Hello and welcome again
to another one in the series
00:00:39.33\00:00:43.57
on God's Last
Message to the World.
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I do appreciate seeing
those who are in the studio,
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and I've always got
at the back of my mind,
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those people who
might be around the world,
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who are watching this series.
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Welcome to you in
a very special way.
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The title for our
presentation today
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is a Precious Gift from Jesus,
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Soon to Divide the World.
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I hope that as you
think of this title,
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that it might arouse
some questions in your mind.
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First of all, of course,
what is this precious gift?
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And then how can we be
sure that it comes from Jesus?
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And if it does come from Jesus,
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how and why does
Jesus give us a gift
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that's going to
divide the world?
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There's a text I can think of
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in the book of
Ephesians Chapter four,
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that tells us
that there are gifts
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that Jesus gives to His church
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that were given primarily
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to bring us into a
unity of the faith.
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Well, then why does
this gift divide the world?
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And finally He, why
would Jesus give us a gift
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that will divide the world
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as part of his
last warning message?
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How thankful that
we should be today,
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that Jesus has promised us
the gift of the Holy Spirit
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to guide us into the truth
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as we consider
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these very
important questions today.
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So let us bow our
heads in a word of prayer.
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Our loving Father in heaven,
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we thank You again
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for the promise
of the Holy Spirit.
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"He was given
to us to guide us,"
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Jesus said.
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"into all truth"
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and given to us also
to help us glorify Jesus.
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We pray that
that may happen today,
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that we might in all the
words that are spoken here
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under the
influence of the Holy Spirit,
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see more of God's truth
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and glorify Jesus
in what is revealed.
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And we ask this in
Jesus' precious name.
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Amen.
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I'd like to begin today
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by taking the time
for a brief summary
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of God's last warning message
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as we've unfolded it
so far in our series.
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Those three messages,
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symbolizing three angels
and presenting three angels,
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symbolize God's last message
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that he's going to
go send to the world.
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And I'm going to
put on the screen,
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therefore, a
summary of these messages,
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just to remind you of
this at the beginning.
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First of all, we noticed that
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at the beginning
in Revelation 14:6-7,
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that these messages are
based on the everlasting gospel
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to be proclaimed to the world.
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That's important
to understand it,
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that it's part of the gospel.
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Then two,
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they call for reverence
for God in view of the fact,
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as we've discussed recently
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that the hour of
God's judgment has come.
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Then number three,
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they urge all to
worship the Creator.
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You remember in Revelation 14:7,
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that angel says
with a loud voice,
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a megaphone as
we noticed recently,
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they urge all to
worship the Creator.
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Then they warn,
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and this is the
second angel's message.
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They warn of the development
of a union of all religions
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symbolized by
the city of Babylon,
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that ancient city
that stood for Babel
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and confusion of languages.
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You'll remember
at the beginning.
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And they will call God's
people to separate, to come out.
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In Revelation 18:4, it says,
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"Come out of Babylon, my people,
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that you receive
not of her plagues."
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Then there's the
third angel's message.
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That solemn message
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that's given in Revelation 14:9,
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they warn against the
worship of the beast, his image,
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and receiving his
mark in the forehead
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or in the right hand.
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Then at the end of the messages,
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God is very clear on
describing the people
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who will be
proclaiming these messages,
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because in Revelation 14:12,
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it says,
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"Here is the
patience of the saints:
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here are they
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that keep the
commandments of God,
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and have the faith of Jesus."
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We need to begin today
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by going back to a
very important time
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in church history.
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We have spoken a
little bit about it
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in this series so far,
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but as we consider
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these three angels'
messages from Jesus,
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and since we know
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how much Jesus loves
the people of the world,
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and he wants them to
be ready for his return,
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and since we understand
that Jesus knows in advance
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the events and the
issues and the conditions
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that the world will be facing
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in the last days
of earth's history,
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it's so important that
we know these messages,
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believe them
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and act on their
calls for obedience.
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That's why we need
to go back in history
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to this surprising
time in church history,
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when so much happened,
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that has really
changed the world.
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And I'm referring, of course,
to the time when this man,
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his name was Martin Luther
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and Martin
Luther the monk in 1521
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delivered one of
the greatest speeches
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in the last 500 years
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in terms of their
influence upon the world
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and Martin Luther,
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four years before 1521,
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in 1517,
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went to the
Castle Church, his church
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there in the
German city of Wittenberg
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and nailed on the door,
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which was the
habit in those days
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that if anybody wanted to
make an announcement to the,
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to the, to the city,
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they went to the door and
nailed their little remarks
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or whatever they
were going to say
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on the church door.
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And he came to this church
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and he nailed on the door
95 theses they were called,
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95 propositions, if you like.
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They were concerning
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what was
happening in a nearby town
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when a Catholic monk was
there selling indulgences.
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And what were indulgences?
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They were pieces of paper
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that would give the
purchaser forgiveness
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for all of his sins, both
past, present, and future.
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And this aroused
this man, Martin Luther.
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He was learning
enough about the Bible
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to know that
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forgiveness can't be
bought on a piece of paper.
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It comes as you know,
from confession of your sins
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and directly to Jesus.
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And so in 1521,
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he was summoned to
appear before the parliament.
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But I should show you,
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first of all, before we
leave that there is today,
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if you were to visit that church
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and the church still
stands in Wittenberg today,
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and the door was burnt.
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The whole church was burned,
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but they've
constructed a new door.
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And you'll see
there on that picture,
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that on the front of
the door in the black there,
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the 95 theses have
been reproduced in metal
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and they're still
on that door today.
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Well, in 1521,
Luther, as I said,
00:08:16.26\00:08:18.26
was summoned to
appear before the parliament
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with the emperor of the
Holy Roman Empire there.
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They were gathered
in the city of Worms
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to recant what he
had written in 1517
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on that door, on those doors.
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And also the
books that he'd written
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in the interceding four years.
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And so here is a painting,
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well-known painting of
that moment in history,
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you can see the emperor
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of the Holy Roman
Empire on the left,
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and here is Martin
Luther making his famous speech.
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What did he say?
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What did he say at that time?
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I want you to read the words
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and notice them carefully.
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"Unless I,"
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because they were
asking him to recant
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what he'd
written in those books,
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to give them up,
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to say that they were wrong
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and those 95 propositions,
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his reply was,
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"Unless I can be
instructed and convinced
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with evidence from
the Holy Scriptures
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or with open, clear,
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and distinct
grounds of reasoning,
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then I cannot
and will not recant
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because it is
neither safe nor wise
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to act against conscience.
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Here I stand, I can do no other.
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God help me.
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Amen."
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What a speech.
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It was to change world
history and church history
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from that day on,
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because his appeal was
00:09:48.75\00:09:50.52
that we must test
everything that we write,
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everything that we say
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and everything that
we believe by the Bible,
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because the Bible is
to be the source of truth.
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And his appeal that the
Bible must be the foundation
00:10:02.10\00:10:04.83
and the ultimate
authority for all faith
00:10:04.87\00:10:07.80
laid the foundation
00:10:07.84\00:10:09.47
for the Protestant
reformation that followed.
00:10:09.50\00:10:12.84
God had begun,
notice I use the words
00:10:12.87\00:10:15.58
"begun, "
00:10:15.61\00:10:16.95
the work of
reforming the church,
00:10:16.98\00:10:19.35
bringing it back
to the great truth
00:10:19.38\00:10:21.38
that Jesus had taught
00:10:21.42\00:10:22.88
at the beginnings of the church.
00:10:22.92\00:10:24.55
But there had been,
00:10:24.59\00:10:25.92
a lot of false doctrine
had crept into the church
00:10:25.95\00:10:28.82
during its
history, up until the 1500s.
00:10:28.86\00:10:33.46
Within a few years of that time,
00:10:33.50\00:10:35.70
still in the 1520s,
00:10:35.73\00:10:38.20
two men in Europe
00:10:38.23\00:10:40.40
applied Luther's
foundational principle.
00:10:40.44\00:10:44.44
What does the Bible
say about what we believe?
00:10:44.47\00:10:48.68
And they began
to study the Bible
00:10:48.71\00:10:50.58
on the question of,
00:10:50.61\00:10:52.78
"The Bible talks a
lot about the Sabbath.
00:10:52.81\00:10:55.75
And yet we as
Christians today, keep Sunday,"
00:10:55.78\00:10:58.32
they said.
00:10:58.35\00:10:59.79
"Is this taught in scripture?"
00:10:59.82\00:11:02.69
These two men were
00:11:02.72\00:11:04.06
Oswald Glaidt
and Andreas Fischer.
00:11:04.09\00:11:06.96
And they were convicted
00:11:07.00\00:11:08.33
as a result of
their study of the Bible
00:11:08.36\00:11:09.70
that the seventh day
00:11:09.73\00:11:11.23
should be kept as the Sabbath.
00:11:11.27\00:11:13.94
And they share their faith
with many people in those days.
00:11:13.97\00:11:16.71
This was in the 1520s.
00:11:16.74\00:11:19.27
And many people
accepted what they said.
00:11:19.31\00:11:21.54
Yes.
00:11:21.58\00:11:22.91
The Bible only seems to teach
00:11:22.94\00:11:24.88
the observance of the
seventh day of the week
00:11:24.91\00:11:26.95
as the Sabbath.
00:11:26.98\00:11:28.85
Well, they shared their
faith with many, as I said,
00:11:28.88\00:11:31.49
and later they
gave up their lives
00:11:31.52\00:11:35.82
because of their faith
in the seventh day Sabbath.
00:11:35.86\00:11:39.86
Among the puritans in
England, in the 1600s,
00:11:39.89\00:11:42.93
there was
considerable controversy
00:11:42.96\00:11:45.47
over the
question of the Sabbath.
00:11:45.50\00:11:48.10
And many puritans
00:11:48.14\00:11:49.47
began to keep the
seventh day Sabbath,
00:11:49.50\00:11:52.11
including a man that
00:11:52.14\00:11:53.48
when I read about his
history, I was quite impressed
00:11:53.51\00:11:56.48
with who he was and what he did.
00:11:56.51\00:11:58.91
His name was
Dr. Peter Chamberlen
00:11:58.95\00:12:01.42
and Dr. Chamberlen
was a brilliant physician
00:12:01.45\00:12:04.52
to three of the
kings of England.
00:12:04.55\00:12:07.16
We have the King
James Version of the Bible
00:12:07.19\00:12:09.49
authorized by
King James the First,
00:12:09.52\00:12:11.93
and Dr.
Chamberlen was the physician
00:12:11.96\00:12:13.80
to care for the
health of King James.
00:12:13.83\00:12:17.40
He was also the physician
to King Charles the First,
00:12:17.43\00:12:20.80
and King Charles the Second,
three of the kings of England.
00:12:20.84\00:12:25.14
But when I visited his tombstone
00:12:25.17\00:12:27.11
some years ago,
00:12:27.14\00:12:28.48
I noticed that it said
00:12:28.51\00:12:30.31
that he was baptized in 1648
00:12:30.35\00:12:33.72
and kept the seventh day
for the Sabbath for 32 years.
00:12:33.75\00:12:39.29
From these
Sabbath-keeping puritans
00:12:39.32\00:12:42.86
there developed the
Seventh-day Baptist church
00:12:42.89\00:12:45.33
in England,
00:12:45.36\00:12:46.90
and in 1664,
00:12:46.93\00:12:48.63
one of these Seventh-day
Baptists, Stephen Mumford,
00:12:48.66\00:12:51.97
wanted to
escape the persecutions
00:12:52.00\00:12:54.90
that were being conducted
00:12:54.94\00:12:56.40
against those who
were keeping the Sabbath
00:12:56.44\00:12:58.67
at that time.
00:12:58.71\00:13:00.04
And so he moved
across to the United States.
00:13:00.08\00:13:03.21
He brought the
Sabbath to America
00:13:03.24\00:13:04.81
and established
00:13:04.85\00:13:06.18
the first
Seventh-day Baptist church
00:13:06.21\00:13:08.32
in Newport, Rhode
Island, in December 1671
00:13:08.35\00:13:13.36
with just seven members.
00:13:13.39\00:13:16.96
But I noticed that by 1802,
00:13:16.99\00:13:19.83
the membership had
grown from 7 to 1,200.
00:13:19.86\00:13:22.76
And in that year, they organized
00:13:22.80\00:13:24.20
the general conference
of Seventh-day Baptists.
00:13:24.23\00:13:27.07
By 1843,
00:13:27.10\00:13:29.60
there was 5,500
Seventh-day Baptists
00:13:29.64\00:13:33.11
in the United States.
00:13:33.14\00:13:35.04
And they met in that
year in a general conference.
00:13:35.08\00:13:38.58
They sent delegates to
this general conference
00:13:38.61\00:13:41.85
and they voted
a most interesting
00:13:41.88\00:13:45.52
and important recommendation.
00:13:45.55\00:13:48.66
What was their recommendation?
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.06
Let's have a look at it.
00:13:51.09\00:13:52.86
"That the first day
of November next, 1843,
00:13:52.89\00:13:59.20
be observed by our churches
as a day of fasting and prayer
00:13:59.23\00:14:05.41
that Almighty God
00:14:05.44\00:14:06.78
would arise and plead
for his Holy Sabbath."
00:14:06.81\00:14:10.41
What an
interesting recommendation
00:14:10.45\00:14:12.21
from those 5, 500
00:14:12.25\00:14:15.78
at Seventh-day Baptist
00:14:15.82\00:14:17.45
working through their delegates.
00:14:17.49\00:14:19.35
They wanted to
set aside a whole day,
00:14:19.39\00:14:21.26
November, the
1st of November, 1843
00:14:21.29\00:14:24.39
as a day of fasting and prayer,
not just an ordinary day.
00:14:24.43\00:14:27.60
They were not only
going to pray on that day.
00:14:27.63\00:14:29.33
They were going
to fast on that day.
00:14:29.36\00:14:31.30
They were in earnest
00:14:31.33\00:14:32.87
because they wanted
to take a message to God
00:14:32.90\00:14:35.67
that he would
plead for his Sabbath.
00:14:35.70\00:14:38.57
They were wanting
the Sabbath to be brought
00:14:38.61\00:14:40.38
to the attention of the world.
00:14:40.41\00:14:42.18
And they felt they were
just a small group of people
00:14:42.21\00:14:44.61
who would do it.
00:14:44.65\00:14:46.78
Well, the Seventh-day Baptists
could never have imagined that
00:14:46.82\00:14:53.05
that day of fasting and prayer
00:14:53.09\00:14:57.29
was going to change
the world in essence,
00:14:57.33\00:15:02.06
because those who
observed this day of fasting
00:15:02.10\00:15:05.60
could never have anticipated
00:15:05.63\00:15:08.97
the manner or the magnitude
00:15:09.00\00:15:11.31
of the answer that
the Lord for centuries
00:15:11.34\00:15:14.51
was preparing in advance.
00:15:14.54\00:15:16.91
I want to take
you to a very nice,
00:15:16.95\00:15:20.85
well, I think
you'll like the picture
00:15:20.88\00:15:22.88
because it was a beautiful day
00:15:22.92\00:15:24.35
when I visited
Washington in New Hampshire.
00:15:24.39\00:15:28.12
Washington is
just a small village
00:15:28.16\00:15:30.73
in the state of New Hampshire,
00:15:30.76\00:15:33.23
but why did I put
that on the screen?
00:15:33.26\00:15:36.30
Because of the story
I'm about to tell you.
00:15:36.33\00:15:39.23
This is the town square.
00:15:39.27\00:15:40.84
You can see the
church on the left,
00:15:40.87\00:15:42.60
the school in the center
00:15:42.64\00:15:44.21
and the council buildings
00:15:44.24\00:15:45.87
on the right-hand
side of that picture.
00:15:45.91\00:15:48.94
Within a month, notice,
00:15:48.98\00:15:51.58
within a month of that
day of fasting and prayer,
00:15:51.61\00:15:56.69
Seventh-day
Baptist lady, Rachel Oaks
00:15:56.72\00:16:01.36
was on her way to
Washington, New Hampshire
00:16:01.39\00:16:04.46
from her home in Verona,
00:16:04.49\00:16:06.49
in the state of New York.
00:16:06.53\00:16:09.03
And she was walking
into God's amazing plan
00:16:09.06\00:16:12.80
for his last
message to go to the world.
00:16:12.83\00:16:16.50
She had come and
here is Rachel Oakes.
00:16:16.54\00:16:19.37
She had come to Washington
00:16:19.41\00:16:20.74
to visit her
18-year-old daughter
00:16:20.78\00:16:23.61
Delight Oakes
00:16:23.65\00:16:25.31
who had accepted a position
as the public school teacher
00:16:25.35\00:16:29.02
in the little village of
Washington, New Hampshire.
00:16:29.05\00:16:32.02
And because there were
no Seventh-day Baptists
00:16:32.05\00:16:35.22
in the village in Washington,
00:16:35.26\00:16:38.29
they met on a Sunday
00:16:38.33\00:16:40.66
with the
Christian Brethren Church
00:16:40.70\00:16:42.83
who met in this wooden building
in Washington, New Hampshire.
00:16:42.86\00:16:48.14
But the interesting
thing about the people,
00:16:48.17\00:16:50.11
the members who
worship in that little building
00:16:50.14\00:16:53.07
was that they
had recently accepted
00:16:53.11\00:16:56.04
totally as a church,
00:16:56.08\00:16:57.71
the teachings of William Miller.
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.45
And this is 1843,
00:17:00.48\00:17:04.39
and here they were
00:17:04.42\00:17:05.79
waiting for
Jesus to come in 1844
00:17:05.82\00:17:09.49
and into their midst
00:17:09.52\00:17:10.86
comes this
Seventh-day Baptist lady,
00:17:10.89\00:17:12.66
because there is no
Sabbath-keeping church there
00:17:12.69\00:17:16.03
they decided to meet in
the only Christian church
00:17:16.06\00:17:18.73
in that little village,
00:17:18.77\00:17:20.10
and that was the
one that met here.
00:17:20.14\00:17:23.44
Well, as they
met Sunday by Sunday,
00:17:23.47\00:17:27.61
one day, the
minister of the church
00:17:27.64\00:17:30.01
stood at the pulpit there
00:17:30.05\00:17:32.31
because this is
inside that little church
00:17:32.35\00:17:34.98
and it was communion day.
00:17:35.02\00:17:37.39
And that day for the minister,
Frederick Wheeler decided that
00:17:37.42\00:17:40.66
he should preach
00:17:40.69\00:17:42.12
on the importance of
keeping the 10 Commandments.
00:17:42.16\00:17:45.76
And he stood up
00:17:45.79\00:17:47.13
and preached a sermon
00:17:47.16\00:17:48.50
on the importance of
all Christians keeping
00:17:48.53\00:17:50.77
the 10 Commandments.
00:17:50.80\00:17:52.43
And well, Rachel Oakes
was there in the congregation.
00:17:52.47\00:17:56.84
And we know that
00:17:56.87\00:17:58.21
she must have been a
fairly outspoken kind of a lady,
00:17:58.24\00:18:01.04
but she didn't
fortunately stand up that day,
00:18:01.08\00:18:03.78
but she waited for
the minister to call
00:18:03.81\00:18:06.28
and within a week or
so, he called on this lady,
00:18:06.31\00:18:10.05
the Seventh-day
Baptist lady, Rachel Oakes,
00:18:10.09\00:18:13.49
and he was very
quickly confronted
00:18:13.52\00:18:16.19
with the question,
00:18:16.22\00:18:17.73
"Reverend Wheeler,
00:18:17.76\00:18:19.39
you told us in
communion that day
00:18:19.43\00:18:21.86
that we should all be
keeping the 10 Commandments
00:18:21.90\00:18:24.50
and you're not
keeping them yourself."
00:18:24.53\00:18:27.57
Well, Frederick Wheeler tells us
00:18:27.60\00:18:29.00
that he sat back,
00:18:29.04\00:18:30.54
was rather
confronted by this question.
00:18:30.57\00:18:33.68
And she went on of
course, to explain why
00:18:33.71\00:18:36.61
that you're not
keeping the Fourth Commandment,
00:18:36.64\00:18:39.18
the one that talks
about the seventh day Sabbath.
00:18:39.21\00:18:42.82
Well, Frederick
Wheeler was impressed enough
00:18:42.85\00:18:46.52
to want to know more.
00:18:46.55\00:18:48.79
Rachel Oakes gave
him a Bible study.
00:18:48.82\00:18:51.93
And within a couple of months,
00:18:51.96\00:18:54.13
Frederick Wheeler
00:18:54.16\00:18:55.50
became the first Sabbath-keeping
00:18:55.53\00:18:58.40
Adventist minister in the world,
00:18:58.43\00:19:02.27
in the world.
00:19:02.30\00:19:04.87
Well, in
Washington, New Hampshire,
00:19:04.91\00:19:08.71
soon others
joined Frederick Wheeler
00:19:08.74\00:19:11.31
from that little church.
00:19:11.35\00:19:12.71
And they became
00:19:12.75\00:19:14.08
the first
Sabbath-keeping Adventist church
00:19:14.12\00:19:16.38
in all the world.
00:19:16.42\00:19:18.05
And I noticed that as you
drive into Washington today,
00:19:18.09\00:19:21.82
there is a sign on
the side of the road.
00:19:21.86\00:19:25.19
"In April 1842,
00:19:25.23\00:19:27.70
a group of citizens in this town
00:19:27.73\00:19:30.57
banded together to form
the first Christian society
00:19:30.60\00:19:33.97
in the Adventist
movement of 1842-43,
00:19:34.00\00:19:37.21
they espoused the Advent hope.
00:19:37.24\00:19:40.11
In January 1862,
00:19:40.14\00:19:41.71
these Washington Sabbath-keepers
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.45
after meeting for many
years as a loosely knit group,
00:19:43.48\00:19:46.45
organized as the first
Seventh-day Adventist church."
00:19:46.48\00:19:50.62
And then it
gives the instruction
00:19:50.65\00:19:52.05
on how to find
that little church
00:19:52.09\00:19:54.22
in the woods
00:19:54.26\00:19:55.59
that you can visit today.
00:19:55.62\00:19:58.86
Dear friends,
00:19:58.89\00:20:00.23
as I have visited
this little church,
00:20:00.26\00:20:03.83
I'm always filled
with a sense of awe,
00:20:03.87\00:20:06.94
what has God wrought?
00:20:06.97\00:20:10.21
One lone
Seventh-day Baptist lady
00:20:10.24\00:20:14.28
sharing her understanding
00:20:14.31\00:20:16.38
with the minister and
the members of that church,
00:20:16.41\00:20:19.15
that's about the
seventh day Sabbath.
00:20:19.18\00:20:21.72
She could never have dreamed
00:20:21.75\00:20:24.55
of the important
role she was playing
00:20:24.59\00:20:27.52
in the plans of God.
00:20:27.56\00:20:29.42
She could never have dreamed
that more than 170 years later,
00:20:29.46\00:20:33.90
some 22 million people in
200 countries of the world
00:20:33.93\00:20:39.90
would be keeping the Sabbath,
00:20:39.93\00:20:42.14
the seventh day Sabbath
00:20:42.17\00:20:43.91
as a result of what
she had shared that day.
00:20:43.94\00:20:48.94
And she also
probably didn't know
00:20:48.98\00:20:50.68
of how she was
an important answer
00:20:50.71\00:20:53.92
in that day of
fasting and prayer.
00:20:53.95\00:20:56.99
How was God to
send it to the world?
00:20:57.02\00:20:59.32
Well, by just one little lady
00:20:59.35\00:21:01.62
who shared it in Washington
00:21:01.66\00:21:03.69
and the rest of
the story is known.
00:21:03.73\00:21:07.06
I know that I've
said these words before,
00:21:07.10\00:21:08.86
but let me say them again.
00:21:08.90\00:21:11.30
There is nothing so
powerful as a prophetic truth
00:21:11.33\00:21:15.94
whose time has come.
00:21:15.97\00:21:19.51
After 1844,
00:21:19.54\00:21:21.24
when the three angels
00:21:21.28\00:21:22.61
began their
messages to the world,
00:21:22.64\00:21:26.72
some very important reasons
00:21:26.75\00:21:28.78
for keeping the
seventh day Sabbath
00:21:28.82\00:21:31.85
was found in their study
of the Book of Revelation
00:21:31.89\00:21:36.56
that has given great impetus
00:21:36.59\00:21:39.93
to why we should keep the
seventh day Sabbath today.
00:21:39.96\00:21:43.57
And of course, God always
works through human instruments
00:21:43.60\00:21:45.80
and much of the credit
for what has been added from,
00:21:45.83\00:21:48.47
by studying the
Book of Revelation
00:21:48.50\00:21:51.01
is due to a sea-captain-
turned-Adventist preacher
00:21:51.04\00:21:55.68
with William Miller.
00:21:55.71\00:21:57.51
His name was
Captain Joseph Bates.
00:21:57.55\00:22:01.92
Let me tell you a
little bit about this man.
00:22:01.95\00:22:03.55
Joseph Bates was born in 1792
00:22:03.59\00:22:07.09
and in 1793,
00:22:07.12\00:22:09.62
their family moved to this home,
00:22:09.66\00:22:12.06
Meadow Farm in
the city of Fairhaven
00:22:12.09\00:22:15.83
in Massachusetts.
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.13
This home still stands today.
00:22:18.17\00:22:21.20
You can visit it.
00:22:21.24\00:22:22.57
It's the oldest
house in Fairhaven.
00:22:22.60\00:22:25.47
But at the age of 15,
00:22:25.51\00:22:26.84
Joseph went to
sea as a cabin boy
00:22:26.88\00:22:29.41
and spent the
next 21 years at sea.
00:22:29.44\00:22:33.98
In 1818,
00:22:34.02\00:22:35.35
he married his
childhood sweetheart
00:22:35.38\00:22:38.35
Prudence Nye,
00:22:38.39\00:22:40.52
who placed a New
Testament in his trunk
00:22:40.56\00:22:44.49
and while he was having
00:22:44.53\00:22:45.86
those idle moments
as captain of his ship
00:22:45.89\00:22:48.70
on the next journey, he
found the New Testament,
00:22:48.73\00:22:52.40
began to read it and
fell in love with Jesus.
00:22:52.43\00:22:56.97
Captain Joseph Bates.
00:22:57.01\00:22:59.21
Well, he returned home
in 1828 at the age of 35
00:22:59.24\00:23:02.68
with a small fortune.
00:23:02.71\00:23:04.91
And in 1939,
00:23:04.95\00:23:07.12
he heard about
William Miller's preaching
00:23:07.15\00:23:10.02
with all the other ministers
00:23:10.05\00:23:11.42
who were telling
the world at that time
00:23:11.45\00:23:13.56
that Jesus was
coming very, very soon.
00:23:13.59\00:23:17.03
And he gave his
heart again to Jesus
00:23:17.06\00:23:20.43
and to the new
truth he was hearing about
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.53
with the coming of Jesus.
00:23:23.57\00:23:26.00
But of course, Joseph
Bates was one of those
00:23:26.03\00:23:28.37
who was greatly
disappointed as we've discovered
00:23:28.40\00:23:31.37
when Jesus didn't come,
but he never gave up his faith.
00:23:31.41\00:23:35.64
In mid 1845,
00:23:35.68\00:23:37.91
Bates read a tract
written by Thomas Preble,
00:23:37.95\00:23:42.58
a name you wouldn't know today,
00:23:42.62\00:23:44.75
who had been a free
will Baptist minister,
00:23:44.79\00:23:48.86
but he too had
accepted the Sabbath in 1844.
00:23:48.89\00:23:54.16
And he wrote a tract
with this interesting title,
00:23:54.20\00:23:57.87
"Tract Showing
00:23:57.90\00:23:59.47
That the Seventh Day
00:23:59.50\00:24:00.84
Should Be
Observed as the Sabbath."
00:24:00.87\00:24:04.87
What Bible evidence, is
my question this morning,
00:24:04.91\00:24:07.98
what Bible evidence
00:24:08.01\00:24:09.61
was presented in
this little tract
00:24:09.64\00:24:12.01
that convicted Joseph Bates,
00:24:12.05\00:24:14.72
that he too
should keep the Sabbath?
00:24:14.75\00:24:17.92
Let me point out
some of these Bible texts.
00:24:17.95\00:24:21.02
First of all, he
noticed in Genesis Chapter two,
00:24:21.06\00:24:24.86
right back at the very beginning
00:24:24.89\00:24:26.23
of the Bible,
00:24:26.26\00:24:27.60
we read in Genesis 2:1,
00:24:27.63\00:24:30.17
"Thus the heavens and the earth,
00:24:30.20\00:24:31.80
and all the host
of them were finished.
00:24:31.83\00:24:34.57
And on the seventh day
00:24:34.60\00:24:36.60
God ended His
work, which He had done,
00:24:36.64\00:24:39.64
and He rested on the seventh day
00:24:39.67\00:24:41.41
from all His
work, which He had done.
00:24:41.44\00:24:45.21
Then God blessed the seventh day
00:24:45.25\00:24:47.88
and sanctified it,
00:24:47.92\00:24:49.62
because in it He
rested from all His work,
00:24:49.65\00:24:53.99
which God had created and made."
00:24:54.02\00:24:56.73
As Bates thought about that text
00:24:56.76\00:24:59.19
way back at the very
beginnings of the Bible,
00:24:59.23\00:25:01.93
after God had created
the world in those six days,
00:25:01.96\00:25:05.80
we read that on
seventh day, God rested.
00:25:05.83\00:25:09.80
May I remind you
00:25:09.84\00:25:11.17
of what we've discovered
earlier in our presentations?
00:25:11.21\00:25:13.88
And that is that it was Jesus,
according to new scripture,
00:25:13.91\00:25:17.88
that was the Creator.
00:25:17.91\00:25:20.58
It was Jesus, therefore,
00:25:20.62\00:25:22.42
who rested on
that first Sabbath day.
00:25:22.45\00:25:26.45
It was Jesus who
blessed that day.
00:25:26.49\00:25:30.56
And it was Jesus who sanctified,
00:25:30.59\00:25:33.40
as we read there, that day.
00:25:33.43\00:25:35.86
What does that
word sanctify mean?
00:25:35.90\00:25:38.27
It means to set
apart for a holy purpose.
00:25:38.30\00:25:41.14
And here we read
00:25:41.17\00:25:42.50
at the very
beginnings of the Bible
00:25:42.54\00:25:43.87
before there were any
Jews to say it was Jewish day,
00:25:43.91\00:25:47.88
back there
00:25:47.91\00:25:49.24
at the very
beginnings of the world,
00:25:49.28\00:25:51.18
Jesus set apart
00:25:51.21\00:25:53.52
the seventh day of
the week as a holy day.
00:25:53.55\00:25:56.99
That was a
surprise to Joseph Bates,
00:25:57.02\00:25:59.35
but that's not all
that he read in this text.
00:25:59.39\00:26:02.62
He turned to the 10 Commandments
00:26:02.66\00:26:04.66
that was mentioned there.
00:26:04.69\00:26:06.66
And when he came to
the Fourth Commandment,
00:26:06.70\00:26:08.56
what did it say?
00:26:08.60\00:26:10.03
"Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
00:26:10.07\00:26:12.97
Six days you shall
labor and do all your work,
00:26:13.00\00:26:16.17
but the seventh
day is the Sabbath
00:26:16.20\00:26:18.17
of the Lord your God.
00:26:18.21\00:26:20.64
In it you shall do no work:
00:26:20.68\00:26:23.08
you, nor your
son, nor your daughter,
00:26:23.11\00:26:25.88
nor your male servant,
00:26:25.91\00:26:27.28
nor your female
servant, nor your cattle,
00:26:27.32\00:26:29.88
nor your stranger who
is within your gates."
00:26:29.92\00:26:33.76
Well, that was a
text he had read,
00:26:33.79\00:26:38.09
but never thought about it.
00:26:38.13\00:26:40.06
That it was
right written by God,
00:26:40.10\00:26:41.60
you remember, in
stone and it was placed,
00:26:41.63\00:26:44.90
the 10 Commandments
were placed inside that arc
00:26:44.93\00:26:47.54
that we talked about
in our last presentation
00:26:47.57\00:26:51.34
and right above it
was the presence of God
00:26:51.37\00:26:53.74
and that mercy seat.
00:26:53.78\00:26:55.64
Yeah, the 10 Commandments,
00:26:55.68\00:26:57.01
including the
command to keep the Sabbath
00:26:57.05\00:26:58.78
written by God's
own finger in stone,
00:26:58.81\00:27:02.98
there it was,
00:27:03.02\00:27:04.59
"Remember the
seventh day of the week, "
00:27:04.62\00:27:07.79
a day at the
beginning of the world,
00:27:07.82\00:27:10.06
it was Jesus' gift.
00:27:10.09\00:27:12.83
Notice what I said
00:27:12.86\00:27:14.20
in relation to
our title for today.
00:27:14.23\00:27:16.33
If Jesus blessed
that day at the beginning
00:27:16.36\00:27:19.37
and commanded its keeping,
00:27:19.40\00:27:21.90
it was Jesus'
gift to the human race
00:27:21.94\00:27:24.87
at the very
beginning of the world.
00:27:24.91\00:27:27.34
He gave it as a day to
get to know God better.
00:27:27.38\00:27:33.11
Well, that's not all
00:27:33.15\00:27:35.48
because next he
noticed in Luke 4:16,
00:27:35.52\00:27:40.52
what something
is said about Jesus,
00:27:40.56\00:27:43.19
"As Jesus came
to Nazareth one day,
00:27:43.22\00:27:45.79
where He had been brought up,"
00:27:45.83\00:27:47.43
you know the story there,
00:27:47.46\00:27:49.16
"and as His custom was,
00:27:49.20\00:27:51.83
He went into the synagogue
on the Sabbath the day,
00:27:51.87\00:27:55.27
and stood up for the read."
00:27:55.30\00:27:57.77
It was Jesus' custom.
00:27:57.81\00:27:59.54
It was Jesus who
had given the Sabbath
00:27:59.57\00:28:02.28
way back at the
very beginnings of time.
00:28:02.31\00:28:05.18
But now this wonderful Jesus,
00:28:05.21\00:28:07.15
when He's a man on
earth as it were, the God man,
00:28:07.18\00:28:10.82
it was His custom
00:28:10.85\00:28:12.25
to go and keep the
seventh day Sabbath
00:28:12.29\00:28:15.52
when he stood up
that day to read.
00:28:15.56\00:28:18.16
But also in the gospel of Luke,
00:28:18.19\00:28:19.89
we read at the end
of the Gospel of Luke,
00:28:19.93\00:28:22.26
in Luke 23:25-26.
00:28:22.30\00:28:27.14
Notice, it's
talking about the women,
00:28:27.17\00:28:30.31
it's talking about
the day of Jesus' death.
00:28:30.34\00:28:33.31
And there were women who came
00:28:33.34\00:28:34.88
and when He was
put into that grave,
00:28:34.91\00:28:38.21
they prepared
spices and ointments
00:28:38.25\00:28:40.25
to anoint His
grave and His body.
00:28:40.28\00:28:43.59
But they couldn't do it
on the Friday afternoon.
00:28:43.62\00:28:46.32
Sunset was coming, the
beginnings of the Sabbath
00:28:46.35\00:28:49.46
and notice what the record says
00:28:49.49\00:28:51.19
about these
faithful followers of Jesus.
00:28:51.23\00:28:54.33
"And the women also,
00:28:54.36\00:28:55.70
which came with
Him from Galilee,
00:28:55.73\00:28:57.60
followed after, and
beheld the sepulcher,
00:28:57.63\00:29:01.10
and how His body was laid.
00:29:01.14\00:29:03.20
And they returned,
00:29:03.24\00:29:04.57
and prepared
spices and ointments,
00:29:04.61\00:29:07.08
and rested the Sabbath day
according to the commandment."
00:29:07.11\00:29:13.01
Well, Joseph Bates
was learning a great deal
00:29:13.05\00:29:16.45
that he'd never known before
00:29:16.48\00:29:18.49
as to the
keeping of the Sabbath.
00:29:18.52\00:29:21.12
And then when we
turn to the Book of Acts,
00:29:21.16\00:29:23.83
what did the early church do?
00:29:23.86\00:29:26.33
There are many
today who believe that
00:29:26.36\00:29:28.00
once Jesus rose
from the dead on Sunday,
00:29:28.03\00:29:30.53
that the early church
00:29:30.57\00:29:31.90
then kept every Sunday holy.
00:29:31.93\00:29:34.74
But that's not
what Joseph Bates found
00:29:34.77\00:29:36.60
in this little pamphlet.
00:29:36.64\00:29:38.41
And there are a
number of references to Paul,
00:29:38.44\00:29:41.68
the great Apostle Paul,
00:29:41.71\00:29:43.51
keeping the Sabbath
and meeting at the church
00:29:43.55\00:29:46.11
on the seventh day of the week.
00:29:46.15\00:29:47.68
Let me just put
one on the screen
00:29:47.72\00:29:49.78
because here in Acts 13:42,
00:29:49.82\00:29:52.55
it says,
00:29:52.59\00:29:53.92
"And when the Jews were
gone out of the synagogue,
00:29:53.96\00:29:57.63
the Gentiles,"
00:29:57.66\00:29:58.99
notice the Gentiles now,
00:29:59.03\00:30:00.96
that's
00:30:01.00\00:30:02.33
"besought that these
words might be preached to them"
00:30:02.36\00:30:04.57
when, not the next
day, Sunday, the next day,
00:30:04.60\00:30:09.20
"the next Sabbath."
00:30:09.24\00:30:11.44
And then what
happened afterwards.
00:30:11.47\00:30:13.51
"And the next Sabbath day came
00:30:13.54\00:30:14.91
almost the whole city together
to hear the word of God."
00:30:14.94\00:30:20.68
Well, that was a
revelation to Joseph Bates too.
00:30:20.72\00:30:24.29
And the other text
in the Book of Acts.
00:30:24.32\00:30:26.86
But then Joseph Bates
noticed in this pamphlet,
00:30:26.89\00:30:30.19
a text in the Book of Isaiah,
00:30:30.23\00:30:31.99
going back to the Old Testament,
00:30:32.03\00:30:34.36
when we read
these remarkable words,
00:30:34.40\00:30:38.47
God is speaking
through the prophet Isaiah.
00:30:38.50\00:30:40.04
And he says,
00:30:40.07\00:30:41.40
"'For as the new
heavens and the new earth
00:30:41.44\00:30:44.64
which I will make
shall remain before Me, '"
00:30:44.67\00:30:47.01
that's the new earth
00:30:47.04\00:30:48.38
that's going to
be recreated by God
00:30:48.41\00:30:50.55
after the end of
the reign of sin,
00:30:50.58\00:30:53.01
after the second coming,
00:30:53.05\00:30:54.48
that's got to be the
home of God's people.
00:30:54.52\00:30:57.32
What does Isaiah tell us?
00:30:57.35\00:30:59.45
"'For as the new
heavens and the new earth
00:30:59.49\00:31:01.42
which I will make
shall remain before Me,'
00:31:01.46\00:31:03.22
says the Lord,
00:31:03.26\00:31:04.59
'So shall your
descendants remain.
00:31:04.63\00:31:08.03
And it shall come to pass
00:31:08.06\00:31:09.93
that from one
new moon to another
00:31:09.96\00:31:11.37
and from one Sabbath to another,
00:31:11.40\00:31:14.54
shall all flesh come
to worship before Me, '
00:31:14.57\00:31:18.77
says the Lord."
00:31:18.81\00:31:20.18
In other words,
00:31:20.21\00:31:21.54
this seventh day Sabbath
00:31:21.58\00:31:22.94
given by Jesus at
the very beginning
00:31:22.98\00:31:25.48
was very special
00:31:25.51\00:31:26.85
and He gave it as a
gift to the human race.
00:31:26.88\00:31:30.89
And even in the new earth
that one day we will live on,
00:31:30.92\00:31:34.72
that Sabbath rest and worship
00:31:34.76\00:31:38.46
is the day that we will
be able to look forward to.
00:31:38.49\00:31:42.00
Bates was surprised
to find not one text
00:31:42.03\00:31:45.60
in that little tract,
00:31:45.63\00:31:46.97
showing that
00:31:47.00\00:31:48.34
the Sabbath had
been changed to Sunday.
00:31:48.37\00:31:52.17
And as a result
of that little tract,
00:31:52.21\00:31:54.28
he too began to keep the Sabbath
00:31:54.31\00:31:57.31
that was in 1846.
00:31:57.35\00:31:59.38
In early 1846
00:31:59.41\00:32:01.72
Bates also read the article
00:32:01.75\00:32:03.85
that Hiram Edson had
written about the sanctuary.
00:32:03.89\00:32:07.82
Now we talked about
this in our presentation
00:32:07.86\00:32:10.96
one or two times ago.
00:32:10.99\00:32:13.06
And what did he read
in that little tract?
00:32:13.09\00:32:15.10
You remember Hiram Edson
had discovered that morning
00:32:15.13\00:32:17.77
that Jesus had moved
00:32:17.80\00:32:19.13
from the Holy place
into the Most Holy place
00:32:19.17\00:32:22.54
in 1844 to
cleanse the sanctuary.
00:32:22.57\00:32:25.91
And that was an explanation
00:32:25.94\00:32:27.28
as to why Jesus didn't
come on October 22, 1844.
00:32:27.31\00:32:32.65
And as Bates read that tract,
00:32:32.68\00:32:36.69
he decided that he would
go up to Hiram Edson's place
00:32:36.72\00:32:42.89
who had published
that little article,
00:32:42.92\00:32:45.69
and he thought if he
can study with Hiram Edson
00:32:45.73\00:32:49.60
about the sanctuary,
00:32:49.63\00:32:51.53
maybe he can share
00:32:51.57\00:32:52.90
what he's come to
an understanding of
00:32:52.93\00:32:54.94
about the Sabbath.
00:32:54.97\00:32:56.84
And they met.
00:32:56.87\00:32:58.21
He traveled up to
Hiram Edson's home
00:32:58.24\00:33:00.08
in Port Gibson
00:33:00.11\00:33:01.71
and Edson convinced Bates
00:33:01.74\00:33:04.41
about Jesus and His
ministry in the sanctuary
00:33:04.45\00:33:07.82
and Bates convinced Edson
00:33:07.85\00:33:10.42
about Jesus and His
keeping the Sabbath.
00:33:10.45\00:33:14.56
You know, when I
stopped to think about this,
00:33:14.59\00:33:17.29
they were following
the Bible principle.
00:33:17.33\00:33:19.96
What does the Bible say
and we want to follow it.
00:33:20.00\00:33:25.33
Well, a little later in 1846,
00:33:25.37\00:33:28.60
Hiram Edson, rather Joseph Bates
00:33:28.64\00:33:31.74
wrote a little
booklet on the Sabbath.
00:33:31.77\00:33:34.58
It was the first booklet
00:33:34.61\00:33:36.18
ever to be written by a
Sabbath-keeping Adventist
00:33:36.21\00:33:39.55
as Joseph Bates was.
00:33:39.58\00:33:41.52
It was 44 pages in length.
00:33:41.55\00:33:46.15
And what a little,
wonderful little book it was.
00:33:46.19\00:33:49.42
The title, the
interesting title,
00:33:49.46\00:33:51.66
"The Seventh Day
Sabbath, A Perpetual Sign."
00:33:51.69\00:33:55.03
It was only 48 pages,
00:33:55.06\00:33:57.60
but that little
booklet published there
00:33:57.63\00:34:00.34
by Benjamin Lindsey.
00:34:00.37\00:34:02.24
I think it says in 1846,
00:34:02.27\00:34:05.27
went out and
touched many people's lives.
00:34:05.31\00:34:07.81
I can tell you a lot of stories
00:34:07.84\00:34:09.68
about the
influence of that book.
00:34:09.71\00:34:11.58
At that time,
there were about 50,
00:34:11.61\00:34:14.15
notice how many I said,
00:34:14.18\00:34:15.68
50 Sabbath-keeping Adventists
00:34:15.72\00:34:19.05
living in the
northeastern section
00:34:19.09\00:34:21.69
of the United States.
00:34:21.72\00:34:23.53
But that number
was growing very fast.
00:34:23.56\00:34:27.66
The following year in 1847,
00:34:27.70\00:34:31.10
Joseph Bates printed
00:34:31.13\00:34:33.13
a second edition
of that little book,
00:34:33.17\00:34:36.00
the Seventh Day Sabbath.
00:34:36.04\00:34:37.74
It had 63 pages in it.
00:34:37.77\00:34:40.68
And what made the difference
00:34:40.71\00:34:42.04
between that second
booklet and the first booklet
00:34:42.08\00:34:44.75
in the meantime,
00:34:44.78\00:34:46.18
Joseph Bates had began to
study the Book of Revelation
00:34:46.21\00:34:51.05
and he was convinced that
00:34:51.09\00:34:52.42
the Sabbath was
going to play a vital role
00:34:52.45\00:34:56.52
in the last days
of earth's history.
00:34:56.56\00:34:59.96
He believed this
was true from his study
00:35:00.00\00:35:02.36
because of the connection
00:35:02.40\00:35:03.80
between the Sabbath
00:35:03.83\00:35:05.97
and the messages
of the three angels,
00:35:06.00\00:35:09.74
the last message Jesus
would send to the world.
00:35:09.77\00:35:14.18
Why did he believe this?
00:35:14.21\00:35:15.54
I'd like to
share you the reasons.
00:35:15.58\00:35:17.91
He saw that when he
looked at Revelation 14
00:35:17.95\00:35:20.72
and those points
there by the three angels
00:35:20.75\00:35:23.89
that the Bible taught
00:35:23.92\00:35:25.25
that the end time
struggle in the world
00:35:25.29\00:35:30.23
before the coming of Jesus,
00:35:30.26\00:35:32.06
will be over two issues.
00:35:32.09\00:35:36.16
What was the first one?
00:35:36.20\00:35:39.13
The first one
00:35:39.17\00:35:41.40
was that those people
00:35:41.44\00:35:42.90
who were
preaching those messages
00:35:42.94\00:35:44.97
would be keeping
the commandments of God.
00:35:45.01\00:35:49.21
And that made
Joseph Bates think,
00:35:49.24\00:35:50.85
"Well, evidently
the commandments of God
00:35:50.88\00:35:53.48
and the keeping of them
is going to be a real issue
00:35:53.52\00:35:55.85
in the last days
of earth's history."
00:35:55.88\00:35:58.62
And that God
would raise up a people
00:35:58.65\00:36:00.86
to proclaim God's
last message to the world
00:36:00.89\00:36:03.22
who would be
keeping God's commandments.
00:36:03.26\00:36:06.63
He knew that James said
that if you keep the whole law
00:36:06.66\00:36:09.96
and yet offend in one point,
you're held guilty of them all.
00:36:10.00\00:36:13.60
And therefore
here must be a people
00:36:13.64\00:36:15.44
who are keeping
all 10 Commandments.
00:36:15.47\00:36:17.97
That was the first issue
00:36:18.01\00:36:19.74
that impressed him as he
looked at those messages.
00:36:19.77\00:36:22.68
The second one
00:36:22.71\00:36:24.58
will be played out
00:36:24.61\00:36:25.95
against the
background of the world
00:36:25.98\00:36:29.65
having to make a choice over who
00:36:29.68\00:36:33.82
or whom they would worship.
00:36:33.86\00:36:38.19
Notice in Revelation 14:7,
00:36:38.23\00:36:42.36
where it says about
the first angel's message,
00:36:42.40\00:36:45.17
"Saying with a loud voice,"
00:36:45.20\00:36:46.63
that megaphone,
00:36:46.67\00:36:48.20
"'Fear God and
give glory to Him,
00:36:48.24\00:36:50.24
for the hour of His
judgment has come, '"
00:36:50.27\00:36:52.27
we have noticed that
in our last presentation,
00:36:52.31\00:36:55.01
"'and worship Him who
made heaven and earth,
00:36:55.04\00:36:59.01
the sea and the
springs of waters.'"
00:36:59.05\00:37:00.98
Since the one who made
heaven and earth and the sea
00:37:01.02\00:37:03.35
and the springs
of waters was Jesus,
00:37:03.39\00:37:06.22
here is a call to worship Jesus.
00:37:06.25\00:37:09.36
But he also noticed
00:37:12.63\00:37:13.96
what many Bibles
students have noticed
00:37:14.00\00:37:16.80
that Verse seven,
00:37:16.83\00:37:18.50
worship him who
made heaven and earth,
00:37:18.53\00:37:21.40
the sea and the
springs of waters
00:37:21.44\00:37:23.81
is a direct quotation
from the Fourth Commandment,
00:37:23.84\00:37:28.74
"Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy."
00:37:28.78\00:37:32.28
And as Bates
saw the relationship
00:37:32.31\00:37:34.08
between that
first message to Jesus,
00:37:34.12\00:37:36.62
a call to worship Jesus,
00:37:36.65\00:37:38.52
but also quoting from
the Fourth Commandment
00:37:38.55\00:37:41.92
there in the
first angel's message,
00:37:41.96\00:37:44.49
it impressed him that this day
was still to be very relevant
00:37:44.53\00:37:48.93
at the end of time.
00:37:48.96\00:37:51.23
How could you call the
world to worship the Creator
00:37:51.27\00:37:54.70
without remembering the day
the Creator gave to the world
00:37:54.74\00:38:00.48
to remind them that
He had created the world
00:38:00.51\00:38:03.28
and all that was in it.
00:38:03.31\00:38:05.28
But then as Joseph Bates
went down in those messages,
00:38:05.31\00:38:09.05
he noticed in Revelation
14:9, the third angel's message.
00:38:09.08\00:38:14.86
And what did it say?
00:38:14.89\00:38:16.86
In revelation 14:9,
00:38:16.89\00:38:20.00
"Then a third
angel followed them,
00:38:20.03\00:38:22.36
saying with a loud voice,"
00:38:22.40\00:38:23.73
again,
00:38:23.77\00:38:25.10
"'If anyone worships, '"
00:38:25.13\00:38:26.47
notice that word,
00:38:26.50\00:38:27.84
"'the beast and his image,
00:38:27.87\00:38:29.67
and receives his
mark on his forehead
00:38:29.70\00:38:32.41
or on his hand...'"
00:38:32.44\00:38:34.54
Here was a warning,
00:38:34.58\00:38:36.38
don't worship, in the last days,
00:38:36.41\00:38:38.51
the beast and his
image and receive the mark.
00:38:38.55\00:38:42.62
Do worship Jesus the Creator.
00:38:42.65\00:38:47.16
Clearly there was a great choice
00:38:47.19\00:38:49.12
that was going to have
to be made by the world
00:38:49.16\00:38:51.93
in the final days
of earth's history.
00:38:51.96\00:38:55.16
And that choice
00:38:55.20\00:38:56.67
was to involve
worship the Creator
00:38:56.70\00:39:00.77
or worship the beast.
00:39:00.80\00:39:03.07
That was the choice, worship.
00:39:03.10\00:39:07.64
I want you to do a
little exercise with me
00:39:07.68\00:39:09.64
from the screen.
00:39:09.68\00:39:11.71
I'm going to put on the screen
00:39:11.75\00:39:13.92
a number of texts in
the Book of Revelation
00:39:13.95\00:39:16.85
chosen from Chapter 13.
00:39:16.89\00:39:19.49
Of all the
chapters in the Bible,
00:39:19.52\00:39:21.26
if you want to know the
last issues and concerns
00:39:21.29\00:39:25.46
that the world will have to face
00:39:25.49\00:39:27.40
in the last days,
00:39:27.43\00:39:28.76
Revelation 13, that one
chapter deals with them.
00:39:28.80\00:39:32.83
And I'm going to
put a number of texts
00:39:32.87\00:39:34.30
from Revelation 13
and a couple from 14.
00:39:34.34\00:39:37.61
And I want you to think about,
00:39:37.64\00:39:39.14
and I'm going to
ask you at the end
00:39:39.17\00:39:41.24
and at least some
of you can answer me.
00:39:41.28\00:39:43.41
What's the one word
00:39:43.45\00:39:45.11
that's found in
all these verses.
00:39:45.15\00:39:48.75
Have a look at them.
00:39:48.78\00:39:50.12
First of all,
00:39:50.15\00:39:51.49
we're going to
notice Revelation 13:4.
00:39:51.52\00:39:54.76
I'll read it and look for a word
00:39:54.79\00:39:56.69
that comes up in
all these verses.
00:39:56.73\00:39:59.73
"And so they
worshiped the dragon
00:39:59.76\00:40:01.70
who gave authority to the beast,
00:40:01.73\00:40:04.13
and they
worshiped the beast, saying,
00:40:04.17\00:40:06.47
'Who is like the beast?
00:40:06.50\00:40:08.37
Who is able to
make war with him?' "
00:40:08.40\00:40:11.27
And then Verse eight.
00:40:11.31\00:40:14.58
"And all who dwell on the
earth will worship this beast
00:40:14.61\00:40:20.08
whose names
have not been written
00:40:20.12\00:40:21.82
in the Book of Life of the Lamb
00:40:21.85\00:40:23.52
slain from the
foundation of the world."
00:40:23.55\00:40:26.86
Then we read in
Revelation 13:12,
00:40:26.89\00:40:32.69
"And he exercises
00:40:32.73\00:40:34.06
all the authority
of the first beast
00:40:34.10\00:40:35.96
in his presence
00:40:36.00\00:40:37.33
and causes the earth
00:40:37.37\00:40:39.13
and those who dwell in it
to worship the first beast,
00:40:39.17\00:40:43.61
whose deadly wound was healed."
00:40:43.64\00:40:46.78
And then in Verse 15,
00:40:46.81\00:40:50.95
"He was granted power
00:40:50.98\00:40:52.41
to give breath to
the image of the beast,
00:40:52.45\00:40:55.35
that the image of the beast
00:40:55.38\00:40:56.72
should both speak and cause
00:40:56.75\00:40:58.09
as many as would not
worship the image of the beast
00:40:58.12\00:41:00.89
to be killed."
00:41:00.92\00:41:02.76
And then as we go
over to Revelation 14:7,
00:41:02.79\00:41:06.80
"Fear God,"
00:41:06.83\00:41:08.16
this is the
first angel's message,
00:41:08.20\00:41:10.23
"and give glory to Him
00:41:10.27\00:41:11.60
for the hour of
His judgment has come,
00:41:11.63\00:41:13.30
and worship Him
00:41:13.34\00:41:15.00
who made heaven and earth,
00:41:15.04\00:41:16.50
the sea and the
springs of waters."
00:41:16.54\00:41:18.74
And then the last
text in Verse nine,
00:41:18.77\00:41:22.24
we have noticed it before,
00:41:22.28\00:41:24.01
"Then a third
angel followed them,
00:41:24.05\00:41:26.45
saying with a loud voice,
00:41:26.48\00:41:28.18
'If anyone worships
the beast in his image,
00:41:28.22\00:41:30.49
and receives his
mark on his forehead
00:41:30.52\00:41:32.62
or on his hand...'"
00:41:32.65\00:41:33.99
it goes on to say
in the next verse,
00:41:34.02\00:41:35.72
he shall receive
the wrath of God,
00:41:35.76\00:41:38.29
a very serious warning.
00:41:38.33\00:41:40.76
What's the one
word that you found
00:41:40.80\00:41:43.50
in each one of those verses?
00:41:43.53\00:41:47.74
It's the word "worship."
00:41:47.77\00:41:50.51
Worship.
00:41:50.54\00:41:52.77
That's the issue that
will become so important.
00:41:52.81\00:41:57.38
Did you notice in
one of those verses
00:41:57.41\00:41:59.01
in Verse eight,
it was of Chapter 13
00:41:59.05\00:42:01.32
that eventually
just before Jesus comes,
00:42:01.35\00:42:03.92
"All the world
will worship this beast,
00:42:03.95\00:42:08.79
whose names are not
written in the Book of Life."
00:42:08.82\00:42:12.49
In other words,
the text is telling us
00:42:12.53\00:42:15.00
that all the world is
going to worship the beast.
00:42:15.03\00:42:17.90
But those whose names are
written in the Book of Life
00:42:17.93\00:42:22.20
will not worship the beast,
will not worship the beast.
00:42:22.24\00:42:27.94
Your name,
00:42:27.98\00:42:29.31
is it written in
the Book of Life,
00:42:29.34\00:42:30.71
dear friends?
00:42:30.75\00:42:32.11
Our names are
written in the Book of Life,
00:42:32.15\00:42:33.55
the Bible tells us,
00:42:33.58\00:42:34.92
when we accept
Jesus as our Savior.
00:42:34.95\00:42:39.12
Is your name written there?
00:42:39.15\00:42:42.72
When it says that all
the world will worship,
00:42:42.76\00:42:45.29
let me just make
this explanation.
00:42:45.33\00:42:48.06
That does not mean
00:42:48.10\00:42:49.43
that all the world is
going to become religious,
00:42:49.46\00:42:52.87
but they will
give, and listen to this,
00:42:52.90\00:42:55.27
they will give allegiance
to accept the authority of,
00:42:55.30\00:43:00.84
and obey the
commandments of the beast,
00:43:00.88\00:43:05.25
as opposed to Jesus.
00:43:05.28\00:43:08.98
I want to ask the
most important question,
00:43:09.02\00:43:11.05
dear friends.
00:43:11.09\00:43:12.99
Why should
worship be the final issue
00:43:13.02\00:43:17.83
that will divide the world?
00:43:17.86\00:43:20.90
It's just up to think about it.
00:43:20.93\00:43:22.26
Couldn't it be one of
a number of other issues,
00:43:22.30\00:43:25.37
but why does the
Bible clearly tells us,
00:43:25.40\00:43:27.50
and you've read
those texts this morning,
00:43:27.54\00:43:29.80
why should worship
00:43:29.84\00:43:31.41
be the final issue
for the world to decide?
00:43:31.44\00:43:36.24
To answer,
00:43:36.28\00:43:37.85
we must first note that
00:43:37.88\00:43:39.28
when most of the world
will be worshiping the beast,
00:43:39.31\00:43:43.82
who are they
ultimately worshiping?
00:43:43.85\00:43:47.82
Have a look at Revelation 13:4.
00:43:47.86\00:43:51.99
We read this verse
00:43:52.03\00:43:53.73
as one of those
ones I asked you to read,
00:43:53.76\00:43:56.43
but I want you to
notice what it says.
00:43:56.46\00:43:59.10
Talking about the
people of the world
00:43:59.13\00:44:01.14
it says,
00:44:01.17\00:44:02.50
"So they worshiped the dragon
00:44:02.54\00:44:05.37
who gave authority to the beast,
00:44:05.41\00:44:08.08
and they
worshiped the beast, saying,
00:44:08.11\00:44:11.91
'Who is like the beast?
00:44:11.95\00:44:13.35
Who is able to
make war with him?' "
00:44:13.38\00:44:16.12
Notice that the Bible says
that in worshiping the beast,
00:44:16.15\00:44:20.19
the world will be ultimately
worshiping the dragon.
00:44:20.22\00:44:25.53
And that very important question
00:44:25.56\00:44:27.50
must be answered from scripture,
00:44:27.53\00:44:29.80
because if we go
back to Revelation 12:7,
00:44:29.83\00:44:36.24
what do we read there?
00:44:36.27\00:44:37.81
Revelation 12
has an amazing verse
00:44:37.84\00:44:41.58
because it's speaking
there about war in heaven.
00:44:41.61\00:44:45.05
Did you ever know that
00:44:45.08\00:44:46.41
there was once war
in heaven of all places?
00:44:46.45\00:44:49.88
This is the only text
in the whole of the Bible
00:44:49.92\00:44:51.75
that ever tells us that.
00:44:51.79\00:44:53.36
But notice that it says,
00:44:53.39\00:44:54.72
"And there was war once, "
00:44:54.76\00:44:56.16
and this is way back
before the world was created.
00:44:56.19\00:44:59.83
"And there was war in heaven,"
00:44:59.86\00:45:01.26
and who were
contenders in this war?
00:45:01.30\00:45:03.60
"Michael and his
angels fought with the dragon
00:45:03.63\00:45:08.24
and the dragon and
his angels fought."
00:45:08.27\00:45:12.84
Notice those words,
00:45:12.87\00:45:15.11
Michael, on one
side and his angels
00:45:15.14\00:45:18.28
and the dragon and
his angels on the other.
00:45:18.31\00:45:23.35
Michael is another name
00:45:23.39\00:45:25.52
given in, particularly
in the Old Testament
00:45:25.55\00:45:27.99
but also in the New,
00:45:28.02\00:45:29.92
to refer to Jesus himself.
00:45:29.96\00:45:33.06
Because the word
Michael means "who is like God."
00:45:33.09\00:45:37.53
And Michael, this is
Jesus, the archangel.
00:45:37.57\00:45:41.17
That doesn't mean to
say that Jesus is an angel.
00:45:41.20\00:45:43.34
It just means
00:45:43.37\00:45:44.71
that the word archangel
00:45:44.74\00:45:46.07
comes from two
Greek words, meaning
00:45:46.11\00:45:47.58
"leader of the angels."
00:45:47.61\00:45:49.44
And that's why it says
00:45:49.48\00:45:50.81
Michael and his angels
00:45:50.85\00:45:52.51
fought against the
dragon and his angels.
00:45:52.55\00:45:55.42
And that goes on to
say in the next verse,
00:45:55.45\00:45:58.92
"But they did not prevail,
00:45:58.95\00:46:01.02
nor was a place
found for them in heaven
00:46:01.06\00:46:02.89
any longer.
00:46:02.92\00:46:04.26
So the great dragon,"
00:46:04.29\00:46:05.63
remember, we're
asking the question,
00:46:05.66\00:46:07.00
who is the dragon?
00:46:07.03\00:46:08.36
"So the great
dragon was cast out,
00:46:08.40\00:46:10.27
that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan,
00:46:10.30\00:46:13.44
who deceives the whole world."
00:46:13.47\00:46:15.47
Notice that's in
the present tense,
00:46:15.50\00:46:17.77
who is
deceiving the whole world.
00:46:17.81\00:46:21.14
That's an explanation for all
that we read in our newspapers
00:46:21.18\00:46:24.18
and here on our television sets
00:46:24.21\00:46:26.01
and the
confusion of today's world,
00:46:26.05\00:46:28.45
Satan, the dragon,
00:46:28.48\00:46:31.29
he is deceiving the whole world.
00:46:31.32\00:46:33.56
"And his angels
were cast out with him."
00:46:33.59\00:46:38.29
Why was Lucifer
cast out of heaven?
00:46:38.33\00:46:43.67
Does the Bible
give us an answer?
00:46:43.70\00:46:45.70
It certainly does.
00:46:45.73\00:46:47.87
We go back to a
very remarkable time
00:46:47.90\00:46:51.74
when that
leading angel in heaven,
00:46:51.77\00:46:54.38
his name was Lucifer,
00:46:54.41\00:46:57.35
the one who stood
next to the throne of God,
00:46:57.38\00:47:00.42
that was his role,
as a covering cherubim.
00:47:00.45\00:47:03.99
This leading angel
in heaven, Lucifer,
00:47:04.02\00:47:07.29
the Bible tells us
00:47:07.32\00:47:08.66
in the Book of Isaiah 14:12-14,
00:47:08.69\00:47:13.19
these words, please notice them,
00:47:13.23\00:47:15.86
where the prophet is
addressing this leading angel,
00:47:15.90\00:47:19.80
"How you are fallen from heaven,
00:47:19.83\00:47:21.94
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
00:47:21.97\00:47:24.67
How you are cut
down to the ground,
00:47:24.71\00:47:26.78
you who weakened the nation.
00:47:26.81\00:47:30.11
Then it goes on to say,
00:47:30.15\00:47:32.01
"For you have
said in your heart, "
00:47:32.05\00:47:34.82
this is what
went on in the heart
00:47:34.85\00:47:36.62
of that exceedingly
brilliant and wise angel,
00:47:36.65\00:47:40.42
"You have said in your heart,
00:47:40.46\00:47:42.02
'I will ascend into heaven,
00:47:42.06\00:47:44.63
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God,
00:47:44.66\00:47:48.16
I will also sit
on the congregation
00:47:48.20\00:47:50.77
on the farthest
sides of the north.
00:47:50.80\00:47:53.57
I will ascend
00:47:53.60\00:47:54.94
above the heights of the clouds,
00:47:54.97\00:47:56.40
I will be like the Most High.'"
00:47:56.44\00:48:00.11
Well, my friends,
00:48:00.14\00:48:02.88
Lucifer's problem
was an "I" problem,
00:48:02.91\00:48:06.21
but not this one.
00:48:06.25\00:48:08.98
He wanted to be
number one in the universe.
00:48:09.02\00:48:12.75
And you notice what he
says at the end of that text,
00:48:12.79\00:48:15.32
"I will be like God."
00:48:15.36\00:48:17.89
He didn't want to be
like God in character.
00:48:17.93\00:48:20.86
He wanted to be
like God and be worshiped
00:48:20.90\00:48:25.03
to be number
one in the universe.
00:48:25.07\00:48:28.27
The spirit of pride and envy
was eating away at his heart.
00:48:28.30\00:48:31.87
This is this leading angel.
00:48:31.91\00:48:33.31
That's why the
Book of Isaiah says
00:48:33.34\00:48:35.64
that he was perfect in his ways
00:48:35.68\00:48:37.91
until iniquity was found in him.
00:48:37.95\00:48:40.78
And so he
wanted to be worshiped.
00:48:44.02\00:48:46.79
And, my friends,
00:48:46.82\00:48:48.16
this desire to be
worshiped was so intense
00:48:48.19\00:48:52.26
that thousands of years later,
00:48:52.29\00:48:55.66
when Jesus became a man,
00:48:55.70\00:49:00.74
the dragon, Satan,
00:49:00.77\00:49:03.10
was determined to stop
him from going to the Cross.
00:49:03.14\00:49:07.71
And we read the
record in Matthew 4:8-9,
00:49:07.74\00:49:12.68
where the devil came to Jesus
when he was in the wilderness,
00:49:12.71\00:49:16.92
after being
hungered for six weeks
00:49:16.95\00:49:20.66
in a weakened condition.
00:49:20.69\00:49:23.49
Satan came to him and
gave him three temptations.
00:49:23.53\00:49:29.06
I want you to
notice the third one.
00:49:29.10\00:49:34.14
"Again, the
devil took Him, Jesus,
00:49:34.17\00:49:37.27
on an exceedingly high mountain
00:49:37.31\00:49:39.41
and showed Him all the kingdoms
of the world and their glory.
00:49:39.44\00:49:42.51
And he said to Him,"
00:49:42.54\00:49:44.38
this is the angel,
Lucifer, as it was,
00:49:44.41\00:49:47.95
speaking to the one
who made the angels,
00:49:47.98\00:49:50.22
to Jesus,
00:49:50.25\00:49:51.82
now in a weakened form,
00:49:51.85\00:49:53.32
being tempted by
him in the wilderness,
00:49:53.36\00:49:56.19
and he said to him,
00:49:56.22\00:49:57.99
all these things,
00:49:58.03\00:49:59.36
the glory of the world
that he showed him that day,
00:49:59.39\00:50:01.90
"I will give you,
00:50:01.93\00:50:04.43
there's no need
to go to the Cross.
00:50:04.47\00:50:06.57
I will give you the
kingdoms of the world
00:50:06.60\00:50:10.17
on one condition."
00:50:10.21\00:50:13.27
What was it, my friends?
00:50:13.31\00:50:16.14
"If you will fall
down and worship me."
00:50:16.18\00:50:22.68
Notice that?
00:50:22.72\00:50:24.82
"If you will fall
down and worship me."
00:50:24.85\00:50:27.82
and notice Jesus'
answer in Verse 10,
00:50:27.86\00:50:32.13
where Jesus says to him,
00:50:32.16\00:50:34.63
"Away with you, Satan!
00:50:34.66\00:50:37.03
For it is written,
00:50:37.07\00:50:38.40
'You shall
worship the Lord your God,
00:50:38.43\00:50:40.84
and Him only shall you serve.'"
00:50:40.87\00:50:45.34
Are you understanding
00:50:45.37\00:50:46.71
why I'm pointing
out these in scripture?
00:50:46.74\00:50:49.88
Because since the Cross,
00:50:49.91\00:50:52.65
Satan who failed to
get Jesus to worship him,
00:50:52.68\00:50:57.35
still wanted to be number one,
00:50:57.39\00:51:00.12
still wanted worship.
00:51:00.16\00:51:02.09
And therefore we read
in the Book of Revelation
00:51:02.12\00:51:04.99
as we have read this morning,
00:51:05.03\00:51:07.53
that all the world eventually
is going to worship the beast.
00:51:07.56\00:51:13.07
And in worshiping the
beast, remember that text,
00:51:13.10\00:51:16.10
they are
ultimately worshiping Satan,
00:51:16.14\00:51:19.37
but they are deceived
00:51:19.41\00:51:20.74
and not realizing
what they are doing.
00:51:20.78\00:51:24.45
All my friends,
Jesus, and the beast.
00:51:24.48\00:51:28.35
That's the choice
that all must make.
00:51:28.38\00:51:32.52
And in Revelation 13:8,
as we've read that text,
00:51:32.55\00:51:36.36
all who dwell on the
earth will worship the beast,
00:51:36.39\00:51:40.76
worshiping Satan,
but they do not know it.
00:51:40.80\00:51:43.47
He's deceived them
00:51:43.50\00:51:44.83
into thinking that
they're worshiping,
00:51:44.87\00:51:47.10
whose names
have not been written
00:51:47.14\00:51:48.67
in the Book of Life of the Lamb
00:51:48.70\00:51:51.17
slain from the
foundation of the world.
00:51:51.21\00:51:55.01
All dear friends,
00:51:55.04\00:51:58.35
how will Satan
deceive most of the world
00:51:58.38\00:52:02.75
into worshiping the
beast and not the Creator?
00:52:02.78\00:52:06.82
By attacking
Jesus as the Creator,
00:52:06.86\00:52:10.43
by persuading the
world to believe that
00:52:10.46\00:52:12.39
the world came into
existence by evolution
00:52:12.43\00:52:15.06
over millions of years,
00:52:15.10\00:52:16.77
without God being
involved, there is no Creator.
00:52:16.80\00:52:21.47
And by substituting the memorial
00:52:21.50\00:52:23.87
that Jesus
appointed at the beginnings
00:52:23.91\00:52:27.38
to remind the world
that he was the Creator.
00:52:27.41\00:52:31.31
By substituting another
day for them to worship on.
00:52:31.35\00:52:37.09
And this means
that Satan must attack
00:52:37.12\00:52:40.56
the 1 commandment in the 10,
00:52:40.59\00:52:45.53
that provides us the reason
00:52:45.56\00:52:47.23
as to why we should worship God.
00:52:47.26\00:52:50.57
He's made us.
00:52:50.60\00:52:51.97
He's made everything that we are
00:52:52.00\00:52:53.64
and everything that we have.
00:52:53.67\00:52:56.17
We owe to him
everything in the world
00:52:56.20\00:52:59.04
because he's made it.
00:52:59.07\00:53:00.74
Even in heaven,
00:53:00.78\00:53:02.31
we read that all
the angels worship God,
00:53:02.34\00:53:05.28
because he made all things.
00:53:05.31\00:53:07.82
And we read that
in Revelation 4:11.
00:53:07.85\00:53:13.19
Here it talks about
00:53:13.22\00:53:14.56
how all the
heavenly beings worship Jesus
00:53:14.59\00:53:19.89
because He created all things.
00:53:19.93\00:53:24.47
Satan well knew
00:53:24.50\00:53:25.83
that he must replace
00:53:25.87\00:53:27.20
that 1 commandment
in the 10 with another
00:53:27.24\00:53:32.31
so the world will forget
of Jesus' creative power.
00:53:32.34\00:53:38.95
And if he's to succeed
00:53:38.98\00:53:40.32
in persuading the
world to worship himself
00:53:40.35\00:53:42.58
and not Jesus,
00:53:42.62\00:53:44.19
as he's long intended,
00:53:44.22\00:53:45.99
he must do it
through a nation of the earth
00:53:46.02\00:53:49.52
with global authority
00:53:49.56\00:53:51.96
to force the world,
to worship the beast.
00:53:51.99\00:53:57.50
In our remaining
two presentations,
00:53:57.53\00:54:02.00
we are going to
look at the identity
00:54:02.04\00:54:04.31
of this beast power.
00:54:04.34\00:54:06.64
We are going to
learn of the rise
00:54:06.68\00:54:08.54
of an earthly government
00:54:08.58\00:54:11.28
that is going to force the world
00:54:11.31\00:54:13.62
to worship this beast
00:54:13.65\00:54:17.22
and to receive the mark
of the beast's authority
00:54:17.25\00:54:21.69
in their forehead
or in their right hand.
00:54:21.72\00:54:26.06
All dear friends,
because of Jesus' love,
00:54:26.09\00:54:28.23
can I just
emphasize this before I close,
00:54:28.26\00:54:31.33
because of Jesus' love,
00:54:31.37\00:54:34.30
He knew in advance
00:54:34.34\00:54:37.14
the events that Satan is
going to bring the world to
00:54:37.17\00:54:41.44
in order to
accomplish his aim way back,
00:54:41.48\00:54:43.65
"I will be like the Most High, "
00:54:43.68\00:54:47.08
he nearly has
accomplished his aim.
00:54:47.12\00:54:50.42
There's just a
small group of people
00:54:50.45\00:54:52.95
who are
resisting his temptations,
00:54:52.99\00:54:56.22
who are still holding on
to their worship of Jesus
00:54:56.26\00:55:01.90
and at that time
in earth's history,
00:55:01.93\00:55:04.63
that's why God is sending
the third angel's message
00:55:04.67\00:55:08.17
in this last warning
message to the world.
00:55:08.20\00:55:12.31
Dear friends,
as I think of this,
00:55:12.34\00:55:13.68
I am reminded of a story
00:55:13.71\00:55:15.04
that happened many
hundreds of years ago.
00:55:15.08\00:55:18.08
It's recorded in
Daniel Chapter three,
00:55:18.11\00:55:20.65
when the king of Babylon
erected a great golden image
00:55:20.68\00:55:24.75
and called
representatives of his kingdom
00:55:24.79\00:55:26.76
from all around the world
00:55:26.79\00:55:28.36
and said,
00:55:28.39\00:55:29.72
"You must all fall down and, "
00:55:29.76\00:55:31.39
listen to the words,
00:55:31.43\00:55:32.76
"worship the image.
00:55:32.79\00:55:36.26
When the music sounds,
00:55:36.30\00:55:37.73
fall on your knees and worship."
00:55:37.77\00:55:39.90
But you remember the story
00:55:39.93\00:55:41.30
where three young men stood up,
00:55:41.34\00:55:44.67
stood and didn't bow down.
00:55:44.71\00:55:48.24
This aroused the wrath
of King Nebuchadnezzar,
00:55:48.28\00:55:50.68
read the whole story
in Daniel Chapter three,
00:55:50.71\00:55:53.72
so much so that he said,
00:55:53.75\00:55:55.08
"I'm going to heat
the furnace of fire
00:55:55.12\00:55:57.09
seven times hotter.
00:55:57.12\00:55:58.59
And if you don't
worship this image,
00:55:58.62\00:56:01.02
you will die."
00:56:01.06\00:56:03.66
And they said in
that classic answer,
00:56:03.69\00:56:06.23
"Our God whom we serve is
able to deliver us, O king.
00:56:06.26\00:56:11.73
But even if he doesn't,"
00:56:11.77\00:56:13.10
notice that,
00:56:13.13\00:56:14.47
"we will still not bow
down and worship the image."
00:56:14.50\00:56:18.17
They had to choose
who they would worship
00:56:18.21\00:56:21.64
just like the
people at the end of time.
00:56:21.68\00:56:25.15
Who would they worship?
00:56:25.18\00:56:26.95
And you remember the story,
00:56:26.98\00:56:28.35
how those three young men
00:56:28.38\00:56:31.52
were thrown into
the fiery furnace.
00:56:31.55\00:56:35.42
But the good news is
that Jesus came down,
00:56:35.46\00:56:39.49
you remember in that story,
00:56:39.53\00:56:41.60
and talked with
those three young men
00:56:41.63\00:56:45.00
and their lives were saved
00:56:45.03\00:56:46.40
because when they were called
out of the fire by the king,
00:56:46.43\00:56:49.74
they couldn't even notice
the smell of smoke upon them.
00:56:49.77\00:56:53.44
What a witness
00:56:53.48\00:56:55.31
and I believe that
story was written to give you
00:56:55.34\00:56:57.78
and me encouragement
00:56:57.81\00:56:59.21
in the last days
of earth's history,
00:56:59.25\00:57:02.12
when we're going to be
called to make a decision,
00:57:02.15\00:57:04.92
just like they did,
who will they worship?
00:57:04.95\00:57:07.99
Will they obey the
worship of the king
00:57:08.02\00:57:12.43
or will they worship
and be faithful to Jesus?
00:57:12.46\00:57:15.73
It may involve their lives,
00:57:15.76\00:57:18.23
but that doesn't matter
00:57:18.27\00:57:20.27
because Jesus, at that time,
00:57:20.30\00:57:22.50
when that
difficulty comes to the church,
00:57:22.54\00:57:26.11
Jesus is going to come
00:57:26.14\00:57:29.24
and He's coming the second time
00:57:29.28\00:57:31.61
to gather all those
00:57:31.65\00:57:33.35
who stand up at
that time and say,
00:57:33.38\00:57:36.85
"We will worship Jesus."
00:57:36.89\00:57:39.15
May the Lord bless us
00:57:39.19\00:57:40.52
as we think about these things.
00:57:40.56\00:57:42.42
And may you be blessed
as you make a decision,
00:57:42.46\00:57:46.73
who you will worship.
00:57:46.76\00:57:48.76
Let us bow our heads.
00:57:48.80\00:57:50.60
Our Father, we
thank You for this subject
00:57:50.63\00:57:53.13
we've discussed together
this morning from Your word.
00:57:53.17\00:57:56.27
Help us to have our
hearts open to Your leading
00:57:56.30\00:57:58.74
that we might
find and understand
00:57:58.77\00:58:01.21
and keep this very special day,
00:58:01.24\00:58:03.68
which was a gift from Jesus.
00:58:03.71\00:58:06.21
It may, in the
future, divide the world
00:58:06.25\00:58:09.45
but we can see beyond,
00:58:09.48\00:58:11.22
dear Father, are people
00:58:11.25\00:58:12.79
who will be gathered
together in Your kingdom
00:58:12.82\00:58:15.62
because of their faithfulness
and their love for You.
00:58:15.66\00:58:18.53
And we ask this in
Jesus' precious name, amen.
00:58:18.56\00:58:22.06