Participants: Pr. Mike Thompson
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021416
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:45 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:49 IT IS BY NO MISTAKE THAT YOU HAVE JOINED US. 00:51 THIS IS CENTRAL STUDY HOUR WHERE WE COME TOGETHER EVERY WEEK - 00:54 FROM ACROSS THE WORLD, ACTUALLY - AND WE TUNE IN TOGETHER TO 00:58 STUDY GOD'S WORD TO LEARN TRUTH AND HOW HE WANTS US TO LIVE AND 01:03 HOW WE CAN BE BETTER SERVANTS OF HIM. A VERY SPECIAL WELCOME 01:07 TO YOU THAT ARE JOINING US RIGHT HERE IN OUR AUDIENCE. 01:10 A VERY SPECIAL WELCOME TO YOU THAT ARE TUNING IN EITHER FOR 01:13 THE FIRST TIME OR THAT ARE A REGULAR MEMBER OF OUR ONLINE 01:16 STUDY AND OUR TELEVISION STUDY. WELCOME. 01:20 AS WE ALWAYS DO BEFORE WE BEGIN TO GET INTO GOD'S WORD, 01:24 WE SING TOGETHER. SO BRING OUT YOUR HYMNALS AND 01:28 LET'S SING TOGETHER HYMN #565 - 'FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH'. 01:33 THIS COMES TO US AS A REQUEST FROM PATRICE IN THE BRITISH 01:36 VIRGIN ISLANDS, JULIA IN CONNECTICUT, IAN IN SOUTH 01:40 AFRICA, AND EUGENE IN THAILAND AND A LOT MORE PEOPLE AROUND THE 01:45 PLANET. 'FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH' - 01:47 AND WE WILL SING ALL THREE VERSES. 01:51 (MUSIC) 03:30 >>I'M PRAYING THAT YOUR HEART IS FULL - FULL THIS MORNING OF 03:34 PRAISE AND SONGS FOR OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. AMEN? 03:39 WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE HYMNAL AND WE ARE NOW - LEARNING 03:42 NEW HYMNS - AND WE ARE NOW UP TO HYMN #96 - 'THE SPACIOUS 03:46 FIRMAMENT' - AND THIS ONE'S A LITTLE TRICKY. 03:49 WE PRACTICED IT QUITE A BIT THIS MORNING AND IT COMES AS A 03:52 REQUEST FROM SUZANNA IN NEW YORK. 03:54 HYMN #96 - AND WE'RE GOING TO SING ALL THREE VERSES. 03:59 (MUSIC) 07:13 >>WHEN YOU ARE NOT BUSY TRYING TO LEARN THE NOTES OF 07:16 THAT SONG, READ THROUGH THE WORDS. 07:19 THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND YOU WILL NEVER GO OUTSIDE AND LOOK 07:22 AT A NIGHT SKY THE SAME AGAIN. AMEN. 07:25 GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS. THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE, 07:27 FAVORITE THINGS TO LOOK AT IS THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS AND IT 07:31 JUST REALLY REVEALS HIS CREATIVE POWER. LET'S PRAY. 07:35 OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CREATING THE WORLD 07:39 THAT WE LIVE IN, THE SUN, THE MOON, THE STARS THAT SING OF 07:42 YOUR GLORIOUS, GLORIOUS CREATIVE POWER. BUT LORD, 07:46 THE MOST CREATIVE THING THAT YOU HAVE DONE IS THAT YOU HAVE 07:50 CREATED NEW HEARTS IN EACH ONE OF US THROUGH YOUR WORD. 07:54 AND SO WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE NOT LEFT HERE FOR 07:58 ETERNITY TO BE LOST, BUT THAT YOU GAVE YOUR SON TO SAVE US AND 08:03 THAT WE CAN SPEND ETERNITY WITH YOU, LORD. 08:05 WHAT A BLESSING. WHAT A GLORIOUS PLAN. 08:09 WHAT A GLORIOUS PROMISE THAT IS TO EACH ONE OF US. 08:12 SO BLESS US NOW AS WE STUDY YOUR WORD, LORD. 08:14 QUICKEN OUR HEARTS THAT WE SERVE YOU MORE FAITHFULLY AND WE CAN 08:17 SEE YOU SOON FACE-TO-FACE. WE PRAY THESE THINGS IN THE 08:20 PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. OUR STUDY TODAY WILL BE BROUGHT 08:25 TO US BY PASTOR MIKE THOMPSON AND HE IS THE VISITATION AND 08:29 HEALTH PASTOR HERE AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL. 08:34 >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH JOLYNE AND THE CHORISTERS. 08:36 IT'S GOOD TO - GOOD TO LEARN SOME NEW SONGS, ISN'T IT? 08:41 WELL, HAPPY - HAPPY SABBATH TO YOU ALL. BEFORE I BEGIN, 08:47 WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER. IT'S A REALLY GOOD LITTLE BOOK. 08:50 IT'S CALLED 'FEAST DAYS: SHADOWS OF OUR FAITH'. 08:54 IT'S WRITTEN BY DR. HERBERT DOUGLASS, WHO WE HAD SPEAKING 08:58 HERE JUST ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO. 09:01 IT'S NOT A VERY BIG BOOK BUT IT'S PUBLISHED BY AMAZING FACTS 09:04 AND LET ME JUST GIVE YOU THIS INFORMATION FIRST. 09:07 IT'S OFFER #810 AND IF YOU CONTACT AMAZING FACTS AT 09:13 1-866-STUDY-MORE - I'VE ALMOST GOT IT MEMORIZED, YOU SEE, I'M 09:18 LOOKING AWAY A LITTLE BIT HERE - 1-866-788-3966. YES, I GOT IT. 09:26 THEY WILL SEND YOU THIS BOOK ABSOLUTELY FREE. 09:30 WHAT IT DEALS WITH IS THE QUESTION - THERE'S PEOPLE FROM 09:33 TIME TO TIME - THEY'RE VERY SINCERE PEOPLE, BUT THEY SAY, 09:36 'YOU KNOW, IN ANCIENT TIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY KEPT THE PASSOVER AND 09:41 PENTECOST AND THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES AND SOME PEOPLE FEEL 09:45 WE NEED TO STILL BE DOING THAT. ACTUALLY, YOU DON'T, BECAUSE 09:51 JESUS WAS THE FULFILLMENT OF THOSE THINGS. 09:54 WE'RE ACTUALLY IN, NOW, THE ANTITYPICAL DAY OF ATONEMENT SO 09:58 THAT'S STILL BEING FULFILLED. AND WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN, THEN 10:01 WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE FULFILLED, JOYOUSLY, THE FEAST OF 10:04 TABERNACLES. BUT ANYWAY, THIS BOOK, IT WILL ANSWER ALL THOSE 10:07 QUESTIONS FOR YOU. SO IT'S OFFER #810, 'FEAST DAYS: 10:12 SHADOWS OF OUR FAITH' BY DR. HERBERT E. DOUGLASS. 10:18 AND SO, TODAY, WE'RE ON THE THIRD LESSON OF OUR THEME - OUR 10:22 NEW THEME THIS MONTH 'CHRIST AND HIS LAW'. 10:27 AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO - I ACTUALLY WANT TO - I DON'T OFTEN 10:31 READ SO MUCH FROM THE LESSON BOOK BUT I WANT TO DO THAT THIS 10:34 MORNING BECAUSE THE INTRODUCTION IS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND, YOU 10:39 KNOW, WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL WHEN SOMEBODY HAS ALREADY PUT IT 10:43 VERY NICELY. SO I WANT TO FIND THE BEGINNING OF LESSON #3 HERE. 10:48 IT'S CALLED 'CHRIST IN RELIGIOUS TRADITION'. AND I BEGIN WITH THE 10:52 MEMORY TEXT WHICH IS THERE, FROM MATTHEW 15:8 AND 9 - 10:58 KIND OF A SHORTENED VERSION. JESUS SAID, 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS 11:03 ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. 11:09 IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE 11:12 PRECEPTS OF MEN.' AND I'LL READ THE INTRO RIGHT HERE. 11:18 'JOHN WESLEY, THE FOUNDER OF THE METHODIST CHURCH, SUGGESTED THAT 11:23 ONE'S THEOLOGY IS INFLUENCED BY FOUR FACTORS: FAITH, REASON, 11:28 SCRIPTURE, AND TRADITION.' - THERE'S A PLACE FOR TRADITION. 11:32 THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO KEEP IN MIND HERE - 'HE DIDN'T MEAN, 11:36 HOWEVER, THAT ALL SIDES ARE EQUALLY AUTHORITATIVE. 11:41 HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE BIBLE WAS FOUNDATIONAL, BUT HE ALSO 11:44 RECOGNIZED THAT ONE'S INDIVIDUAL FAITH, ABILITY TO REASON, AND 11:48 RELIGIOUS TRADITION AFFECT THE WAY IN WHICH THE BIBLE IS 11:52 INTERPRETED. IF WESLEY WERE BROUGHT BACK TO 11:56 LIFE TODAY, HE WOULD BE SHOCKED TO DISCOVER THAT MANY MODERN 12:00 THEOLOGIANS IN THE WESLEYAN TRADITION AND OTHER TRADITIONS 12:04 AS WELL' - MAYBE EVEN INCLUDING OURS - 'NOW VALUE REASON, 12:10 TRADITION, OR PERSONAL OPINION OVER THE CLEAR TEACHING OF 12:16 SCRIPTURE.' - SO I HOPE YOU GOT THAT - 'THIS WEEK'S LESSON 12:20 INVESTIGATES THE RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS UPON WHICH THE 12:23 SCRIBES AND PHARISEES BASED MANY OF THEIR TEACHINGS. 12:28 THE RABBIS' - NOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT - 'THE RABBIS 12:31 WHO ORIGINALLY PENNED THESE TRADITIONS GREATLY RESPECTED THE 12:35 SCRIPTURES AND HAD NO INTENTION FOR THESE TRADITIONS TO BE 12:40 ELEVATED TO THE STATUS OF GOD'S WORD. 12:44 HOWEVER, SOME OF THEIR ZEALOUS DISCIPLES CONFUSED THE METHOD 12:48 WITH THE MESSAGE AND, IN DOING SO, SHIFTED THE FOCUS FROM GOD'S 12:51 WRITTEN REVELATION TO HUMAN TRADITION.' SO, THAT'S KIND OF 12:57 WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS MORNING. 12:58 IT HAPPENED THEN AND IT CAN AND IT IS HAPPENING NOW AND WE NEED 13:05 TO BE VERY CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T WALK IN THE SAME FOOTSTEPS OF 13:10 WELL-MEANING BUT, NONETHELESS, MISLED AND CONFUSED SCRIBES AND 13:15 PHARISEES. SUNDAY'S LESSON - 'THE SEED OF 13:19 MOSES' - I'M GOING TO READ BEGINNING IN MATTHEW 23 AND, I 13:25 MUST CONFESS, I DIDN'T TAKE TIME TO ASSIGN ANY SCRIPTURE READING 13:28 SO IT'S MOSTLY GOING TO BE ME. I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND BUT YOU'RE 13:33 USED TO SUFFERING THAT BEFORE, AREN'T YOU MIKE? 13:35 SO, MATTHEW 23, VERSES 1 THROUGH 7. 13:40 I WANT US TO READ THIS WHOLE PASSAGE HERE, FIRST OF ALL. 13:44 MATTHEW 23, VERSES 1 THROUGH 7, "THEN SPAKE JESUS TO THE 13:50 MULTITUDE, AND TO HIS DISCIPLES, SAYING, 'THE SCRIBES AND THE 13:55 PHARISEES SIT IN MOSES' SEAT:" - ACTUALLY, I'LL STOP THERE AND 14:00 COMMENT ON IT. JESUS SAID, 'THE SCRIBES AND THE 14:03 PHARISEES THEY SIT IN MOSES' SEAT' WHICH - AND HE WASN'T 14:08 TRYING TO TAKE AWAY THAT AUTHORITY. 14:11 HE DID RECOGNIZE THAT THEY DID SIT IN THAT PARTICULAR PLACE OF 14:15 AUTHORITY, BUT HIS PROBLEM WAS WITH HOW THEY ACTUALLY EXERCISED 14:19 THAT AUTHORITY AND HOW THEY USED IT TO DISTORTED ENDS. 14:25 BUT, NONETHELESS, TO SIT IN MOSES' SEAT - IT WAS A WAY OF 14:30 SAYING THAT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE, SUPPOSED TO BE 14:33 AT LEAST, THE OFFICIAL INTERPRETER OF THE LAW OF MOSES 14:39 AND PEOPLE LOOKED TO THEM FOR THIS AND THIS IS WHY, IN MANY 14:42 WAYS, THEY WERE OFTEN MISLED. BUT THEN JESUS, IN THE NEXT 14:46 VERSE, AFTER HE SAYS THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES SIT IN MOSES' 14:51 SEAT, IN THE NEXT VERSE - VERSE 3 14:54 JESUS SAID, "ALL THEREFORE WHATSOEVER THEY BID YOU OBSERVE, 14:58 THAT OBSERVE AND DO;" - SO WHEN JESUS WAS TELLING THE PEOPLE 15:05 THEY SIT IN MOSES' SEAT AND WHATEVER THEY TELL YOU OBSERVE 15:07 AND DO, THERE'S A CONTEXT TO THAT. 15:10 JESUS WAS SAYING, 'WHATEVER THEY TELL YOU THAT IS BASED ON THE 15:15 TEN COMMANDMENT LAW AND ON THE LAW OF MOSES - AND THE LAW OF 15:20 MOSES WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW. 15:23 GOD, HIMSELF, SPOKE THAT LAW. HE WROTE IT ON TABLES OF STONE. 15:27 HE GAVE IT TO MOSES. WHAT WAS KNOWN AS 'THE LAW OF 15:32 MOSES' WAS INSTRUCTIONS THAT GOD DICTATED TO MOSES WHEN MOSES WAS 15:35 UP ON THE MOUNT. IN ALL TOLD, THERE'S ABOUT 613 15:41 LAWS WHICH COME UNDER THIS GENERAL HEADING OF THE LAW OF 15:46 MOSES AND IT COVERED ALL KINDS OF THINGS FROM, YOU KNOW, 15:50 DIETARY LAWS, HYGIENE, THERE WAS A PENAL CODE THERE, THE TEMPLE 15:56 SERVICES, COMMERCE, SOCIAL INTERACTION, LAWS WHICH GOVERNED 16:03 MARRIAGE AND ALL THESE KINDS OF THINGS. 16:06 THOSE CAME UNDER THE GENERAL HEADING OF THE LAW OF MOSES. 16:11 SO JESUS WAS SAYING, 'WHEN THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES READ THESE 16:15 THINGS, YES, YOU NEED TO LISTEN.' BUT, HAVING SAID THAT, 16:20 IN THE NEXT BREATH - IN VERSE 3 - JESUS TELLS US THIS - WE'RE 16:25 STILL IN MATTHEW 23, VERSE 3 - BUT THEN HE SAYS, "BUT DO NOT YE 16:32 AFTER THEIR WORKS: FOR THEY SAY AND DO NOT." 16:35 SO IT SAYS THEY SIT IN MOSES' SEAT. 16:37 WHAT THEY TELL YOU OBSERVE AND DO BUT DON'T FOLLOW THEIR 16:40 EXAMPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD AT SPOUTING OFF AND PREACHING BUT 16:44 THEY DON'T LIVE OUT WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING THAT 16:48 IS IN THE WORD OF GOD - THE TEN COMMANDMENT AND THE LAW OF 16:52 MOSES. IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS VERY CLEARLY, FOR GOOD REASON, 16:55 CONDEMNED THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES AS HYPOCRITES. 17:01 YOU KNOW WHAT A HYPOCRITE MEANS? IT'S FROM THE GREEK WORD 17:03 HIPPOCRATES - IT MEANS 'AN ACTOR'. AND IT'S NOT ALL MEN, 17:07 THERE'S ACTRESSES AS WELL, BY THE WAY. BUT IT MEANS SOMEBODY 17:11 WHO IS JUST AN ACTOR. SO IT SAYS, 'DON'T DO WHAT THEY DO, 17:16 EVEN THOUGH THEY DEMAND THAT YOU DO CERTAIN THINGS. 17:20 DON'T FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE.' BUT IT GETS A LITTLE WORSE THAN 17:24 THIS, YOU SEE, THE HYPOCRISY OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WAS 17:30 ALSO EQUALED BY ANOTHER DISAGREEABLE PRACTICE THAT JESUS 17:34 ALSO ADDRESSED AND CONDEMNED. WE'RE STILL IN MATTHEW 17:37 CHAPTER 23, VERSE 4. SPEAKING OF THE SCRIBES AND 17:42 PHARISEES HE SAYS, "FOR THEY BIND HEAVY BURDENS AND GRIEVOUS 17:46 TO BE BORNE, AND LAY THEM ON MEN'S SHOULDERS; BUT THEY 17:50 THEMSELVES WILL NOT MOVE THEM WITH ONE OF THEIR FINGERS." 17:55 NOW HERE, JESUS IS NOT REFERRING TO GOD'S LAW - THE TEN 17:58 COMMANDMENT LAW OR THE LAW OF MOSES - HE'S TALKING ABOUT A 18:02 WHOLE COLLECTION OF WHAT WERE CALLED 'RABBINICAL LAWS' KNOWN 18:05 AS 'THE MISHNAH' AND THERE WAS MORE THAN 613 OF THIS. 18:10 I MEAN, THERE WAS JUST A WHOLE HOST OF MAN-MADE RULES AND 18:14 REGULATIONS THAT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS INSISTED SHOULD BE 18:21 ACCEPTED BY THE PEOPLE AND OBEYED. 18:25 SO THIS IS WHERE THE TRADITION SIDE COMES IN, WHICH IS VERY, 18:29 VERY DESTRUCTIVE TO THE TRUE WORSHIP OF GOD WHICH SHOULD BE 18:33 JOYOUS AND UPLIFTING AND IT LED THE PEOPLE INTO LEGALISM. 18:39 YOU KNOW, LEGALISM - THE LORD SAYS - ELLEN WHITE SAYS 18:42 'LEGALISM - THAT KIND OF RELIGION IS A TROUBLESOME 18:45 GUEST.' AND IT IS BECAUSE IT JUST SOAKS ALL THE JOY AND ALL 18:52 THE FULFILLMENT AND JUST THE SATISFACTION THAT GOD WANTS US 18:58 TO GET OUT OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, LEGALISM JUST - JUST 19:02 SUCKS IT ALL OUT AND YOU'RE LEFT WITH A HOLLOW SHELL AND PEOPLE 19:05 ARE LEFT BELIEVING 'I'VE GOT TO DO THIS LITTLE, TINY THING. 19:08 AND I MUST DO THIS LITTLE TINY THING, AND THEN THIS LITTLE TINY 19:12 THING TO HAVE FAVOR IN GOD'S EYES.' 19:16 NOW, AND THEN, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL SECURE FOR ME ETERNAL LIFE 19:20 WHEN THIS LIFE IS ALL FINISHED.' WELL, I'M SURE YOU'LL AGREE THAT 19:26 THAT KIND OF RELIGION IS INDEED A TROUBLESOME GUEST. 19:29 AND I'M GOING TO RETURN TO THIS IN A MOMENT - THE MISHNAH AND 19:32 THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES - ALL THESE LITTLE MINUTE - I'M GOING 19:35 TO COME TO THAT IN A MOMENT. SO ALL THIS WAS BAD ENOUGH, BUT 19:40 THE GREATER AND MORE GRIEVOUS OFFENSIVENESS OF THE PHARISEES 19:47 IN GOD'S EYES - IT JUST GET WORSE, DOESN'T IT REALLY? 19:48 THE GREATER AND THE MORE GRIEVOUS AND THE OFFENSIVENESS 19:52 OF THE PHARISEES IN GOD'S EYES WAS THAT THEY HAD THIS OUTWARD 19:57 DISPLAY OF PIETY - JUST DISPLAY OF PIETY AND HOLINESS THAT THEY 20:04 PARADED PUBLICLY BEFORE EVERYBODY. 20:09 BUT INSIDE, WHEN YOU GOT BEHIND THAT EXTERIOR AND IT WAS JUST A 20:14 VERY THIN VENEER, THEIR HEARTS WERE PROUD AND VAIN AND HARD AND 20:20 SELFISH AND CORRUPT. AND, BY THE WAY, WE CAN HAVE THE 20:26 SAME HEARTS AS PHARISEES, BUT THIS IS ONE REASON WHY, ONE 20:29 TIME, JESUS CALLED THEM 'WHITED SEPULCHERS'. 20:31 HE SAID, 'YOU'RE JUST LIKE WHITE-WASHED SEPULCHERS'. 20:34 HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK ALL NICE AND WHITE ON THE OUTSIDE - 20:37 YOU MAY HAVE A FEW LITTLE FLOWERS THERE TO GARNISH THE 20:39 TOMB - BUT INSIDE' - HE SAID - 'YOU'RE FULL OF UNCLEANNESS AND 20:45 DEAD-MEN'S BONES.' VERY GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION HERE. 20:51 MATTHEW 23 STILL - I WANT TO READ VERSES 5 THROUGH 7. 20:56 HERE'S WHERE JESUS IS STILL GOING AT THEM HERE. 21:00 THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THEM - VERSE 5 - ABOUT SCRIBES AND 21:04 PHARISEES. HE SAYS, "BUT ALL THEIR WORKS 21:06 THEY DO FOR TO BE SEEN OF MEN: THEY MAKE BROAD THEIR 21:11 PHYLACTERIES," - I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW, BUT FOR ANYBODY NEW A 21:15 PHYLACTERY WAS SOMETHING THE SUPER ULTRA RELIGIOUS PERSON 21:21 WOULD WEAR - LIKE A LITTLE BOX - PUT IT ON HIS HEAD OR ON HIS 21:24 WRIST AND THERE WAS A PORTION OF GOD'S LAW IN THERE. 21:28 THEY TOOK A PASSAGE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT - STARTED IT - AND 21:34 THEY WORE IT ON THERE. BUT THEY WERE SO LEGALISTIC YOU 21:36 DIDN'T WEAR IT ON SABBATH BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE LIKE 21:38 CARRYING A BURDEN - OR ON FEAST DAYS. 21:41 BUT THEY WOULD WEAR THESE PHYLACTERIES TO BE SEEN, YOU 21:44 KNOW, 'SEE ME', YOU KNOW, 'SEE MY NEW PHYLACTERY - 21:49 ONE AT THE FRONT, ONE AT THE BACK', YOU KNOW? GOD HATES THAT 21:54 KIND OF PRETENSE. LET'S GET BACK HERE. AND WHAT ELSE? 22:02 "THEY MAKE LARGE THEIR PHYLACTERIES AND ENLARGE THE 22:05 BORDERS OF THEIR GARMENTS," - THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WOULD 22:13 HAVE THESE TASSELS OR FRINGES WHICH HUNG FROM THE BOTTOM OF 22:18 THEIR ROBES AND THE BIGGER THE TASSEL IT WAS A SIGNAL, YOU 22:21 KNOW, THAT YOU WERE PIOUS - EVEN MORE PIOUS AND RIGHTEOUS - EVEN 22:27 BEYOND THE LAW - AND FAR MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN OTHER MEN AND 22:31 WOMEN. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THEIR 22:34 ROBES WITH THEIR PHYLACTERIES ON THEM, YOU KNOW, 'SEE MY' - I'M 22:37 SORRY - 'WITH MY FRINGES ON THEM.' I MEAN, WE MAY LAUGH, YOU 22:42 KNOW, BUT THAT WAS THE MIND SET IN THOSE DAYS. 22:47 AND WE, SITTING HERE IN THIS CHURCH IN THE 21ST 22:51 CENTURY, WE MIGHT LOOK AND THINK 'HOW COULD THOSE PEOPLE BE SO 22:55 BLINKERED AND BLIND?' BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PEOPLE LIKE 23:00 THEY WERE AND MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T SEE BUT 23:05 OUR CHILDREN MIGHT SEE OR SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT SEE. 23:07 SO EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T APPROVE OF WHAT THEY DID, LET'S JUST BE 23:11 CAREFUL ABOUT SITTING IN JUDGMENT ON SOME OF THESE PEOPLE 23:14 SOMETIMES BECAUSE WE'RE STILL A BUNCH OF WORK OURSELVES. 23:18 SO LET US LEARN FROM THESE THINGS. 23:22 AND VERSE 6 HERE, "AND LOVE THE UPPERMOST ROOMS" - THAT MEANS 23:29 THE HIGHEST POSITIONS OF HONOR - "AT FEASTS, AND THE CHIEF SEATS 23:33 IN THE SYNAGOGUES, AND GREETINGS IN THE MARKETS, AND TO BE CALLED 23:37 OF MEN, RABBI, RABBI." NOW, WHEN THE TERM 'RABBI' CAME 23:43 OUT THERE WAS THE PERSONAL PRONOUN ATTACHED TO IT. 23:47 ORIGINALLY IT MEANT - IT MEANT, 'MY GREAT ONE' YOU KNOW. 23:52 'YOU ARE MY GREAT ONE' OR 'MY GREAT TEACHER'. 23:57 SO YOU CAN IMAGINE A RABBI THERE WITH HIS PHYLACTERY AND HIS BIG 24:01 LONG FRINGES AND HE'S AT A FEAST AND HE GETS, YOU KNOW, A SPECIAL 24:06 SEAT AND THERE'S PEOPLE COMING UP AND THEY SAY, 'OH, MY RABBI, 24:09 MY GREAT ONE'. WELL, WHO NEEDS THAT? 24:16 HUMAN BEINGS - EVEN IF IT WAS ALL TRUE, THAT THEY WERE 24:19 RIGHTEOUS, WHO NEEDS PRAISE? WE DON'T NEED PRAISE, DO WE? 24:24 WE'RE ALREADY PROUD ENOUGH. BUT THERE'S WHAT THESE MEN WERE 24:28 LIKE AND RIGHTLY SO IT GAVE JESUS - IT WAS A PROBLEM. 24:35 YOU COMPARE THAT TO PHILIPPIANS 2 - I WANT TO TURN THERE VERY 24:39 QUICKLY - TO PHILIPPIANS 2 - WHERE WE SEE THE COMPARISON HERE 24:44 BETWEEN THEM AND JESUS. PHILIPPIANS 2 - THIS IS 24:49 SOMETHING WE SHOULD READ EVERY DAY. PHILIPPIANS 2 - WE'RE GOING 24:54 TO READ FROM VERSE 3. IT SAYS, "LET NOTHING BE DONE 24:58 THROUGH STRIFE OR VAINGLORY; BUT IN LOWLINESS OF MIND LET 25:05 EACH ESTEEM OTHERS BETTER THAN THEMSELVES." 25:10 DOWN TO VERSE 5 - IT SAYS, "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS 25:15 ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS: WHO, BEING IN THE FORM OF GOD, THOUGHT IT 25:19 NOT ROBBERY TO BE EQUAL WITH GOD: BUT MADE HIMSELF OF NO 25:26 REPUTATION, AND TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT, AND WAS 25:30 MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN: AND BEING FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN, 25:35 HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, EVEN THE 25:40 DEATH OF THE CROSS." SO YOU COMPARE THE PHARISEES TO JESUS. 25:45 NOW, IF ANYBODY HAD A RIGHT TO HAVE LONG TASSELS ON HIS ROBE 25:51 YOU'D SAY JESUS DID. OR TO HAVE THE SEAT OF HONOR AT 25:53 A FEAST - JESUS CERTAINLY DESERVED IT. 25:57 BUT HE SHUNNED THAT. BUT THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE 26:00 BETWEEN THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES AND CHRIST. 26:02 AND WHICH MIND DO YOU WANT? IT SAYS HERE, 'LET THIS MIND BE' 26:07 - I WANT THE MIND OF JESUS, I DON'T WANT THE MIND OF THE 26:09 SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES. AND I WANT A MIND THAT'S OPEN TO 26:15 THE TEACHINGS OF GOD'S WORD AND THE PROMPTINGS OF THE HOLY 26:18 SPIRIT SO THAT IF GOD NEEDS TO TELL ME, 'MICHAEL, YOU KNOW, 26:22 YOU'RE A BIT OF A TRADITIONALIST. 26:24 YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE THING GOING OVER HERE AND YOU'RE SO BLIND 26:26 YOU CAN'T SEE IT.' I WANT TO HEAR GOD'S VOICE AND I WANT TO 26:29 KNOW THAT. AND THROUGH HIS GRACE I WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM THAT 26:33 BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE A CLEAR PATH FOR MY FEET. 26:36 BUT THE PROBLEM IS, YOU SEE, WHEN WE'RE HOOKED ON TRADITION 26:41 AS THEY WERE, THE LIGHT BECOMES DARKNESS. 26:45 ON MONDAY'S SECTION - AND I'M GOING TO READ THE FIRST - I'M 26:54 GOING TO READ AGAIN, ACTUALLY, FROM OUR LESSON HERE. 26:57 IT SAYS - YEAH, I SAID I'D GET BACK TO THE MISHNAH, YOU KNOW, 27:01 ALL THOSE BOOKS WITH ALL THOSE LITTLE THINGS HERE. 27:04 MONDAY'S SECTION 'HUMAN COMMANDMENTS' - 27:06 I'M GOING TO READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH. 27:08 IT SAYS, "ALTHOUGH THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES SAT IN MOSES' 27:11 SEAT, THEIR SOURCE OF AUTHORITY FOR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION 27:16 EXTENDED BEYOND THE OLD TESTAMENT. 27:19 THE LAW THAT THE PHARISEES UTILIZED CONSISTED OF BIBLICAL 27:24 INTERPRETATIONS OF LEADING RABBIS." 27:26 - AND WE DID MENTION THIS - "THEIR INTERPRETATIONS WERE NOT 27:30 INTENDED TO REPLACE THE SCRIPTURE, BUT TO COMPLEMENT 27:34 THEM. AT FIRST THEY WERE CIRCULATED ORALLY. 27:38 LATER, THE SCRIBES BEGAN TO ASSEMBLE THEM INTO BOOKS. 27:42 THE FIRST OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF RABBINICAL LAW DID NOT APPEAR 27:46 UNTIL THE END OF THE SECOND CENTURY AD, WHEN RABBI YAHUDA, A 27:53 PRINCE IN JUDAH, PUBLISHED THE MISHNAH." THAT'S HOW THE WORD 27:55 CAME ABOUT - "THE LAWS RECORDED IN THE MISHNAH REFLECTED ABOUT 27:59 FOUR CENTURIES OF RABBINIC INTERPRETATION. 28:03 INCLUDED AMONG THE CONTRIBUTING RABBIS ARE MANY WHO HAVE LIVED - 28:07 WERE MANY WHO LIVED AT THE TIME OF JESUS." - AND IT MENTIONS 28:11 HILLEL AND SHAMMAI. THERE WAS ALSO GAMALIEL, 28:14 THE GRANDSON OF HILEL AND ALSO PAUL'S TEACHER. 28:17 AND SOMETIMES THESE RABBIS THEY WOULD - THEY'D GET THE MISHNAH 28:22 AND THEY'D DEBATE CERTAIN THINGS. 28:26 I IMAGINE PEOPLE SAT AROUND LISTENING TO THESE GREAT MINDS, 28:29 YOU KNOW, THESE GREAT MEN WHO WERE SO VERSED IN THE MISHNAH, 28:33 JUST KIND OF BEING AWED. WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE TIME THERE 28:37 WAS A FACE-OFF BETWEEN TWO - FACE-OFF BETWEEN TWO LEADING 28:41 RABBIS WHO WERE ARGUING THIS POINT: WAS IT LAWFUL TO EAT AN 28:49 EGG ON SABBATH - WAS IT LAWFUL TO EAT AN EGG THAT A CHICKEN HAD 28:55 LAID ON SABBATH? YOU WANT A SHOW OF HANDS? 28:58 BY THE WAY, WHO'S - NO, WE WON'T GO THERE BUT CAN 29:03 YOU IMAGINE THAT? TWO GREAT MINDS DEBATING 'IS IT 29:07 LAWFUL TO EAT AN EGG LAID BY A CHICKEN ON THE SABBATH?' 29:13 WELL, YOU CAN FIGURE THAT ONE OUT YOURSELF. BUT I'M JUST USING 29:20 THAT TO SHOW YOU HOW RIDICULOUS THIS WHOLE SYSTEM BECAME. 29:26 SO WE ARE CREATURES OF TRADITION - REMEMBER, IN THE 29:31 BEGINNING I MENTIONED THAT WESLEY SAID THERE WERE FOUR 29:34 THINGS: THERE WAS THE WORD OF GOD, THERE WAS FAITH AND THERE 29:36 WAS OUR TRADITIONS AND OUR TRADITIONS DO COME INTO PLAY AND 29:40 THEY'RE PERFECTLY FINE PROVIDED THEY DON'T SUPERCEDE THE WORD OF 29:44 GOD. IT'S PERFECTLY FINE TO DO THAT. 29:50 FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A TRADITION. 29:54 I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DID IT, BUT WHEN OUR LITTLE GIRLS WERE 29:57 YOUNGER, WHEN SUNDOWN CAME WE WOULD - WE'D LIGHT A CANDLE. 30:01 NOW, YOU MIGHT THINK, 'OH, THAT'S VERY CATHOLIC PASTOR 30:04 MIKE.' WELL, WE DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. 30:06 WE DID IT FOR A COUPLE - A LITTLE TRADITION - 30:08 LITTLE GIRLS LIKE TO LIGHT A CANDLE. 30:10 LAST NIGHT - I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT. 30:13 I SEE SOME FROWNS ALREADY - BUT LAST NIGHT DEBBIE AND ERIC CAME 30:17 AROUND WITH JACK AND WEEMO AND WE WERE SINGING SOME LITTLE 30:19 SONGS FOR WORSHIP - 'THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE' - AND ONE OF OUR 30:22 TRADITIONS IS - WE HAVE A COUPLE OF - THEY'RE ACTUALLY BATTERY 30:26 OPERATED - YOU FLICK THEM ON - BUT THEY LOOK LIKE CANDLES, YOU 30:28 KNOW? SO THEY GET THIS LITTLE CANDLE 30:30 AND THEY'RE WALKING AROUND THE COUCH. 'THIS LITTLE LIGHT 30:33 OF MINE, I'M GOING' - SO THAT'S A LITTLE TRADITION WE HAVE. 30:37 ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT? OH, THAT'S A RELIEF. 30:40 GOOD - NO, NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. 30:42 SO, YOU SEE, LITTLE TRADITIONS LIKE THAT ARE PERFECTLY FINE. 30:46 YOU MAY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A TRADITION, LADIES, YOU MAY DO 30:52 THE - IF YOU'VE GOT ANY BAKING TO DO FOR SABBATH YOU MAY DO IT 30:55 ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY MORNING. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 30:58 MAYBE THERE'S A CERTAIN DRESS OR A CERTAIN PAIR OF SHOES YOU LIKE 31:05 TO WEAR ON SABBATH. THAT'S FINE - NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. 31:07 SO, YOU UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE TRADITIONS 31:10 AND THEY'RE PERFECTLY FINE. 31:12 AND, BY THE WAY, I WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTION THIS: 31:16 IN VOLUME 6 OF 'THE TESTIMONIES' - IF YOU DON'T HAVE THESE BOOKS 31:21 YOU SHOULD GET THEM - THERE IS A SECTION CALLED, 'THE OBSERVANCE 31:25 OF THE SABBATH' AND IT GOES ON FOR SEVERAL PAGES, BUT I WANT TO 31:31 ENCOURAGE YOU - IF I MAY GIVE YOU AN ASSIGNMENT. 31:36 IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT IN A WHILE, GO TO VOLUME 6 OF THE 31:39 TESTIMONIES AND READ THE CHAPTER 'THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH'. 31:43 IT BEGINS ON PAGE 349 AND YOU MAY FIND SOME THINGS IN THERE 31:47 THAT, AS YOU'RE PREPARING FOR THE SABBATH, MAYBE WOULD BE GOOD 31:52 THINGS TO BECOME TRADITIONAL IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU DO ON FRIDAY 31:56 SO THAT WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, YOU'RE ALL READY. 32:00 IT SAYS HERE ON PAGE 353, "ALL THROUGH THE WEEK WE ARE TO HAVE 32:07 THE SABBATH IN MIND." - THERE'S A TRADITION YOU CAN HAVE. 32:10 ALL THROUGH THE WEEK YOU CAN HAVE THE SABBATH IN MIND. - "BE 32:14 MAKING PREPARATION TO KEEP IT ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT." 32:18 SO THAT TRADITION DOES NOT EXCEED THE COMMANDMENT. 32:21 THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT SAYS, 'YOU MUST KEEP HOLY THE 32:23 SIXTH DAY' BUT THE SIXTH DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO HAVE SOME 32:27 TRADITION SO THAT YOU'RE READY WHEN THE SEVENTH DAY COMES - 32:31 EVERYTHING'S DONE. SO THERE'S GOOD TRADITIONS. 32:36 SO THAT WHEN THE SABBATH COMES WE'RE READY TO ENTER INTO THAT 32:38 VERY PRECIOUS AND WONDERFUL TIME OF REST. 32:42 OKAY, TO REPEAT AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THE 32:51 JEWISH TRADITIONS BEGAN TO BE GIVEN EQUAL STATUS UNTIL THEY 32:57 WERE GIVEN EQUALITY WITH THE LAW ITSELF AND BECAME BINDING UPON 33:02 THEM. I'M GOING BACK TO MATTHEW - 33:05 I'M GOING TO MATTHEW 15 NOW, ACTUALLY. LET'S GO TO MATTHEW 15 33:10 TO LOOK AT A PRIME EXAMPLE HERE. MATTHEW 15 - I'M GOING TO READ 33:16 THE FIRST TWO VERSES. AND THIS WHOLE THING, YOU'LL 33:20 FIND IT ALSO IN MARK 7 - IT'S A BIT MORE DETAILED IN 33:23 MARK 7 IN SOME WAYS, BUT THIS IS JUST AS WELL. 33:28 MATTHEW 15, VERSES 1 AND 2, "THEN CAME TO JESUS SCRIBES AND 33:33 PHARISEES, WHICH WERE OF JERUSALEM, SAYING, 'WHY DO THY 33:39 DISCIPLES TRANSGRESS THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS? 33:42 FOR THEY WASH NOT THEIR HANDS WHEN THEY EAT BREAD.'" AH, 'WHY 33:50 DO YOUR DISCIPLES TRANSGRESS THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS?' - 33:55 SPEAKING OF 'YOUR DISCIPLES, THEY'RE VIOLATING CERTAIN 33:59 PRECEPTS IN THE MISHNAH - THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE - THEY 34:03 DON'T WASH THEIR HANDS BEFORE THEY EAT BREAD.' WELL, YOU KNOW, 34:08 IT'S NOT A BAD THING TO WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU EAT, 34:10 IS IT? BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HYGIENE IN THIS KIND 34:15 OF HAND WASHING HERE THAT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE 34:20 ACCUSING JESUS' DISCIPLES OF NOT DOING - NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. 34:27 THEIR MIND SET - IT WAS A TRADITIONAL KIND OF HAND WASHING 34:30 THAT JUST EXCEEDED THE BOUNDS OF RATIONALITY AND PRACTICABILITY 34:35 AND IF YOU WANT SOME DETAILS ON THAT I'LL READ THEM TO YOU. 34:39 THIS IS WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. 34:41 THIS IS FROM THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BIBLE COMMENTARY 34:43 PAGE 622, "THE WASHING HERE REFERRED TO 34:50 WAS STRICTLY RITUALISTIC, NOT SANITARY. 34:54 THIS RITE IS SAID TO HAVE CONSISTED OF POURING" - NOW 34:58 LISTEN TO THIS - "A SMALL QUANTITY OF WATER UPON THE 35:01 FINGERS AND PALM OF FIRST ONE HAND" - A LITTLE BIT OF WATER ON 35:05 THE FINGERS AND JUST ON THE PALM OF ONE HAND - "AND THEN THE 35:09 OTHER HAND, TILTED SO THAT THE WATER RAN FROM THE PALM TO THE 35:13 WRIST." CAN YOU REMEMBER THAT? 35:16 OH, YOU'VE GOT TO GET THIS RIGHT, NOW - "TILTED SO THAT THE 35:20 WATER RAN FROM THE PALM OF THE HAND TO THE WRIST BUT NOT 35:23 FURTHER" - OKAY - "BUT ALL THE TIME TAKING CARE LEST THE WATER 35:28 RUN BACK INTO THE PALM." - SO HE HAD TO KIND OF DO - DO 35:31 THIS KIND OF THING WITH HIS WATER HERE IN YOUR WRIST. 35:36 ALRIGHT? - "AND THEN, ALTERNATIVELY 35:39 RUBBING ONE HAND WITH THE PALM OF THE OTHER. 35:43 THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF WATER PRESCRIBED WAS THAT WHICH COULD 35:47 BE CONTAINED IN ONE AND A HALF EGGSHELLS. 35:51 IT SEEMS, HOWEVER, THAT WHERE WATER WAS NOT AVAILABLE, A DRY 35:55 ABLUTION WAS PERMITTED, IN WHICH A PERSON WOULD SIMPLY GO THROUGH 35:59 THE MOTIONS OF WASHING HIS HANDS IN THE PRESCRIBED MANNER." 36:05 SO WHEN THEY CAME TO JESUS AND SAID, 'YOUR DISCIPLES ARE EATING 36:10 WITH UNWASHED HANDS.' IT WAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GETTING BUGS 36:12 OFF, IT WAS NOT PUTTING A LITTLE DROP ON THE FINGERS OR IN THE 36:17 PALM AND DOING THIS AND THEN ON THE OTHER ONE AND - SO JESUS WAS 36:23 VERY PATIENT, WASN'T HE? VERY PATIENT - VERY PATIENT INDEED. 36:32 BUT THEN - OKAY, LET ME GET BACK TO THIS HERE. 36:37 SO JESUS WAS FRUSTRATED ENOUGH AND THEN JESUS GIVES AN EXAMPLE 36:41 OF HOW ANOTHER TRADITION OF THE PHARISEES COULD BE INVOKED TO 36:47 SUPERCEDE THE AUTHORITY OF GOD'S LAW AGAIN, THIS TIME THE FIFTH 36:52 COMMANDMENT. THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT IS 'HONOR 36:55 THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER' WHICH IS IN EXODUS 20, BUT WE GO BACK 37:00 AGAIN TO MATTHEW 15, PICKING UP HERE VERSES 4 THROUGH 6. 37:09 SO JESUS, YOU KNOW, HE - A LITTLE FURTHER ON IN THE PASSAGE 37:13 HE TELLS THEM, 'LOOK, EATING WITH UNWASHED HANDS IS NOT A 37:15 PROBLEM.' BUT HE LEAVES THAT UNTIL FURTHER IN HIS DISCUSSION 37:18 WITH THE PHARISEES. BUT HE GOES ON TO VERSE 4 AND HE 37:22 SAYS THE FOLLOWING: HE SAYS, "FOR GOD COMMANDED, SAYING, 37:28 'HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER: AND HE THAT CURSETH FATHER OR 37:32 MOTHER, LET HIM DIE THE DEATH.'" - SO HE QUOTES THE 37:37 FIFTH COMMANDMENT TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES. 37:39 THEN HE LOOKED AT THEM AND HE SAYS, "BUT YE SAY, 'WHOSOEVER 37:42 SHALL SAY TO THIS FATHER OR HIS MOTHER, 'IT IS A GIFT,'" - WE'LL 37:46 EXPLAIN THAT IN A MOMENT - "'IT IS A GIFT BY WHATSOEVER THOU 37:49 MIGHTEST BE PROFITED BY ME; AND HONOR NOT HIS FATHER OR HIS 37:54 MOTHER, HE SHALL BE FREE. THUS HAVE YE MADE THE 37:58 COMMANDMENT OF GOD OF NONE EFFECT BY YOUR TRADITION.'" WHAT 38:01 JESUS IS TELLING THEM HERE IS, 'OKAY, YOU'VE GOT YOUR HAND 38:05 WASHING THING, BUT MORE THAN THIS' - HE SAYS - 'YOU ALSO' - 38:08 HE SAYS - 'YOU NOT ONLY BREAK THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD' - BUT HE 38:12 SAID - 'YOU ACTUALLY DO AWAY WITH IT. 38:14 YOU TRY AND GET AROUND IT WITH THIS THING THAT YOU'VE COME UP 38:16 WITH.' AND THIS IS WHAT IT AMOUNTED TO. 38:19 THERE MAY BE A YOUNG MAN LIVING IN THE HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S 38:22 MAYBE GOT FREE ROOM AND BOARD AND ONCE IN A WHILE HE NEEDS TO 38:25 PAY HIS PARENTS SOMETHING. MAYBE HE NEEDED TO GET A JOB AS WELL. 38:31 AND SO HE HAS A FEW SHEKELS IN HIS POCKET AND IT'S ONLY RIGHT 38:34 THAT HE GIVES IT TO HIS MOM AND DAD AND HE GETS THE MONEY IN HIS 38:38 HAND AND HE COMES TO HIS MOM AND DAD AND HE SAYS, 'KORBAN'. 38:43 AND AS SOON AS THE WORDS WENT OUT OF HIS MOUTH 'KORBAN' IT 38:46 MEANS THAT THIS MONEY IS NOW DEDICATED TO THE TEMPLE. 38:50 SO MOM AND DAD, I KNOW I OWE THIS TO YOU, BUT I CAN'T GIVE IT 38:54 TO YOU. IT BELONGS TO THE TEMPLE NOW. BUT WHILE HE STILL HAD 38:59 POSSESSION OF THAT MONEY HE COULD USE IT. 39:03 AND SO THE PRIESTS, WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO UPHOLD THE LAW, 39:10 SITTING IN MOSES' SEAT, THEY HONORED THIS TRADITION SO THAT 39:14 THEY COULD WORK OUT A DEAL WITH A YOUNG GUY LIKE THIS AND SAY, 39:17 'TELL YOUR PARENTS IT'S KORBAN - IT'S FOR THE TEMPLE. 39:22 GIVE US HALF - YOU KEEP THE OTHER HALF AND WHILE YOU STILL 39:24 HAVE SOME LEFT, IT'S OKAY. SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW JESUS 39:27 WAS SO INCENSED THAT THEY WOULD TAKE - THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT, 39:31 IN THIS INSTANCE - AND FIND A WAY AROUND IT. 39:35 TALK ABOUT HYPOCRISY. WAS HYPOCRITES A GOOD TERM TO 39:39 USE? ABSOLUTELY IT WAS. 39:45 YOU COULD - IF YOU HAVE AN SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY, IF YOU GO TO 39:48 VOLUME 5, PAGE 624, YOU COULD READ ABOUT THAT THERE AS WELL. 39:53 BUT CONTINUING BACK IN MATTHEW 15, VERSES 7 THROUGH 9 - AND 40:00 HERE, HE JUST TELLS THEM - HE SAYS, "YE HYPOCRITES, WELL DID 40:07 ESAIAS PROPHESY OF YOU SAYING, 'THIS PEOPLE DRAWETH NIGH UNTO 40:12 ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONORETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS; BUT 40:16 THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN THEY DO WORSHIP ME, 40:21 TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN." 40:26 AND SO, AFTER REBUKING THEIR EXALTING OF HUMAN TRADITION OVER 40:34 THE WORD OF GOD, JESUS CUTS THROUGH ALL THE SHALLOW, 40:36 PHARISAICAL NONSENSE AND ALL THE OBSESSING OVER HAND WASHING AND 40:41 THE LIKE, TO FOCUS ON WHERE THE REAL PROBLEM LAY IN THE HEARTS 40:45 OF THE PHARISEES. AND OUR HEARTS TOO IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL. 40:50 IT'S NOTHING TO DO WITH UNWASHED HANDS, THE PROBLEM IS UNWASHED 40:53 HEARTS, THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES - UNWASHED HEARTS - EVIL 41:00 HEARTS. SOMETHING THAT ALL THE RITUALISTIC OUTWARD WASHINGS IN 41:06 THE WORLD CAN NEVER CLEANSE AWAY OR CURE. MATTHEW 15:16 41:15 THROUGH 20 - LET'S GO HERE - AND HE SAYS - HE KIND OF SUMS UP 41:19 HERE, AND JESUS SAID, 'ARE YOU ALSO YET WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING? 41:24 DO NOT YE YET UNDERSTAND, THAT WHATSOEVER ENTERETH IN AT THE 41:27 MOUTH'" - LIKE EATING WITH UNWASHED HANDS - "'GOETH INTO 41:30 THE BELLY, AND IS CAST OUT INTO THE DRAUGHT?'" - 41:32 HE SAID THOSE THINGS DON'T MATTER - HE SAID, 41:35 "BUT THOSE THINGS WHICH PROCEED OUT OF THE MOUTH COME FORTH 41:39 FROM THE HEART; AND THEY DEFILE THE MAN. 41:44 FOR OUT OF THE HEART PROCEED EVIL THOUGHTS, MURDERS, 41:49 ADULTERIES, FORNICATIONS, THEFTS, FALSE WITNESS, 41:53 BLASPHEMIES: THESE ARE THE THINGS WHICH DEFILE A MAN: BUT 41:58 TO EAT WITH UNWASHEN HANDS DEFILETH NOT A MAN.'" AND JESUS 42:02 JUST NAILED IT RIGHT THERE. YOU KNOW, WHAT HE TOLD THEM, 42:07 THIS WAS TOTALLY ALIEN TO THOSE MEN. 42:10 THEY WERE THERE WITH THEIR PHYLACTERIES, THEIR NICE ROBES 42:12 WITH THEIR BIG LONGTASSELS ON JUST PROBABLY SHAKING AROUND IN 42:16 THE BREEZE, MAYBE, WHILE THEY'RE TALKING TO JESUS AND WHAT HE 42:18 SAID, IT WAS JUST TOTALLY ALIEN TO THEM. 42:23 IT WAS ALL THE MORE REASON WHY THEY JUST WANTED HIM GONE. 42:25 THEY WANTED HIM DEAD AND FINALLY THEY GOT THEIR WAY. 42:29 BUT JESUS JUST NAILS IT HERE AND HE SHOWS VERY, VERY, VERY 42:34 CLEARLY. HERE IS BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE REPEATED THEME OF 42:38 SCRIPTURE THAT CONVERSION HAS TO COME FROM THE INSIDE OUT. 42:44 IT WILL NOT WORK FROM THE OUTSIDE IN - 'EXCEPT A MAN IS 42:49 BORN AGAIN HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.' EPHESIANS 2, 42:57 VERSES 8 THROUGH 10. WE KNOW THIS VERY WELL BUT, YOU 43:02 KNOW, IT'S GOOD TO READ THESE PASSAGES AGAIN ONCE IN A WHILE. 43:04 EPHESIANS 2:8 THROUGH 10 - IT SAYS, "FOR BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED 43:09 THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES;" - NOT OF A HAND 43:14 WASHING OF ONE AND A HALF EGGSHELLS FULL OF WATER OR THAT 43:19 KIND OF STUFF - YOU'RE SAVED THROUGH FAITH - "IT IS THE GIFT 43:24 OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. 43:27 FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO 43:32 GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD HATH BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD 43:36 WALK IN THEM." LET'S NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THOSE THINGS. 43:41 YEAH, LET'S HAVE OUR LITTLE TRADITIONS. 43:43 IT'S FINE TO WALK AROUND 'THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE' - BAKE 43:46 YOUR BREAD ON THURSDAY OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, BUT 43:51 NEVER, NEVER UNDERSTAND THAT THAT EARNS YOU MERIT AND NEVER 43:55 PLACE THOSE THINGS ABOVE THE WORD OF GOD. 43:57 I WANT TO RETURN NOW TO MATTHEW 15:7 AND 8. 44:01 JESUS SAID AGAIN, HE SAYS, "YE HYPOCRITES, WELL DID EASIAS 44:07 PROPHESY OF YOU, SAYING," - AND HE QUOTES HERE FROM ISAIAH 29:13 44:11 - "THIS PEOPLE DRAWETH NIGH UNTO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND 44:15 HONORETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS; BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME." 44:22 THAT - THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE PHARISEES, THEY WERE 44:27 UNCONVERTED AND THEY'RE UNCONVERTED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T 44:30 KNOW GOD AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW GOD, YOU DON'T LOVE HIM. 44:33 THEN EVERYTHING UNRAVELS FROM THAT POINT ONWARD. 44:37 BUT HE QUOTED FROM ISAIAH 29:9 THROUGH 13, ACTUALLY THAT'S WHAT 44:46 HE WAS QUOTING FROM THERE. I WANT TO TURN TO THAT PASSAGE 44:50 BECAUSE IT BRINGS TO LIGHT A VERY - SOMETHING VERY 44:54 SIGNIFICANT HERE. SO JESUS QUOTED FROM ISAIAH 29 44:57 AND WE'RE GOING TO GO THERE NOW. ISAIAH 29, VERSES 9 THROUGH 13 45:02 AND WE READ THE FOLLOWING: IT SAYS, "STAY YOURSELVES, AND 45:09 WONDER; CRY YE OUT, AND CRY: THEY ARE DRUNKEN, BUT NOT WITH 45:16 WINE; THEY STAGGER, BUT NOT WITH STRONG DRINK." 45:20 - ISAIAH HERE IS SPEAKING TO GOD'S PEOPLE ABOUT 700 YEARS BC. 45:25 HE SAYS - HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE DRUNKEN' - GOD'S SAYING THIS - 45:29 NOT WITH WINE BUT WITH STRONG DRINK. 45:33 "FOR THE LORD HATH POURED OUT UPON YOU THE SPIRIT OF DEEP 45:37 SLEEP, AND HATH CLOSED YOUR EYES: THE PROPHETS AND YOUR 45:41 RULERS, THE SEERS HATH HE COVERED. 45:45 AND THE VISION OF ALL IS BECOME UNTO YOU AS THE WORDS OF A BOOK 45:49 THAT IS SEALED, WHICH MEN DELIVER TO ONE THAT IS LEARNED, 45:51 SAYING, 'READ THIS, I PRAY THEE:' AND HE SAITH, 45:54 I CANNOT FOR IT IS SEALED. 45:57 AND THE BOOK IS DELIVERED TO HIM THAT IS NOT LEARNED, SAYING, 46:00 'READ THIS, I PRAY THEE:' AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT LEARNED." 46:03 - WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT HERE - HE'S TALKING ABOUT HIS PEOPLE IN 46:07 ANCIENT TIME - HE SAID, 'YOU'RE DRUNK.' - NOT WITH STRONG WINE 46:12 BUT THEY ARE DRUNK - SPIRITUALLY BLIND AND SPIRITUALLY DRUNK. 46:16 AND, BY THE WAY, IN VERSE 10 IT SAYS, 'GOD HAS POURED OUT UPON 46:19 YOU THE SPIRIT OF DEEP SLEEP AND HAS CLOSED YOUR EYES.' 46:22 GOD DOESN'T DO THAT. THE HEBREW, SOMETIMES, ASCRIBES 46:27 TO GOD THAT WHICH HE PERMITS, IF YOU GET THE POINT THERE. 46:33 GOD DID NOT HARDEN PHARAOH'S HEART, BUT THE WAY THE HEBREW IS 46:37 WRITTEN IT SEEMS THAT IT ASCRIBES TO GOD THE FACT THAT HE 46:41 HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART. HE DIDN'T HARDEN PHARAOH'S 46:43 HEART, HE WORKED MIRACLES IN FRONT OF PHARAOH AND PHARAOH, 46:46 FROM THE FIRST ONE, COULD HAVE LET THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL GO. 46:50 BUT HE DIDN'T, SO THE MORE HE RESISTED HE HARDENED HIS OWN 46:52 HEART. AND HERE IT SAYS - IT KIND OF 46:55 ASCRIBES TO GOD HE GAVE THEM - HE PUT THEM TO SLEEP. 46:59 GOD DIDN'T PUT THEM TO SLEEP, HE ALLOWED THEM TO RECEIVE - REAP 47:04 THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR OWN ACTIONS. 47:06 THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD. 47:07 THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PROPHETS. 47:09 SO HE DESCRIBES IN HERE, FIGURATIVELY, IN VERSE 9 HE 47:13 SAYS, 'YOU'RE DRUNK AS WITH STRONG DRINK.' NOW LET'S NOTICE 47:17 THE REASON WHY THEY'RE DRUNK - VERSE 13, "WHEREFORE THE LORD 47:22 SAID," - AND HERE'S THE VERSE THAT JESUS QUOTED - "'FORASMUCH 47:27 AS THIS PEOPLE DRAW NEAR ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND WITH THEIR LIPS 47:30 DO HONOR ME, BUT HAVE REMOVED THEIR HEART FAR FROM ME, AND 47:34 THEIR FEAR TOWARD ME IS TAUGHT BY THE PRECEPT OF MEN:'" - SO 47:37 THE REASON WHY THEY'RE DESCRIBED AS DRUNK IN VERSE 9 IS BECAUSE 47:40 THEY PUT ASIDE THE WORD OF GOD AND THEY'VE IMBIBED THE PRECEPTS 47:44 OF MEN. YOU GET THE POINT HERE? 47:49 BUT THE REAL THING THAT I WANT TO PULL OUT OF THIS VERSE HERE 47:52 IN VERSE 29 IS - ACTUALLY, DO I WANT TO DO THAT NOW OR IN A 47:59 MOMENT? JUST - YEAH, THE REAL POINT I 48:02 WANT TO MAKE HERE IS GOD SAYS TO THEM - HE SAYS, 'YOU HONOR ME 48:06 WITH YOUR LIPS BUT YOUR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.' AND THAT - 48:13 THAT'S WHERE IT ALL BEGINS. THAT'S WHERE IT ALL BEGINS. 48:19 IF YOU DON'T LOVE GOD, YOU WON'T LOVE HIS WORD. 48:23 YOU WON'T HAVE A DESIRE TO DO WHAT HE ASKS YOU TO DO. 48:28 AND SO, IF TRADITIONS COME ALONG WHICH SUIT YOUR CARNAL 48:32 PRACTICES, 'SURE, BRING THEM ON. 48:35 LET'S HAVE MY OWN 21ST CENTURY MISHNAH' - YOU KNOW? 48:38 - 'LET ME KEEP MY RELIGIOUS VENEER BUT LET ME KEEP MY 48:41 TRADITIONS WHEREBY I CAN FIND MY WAY AROUND GOD'S COMMANDMENTS, 48:47 AS WITH KORBAN.' - USING THIS JUST AS AN ILLUSTRATION HERE. 48:52 AND SO WHEN WE DISREGARD GOD'S WORD AND WE GIVE IN TO 48:57 HUMANISTIC TEACHINGS AND PRACTICES, WE FINISH UP DRUNK. 49:03 THAT'S THE PROBLEM - DRUNK WITH THIS FALSE DOCTRINE. 49:07 SAME HAPPENED TO THEM AND IT CAN HAPPEN TO US. 49:10 THIS IS WHY, EVEN AMONG OURSELVES, THE SAME ROOT CAUSE 49:14 IS WHY, TO SOME, THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS OF ADVENTISM 49:17 - THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE - ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD AND 49:21 APPRECIATED. THEY'RE LOOKED UPON AS OLD 49:24 FASHIONED, NO LONGER RELEVANT - ESPECIALLY BY SOME WHO BELIEVE 49:31 WE NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN ORDER TO REACH, ESPECIALLY, THE 49:34 YOUNGER GENERATION AND HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH OTHER 49:37 DENOMINATIONS SO WE DON'T LOOK SO ODD AND WE DON'T LOOK SO 49:40 SINGULAR. SO WHAT DO YOU DO? THIS IS A DANGER. 49:46 YOU STEP OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS OF SOLID BIBLICAL TRUTH AND YOU 49:49 BEGIN TO BUILD A NEW BELIEF SYSTEM THAT IS BUILT ON MODERN- 49:55 DAY HUMAN TRADITION AND PRACTICES. 49:59 YOU MAY USE NEW TERMS. YOU MAY MAKE IT SPARKLE AND YOU 50:03 PUT THE NEON SIGNS UP THERE AND GIVE IT A FRESH NEW LOOK AND YOU 50:06 USE TERMS SUCH AS - WELL, I'LL SAY IT - 'SPIRITUAL FORMATION' 50:10 OR 'EMERGENT THEOLOGY' - ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, BUT IT'S 50:15 STILL PUTTING ASIDE GOD'S WORD AND BUILDING ON A MODERN FORM OF 50:20 HUMANISTIC RELIGIOUS TRADITION. JUST THE SAME WAY THAT THE 50:26 SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DID IN CHRIST'S DAY. 50:29 NO MATTER HOW MUCH THESE MODERN NEW TRADITIONS - THEY'RE ALL NEW 50:33 AND SPARKLY - YOU KNOW, THESE BUZZWORDS THAT WE USE - NO 50:38 MATTER HOW MUCH THEY IMPACT THE MIND OR THE EMOTIONS, THEIR 50:42 ABILITY TO SANCTIFY - BECAUSE ERROR NEVER SANCTIFIES - THE 50:47 ABILITY TO SANCTIFY OR MORALLY PERFECT THE CHARACTER FOR THE 50:51 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS AS INEFFECTIVE AS THE WASHING OF 50:55 HANDS AND POTS THAT THE PHARISEES DID IN THE DAYS OF 51:00 CHRIST. THAT'S WHY, WHEN JESUS CAME AND 51:03 HE SPOKE TO THEM - PFFFFT - RIGHT OVER THEIR HEADS. 51:07 IF YOU TOLD THESE PEOPLE, 'YOU KNOW, WHEN THE MESSIAH COMES 51:09 YOU'LL CRUCIFY HIM.' THEY WOULD HAVE SAID, 'NO WAY!' 51:13 WE'RE LOOKING FOR HIM AND HE'S RIGHT HERE TALKING TO YOU. 51:16 YOU SEE, THAT IS THE DANGER. 51:17 THAT IS THE FEAR OF HOW THE HUMAN MIND CAN BE SO SKEWED AND 51:23 SO - TO THE LESSON HERE THERE'S A GOOD STATEMENT FROM 'DESIRE OF 51:29 AGES' AT THE TOP OF WEDNESDAY'S LESSON. 51:32 IT SAYS, "THE SUBSTITUTION OF THE PRECEPTS OF MEN FOR THE 51:35 COMMANDMENTS OF GOD HAS NOT CEASED." - WELL, IT HASN'T - 51:40 "EVEN AMONG CHRISTIANS ARE FOUND INSTITUTIONS AND USAGES THAT 51:44 HAVE NO BETTER FOUNDATION THAN THE TRADITIONS OF THE FATHERS. 51:49 SUCH INSTITUTIONS, RESTING UPON A MERE HUMAN AUTHORITY, HAVE 51:53 SUPPLANTED THOSE OF DIVINE APPOINTMENT. 51:56 MEN CLING TO THEIR TRADITIONS AND REVERE THEIR CUSTOMS AND 52:00 CHERISH HATRED AGAINST THOSE WHO SEEK TO SHOW THEM THEIR ERROR. 52:05 IN THE PLACE OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE SO-CALLED FATHERS OF THE 52:09 CHURCH, GOD BIDS US ACCEPT THE WORD OF THE ETERNAL FATHER - GOD 52:14 BIDS US ACCEPT THE WORD OF THE ETERNAL FATHER, THE LORD OF 52:17 HEAVEN AND EARTH." AND SO THESE NEWLY CREATED 52:26 TRADITIONS AND CEREMONIES IN TODAY'S COUNTERFEIT RELIGIOUS 52:29 MOVEMENTS, SUCH AS SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND THE EMERGING 52:35 THEOLOGY, ARE SOON TO FIND THEMSELVES UNITING WITH A VERY 52:41 ANCIENT TRADITION, FROM PAGANISM, WHICH IS IN MAINLINE 52:46 CHRISTIANITY - AND THAT IS SUNDAY OBSERVANCE. 52:50 THAT'S WHERE, IF YOU GET INTO THESE THINGS - SPIRITUAL 52:55 FORMATION, EMERGENT THEOLOGY, OR OTHER THINGS THE DEVIL HAS USED 52:58 TO INFILTRATE THE REMNANT, YOU WILL ULTIMATELY FINISH UP 53:02 UNITING YOUR NEW TRADITION WITH THE LONG-ESTABLISHED TRADITION 53:05 OF SUNDAY WORSHIP. THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO. 53:08 NOW THERE MAY BE THOSE WHO DECRY SUCH AND SAY, 53:10 'PASTOR MIKE THOMPSON, THAT IS EXTREME. 53:14 THAT IS FANATICAL. THAT IS PREPOSTEROUS. 53:17 IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.' BUT I'M TELLING YOU IT WILL. 53:20 SOON, VERY SOON, EVERY BELIEF SYSTEM NOT ROOTED IN SCRIPTURE 53:26 WILL COME UNDER THE POWER OF SATANIC DECEPTION UNDER A 53:29 RELIGIOUS GUISE. AND YOU'VE READ THIS FROM 'GREAT 53:32 CONTROVERSY' I'M SURE. I'LL SHARE A BIT WITH YOU - 53:35 PAGE 588 - IT SAYS HERE "AS SPIRITUALISM" - BECAUSE THERE'S 53:40 MYSTICISM SO WORKING ITS WAY INTO CHRISTIANITY TODAY AND IT'S 53:45 SPIRITUALISM UNDER A CHRISTIAN GUISE. 53:48 "AS SPIRITUALISM MORE CLOSELY IMITATES THE NOMINAL 53:51 CHRISTIANITY OF THE DAY, THERE'S GREATER POWER TO DECEIVE AND 53:55 ENSNARE. SATAN, HIMSELF, IS CONVERTED 53:58 AFTER THE MODERN ORDER OF THINGS. 54:01 HE WILL APPEAR IN THE CHARACTER OF AN ANGEL OF LIGHT" - THIS WAS 54:04 WRITTEN OVER 100 YEARS AGO, SO IF IT WAS SOMEWHAT LIKE THAT 54:06 THEN, WHAT IS IT NOW? "HE WILL APPEAR IN THE CHARACTER 54:09 OF AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. THROUGH THE AGENCY OF 54:12 SPIRITUALISM MIRACLES WILL BE WROUGHT, THE SICK WILL BE 54:15 HEALED, AND MANY UNDENIABLE WONDERS WILL BE PERFORMED. 54:18 AND THE SPIRITS WILL PROFESS FAITH IN THE BIBLE AND MANIFEST 54:21 RESPECT FOR THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE CHURCH AND AS THEY DO THAT 54:25 THEIR WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AS A MANIFESTATION OF DIVINE POWER." 54:31 NOW, I'LL CUT IT SHORT HERE - NEXT PARAGRAPH - "PAPISTS WHO 54:35 BOAST OF MIRACLES AS A CERTAIN SIGN OF THE TRUE CHURCH WILL BE 54:39 READILY DECEIVED BY THIS WONDER-WORKING POWER AND 54:42 PROTESTANTS WHO HAVE CAST AWAY THE SHIELD OF TRUTH" - THIS HERE 54:49 - "IN PREFERENCE TO SOME OF THE MODERN-DAY TRADITIONS AND 54:53 PROTESTANTS WHO HAVE CAST AWAY THE SHIELD OF TRUTH WILL ALSO BE 54:58 DELUDED." AND WHERE WILL THEY ALL FINISH UP? 55:03 PART OF THE GREAT MOVEMENT - THE GREAT HARLOT OF REVELATION 17 - 55:09 THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO FINISH UP. 55:10 SO YOUR ONLY SAFETY AND MY ONLY SAFETY, MY FRIENDS IS HAVE YOUR 55:17 LITTLE INNOCENT TRADITIONS, YES, BUT DO NOT IN THAT - DO NOT 55:21 EXCEED THE BOUNDS OF GOD'S WORD. YOU STAY ON THIS FOUNDATION, YOU 55:29 ARE SAFE. YOU'LL GET ATTACKED BECAUSE 55:31 YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK VERY ODD AND SINGULAR. 55:33 WE'RE NOT EVEN AT THE WORST POINT YET OF GETTING STUFF 55:36 THROWN AT US. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A SMALL PRICE TO PAY. 55:40 STAY. STAY WITH JESUS. 55:43 STAY WITH HIS WORD AND YOU WILL BE SAFE EVEN IF YOU'RE THE ONLY 55:47 ONE AMONG A MULTITUDE THAT REMAINS FAITHFUL TO THE END. 55:51 I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE WITH THIS: IN MATTHEW 15, VERSE 13 - 55:56 MATTHEW 15, VERSE 13 JESUS SAID, "EVERY PLANT, WHICH MY HEAVENLY 56:02 FATHER HATH NOT PLANTED, SHALL BE ROOTED UP." 56:07 THEN HE'S SPEAKING OF THOSE WHO ARE SPIRITUALLY BLIND. 56:10 HE SAYS, "LET THEM ALONE: THEY BE BLIND LEADERS OF THE BLIND. 56:13 AND IF THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND, BOTH SHALL FALL INTO THE DITCH." 56:18 SO LET'S NOT BECOME PART OF A STRANGE PLANT BECAUSE GOD IS 56:23 GOING TO FINALLY PULL IT UP. 56:26 BUT I WANT TO SAY THIS, IN CONCLUSION. 56:30 MAYBE THIS MIGHT RESONATE WITH SOMEBODY TODAY. 56:35 YOU MAY HAVE KNOWN THE TRUTH FOR A LONG TIME. 56:37 IT MAY BE NEW TO YOU, BUT SOMEHOW, IN SOME WAY YOU FOUND 56:40 YOURSELF TENDING TO PUT THE WORD OF GOD ASIDE AND JUST BEING 56:44 FASCINATED BY SOME SPARKLY THINGS OUT THERE, WHICH SEEM 56:48 EXCITING AND NEW AND INNOVATIVE. BUT SOMEHOW, YOU GET TO THE 56:52 BOTTOM OF IT, YOU REALIZE IT'S NOT REALLY IN THE WORD OF GOD. 56:56 IT'S NOT REALLY IN THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY, BUT YOU'VE ALLOWED 56:59 YOURSELF TO GET DRAWN AWAY AND YOU REALIZE THAT YOU NEED TO GET 57:03 BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG. I WANT TO TELL YOU THIS: NO 57:08 MATTER WHAT ROAD YOU'VE TAKEN - EVEN IF IT'S NOT WITH ANYTHING 57:12 TO DO WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS MORNING. 57:14 EVEN IF SOMEBODY HAS NEVER EVEN BEEN A CHRISTIAN BEFORE AND IS 57:17 SITTING HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME - OR SOMEBODY WATCHING ON LIVE 57:20 STREAM NEVER EVEN BEEN A CHRISTIAN - BUT YOU LOOK AND YOU 57:24 REALIZE YOUR LIFE IS NOT WHAT IS SHOULD BE. 57:27 WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THAT? 57:29 I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, YOU CAN COME TO JESUS 57:32 AND HE'LL FORGIVE YOU AND HE'LL GIVE YOU A NEW START. 57:36 YOU KNOW, HE'S THE BEST FRIEND YOU COULD EVER HAVE. 57:41 >> DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:45 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:48 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:52 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST DAY EVENTS OF 57:54 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:58 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 58:02 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER 58:05 TO GOD'S WORD. GO DEEPER. 58:07 VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIMELINE AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 58:12 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17