remade, I sat down, I said, 25:36 "Rim Reverend" got to call him, 25:40 only God is reverend, come on, somebody. 25:43 So I said, "Pastor, can you tell me?" 25:44 He said, "Come on in here, my son." 25:47 You know how they sound. 25:49 I don't have no deep voice, just deal with what I have. 25:53 Gave me all that, you know, polysyllabic resonance 25:57 and I sat in his office and I said, 25:59 "Can you tell me about the Sabbath?" 26:00 And then he said to me, to my surprise he said, 26:02 "Now I hope you're not gonna tell me..." 26:04 He said, "That Roman Emperor Constantine 26:07 began to change in 321 A.D." 26:10 And I leaned back, I said, "You know?" 26:14 He said, "I'll be right back." 26:16 Forty eight minutes later, 26:18 he did not return and I got up and left. 26:22 He shouldn't have left 'cause next Sunday, 26:23 I put Sabbath flowers on everybody's car. 26:29 Let me tell you something, 26:30 God cannot plant a Bible study you never gave. 26:34 Whether you like 26:35 my action or not, somebody gonna be 26:37 in the kingdom because of that. 26:38 Amen, somebody. Amen. 26:40 So I tried one more time. I went to a catholic priest. 26:42 I knew him very well, he had taken the young people, 26:45 even when I was young man, he would take us to ice cream 26:47 every Sunday after their church and since I knew him I said, 26:51 "Father Lawrence, I mean, Father John, he was named John, 26:54 could you tell me about the Sabbath?" 26:56 "Oh," he said, very, very, very humble. 27:00 "Oh, yes, let me tell you about the Sabbath." 27:03 He said to me, 27:04 "Well, you know, our church was instrumental 27:07 in changing the day and but as of now, 27:10 we're too far gone to go back." 27:13 The only one that told me the truth. 27:17 So I said, "I got my evidence. 27:18 I got three reference points, 27:20 let me see what God's words said about it." 27:22 And what I discovered is the question 27:24 to why would the Sabbath need to be changed? 27:27 And I discovered the only reason 27:29 the Sabbath was attacked by Satan 27:33 is the very same reason 27:34 why the family is also attacked by Satan. 27:39 Whatever God blesses, Satan despises 27:42 but I want you to notice how this change took place. 27:44 Go with me to Genesis 3:1, you see in Eden, 27:49 Satan did not want Adam nor Eve to listen to God's voice 27:54 and the same thing is true today. 27:56 Let me say that again, 27:58 the same situation that existed in the garden of Eden, 28:00 Satan was able to deceive Eve 28:03 because he got her to question what God had already said. 28:07 Look at the story as it unfolds. 28:09 Genesis 3:1, the Bible says, 28:11 "Now the serpent was more cunning or more subtle 28:14 than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. 28:19 And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, 28:22 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?' 28:25 "Let me now, let me break this down. 28:27 He said to the woman, the first attack continues to this day, 28:30 he said to the woman, "Has God said." 28:36 Follow this very carefully. 28:38 Today, he's leading many to believe 28:41 that they can follow what God hasn't said. 28:45 In other words, he said to Eve, "I know what you think God said 28:51 but let's talk about this for a little bit 28:53 because if we could have this conversation, 28:55 I'm sure I can convince you 28:56 that what you think God said is not what God said." 29:00 "Has God said." 29:02 And I would suggest you today that the first attack 29:04 in the garden of Eden is still going on today. 29:07 So being privy to this, the Lord, 29:11 understanding that this conversation was going on, 29:14 He inserted into this interruptive process 29:17 of man's divinity as it were, 29:20 the perfect character of God in man. 29:22 He inserted into this conversation 29:24 something that cause God's attention to be manifested. 29:28 Genesis 3:11. 29:31 Genesis 3:11 "And He said," 29:36 That's the Lord speaking to Adam, 29:39 "Who told you that you were naked? 29:41 Have you eaten from the tree 29:43 of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" 29:45 Now let's follow this very carefully, this is huge. 29:47 Are you ready? 29:49 First of all, the devil says, "Has God said." 29:52 In other words, "Are you clear about what God has said." 29:56 Anybody not clear about what God has said, 29:59 all the devil needs to do is make a suggestion 30:02 and we swallow it. 30:05 Lord knew that. He said, "Who told you?" 30:07 In other words, "if you had not been listening to my word, 30:11 whose word have you been listening to? 30:14 Who told you? Who told you? 30:17 Who told you that, that I change what I said, 30:20 who told you that?" 30:22 He said, "Adam, who told you that? 30:26 If you have not been listening but even deeper than that, 30:32 who could get you to ignore what I said? 30:35 But He went a step further that when I was thinking about this 30:38 and mulling over and praying over this message, 30:40 I thought to myself, Lord, have mercy. 30:42 He did not just ask Adam, who told you? 30:44 But He said to Adam, "Have you eaten?" 30:47 In other words, have you swallowed the lie 30:49 that you were just told. 30:51 And I would suggest to you today that 30:53 so many have swallowed the lie and there are two reasons, 30:56 one, there are those that are in honest ignorance. 30:59 Amen, somebody. Amen. 31:01 They are living up to all they know... 31:06 but times of ignorance, God winks that. 31:08 But when the knowledge comes to you 31:10 as it did to a young man, 31:11 I talked about this young man, 31:13 he was 72 years young when I met him 31:17 and he listened to 3ABN 31:18 and I challenged him to study the Sabbath 31:20 and go to his pastor and find out what it taught 31:23 and then ask his pastor and he showed up in my church 31:25 on Wednesday night and I asked, 31:27 trying to figure out why he was there 31:29 and he says, "I'm here because of what I saw on 3ABN." 31:31 And then he asked me at 77, Sorene, his wife, 31:34 he was 79, his wife was 77. 31:36 He said, "How old is too old to be baptized?" 31:40 I said, "Are you breathing?" He said, "Yeah." 31:41 "You could be baptized." 31:44 And the thing that urged him to come was he examined 31:47 what the Bible taught about the Sabbath, 31:49 went to his pastor and said, 31:51 "Why is it as a Nazarene, why is it..." 31:53 sorry, "As a presbyterian, 31:54 why is it that we don't honor the Bible Sabbath? 31:57 His pastor said, "You've got the problem, you fix it." 31:59 Amen 32:01 He said, "I'm going to the Adventist church." 32:02 Amen, somebody. Amen 32:04 And he said to his pastor, 32:05 we had another person that said that very same thing. 32:08 She said to her pastor, 32:09 "I am not leaving because I don't love you. 32:12 But I love God's truth even better." 32:15 And another man by the name of Bud 32:20 who went to a church not too far from our house, 32:22 when he left his church he said, 32:24 "I had a nice respectful meeting with my pastor," 32:27 and he said, "Pastor, I want to tell you, 32:28 I have enjoyed all the years that you have led me 32:33 and I've strengthened my walk with Jesus. 32:36 But God is now calling me to honor the truth, 32:38 so I'm leaving and I'm going to keep God's Sabbath. 32:43 Since we don't do it here, I want to be truthful to God 32:46 and I'm gonna honor the Sabbath of God." 32:47 Amen, somebody. Amen. 32:49 The Lord said, "Who told you? Have you eaten?" 32:52 But now let's look at how diabolical this deception is. 32:56 I'm just gonna recite three scriptures in the Bible 32:58 that you've heard before. 32:59 You may remember Solomon when he said 33:01 in Ecclesiastes 12:1, it's not on the screen, 33:03 he said, "Remember now the creator 33:05 in the days of your youth." 33:07 Now let me ask you a question. 33:08 How many young... 33:10 Well, let me not ask you the question. 33:11 Do you believe that young people need to know Jesus? 33:14 Yes. 33:17 So nobody would question that Solomon said, 33:19 "Remember now the creator in the days of..." 33:22 Nobody's gonna question that because young folk today, 33:24 the one thing they need, 33:26 the one person they need in their lives is Jesus. 33:30 Now Dr. Luke comes along and Luke 17:32 33:33 and he says these three words, "Remember Lot's wife." 33:37 Now what's the message there? 33:38 In other words, when God is leaving you out, 33:40 don't look back. 33:43 Is it important to follow God and not look back 33:46 when He says don't look back. 33:48 Come on, somebody. 33:49 So Dr. Luke is fine, 33:51 everybody no matter what the denomination 33:54 will quote Dr. Luke and said, 33:56 "Remember Lot's wife." 33:58 Everybody, no matter what the denomination will say, 34:00 "Remember now the creator in the days of thy youth." 34:04 Solomon said the first one. Dr. Luke said the second one. 34:07 It is amazing to me that everybody would agree 34:10 with Solomon and Dr. Luke 34:12 but not everybody agrees to what God says. 34:15 You got preachers now these days that will say, 34:17 "Remember what Solomon said. 34:19 Remember what Lot said but forget what God said." 34:23 Is that not diabolical? 34:25 Is that not demonic? 34:29 Is that not amazing? 34:31 God is supreme above everyone and what God has said, 34:37 men have said, "Forget it." 34:44 But many people fail to realize 34:45 what's really behind the change of the Sabbath. 34:49 Many people fail to realize and understand the gravity 34:51 behind the importance of honoring the day 34:53 that connects us to the living God. 34:56 But if you go back with me to Isaiah 14:14, 34:59 you'll understand what's behind this diabolical attack 35:03 on the institution of God's perfection. 35:06 When Satan lost that war in heaven, 35:09 he made every attempt to replace 35:12 what God had blessed but notice the reason 35:15 why he made this push. 35:17 He says in Isaiah 14:14, notice he says, 35:21 "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, 35:24 "Together, together, are you ready? 35:26 "I will be like the Most High." 35:31 So now, how has Satan almost 35:34 successfully become like the Most High? 35:38 The two institutions that God blessed before sin 35:41 entered the world have almost become nigh obliterated. 35:50 Substitute for marriage, we know what that is. 35:55 Substitute for the Sabbath, we know what that is. 36:00 Substitute for the Sabbath, pick any other day. 36:04 Substitute for marriage, pick any other gender. 36:10 But I got an eternal question for you tonight, 36:12 have you accepted the substitutes? 36:17 Because accepting the substitutes 36:18 is an eternal question. 36:20 Have you fallen for the substitutes? 36:24 Have you accepted the substitutes? 36:27 The substitutes are not sufficient 36:29 and by the way, 36:31 this substitution did not sneak upon God by accident. 36:35 God predicted that a change in an attempt to replace 36:40 the Sabbath would be made. 36:41 It's not a shock to God, 36:42 here we are in 2,000 whatever it is, 36:44 I don't wanna date this program but here we are in modern times 36:47 and the world around us has embraced the substitutes 36:52 for what God has the original for. 36:55 They've embraced it, 36:57 there are people that are unashamed about, 37:00 I don't wanna get to, I don't want to... 37:07 I wanna try to be kind but I gotta be straight. 37:12 I want to be straight and I got to be kind. 37:18 People nowadays don't hesitate, 37:20 I bought a suit just the other day 37:23 and I was in a nice clothing store here in London. 37:29 I mean, nice wool tweed suit for the cooler weather 37:32 that's gonna be waiting for us 37:34 latter part of this year, 37:35 nice English cooked, beautiful. 37:40 Lovely, 37:43 smart 37:46 and the gentleman that was suiting me up, 37:49 he said, "What's your name?" 37:51 And I told him, "My name is..." 37:52 "My partner's name is John. We've been together 18 years." 37:58 I didn't need that information, just help me with my suit. 38:04 But here's my point, no disrespect, no disrespect. 38:07 You could choose whatever direction you want, 38:10 that's the choice God has given to you 38:12 but everybody that makes a choice 38:13 has to be accountable for the choice here she makes. 38:17 And I would suggest to you that the reason 38:19 why he may have made that choice is 38:21 because he hasn't gotten all the information 38:24 about the truth of God's word yet. 38:26 I still believe no matter where you are, 38:28 as long as you are breathing 38:30 and God's Holy Spirit is at work, 38:32 God can turn anything and anybody around 38:36 and still save them. 38:38 Amen, church. Amen. 38:41 But he had no problem telling me about the substitute. 38:45 Very nice, gentleman. 38:46 Hook me up real well, 38:48 I didn't feel the need to condemn him 38:50 but I thought about this, 38:51 I need to pray for this individual 38:53 and I know what that's all about. 38:56 Got a family member 38:57 that's going down the same path. 38:59 What we have to realize is there is no path 39:01 you can go down that God can't save you from. 39:04 Amen. 39:05 There's no special sin, there is no categorical sin 39:08 that is different from any other. 39:10 It's just the world in which we live, 39:11 we have given preference to certain sins 39:13 and we've looked down on others. 39:15 There is no difference between that sin and promiscuity 39:18 and pornography, come on, somebody say, amen. 39:20 No difference but we've just categorized 39:22 that given one legal standing. 39:27 But just because it's legal, don't mean it's righteous. 39:31 God did not get snuck up on by the devil. 39:33 Look at Daniel 7:25, I gotta move with rapidity. 39:38 The Lord knew that this would come, 39:40 so the substitutes that exist today, 39:42 God knew that sinful man would try to substitute 39:45 everything that's righteous. 39:46 Daniel 7:25, 39:48 speaking about the fourth kingdom on the earth, 39:49 the Lord said, 39:51 "And he shall speak great words against the, " Who? 39:53 "Most High." 39:54 Remember Satan said, "I will be like the most High." 39:57 But this power will speak against the most High, 39:59 "Shall wear out the saints of the most High, 40:01 " persecute God's people, "And think to change," What? 40:04 "Times and laws and they shall be given into his hands 40:08 until a time and times and the dividing of time." 40:10 In other words, 40:12 this period of persecution for the people of God, 40:14 the focal point of this text is the Sabbath 40:17 is all about times and laws. 40:21 The Lord knew that this change would come, 40:23 it's no surprise to God, 40:24 so the question is why is the Sabbath so important? 40:27 Why is this day so vitally important? 40:29 Some people say, "What's the big deal? 40:31 I've got this day..." 40:33 Like one preacher said to me as I remember 40:35 preaching up a number of years ago 40:36 when I was a young man, I told you, 40:38 I used to have black hair at one time. 40:42 Had a whole lot more energy at one time, 40:44 I want to just say, praise God. 40:46 He has given me energy that I didn't even know I have 40:48 because this series has taken me back 40:52 to the thing I love, evangelism. 40:58 Got a letter from a pastor once who said to me 41:00 when one of his older members, I preached about the Sabbath, 41:02 this lady was 81-years-old and we were in a small town 41:05 where everybody knew everybody's car. 41:07 If you've got a red car... 41:09 If your was parked at some place it shouldn't be, 41:11 everybody would know about it. 41:13 So one Sabbath, this older lady's car 41:15 was parked in front of my church 41:16 after she heard the Sabbath message 41:18 and she came to the Adventist church 41:19 and we had a small little church, 41:20 I talked about that a few nights ago 41:23 and she called me one evening and she said, 41:24 "Pastor John, I know the Sabbath is true. 41:28 I want to honor the Sabbath but my pastor 41:32 and one of the elders of the church 41:33 have turned up the heat on me 41:35 because I've got the money 41:37 for the new church they wanna build 41:38 and it is so difficult I cannot return." 41:42 And then that pastor proceeded to write me a letter. 41:45 Now I'm from New York. 41:47 I could tell a threat when I get one. 41:49 So he wrote me a letter and he says, 41:52 "I have my scriptures to backup my view points, 41:55 you've got your scriptures to backup your view points," 41:58 and then he said to me, sound like a threat, he said, 42:00 "For the sake of our community and your church, 42:03 please reconsider your position." 42:07 So I made an appointment with him. 42:08 I'm from Brooklyn. I'm from New York. 42:12 You don't threaten me and get away with that, uh-huh. 42:15 So I waited till he came back and he came back 42:17 and I was respectful, tried to sound like a pastor 42:19 all young and no wrinkles and jet black hair, 42:22 tried to look ecclesiastical. 42:24 This aged man looked like a grandfather to me 42:27 and I've met him in his office and he said, 42:29 "I hear you got my letter." 42:30 I said, "I did get your letter but let me suggest to you, 42:33 "I was a young zealot. 42:35 "Let me suggest to you, pastor, why don't we have a discussion? 42:39 Why don't you invite me to your massive church?" 42:41 I said, "To your church." 42:43 I'm using the word massive to give you an adjective 42:44 to show you how excited I was as 42:47 "Why don't you invite me to your church? 42:48 I'll sit on the rostrum, you sit on the rostrum, 42:51 have your congregants question us. 42:53 Let us both answer from God's word 42:55 and let them decide who's telling the truth." 42:59 He said, "No, there will be no need for that." 43:02 I've figured and then I said in a respectful way, 43:06 "So don't ever threaten me again 43:09 'cause I'm gonna tell the truth 43:10 as long as God gives me the breath." 43:11 Amen 43:13 But why is the Sabbath is so important? 43:14 Ezekiel 20:12. 43:16 The Bible says, "Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, 43:19 to be a sign between them and Me, 43:22 that they might know 43:23 that I am the LORD who sanctifies them." 43:26 The Sabbath is a sign of sanctification. 43:28 Let me make it clear, 43:30 if you still got Adam's seed in your life, 43:31 you don't need the Sabbath, you'd first need Jesus 43:35 'cause you're not gonna be saved by keeping a day 43:37 unless you have a connection with Jesus. 43:39 Amen. 43:40 You can come to church on Sabbath 43:41 or you won't unless you're born again 43:43 and it ain't gonna make a difference. 43:45 You can be a vegan. 43:47 If you don't know Jesus, you better look out 43:49 because they tell me vegetables go up 43:51 real quickly in the flame. 43:57 My point is this, don't get the cart before the horse. 44:00 Some people think that Sabbath is the reason 44:02 you're gonna be saved. 44:03 No, the Sabbath is a sign of sanctification 44:05 that you recognize who your God is, 44:10 but the day can't change you, it's the man that changes you. 44:13 When you are in a saving relationship, 44:15 you spend time with the man on his day. 44:20 And that can't happen any other day 44:22 because there are no other days blessed except the Sabbath day. 44:27 Not only that, Ezekiel 20:20, notice what it says, 44:30 "Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign 44:32 between Me and you, 44:34 that you may know that I am the LORD your God." 44:38 That you might know, it does matter what day of the week, 44:41 don't get them mixed up. 44:44 Very quick analogy, let's go to Luke 23:52-54, 44:48 at this point people are wondering, 44:49 well, now, pastor, how do we know 44:52 that the calendar haven't been changed? 44:54 I mean, how do you know? 44:56 I mean, it's been so many thousands of years, 44:58 how would we know that 44:59 the calendar hasn't been changed? 45:01 Well, I made a phone call today, 45:03 down to the front desk 45:04 at the hotel where we're staying. 45:06 Thank you for the wonderful Accommodation Cliveden. 45:07 Praise the Lord. 45:10 I heard some of our other brother 45:11 who are not so blessed to be at Cliveden. 45:17 Praise God from whom all blessings flow. 45:21 But I called the front desk and I asked the question, 45:23 just so I could be in contact, 45:24 so I said to the lady at the front desk, 45:25 "Can you tell me what the last day of the week 45:28 is on your calendar in England?" 45:30 She said, "Oh, that's easy. It's Sunday." 45:32 "No." 45:34 I said, "Now let me ask you a question. 45:35 What's the first day of the week on your calendar?" 45:39 She said, "It's Monday." 45:42 She said the first day on the calendar 45:45 in England is Monday. 45:47 You follow that through the last day, 45:48 the seventh day end up being Sunday. 45:51 I said, "Thank you." 45:56 But the Bible makes it abundantly clear 45:57 how we cannot get the days mixed up. 45:59 Luke 23:52-54, 46:01 let's go quickly now, let's go quickly. 46:05 Let's see how the Bible answers the question. 46:07 Luke 23:52, speaking of the crucifixion of Jesus, 46:11 the Bible says speaking about the removal of the body, 46:14 "This man went to Pilate 46:16 and asked for the body of Jesus. 46:18 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, 46:21 and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, 46:24 where no one had ever lain before." 46:27 That day was the what? Preparation. 46:29 Preparation and the Sabbath what? 46:31 Jew near, 46:32 in other words, the day that Jesus was taken 46:34 from the Cross was the day before the Sabbath. 46:38 It was called the preparation, what was it called? 46:40 The preparation. Let's look at verse 55 and 56. 46:44 "And the women who had come with Him 46:46 from Galilee followed after, 46:48 and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 46:51 So they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. 46:54 And they rested on the Sabbath according to the," What? 46:57 Commandment. "Commandment." 46:58 Now here's a few points. 47:01 Preparation day, the day that Jesus is in the tomb, 47:04 the Sabbath, and those who followed Him 47:07 after His death 47:09 rested on the Sabbath 47:11 according to the commandment. 47:13 Which commandment? The fourth commandment. 47:15 'Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy.' 47:18 If anybody knew whether or not 47:19 the Sabbath was obliterated, 47:21 His followers would have known. 47:24 Let's finish the story, Luke 24:1. 47:29 "Now on the first day of the week, 47:30 very early in the morning, they, 47:31 and certain other women with them, 47:33 came to the tomb bringing the spices 47:36 which they had prepared. 47:37 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb." 47:40 Now, we've got three days. 47:43 How many days that I say? Three. 47:45 I need three people, I need my wife. 47:47 Come on, honey. And I need two men. 47:49 You're one, you could be the other one, come on up. 47:52 Don't waste my time now, 47:54 quick now, run, 47:57 come here so, yes, me dear. 48:01 All right... 48:03 you know, me sweet... you know. 48:07 Okay, sweetheart, right over there. 48:09 Wait, no, right now you're gonna be the Sabbath. 48:12 Make the pretty one the Sabbath, 48:15 no offence, my brother. 48:18 Preparation day, 48:21 Jesus was taken down on this day, 48:23 this the preparation day and the Sabbath comes up next. 48:28 Jesus is in the tomb on this day, 48:30 the women rest on this day, 48:35 according to the commandment 48:37 which is still in force after He dies. 48:40 His followers knew that, 48:41 that's why they honored that day. 48:43 Then all of a sudden, they come to the tomb on this day 48:48 and Jesus is gone. 48:50 Today, this is called in Christendom, 48:54 Good Friday, 48:58 Holy Sabbath and Easter Sunday. 49:02 Now, brethren, 49:04 I cannot afford to get these days mixed up 49:06 'cause I can't just take 49:08 any one of these people home and say, 49:09 "There, that's my wife." 49:15 Amen, somebody. 49:18 I better not get it mixed up, 49:20 the world has made no difference 49:22 between one and the other. 49:23 I better know the difference, I need five more people. 49:27 I need four more people, hurry up, four more men. 49:28 Come on. 49:30 Come on, you my brother, I need four more men. 49:31 Move. 49:33 Come on, elder, come on, you too, quick. 49:34 Run, brother, run. 49:36 I need one more, come on, come on, my brother, pianist. 49:39 Honey, go right down at the edge, 49:41 my wife is right there, 49:42 everybody fill in the middle, come on, get in there, get in, 49:45 it doesn't matter what order you're in 49:46 because I know who my wife is. 49:48 No matter... 49:50 All way down here, okay, okay, great, great, okay, great, 49:52 okay, great. 49:55 First day, say this, first day. 49:57 First Day. 49:59 God separated the darkness from the light. 50:01 Second day, second day, right? Second day. 50:05 He created the firmament, the heavens above the earth. 50:08 Third day, He created the trees, 50:10 the fruits, the grass. 50:12 Fourth day, He created the sun, moon, 50:15 stars for seasons and times. 50:18 Fifth day, God created all the sea creatures, 50:21 everything that's living in the sea. 50:23 Sixth day, God created all the land animals. 50:27 Seventh day, God did the most beautiful thing, 50:31 He blessed and sanctified 50:34 and hallowed the Sabbath, hallelujah. 50:40 I'm not done yet, I'm not done yet. 50:44 The world makes no difference between men and women. 50:49 The world makes no difference between the first day 50:52 and the seventh day, they are a long way apart. 50:59 We cannot afford to not know the difference. 51:04 I will say again, I cannot afford 51:06 to not know the difference. 51:08 Come on, somebody, say amen. 51:10 First day, second day, 51:11 third day, fourth day, fifth day, 51:13 sixth day, seventh day. 51:15 Brethren, you can go back to your seats, 51:17 I'm gonna keep the Sabbath, amen. 51:20 Amen, hallelujah. 51:22 I'm gonna keep the Sabbath. 51:29 I'm gonna keep the Sabbath no matter 51:31 who tries to get me to change my mind, amen. 51:36 That's what it is, it's only one day God blessed. 51:40 Don't get caught in the substitutes 51:44 and I'm gonna tell you as I... 51:45 I'm gonna invite Reggie and Layde, 51:47 where are my singers? 51:48 I'm gonna invite brother Tim to come on down 51:49 because tonight, 51:51 as the people of God, we are called to go back. 51:55 The Lord says, I'm gonna bring that text up 51:57 but the Lord is telling us in these last days, 51:59 go to Revelation, the very last text, 52:00 the Lord is saying, 52:02 that this is the day that God is saying, 52:04 "Fear God and give glory to Him 52:06 for the hour of His judgment is come 52:10 and worship Him that made the heavens and the earth, 52:13 the sea and the springs of water." 52:14 God is saying, "They that shall be of thee 52:16 shall build up the old waste places." 52:19 We'll raise up the foundations of many generations, 52:21 we are called, to be called repairers of the breach, 52:25 restores the paths to dwell on how. 52:28 We gotta call the Sabbath a delight, 52:30 except no substitutes. 52:31 Come on, somebody say, except what? 52:33 No substitutes. No substitutes. 52:34 That Sabbath was kept in creation. 52:37 It was kept in the Old Testament, 52:39 the New Testament by the disciples, 52:41 by the apostles, by Jesus, 52:45 the New Testament church 52:46 but when the dark ages came around, 52:48 Rome tried to obliterate it and it almost lost itself 52:51 during the dark ages but thank God 52:53 for the Protestant reformation. 52:55 Amen. 52:56 During that dark time, God preserved the Sabbath 52:59 and then somewhere along the way, 53:00 a group of people came into existence called Adventists. 53:03 Amen. 53:04 Later be known Seventh day Adventists 53:06 and their messages are named, their name is a message. 53:09 Those who are looking forward to the second coming of Jesus 53:12 and will say to the world, 53:13 we recognize the God of creation and redemption. 53:17 Reggie and Layde, come and sing this song for me tonight. 53:19 As they sing, "Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy." 53:24 Sorry, "I will serve thee because I love thee." 53:26 Amen. 53:28 Tonight, as they sing this song, 53:30 if there is somebody here tonight 53:31 that remembers the only reason 53:33 God is calling you to serve Him 53:35 and honor the Sabbath is because you love Him. 53:38 Anybody here tonight that loves the Lord. 53:40 Now I'm gonna get pointed, 53:41 go ahead and sing some of that song 53:42 and if we go off the air singing that song, 53:44 that'd be just fine because we're gonna keep going. 53:46 As this song is being sung tonight, 53:47 I want your heads to be bowed, your eyes to be closed 53:50 because tonight God is gonna break the chains of tradition. 53:53 God wants you to come back to the honoring of His word, 53:56 the only reason you come back is because you love Him. 53:59 Sing that song. 54:01 I will serve Thee 54:04 because I love Thee 54:11 You have 54:13 given life 54:18 to me. 54:24 I was nothing 54:30 before You found me, 54:38 You have 54:40 given life 54:45 to me. 54:50 Heartaches, 54:57 broken pieces, 55:04 Ruined lives 55:07 are why 55:09 You died on 55:13 Calvary. 55:17 Your touch 55:21 is what I long for, 55:29 Lord, You've 55:30 given life 55:37 to me. 55:43 I will serve Thee 55:50 because I love Thee 55:57 You have 55:59 given life 56:03 to me. 56:11 I was nothing 56:16 before You found me, 56:23 You have 56:25 given life 56:30 to me. 56:39 Heartaches, 56:44 broken pieces, 56:50 Ruined lives 56:55 are why You died 57:00 on Calvary. 57:05 Your touch 57:09 was what I 57:13 longed for, 57:17 You have 57:20 given life 57:26 to me. 57:34 Let me tell you friends, you'll never get lost. 57:37 You will never be lost by following Jesus 57:40 and His example. |
Revised 2016-12-26