Hello, friends, grab your Bible
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and a friend and
sit back as we explore
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God's word together on
this edition of House Calls.
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Friends, welcome to the most
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exciting program on television.
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If we didn't believe
that we wouldn't be here.
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And that's why, John and John,
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are in the
saddle together again.
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So thank you for tuning in
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and it's always good to
know that I'm not by myself,
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and John, thank you
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for chaperoning
me on this program.
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Yeah, hey, it's
good to monitor you
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and make sure I
can keep you in line
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and everything else
that goes along with that,
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because you can get
out of control sometimes.
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That's right, I get
happy about the word of God.
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All right, well,
it's an exciting program
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we've got, actually a new
series today, that's right.
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And we'll get into
that here in just a minute,
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but I know that we
like to start with prayer,
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so why don't we do that, okay.
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All right,
gracious Father in Heaven,
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we just pray for
Your blessing here today
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that You would open up the word
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in a way that maybe
we don't even comprehend
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in the way You move and lead
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and give us knowledge and wisdom
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and we just put
it in your hands.
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We pray that each
heart that is watching,
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that is listening
will also receive a word
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from You here
today, in Jesus name, amen.
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Amen, and on that note friends,
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don't forget to get your Bibles,
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get your pens and
get all the questions
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that you would
like to share with us
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and you can send
those to housecalls@3abn.org
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that's housecalls@3abn.org.
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And, we know that your questions
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make a
difference on this program
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and also if you want
to hit the record button,
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because today our topic
is "Dressing up for God."
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It's one that
we're gonna be covering
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in a number of programs.
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It's more than just
a gleaming topic, John.
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It's more like
an exhaustive study
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on the topic of
what the Bible says
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about appropriate
dress and adornment.
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And by the way,
this is not something
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that is just denominational,
this is scriptural.
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I remember looking
at a magazine article
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and it was really amazing
how the picture said it all
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where there was
somebody coming to church,
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and the way they were dressed,
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the usher was by
the door and said,
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I know you're
not coming up in here
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dress like that and it wasn't
an Adventist Magazine, yeah.
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Very amazing
article talking about
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how important is for
Christians to remember
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that the world
doesn't set the trend
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for the Christian
Church, but the Christian Church
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should be a
reflection to the world
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of what God would want us to be.
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It's a very important topic--
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And a few years ago
this wasn't a big issue.
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They shouldn't come up much,
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because it didn't matter really
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what church you attended,
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typically you
didn't have a lot of debate
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about the subject,
because people were
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fairly modestly dressed.
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I don't care what church it is,
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you look there
and you didn't have
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a ton of jewelry and
everybody ducked out.
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Now it's a little different,
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things have changed in the world
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and the church
is kind of following
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the world in many respects,
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so it's time to
get back to the word
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which we'll do today.
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That's right, and by the way
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I know you have questions
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and if at any
point in the program,
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a question
comes up in your mind,
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send that question
to housecalls@3abn.org
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that's housecalls@3abn.org
and we'll download
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those questions and
hopefully get an answer
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to you as soon as we can.
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But John, why don't you begin
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with our question today,
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what do you have for us?
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You know, I've had a
couple of questions today
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and I like to spend all our time
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on these two questions,
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at least our question
and answer time, all right.
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Because they're
almost the antithesis
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of the type of
question that we would get.
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One is a pursuer of the word,
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wants to know the truth,
the other one is wondering,
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why the truth is so important?
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And why we
belabor on some issues
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especially with
regard to the Sabbath truth.
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And so we'll look
at both these questions
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and we'll answer
maybe using similar text
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to answer both questions.
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But let me read
you the first one here.
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This one is from
Linda, and she says,
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"John and John,
hope you're both well
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and the weather is nice.
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I am having a
discussion with my pastor.
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He says, you can
choose the day you worship,
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Saturday or Sunday.
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You can eat anything you want.
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There is no black
or white in the church,
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but grey areas.
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To be saved, you only
need to believe in Christ.
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Baptism isn't the importance,
isn't the important thing.
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There are many forms,
I don't agree with this
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and asked him to show me
the verse that says this,
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also to give me the
churches interpretation of each.
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He gave me these
verses and she quotes from
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Hebrews 4:1 through 12, 8:13,
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Colossians 2, the
entire Chapter Genesis 9:3,
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several others here.
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He said, these will lead you
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into the
churches interpretation.
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And she said she read those,
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she still doesn't understand
the churches interpretation.
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So, she is
confused about this, okay.
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Anyway then she goes down,
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let me read a
little further here.
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But especially about
the subject of eating
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anything you want, the
Bible doesn't seem to say that.
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Please let me
know if you can help me
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understand these issues.
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This is a non-denominational
church that she attends.
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Okay, so a woman
who is pursuing the word
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wants to know the truth,
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has a little bit of
struggle taking each topic
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and going through the word
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and finding all that
says about that, that topic.
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And so that's
the first question.
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Now, let me read
the second question.
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Oh, yeah, okay.
Equally is amazing.
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Okay, here we go. The
age of computers, right.
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Okay, this question is
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for the two
John's on House Calls.
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I am a believer born
again in Jesus Christ
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and I'm one who goes
to church on a Sunday.
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My question is
how come you're sure,
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how can you be sure
the Sabbath is Saturday?
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And the Bible never
says that God started
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creating the world
on any specific day.
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How do you know
that when the Bible said
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that God rested on the Sabbath,
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it was not a
Monday, Thursday and so on?
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If it said that
He started on Sunday
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then we can say for
sure, yes, Sabbath is Saturday.
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And I can say the
same thing for Sunday,
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the day that I worship on.
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Another thing,
is it so important
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that about what we--
what day we worship on?
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The truth is that I've chosen
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to go to church and worship.
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Have you ever
heard that the vertebra,
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heard of the
vertebra and the rib,
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to me this is a rib issue,
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it's not such a big deal to God.
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As long as He has my heart
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and I've a
relationship with Him,
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to me this is what is important.
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Can you explain
to me how it is than
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that when I attend church
in the presence of the Lord
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when He is there our
church is being blessed
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and that there is
so much love there,
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lives are being
changed not only by sermons.
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Don't you think that if we
were doing something wrong,
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God would bother showing--
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God wouldn't bother showing up.
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See here, one time I
was getting to the point
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where I was grasping
for so much at one time
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that I said to
Jesus, Lord, this is so hard
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and I literally
felt His hands touch
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one of my shoulders
and this is no joke,
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He said these were His
words, child I am so simple.
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And from that very
moment I got calm and understood
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that He is about the
relationship with Him
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and the love of others.
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Why pollute the water
with things like this.
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These things are
rib issues not vertebra.
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And she goes on to talk about,
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you know, the
Sabbath Sunday issue
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is not really the big issue
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and anyway why can't we
just agree to get along,
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I believe in Jesus and
then it won't matter so much."
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So yeah, sometimes
there, it's very long quote,
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so I am going to
paraphrase a little bit there,
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but you can see the antithesis
here of both questions.
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And I am not
saying the questions
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are right and wrong,
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but you see the
approach here from one side is,
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give me the word,
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tell me what the Bible
says and I'm gonna do it.
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The other one is I know
when you say the Bible says
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and I know that, you
know, the Bible is important
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to Christianity, but
does it really matter.
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Okay, and we'll hear on
some of these issues too,
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because I know that we need
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to at least
address some of them.
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Let's address the Sabbath first,
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because that was the
big issue with the sender,
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at the second
question that I read there.
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You know, the first
thing I think she mentioned was
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how do we know that
the Sabbath is Saturday?
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The first answer
would be obviously
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the seventh day is the Sabbath,
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that's in the Fourth
Commandment, that's right.
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And so we know that
the first day is Sunday
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and I don't hear anybody saying
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how do we know the
first day is Sunday?
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No, no that question
doesn't come up very often.
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The first day clearly is Sunday
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and everybody acknowledges that.
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The opposite of
that is to the Jewish
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have been keeping the
Sabbath for centuries.
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They know exactly,
millennia, exactly.
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So they know exactly
what day the Sabbath is.
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And they haven't missed
one in a millennius, several--
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The whole nation.
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And this is a nation
and one given to times
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and prophecies and other things,
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they're going to keep track.
00:09:03.34\00:09:05.21
So you know, it is very
clear, in fact the Book of Luke,
00:09:05.22\00:09:09.70
Luke's recording of
the resurrection of Christ,
00:09:09.71\00:09:12.45
it says pretty clearly
that preparation day was Friday,
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the Sabbath was Saturday
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and the first day
of the week he says,
00:09:18.31\00:09:20.93
was the resurrection day
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which everybody
acknowledges is Sunday, right.
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So, you know, that is
a good argument to make,
00:09:24.88\00:09:28.27
but it's not a valid argument,
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because the answer is so obvious
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that you can't really
assert that as a reason
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for not keeping
the Sabbath, right.
00:09:36.13\00:09:38.64
But there are
several other things here too
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that I'll, you know, I'll
let you get in on here too.
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It's a-- You
know, she wants to get
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to the heart of worship
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and the Sabbath really
is at the heart of worship,
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because when if you look
at the Fourth Commandment
00:09:51.67\00:09:54.95
when you see it and
talking about the seventh day
00:09:54.96\00:09:56.70
is the Sabbath,
the Lord thy God,
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six days you shall work,
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but the seventh
day is the Sabbath
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and then connecting
it with the creation.
00:10:01.49\00:10:04.16
Then when you get to
the end of the Bible,
00:10:04.17\00:10:06.05
you get to the
Book of Revelation
00:10:06.06\00:10:07.08
and it calls
people back to worship,
00:10:07.09\00:10:09.97
restating then again
that God is the Creator,
00:10:09.98\00:10:13.02
clearly a
connection here between
00:10:13.03\00:10:14.65
Sabbath keeping and God's,
and God being our Creator.
00:10:14.66\00:10:19.12
And so, you know, my suggestion,
00:10:19.13\00:10:21.69
I don't think it's my suggestion
00:10:21.70\00:10:22.83
I guess, I should rephrase that.
00:10:22.84\00:10:24.63
God's word says, that
when you come together
00:10:24.64\00:10:27.45
to worship, you're
worshiping your Creator.
00:10:27.46\00:10:30.65
And if you read
Revelation Chapter 4,
00:10:30.66\00:10:32.95
we worship Him
because He is the Creator.
00:10:32.96\00:10:35.99
So when you
worship God as the Creator
00:10:36.00\00:10:38.08
that entails
acknowledging His creatorship
00:10:38.09\00:10:41.38
and the memorial of His creation
00:10:41.39\00:10:43.87
which is the
seventh day Sabbath, right.
00:10:43.88\00:10:47.25
So that is the word
what the word of God says,
00:10:47.26\00:10:51.19
and here it, it
says so much more
00:10:51.20\00:10:52.48
on this and I'll let you
time in here little bit too,
00:10:52.49\00:10:54.53
because I think the real centre
00:10:54.54\00:10:56.48
though here is that
either you're pursuing truth
00:10:56.49\00:11:00.44
and you want to do what God says
00:11:00.45\00:11:02.36
that He wants you
to do in His word,
00:11:02.37\00:11:04.97
or you just don't.
00:11:04.98\00:11:07.57
And you chalk it up to
well, let's just love each other
00:11:07.58\00:11:10.26
and let's deal with
these certain aspects of God,
00:11:10.27\00:11:12.45
but not the
other aspects of God.
00:11:12.46\00:11:14.11
When the word clearly
says that keeping the truth,
00:11:14.12\00:11:17.47
following the truth is essential
00:11:17.48\00:11:19.28
to one salvation, that's right.
00:11:19.29\00:11:21.74
You know, just because
00:11:21.75\00:11:22.88
and I agree with
her on this point.
00:11:22.89\00:11:26.03
We believe and we're
saved, that's a fact.
00:11:26.04\00:11:30.19
When you believe in God,
00:11:30.20\00:11:31.83
and you put your
faith and trust in Him,
00:11:31.84\00:11:34.23
He gives you the
free gift of salvation.
00:11:34.24\00:11:37.42
But that doesn't mean that works
00:11:37.43\00:11:38.88
are completely divorced
from our salvation experience,
00:11:38.89\00:11:43.14
because by rejecting good works,
00:11:43.15\00:11:46.98
by rejecting God's
word, you may start out
00:11:46.99\00:11:50.53
believing in having
that relationship with God,
00:11:50.54\00:11:52.29
but it goes no
further and you can end up
00:11:52.30\00:11:53.76
losing that
relationship with God.
00:11:53.77\00:11:56.35
And that's of course well,
00:11:56.36\00:11:57.33
Satan brings in this
false teaching of one saved,
00:11:57.34\00:11:59.06
always saved to, kind
of meet that at the paths,
00:11:59.07\00:12:01.25
'cause he knows that's
a very biblical teaching.
00:12:01.26\00:12:06.28
But, you know, this
whole thing about well,
00:12:06.29\00:12:10.50
it doesn't matter what you do,
00:12:10.51\00:12:12.11
how you worship as
long as you believe in God,
00:12:12.12\00:12:13.83
really isn't in the
Bible. No, it's not.
00:12:13.84\00:12:17.01
And I'll read one verse
00:12:17.02\00:12:18.22
and then I'll hand it
off to you. Sure, I'm okay--
00:12:18.23\00:12:19.74
From Second
Thessalonians Chapter 2,
00:12:19.75\00:12:25.81
if you read through these books
00:12:25.82\00:12:27.79
of specially
these letters of Paul,
00:12:27.80\00:12:29.45
you'll see over and over again,
00:12:29.46\00:12:31.04
he encouraged the church to hold
00:12:31.05\00:12:32.62
steadfast to the
truth of the word of God.
00:12:32.63\00:12:34.96
Okay, where you're turning now?
00:12:34.97\00:12:35.94
I'm reading from Second
Thessalonians Chapter 2.
00:12:35.95\00:12:38.55
Okay, go on.
00:12:38.56\00:12:39.53
And he encourages the
church to hold on the truth,
00:12:39.54\00:12:42.20
because there are
some that are coming
00:12:42.21\00:12:44.68
into the church
that are teaching heresy,
00:12:44.69\00:12:47.37
they're teaching stuff
that is not in God's word
00:12:47.38\00:12:50.72
and they're leading people
00:12:50.73\00:12:51.86
away from the truth, all right.
00:12:51.87\00:12:54.67
And if the church in
response to that were to say,
00:12:54.68\00:12:58.21
well it doesn't really matter,
00:12:58.22\00:12:59.19
just believe, just
love Jesus and you're okay.
00:12:59.20\00:13:02.60
Then the church, Paul
knows would have fallen, right.
00:13:02.61\00:13:05.53
It would have
fallen into apostasy
00:13:05.54\00:13:07.81
and it would not be--
it would be unrecoverable.
00:13:07.82\00:13:10.57
But Paul encourage the church
to stand up for the truth,
00:13:10.58\00:13:13.72
for the word of God
00:13:13.73\00:13:14.83
and keep those
things which were once
00:13:14.84\00:13:16.70
and for all
deliver to the saints
00:13:16.71\00:13:18.05
by him and by the
rest of the apostles.
00:13:18.06\00:13:20.75
Okay, what verse you're in?
00:13:20.76\00:13:21.73
So I'm reading from
Second Thessalonians
00:13:21.74\00:13:23.92
Chapter 2 verse
9, and look at this,
00:13:23.93\00:13:28.59
"The coming of the lawless one
00:13:28.60\00:13:29.99
is according to
the working of who?
00:13:30.00\00:13:31.99
Satan. Satan.
00:13:32.00\00:13:33.60
With all power, signs,
and what kind of wonders?
00:13:33.61\00:13:36.74
Lying wonders. Lying wonders.
00:13:36.75\00:13:38.24
He is a liar. He
is exposed as a liar.
00:13:38.25\00:13:40.39
Christ acknowledged and
pointed to him as a liar.
00:13:40.40\00:13:44.39
And with all
unrighteous deception verse 10,
00:13:44.40\00:13:47.23
"Among those who perish
because they did not do" what?
00:13:47.24\00:13:50.87
"Receive the love of the truth."
00:13:50.88\00:13:52.83
They didn't receive
the love of the truth
00:13:52.84\00:13:54.53
that they might be saved.
00:13:54.54\00:13:56.92
Let me ask you
question, does the truth save?
00:13:56.93\00:14:02.59
If you're reading
this, the truth is involved
00:14:02.60\00:14:06.04
in the salvation
equatio. Exactly.
00:14:06.05\00:14:09.22
So it's not just
believing in Jesus
00:14:09.23\00:14:11.31
and His love and
a good experience
00:14:11.32\00:14:13.16
and being kind to one another.
00:14:13.17\00:14:14.92
It's believing the
truth in addition to that,
00:14:14.93\00:14:17.35
that saves you.
00:14:17.36\00:14:19.57
And it says here in
verse 11 it gets worse.
00:14:19.58\00:14:21.88
And for this
reason God will send them
00:14:21.89\00:14:23.66
a strong delusion that
they should believe the lie,
00:14:23.67\00:14:25.98
they actually--
there are those who believe
00:14:25.99\00:14:28.51
the lie that
they have been taught
00:14:28.52\00:14:30.88
to the point where they're lost
00:14:30.89\00:14:32.07
and they don't even know it.
00:14:32.08\00:14:35.16
Verse 12, "That
they might be condemned
00:14:35.17\00:14:37.31
who do not believe the truth,
00:14:37.32\00:14:38.39
but have pleasure
in unrighteousness.
00:14:38.40\00:14:40.04
Paul is giving this
counsel to people in the church.
00:14:40.05\00:14:43.62
He is not
writing to the heathen.
00:14:43.63\00:14:45.42
No, he is not.
00:14:45.43\00:14:46.56
He is writing to the church,
00:14:46.57\00:14:47.73
because there are
some in the church
00:14:47.74\00:14:49.13
who have not believed the truth,
00:14:49.14\00:14:50.72
who have not
followed righteousness
00:14:50.73\00:14:52.27
that they might be
saved and they are deluded,
00:14:52.28\00:14:54.44
they have been even
given a delusion by God,
00:14:54.45\00:14:56.71
because they're believing a lie
00:14:56.72\00:14:58.82
and they're rejecting truth
and they're no longer saved.
00:14:58.83\00:15:02.35
No, they can't be.
00:15:02.36\00:15:03.47
So, I'll hand it off to you,
00:15:03.48\00:15:04.84
because this is a serious issue.
00:15:04.85\00:15:06.38
The truth is a serious issue
00:15:06.39\00:15:07.65
and when we say
it doesn't matter
00:15:07.66\00:15:09.16
really what you believe,
00:15:09.17\00:15:10.17
what day you
worship on and by the way
00:15:10.18\00:15:12.19
that is a
commandment, not a suggestion.
00:15:12.20\00:15:15.40
When he say, it doesn't matter,
00:15:15.41\00:15:16.71
they're on dangerous
ground by the word of God,
00:15:16.72\00:15:19.61
that is dangerous ground.
00:15:19.62\00:15:22.06
I'll tell you, you know,
00:15:22.07\00:15:23.20
you put that
together really well
00:15:23.21\00:15:24.53
and I sat back
listening and taking notes
00:15:24.54\00:15:27.09
and I came up
with one, two, three,
00:15:27.10\00:15:29.11
four, five, six,
seven, scriptures
00:15:29.12\00:15:31.64
and since we're in first--
00:15:31.65\00:15:33.59
and since we're in
Second Thessalonians.
00:15:33.60\00:15:35.69
Let's go to First
Timothy, let's begin there.
00:15:35.70\00:15:38.50
I want you to see Chapter
4, First Timothy Chapter 4
00:15:38.51\00:15:42.63
and there's a
injunction or there is a warning
00:15:42.64\00:15:47.17
that Timothy brings out
00:15:47.18\00:15:48.49
and we'll see it
again in Second Timothy.
00:15:48.50\00:15:51.16
And let me say
this and I know that,
00:15:51.17\00:15:55.10
you know, people have
various flavors of religion,
00:15:55.11\00:15:57.85
various approaches
to what they believe
00:15:57.86\00:16:00.58
and how they put their
walk with Christ together.
00:16:00.59\00:16:03.49
But the walk with
Christ, remember Jesus said,
00:16:03.50\00:16:05.82
I am the way, the
truth and the life, yeah.
00:16:05.83\00:16:09.35
And He didn't exclude truth,
00:16:09.36\00:16:12.56
He said I am the way,
the truth and the life.
00:16:12.57\00:16:15.93
And when Paul
proclaimed and warned
00:16:15.94\00:16:20.25
the Christians of his era,
00:16:20.26\00:16:22.38
he said to them it's important
00:16:22.39\00:16:23.81
that you'll not exclude truth.
00:16:23.82\00:16:26.37
And notice this, First Timothy 4
00:16:26.38\00:16:29.74
starting with verse 1
and then I'm gonna jump down
00:16:29.75\00:16:32.56
to verse 16 but it
starts with verse 1,
00:16:32.57\00:16:35.72
"Now the Spirit expressly says,"
00:16:35.73\00:16:38.05
and we're in the
New King James version
00:16:38.06\00:16:40.55
"That in latter times some
will depart from the faith,
00:16:40.56\00:16:44.15
giving heed to deceiving spirits
00:16:44.16\00:16:46.97
and doctrines of demons,
speaking lies in hypocrisy,
00:16:46.98\00:16:51.53
having their own consciences
seared with a hot iron."
00:16:51.54\00:16:56.13
Notice what
happens here, it says,
00:16:56.14\00:16:57.95
"They will
depart from the faith."
00:16:57.96\00:17:01.65
And it talks about
doctrines of demons,
00:17:01.66\00:17:04.17
but it also says, speaking lies.
00:17:04.18\00:17:06.05
So doctrines of
demons also bring
00:17:06.06\00:17:08.85
to that equation speaking lies.
00:17:08.86\00:17:10.96
Doctrines of
Christ is speaking truth.
00:17:10.97\00:17:14.62
Doctrines of the
Holy Spirit seeking truth.
00:17:14.63\00:17:17.32
And by the way Jesus and
the Holy Spirit is same level.
00:17:17.33\00:17:20.74
You find here, but if
you go down to verse 16,
00:17:20.75\00:17:23.25
notice what Paul
says, the answer to this.
00:17:23.26\00:17:25.79
He says, "Take
heed to yourselves,"
00:17:25.80\00:17:28.73
in other words be
careful "and to the doctrine."
00:17:28.74\00:17:32.04
Notice
doctrines are not excluded
00:17:32.05\00:17:34.75
"Continue in
them, for in doing this
00:17:34.76\00:17:38.87
you will save both yourself
and those who hear you."
00:17:38.88\00:17:43.75
Salvation is there again.
00:17:43.76\00:17:45.00
The issue of salvation
does not exclude the doctrines,
00:17:45.01\00:17:48.69
it does not exclude the truth.
00:17:48.70\00:17:51.19
If it excluded the
truth, then Paul wouldn't say,
00:17:51.20\00:17:54.35
do these things
and you'll both save
00:17:54.36\00:17:56.24
yourself and those
who hear you, yeah.
00:17:56.25\00:17:58.65
And-- you know,
verse 3 I think some people
00:17:58.66\00:18:02.18
would read on, okay.
00:18:02.19\00:18:03.38
First Timothy did not
to side track you at all
00:18:03.39\00:18:05.48
but it says
"Forbidding to marry,
00:18:05.49\00:18:06.86
and commanding to
abstain from foods
00:18:06.87\00:18:08.11
which God
created to be received."
00:18:08.12\00:18:09.40
Some would say well, see
that's the lie to abstain
00:18:09.41\00:18:12.38
from unclean meats
or something like that.
00:18:12.39\00:18:16.25
And that's not
the context here all
00:18:16.26\00:18:17.76
what he is talking about
00:18:17.77\00:18:18.74
if you read the
writings of Paul--
00:18:18.75\00:18:20.05
But if you read.
00:18:20.06\00:18:21.66
Well, let me finish to say,
00:18:21.67\00:18:22.78
you read the writings of Paul,
00:18:22.79\00:18:23.76
he says very clearly here
that the debate of the day was
00:18:23.77\00:18:26.99
whether or not you can eat foods
00:18:27.00\00:18:28.22
that were offered to idols?
00:18:28.23\00:18:29.54
Right, not,
clean versus unclean.
00:18:29.55\00:18:32.28
Clean versus unclean
food was not an issue.
00:18:32.29\00:18:35.36
They're pretty much
the early church understood
00:18:35.37\00:18:37.57
that clean
foods were permissible
00:18:37.58\00:18:40.40
and unclean was not,
00:18:40.41\00:18:41.40
that's something
talked throughout the bible.
00:18:41.41\00:18:43.03
This was an
issue of eating foods
00:18:43.04\00:18:44.82
offered to idols and
that became a debate,
00:18:44.83\00:18:46.68
a divisive thing
within the church.
00:18:46.69\00:18:48.40
So I just want to
mention that but you had--
00:18:48.41\00:18:51.05
But if you finish
that same verse, verse 3,
00:18:51.06\00:18:53.60
notice how the verse ends.
00:18:53.61\00:18:57.68
"Those who believe
and know the truth."
00:18:57.69\00:19:00.27
Okay there it is.
00:19:00.28\00:19:01.36
The basis of what
they were to practice
00:19:01.37\00:19:03.52
was based on the
fact that they believe
00:19:03.53\00:19:05.79
and they know the truth.
00:19:05.80\00:19:07.65
Once again you see the truth
is connected with salvation,
00:19:07.66\00:19:10.34
that entire Chapter 4
is talked about salvation.
00:19:10.35\00:19:16.20
Satan will lead people
away by doctrines of demons,
00:19:16.21\00:19:19.36
speaking lies, but
it says those who are,
00:19:19.37\00:19:21.94
those who are safer,
those who know the truth
00:19:21.95\00:19:24.49
and then Paul says,
make sure that you continue
00:19:24.50\00:19:26.58
in that way, by doing
this you'll both save yourself
00:19:26.59\00:19:29.52
and the person who hears you.
00:19:29.53\00:19:30.91
But Proverbs 14, sorry
Proverbs 16 let's go there
00:19:30.92\00:19:38.47
and look at what it says,
00:19:38.48\00:19:41.30
Proverbs 16 this
is why it's important.
00:19:41.31\00:19:44.07
That first
question, I want to go ahead
00:19:44.08\00:19:46.75
and address it, because those--
00:19:46.76\00:19:48.67
one of those
person said, you know,
00:19:48.68\00:19:52.57
my pastor said, there
are so many different ways
00:19:52.58\00:19:54.56
you can be baptized,
00:19:54.57\00:19:56.47
didn't really
matter what you eat,
00:19:56.48\00:19:58.85
pick a day it
doesn't really matter.
00:19:58.86\00:20:00.58
It just sounded like
he worked out at circus.
00:20:00.59\00:20:03.51
You know like pick
the ride, you know,
00:20:03.52\00:20:05.14
pick the teddy
bear, pick the game,
00:20:05.15\00:20:07.04
pick the price, yeah.
00:20:07.05\00:20:08.36
It's like he didn't have
any foundation whatsoever,
00:20:08.37\00:20:10.66
he was like a
kite with no string.
00:20:10.67\00:20:12.68
He blew in whatever direction
the wind would take him.
00:20:12.69\00:20:15.67
But the Bible made it very clear
00:20:15.68\00:20:17.30
that there is a
way that is right
00:20:17.31\00:20:19.59
and in some
people's mind I would say,
00:20:19.60\00:20:21.45
in this pastor's
mind the way that I heard
00:20:21.46\00:20:23.04
the question
phrase, if this is in fact
00:20:23.05\00:20:24.67
true about him, this is--
00:20:24.68\00:20:26.39
there's a way that seems right,
00:20:26.40\00:20:29.02
just pick any way.
00:20:29.03\00:20:30.19
But if you notice
Proverbs 16:25 it says,
00:20:30.20\00:20:32.95
"There is a way that
seems right to a man,
00:20:32.96\00:20:35.36
but its end is
the way of death."
00:20:35.37\00:20:39.12
So because it
just seems right to do
00:20:39.13\00:20:41.05
this and do that and
it doesn't really matter
00:20:41.06\00:20:42.53
what you do,
what church you go to,
00:20:42.54\00:20:45.63
how you worship,
what day you chose,
00:20:45.64\00:20:48.15
what method of
baptism, it could be anyway
00:20:48.16\00:20:49.96
from sprinkling to rose petals,
00:20:49.97\00:20:51.68
to dry cleaning, to
mass baptism with a hose.
00:20:51.69\00:20:54.52
It could be immersion,
it could be through the mail
00:20:54.53\00:20:56.52
it could be just
believe and said be saved.
00:20:56.53\00:20:58.71
So, it's not the
feeling here, yeah.
00:20:58.72\00:21:00.57
Because the second
question also talked about
00:21:00.58\00:21:03.11
when she is in church,
00:21:03.12\00:21:04.74
she feels this wonderful
experience of love, yeah.
00:21:04.75\00:21:07.38
God's presence and
people who care for one another.
00:21:07.39\00:21:10.29
And it was a very
emotional thing for her.
00:21:10.30\00:21:13.06
And I think just
because, just because
00:21:13.07\00:21:18.11
we believe in God and
we have a good emotion
00:21:18.12\00:21:21.69
about it, a good
experience doesn't mean
00:21:21.70\00:21:24.62
that we're doing
necessary the right thing,
00:21:24.63\00:21:26.02
because it seems
right, but it can't be,
00:21:26.03\00:21:30.40
the end can't be one that
leads to death, that's right.
00:21:30.41\00:21:33.64
And so we have
to be very careful
00:21:33.65\00:21:35.36
not just to feel, you
know, like we're Christians.
00:21:35.37\00:21:39.78
But we need to make sure
00:21:39.79\00:21:40.79
that we're
following the word of God.
00:21:40.80\00:21:43.35
Because Christians that
were dying in the dungeons,
00:21:43.36\00:21:48.56
and in the Roman Coliseums,
00:21:48.57\00:21:51.03
really didn't
feel like Christians?
00:21:51.04\00:21:53.93
You know, it was
not about a feeling,
00:21:53.94\00:21:55.28
it was about a strong
life changing decision
00:21:55.29\00:22:00.17
that I would die for.
00:22:00.18\00:22:02.55
So it doesn't really have
00:22:02.56\00:22:03.83
a whole lot to do with feelings.
00:22:03.84\00:22:05.93
Although feelings are
valid in the sense that,
00:22:05.94\00:22:08.03
you know, I feel sick,
00:22:08.04\00:22:09.01
I feel
lightheaded, I feel dizzy,
00:22:09.02\00:22:11.29
I feel happy,
those are emotions,
00:22:11.30\00:22:13.93
but when it comes to the truth
00:22:13.94\00:22:15.83
Isaiah 3 and verse
20, Jesus simply says,
00:22:15.84\00:22:18.96
"This is the way walk in it."
00:22:18.97\00:22:21.61
That's just a command
rather than a suggestion.
00:22:21.62\00:22:25.77
In Isaiah 8:20, right.
00:22:25.78\00:22:28.15
To the law and to the testimony
00:22:28.16\00:22:29.78
if they speak not
according to this word,
00:22:29.79\00:22:32.66
there was no light in them.
00:22:32.67\00:22:34.01
In other words don't go there,
00:22:34.02\00:22:35.20
test what it
was there from John,
00:22:35.21\00:22:36.98
test the spirits to see
00:22:36.99\00:22:39.28
whether or not they
are of God, that's right.
00:22:39.29\00:22:41.56
Test what someone is saying
00:22:41.57\00:22:43.66
because you just
don't-- because they see
00:22:43.67\00:22:45.42
they're Christian,
these days especially
00:22:45.43\00:22:47.17
after warning after
warning about heresy
00:22:47.18\00:22:50.03
and about apostasy of the church
00:22:50.04\00:22:52.14
and those
living in the last days
00:22:52.15\00:22:53.89
who say that
they believe in God,
00:22:53.90\00:22:55.65
but don't really follow
God, we've got to make sure
00:22:55.66\00:22:58.37
that we're examining
what we're being told.
00:22:58.38\00:23:04.01
And for people that think
that it doesn't really matter
00:23:04.02\00:23:05.64
what your church teaches,
you know, when after baptism,
00:23:05.65\00:23:08.47
the-- after the
resurrection of Jesus,
00:23:08.48\00:23:10.14
He made it very clear,
He gave a command He says,
00:23:10.15\00:23:13.08
I'll not only go
there for make disciples
00:23:13.09\00:23:15.12
and baptize them.
00:23:15.13\00:23:16.10
But He says,
teaching them to observe
00:23:16.11\00:23:17.99
all things that I command you.
00:23:18.00\00:23:20.26
Notice not that I suggest,
00:23:20.27\00:23:22.25
but that I
command you and He says
00:23:22.26\00:23:25.22
and then doing this
I am with you always
00:23:25.23\00:23:28.59
even through the end.
00:23:28.60\00:23:30.52
And so that was
quite a contrast between
00:23:30.53\00:23:33.24
the person who wants to know
00:23:33.25\00:23:34.67
and the person who says
well, it doesn't really matter.
00:23:34.68\00:23:37.34
You know, here we are Woodstock,
00:23:37.35\00:23:39.85
let's just go ahead and--
00:23:39.86\00:23:41.21
You know, just
some counsel to the girl
00:23:41.22\00:23:42.96
that had the pastor
that was doing that.
00:23:42.97\00:23:45.09
In a lot of that text that he,
he referenced there were once
00:23:45.10\00:23:49.38
that we've explained
in past programs, right.
00:23:49.39\00:23:54.04
You know, and the stuff taken is
00:23:54.05\00:23:56.94
very much taken out of context
00:23:56.95\00:23:58.54
to strain teach something
that is not true to be true.
00:23:58.55\00:24:01.99
That's right, and
so my counsel would be
00:24:02.00\00:24:04.74
find a real good Bible study,
00:24:04.75\00:24:07.88
find a pastor who is
teaching the right thing,
00:24:07.89\00:24:10.21
find a church who
is teaching the truth.
00:24:10.22\00:24:13.01
And we of course suggest
00:24:13.02\00:24:14.45
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:24:14.46\00:24:15.43
because it is
very, very Bible based,
00:24:15.44\00:24:17.25
Bible oriented church.
00:24:17.26\00:24:19.05
And in addition to that one,
00:24:19.06\00:24:20.90
I mentioned, you
know, Bible studies.
00:24:20.91\00:24:23.92
I would suggest
her to-- maybe get
00:24:23.93\00:24:25.54
the Amazing Facts
Bible study course.
00:24:25.55\00:24:27.61
You know, 14, I
think the first 14 lessons
00:24:27.62\00:24:30.10
are the beginning
lessons and there is another 13
00:24:30.11\00:24:32.74
after that, covers extensively
throughout God's word,
00:24:32.75\00:24:36.21
all these different truths.
00:24:36.22\00:24:38.38
Get those study guides,
00:24:38.39\00:24:39.79
if she can get
those study guides,
00:24:39.80\00:24:41.62
she will find that
text after text after text
00:24:41.63\00:24:44.90
exists on these various topics
00:24:44.91\00:24:46.51
that she can use and hopefully
sharing with her pastor.
00:24:46.52\00:24:49.51
But if a pastor doesn't listen,
00:24:49.52\00:24:50.73
I would say don't bother,
00:24:50.74\00:24:53.31
you don't want
to create a fight,
00:24:53.32\00:24:54.58
I mean, you know,
arguments aren't for fighting,
00:24:54.59\00:24:57.58
arguments are for
coming to the truth,
00:24:57.59\00:25:00.55
the knowledge of the truth.
00:25:00.56\00:25:01.90
And if you're
arguing or discussing
00:25:01.91\00:25:05.31
with somebody these truths
00:25:05.32\00:25:07.35
and you're not
meeting in the middle,
00:25:07.36\00:25:09.34
you're not meeting
according to God's word.
00:25:09.35\00:25:11.98
My suggestion is
it's not the time
00:25:11.99\00:25:15.37
for that person at least to see
00:25:15.38\00:25:17.04
the word of God and to hear it.
00:25:17.05\00:25:18.98
That's right, it doesn't
really make us difference,
00:25:18.99\00:25:22.87
if you're just
going to argue the point
00:25:22.88\00:25:24.67
rather than just move
forward in doing God's word.
00:25:24.68\00:25:27.56
And we've a lot of
people in our church
00:25:27.57\00:25:30.28
that had been at that
point of decision that's said,
00:25:30.29\00:25:32.45
well, this is
what my church said,
00:25:32.46\00:25:33.93
this is what my pastor said,
00:25:33.94\00:25:35.66
and it came down
to what he said to me.
00:25:35.67\00:25:37.22
Well, you've got the problem,
00:25:37.23\00:25:38.29
you solve it and
they said we have,
00:25:38.30\00:25:39.93
we're not coming back, yeah.
00:25:39.94\00:25:41.40
They're members in
good and regular standing.
00:25:41.41\00:25:44.12
Oh, that simply
means they're solid,
00:25:44.13\00:25:46.33
they're in the word of God,
00:25:46.34\00:25:47.57
they're
studying, they're growing.
00:25:47.58\00:25:49.07
And it does make a difference,
00:25:49.08\00:25:50.30
but thank you for that John.
00:25:50.31\00:25:52.28
We have a question here
from a gentleman in Uganda.
00:25:52.29\00:25:55.83
Welcome, if you're
watching from Uganda.
00:25:55.84\00:25:57.78
We've always got people
watching from Australia,
00:25:57.79\00:26:00.27
all the way to Uganda, Europe,
00:26:00.28\00:26:02.79
the islands of
the sea, you name it.
00:26:02.80\00:26:07.12
He says, this is Edima,
00:26:07.13\00:26:12.36
I'm not going
to-- not give his name,
00:26:12.37\00:26:14.18
last name, from Uganda.
00:26:14.19\00:26:17.42
And his point was,
paying tithe means nailing
00:26:17.43\00:26:21.35
Jesus back to the torture stake.
00:26:21.36\00:26:26.68
That sounds so
Jehovah's witness,
00:26:26.69\00:26:29.26
that's how they
referred to the cross,
00:26:29.27\00:26:30.97
the cross, that torture stake.
00:26:30.98\00:26:33.60
Tithe was meant for the Levites,
00:26:33.61\00:26:35.86
serving at the physical temple.
00:26:35.87\00:26:38.97
We are the spiritual temple now.
00:26:38.98\00:26:41.81
Our High Priest
Jesus instructed us
00:26:41.82\00:26:44.86
to practice giving.
00:26:44.87\00:26:46.89
Comment on this through e-mail,
00:26:46.90\00:26:50.43
this e-mail address.
00:26:50.44\00:26:52.62
Okay, you just
wanted an e-mail response.
00:26:52.63\00:26:55.01
Well, I'll respond on air, okay.
00:26:55.02\00:26:57.20
And you will get an
e-mail response too,
00:26:57.21\00:26:59.36
but here's the point.
00:26:59.37\00:27:00.87
A tithing is not
anything that has to do
00:27:00.88\00:27:04.10
with nailing Jesus to the cross.
00:27:04.11\00:27:06.70
You know, when you go
all the way back to the
00:27:06.71\00:27:08.20
Melchizedek Priesthood,
you find that Abraham vowed,
00:27:08.21\00:27:13.40
this is even before
the Levitical Priesthood
00:27:13.41\00:27:15.49
and you have to understand this.
00:27:15.50\00:27:16.68
Before the Levitical Priesthood,
00:27:16.69\00:27:18.21
Abraham because
God blessed him so much
00:27:18.22\00:27:20.16
and Abraham wasn't a Jew.
00:27:20.17\00:27:22.29
Abraham was from Caldia,
00:27:22.30\00:27:24.60
he was from the
Province of Babylon.
00:27:24.61\00:27:26.35
He promised because
of God's faithfulness
00:27:26.36\00:27:28.73
to him that
one-tenth of everything he had,
00:27:28.74\00:27:31.19
he would give to Melchizedek
00:27:31.20\00:27:32.82
as an offering as a
thank offering to God
00:27:32.83\00:27:35.50
and he said this is the tithe.
00:27:35.51\00:27:37.53
So you see that
it goes far the back
00:27:37.54\00:27:39.52
than even the
Levitical Priesthood.
00:27:39.53\00:27:41.63
And then in the New Testament,
you find it also there even
00:27:41.64\00:27:44.73
after the crucifixion of
Christ, tithe is talked about.
00:27:44.74\00:27:48.74
So this is the topic
that is throughout the Bible,
00:27:48.75\00:27:52.67
or as a matter of
fact, if you look at it,
00:27:52.68\00:27:54.08
God had
established tithing as a means
00:27:54.09\00:27:56.58
where by His work is furnished.
00:27:56.59\00:27:58.86
And you know, amazing to me--
00:27:58.87\00:28:01.30
this is not a
denominational issue,
00:28:01.31\00:28:03.23
this is cross denominational.
00:28:03.24\00:28:05.91
And so when Jesus asked
the question in Malachi 3,
00:28:05.92\00:28:09.57
was for the purpose
of getting His people
00:28:09.58\00:28:11.04
to the place where they would be
00:28:11.05\00:28:12.57
honest to God
and returned to Him
00:28:12.58\00:28:14.10
what already belong to Him.
00:28:14.11\00:28:16.18
Malachi 3 and
verse 8, excuse me,
00:28:16.19\00:28:18.69
"Will a man rob God?
00:28:18.70\00:28:20.93
Yet you have robbed Me,
00:28:20.94\00:28:22.01
but you say, in what
way have we robbed You?
00:28:22.02\00:28:24.57
In tithes and offerings."
00:28:24.58\00:28:26.59
And John, Malachi
is a "Book of Returns."
00:28:26.60\00:28:28.90
If you look at
the Book of Malachi,
00:28:28.91\00:28:31.09
it has four chapters.
00:28:31.10\00:28:32.65
But in Malachi,
Malachi, addresses
00:28:32.66\00:28:35.02
the various ways
that the children of God
00:28:35.03\00:28:38.05
had turned away from Him
00:28:38.06\00:28:40.02
and that He wanted
them to return back.
00:28:40.03\00:28:43.19
And so when you reignites,
00:28:43.20\00:28:44.94
return unto Me and
I'll return unto you,
00:28:44.95\00:28:47.01
that's one of the ways
00:28:47.02\00:28:48.62
that they turned away from God,
00:28:48.63\00:28:50.37
not just in
tithing and offering.
00:28:50.38\00:28:51.72
You know Jesus, it also says,
00:28:51.73\00:28:53.12
Jesus is assumed His
high priestly ministry
00:28:53.13\00:28:56.83
after the order of Melchizedek.
00:28:56.84\00:29:00.17
Right, not after
Levitical Priesthood.
00:29:00.18\00:29:02.88
Did Melchizedek receive tithes?
00:29:02.89\00:29:06.97
Yeah, yes, he did. Yes, he did.
00:29:06.98\00:29:09.21
And so if he is
after that order,
00:29:09.22\00:29:11.52
he also receives tithes.
00:29:11.53\00:29:13.45
Right, the
praising of His people
00:29:13.46\00:29:15.40
is also a way
of returning to God
00:29:15.41\00:29:18.81
what belongs to Him.
00:29:18.82\00:29:20.53
When you look
at this whole topic
00:29:20.54\00:29:22.42
though and I want to
just do this briefly.
00:29:22.43\00:29:24.23
When you look at
this entire topic,
00:29:24.24\00:29:26.58
tithing and I want to go
back to his original point.
00:29:26.59\00:29:29.81
Tithing is not a
way of nailing Jesus
00:29:29.82\00:29:32.17
to the cross that
is not found anywhere.
00:29:32.18\00:29:36.96
You have the tithe of the land,
00:29:36.97\00:29:38.33
you have a tithe of the cattle,
00:29:38.34\00:29:40.74
and some people
offered offerings to God,
00:29:40.75\00:29:43.59
but that was not
in the sense saying,
00:29:43.60\00:29:46.07
tithe in and of
itself is the way by
00:29:46.08\00:29:49.57
where the means
where by we nail Jesus
00:29:49.58\00:29:51.68
to the cross, that's
not what that means at all.
00:29:51.69\00:29:54.17
But anyway, I think
00:29:54.18\00:29:55.35
we've gone past our
time on questions today
00:29:55.36\00:29:58.57
and we just
covered two actually.
00:29:58.58\00:30:00.23
Yeah, the first
one was a couple,
00:30:00.24\00:30:01.74
was a couple of long ones, but--
00:30:01.75\00:30:03.72
But if you have any
questions and comments,
00:30:03.73\00:30:05.11
you can send those
here to us at House Calls.
00:30:05.12\00:30:08.07
Send those to the
e-mail housecalls@3abn.org
00:30:08.08\00:30:10.80
that's housecalls@3abn.org
00:30:10.81\00:30:13.70
and we'll try out best
to respond to your questions
00:30:13.71\00:30:16.10
and your comments
and even those of you
00:30:16.11\00:30:18.03
who just want an e-mail response
00:30:18.04\00:30:19.92
please indicate
that as was done here
00:30:19.93\00:30:22.96
in the question
that we just read to you.
00:30:22.97\00:30:26.43
Well, John, our topic today
is called "Dressing up for God"
00:30:26.44\00:30:29.62
and the reason I've mentioned
00:30:29.63\00:30:31.62
in the beginning of the program
00:30:31.63\00:30:32.60
while we're
gonna talk about this,
00:30:32.61\00:30:33.58
is because lot of
people don't think about
00:30:33.59\00:30:36.49
dressing up for God.
00:30:36.50\00:30:37.51
Let me just talk about this
00:30:37.52\00:30:38.71
from the
perspective of a world view
00:30:38.72\00:30:41.24
and I've traveled a bit.
00:30:41.25\00:30:42.91
I've been around the world,
00:30:42.92\00:30:43.89
I've seen dress
from various cultures,
00:30:43.90\00:30:46.70
in Africa, in
Australia, in New Guinea,
00:30:46.71\00:30:49.95
in Asia, in Europe
and the islands of the sea
00:30:49.96\00:30:52.89
and while they're
cultural dress differences,
00:30:52.90\00:30:57.36
there is one thing
that is across the board
00:30:57.37\00:30:59.95
and the Bible refers
to this as adornment.
00:30:59.96\00:31:04.35
And so one of the
first principles is
00:31:04.36\00:31:06.93
if you're dressing
in the societal dress,
00:31:06.94\00:31:09.88
let's use some contrasts.
00:31:09.89\00:31:12.05
In America, we go to
work we wear suits and ties,
00:31:12.06\00:31:16.66
the women may wear
a nice outfit to work,
00:31:16.67\00:31:21.03
they have work clothing
and then also there's clothing
00:31:21.04\00:31:23.64
that people use for worship,
00:31:23.65\00:31:25.69
for weddings and
you will see a diff
00:31:25.70\00:31:27.49
quite a bit in American society.
00:31:27.50\00:31:29.00
You could say, oh that
person is going to a wedding.
00:31:29.01\00:31:31.26
Oh, that person is a bridegroom.
00:31:31.27\00:31:32.90
Oh, that person is an usher.
00:31:32.91\00:31:34.42
Oh, that person is a policeman.
00:31:34.43\00:31:36.16
Everybody has
different kinds of clothing
00:31:36.17\00:31:38.37
for the professions and
also when it comes to worship,
00:31:38.38\00:31:42.58
some churches,
some pastors use robes
00:31:42.59\00:31:45.13
where they preach
in, we don't do that,
00:31:45.14\00:31:47.49
at least I don't do that
and I know you don't do that.
00:31:47.50\00:31:51.07
My personal view it
seems little archaic
00:31:51.08\00:31:53.43
and kind of sets
up kind of somewhat
00:31:53.44\00:31:55.72
I'm the
preacher, you're the member
00:31:55.73\00:31:58.25
barrier type of thing.
00:31:58.26\00:31:59.57
But, now pulling all
the cultures together
00:31:59.58\00:32:03.09
there is a
standard in the scriptures
00:32:03.10\00:32:05.32
that lets us know that modesty.
00:32:05.33\00:32:08.43
How we should dress when
we come to the house of God.
00:32:08.44\00:32:11.32
You shouldn't come
to the Lord's house
00:32:11.33\00:32:13.48
and have a tough time
keeping your mind on Jesus
00:32:13.49\00:32:16.47
because of the way
people are dressed.
00:32:16.48\00:32:19.61
Secondly, it also
talks about ornamentation
00:32:19.62\00:32:22.02
or the wearing of jewelry
00:32:22.03\00:32:24.34
and the Bible talks about that.
00:32:24.35\00:32:26.00
But that's what we're
gonna talk about on this program
00:32:26.01\00:32:28.41
and a number of
other programs to come.
00:32:28.42\00:32:30.14
But anything you want to say
00:32:30.15\00:32:31.12
about that before
we go to artifacts.
00:32:31.13\00:32:32.10
No, it's an important--
it's an important topic,
00:32:32.11\00:32:33.61
because again the
church didn't have
00:32:33.62\00:32:36.33
this issue in the past.
00:32:36.34\00:32:39.11
And now we're
finding that the issue
00:32:39.12\00:32:40.54
is becoming more
and more prominent,
00:32:40.55\00:32:44.83
because of the way the world is.
00:32:44.84\00:32:47.65
It seems like there
has been over the last,
00:32:47.66\00:32:51.72
10 to 12, 15 years in
explosion of body tattoo,
00:32:51.73\00:32:56.67
body art, piercings in places
that weren't pierced before.
00:32:56.68\00:33:00.92
I mean its just an
explosion of that kind of
00:33:00.93\00:33:04.14
almost an-- I
don't know what to call,
00:33:04.15\00:33:07.30
acceleration of that, I
mean, it's a little bit,
00:33:07.31\00:33:09.21
you know, with
the ears and things,
00:33:09.22\00:33:10.43
but then it became up
on the top of the ears
00:33:10.44\00:33:12.50
and then-- so the world
itself is really increasing
00:33:12.51\00:33:18.18
in its desire
to adorn one's body
00:33:18.19\00:33:21.68
with all this different stuff
00:33:21.69\00:33:22.82
and so now it's
coming to the church.
00:33:22.83\00:33:24.59
And, you know, John,
I won't just say this
00:33:24.60\00:33:26.04
for the record and I
know it's for the record,
00:33:26.05\00:33:28.08
but I've a hard time
00:33:28.09\00:33:29.74
seeing preachers
that dress that way.
00:33:29.75\00:33:32.70
There are some
churches where the preachers
00:33:32.71\00:33:34.14
were earrings and preach,
00:33:34.15\00:33:36.54
were its allowed and
I'm-- and this is not
00:33:36.55\00:33:38.75
in the subject of dress,
it's in the sense of earrings,
00:33:38.76\00:33:42.71
but there are some preachers
00:33:42.72\00:33:43.69
that preach in orange suits,
purple suits, yellow suits--
00:33:43.70\00:33:48.27
it's not just jewelry,
it's like distract to him--
00:33:48.28\00:33:51.38
Okay, you know,
someone turn off the lights,
00:33:51.39\00:33:53.74
'cause I can't see the washroom
00:33:53.75\00:33:56.26
because the
preacher is blocking it.
00:33:56.27\00:33:58.41
You know, there is
modesty all the way
00:33:58.42\00:34:00.12
across the board and there
is a way to represent Christ.
00:34:00.13\00:34:03.92
And if the world is
gonna be setting the trends,
00:34:03.93\00:34:06.31
there are churches
nowadays that you dress
00:34:06.32\00:34:09.52
so dressed down
that the preacher
00:34:09.53\00:34:11.68
have barely has on a t-shirt,
00:34:11.69\00:34:13.99
but has all this, you know,
00:34:14.00\00:34:15.63
artifacts on and
he is got dread locks
00:34:15.64\00:34:18.32
and he's got
earrings, he's got a nose ring
00:34:18.33\00:34:20.89
and he is like dude!
00:34:20.90\00:34:22.55
And he's like God's my homey--
00:34:22.56\00:34:24.87
Because he is trying to appeal
00:34:24.88\00:34:25.89
to those groups, yeah.
00:34:25.90\00:34:27.15
Yeah, but he
did bring God so low
00:34:27.16\00:34:28.98
that you kind of
come to this Jesus
00:34:28.99\00:34:31.28
that has-- He's you
know hanging out with me
00:34:31.29\00:34:35.06
rather than I'm having
a relationship with Him,
00:34:35.07\00:34:37.93
we kind of brought God--
00:34:37.94\00:34:39.10
bring God down to
such a low, low level.
00:34:39.11\00:34:41.69
And I want to say
this as I say this,
00:34:41.70\00:34:43.49
the Lord meets
everyone of us where we are,
00:34:43.50\00:34:45.86
whether sinner or righteous,
He meets us all where we're,
00:34:45.87\00:34:48.59
but He doesn't leave
us the way we find us.
00:34:48.60\00:34:51.32
He didn't find
the demoniac bound
00:34:51.33\00:34:53.29
in chains and
decide to wear chains
00:34:53.30\00:34:55.22
to hang out with
a demoniac, right.
00:34:55.23\00:34:57.12
You know, He
didn't find, Adam and Eve,
00:34:57.13\00:34:59.53
and leaves and decide
to leave them in leaves,
00:34:59.54\00:35:02.52
He said you got to cover up,
00:35:02.53\00:35:04.28
you see, so we're
gonna look at this topic
00:35:04.29\00:35:06.63
from various
perspectives and understand
00:35:06.64\00:35:08.93
that the Christian church needs
00:35:08.94\00:35:10.52
to get back to setting
standards that the world has
00:35:10.53\00:35:13.84
for--to total sense
have almost abandoned.
00:35:13.85\00:35:18.03
John, you and I know,
we're basketball players
00:35:18.04\00:35:20.90
and when you look
at basketball players,
00:35:20.91\00:35:23.18
what do see mostly nowadays?
00:35:23.19\00:35:25.32
Oh, there's
tattoos everywhere, yeah.
00:35:25.33\00:35:27.71
You remember years
ago-- the word tattoo was,
00:35:27.72\00:35:32.96
you know, the
name of the little guy
00:35:32.97\00:35:34.83
on Fantasy Island.
00:35:34.84\00:35:35.98
I think, Dennis Rodman,
00:35:35.99\00:35:36.96
kind of started that, didn't he?
00:35:36.97\00:35:37.94
Right, Dennis.
Right that's the first--
00:35:37.95\00:35:40.80
Major, I'm sure
he didn't started,
00:35:40.81\00:35:42.32
but he has first
major tattoos everywhere.
00:35:42.33\00:35:45.08
Yeah, and the rings
come out of the nose
00:35:45.09\00:35:47.08
and it's like, ahh.
00:35:47.09\00:35:48.82
When everybody saw a tattoo,
they thought, Dennis Rodman.
00:35:48.83\00:35:51.88
But nowadays it's like
00:35:51.89\00:35:53.03
you look at the
basketball players,
00:35:53.04\00:35:55.28
they look like art galleries
and names on their neck
00:35:55.29\00:35:59.17
and you know it's just,
and the world has so impacted
00:35:59.18\00:36:05.10
the church that you
can't tell preacher,
00:36:05.11\00:36:09.21
basketball player, Bible worker,
00:36:09.22\00:36:12.24
they all kind of look the same.
00:36:12.25\00:36:14.14
And let's pause
here for just a minute,
00:36:14.15\00:36:15.54
because I don't
want to get people
00:36:15.55\00:36:17.48
to set people up
immediately in opposition
00:36:17.49\00:36:19.55
to what we are
saying. Not at all.
00:36:19.56\00:36:21.21
Because what we
are simply saying is
00:36:21.22\00:36:23.32
that the Bible does
speak pretty clearly
00:36:23.33\00:36:25.10
about these subjects. Yes.
00:36:25.11\00:36:26.78
And I think most of them
that are dressing in this way
00:36:26.79\00:36:29.75
and they put the
tattoos and the piercing.
00:36:29.76\00:36:31.39
They don't really understand
00:36:31.40\00:36:32.37
that the Bible
does have some clear
00:36:32.38\00:36:34.11
teachings on
this subject. Truth.
00:36:34.12\00:36:36.32
And so it also, we
need to acknowledge to that
00:36:36.33\00:36:39.89
there are some that
have come out of the world
00:36:39.90\00:36:41.86
when they were
already tattooed and things
00:36:41.87\00:36:43.89
and they have chosen
not to get those removed
00:36:43.90\00:36:46.31
and that's fine too.
00:36:46.32\00:36:49.06
We have to be careful that
00:36:49.07\00:36:50.12
they don't hear
what we're not's,
00:36:50.13\00:36:51.67
that they are
hearing or don't hear
00:36:51.68\00:36:53.21
what we're not saying. Right.
00:36:53.22\00:36:54.41
So, we're not
trying to come out to you
00:36:54.42\00:36:56.15
with this stuff change now.
00:36:56.16\00:36:58.01
In fact, I
wouldn't even advocate that
00:36:58.02\00:36:59.99
we're trying to give someone
00:37:00.00\00:37:01.70
ammunition to clean
house in the church,
00:37:01.71\00:37:04.47
because I tell you
there are lot of brethren,
00:37:04.48\00:37:06.17
lot of sisters in the
church that clean house,
00:37:06.18\00:37:09.32
they do just as much
damage as those who, who don't.
00:37:09.33\00:37:13.75
So, we've got to be
careful of that as well.
00:37:13.76\00:37:16.87
But we don't want to
give him a sledgehammer
00:37:16.88\00:37:17.97
that starts
swinging in all directions--
00:37:17.98\00:37:19.53
Yeah, and I've used this text
several times here recently,
00:37:19.54\00:37:22.46
because you know,
as you and I've seen
00:37:22.47\00:37:24.24
like this subject of
music-- That music has been
00:37:24.25\00:37:26.42
so devise in the church.
00:37:26.43\00:37:28.31
Or people are aking it device--
00:37:28.32\00:37:29.62
People are making
it divisive, yeah.
00:37:29.63\00:37:31.46
And you'll see
that with my point here,
00:37:31.47\00:37:33.97
they do it in the
name of righteousness,
00:37:33.98\00:37:36.40
not in the name of, you
know, Holiness or Jesus--
00:37:36.41\00:37:40.28
Just whatever, I mean,
00:37:40.29\00:37:41.26
it's a name of
let's be more righteous,
00:37:41.27\00:37:43.05
so we need to improve
the standards of the church
00:37:43.06\00:37:45.66
and music ends up
dividing the church.
00:37:45.67\00:37:48.24
And we've got to be careful that
00:37:48.25\00:37:49.94
we're not
dividing in this respect,
00:37:49.95\00:37:51.94
but at the same
time I think we're asking
00:37:51.95\00:37:54.39
each person individually
to make themselves accountable
00:37:54.40\00:37:57.99
to God by His
word in how they dress.
00:37:58.00\00:38:01.19
And I think if all of
us who are doing that,
00:38:01.20\00:38:02.52
we're gonna see an incredible
improvement in the church
00:38:02.53\00:38:06.35
as we're worshiping,
coming together to worship
00:38:06.36\00:38:08.46
and to give ourselves to
Him each week. And you know--
00:38:08.47\00:38:10.59
And so that's what we're saying,
00:38:10.60\00:38:11.57
we're not attacking
those that are doing this
00:38:11.58\00:38:15.43
even though we're
using some clear examples
00:38:15.44\00:38:17.08
of what the world is like.
00:38:17.09\00:38:18.62
Right and that's the
thing, we're talking about
00:38:18.63\00:38:20.59
the fact that their
needs to be a contrast.
00:38:20.60\00:38:24.11
I know of someone who
is in the nursing field
00:38:24.12\00:38:28.17
and they say that
as a matter of fact
00:38:28.18\00:38:31.62
they're training
now to be a nurse
00:38:31.63\00:38:33.04
and they say well, one
of the criteria is that
00:38:33.05\00:38:36.39
we don't dress with the jewels
00:38:36.40\00:38:38.97
and the
necklaces and the earrings,
00:38:38.98\00:38:40.90
because our patients would--
For professional reasons,
00:38:40.91\00:38:43.91
reach up and grab and pull
00:38:43.92\00:38:46.33
and in some institutions
it could be very damaging,
00:38:46.34\00:38:50.11
in the sense of injuring
the nurse or the professional
00:38:50.12\00:38:53.40
that's working with
this patient or her patients.
00:38:53.41\00:38:56.06
But I also want to
add this point John.
00:38:56.07\00:38:58.70
We have to keep in mind that
because some thing may divide,
00:38:58.71\00:39:03.61
it should not be the reason
why we don't talk about it.
00:39:03.62\00:39:07.41
Jesus said in John 10:34,
00:39:07.42\00:39:10.58
"Don't think I came to
bring peace on the earth,
00:39:10.59\00:39:12.51
I did not come to
bring peace but a sword"
00:39:12.52\00:39:15.64
and the sword if
you look at the sword
00:39:15.65\00:39:17.34
as the Bible talks about
it when Jesus comes back,
00:39:17.35\00:39:19.87
He'll have, He'll be
called the "Word of God,"
00:39:19.88\00:39:22.52
He'll have a
sword, a two edged sword
00:39:22.53\00:39:24.96
and that in the verbal sense
00:39:24.97\00:39:26.71
He will be-- He
is the word of God.
00:39:26.72\00:39:29.39
Hebrews talks about
the Bible as sharper
00:39:29.40\00:39:32.17
than any two edged sword
00:39:32.18\00:39:33.98
and the sword of the
spirit is the word of God.
00:39:33.99\00:39:36.69
So when you preach the
word, when you share the word,
00:39:36.70\00:39:39.43
you're going to
inevitably and inadvertently
00:39:39.44\00:39:42.17
and sometimes intentionally
00:39:42.18\00:39:45.01
present something
that's going to divide,
00:39:45.02\00:39:47.39
but what you have to keep
in mind is, as the person--.
00:39:47.40\00:39:50.82
Let's use a
surgeon for an example.
00:39:50.83\00:39:52.98
The surgeon doesn't
cut up his patient. Right.
00:39:52.99\00:39:56.67
But he has
instruments that can cut,
00:39:56.68\00:39:58.68
I mean, if he decides
to-- Thankfully they do that.
00:39:58.69\00:40:02.92
If they
anesthetize their patient
00:40:02.93\00:40:05.13
or put them under, make
sure that they're sleeping
00:40:05.14\00:40:07.73
when they do the surgery.
00:40:07.74\00:40:08.93
They have surgical tools
that are extremely sharp.
00:40:08.94\00:40:11.93
Their job is not
to cut up the patient,
00:40:11.94\00:40:13.82
their job is to
cut out the problem,
00:40:13.83\00:40:16.58
to remove the thing
that may be hindering
00:40:16.59\00:40:18.22
that person from
growth or full health.
00:40:18.23\00:40:20.95
But to sew that person up
00:40:20.96\00:40:22.23
and bring them
back to whole again.
00:40:22.24\00:40:24.41
In the same way the teachings
of Christ are intended to
00:40:24.42\00:40:27.97
remove the things
that are causing us
00:40:27.98\00:40:31.37
to have an
unhealthy walk with Christ,
00:40:31.38\00:40:33.41
but to leave the
sinner whole on that note,
00:40:33.42\00:40:37.39
so we'll transition into that.
00:40:37.40\00:40:39.65
And one of the
things I want to point out--
00:40:39.66\00:40:42.02
When I was over in Australia
00:40:42.03\00:40:43.83
and I know some of the brethren
00:40:43.84\00:40:44.86
over in
Australia appreciate this.
00:40:44.87\00:40:48.46
They say, it's gone to the place
00:40:48.47\00:40:50.07
where some people come to church
00:40:50.08\00:40:51.40
and one of the
guys is not even a girl
00:40:51.41\00:40:53.29
as you--but one of the
guys young man said to me,
00:40:53.30\00:40:56.22
you know, I find
some of my other comrades,
00:40:56.23\00:40:59.24
my same age, they come to church
00:40:59.25\00:41:02.49
with a flip-flops and shorts,
00:41:02.50\00:41:05.11
like we're going to go skiing,
or like they skied to church,
00:41:05.12\00:41:10.51
or they like
they're gonna hang ten,
00:41:10.52\00:41:12.42
you know, on boogie
board to come to church
00:41:12.43\00:41:15.59
and then it's become
so fashionably faddy,
00:41:15.60\00:41:23.00
fad and in the
sense that, you know,
00:41:23.01\00:41:26.03
there is no difference between
what the Bible talks about
00:41:26.04\00:41:28.77
modesty in coming before
the Lord bringing your best.
00:41:28.78\00:41:31.44
And what it looks like
when you go to the beach. Yeah.
00:41:31.45\00:41:34.60
And so times have
definitely changed
00:41:34.61\00:41:37.16
and the world has made a strange
00:41:37.17\00:41:39.08
and strong impact on
the church. Yeah, yeah.
00:41:39.09\00:41:42.07
So, what we're gonna do
today is we're gonna start,
00:41:42.08\00:41:43.65
we're gonna walk
through the topic of adornment.
00:41:43.66\00:41:45.27
We're gonna talk about tattoos.
00:41:45.28\00:41:47.44
We talked about
modesty and dress
00:41:47.45\00:41:48.64
and as you know the
program has about 15
00:41:48.65\00:41:50.37
or so minutes left to it.
00:41:50.38\00:41:51.81
We're not gonna
cover that all today.
00:41:51.82\00:41:52.94
We're gonna talk about
some trends in the Bible
00:41:52.95\00:41:54.48
that have talked about there
00:41:54.49\00:41:55.77
and by the way you
have to keep in mind
00:41:55.78\00:41:56.93
everything that's mentioned
in the Bible is not mentioned
00:41:56.94\00:42:00.37
to be an example
for us to follow,
00:42:00.38\00:42:02.89
because it talks about polygamy,
00:42:02.90\00:42:04.66
it talks about multiple wives,
00:42:04.67\00:42:06.59
it talks about
Solomon having 700 wives,
00:42:06.60\00:42:09.51
definitely not a recommendation,
00:42:09.52\00:42:11.60
can you say
amen, John? Amen, amen.
00:42:11.61\00:42:13.30
It talks about people who had,
00:42:13.31\00:42:16.37
who had been
involved in promiscuity,
00:42:16.38\00:42:18.75
immorality, sexual immorality.
00:42:18.76\00:42:21.58
Those are not practices
00:42:21.59\00:42:22.88
that the Bible is
giving us an example to follow.
00:42:22.89\00:42:26.93
Number of things that are
there written for the history
00:42:26.94\00:42:29.12
for us to understand
what the Bible wants us
00:42:29.13\00:42:31.10
to do and not to do.
00:42:31.11\00:42:32.54
And so let's begin, I
want to start with a story
00:42:32.55\00:42:35.18
that many people don't know
00:42:35.19\00:42:38.17
but it's in the Book of Genesis.
00:42:38.18\00:42:40.36
Genesis Chapter
24 and the verses
00:42:40.37\00:42:43.79
that we highlight here today,
00:42:43.80\00:42:45.59
we're gonna be
talking about the Midianites,
00:42:45.60\00:42:47.27
and the Chaldeans,
and the Canaanites.
00:42:47.28\00:42:51.95
Abraham had a son
by the name of Isaac.
00:42:51.96\00:42:55.97
And Isaac was a young
man whose father wanted him
00:42:55.98\00:43:03.75
to have an appropriate bride.
00:43:03.76\00:43:06.17
He wanted him to be
married to a young lady
00:43:06.18\00:43:09.84
who will not be a
dishonor to the family.
00:43:09.85\00:43:13.27
And so if you begin
00:43:13.28\00:43:14.25
in the Book of
Genesis Chapter 24,
00:43:14.26\00:43:18.04
let's go ahead and
John, if you could,
00:43:18.05\00:43:21.68
I don't know if you're
there, are you there? I am here.
00:43:21.69\00:43:24.08
Read for us for
verse 1 down to verse 4
00:43:24.09\00:43:29.76
and I'll just go ahead
00:43:29.77\00:43:30.79
and we'll work
back and forth on this.
00:43:30.80\00:43:33.43
Genesis 24 verse 1
Yes, Isaacs's marriage, yes.
00:43:33.44\00:43:36.45
"Now Abraham was
old well advanced in age
00:43:36.46\00:43:39.28
and the Lord had
blessed Abraham in all things.
00:43:39.29\00:43:42.18
So Abraham said to the
older servant of his house,
00:43:42.19\00:43:45.36
who ruled over all that he had,
00:43:45.37\00:43:47.53
Please put your
hand under my thigh,
00:43:47.54\00:43:50.37
and I will make
you swear by the Lord,
00:43:50.38\00:43:52.46
the God of heaven
and the God of the earth,
00:43:52.47\00:43:54.98
that you would not
take a wife for my son
00:43:54.99\00:43:57.36
from the
daughters of the Canaanites,
00:43:57.37\00:43:59.07
among whom I dwell, but
you shall go to my country
00:43:59.08\00:44:02.56
and to my family, and
take a wife for my son Isaac."
00:44:02.57\00:44:06.15
Just read verse 5 too.
00:44:06.16\00:44:07.71
"And the servant said to him,
00:44:07.72\00:44:09.29
Perhaps the woman
will not be willing
00:44:09.30\00:44:11.22
to follow me to this land.
00:44:11.23\00:44:13.47
Must I take your son back to
the land from which you came?"
00:44:13.48\00:44:18.23
And now I want to add verse
6 "But Abraham said to him,
00:44:18.24\00:44:20.53
"Beware that you do not
take my son back there."
00:44:20.54\00:44:23.29
In other words
when you think about it,
00:44:23.30\00:44:25.17
when the Lord called
Abraham out. Stay out--
00:44:25.18\00:44:28.11
Abraham, exactly, He
called him out he said,
00:44:28.12\00:44:30.08
come out stay out.
00:44:30.09\00:44:31.65
And the beautiful
thing about the story is
00:44:31.66\00:44:33.07
it covers
Chapter 25 and verse 53
00:44:33.08\00:44:35.87
because it's a long story.
00:44:35.88\00:44:37.53
Let me summarize it
00:44:37.54\00:44:38.51
and show you the high
points of the story here.
00:44:38.52\00:44:39.79
And one of the first
examples in scripture
00:44:39.80\00:44:41.45
were jewelry is talked about
00:44:41.46\00:44:43.91
and in the
cultures of the Babylonians,
00:44:43.92\00:44:46.18
the Egyptians, the
Chaldeans, the Midianites.
00:44:46.19\00:44:49.69
It was not uncommon in
the word we call it dowry,
00:44:49.70\00:44:54.53
that's still
prevalent in some lands
00:44:54.54\00:44:57.50
where there is gift
to the perspective bride,
00:44:57.51\00:45:00.21
there's a gift to the family.
00:45:00.22\00:45:01.90
And so Abraham servant
prays and he asked God for sign,
00:45:01.91\00:45:06.70
so that the woman
that he is about to choose
00:45:06.71\00:45:08.82
would be the one
that God has for Isaac.
00:45:08.83\00:45:11.99
And I want go ahead and
take you to the story now.
00:45:12.00\00:45:14.22
Let's go down to verse.
00:45:14.23\00:45:17.37
Oh, yeah, verse 13 of Genesis 24
00:45:21.11\00:45:26.04
"Behold, I stand
here by the well of water,
00:45:26.05\00:45:30.59
and the daughters
of the men of the city
00:45:30.60\00:45:32.38
are coming out to draw water.
00:45:32.39\00:45:34.75
Now let it be, that
the young woman to whom
00:45:34.76\00:45:37.80
I say, Please let down
your pitcher that I may drink,
00:45:37.81\00:45:40.53
and she says, Drink,
00:45:40.54\00:45:42.90
and I will also give
to your camels a drink,
00:45:42.91\00:45:45.77
let her be the one
whom You have appointed
00:45:45.78\00:45:49.23
for Your servant Isaac.
00:45:49.24\00:45:51.34
And by this I will know that
00:45:51.35\00:45:53.08
You have shown
kindness to my master."
00:45:53.09\00:45:56.52
And I like this
read verse 15, John.
00:45:56.53\00:45:59.42
"And it happened, before
he had finished speaking,
00:45:59.43\00:46:01.66
that behold, Rebekah,
who was born to Bethuel,
00:46:01.67\00:46:05.42
son of Milcah,
the wife of Nahor,
00:46:05.43\00:46:08.35
Abraham's brother,
came out with her pitcher
00:46:08.36\00:46:10.59
on her shoulder. Go ahead.
00:46:10.60\00:46:13.98
"Now the young woman was very
beautiful to behold, a virgin,
00:46:13.99\00:46:17.53
no man had known her.
00:46:17.54\00:46:19.18
And she went down to the well,
00:46:19.19\00:46:20.75
filled her
pitcher, and came up."
00:46:20.76\00:46:22.82
And so what happened,
00:46:22.83\00:46:23.80
the servant you
find in verse 17,
00:46:23.81\00:46:25.19
he went to meet her he
said, wow she is beautiful,
00:46:25.20\00:46:27.93
I think that she will fit,
00:46:27.94\00:46:29.12
but that was not
the only criteria.
00:46:29.13\00:46:31.05
He said, I just don't
want somebody that looks good,
00:46:31.06\00:46:34.09
but I want
somebody who is going to be
00:46:34.10\00:46:36.84
willing to be a servant
00:46:36.85\00:46:38.29
and you will
notice in this sense,
00:46:38.30\00:46:39.91
he ask if she offers
me something to drink
00:46:39.92\00:46:42.01
and she says she is
going to even feed my camels
00:46:42.02\00:46:44.98
or water my
camels and she did that.
00:46:44.99\00:46:47.71
She did exactly what the
Lord had placed upon his heart
00:46:47.72\00:46:51.43
to do, but notice
the response there,
00:46:51.44\00:46:53.29
because he looked
at her and he said.
00:46:53.30\00:46:55.43
She will be wonderful
candidate for a bride.
00:46:55.44\00:46:58.33
And look at verse 22--
00:46:58.34\00:46:59.55
And part of the reason
for that though is that,
00:46:59.56\00:47:01.63
he asked her for the drink.
00:47:01.64\00:47:03.54
But when she asked,
00:47:03.55\00:47:04.98
if she can also give
some water to the camel,
00:47:04.99\00:47:07.39
she went above and
beyond what she was asked.
00:47:07.40\00:47:09.48
She was a woman
who went out of her way
00:47:09.49\00:47:13.77
to bless somebody else,
00:47:13.78\00:47:15.62
and that's the kind of character
00:47:15.63\00:47:17.59
that I think we see here
in choosing a wife. Right.
00:47:17.60\00:47:21.99
That we need to
find and that those
00:47:22.00\00:47:24.05
who are single out
there look for that one
00:47:24.06\00:47:25.91
that will go the
extra mile. That's right.
00:47:25.92\00:47:27.96
That will be a
blessing to those around her,
00:47:27.97\00:47:29.72
not just is the kind
that takes, takes, takes.
00:47:29.73\00:47:33.22
And you know how difficult
it would have been for the woman
00:47:33.23\00:47:35.27
to go get that
water and water the camels
00:47:35.28\00:47:37.31
and that's a lot of work. Yeah.
00:47:37.32\00:47:38.59
She was willing to
really be a woman of virtue.
00:47:38.60\00:47:42.64
She was a virtuous
woman, she was pure,
00:47:42.65\00:47:44.80
she was
beautiful, she was lovely.
00:47:44.81\00:47:46.64
And then when
Abraham servant went with,
00:47:46.65\00:47:49.86
when he went
looking for the wife
00:47:49.87\00:47:51.43
he took gifts with him.
00:47:51.44\00:47:53.79
And look at the gifts
that he gave to her, verse 22.
00:47:53.80\00:47:58.10
And it says "So it was,
00:47:58.11\00:47:59.76
when the camels
had finished drinking,
00:47:59.77\00:48:02.19
that the man took
a golden nose ring
00:48:02.20\00:48:06.04
weighing half a
shekel, that's pretty heavy.
00:48:06.05\00:48:09.85
And two bracelets for her wrists
00:48:09.86\00:48:12.25
weighing ten shekels of gold,
00:48:12.26\00:48:15.27
and said, whose
daughter are you?
00:48:15.28\00:48:17.48
Tell me, please, is there
room in your father's house
00:48:17.49\00:48:21.28
for us to lodge?"
00:48:21.29\00:48:23.10
So notice what
he did right away,
00:48:23.11\00:48:24.71
he gave for a dowry and
she excepted that dowry,
00:48:24.72\00:48:27.79
but he wanted
to go even further,
00:48:27.80\00:48:29.77
he wanted to find
out from the family
00:48:29.78\00:48:31.28
whether or not she would,
that would be okay with them.
00:48:31.29\00:48:33.92
And in that culture,
in some cultures today,
00:48:33.93\00:48:36.98
I don't know how
much is practiced still,
00:48:36.99\00:48:39.09
but they're arranged,
00:48:39.10\00:48:40.92
where the family
members all get together
00:48:40.93\00:48:42.55
and discuss this arrangement
00:48:42.56\00:48:43.78
before there is
even ever a wedding.
00:48:43.79\00:48:46.70
And so as you get together,
you go down to verse 30,
00:48:46.71\00:48:49.47
and he is there in the house
00:48:49.48\00:48:52.19
and verse 29 to lead
into that go ahead, verse 29--
00:48:52.20\00:48:55.01
"Now Rebekah had a
brother whose name was Laban."
00:48:55.02\00:48:57.81
Who appears latter
on in the Genesis story.
00:48:57.82\00:48:59.97
That's right.
00:48:59.98\00:49:00.95
"And Laban ran out
to the man by the well.
00:49:00.96\00:49:03.06
So it came to pass,
when he saw the nose ring,
00:49:03.07\00:49:05.87
and the bracelets
on his sister's wrists,
00:49:05.88\00:49:08.42
and when he heard
the words of his sister
00:49:08.43\00:49:10.01
Rebekah, saying,
"Thus the man spoke to me,"
00:49:10.02\00:49:13.10
that he went to the man.
00:49:13.11\00:49:14.81
And there he stood by
the camels at the well.
00:49:14.82\00:49:17.90
And he said, "Come
in, O blessed of the Lord!
00:49:17.91\00:49:21.17
Why do you stand outside?
00:49:21.18\00:49:22.63
For I have prepared the house,
and a place for the camels.
00:49:22.64\00:49:26.18
Then the man came to the house.
00:49:26.19\00:49:27.89
And he unloaded the camels,
00:49:27.90\00:49:29.07
and provided straw
and feed for the camels,
00:49:29.08\00:49:30.93
and water to wash his feet
00:49:30.94\00:49:33.08
and the feet of the
men who were with him."
00:49:33.09\00:49:36.41
It looks like he give them food
00:49:36.42\00:49:38.39
and he tells him
about his mission
00:49:38.40\00:49:40.58
little bit as
to why he is there.
00:49:40.59\00:49:42.37
And so when he asked it,
00:49:42.38\00:49:43.53
so he is telling the story
00:49:43.54\00:49:44.80
and he is
relaying when he asked her,
00:49:44.81\00:49:46.27
whose daughter are you?
00:49:46.28\00:49:47.28
So he goes back to account,
00:49:47.29\00:49:48.51
because this is
quite a long story.
00:49:48.52\00:49:50.30
We go down to verse 47,
00:49:50.31\00:49:51.94
and then he is telling the story
00:49:51.95\00:49:53.95
what happen when he
met Rebekah and he says,
00:49:53.96\00:49:56.35
"Then I asked her, and
said, Whose daughter are you?
00:49:56.36\00:49:58.79
And she said, The
daughter of Bethuel,
00:49:58.80\00:50:00.38
Nahor's son, whom
Milcah bore to him.
00:50:00.39\00:50:04.95
And I put the
nose ring on her nose
00:50:04.96\00:50:07.48
and the bracelets on her wrists
00:50:07.49\00:50:09.45
and I bowed my head
and worship the Lord
00:50:09.46\00:50:11.28
and bless the Lord
God of my Master Abraham,
00:50:11.29\00:50:14.25
who had led me
in the way of truth
00:50:14.26\00:50:16.23
to take the daughter of my
master's brother for his son.
00:50:16.24\00:50:19.64
And so what happened, this
entire arrangement continues
00:50:19.65\00:50:22.72
and then you get down to verse,
00:50:22.73\00:50:24.37
we read verse 47,
now look at verse 53,
00:50:24.38\00:50:27.53
what sealed the deal.
00:50:27.54\00:50:29.51
"Then the servant
brought out jewelry of silver,
00:50:29.52\00:50:32.19
jewelry of gold, and clothing
and gave them to Rebekah.
00:50:32.20\00:50:35.65
He also gave precious things
to her brother and her mother.
00:50:35.66\00:50:40.13
And he and the
men who were with him
00:50:40.14\00:50:42.22
ate and drank
and stayed all night.
00:50:42.23\00:50:44.34
Then they arose in the morning,
00:50:44.35\00:50:45.56
and he said, "Send
me away to my master."
00:50:45.57\00:50:49.11
And as you read
the story further,
00:50:49.12\00:50:51.33
they gave him
permission to take Rebekah,
00:50:51.34\00:50:55.21
as the wife of Isaac.
00:50:55.22\00:50:57.78
And this entire story
covers the account of the dowry
00:50:57.79\00:51:01.28
which is
something that's almost been
00:51:01.29\00:51:02.44
lost sight of nowadays.
00:51:02.45\00:51:04.15
I think that if people
made more of an investment,
00:51:04.16\00:51:06.90
if people said okay I
want to marry your daughter
00:51:06.91\00:51:09.06
and the father or the
mother or the family said okay,
00:51:09.07\00:51:11.54
how much you're
gonna pay us. Right.
00:51:11.55\00:51:13.54
I think, a far or less,
00:51:13.55\00:51:16.45
far fewer people would be
00:51:16.46\00:51:17.61
backing out of
this relationships
00:51:17.62\00:51:18.97
as though it's nothing.
00:51:18.98\00:51:20.56
Far a fewer people will
say, well, I want my money back
00:51:20.57\00:51:23.10
because in this sense
you don't get it back.
00:51:23.11\00:51:25.51
And the dowry was
anything from great wealth,
00:51:25.52\00:51:28.15
sometimes it was
cattle, sometimes it was land,
00:51:28.16\00:51:30.96
but in this sense,
Abraham is very wealthy man
00:51:30.97\00:51:34.00
and he sent with his servant
00:51:34.01\00:51:37.09
these articles to
give to Isaac and Rebekah.
00:51:37.10\00:51:41.55
But where we want to
windup the program today is
00:51:41.56\00:51:43.52
because as you look at this,
00:51:43.53\00:51:44.98
this was practice that
was among the Midianites,
00:51:44.99\00:51:47.68
the Chaldeans, the Canaanites,
00:51:47.69\00:51:50.48
but you will
notice that in this story
00:51:50.49\00:51:52.13
there are no Israelites.
00:51:52.14\00:51:53.97
The nation of Israel
is not even in existence,
00:51:53.98\00:51:56.84
because, Isaac and Rebekah,
00:51:56.85\00:52:00.57
didn't have their children yet.
00:52:00.58\00:52:02.84
They're gonna have
sons, to Issac and Rebekah
00:52:02.85\00:52:05.37
is going to be
born Jacob and Esau.
00:52:05.38\00:52:08.44
To Jacob, is going to be
born the sons of Israel. Right.
00:52:08.45\00:52:12.34
And so what we're gonna do now
00:52:12.35\00:52:13.32
is transition before
the winding of the program
00:52:13.33\00:52:16.07
and we're gonna go now.
00:52:16.08\00:52:17.05
Remember the story,
there is a man called Laban,
00:52:17.06\00:52:19.49
and Laban has a part
to play in this story,
00:52:19.50\00:52:22.51
because you will see that
00:52:22.52\00:52:23.49
as we go down to
verse Chapter 31 of Genesis.
00:52:23.50\00:52:27.68
We're gonna lay the foundation
00:52:27.69\00:52:28.78
and by the way this is not the--
00:52:28.79\00:52:30.87
We're just laying some
foundation in this program.
00:52:30.88\00:52:33.59
We're gonna see
Laban mentioned again.
00:52:33.60\00:52:35.68
And okay, Rachel and Leah
00:52:35.69\00:52:39.72
and now I'll start
with verse 1 of Chapter 31
00:52:39.73\00:52:42.78
because this is
were Isaac has sons,
00:52:42.79\00:52:46.63
Isaac and Rebekah
has sons, Jacob and Esau,
00:52:46.64\00:52:48.86
and I'll go ahead and verse 30,
00:52:48.87\00:52:50.37
Chapter 31 verse 1.
00:52:50.38\00:52:52.41
"Now Jacob heard the
words of Laban's sons, saying,
00:52:52.42\00:52:55.38
"Jacob has taken away
all that was our father's,
00:52:55.39\00:52:58.21
and from what was our father's
00:52:58.22\00:53:00.74
he has acquired
all this wealth."
00:53:00.75\00:53:02.39
Okay, so Jacob
now, you know the story
00:53:02.40\00:53:05.43
when he desires to marry
Rachel there is deal made.
00:53:05.44\00:53:11.69
Okay, if you work for
me for x amount of years,
00:53:11.70\00:53:13.67
7 then got to 14,
then I will go ahead
00:53:13.68\00:53:16.78
and give you
permission to marry my daughter.
00:53:16.79\00:53:18.45
Well, they got to the
place were Rachel thought that
00:53:18.46\00:53:20.20
the father was
robbing them and he says,
00:53:20.21\00:53:22.09
I think that he is
spending all my wealth.
00:53:22.10\00:53:24.63
Yet, the Lord had
to come to the place
00:53:24.64\00:53:28.14
were they came to some agreement
00:53:28.15\00:53:29.72
to deal with this issues.
00:53:29.73\00:53:31.13
Look at verse 7, and
Jacob is speaking here,
00:53:31.14\00:53:34.12
it says "Yet your
father has deceived me
00:53:34.13\00:53:36.88
and changed my wages ten times,
00:53:36.89\00:53:39.21
but God did not
allow him to hurt me."
00:53:39.22\00:53:42.82
And so Rachel and Leah now
are upset with their father
00:53:42.83\00:53:45.66
and look at verse 14
00:53:45.67\00:53:47.45
"Then Rachel and Leah
answered and said to him,
00:53:47.46\00:53:49.86
"Is there still any portion
00:53:49.87\00:53:51.68
or inheritance for us
in our father's house?
00:53:51.69\00:53:54.64
Are we not
considered strangers by him?
00:53:54.65\00:53:56.63
For he has sold us,
00:53:56.64\00:53:58.19
and also
completely consumed our money.
00:53:58.20\00:54:00.74
For all these riches which
God has taken from our father
00:54:00.75\00:54:05.42
are really ours and
our children's now then,
00:54:05.43\00:54:09.36
whatever God has
said to you, do it."
00:54:09.37\00:54:11.93
And so what she
did look at verse 19.
00:54:11.94\00:54:14.19
"Now Laban had
gone to shear his sheep,
00:54:14.20\00:54:16.28
and Rachel had
stolen the household idols
00:54:16.29\00:54:20.51
that were her father's.
00:54:20.52\00:54:21.88
And Jacob stole
away, unknown to Laban,
00:54:21.89\00:54:24.81
the Syrian, in
that he did not tell him
00:54:24.82\00:54:29.22
that he intended to flee."
00:54:29.23\00:54:31.36
And so now the father
came back looking for his gods,
00:54:31.37\00:54:34.52
he came back looking for
this articles that were stolen.
00:54:34.53\00:54:37.17
Now John, pick up the
story at verse 30 now.
00:54:37.18\00:54:41.37
Verse 30 "And now
you have surely gone
00:54:41.38\00:54:43.80
because you greatly
long for your father's house,
00:54:43.81\00:54:45.92
but why did you
steal my gods?" Okay.
00:54:45.93\00:54:49.29
"Then Jacob
answered and said to Laban,
00:54:49.30\00:54:50.97
"Because I was
afraid, for I said,
00:54:50.98\00:54:53.42
Perhaps you would
take your daughters
00:54:53.43\00:54:54.95
from me by force."
00:54:54.96\00:54:56.32
So Laban catches up
with Jacob down the road here
00:54:56.33\00:55:01.71
and Jacob is
explaining why he left. Exactly.
00:55:01.72\00:55:05.81
And now verse 32 "With
whomever you find your gods,"
00:55:05.82\00:55:09.27
but Jacob doesn't know that
00:55:09.28\00:55:12.14
Rachel stole
these things. Right.
00:55:12.15\00:55:14.21
He doesn't know
she is hiding them.
00:55:14.22\00:55:15.74
And so he says okay
"Your gods are missing
00:55:15.75\00:55:17.83
whomever you find it,
where ever you find these gods
00:55:17.84\00:55:20.11
do with them as you please.
00:55:20.12\00:55:21.50
But now the story goes on
00:55:21.51\00:55:23.61
and with whomever
you find your gods,
00:55:23.62\00:55:25.58
do not let them live.
00:55:25.59\00:55:27.15
In the presence
of your brethren,
00:55:27.16\00:55:28.56
identify what I have of
yours and take it with you."
00:55:28.57\00:55:31.31
For Jacob did not know
that Rachel had stolen them."
00:55:31.32\00:55:35.56
And it says in verse 34
00:55:35.57\00:55:36.71
"Now Rachel had
taken the household idols
00:55:36.72\00:55:38.84
and put them in the
camel's saddle, and sat on them.
00:55:38.85\00:55:41.80
And Laban search
all about the tent
00:55:41.81\00:55:43.73
but did not find them.
00:55:43.74\00:55:45.06
And she said to her father,
00:55:45.07\00:55:46.14
"Let it not displease my lord
that I cannot rise before you,
00:55:46.15\00:55:48.87
for the manner of
woman is with me."
00:55:48.88\00:55:50.97
And he searched but did
not find the household idols.
00:55:50.98\00:55:54.81
And we're gonna
see as we continue,
00:55:54.82\00:55:57.05
but I want to
windup this program on is
00:55:57.06\00:55:59.94
we're gonna see
what God has done,
00:55:59.95\00:56:02.65
because remember now,
00:56:02.66\00:56:04.85
Jacob and Rachel, are
going to establish their family,
00:56:04.86\00:56:09.10
the story is going to continue.
00:56:09.11\00:56:10.47
The culture has
been established here.
00:56:10.48\00:56:11.90
We're seeing the history
of the family. That's right.
00:56:11.91\00:56:13.87
With the dowries and the rings,
00:56:13.88\00:56:15.24
nose rings all the other things.
00:56:15.25\00:56:16.77
We're gonna see what God does
00:56:16.78\00:56:17.84
as He calls them
to be Israelites.
00:56:17.85\00:56:19.88
That's right, so
this story is beautiful
00:56:19.89\00:56:22.22
and the reason
why we begin this way
00:56:22.23\00:56:23.87
and I thank you
for saying that John,
00:56:23.88\00:56:25.40
the reason why
we begin this way.
00:56:25.41\00:56:26.98
Is in order for us to understand
00:56:26.99\00:56:28.35
why God says what He does.
00:56:28.36\00:56:30.42
God knows
history better than we.
00:56:30.43\00:56:33.15
He sees the end
from the beginning,
00:56:33.16\00:56:36.16
from ancient times,
00:56:36.17\00:56:37.69
things that are
not even happening yet.
00:56:37.70\00:56:40.84
And he sets up a
precedent by coming to Jacob,
00:56:40.85\00:56:46.25
by coming to
Rachel, and he says,
00:56:46.26\00:56:49.82
I'm gonna bless your household,
00:56:49.83\00:56:52.12
but I don't want you
to take upon yourself
00:56:52.13\00:56:56.55
the parameters of the blessing,
00:56:56.56\00:56:57.86
I'll outline them.
00:56:57.87\00:56:59.45
In our next
program you're gonna see
00:56:59.46\00:57:00.99
what God did as He prepared
to bless the entire world
00:57:01.00\00:57:05.09
with the sons of Jacob.
00:57:05.10\00:57:07.27
And he did not only
with the nation of Israel.
00:57:07.28\00:57:09.20
That's right, as
he brought them out
00:57:09.21\00:57:10.56
and continue to impress
upon them throughout the times,
00:57:10.57\00:57:14.09
because they went where
they wavered back and forth,
00:57:14.10\00:57:15.83
in and out, but he also
does that with spiritual Israel
00:57:15.84\00:57:18.86
which is the church today.
00:57:18.87\00:57:20.89
Well, friends remember,
00:57:20.90\00:57:21.87
the Lord always has
a plan for your lives.
00:57:21.88\00:57:23.36
And here at House
Calls we firmly believe that,
00:57:23.37\00:57:25.45
that's why the
standards that God establishes
00:57:25.46\00:57:27.94
is to get us ready
for the House Call,
00:57:27.95\00:57:29.43
He is gonna make on our life.
00:57:29.44\00:57:30.57
So as you get ready for that,
00:57:30.58\00:57:32.40
you can do so by giving
your life to Christ today.
00:57:32.41\00:57:36.37