Our subject tonight:
"Created for Something Better."
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I hope we have
something very exciting in store
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and I... I already know what
we do... but I hope you find it
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exciting too. Let's
open with a word of prayer.
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Our Father in heaven, as we open
the Word of God again tonight
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we pray that Your Holy Spirit
will be our silent teacher.
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May He speak to our
hearts and may we indeed find
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more treasure and
truth in Your Word tonight.
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Please, may the teaching
be clear because we ask it
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in Jesus' name. Amen.
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I think you would
agree with me tonight
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that today we are living in one
of the fastest-paced societies
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our world has ever known.
Everything is instantaneous.
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Everything happens at the
push of a button or in the blink
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of an eye. And if things
don't happen fast enough for us
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well we set about trying
to make them happen faster.
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We've got two-minute
noodles. Instant mash.
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Quick oats. Meals on Wheels.
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When I'm hungry I can go
down to the fast food store.
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I can drive
through and order my food
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and the food is
ready before I am.
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Or if I want to talk to someone
on the other side of the world
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I pick up a device
called a mobile phone
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or an iPhone and I press
a few buttons or a screen
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and within a couple of seconds
I can hear another person's
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voice on the
other side of the world.
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Everything is instantaneous;
everything is happening so fast.
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But friends, it has had
its consequences because
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even though technology
has advanced and we are going
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much faster than
we ever have before
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it is also true that technology
has increased our workload
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and hence our
stress load as well.
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We're doing more
because we can do more
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and it's increased
our stress load as well.
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In fact, statistics tell
us that the average father...
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he spends roughly 37
seconds of quality time
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with his
children every single day.
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That's not very much at all.
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And we can imagine what
this does to family life
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and particularly to the children
involved in homes like that.
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And so it's no wonder that
Margaret Fuller... she said:
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And how true is that.
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I think George Carlin, a
comedian of the late 1970's,
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he expressed our
current situation the best
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when he put it
this way. He said:
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And how true is that. We
are just like Thomas Huxley
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the biologist. He
lived many years ago
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and one day he was late
one night for an appointment
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and so he hailed a
taxi. And in those days
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a taxi was a horse-drawn buggy.
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He hailed a taxi. The taxi
stopped and he jumped on board
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and he yelled at
the driver: "Top speed!"
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And so the driver took off.
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And as Thomas Huxley sat
down in the back of the cab
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he realized he hadn't told
the man where he was going.
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So he stuck his head out
the window and he said: "Hey,
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do you know where I'm going?
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Do you know where you're
supposed to be taking me? "
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And the man said: "Nope, but
I'm going as fast as I can! "
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Friends, we are going so
fast today we don't even know
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where we're going any more.
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And I think that it's
fair enough to say that we're
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flat out, stressed out,
and worn out. We need time out!
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We need to take time
for each other and time
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to spend with God as well.
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Because Jennifer
Yane once said. She said:
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And I think you and I can all
feel a little bit like Jennifer
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some days, don't you think?
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Well friends, the good
news tonight is that God never
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intended for this to
be the case for our lives.
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He never intended for you and
I to be stressed and suppressed
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by the cares of
this life. No friends,
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we were created for
something better than stress.
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Can you say "Amen?" Amen.
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And so well you say:
"Charissa, if that's the case
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then what is it that
we're missing in our lives
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if this isn't the way
that God designed it to be? "
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Well tonight we are going to
probe God's very own strategy
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for stress relief
found in the Bible.
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Friends, this strategy
has been practiced by millions
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of people ever since
the creation of the world.
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And you'll be pleased to
note it doesn't cost a cent
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and it doesn't
involve meditation or yoga.
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Friends, God's love has placed
a limit on the demands of toil.
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In fact, Jesus
Himself... notice what He said:
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Friends, Jesus
is the God of rest.
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He offers to you
and I rest tonight.
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How can we have the rest
that Jesus offers? He said:
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"Come to Me. Spend
quality time with Me.
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Learn of Me and make Me
your highest priority in life. "
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And sure, friends, the
Bible says "take up your bed
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and walk. "But
friends, it also says: "Be still
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and know that I am God. "
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And God wants us to
stop and revive and survive.
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He wants us to learn how
to get through this world
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and not be so
stressed about it. Amen?
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Because by the way,
not all stress is bad.
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I don't know about you, but
when I'm under a little bit of
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pressure that's
when I perform my best.
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And so tonight, how
can we find God's strategy
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for stress relief? Well, we must
go back to the very beginning
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because that is a
very good place to start.
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Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 says:
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Friends, here we
find the Godhead:
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the three great
dignitaries of heaven.
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The Bible tells us they are
at work creating our planet.
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And when they
started how was the planet?
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What did it look like?
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The Bible tells us that
it was "without form and void
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and darkness covered
the face of the earth. "
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So what was the first thing that
God in His creation process?
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Well, He turned the
light on. Notice what happens
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in Genesis
chapter 1 verses 3 to 5.
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The Bible says:
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Now we thought Benjamin
Franklin was great when he
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invented the
electric light bulb.
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Friends, this is God! He turned
the light on for the planet.
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And friends, God continued
to work His creative power
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for the next five days.
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Six days God is
creating this world.
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And by the way, it
says: "And evening and morning
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were the first day. "
So when did the day begin
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according to the
Bible? In the evening.
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In the evening. So we
could say that a Biblical day
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really operates
from sunset to sunset.
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Because they didn't
have watches back then
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and so they kept time by
the movements of the sun.
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And so for the next
five days God is creating.
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He speaks and dry land appears
and the stars come in the sky
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and there's the moon
and the sun and vegetation
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and land animals.
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And then of course
having saved His best for last
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He made woman.
Amen? No Amens? All right.
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I'm just teasing you tonight.
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But yes, God made everything.
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He made man and
then when He had made man
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the Bible tells us that
God stood back and He looked
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at everything that He had made
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and in Genesis 1
and verse 31 He said:
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God had done a good thing.
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And now friends, there are
many people in our world today
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who find this fact: that
God created the heavens and
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the earth... that very
first verse of the Bible...
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they just find it
so hard to believe.
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And they call themselves
atheists or evolutionists.
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And thanks to two men
- Darwin and Karl Marx -
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who bequeathed to human
society two Creatorless theories
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for the reason why we are here -
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there are now millions
of people in our world today
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who believe that you and I
are just the result of billions
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of years of evolutionary luck.
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You and I are just
"over event spongi" they say.
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We are just hurtling through
cold and meaningless space.
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That's what they say.
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But friends, if there was no
God there would be no atheists.
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The Bible tells us that
you and I were created by
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and in the image of a
divine triune of almighty power
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that said: "Let Us
make man in Our image. "
00:10:10.48\00:10:13.29
You could say an "Amen"
to that. There was one Amen.
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God said: "Let Us
make man in Our image. "
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Amen? Amen. We are
made in the image of God.
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Now there are some
parents and children
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and you look at them and
you just know that... you can
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tell they're related, can't
you? You can almost play snap.
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You look at that one and
look at that one and say:
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"Yes, they are definitely
from the same family. "
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But friends, in my case
I haven't always been able
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to say that. Because,
you see, I have brown hair;
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my sister has brown hair.
But my mum has auburn hair
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and my dad has black hair.
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This was very puzzling to
my sister and I growing up.
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And so we discussed
this fascinating "thing"
00:10:53.59\00:10:58.63
of our lives. Can't think
of a better word than that.
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We discussed this; we
couldn't quite understand it.
00:11:01.50\00:11:03.52
And so after much
discussion we concluded one day
00:11:03.72\00:11:06.59
many years ago that
we must have been adopted
00:11:06.69\00:11:09.48
because we didn't
look like our parents.
00:11:09.68\00:11:11.60
And you can't help this kind
of confusion when you have a dad
00:11:11.80\00:11:14.88
who when you ask him:
"Dad, where did I come from? "
00:11:15.08\00:11:17.25
he says: "I found you on
special in Grace Brothers. "
00:11:17.45\00:11:20.11
But friends, you and
I... the Bible tells us
00:11:21.37\00:11:24.54
we are made in God's image!
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That is something
to be excited about
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because it tells
us where we came from.
00:11:29.16\00:11:30.63
And we... when it says
we are made in His image
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it doesn't mean we have
deity. It means we have dignity
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and there's a
very big difference.
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We are made in the image of
God. We are the children of God.
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And friends, the great
artist Leonardo da Vinci...
00:11:43.50\00:11:46.47
he is known for his famous
art works. But not only that
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for his detailed
drawings of the human body.
00:11:50.48\00:11:53.52
And Leonardo da Vinci...
he said an incredible thing.
00:11:53.72\00:11:57.00
This is what he said:
00:11:57.10\00:11:58.15
That's amazing what he said.
00:12:06.89\00:12:09.12
"If the only evidence of
God was the thumb alone,"
00:12:09.33\00:12:12.33
he said, "I would believe."
00:12:12.43\00:12:13.91
And so friends, I
don't know about you
00:12:14.12\00:12:15.52
but I believe that
God created this world.
00:12:15.72\00:12:17.85
I believe He is big enough
and powerful enough to do it.
00:12:18.05\00:12:21.43
"With God all
things are possible. "
00:12:21.56\00:12:24.22
And I believe that you really
can't call yourself a Christian
00:12:24.42\00:12:27.71
if you don't
believe in creation.
00:12:27.91\00:12:30.43
But creation
week wasn't yet over.
00:12:30.73\00:12:32.67
Six days? Yes, they passed but
creation week wasn't yet over
00:12:32.87\00:12:36.95
because watch what happens next:
00:12:37.05\00:12:39.94
This is amazing, friends.
00:13:04.96\00:13:06.47
After a busy week of
exercising His creative power
00:13:06.67\00:13:10.59
the Bible tells us that
God rested on the seventh day.
00:13:10.79\00:13:14.79
But not only that, it
tells us He did two other things
00:13:14.99\00:13:18.09
as well. He blessed
it and He sanctified it.
00:13:18.19\00:13:22.80
That's a big word. What
does the word sanctified mean?
00:13:23.10\00:13:26.19
It means to set
apart for a holy purpose.
00:13:26.39\00:13:29.55
And so friends, these 3 things
- blessed, rest, sanctified -
00:13:29.65\00:13:34.02
God did not do on any
other day of the week.
00:13:34.22\00:13:37.35
He did not rest
on the seventh day,
00:13:37.65\00:13:39.72
bless the sixth day,
and sanctify the third day.
00:13:39.92\00:13:42.93
He did it all on the
seventh day of the week.
00:13:43.14\00:13:46.19
And by the way, have you
ever wondered where we get our
00:13:46.39\00:13:49.16
seven-day week from?
00:13:49.26\00:13:50.76
From creation!
00:13:51.06\00:13:52.61
You get the month from the moon.
00:13:52.81\00:13:54.55
You get the year from
our movement around the sun.
00:13:54.75\00:13:57.61
But people can't really explain
where we get a 7-day week from.
00:13:57.81\00:14:01.47
It's an odd number. We
have to go back to Genesis.
00:14:01.57\00:14:04.02
That's where it comes from.
00:14:04.22\00:14:05.89
And friends, the
word here that God uses
00:14:06.19\00:14:09.37
in the Bible - the word
here where it says He rested -
00:14:09.57\00:14:12.10
that in Hebrew
really says "He Sabbath."
00:14:12.30\00:14:15.17
It comes from the
Hebrew word Shabbat
00:14:15.37\00:14:17.72
and elsewhere in the Bible
it simply appears as the word
00:14:17.92\00:14:22.23
Sabbath. And friends,
the Sabbath will forever be
00:14:22.33\00:14:25.49
a sign and celebration of
God's creative, redemptive,
00:14:25.59\00:14:30.82
sanctifying power.
00:14:31.02\00:14:32.56
And friends, it points to God
as the source of all knowledge
00:14:32.76\00:14:35.97
and power and
creative power as well.
00:14:36.17\00:14:38.59
And in the Bible
notice what else it says.
00:14:38.79\00:14:41.44
In Mark chapter 2
verses 27 and 28 it says:
00:14:41.63\00:14:45.70
Friends, the Sabbath
was God's gift to mankind
00:14:56.53\00:14:59.78
and He gave it to mankind
2,300 years before the Jewish
00:14:59.98\00:15:04.76
race even existed as
a memorial of creation.
00:15:04.86\00:15:08.88
Now, was the Sabbath - God's
strategy for stress relief -
00:15:09.08\00:15:13.43
meant only for the Jews?
00:15:13.64\00:15:15.12
Clearly no, because they're
not the only ones who need rest.
00:15:15.32\00:15:18.41
Amen? We all need rest.
00:15:18.61\00:15:21.18
And so God... He
gave it to everybody.
00:15:21.38\00:15:23.95
The Sabbath was made for man.
00:15:24.16\00:15:25.62
Ezekiel chapter
20 verse 12 says:
00:15:25.82\00:15:28.90
Friends, God didn't make
the Sabbath and then look around
00:15:42.09\00:15:45.53
and say: "OK, now
we have the Sabbath.
00:15:45.63\00:15:47.27
We may as well make some
humans to accompany it. "
00:15:47.47\00:15:50.07
Friends, it's just the
opposite because you see
00:15:50.28\00:15:52.82
we serve a wonderful
God who actually wants
00:15:53.02\00:15:58.38
to know you intimately.
00:15:58.58\00:16:00.97
He wants to get on a
personal level with you.
00:16:01.18\00:16:04.64
He wants to have a
personal relationship with you.
00:16:04.84\00:16:08.06
I think of the
story... I love this story
00:16:08.36\00:16:10.51
of an elderly couple. They
were sitting on their back porch
00:16:10.61\00:16:13.80
in their rocking chairs
watching the sun go down.
00:16:14.00\00:16:16.53
And as they were sitting there
the husband... he looked over
00:16:16.74\00:16:19.84
at his wife, and they'd
been married for 60 years.
00:16:20.04\00:16:22.56
They'd weathered life's
storms together. He looked over
00:16:22.76\00:16:25.45
at his wife and he remembered
all the happy days that
00:16:25.65\00:16:29.50
they had shared together.
00:16:29.60\00:16:31.62
And so he said to his
wife... he said: "Honey,"
00:16:31.82\00:16:33.65
he said, "I'm proud of you."
00:16:33.85\00:16:35.41
And she was kind of
hard of hearing so she said:
00:16:35.61\00:16:38.10
"What did you say, dear?"
00:16:38.13\00:16:39.50
He said a bit louder, he
said: "Honey, I said I was
00:16:39.70\00:16:42.38
proud of you. " She
still couldn't hear him
00:16:42.48\00:16:45.01
so she said: "What
did you say, dear? "
00:16:45.21\00:16:47.33
So finally he raised his
voice kind of loud and he said:
00:16:47.53\00:16:51.00
"Honey, I said I
was proud of you. "
00:16:51.20\00:16:53.62
And she stopped and she said:
00:16:53.82\00:16:55.62
"Yes, well I'm kind
of tired of you too. "
00:16:55.72\00:16:57.73
Friends, praise God
He's not tired of us. Amen?
00:16:59.36\00:17:03.60
He actually wants to
spend time with us...
00:17:03.80\00:17:06.65
and spend time with
us on a weekly basis.
00:17:06.95\00:17:10.37
He wants to get to know you.
00:17:10.57\00:17:11.68
And anybody who has ever
been in a relationship before
00:17:11.88\00:17:15.11
if you have a
friendship with somebody
00:17:15.31\00:17:16.98
all good friendships,
all good relationships...
00:17:17.18\00:17:21.00
they are developed
within the crucible of time.
00:17:21.21\00:17:24.28
You want to get
to know somebody?
00:17:24.48\00:17:25.89
You want to grow
close to somebody?
00:17:26.09\00:17:27.55
You spend time with
that person. And so friends,
00:17:27.75\00:17:30.46
God... He has set
aside a weekly date with you.
00:17:30.66\00:17:35.02
Now... rest. OK. God
says "I want you to rest
00:17:35.23\00:17:39.06
on the Sabbath day. "
00:17:39.26\00:17:40.65
I have to tell you that rest
hasn't always been attractive
00:17:40.85\00:17:43.60
to me. When I was a kid
I couldn't sleep very well.
00:17:43.71\00:17:47.27
I never wanted to go to sleep.
00:17:47.47\00:17:48.84
Life was too exciting. In
fact, my nickname growing up
00:17:49.04\00:17:52.27
was Robot... because dad
said I never went to sleep.
00:17:52.47\00:17:56.07
I just couldn't stop. I was like
a robot... I just kept going.
00:17:56.27\00:17:58.93
But friends, when I've
grown up a little bit more
00:17:59.13\00:18:01.77
if there is one thing
that I look forward to it is
00:18:01.97\00:18:05.10
a good night's sleep.
00:18:05.20\00:18:06.93
Because life is so much sweeter
when you've had a good rest.
00:18:07.13\00:18:11.10
And friends, we live in a
world today where people spend
00:18:11.30\00:18:14.06
billions of dollars
on stress-relieving drugs
00:18:14.16\00:18:17.25
when all they really need to do
00:18:17.45\00:18:19.42
is just stop,
revive, and survive.
00:18:19.62\00:18:22.43
They just need to stop and:
00:18:22.63\00:18:24.28
Friends, God is so serious...
so serious about this strategy
00:18:29.51\00:18:33.71
for stress relief that He has
gone ahead and He has placed it
00:18:33.81\00:18:37.70
in the very heart of
His Ten Commandment law.
00:18:37.80\00:18:41.00
Because the fourth commandment
begins... this is how it begins:
00:18:41.20\00:18:44.53
Now they say that everybody
has a photographic memory
00:18:48.89\00:18:52.33
just some
people don't have film.
00:18:52.53\00:18:54.57
And when I was
growing up and going to school
00:18:54.77\00:18:57.51
I prided myself in
having an impeccable memory.
00:18:57.71\00:19:01.08
I had no detention.
No homework warnings.
00:19:01.28\00:19:03.85
No uniform warnings. I was try-
ing to be the perfect student.
00:19:04.05\00:19:09.18
Until one day in my
third year in high school
00:19:09.41\00:19:12.71
I forgot to do my homework.
00:19:12.91\00:19:15.11
The next year the
same thing happened.
00:19:15.31\00:19:17.11
And then the third last
year of my life in high school
00:19:17.31\00:19:20.72
something terrible
happened. The classes ended
00:19:20.92\00:19:23.74
and the bell went and I
thought it was lunch time.
00:19:23.94\00:19:26.72
So I went outside
and I went to my bag
00:19:26.75\00:19:29.63
and I got my lunch out
and I went and I sat down
00:19:29.83\00:19:32.13
in the courtyard where we
always went and ate lunch.
00:19:32.33\00:19:34.92
And I noticed that all
the other kids just kept going
00:19:35.13\00:19:37.84
to their classes. So I thought:
"Oh, it's not lunch time."
00:19:37.94\00:19:40.11
So I went back, grabbed
my bag, looked at my diary
00:19:40.21\00:19:42.80
and realized I was
meant to be in another class.
00:19:42.90\00:19:45.01
Ran to class, got
there, opened the door and the
00:19:45.21\00:19:48.12
teacher said:
"Ah-ha, why are you late? "
00:19:48.22\00:19:50.26
I said: "I thought
it was lunch time. "
00:19:50.46\00:19:51.74
And of course you can imagine
that didn't go down so well.
00:19:51.94\00:19:54.36
But friends, God knew
we would have a tendency
00:19:54.66\00:19:58.61
to forget things. And
so friend, this is why
00:19:58.81\00:20:02.17
this is the only commandment
that begins with the word
00:20:02.37\00:20:06.03
remember.
00:20:06.23\00:20:07.42
And it is a haunting
confirmation of the Word of God
00:20:07.62\00:20:10.49
today to realize that only 0.29%
00:20:10.69\00:20:14.85
of the whole
world's population...
00:20:15.15\00:20:18.21
Only 0.29% of the
world's population
00:20:18.41\00:20:21.06
are keeping the Sabbath today.
00:20:21.26\00:20:23.85
The Sabbath is THE
MOST forgotten commandment
00:20:24.05\00:20:27.47
in our world today.
The fourth commandment...
00:20:27.68\00:20:30.04
it begins with the word
remember because if you remember
00:20:30.24\00:20:33.15
back in Genesis that was
when God actually established
00:20:33.35\00:20:36.84
the commandment. He was
writing the Ten Commandments
00:20:36.94\00:20:39.24
there in Exodus 20, giving
them to the children of Israel.
00:20:39.34\00:20:42.38
But He said remember because
He had already established
00:20:42.48\00:20:45.32
it back in Eden. We
only read that a moment ago.
00:20:45.42\00:20:47.53
Do you remember?
Good... just checking.
00:20:47.63\00:20:50.32
Furthermore, the Ten Command-
ments were written not on paper
00:20:50.52\00:20:54.49
which could burn or on parchment
00:20:54.69\00:20:57.47
which might rot, but friends
they were written with the
00:20:57.67\00:21:00.61
finger of God and they
were inscribed in stone.
00:21:00.71\00:21:04.88
That was symbolic of
their permanent nature.
00:21:05.08\00:21:08.46
And by the way, there are
only three recorded instances
00:21:08.66\00:21:11.87
in all the Bible where
God writes with His finger
00:21:12.07\00:21:15.12
and this was one of them.
00:21:15.22\00:21:17.57
Now the Bible tells
us also in Exodus 20
00:21:17.77\00:21:20.84
that we are to
keep the Sabbath holy.
00:21:21.04\00:21:24.70
So what does it mean
to keep the Sabbath holy?
00:21:24.90\00:21:27.82
The Bibles says...
Exodus 20 verse 10:
00:21:28.02\00:21:30.99
Now, for all the
students in the room tonight
00:21:48.25\00:21:51.55
how would you like it if
Kevin Rudd instituted a law
00:21:51.75\00:21:55.36
which said you didn't
have to do any homework.
00:21:55.47\00:21:58.10
Ah, look at the
smiles on your faces.
00:21:58.30\00:22:00.91
It's be pretty
good, wouldn't it?
00:22:01.12\00:22:02.64
Well friends, this is
sort of what God is doing here
00:22:02.84\00:22:05.44
in the Ten Commandments.
God is saying to all
00:22:05.54\00:22:07.58
of humanity -
not just students...
00:22:07.68\00:22:09.70
He wants us to lay aside
a 24-hour period every week
00:22:09.80\00:22:14.95
where we leave aside the
cares of our weekly life.
00:22:15.15\00:22:18.39
We don't go to work. We just...
00:22:18.59\00:22:20.35
We don't do school work
or house work. We just stop
00:22:20.56\00:22:23.90
and spend time with God.
00:22:24.11\00:22:26.86
Now I recognize that God
wants us to spend time with Him
00:22:27.06\00:22:30.24
24/7. That is, every
single day of the week.
00:22:30.34\00:22:33.69
But friends, God specifically
asks that on the seventh day
00:22:33.89\00:22:38.47
we lay aside an
entire day for Him.
00:22:38.50\00:22:42.23
Why? Because lest we
forget where we came from.
00:22:42.43\00:22:46.34
And I don't know about
you but when I was growing up
00:22:46.54\00:22:49.09
we used to sing a song.
One, two, three, four, five,
00:22:49.29\00:22:52.18
six for us. One, two,
three, four, five, six for us.
00:22:52.28\00:22:56.22
One, two, three,
four, five, six for us...
00:22:56.42\00:22:58.71
the seventh is for Jesus.
00:22:58.92\00:23:02.01
Did you know that one?
00:23:02.21\00:23:03.36
Ah, you just let
me sing it by myself.
00:23:03.57\00:23:05.92
That's OK. I know...
we can all sing together.
00:23:06.12\00:23:09.01
And so friends, God doesn't
want us to keep every day holy.
00:23:09.21\00:23:14.85
He doesn't want you
to keep seven days holy.
00:23:15.05\00:23:16.95
He says: "Work six
days and rest the seventh. "
00:23:17.15\00:23:19.61
Because if you keep seven
days holy that's not being holy
00:23:19.81\00:23:23.19
that's being lazy... 'cause God
wants you to work and then rest.
00:23:23.29\00:23:26.89
And you know, a lot of people
say: "Well how can you keep
00:23:27.09\00:23:30.03
the Sabbath? I mean, surely that
would be boring just stopping
00:23:30.13\00:23:33.24
and giving God time. I mean,
what can you do if you can't
00:23:33.34\00:23:36.50
work on the Sabbath day? "
00:23:36.60\00:23:38.63
I remember seeing a
show on a current affair...
00:23:38.83\00:23:41.37
an episode, a story...
about some young people
00:23:41.47\00:23:44.17
who dropped out of school.
They started living on benefits
00:23:44.27\00:23:47.45
and you know what
they did all day long?
00:23:47.65\00:23:49.28
They played on their
X- Box and Play Station.
00:23:49.48\00:23:52.39
They just played
computer games all day long.
00:23:52.53\00:23:55.08
But friends, there's a lot more
to life than computer games.
00:23:55.28\00:23:58.06
And friends,
notice what Jesus did.
00:23:58.26\00:24:00.55
We should always ask "What
should we do on the Sabbath?
00:24:00.75\00:24:03.19
What did Jesus do? "
Let's see what He did.
00:24:03.39\00:24:06.19
Luke chapter 4 and
verse 16 the Bible says:
00:24:06.39\00:24:10.63
Friends, Jesus went
to church on the Sabbath.
00:24:26.42\00:24:30.14
And what a wonderful
way to spend the Sabbath:
00:24:30.24\00:24:32.60
to come together and
meet with like-minded people
00:24:32.80\00:24:35.73
who love Jesus and
fellowship with them
00:24:35.93\00:24:38.32
and sing songs of praise to Him.
00:24:38.52\00:24:41.03
Moreover Jesus did
more on the Sabbath.
00:24:41.23\00:24:43.36
What else did
Jesus do on the Sabbath?
00:24:43.46\00:24:45.54
Matthew chapter
12 and verse 12 says:
00:24:45.74\00:24:48.73
And friends, Jesus went
about doing good on the Sabbath.
00:24:56.40\00:25:00.19
The Bible tells us
that He healed the sick
00:25:00.39\00:25:03.13
and He showed kindness
to all who He encountered.
00:25:03.33\00:25:06.93
The Sabbath was a blessing
to humanity when it was shared
00:25:07.13\00:25:11.31
with Jesus Christ. And
friends, kindness is the oil
00:25:11.42\00:25:14.77
that takes the
friction out of life,
00:25:14.87\00:25:17.11
and Jesus showed kindness
to people on the Sabbath day.
00:25:17.21\00:25:20.55
The Sabbath is a
wonderful time to help people.
00:25:20.76\00:25:23.40
It's a time to stop and
smell the roses along the way.
00:25:23.60\00:25:27.31
Well let's return back to
Exodus 20 for just a moment.
00:25:27.52\00:25:30.60
You know, few Christians really
understand what this means.
00:25:33.07\00:25:36.59
Many Christians believe that
when we keep the Sabbath holy
00:25:36.79\00:25:40.32
it means we go to church
for three or four hours...
00:25:40.52\00:25:43.11
have a potluck
maybe. And then after that
00:25:43.31\00:25:45.58
they're off to the football
or they're off to the shopping
00:25:45.78\00:25:48.93
center and off
to clean the house.
00:25:49.03\00:25:51.11
But friends listen
and listen very carefully:
00:25:51.31\00:25:53.54
the Sabbath is not a holiday
00:25:53.74\00:25:56.46
it's a holy day.
00:25:56.66\00:25:59.37
It's not just free
time... it's God's time as well.
00:25:59.57\00:26:04.49
Isaiah chapter 58
verses 13-14 puts it this way:
00:26:04.69\00:26:09.43
The story is told
of a Christian man
00:26:39.71\00:26:42.27
who was once urged by his
employee to work on the Sabbath.
00:26:42.47\00:26:46.46
And the employer said...
sorry, about his employer...
00:26:46.66\00:26:49.41
the employer said to
him: "Doesn't your Bible say
00:26:49.61\00:26:52.04
that if your ox falls into
a ditch you can pull him up
00:26:52.14\00:26:54.74
on the Sabbath day? " The
Christian thought about it
00:26:54.84\00:26:57.25
and he said: "Yes,
that's what the Bible says.
00:26:57.35\00:26:59.40
But if my ox had a habit
of falling into the ditch
00:26:59.60\00:27:02.18
every Sabbath I'd either fill
up the ditch or sell the ox. "
00:27:02.38\00:27:05.69
We need to put God first.
00:27:05.82\00:27:07.60
We need to keep His Sabbath
holy by making Him the priority
00:27:07.80\00:27:11.11
in our lives. Amen? Amen.
00:27:11.31\00:27:13.72
And for me personally, the
Sabbath was always something
00:27:13.86\00:27:16.85
extra special growing up.
00:27:16.95\00:27:18.87
When my mum took me to
church and she'd come home
00:27:19.07\00:27:22.10
she had a lovely
meal for the family.
00:27:22.20\00:27:24.55
And I loved Sabbath when
I was young for the food.
00:27:24.75\00:27:28.19
But friends, as I've grown up
00:27:28.39\00:27:30.17
I love it for much more
than that. I love it for the
00:27:30.37\00:27:32.48
family time, for the time we
can share talking about Jesus,
00:27:32.58\00:27:37.09
spending time
with fellow believers.
00:27:37.29\00:27:39.65
And so well, we need to ask
the next most logical question:
00:27:39.86\00:27:44.66
"If this Sabbath
delight is so special,
00:27:44.86\00:27:47.28
so exciting, Charissa,
well then which day of the week
00:27:47.48\00:27:51.40
is the Sabbath day and
should it really matter?
00:27:51.54\00:27:55.48
Isn't one day just
as good as another? "
00:27:55.58\00:27:58.08
Well for one thing, one day
is not just as good as another.
00:27:58.28\00:28:01.28
Because of all the days
God could have blessed, rested,
00:28:01.48\00:28:04.42
and sanctified He only
did it on the seventh day.
00:28:04.52\00:28:08.20
And so perhaps I
should put it this way:
00:28:08.40\00:28:10.54
imagine for a moment that
your birthday was on the 7th
00:28:10.74\00:28:14.19
of September... because mine is.
00:28:14.29\00:28:16.89
And supposing that your
best friend decided to celebrate
00:28:17.09\00:28:22.29
your birthday on
the 8th of September.
00:28:22.40\00:28:25.73
Would that go
down well with you?
00:28:25.94\00:28:27.77
I can tell you, it would
not go down well with me.
00:28:28.08\00:28:31.39
And friends, those of
you who are married...
00:28:31.59\00:28:33.66
if you have every
forgotten your anniversary
00:28:33.86\00:28:36.12
and your spouse... were
they happy when you did that?
00:28:36.32\00:28:39.02
Oh, there's a whole lot of
shaking heads in this audience
00:28:40.19\00:28:42.54
tonight. No... because
another day is not just as good
00:28:42.64\00:28:46.29
as another.
It's a bit like this.
00:28:46.39\00:28:47.51
Supposing you were
getting married, OK?
00:28:47.71\00:28:49.84
And your spouse was one of...
had six other siblings, OK?
00:28:50.04\00:28:55.29
But you're going to
marry just one of them.
00:28:55.43\00:28:57.10
Your wife, ah...
or your husband, OK?
00:28:57.30\00:28:59.70
So you get married
but after you get married
00:28:59.90\00:29:03.26
one of your sisters-in-law
says: "Look, why don't I go
00:29:03.46\00:29:06.57
and be your wife? " Is that OK?
00:29:06.67\00:29:08.85
No! I hope not. Come on... NO!
00:29:09.15\00:29:13.25
Say no!
00:29:13.45\00:29:14.77
Because when you are
married you are set apart.
00:29:15.07\00:29:18.19
You became one.
That's another illustration.
00:29:18.39\00:29:20.84
And so friends, the Sabbath
is much more important than
00:29:21.04\00:29:23.96
any birthday, yes?
00:29:24.06\00:29:25.60
Because it's not just
any day it is God's day.
00:29:25.90\00:29:29.87
It is not just a matter of days
00:29:30.07\00:29:34.46
it is a matter of masters.
00:29:34.66\00:29:37.35
So OK... the day is important
but which day is the Sabbath?
00:29:37.55\00:29:40.83
Well to find out, I
think one of the clearest ways
00:29:41.03\00:29:43.70
for us to see it
is back at the cross.
00:29:43.73\00:29:46.17
Because you see the
Bible tells us that Jesus
00:29:46.37\00:29:49.26
died on Good Friday, didn't He?
00:29:49.46\00:29:51.64
And when He did, the Bible
says in Luke 23:54. It says:
00:29:51.84\00:29:56.68
Very, very interesting.
00:30:01.99\00:30:03.94
Not only that, it
goes on further to tell us
00:30:04.14\00:30:06.43
that when the women
were preparing spices
00:30:06.63\00:30:11.40
to come and embalm
the body of Jesus -
00:30:11.51\00:30:13.51
watch this,
this is fascinating -
00:30:13.71\00:30:15.70
they stopped. Why? Because they:
00:30:15.90\00:30:18.03
Friends, they were so conscious
of the importance of the Sabbath
00:30:35.04\00:30:40.21
that they weren't even willing
to embalm the body of Jesus
00:30:40.41\00:30:44.88
Christ on the Sabbath day.
00:30:45.09\00:30:47.14
That is powerful...
very powerful stuff.
00:30:47.34\00:30:50.49
The Bible then goes on
in Luke 24:1... it says:
00:30:50.69\00:30:54.00
And so friends, after
resting on the Sabbath
00:31:10.00\00:31:12.75
we know that Jesus
rises on Easter Sunday.
00:31:12.95\00:31:15.96
Now this fact is something
which virtually the whole of the
00:31:16.16\00:31:21.21
Christian world is united on.
00:31:21.31\00:31:23.25
Everybody believes that
Jesus died on Good Friday,
00:31:23.45\00:31:26.39
He rested on the
Sabbath, and then He rose
00:31:26.59\00:31:29.27
on Easter Sunday or
which the Bible describes
00:31:29.47\00:31:33.16
as the first day of the week.
00:31:33.36\00:31:36.79
That is powerful
evidence to tell us that really
00:31:36.99\00:31:39.98
the Sabbath day
falls on our Saturday.
00:31:40.18\00:31:44.47
Is that clear to you tonight?
00:31:44.68\00:31:45.96
Good.
Furthermore, the Bible tells us
00:31:46.26\00:31:49.46
that Paul and all the
disciples... guess what?
00:31:49.66\00:31:53.28
They were
Sabbath keepers as well.
00:31:53.48\00:31:56.17
Notice what the Bible says
in Acts chapter 18 and verse 4.
00:31:56.37\00:32:00.47
It says:
00:32:00.57\00:32:01.62
Friends, Paul
was a Sabbath keeper.
00:32:07.77\00:32:10.33
And by the way, there
are countless other verses...
00:32:10.54\00:32:13.19
There are some other
verses here in the book of Acts:
00:32:13.39\00:32:14.96
Acts 13:14; Acts
16:13; Acts 17:2.
00:32:15.16\00:32:20.07
All of these tell us
that Paul and the disciples...
00:32:20.27\00:32:23.15
they kept the Sabbath as well.
00:32:23.35\00:32:25.34
But if that's not good
enough evidence for you tonight
00:32:25.55\00:32:28.30
then there's
more evidence as well.
00:32:28.50\00:32:30.72
Because not only do
these verses clearly point
00:32:30.92\00:32:34.53
to Saturday as being
the seventh day of the week
00:32:34.63\00:32:37.77
but you take Saturday in the
various languages of the world
00:32:37.98\00:32:41.68
and watch what you have.
00:32:41.88\00:32:43.55
Friend, this is the same
thing in all of these languages.
00:32:56.18\00:33:00.39
The Sabbath is the seventh day.
00:33:00.59\00:33:02.75
And friends, there's
absolutely no question about it.
00:33:02.96\00:33:05.22
In fact, you follow these
languages and you do some more
00:33:05.42\00:33:08.45
research and you discover
that in over 140 languages
00:33:08.55\00:33:13.52
around the world today
the word for the seventh day
00:33:13.72\00:33:17.71
which we call Saturday
translates as the word Sabbath.
00:33:17.91\00:33:21.98
Can you say "Amen" to
that? I think that's wonderful.
00:33:22.18\00:33:24.82
Furthermore, the leading
astronomers in our world today
00:33:25.02\00:33:28.80
they testify to the
fact that the weekly cycle...
00:33:28.83\00:33:32.36
it has never been changed.
00:33:32.57\00:33:34.53
You can go to the Royal
Naval Observatory in the US
00:33:34.73\00:33:37.45
or the Royal
Greenwich Observatory in England
00:33:37.65\00:33:39.96
and they will tell you that.
00:33:40.16\00:33:41.49
But there are a good many
people out there that say:
00:33:41.69\00:33:43.78
"Look, Charissa, I don't know
about this. How can we truly
00:33:43.88\00:33:47.29
be sure that the
weekly cycle hasn't changed?
00:33:47.49\00:33:50.65
How can you truly know
that the seventh-day Sabbath
00:33:50.85\00:33:54.07
which you celebrate as God's day
is truly the same seventh day
00:33:54.27\00:33:59.05
that God made years ago? "
00:33:59.25\00:34:00.65
Well friends, we forget
that the Jews have been keeping
00:34:00.85\00:34:05.55
the Sabbath
faithfully for over 4,000 years.
00:34:05.75\00:34:10.23
And it's highly unlikely
that one Sabbath morning
00:34:10.43\00:34:13.96
the whole Jewish nation woke up
and forgot it was the 7th day.
00:34:14.16\00:34:18.46
So friends, let's summarize
what we have said so far.
00:34:18.66\00:34:22.27
The Sabbath is placed in
the heart of God's eternal law
00:34:22.47\00:34:26.45
of love and it was created
by God for us to be a blessing.
00:34:26.55\00:34:31.96
Can you say
"Amen" to that? Amen.
00:34:32.06\00:34:34.29
It is all about a love
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:34:34.39\00:34:37.91
It is all about God
wanting to get down and personal
00:34:38.11\00:34:41.87
with His people.
00:34:42.07\00:34:43.72
And friends, many Christian
leaders from many denominations
00:34:43.92\00:34:48.32
they know this to be the case.
00:34:48.52\00:34:50.82
I'd like to share some
fascinating quotes with you.
00:34:51.02\00:34:53.09
They know that the
Sabbath day is Saturday.
00:34:53.19\00:34:56.41
Watch what the
Congregationalist says.
00:34:56.61\00:34:59.25
Fascinating.
00:35:15.90\00:35:16.91
The Church of
England... this is what it says:
00:35:17.11\00:35:19.50
That was the Anglican
church. The Catholic church:
00:35:42.64\00:35:45.33
What about the Baptists?
00:36:11.09\00:36:12.29
Fascinating, isn't it?
00:36:45.75\00:36:47.67
And one last one from the
St. Catherine Catholic Church
00:36:47.87\00:36:51.17
Sentinel, May 21, 1995:
00:36:51.27\00:36:54.11
Friends, "Is Sabbath keeping
really all that important? "
00:37:23.24\00:37:27.23
you may ask. "I mean, OK. So
Saturday is the seventh day. "
00:37:27.43\00:37:31.04
But friends, let me
answer that this way.
00:37:31.24\00:37:33.54
The way in which you
value the Sabbath will depend on
00:37:33.74\00:37:37.00
the way in which you value your
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:37:37.10\00:37:40.24
He is the Lord of the
Sabbath. If you love Jesus,
00:37:40.45\00:37:45.59
you will love
the Sabbath as well.
00:37:45.69\00:37:47.37
How do I know that?
Because the Bible says:
00:37:47.57\00:37:49.59
Why then do so many
people keep Sunday when God has
00:38:13.86\00:38:18.86
asked us to keep the seventh-day
Sabbath, Saturday, holy?
00:38:18.96\00:38:23.52
Well I wonder myself
sometimes because it seems to me
00:38:23.83\00:38:26.95
to be so clear from scripture.
00:38:27.15\00:38:29.16
And friends, by the way...
You can search your Bibles
00:38:29.36\00:38:32.34
through from Genesis to
Revelation... I know because
00:38:32.55\00:38:35.32
I was talking with a friend
and I challenged her to find...
00:38:35.42\00:38:38.65
find a single verse that
says that Saturday is no longer
00:38:38.75\00:38:42.13
the seventh day and that Sunday
is the day that God wants us
00:38:42.23\00:38:44.97
to worship on. I
said: "Find me that verse
00:38:45.07\00:38:47.05
and I will give up
Sabbath keeping all together. "
00:38:47.25\00:38:49.31
Well I gave her that challenge
and she could not bring me
00:38:49.51\00:38:52.18
a verse because there is none.
00:38:52.28\00:38:54.17
There's a website... I
don't know where it is and what
00:38:54.37\00:38:56.50
the website is, but it is
offering a million dollars
00:38:56.60\00:38:58.71
to anybody who
can find that verse.
00:38:58.81\00:39:01.05
But friends, it's not in
the Bible and they still have
00:39:01.25\00:39:03.88
their million dollars.
00:39:03.99\00:39:05.05
So friends, where did
Sunday worship originate?
00:39:05.25\00:39:08.35
Well, the change from Saturday
to Sunday was one that came
00:39:08.55\00:39:13.15
very gradually. You see,
up until the second century
00:39:13.35\00:39:16.79
after Christ there
was really no mention...
00:39:16.89\00:39:20.06
there is really no
record of Sunday observance.
00:39:20.26\00:39:23.18
However, over the next three
centuries the church in Rome
00:39:23.39\00:39:28.20
slowly began to favor
Sunday over the Sabbath day
00:39:28.41\00:39:33.72
as a worship
day. And they did this
00:39:33.92\00:39:36.49
for two primary
reasons. The first reason was
00:39:36.69\00:39:39.79
the Roman church was
attempting to separate itself
00:39:39.99\00:39:43.66
from the Jews
who crucified Christ.
00:39:43.69\00:39:46.54
And because the
Jews were Sabbath keepers
00:39:46.75\00:39:49.22
well, Sunday wasn't their day.
00:39:49.32\00:39:50.92
So they thought:
"Well that's a good idea...
00:39:51.12\00:39:52.69
we should keep Sunday. "
00:39:52.89\00:39:54.30
The second reason why the church
00:39:54.50\00:39:59.16
slowly began to favor
Sunday instead of Saturday
00:39:59.36\00:40:02.01
is because Sunday fitted in
really well with the secular
00:40:02.22\00:40:06.05
Romans whose culture
was steeped in sun worship.
00:40:06.15\00:40:10.37
And today you can go to their
temples and to their churches
00:40:10.58\00:40:14.08
and you can see evidences
of sun worship in sculptures
00:40:14.19\00:40:17.77
and in paintings
and in the architecture
00:40:17.97\00:40:20.31
of these Roman churches.
00:40:20.51\00:40:22.34
And so by the time the
Roman emperor Constantine...
00:40:22.54\00:40:26.46
he came upon the scene
00:40:26.66\00:40:28.02
he saw the trend in Christendom
00:40:28.22\00:40:31.41
that was moving toward
Sunday and so he decided
00:40:31.61\00:40:34.87
to take advantage of it.
00:40:35.07\00:40:37.05
He thought to himself:
"Well, if we make Sunday
00:40:37.25\00:40:40.59
a holiday and also
double it as a worship day
00:40:40.79\00:40:44.18
then it would be politically
advantageous to himself. "
00:40:44.38\00:40:48.39
And so friends, on
the 7th of March, 321 AD,
00:40:48.59\00:40:52.45
this is what he did...
he made this law. He said:
00:40:52.65\00:40:56.30
And friends tonight,
since... from that time to this
00:41:14.75\00:41:18.98
tonight there are
over 1 billion people
00:41:19.28\00:41:22.91
who keep Sunday holy.
00:41:23.11\00:41:26.38
"Holy... " Supposedly.
00:41:26.68\00:41:28.56
Not because of any scriptural
evidence they find in the Bible
00:41:28.76\00:41:32.94
because there's not a
shred of scriptural evidence
00:41:33.04\00:41:35.09
for that in the Bible but
because like we read earlier
00:41:35.29\00:41:38.48
the Roman Catholic church...
it transferred the solemnity
00:41:38.68\00:41:42.70
of Sabbath to Sunday and
it's just become a tradition.
00:41:42.80\00:41:46.16
And by the way, friends, do you
think Satan is happy about this?
00:41:46.30\00:41:50.05
He is. He... For every truth
of God there is a counterfeit
00:41:50.36\00:41:54.95
that he has. But can
man change God's law?
00:41:55.15\00:41:58.31
Can man take a holy day
and make it not a holy day
00:41:58.51\00:42:01.48
and put a
holiday somewhere else?
00:42:01.59\00:42:03.04
Friends, no they can't.
00:42:03.24\00:42:05.13
The Bible says
that God... He says:
00:42:05.23\00:42:06.89
Jesus says He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
00:42:09.78\00:42:13.84
And this verse right here
- Ecclesiastes 3:14- says:
00:42:13.94\00:42:17.46
So friends, can the
Sabbath memorial be changed?
00:42:34.29\00:42:37.10
No... because it points
back to an established fact.
00:42:37.30\00:42:40.29
July 4 was
Independence Day. Why?
00:42:40.49\00:42:43.21
Because the Declaration
of Independence was signed on
00:42:43.31\00:42:45.68
July 4 in 1776.
00:42:45.78\00:42:48.03
Can they change? Can they
celebrate Independence Day
00:42:48.23\00:42:51.47
on another day?
Well, they could... but
00:42:51.57\00:42:53.59
it really won't mean anything
00:42:53.69\00:42:55.19
because the declaration
was signed on the 4th of July.
00:42:55.39\00:42:59.37
People can celebrate
your birthday on another day
00:42:59.57\00:43:02.19
but it doesn't really change
the fact that you were born
00:43:02.39\00:43:04.95
on the particular day
that you were born on!
00:43:05.15\00:43:07.59
And so friend, if we
were to change the day
00:43:07.79\00:43:10.70
it would mean we
would have to rewind history
00:43:10.80\00:43:13.08
to rewrite it so it
would read a certain way.
00:43:13.28\00:43:15.78
Does that make sense?
00:43:15.99\00:43:17.06
And friends, as long
as the facts are facts
00:43:17.27\00:43:19.22
you can't change a
fact. And that's a fact
00:43:19.43\00:43:21.02
because the facts don't change.
00:43:21.22\00:43:23.80
Now to illustrate my
point a little bit more...
00:43:24.00\00:43:26.02
Supposing I had here tonight
00:43:26.43\00:43:29.44
three pieces of cloth.
00:43:29.64\00:43:32.42
I had a white piece of cloth,
and I held it up to you all
00:43:32.62\00:43:36.07
tonight and then I
dropped it on the ground
00:43:36.17\00:43:38.58
and I started
putting my shoes all over it
00:43:38.78\00:43:41.45
and stamping on it and
rubbing my shoes on it.
00:43:41.55\00:43:43.70
And you think: "Oh,
she doesn't like white. "
00:43:43.90\00:43:46.03
You'd think it's a bit strange
but you probably wouldn't
00:43:46.23\00:43:48.68
get too upset. And I
took a red piece of cloth
00:43:48.78\00:43:51.98
and a blue piece of cloth
and I dropped them on the ground
00:43:52.18\00:43:55.05
and I started walking
all over them. Maybe put them
00:43:55.25\00:43:57.71
in the dirt and
made them all dirty.
00:43:57.81\00:44:00.17
And then perhaps I
picked them up and took a match
00:44:00.37\00:44:02.95
and lighted it and
burnt those pieces of cloth.
00:44:03.05\00:44:05.99
Would that upset you?
00:44:06.19\00:44:07.52
No. You'd think I had a problem
but it wouldn't upset you.
00:44:07.72\00:44:10.80
But friends, if I took
those three pieces of cloth
00:44:11.00\00:44:13.90
and I put them together to make
something that looked like this
00:44:14.10\00:44:18.51
and I took this on the ground
00:44:18.71\00:44:21.04
and I put it on the ground
and I began to walk all over it
00:44:21.25\00:44:23.63
and then I lifted it up and
took a match and lighted it,
00:44:23.83\00:44:26.73
I probably wouldn't still be
standing here because somebody
00:44:27.03\00:44:30.01
would have grabbed
me and taken me down.
00:44:30.12\00:44:31.61
Why?
00:44:31.81\00:44:32.95
Because this
stands for something.
00:44:34.33\00:44:38.09
And friends, the
Sabbath stands for something.
00:44:38.29\00:44:42.23
It is a memorial of creation.
00:44:42.44\00:44:44.53
It is a reminder to
humanity who can't remember
00:44:44.73\00:44:47.20
where they came
from that God made them.
00:44:47.30\00:44:49.65
That God loved them enough
that He is going to come back
00:44:49.85\00:44:52.24
for them. He redeemed them.
It is a reminder from God to us
00:44:52.35\00:44:55.72
that He loves us.
00:44:55.82\00:44:58.14
There are some people
tonight that say: "OK, well...
00:44:58.34\00:45:01.26
we are now under... We are
not under the law any more,
00:45:01.46\00:45:03.79
Charissa, we're under grace.
00:45:03.90\00:45:05.32
Don't you remember
we are saved by grace? "
00:45:05.52\00:45:07.75
Yes, I'm so glad that we are.
00:45:07.95\00:45:09.94
The Bible tells us in
Ephesians 2 and verse 8:
00:45:10.14\00:45:13.17
But does this mean
that you and I can go ahead
00:45:19.61\00:45:21.93
and break God's law? No.
00:45:22.03\00:45:25.16
Friends, the purpose of
God's law is like a mirror.
00:45:25.29\00:45:27.80
It shows us... As we
look into the law of God
00:45:28.10\00:45:31.15
it shows us where
sin is in our lives.
00:45:31.35\00:45:34.59
That's what the law of God is.
00:45:34.79\00:45:36.54
And friends, as we look into
God's law and we see the defects
00:45:36.75\00:45:39.79
on our lives and
the sins in our lives
00:45:39.82\00:45:42.72
it is then that we turn to
Jesus and say: "Lord, I need
00:45:42.92\00:45:45.74
Your forgiveness. "
We confess our sins.
00:45:45.84\00:45:48.01
God forgives us of our sin.
00:45:48.11\00:45:50.67
He cleanses us
and frees us from it
00:45:50.87\00:45:53.35
because of the shed
blood of Jesus Christ.
00:45:53.55\00:45:56.30
And friends, without the law
we wouldn't know where sin is
00:45:56.50\00:45:59.16
in our lives. And for that
reason Jesus says... He says:
00:45:59.27\00:46:02.84
He didn't say: "If you
love Me, change them. "
00:46:06.97\00:46:09.21
Said: "If you
love Me, keep them...
00:46:09.41\00:46:11.79
keep My commandments. "
00:46:11.99\00:46:13.32
Friends, the God of heaven...
He will not force anyone to keep
00:46:13.42\00:46:16.84
the Sabbath. He doesn't force
anyone to keep His commandments
00:46:16.94\00:46:20.10
because it's out of
love that we follow them
00:46:20.30\00:46:23.08
and that we keep them.
00:46:23.28\00:46:24.33
And like I said earlier,
the Sabbath is not a matter
00:46:24.53\00:46:26.71
of days... it is
a matter of masters.
00:46:26.81\00:46:29.86
And the devil, Satan,
the arch enemy of God...
00:46:30.06\00:46:33.44
he hates everyone who keeps
the seventh-day Sabbath holy.
00:46:33.64\00:46:38.59
Because listen, if he
can get humanity to forget
00:46:38.79\00:46:43.25
where they came from,
if he can keep you stressed
00:46:43.45\00:46:46.09
and searching for answers in
this life and you forget God,
00:46:46.29\00:46:49.74
then he has caused you
to lose your eternal life.
00:46:49.94\00:46:52.93
And he doesn't want
you to go to heaven.
00:46:53.13\00:46:55.45
He doesn't want you
to call heaven home.
00:46:55.65\00:46:57.29
You know why?
Because he's been there.
00:46:57.49\00:46:59.35
He knows how wonderful it is
00:46:59.55\00:47:01.15
and he doesn't want you
to get where he can never go.
00:47:01.35\00:47:05.11
And so friends, tonight he
will do anything to stop you
00:47:05.41\00:47:08.69
from keeping the Sabbath.
00:47:08.89\00:47:10.03
He will provide for
you all kinds of excuses.
00:47:10.23\00:47:14.02
"Your spouse won't
like it. They'll leave. "
00:47:14.23\00:47:17.31
Or "You'll lose your job."
00:47:17.51\00:47:18.75
Or "How could the
majority possibly be wrong? "
00:47:18.95\00:47:22.70
But friends, the Sabbath is
like a link in the chain to God.
00:47:22.90\00:47:26.74
It is like a link in
our relationship to God.
00:47:26.94\00:47:28.85
And when one link
in the chain is broken
00:47:29.06\00:47:31.49
the relationship...
it is broken as well.
00:47:31.69\00:47:34.70
Friend, you think to yourself:
"Will God keep me out of heaven
00:47:34.90\00:47:38.80
for neglecting to
obey one commandment? "
00:47:39.00\00:47:42.53
Well... the Bible says this:
00:47:42.73\00:47:45.05
Friends, tonight you
and I have a choice to make.
00:47:55.02\00:47:57.91
We can choose two roads.
00:47:58.31\00:48:01.83
One is the road of truth and
the other is the road of error.
00:48:02.03\00:48:06.10
One is the road of the Bible.
00:48:06.30\00:48:08.09
The other is the
road of tradition.
00:48:08.29\00:48:10.17
One is the road
of the true Sabbath.
00:48:10.37\00:48:12.44
The other is the
road of the false Sabbath.
00:48:12.64\00:48:14.75
One is the road of Satan...
00:48:14.95\00:48:17.59
the other is the
road of Jesus Christ.
00:48:17.79\00:48:19.89
And tonight you can choose
the road which you will travel.
00:48:19.99\00:48:23.14
I pray that tonight
you choose God's road
00:48:23.15\00:48:25.82
because listen:
if you get to heaven
00:48:26.02\00:48:28.03
and God comes up
to you and He says:
00:48:28.23\00:48:30.49
"Why did you keep the
seventh-day Sabbath holy? "
00:48:30.69\00:48:33.21
well you can look Him straight
in the eye and you can say
00:48:33.41\00:48:35.52
"Well Lord, I kept the Sabbath
holy because way back in Genesis
00:48:35.72\00:48:39.47
You rested on the
seventh day. Then, Lord,
00:48:39.67\00:48:42.77
Noah and Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob and Joseph...
00:48:42.97\00:48:46.76
they all kept the
Sabbath holy as well.
00:48:46.96\00:48:49.31
Then when You were leading
Your children out of Egypt
00:48:49.51\00:48:52.10
You gave them the Sabbath.
And it's in the Ten Commandment
00:48:52.30\00:48:55.64
law that You gave
them. Nehemiah... he kept it.
00:48:55.74\00:48:58.96
And God, You kept
the Sabbath day as well.
00:48:59.16\00:49:02.98
Jesus... You kept it!
Peter and Paul and all Your
00:49:03.18\00:49:05.87
disciples... they
kept the Sabbath as well.
00:49:05.97\00:49:07.91
And then not only that, in
Isaiah - Isaiah chapter 66-
00:49:08.11\00:49:11.58
You told us that we would
be keeping the Sabbath up here
00:49:11.68\00:49:14.31
as well. The Jews
have kept it, and Lord,
00:49:14.52\00:49:17.60
all I can see right throughout
the Bible is that we were to
00:49:17.70\00:49:20.06
keep the Sabbath holy because
that is what the followers
00:49:20.16\00:49:22.67
of God did. "That's
what you could say to God.
00:49:22.77\00:49:26.41
But supposing God
asks you this question:
00:49:26.61\00:49:29.57
"Why did you go to
church on Sunday? "
00:49:29.77\00:49:32.35
Who in the Bible can
we look to as an example
00:49:32.65\00:49:37.46
that we followed?
Friends, there is none.
00:49:37.56\00:49:40.25
And so tonight I ask
you: are we going to wait
00:49:40.35\00:49:43.47
for the truth to become popular
00:49:43.67\00:49:45.53
or will we follow the
Lamb wherever He goes?
00:49:45.73\00:49:48.50
Will we do what's right?
Because, friends, what's popular
00:49:48.70\00:49:51.72
is not always right.
00:49:51.92\00:49:53.19
Sometimes the majority
just means that all the fools
00:49:53.39\00:49:55.91
are on the one side.
And friends tonight, God has
00:49:56.01\00:49:58.56
shown you this truth... not
because He wants to burden you
00:49:58.66\00:50:02.44
but because He truly loves you.
00:50:02.64\00:50:06.13
He wants you to know
that you were created
00:50:06.33\00:50:09.67
for something better.
00:50:09.77\00:50:10.96
He doesn't want you to
be stressed and suppressed
00:50:11.06\00:50:13.40
by the cares of this life
00:50:13.50\00:50:15.04
and He pleads with you
tonight: "Remember My Sabbath.
00:50:15.24\00:50:18.82
Keep it holy. Enter into
a love relationship with Me
00:50:19.02\00:50:23.05
and I will bless you.
00:50:23.25\00:50:24.92
You will have the
right to the Tree of Life. "
00:50:25.02\00:50:28.05
Oh friends, I plead with you
tonight to make your decision
00:50:28.26\00:50:30.94
not based on what others
have said or how you feel.
00:50:31.14\00:50:33.86
I recognize it is a
confronting truth tonight,
00:50:34.06\00:50:37.30
but I earnestly,
sincerely beg of you tonight
00:50:37.50\00:50:41.00
to make your decision
based on the Word of God...
00:50:41.21\00:50:44.01
on the Bible and the Bible only.
00:50:44.21\00:50:46.71
Search it out;
see the whole story;
00:50:46.91\00:50:49.66
and then make your
decision for Jesus Christ.
00:50:49.87\00:50:53.23
Would you bow your heads
with me as we close with prayer?
00:50:53.53\00:50:56.26
Oh Lord God in heaven,
00:50:57.50\00:50:59.13
thank you
tonight for the Sabbath.
00:50:59.33\00:51:02.13
You who are the Lord of
the Sabbath, we come before You
00:51:02.33\00:51:05.02
in these, the Sabbath hours
00:51:05.12\00:51:06.80
and we ask you, Lord,
to help us to keep it holy.
00:51:07.00\00:51:10.05
Lord tonight for
some of us here tonight
00:51:10.08\00:51:12.73
this has been a
fresh, confronting truth.
00:51:12.83\00:51:15.16
But Lord I pray that You would
strengthen us to follow Jesus.
00:51:15.36\00:51:19.37
It is so hard to follow
You in a world that is going
00:51:19.57\00:51:22.77
a different way, but
Lord, help us to follow Your way
00:51:22.97\00:51:25.91
because You are the only way.
00:51:26.12\00:51:27.56
Lord, I thank you that Your
Holy Spirit is here tonight.
00:51:27.86\00:51:30.45
For those who are battling
and wrestling, please Lord,
00:51:30.55\00:51:32.70
give them courage to make
the stand and to choose Jesus.
00:51:32.90\00:51:36.61
Thank you, Lord, for
hearing our prayer tonight.
00:51:36.85\00:51:39.36
In Jesus' wonderful name, Amen.
00:51:39.56\00:51:42.25