Hello friends, grab
your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as we
explore God's word together
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on this edition
of "House Calls."
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Welcome to House Calls.
My name is John and so as he.
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Isn't that true? I am.
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He's John and I'm John
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and we're here
together to share with you
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what God has baked in His oven,
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it's called the "bread of
life" and it's really good.
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We always enjoy eating it
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and now it's our
time to share with you.
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So get your
Bibles and get your pens,
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invite your
family and your friends
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and sit with us
for the next hour
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as we walk
through the Word of God
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together
comprised of Bible questions
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and Bible topic and we always
appreciate everything you do.
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You know, we always have
prayer before we go any further.
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So John, why don't you
have prayer for us today?
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Let's do that.
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Gracious Father, we thank You
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Lord for another opportunity
here of coming together
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to open Your word
and well we just pray
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that You speak to
us through Your spirit
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guiding direct our
thoughts, our hearts,
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so that they're open
completely to Your voice.
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In Jesus name we
pray, amen. Amen.
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Well friends, thank you for
your questions and comments.
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You guys are very
faithful in sending us emails.
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And even some people
still send us the snail mail.
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No offence to the snail mail,
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it gets here but if
you have any questions
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you would like to send to us,
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send those questions
to housecalls@3abn.org.
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That's housecalls@3abn.org
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and we will attempt to respond
to those based on the Bible.
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Sometimes you
will get passionate
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but hey, we like
talking about the Bible.
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But John, what
you've for us today?
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What's our first question?
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Well, a question from
Mellissa and she says,
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Lord God bless
you and your family.
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Thank you for
answering my question.
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She said, I have a
question about worship.
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Tell me what does worship mean?
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Very general a wide question,
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we can approach it
from various angles
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and there are lot to worship.
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I'm gonna cover an
angel, an aspect of worship
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that we may not have
thought of too much. All right.
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I think the most
general definition of that
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is anything that we
express adoration for. Okay.
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It's an act of
worship, the way we respond,
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we bow in reverence or
sing praises or whatever
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we're doing that to
God, that's worship.
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So that's the general
meaning of worship. Okay.
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But there's a part
of worship that I think
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we haven't
understood as well as we should.
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John, we've all heard
those that are challenged
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maybe by their
attendance at church.
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May we ask them
why aren't you coming?
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And we look for ways to
bring them back into the fold.
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And sometimes you have
this thing this response
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that comes that says from them,
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well, I'm just not getting
anything out of the service.
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Or if you find those
that hop from church to church
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they're not finding a church--
a single church to identify
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where they might be floating
around from different speakers.
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They go to the
place that the speaker
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that they like is
having a sermon for that day
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and they're finding
that the worship service
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in one place is
isn't satisfactory.
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I think part of this comes from
a misunderstanding of worship.
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Worship isn't
something that we receive.
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Worship is
something that we give. Okay.
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So when we come
into the house of God
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each Sabbath to worship,
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it's not that we come
there to get from God,
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although God does
bestow a blessing.
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But we come there to worship Him
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to give Him the
praise, honor, and glory
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and thanks that He deserves.
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So I have tried to
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in understanding
this aspect of worship.
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I tried to more than not,
when I'm listening to a message
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or whatever part I'm doing
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even if it's not really
done necessary that well,
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I'm trying to get
God's blessing out of that.
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But more than that
when I come to worship,
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I'm trying to come to church
as a pastor to worship God
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through how I serve
and respond to Him. Okay.
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Here's where I'm
getting this from
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and if you go to Romans 12
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and I'm going to verse 1
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and I'm going to
pull this up here
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on my online Bible here.
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And I'm gonna read this in
the New King James Version first
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and then I'm going
to read it in the NIV,
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the New International
Version. All right.
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It says, "I
beseech you therefore,
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brethren, by the mercies of God,
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that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice,
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holy, acceptable to God,
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which is your
reasonable service."
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Here the idea of
presenting ourselves
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our bodies all we
have all we are to God
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is a reasonable way that
we respond to His salvation
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and that we desire to serve
Him as the way we serve Him.
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But the NIV actually
takes the Greek words there
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and I believe probably
does a little better job
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of bringing a fullness of to
what Paul is really saying here.
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And here's what the
NIV says how it reads.
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"Therefore I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy,
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to offer as your
bodies as living sacrifices,
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holy and pleasing to God."
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This is your
spiritual act of worship.
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That's right. Okay.
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There's an element of
worship here in this text
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which is why the
NIV translated that way.
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And so when we come to
from Sabbath to Sabbath
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to worship God or
in a devotional time
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in our mornings to worship God,
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what we're doing
is we're giving to Him
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it's an act of the
will to worship Him
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and it's very
much from us to God.
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In return God
blesses us with His spirit,
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protection with
other things that we find
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how God treats and
cares for His children.
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So worship, to
expand worship then is
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something we do in response
to God's goodness toward us.
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But it goes beyond
the worship service
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each Sabbath
into our daily lives
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and how we respond to
God's call to mission. Right.
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How we serve
others? How we treat others?
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How we care for others?
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All those are acts of
worship throughout the week.
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So I would say in every respect
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worship doesn't just
happen from Sabbath to Sabbath,
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worship happens everyday. Sure.
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It happens in what we do.
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And I will encourage everyone
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to consider this
expanded definition of worship,
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because it's
truly a biblical one
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but more than that it holds--
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it raises the
bar on accountability
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to worship God every
single day of our life. Okay.
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You know, I could
accept that. You concur?
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I concur. I concur.
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And thank you, John, for that.
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Now what I would
like to go on to now is
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the idea that-- and what I was--
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matter of fact
before I go to my question
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what I was
getting out of that is
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worship is not a location
only, but a station in life.
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Location and as far as
corporate worship is concerned
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that's the weekly or
maybe people may worship
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more than one day a week
together as a corporate body.
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But worship as you pointed out
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is what we do all the
time through our lives.
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Our lives as a living sacrifice
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holy and
acceptable to the Lord. Yeah.
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Okay, that's
make complete sense.
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Now somebody had
send a question here.
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Hello, I
absolutely love your show.
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Thank you so much.
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I have a question
regarding the temple of God,
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our bodily temple.
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I have a tattoo of the
cross that I got on my arm
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because I used to
cut my self there.
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So I got a cross
because it was through God
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that I was able to heal
from my former struggles.
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Where in the Bible
does it talk about tattoos?
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If it even talks about it at all
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and if it does,
what does it say?
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Okay, go with
me to Leviticus 19.
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First time we talk
about the body part
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or the body portion that is.
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You were correct when you said
the body is the temple Of God.
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The body is the temple.
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John, matter of
fact just read a text
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in Romans 12:1 and Romans 12:2.
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"Present your body
as a living sacrifice,
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holy, and acceptable to God."
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But 1 Corinthians 6, it
says as follows verse 19.
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1 Corinthians 6:19 and
I'm gonna read this it says,
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"Or do you not
know that your body
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is the temple of the Holy Spirit
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who is in you,
whom you have from God,"
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or of God, "and
you are not your own?
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You are bought at a price,
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so therefore
glorify God in your body
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and in your
spirit, which are God's."
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So we're to glorify God not
just on the spiritual basis,
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but what we do with our bodies.
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And when you think about that
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as you ask the
question about tattoos,
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the Bible does
talk about tattoos.
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But before I answer the question
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and show you the text
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we have a guy here
that works at 3abn,
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who when he came he
didn't have a tattoo.
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If I could use this in
a very light hearted way,
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he was a tattoo.
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From the head to
foot he had tattoos.
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Eye lids, the
lip, the ear lobes,
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the ear, the whole face.
He had faces on his face.
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And all these some of
you may have seen the program
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we talked about him here
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and on the arms, everywhere,
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the legs he
just--he was a tattoo.
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So when I said he had a
tattoo, no he was a tattoo,
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because there's no place
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you could not see a
tattoo, even on his head.
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I guess he had
his head shaved bald
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and had a tattoo of a
face tattooed on his head.
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The back of his neck,
everywhere there was a tattoo.
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And so let me
answer one question
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before I answer this second one.
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Now if a person has a tattoo,
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when he or she
comes to the Lord,
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how does God
respond to that person?
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How does God look
at that individual?
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Because in some cases
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some people have had
like a small tattoo here
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and some of them
have chosen to remove it,
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some of them have chosen not to.
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How does God look at that?
00:11:06.62\00:11:07.99
Well it doesn't, it
still doesn't remove
00:11:08.02\00:11:10.23
the fact that your
body belongs to God
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and your body is
the temple of God.
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Any more than a person
that may have cut their skin
00:11:14.88\00:11:18.84
and putt an earring in there.
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Well, you can't uncut your skin
00:11:20.27\00:11:22.47
and there are some people,
they have many, many earrings.
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Well you can't uncut your skin.
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You can't fill those holes up
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now that you've
come to the Lord.
00:11:28.79\00:11:30.45
But then you still
present your body to the Lord
00:11:30.48\00:11:32.53
as the living sacrifice
00:11:32.56\00:11:33.93
by removing the
ornaments from your body.
00:11:33.96\00:11:35.93
And in some cases
which this person did
00:11:35.96\00:11:38.70
all the tattoos
that were visible
00:11:38.73\00:11:41.09
when he has on a
shirt were removed
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and so he went
through this painful process
00:11:44.13\00:11:46.57
of having the
tattoos removed from his face
00:11:46.60\00:11:49.39
and we saw the video
of where they removed
00:11:49.42\00:11:51.49
with the green laser.
00:11:51.52\00:11:53.16
They actually burned
these tattoos off of his face.
00:11:53.19\00:11:57.61
Everywhere there was a tattoo
00:11:57.64\00:11:59.01
just imagine that
with this green laser
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that's
literally burning the skin
00:12:01.86\00:12:03.93
and they had
this ice-cream sticks
00:12:03.96\00:12:05.33
in his mouth were
he's-- and we saw the video
00:12:05.36\00:12:08.75
and his eyes are
covered with goggles
00:12:08.78\00:12:10.15
to prevent from the
laser getting in his eyes.
00:12:10.18\00:12:11.84
What a painful process?
00:12:11.87\00:12:13.24
And so--so he really
was serious about that
00:12:13.27\00:12:17.13
and one of the
reasons why he did that
00:12:17.16\00:12:18.53
and this is very important
00:12:18.56\00:12:20.33
is because he said,
up until he came here
00:12:20.36\00:12:23.05
he was always known
as the guy with tattoos
00:12:23.08\00:12:25.31
and he was shunned.
00:12:25.34\00:12:27.85
But when he came here to 3ABN
and came to our church he said,
00:12:27.88\00:12:30.93
you know people
actually love me for who I'm.
00:12:30.96\00:12:33.92
They actually
called me by my name
00:12:33.95\00:12:36.68
and they actually knew me
00:12:36.71\00:12:38.08
by my name rather
than by my markings.
00:12:38.11\00:12:41.75
And realized wait a minute
00:12:41.78\00:12:43.98
there should be evidence
of my commitment to Christ,
00:12:44.01\00:12:46.14
so he removed those
tattoos from his face.
00:12:46.17\00:12:48.75
Now he didn't have to go
through all the arms and legs
00:12:48.78\00:12:51.84
because for the most
part they're covered up
00:12:51.87\00:12:54.98
and those are not seen
00:12:55.01\00:12:56.38
and so he
doesn't-- he didn't do that.
00:12:56.41\00:12:58.42
But now what does
the Bible say about
00:12:58.45\00:13:00.33
putting tattoos
there in Leviticus 19
00:13:00.36\00:13:03.69
and I'm gonna read it
from the Amplified Bible
00:13:03.72\00:13:05.99
because what it does,
the Amplified Bible includes
00:13:06.02\00:13:10.71
what it says in the King James
and New King James and NIV.
00:13:10.74\00:13:13.83
It kinds of brings them
all together in the amplified.
00:13:13.86\00:13:16.48
It says, "You shall
not make any cuttings
00:13:16.51\00:13:18.72
in your flesh for the dead,"
00:13:18.75\00:13:21.29
which was a practice that
many people did, excuse me.
00:13:21.32\00:13:24.93
"Nor print or
tattoo any marks upon you
00:13:24.96\00:13:29.11
for I am the Lord."
00:13:29.14\00:13:31.15
The King James Version
says, nor print any marks
00:13:31.18\00:13:34.11
and the New King James
says, nor make any tattoos.
00:13:34.14\00:13:39.03
And the NIV says, or put
tattoos marks on yourself.
00:13:39.06\00:13:43.04
So all for those translations
King James, New King James,
00:13:43.07\00:13:46.20
NIV and Amplified
use the word tattoos.
00:13:46.23\00:13:51.40
So what is a tattoo?
00:13:51.43\00:13:53.20
Well, nobody has to
figure that out nowadays,
00:13:53.23\00:13:56.02
because tattooing is
just like an industry.
00:13:56.05\00:13:58.71
It's an enterprise.
00:13:58.74\00:14:01.35
They shows that some times
00:14:01.38\00:14:05.16
oh, I forgot the
name of the show,
00:14:05.19\00:14:06.56
LA Ink what all people do
is just mark themselves up.
00:14:06.59\00:14:11.34
In basketball there's a
guy called Chris Andersen.
00:14:11.37\00:14:13.96
But do you know you
heard of Chris Andersen, John?
00:14:13.99\00:14:16.92
But he's known as
Birdman by his team
00:14:16.95\00:14:19.75
because of the
way he does his hair.
00:14:19.78\00:14:21.87
Mohawk down the centre
00:14:21.90\00:14:23.34
and everything south of
his neck there's a tattoo
00:14:23.37\00:14:27.76
and its fiasco at
best. Full colored.
00:14:27.79\00:14:32.68
Full colored tattoos
00:14:32.71\00:14:34.53
and the joke of
the basketball league
00:14:34.56\00:14:37.63
was they said,
hey they heard a rumor
00:14:37.66\00:14:39.58
that he wants
to get another one.
00:14:39.61\00:14:41.99
And see, so but when
you think of your body
00:14:42.02\00:14:44.34
and here's why
it's so important,
00:14:44.37\00:14:45.75
when you think of your body
00:14:45.78\00:14:47.48
and realize that your
body is the temple of God,
00:14:47.51\00:14:50.20
it's not
necessary to have a tattoo.
00:14:50.23\00:14:52.71
Now they're those that
as you said you put a cross,
00:14:52.74\00:14:55.55
now would God reject you,
00:14:55.58\00:14:57.01
if you give your
life to the Lord.
00:14:57.04\00:15:00.83
There are those who may
out of committing there lives
00:15:00.86\00:15:03.37
to the Lord remove that
tattoo and say, okay, you know,
00:15:03.40\00:15:06.21
I don't want to be
known anymore by my tattoo.
00:15:06.24\00:15:09.68
But I do know a pastor
and I say this not to give,
00:15:09.71\00:15:13.28
not to condemn the
wearing of tattoos,
00:15:13.31\00:15:15.48
but I had a chance to
go minister at the church,
00:15:15.51\00:15:19.31
one of our Adventist churches.
00:15:19.34\00:15:21.11
And I met a pastor
00:15:21.14\00:15:22.51
and he was in
the warmer part of--
00:15:22.54\00:15:24.43
he had a much short sleeve shirt
00:15:24.46\00:15:26.65
and on his arm, it caught me
and it just whoa, what is that.
00:15:26.68\00:15:31.50
Because he had a tattoo,
00:15:31.53\00:15:33.25
he used to be a
sailor and he had on his arm,
00:15:33.28\00:15:35.56
what did sailors
used to put on their arm?
00:15:35.59\00:15:37.54
Naked woman.
00:15:37.57\00:15:38.94
A tattoo of the
woman on his arm.
00:15:38.97\00:15:40.60
And I said, pastor, I said,
there's a tattoo on your arm.
00:15:40.63\00:15:47.22
You're a pastor.
What's up with that tattoo?
00:15:47.25\00:15:50.01
And he said, you know, I know,
00:15:50.04\00:15:54.33
but he said not necessarily
00:15:54.36\00:15:57.11
agreeing or
disagreeing with his philosophy.
00:15:57.14\00:15:58.66
He says, it reminds me of
where the Lord brought me from.
00:15:58.69\00:16:04.37
Now I would probably remove it
00:16:04.40\00:16:06.90
because of the
kind of tattoo it is
00:16:06.93\00:16:09.49
and I-- but he said, he keeps it
00:16:09.52\00:16:11.73
because it reminds him of
where the Lord brought him from?
00:16:11.76\00:16:16.78
And whether I agree with
that or not is not the point,
00:16:16.81\00:16:21.78
okay I don't agree with the
kind of tattoo he had there,
00:16:21.81\00:16:24.79
I would have removed it.
00:16:24.82\00:16:26.32
The point being
made for those of us
00:16:26.35\00:16:28.41
who recognize our
bodies as the temple of God.
00:16:28.44\00:16:30.64
I don't support
Christians going out
00:16:30.67\00:16:32.95
and adding cross
tattoos, because Lord says
00:16:32.98\00:16:36.07
that we should bare the cross,
00:16:36.10\00:16:38.89
not wear the cross or
draw the cross. All right.
00:16:38.92\00:16:42.86
But does the Lord love
us if we have the tattoo?
00:16:42.89\00:16:45.37
Of course He does.
00:16:45.40\00:16:46.79
But He wants us to recognize
His ownership of our bodies
00:16:46.82\00:16:50.32
and if we recognize His
ownership of our bodies,
00:16:50.35\00:16:53.01
then we know
blatantly violate that ownership
00:16:53.04\00:16:55.65
in the relationship by going out
00:16:55.68\00:16:57.05
marking up His temple.
00:16:57.08\00:16:58.78
Well, there's also
the principle here too.
00:16:58.81\00:17:01.42
In the Old Testament there's
a word used called ornaments
00:17:01.45\00:17:07.75
and God wanted the people
to take off their ornamentation
00:17:07.78\00:17:11.00
in all its forms. That's right.
00:17:11.03\00:17:12.40
Which would include
their jewelry and tattoos,
00:17:12.43\00:17:15.86
I would think even
qualifies ornamentation,
00:17:15.89\00:17:18.22
because
ornamentation is something
00:17:18.25\00:17:19.62
that is intended to beautify
or accessorize the body.
00:17:19.65\00:17:25.43
So today, we
have the same thing,
00:17:25.46\00:17:27.22
a lot of jewelry
and lot of piercings
00:17:27.25\00:17:29.43
and we have tattoos.
00:17:29.46\00:17:30.83
All those I think qualify
in the New Testament word
00:17:30.86\00:17:33.58
which is adornment, okay,
00:17:33.61\00:17:36.16
kind of equivalent of ornaments
00:17:36.19\00:17:39.70
of the Old Testament.
That's right, very good point.
00:17:39.73\00:17:41.10
And so New
Testament is very clear
00:17:41.13\00:17:44.67
don't adorn your
bodies, live simple minded,
00:17:44.70\00:17:48.47
live the way
that God has made you
00:17:48.50\00:17:50.70
and don't try to
spice yourself up
00:17:50.73\00:17:52.17
to look like something
else something that you're not.
00:17:52.20\00:17:54.63
And then the other thing
is very good point made, John.
00:17:54.66\00:17:58.80
The other thing is the world
is really carving out of path.
00:17:58.83\00:18:04.80
No pun intended here,
00:18:04.83\00:18:06.20
because Jesus is
cutting the flesh.
00:18:06.23\00:18:07.60
The world is marking out of path
00:18:07.63\00:18:10.08
and people are just
following the world.
00:18:10.11\00:18:13.19
It's fads. It's a fad.
00:18:13.22\00:18:14.94
But certain fads are
not as easily reversible
00:18:14.97\00:18:17.45
as you know pink hair,
00:18:17.48\00:18:18.85
where you can just dye your hair
00:18:18.88\00:18:20.30
or whatever the case maybe.
00:18:20.33\00:18:21.88
There are some people,
00:18:21.91\00:18:23.59
Lord have mercy.
I have seen this.
00:18:23.62\00:18:26.25
People have like this--
who's this really crazy lady,
00:18:26.28\00:18:31.12
I should not say crazy, I
don't want to disrespect her.
00:18:31.15\00:18:34.46
But this very
strange person Lady Gaga
00:18:34.49\00:18:38.89
who had actually had spikes
00:18:38.92\00:18:40.67
put under her flesh and I
don't know how she did it,
00:18:40.70\00:18:45.60
because she could see
the forehead rising up,
00:18:45.63\00:18:48.92
but you don't see where
00:18:48.95\00:18:50.47
these under the
skin spikes are put in.
00:18:50.50\00:18:54.43
Then there are some people
00:18:54.46\00:18:55.83
that I've seen that
have actually had receptacles
00:18:55.86\00:18:59.90
put into their skull
00:18:59.93\00:19:01.54
where they could
screw in the spikes.
00:19:01.57\00:19:04.05
So these spikes are screwed in
00:19:04.08\00:19:06.85
and the anchor of that
was actually a screw anchor
00:19:06.88\00:19:11.36
that was actually put,
inserted into the skull
00:19:11.39\00:19:15.35
and I'm thinking, I
saw a very awful story.
00:19:15.38\00:19:20.53
And I think I want
to do this one here
00:19:20.56\00:19:22.04
just share the story of a guy
00:19:22.07\00:19:24.07
who wanted to
really, really be trendy
00:19:24.10\00:19:28.75
and he wanted to have a chain.
00:19:28.78\00:19:35.25
This is a terrible story.
00:19:35.28\00:19:36.65
You know, I am not
going to tell the story.
00:19:36.68\00:19:38.10
I'm not going to tell the story,
00:19:38.13\00:19:39.50
it was terrible, it's
very-- Well, suffice it to say,
00:19:39.53\00:19:41.67
they are
inventing all kinds of ways
00:19:41.70\00:19:44.62
to change the
body through piercing,
00:19:44.65\00:19:46.83
through carving,
through other things
00:19:46.86\00:19:48.75
that the Bible
really doesn't want us
00:19:48.78\00:19:50.36
to participate in. Yeah.
00:19:50.39\00:19:52.02
I even think to
the small degree.
00:19:52.05\00:19:53.60
It's a violation.
Are we-- issue is--
00:19:53.63\00:19:56.08
are we satisfied with
the way the Lord made us.
00:19:56.11\00:19:59.28
And are we satisfied
with our life in Christ?
00:19:59.31\00:20:02.32
Or do we have to go
beyond that to feel like
00:20:02.35\00:20:04.42
somehow we need
to make ourselves
00:20:04.45\00:20:06.30
look better or improve ourselves
00:20:06.33\00:20:08.53
or something rather
than just accepting Christ
00:20:08.56\00:20:11.10
in by faith trusting in Him.
00:20:11.13\00:20:14.59
I don't know, I
think that's really
00:20:14.62\00:20:15.99
a one of the core
issues with this hold.
00:20:16.02\00:20:18.38
Yeah, if you
recognize your worth
00:20:18.41\00:20:19.97
and this comes
down to a lot of things
00:20:20.00\00:20:21.78
that where people
don't recognize their worth
00:20:21.81\00:20:24.15
and they want to be recognized,
00:20:24.18\00:20:25.55
they want to be
noticed, they want to be seen
00:20:25.58\00:20:27.35
and so they follow these trends.
00:20:27.38\00:20:28.90
And there's some
people are fully confident
00:20:28.93\00:20:31.41
in themselves, but they
just simply follow a trend,
00:20:31.44\00:20:33.54
because that's
the end thing to do.
00:20:33.57\00:20:35.55
But when you realize
your body is God's temple,
00:20:35.58\00:20:37.51
you honor it as such.
00:20:37.54\00:20:39.21
And I could say in
reality I don't have a tattoo,
00:20:39.24\00:20:41.32
I don't have any
holes. No holes poked.
00:20:41.35\00:20:44.49
I survived the generation
00:20:44.52\00:20:45.90
of the tattoo and the holes.
00:20:45.93\00:20:47.30
You know, you
have the perfect number
00:20:47.33\00:20:48.70
of holes in your head. Yeah.
00:20:48.73\00:20:50.72
The perfect
number, they are seven.
00:20:50.75\00:20:52.53
That's right, I
never thought of that.
00:20:52.56\00:20:53.93
Two eyes, two ears,
two nostrils, one mouth.
00:20:53.96\00:20:57.88
Seven holes. Seven holes.
00:20:57.91\00:20:59.28
Perfection. God
made your head perfect.
00:20:59.31\00:21:02.20
To put any more in it
is moving from perfection.
00:21:02.23\00:21:06.08
That's a good way to think.
00:21:06.11\00:21:08.54
I never thought about the
fact that I had a perfect head.
00:21:08.57\00:21:11.70
All of us have
perfect heads. That's right.
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.38
Seven holes. That's right.
00:21:13.41\00:21:14.78
You know, I never
thought about that.
00:21:14.81\00:21:16.18
But let God put
the holes in you.
00:21:16.21\00:21:18.44
I know the one with ten fingers,
00:21:18.47\00:21:19.84
ten toes, the Ten Commandments.
00:21:19.87\00:21:21.24
That's a good
one, that's a good one.
00:21:21.27\00:21:23.14
Hey, I like
that. It's really good.
00:21:23.17\00:21:25.31
Hey, what do you have for us?
00:21:25.34\00:21:26.71
Here's the last question
probably we will cover today.
00:21:26.74\00:21:28.98
I'm not gonna read who it's from
00:21:29.01\00:21:31.28
because it
indicative of probably many
00:21:31.31\00:21:34.67
that have written in
on a variety of topics
00:21:34.70\00:21:38.34
that I consider not pillars
of the Christian faith. Okay.
00:21:38.37\00:21:43.22
They're not present truth,
they're side issues. Okay.
00:21:43.25\00:21:47.41
That individuals
want to write in,
00:21:47.44\00:21:49.97
comment on, want
us to weigh in on
00:21:50.00\00:21:53.25
or they reel us for
not talking about it.
00:21:53.28\00:21:57.10
We just don't see
them as present truth
00:21:57.13\00:22:00.31
and necessary to
debate about right now. Okay.
00:22:00.34\00:22:03.60
Nor do we agree with
them on some of these,
00:22:03.63\00:22:06.44
many of these issues in fact.
00:22:06.47\00:22:08.61
Some way outright
disagree with them on.
00:22:08.64\00:22:13.41
But here's the point I
want to make with this.
00:22:13.44\00:22:15.53
And I mention a few other things
that come out in this letter,
00:22:15.56\00:22:17.71
but I won't
answer them specifically,
00:22:17.74\00:22:19.35
but I will mention
the types of things.
00:22:19.38\00:22:21.55
But I think that the core
lies this foundational issue.
00:22:21.58\00:22:28.47
The devil sees
that God has given us
00:22:28.50\00:22:30.94
a wonderful mission
to accomplish for Him.
00:22:30.97\00:22:33.72
It's a mission of finishing His
work of evangelizing the world,
00:22:33.75\00:22:37.41
spreading the
everlasting gospel to all.
00:22:37.44\00:22:39.92
That gospel is centered in Jesus
00:22:39.95\00:22:42.06
and the salvation He brings
to all of us. That's right.
00:22:42.09\00:22:45.06
That is the core pillar
truth of the entire Bible.
00:22:45.09\00:22:50.21
There are things that we do
00:22:50.24\00:22:52.65
in the practice
of our faith in God
00:22:52.68\00:22:56.27
that might differ from
individual to individual.
00:22:56.30\00:23:00.23
There are some things that some
may do that others may not do.
00:23:00.26\00:23:03.83
And the devil
wants to use those things
00:23:03.86\00:23:06.40
that are not
salvific to get us off course
00:23:06.43\00:23:10.48
and to argue and judge and fight
00:23:10.51\00:23:12.74
and accuse and to criticize
00:23:12.77\00:23:15.43
and take us away
from this mission.
00:23:15.46\00:23:18.70
And some of those issues
include Christmas observance,
00:23:18.73\00:23:24.81
Ester
observance, the feast days.
00:23:24.84\00:23:30.68
Another issue written
in this letter specifically
00:23:30.71\00:23:33.03
is a doctrinal
issue of crucifixion
00:23:33.06\00:23:36.51
whether its three days starting
with actual 72 hour period,
00:23:36.54\00:23:40.91
three days, four or
parts of three days.
00:23:40.94\00:23:45.52
We think the Bible
is very clear on that.
00:23:45.55\00:23:47.13
Christ crucified
on preparation day,
00:23:47.16\00:23:49.06
rose on the
first day of the week
00:23:49.09\00:23:50.70
that is Friday to
Sunday, parts of three days.
00:23:50.73\00:23:53.57
I don't have to
answer anything more.
00:23:53.60\00:23:56.67
If you want to talk about
00:23:56.70\00:23:58.48
three days and three nights
00:23:58.51\00:23:59.88
that question well, Jesus
Himself talked about the depths
00:23:59.91\00:24:04.42
He stooped
during Thursday night,
00:24:04.45\00:24:08.13
during His time in Gethsemane
00:24:08.16\00:24:10.30
where He was in every
respect entering death.
00:24:10.33\00:24:14.51
He would have died had
the angels not revived Him.
00:24:14.54\00:24:19.03
So He's in the
heart of the earth
00:24:19.06\00:24:21.13
in that respect
spiritually on Thursday night.
00:24:21.16\00:24:23.80
But anyway I don't want
to get into all those issues.
00:24:23.83\00:24:25.97
We can disagree with you
00:24:26.00\00:24:27.76
and you can disagree
with us on these issues,
00:24:27.79\00:24:29.42
but should it divide us?
00:24:29.45\00:24:33.00
Should it take
us from the mission
00:24:33.03\00:24:34.43
God has given us to accomplish?
00:24:34.46\00:24:36.33
No. No.
00:24:36.36\00:24:38.16
If we are more about God's work
00:24:38.19\00:24:40.31
which is reaching the lost
00:24:40.34\00:24:42.38
and had a heart for lost people
00:24:42.41\00:24:44.08
instead of a
heart that is critical
00:24:44.11\00:24:46.93
in fault
finding of our brethren,
00:24:46.96\00:24:49.27
then we would accomplish more,
00:24:49.30\00:24:50.67
because God's
blessings would be upon us.
00:24:50.70\00:24:53.07
John, I find over and over again
00:24:53.10\00:24:55.08
this hard critical
attitude within the church.
00:24:55.11\00:24:57.71
And I'm not-- just not
the Adventist churches,
00:24:57.74\00:24:59.17
it's all churches
everywhere. Right.
00:24:59.20\00:25:01.23
Just based upon disagreement
00:25:01.26\00:25:02.64
is to how someone
else practices their faith
00:25:02.67\00:25:04.65
and they cannot get off
of it is their main theme.
00:25:04.68\00:25:07.17
And I would ask each
and every one of them,
00:25:07.20\00:25:08.83
how many have you
brought to Christ?
00:25:08.86\00:25:11.56
How many have
you been instrumental
00:25:11.59\00:25:14.32
in bringing someone to
Jesus and seeing them baptized?
00:25:14.35\00:25:17.88
How many of you last
year, two years, five years.
00:25:17.91\00:25:21.68
I will side with
someone who may not,
00:25:21.71\00:25:25.03
I may not agree with in
every point of doctrine,
00:25:25.06\00:25:27.96
except the pillars of our faith,
00:25:27.99\00:25:30.36
that is doing a
work of evangelism
00:25:30.39\00:25:32.12
and helping to
win souls for Jesus,
00:25:32.15\00:25:35.08
to hasten his return,
00:25:35.11\00:25:37.02
I would partner
with them any day
00:25:37.05\00:25:39.72
that someone that
agrees with me theologically
00:25:39.75\00:25:41.80
that is critical of
my brothers and sisters.
00:25:41.83\00:25:44.99
I'm sorry but we have
no room here at House Calls
00:25:45.02\00:25:48.21
for criticism and fault finding
00:25:48.24\00:25:50.31
on issues that are
not pillars of our faith.
00:25:50.34\00:25:53.39
You see we have-- we're strong,
00:25:53.42\00:25:55.80
John, we're strong believers in
the truth, amen? That's right.
00:25:55.83\00:25:58.31
We will defend our faith.
00:25:58.34\00:25:59.90
We will defend
the Ten Commandments.
00:25:59.93\00:26:01.30
We will defend the Sabbath which
is one of the Ten Commandments.
00:26:01.33\00:26:04.99
We will defend
righteousness by faith.
00:26:05.02\00:26:06.55
We will defend
Christ as the Messiah.
00:26:06.58\00:26:08.20
We will defend all these things
00:26:08.23\00:26:10.20
that are core
issues of our faith,
00:26:10.23\00:26:11.98
but we will not defend
00:26:12.01\00:26:13.48
a critical spirit
toward our brethren.
00:26:13.51\00:26:15.57
And, John, I'm not
gonna read who this is from,
00:26:15.60\00:26:17.91
I'm not gonna read the letter,
00:26:17.94\00:26:19.33
but we've had enough of
them to say enough is enough.
00:26:19.36\00:26:22.88
And if this is your evangelism,
00:26:22.91\00:26:26.47
I think you need a
re-conversion of heart,
00:26:26.50\00:26:29.74
because the love for people
00:26:29.77\00:26:31.65
especially your
brethren is not present
00:26:31.68\00:26:34.58
and must be cultivated
and nurtured once again.
00:26:34.61\00:26:39.65
And so anyway, that is
not a judgment statement.
00:26:39.68\00:26:42.90
It's a statement about
the mission of God's church
00:26:42.93\00:26:45.12
and what we're all about
00:26:45.15\00:26:46.52
and, John, that's where I stand.
00:26:46.55\00:26:48.19
Well, you know,
what I'm looking up here,
00:26:48.22\00:26:49.77
John, is a very important text.
00:26:49.80\00:26:52.78
Here it is, when the
Bible talks about avoid--
00:26:52.81\00:26:57.33
let me go to
the Book of Timothy.
00:26:57.36\00:27:00.06
And, okay, I could see here,
00:27:00.09\00:27:03.70
I got it here and
because questions come up,
00:27:03.73\00:27:06.69
people have questions,
00:27:06.72\00:27:08.45
I'm gonna go
ahead and got it here.
00:27:08.48\00:27:14.44
And people have
questions that do come up
00:27:14.47\00:27:17.76
that are really
important questions,
00:27:17.79\00:27:19.90
but when the Bible
talks about avoiding foolish
00:27:19.93\00:27:23.69
and unlearned questions knowing
that they do gender strife.
00:27:23.72\00:27:29.51
That's the biggest
issue that I have there,
00:27:29.54\00:27:31.49
people have
questions they come up
00:27:31.52\00:27:33.94
that are not salvation issues,
00:27:33.97\00:27:36.91
but they make them to some
degree issues of salvation.
00:27:36.94\00:27:42.52
Let me go ahead and talk
about some of those briefly
00:27:42.55\00:27:44.89
that you've
mentioned like the feast days.
00:27:44.92\00:27:50.86
Here it is.
00:27:50.89\00:27:54.29
Titus 3:9.
00:27:54.32\00:27:56.22
Go to Titus. Titus 3:9.
00:27:56.25\00:28:00.44
That's after the
second epistle of Timothy
00:28:00.47\00:28:06.22
and here it is.
00:28:06.25\00:28:07.62
"But avoid foolish disputes,
00:28:12.05\00:28:15.90
genealogies, contentions,
and strivings about the law,
00:28:15.93\00:28:21.56
for they are
unprofitable and useless."
00:28:21.59\00:28:27.05
And you also
find 2 Timothy 2:23.
00:28:27.08\00:28:32.75
Oh, notice the
verse right before that
00:28:32.78\00:28:34.43
verse 8 as to what
is profitable. Okay.
00:28:34.46\00:28:37.93
"These things I want
you to affirm constantly
00:28:37.96\00:28:40.64
that those who
have believed in God
00:28:40.67\00:28:42.24
should be careful to
maintain good works."
00:28:42.27\00:28:45.47
In other words, to
their brothers and sisters.
00:28:45.50\00:28:46.93
"Good works. These are good
and profitable to men." Why?
00:28:46.96\00:28:49.93
Because it helps to
redeem them. That's right.
00:28:49.96\00:28:52.81
These foolish disputes are
non profitable, don't do them.
00:28:52.84\00:28:57.02
Even if you may agree,
00:28:57.05\00:28:58.42
even the God may
have a position on that,
00:28:58.45\00:29:00.99
it is not, it is foolish
to dispute over those things.
00:29:01.02\00:29:04.26
And I like the way
the Bible puts it here
00:29:04.29\00:29:06.77
in the Book of 2 Timothy 2:23.
00:29:06.80\00:29:11.35
"But avoid foolish
and ignorant disputes
00:29:11.38\00:29:15.59
knowing that
they generate strife."
00:29:15.62\00:29:18.15
The King James says it this way,
00:29:18.18\00:29:20.77
"But foolish and
unlearned questions avoid,
00:29:20.80\00:29:22.97
knowing that they
do gender strife."
00:29:23.00\00:29:25.40
So that's a very big part of it.
00:29:25.43\00:29:27.26
Strife comes when
people talk about issues
00:29:27.29\00:29:29.45
that are not salvific issues
00:29:29.48\00:29:30.94
and I think that's the point
00:29:30.97\00:29:32.34
that John made
just a moment ago.
00:29:32.37\00:29:33.81
The issues are not
issues of salvation.
00:29:33.84\00:29:35.72
Now let's go ahead and
look at some of those primarily,
00:29:35.75\00:29:39.83
what are some of the issues
that were talked about there--
00:29:39.86\00:29:42.44
Well, I just mentioned
00:29:42.47\00:29:43.84
they're basically the
heart of all of them. Yeah.
00:29:43.87\00:29:45.24
Christmas Eve
Observance and what day Christ,
00:29:45.27\00:29:48.63
you know, died and rose again.
00:29:48.66\00:29:50.03
Not a single one of those
00:29:50.06\00:29:51.43
will add to your
salvation or detract from it.
00:29:51.46\00:29:54.39
They will make
it more burdensome
00:29:54.42\00:29:55.87
if you find that
you need to keep feasts
00:29:55.90\00:29:59.41
in order to be saved and--
00:29:59.44\00:30:00.99
And there are other ones
we did not mentioned. Yeah.
00:30:01.02\00:30:03.91
There are things like
food, what foods do you eat?
00:30:03.94\00:30:07.88
Should you be
vegan or vegetarian?
00:30:07.91\00:30:10.39
And some get to a point
00:30:10.42\00:30:11.79
where they argue
over that to the point
00:30:11.82\00:30:14.00
where people just are so fed up,
00:30:14.03\00:30:16.22
they say this what
Christianity is like,
00:30:16.25\00:30:17.78
I want nothing to do with it.
00:30:17.81\00:30:19.18
In fact it's interesting in
the Judgment chapter of Romans,
00:30:19.21\00:30:22.29
Romans 14. Right.
00:30:22.32\00:30:24.32
He says this, and I know
00:30:24.35\00:30:26.19
it's in a
different context of food
00:30:26.22\00:30:27.86
but the point
is still well made.
00:30:27.89\00:30:30.51
"Therefore do not let
your good be spoken of as evil,
00:30:30.54\00:30:35.39
for the kingdom of God
is not eating and drinking,
00:30:35.42\00:30:37.65
but righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit."
00:30:37.68\00:30:41.05
He says to the ones
that are doing good,
00:30:41.08\00:30:43.63
don't let your good
be spoken of as evil.
00:30:43.66\00:30:46.96
Because you're
doing it to the point
00:30:46.99\00:30:48.90
where you're trying to
impose your beliefs on others.
00:30:48.93\00:30:52.57
That's right.
And that's not right.
00:30:52.60\00:30:55.09
So Paul is
saying that's judgmental
00:30:55.12\00:30:57.83
and don't enter
in to those areas
00:30:57.86\00:31:00.55
that are
questionable in regard to
00:31:00.58\00:31:03.55
and not salvific in
regard to God's word.
00:31:03.58\00:31:06.55
Yeah, and it's
amazing how the NIV puts it,
00:31:06.58\00:31:09.02
"Do not have anything to
do with foolish and stupid
00:31:09.05\00:31:11.00
arguments because
they-- because you know,
00:31:11.03\00:31:13.20
they produce quarrels."
00:31:13.23\00:31:15.18
And some people-- I think it
00:31:15.21\00:31:17.53
all comes down to a
very important point.
00:31:17.56\00:31:19.40
If you have a
relationship with Jesus,
00:31:19.43\00:31:22.44
you will realize one that
the issue of whether or not,
00:31:22.47\00:31:28.26
Easter is a bunny
rabbit or an empty tomb,
00:31:28.29\00:31:33.54
neither of those
two is going to minus
00:31:33.57\00:31:36.60
or take away from your salvation
or add to your salvation.
00:31:36.63\00:31:40.21
There are some people that said,
00:31:40.24\00:31:41.61
oh, you gave the
children, Easter eggs, oh.
00:31:41.64\00:31:46.75
They gonna
loose their salvation.
00:31:46.78\00:31:51.16
Let me, let me not
comment any further on that.
00:31:51.19\00:31:53.37
But then there
are others who say,
00:31:53.40\00:31:54.94
I know that we could have a
Christmas tree in our church,
00:31:54.97\00:31:58.17
because Ellen
White says we could.
00:31:58.20\00:32:00.04
But she made that statement
00:32:00.07\00:32:01.44
because she was very
ignorant on that point.
00:32:01.47\00:32:03.80
The day that you think a
Christmas tree takes away
00:32:03.83\00:32:05.80
from your salvation is the day
that you come to the conclusion
00:32:05.83\00:32:09.19
that you're not really
clear about what salvation is.
00:32:09.22\00:32:12.36
"Salvation is by grace
through faith in Christ alone,
00:32:12.39\00:32:15.40
not of works, lest
any man should boast."
00:32:15.43\00:32:17.55
So let's not allow those
things to come in to the place
00:32:17.58\00:32:19.67
where they--where
they hinder our salvation
00:32:19.70\00:32:22.34
and our
relationship with the Lord.
00:32:22.37\00:32:23.91
Amen. Okay.
00:32:23.94\00:32:25.31
We're gonna segue
now in to our Bible topic
00:32:25.34\00:32:28.25
but I know we have--once again
may be stirred up the part here
00:32:28.28\00:32:31.63
and allow some questions
to come to the forefront.
00:32:31.66\00:32:34.09
So if you do have
any Bible questions
00:32:34.12\00:32:35.68
you like to send to us,
you can send those questions to
00:32:35.71\00:32:38.37
housecalls@3abn.org
That's housecalls@3abn.org
00:32:38.40\00:32:44.02
and we surely
appreciate all that you do
00:32:44.05\00:32:46.54
to keep this
program going and growing
00:32:46.57\00:32:49.04
as we are getting ready
for the coming of the Lord.
00:32:49.07\00:32:52.29
Now, John, here is
where I want to segue
00:32:52.32\00:32:53.69
and we had such a good time,
00:32:53.72\00:32:56.35
I remember so well the last time
00:32:56.38\00:32:57.75
we got together and
talked about this topic
00:32:57.78\00:32:59.15
and it's really good
that we could do that again
00:32:59.18\00:33:01.04
at this particular point.
00:33:01.07\00:33:02.70
I want to lead in to
this-- we've been talking
00:33:02.73\00:33:04.33
about the Commandments of God
00:33:04.36\00:33:06.34
and I want to kind of dive
into this with the question.
00:33:06.37\00:33:10.03
Why do we do what we do?
00:33:10.06\00:33:13.76
It's very good
point, very good question.
00:33:13.79\00:33:15.93
Why do we do what we do?
00:33:15.96\00:33:18.12
And then on the premise of
because a lot of people say,
00:33:18.15\00:33:20.91
whether do you
think you need to keep
00:33:20.94\00:33:22.31
the commandments to be saved.
00:33:22.34\00:33:23.88
What I want to do
is closely analyze,
00:33:23.91\00:33:26.48
and I'll use this
not in a forensic sense,
00:33:26.51\00:33:28.67
but just pay attention
to how many people honor
00:33:28.70\00:33:32.16
the Commandments of God
before they came out of Egypt
00:33:32.19\00:33:36.73
as compared to how many
people that the Lord gave
00:33:36.76\00:33:38.79
the commandments to
after they came out of Egypt.
00:33:38.82\00:33:41.94
And how many ignored
the Commandments of God
00:33:41.97\00:33:43.70
and made it into Canaan, okay.
00:33:43.73\00:33:45.91
That's the analogy I
want to look at there,
00:33:45.94\00:33:47.99
but go a head and with
that-- with that very question.
00:33:48.02\00:33:51.80
Why do we do what we do?
Is it motivated by love or--
00:33:51.83\00:33:56.61
Well, I think
it's the deeper meaning
00:33:56.64\00:33:59.24
of that statement by Jesus,
00:33:59.27\00:34:00.80
"If you love me,
keep My commandments."
00:34:00.83\00:34:02.76
And then John reiterating
that as well in his epistle,
00:34:02.79\00:34:06.21
that we know that we love God
when we keep His commandments.
00:34:06.24\00:34:10.20
Revelation finishes
the whole story off.
00:34:10.23\00:34:11.85
Here are the--here is
the patience of the saints
00:34:11.88\00:34:14.17
those who keep the Commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus.
00:34:14.20\00:34:18.31
Now it's interesting if keeping
00:34:18.34\00:34:19.99
the Commandments
of God is legalism.
00:34:20.02\00:34:21.62
How come the Bible pairs keeping
00:34:21.65\00:34:23.02
the Commandments of God with
the faith of Jesus together.
00:34:23.05\00:34:25.48
Very good point. It
doesn't make any sense.
00:34:25.51\00:34:28.49
So some times
our theological model
00:34:28.52\00:34:30.94
in the--on the
issue of Ten Commandments
00:34:30.97\00:34:32.68
can be so tainted
by what the world,
00:34:32.71\00:34:36.34
has Christian world has accepted
or adopted in regard to,
00:34:36.37\00:34:42.95
you know, statements
made by preachers and teachers
00:34:42.98\00:34:44.83
out there that were
afraid to just throw it out
00:34:44.86\00:34:48.19
and really go back to the word
00:34:48.22\00:34:49.59
and let the word
do the talking for us.
00:34:49.62\00:34:50.99
I think that's where
we are trying to advocate
00:34:51.02\00:34:52.39
here is always at House Calls
is what does the Bible say,
00:34:52.42\00:34:55.54
not what to someone
else say about this or that
00:34:55.57\00:34:58.31
or what our
traditions are anyway?
00:34:58.34\00:35:02.45
And a big part of the platform
is we have a 747 little fly
00:35:02.48\00:35:07.73
that keeps flying
around here with us, okay,
00:35:07.76\00:35:09.13
we're not gonna stop
the program because of him,
00:35:09.16\00:35:11.01
he just visiting us right now.
00:35:11.04\00:35:13.14
But the big issue here is,
you found in Ecclesiastes 12.
00:35:13.17\00:35:17.29
Let's go to Ecclesiastes.
00:35:17.32\00:35:18.93
We're gonna show you
that the Old Testament
00:35:18.96\00:35:21.09
and the New
Testament are in partnership
00:35:21.12\00:35:23.88
on the very simple
issue of what we do.
00:35:23.91\00:35:27.68
Ecclesiastes 12, I
am on my way there.
00:35:27.71\00:35:31.36
You know, I can
hear someone saying,
00:35:31.39\00:35:33.60
that they are going
to the Old Testament.
00:35:33.63\00:35:36.36
You know that's the Old
Testament, that's a Jewish,
00:35:36.39\00:35:38.24
you know, those
are mainly for the Jews
00:35:38.27\00:35:39.85
and it's a different system.
00:35:39.88\00:35:41.25
This is part of the
theology that the devil sets up
00:35:41.28\00:35:43.49
within Christianity that
creates so much confusion.
00:35:43.52\00:35:47.57
Saying that I am a
New Testament Christian
00:35:47.60\00:35:50.15
doesn't dismiss
the Old Testament,
00:35:50.18\00:35:51.55
because two thirds
of the New Testament
00:35:51.58\00:35:53.22
is coding from the Old. Right.
00:35:53.25\00:35:56.04
If you remove the Old
Testament out of the new,
00:35:56.07\00:35:58.05
you'll have very
little left from the Bible.
00:35:58.08\00:36:02.38
And so anyway, when we
read from the Old Testament,
00:36:02.41\00:36:06.13
and as we read the
Bible itself both old and new
00:36:06.16\00:36:10.50
they fit together
perfectly and harmoniously.
00:36:10.53\00:36:13.35
And I appreciate
you're going straight
00:36:13.38\00:36:14.97
to Ecclesiastes for
this because this really
00:36:15.00\00:36:16.81
is the conclusion with
regard to the commandment.
00:36:16.84\00:36:18.85
Read verse 13 and 14.
00:36:18.88\00:36:21.11
"Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter.
00:36:21.14\00:36:23.84
Fear God, and
keep his commandments,
00:36:23.87\00:36:25.84
for this is mans all"
or I think King James says,
00:36:25.87\00:36:29.64
"the whole duty of
man." That's right.
00:36:29.67\00:36:31.82
"For God will bring every
work into judgment including
00:36:31.85\00:36:34.72
every secret thing,
whether good or evil."
00:36:34.75\00:36:38.92
Now it's interesting on this,
00:36:38.95\00:36:40.65
if you say this is
an Old Testament thing,
00:36:40.68\00:36:43.02
statement, and it's
meant for only some,
00:36:43.05\00:36:46.41
verse 14 then will
you would also be saying
00:36:46.44\00:36:49.78
doesn't apply to you.
00:36:49.81\00:36:51.36
That there is no
judgment where God will bring
00:36:51.39\00:36:53.72
the secret things
to life or to light.
00:36:53.75\00:36:56.37
Except the
future judgment. Yeah.
00:36:56.40\00:36:58.44
So you are
eliminating the future judgment.
00:36:58.47\00:37:00.37
So, okay, so will
accept 14 and not accept 13,
00:37:00.40\00:37:04.72
is that what we were
saying with the Old Testament,
00:37:04.75\00:37:06.62
in this specific verse.
00:37:06.65\00:37:08.02
You can't do it that way. Okay.
00:37:08.05\00:37:09.42
So this is problematic,
so the Ten Commandments
00:37:09.45\00:37:11.96
and judgment are connected here.
00:37:11.99\00:37:15.72
Those who are
followers of God fear Him
00:37:15.75\00:37:18.53
by keeping His commandments.
00:37:18.56\00:37:20.71
It's their duty
and responsibility
00:37:20.74\00:37:23.08
and they
recognize that their works
00:37:23.11\00:37:24.91
do not enter into judgment,
00:37:24.94\00:37:26.31
because their faith in
Jesus has already overcome
00:37:26.34\00:37:30.18
the judgment that
comes from the law.
00:37:30.21\00:37:33.14
And you know, what
John, I think we mentioned
00:37:33.17\00:37:35.63
this briefly in a prior program.
00:37:35.66\00:37:39.27
The issue is so much,
what's going on in the heart?
00:37:39.30\00:37:44.90
Parents would say
to their children,
00:37:44.93\00:37:46.30
why is that that you
just refuse to listen?
00:37:46.33\00:37:50.20
And then some people say,
00:37:50.23\00:37:51.60
man, that kid has
a really hard heart.
00:37:51.63\00:37:54.49
Why is that that you just
won't do what I actually do?
00:37:54.52\00:37:57.82
Man, that kid has a very
disobedient or rebellious heart.
00:37:57.85\00:38:02.21
Well, look at what God has done
and I think one of the points
00:38:02.24\00:38:06.38
we made as we compared Israel,
00:38:06.41\00:38:09.13
spiritual Israel
with literal Israel.
00:38:09.16\00:38:11.70
No matter which one you go,
00:38:11.73\00:38:14.28
the Lord has done something
that affects all of us.
00:38:14.31\00:38:17.34
Not just spiritual
Israel, but also literal Israel.
00:38:17.37\00:38:21.25
Look at Hebrews 10:16,
00:38:21.28\00:38:23.68
he makes this the
heart issue and a head issue.
00:38:23.71\00:38:26.78
Hebrews 10:16, He said,
00:38:26.81\00:38:29.21
"This is the covenant I will
make with him after those days,
00:38:29.24\00:38:32.78
says the Lord,
I will put My laws
00:38:32.81\00:38:34.92
in to their hearts
and in their minds"
00:38:34.95\00:38:38.33
I will do what?
"I will write them."
00:38:38.36\00:38:40.29
So God is not
getting rid of His laws.
00:38:40.32\00:38:42.82
He is not saying, you know what,
00:38:42.85\00:38:44.22
these laws really have
caused lot of problems.
00:38:44.25\00:38:46.55
How many of us want
to be a part of a society
00:38:46.58\00:38:48.39
that doesn't have any laws?
00:38:48.42\00:38:50.42
Now we could become a little
ridiculous in our new laws
00:38:50.45\00:38:52.85
that were adding and
adding and adding and adding.
00:38:52.88\00:38:55.04
But just say for example,
00:38:55.07\00:38:56.44
if we took away
all the traffic laws,
00:38:56.47\00:38:58.97
Now there are
some rebellious people
00:38:59.00\00:39:00.57
that would absolutely love that.
00:39:00.60\00:39:02.95
But what's the issue again,
the heart, rebellious heart.
00:39:02.98\00:39:06.33
But I heard of a tragic accident
that happened a few days ago,
00:39:06.36\00:39:10.61
matter of fact
last week it happened,
00:39:10.64\00:39:12.16
of a 17-year-old
boy that was speeding
00:39:12.19\00:39:16.46
and people saw him
but he ran straight
00:39:16.49\00:39:19.07
through the stop
sign and met his fate
00:39:19.10\00:39:21.78
when he hit--when he was
impacted by an 18 wheeler.
00:39:21.81\00:39:25.91
Now you know, for
those young people that feel
00:39:25.94\00:39:28.39
that they are
invincible or immortal,
00:39:28.42\00:39:33.28
an 18 wheeler truck always
wins, against a pick-up truck.
00:39:33.31\00:39:38.33
And they showed the
sad mangled situation there
00:39:38.36\00:39:42.24
and then I also remember a
news report a few years ago,
00:39:42.27\00:39:45.96
maybe more than 10
years ago about some teenagers
00:39:45.99\00:39:49.06
that just wanted to have
fun and he was out--outside
00:39:49.09\00:39:52.79
of their town in a very
dark local and there was a place
00:39:52.82\00:39:57.19
where almost had
a perfect square,
00:39:57.22\00:39:59.63
they're four intersections,
north, south, east and west.
00:39:59.66\00:40:03.79
And they took away all the
stop signs on all four corners.
00:40:03.82\00:40:07.62
And that night
eight people died.
00:40:07.65\00:40:10.62
Because what's
happening, they are all speeding
00:40:10.65\00:40:12.99
to an intersection
and the signs were gone,
00:40:13.02\00:40:15.96
the stop signs
were completely removed,
00:40:15.99\00:40:18.76
all those signs were gone.
00:40:18.79\00:40:20.20
And what happened,
00:40:20.23\00:40:21.60
it caused eight lives
on that fateful night.
00:40:21.63\00:40:25.07
And what happened
was, what did they remove?
00:40:25.10\00:40:27.10
They removed the law.
00:40:27.13\00:40:29.13
They removed--
and what happened?
00:40:29.16\00:40:30.53
They wanted to have fun.
00:40:30.56\00:40:31.93
And there's some
people they think
00:40:31.96\00:40:33.33
that abrogating the law
of God gives us more fun,
00:40:33.36\00:40:36.50
when in fact it sets up a more
tragic destiny for all of us.
00:40:36.53\00:40:39.72
When we--if we speed
and we've sped before
00:40:39.75\00:40:42.83
and we've gotten tickets
and we go into the courtroom,
00:40:42.86\00:40:49.09
if we choose to
go that route to go
00:40:49.12\00:40:51.23
and seek mercy of
reduction in our speed limit
00:40:51.26\00:40:53.94
whatever it is, the final pay.
00:40:53.97\00:40:55.78
When we go there at no time
have I ever seen the judge say,
00:40:55.81\00:41:01.28
you know what, now
that you've broken it,
00:41:01.31\00:41:05.48
they don't apply to you anymore.
00:41:05.51\00:41:09.01
Now that we set up the rules,
they just don't apply anymore.
00:41:09.04\00:41:13.64
It's the rules of the
world that keep us free
00:41:13.67\00:41:18.99
from those that
are breaking the law.
00:41:19.02\00:41:22.99
And the spiritual, for
a spiritual application
00:41:23.02\00:41:25.95
it is the Ten
Commandments that keeps us safe
00:41:25.98\00:41:29.20
from the enemy. That's right.
00:41:29.23\00:41:31.50
The Ten Commandments
keep us safe from the devil
00:41:31.53\00:41:34.08
and his temptations, because
we know what temptation is.
00:41:34.11\00:41:38.01
In fact, its still is in force
00:41:38.04\00:41:40.37
and we know it
has to be in force
00:41:40.40\00:41:41.85
because there's still
sin in this in this world.
00:41:41.88\00:41:43.96
And Paul argues very
pointedly that without the law,
00:41:43.99\00:41:49.32
he would not have known sin.
00:41:49.35\00:41:51.98
There's nothing to
condemn him as a sinner,
00:41:52.01\00:41:56.56
so if you remove the
law, it's nice to say,
00:41:56.59\00:41:58.48
hey there's no law,
we are free in Christ.
00:41:58.51\00:42:00.71
But you're removing
the very condemnation
00:42:00.74\00:42:02.23
that drives someone to
Christ and we can't do that,
00:42:02.26\00:42:06.42
the Bible doesn't do that.
00:42:06.45\00:42:08.38
And is not--as we said before,
it's not ten suggestions.
00:42:08.41\00:42:13.24
The law is a
package that fits together.
00:42:13.27\00:42:15.57
The first four are
our responsibility to God.
00:42:15.60\00:42:19.29
We're responsible in how
we worship and respond to Him.
00:42:19.32\00:42:23.03
The last six are our
responsibility to mankind.
00:42:23.06\00:42:26.46
This is why Jesus
sums up the law saying,
00:42:26.49\00:42:30.95
thou shall love the Lord thy
God with all their heart and--
00:42:30.98\00:42:33.76
Right, all their mind.
00:42:33.79\00:42:35.44
All their mind and also who?
00:42:35.47\00:42:37.43
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
00:42:37.46\00:42:40.14
It's both. It's the
vertical part of the cross,
00:42:40.17\00:42:42.87
our relationship with the God,
00:42:42.90\00:42:44.27
it's a horizontal part
of the cross in salvation,
00:42:44.30\00:42:45.84
our relationship with mankind.
00:42:45.87\00:42:47.75
This is the
summation of the law,
00:42:47.78\00:42:49.15
but it doesn't replace the law.
00:42:49.18\00:42:51.64
The law and its
principles are still in force.
00:42:51.67\00:42:54.14
What makes it so difficult,
what makes it--what makes it
00:42:54.17\00:42:56.79
a problem in our
society nowadays is,
00:42:56.82\00:43:00.67
and I so appreciate
it-- I heard a presentation
00:43:00.70\00:43:04.15
by one of our 3ABN personalities
by the name of Dr. Magna Parks
00:43:04.18\00:43:09.92
and she said-- She
did really fantastic job.
00:43:09.95\00:43:11.50
Oh, I tell you, she said,
in an article she was reading
00:43:11.53\00:43:15.42
about from a
psychologist who said,
00:43:15.45\00:43:17.81
"Whatever happened to
preachers talking about sin."
00:43:17.84\00:43:21.78
Its like sin is no
longer a topic in Christianity,
00:43:21.81\00:43:26.18
its about prosperity,
00:43:26.21\00:43:27.67
it's about how
much money you can make,
00:43:27.70\00:43:29.07
it's about your portfolio,
00:43:29.10\00:43:31.05
it's about
seven highly effective
00:43:31.08\00:43:32.89
habits of an
effective Christian.
00:43:32.92\00:43:34.81
It's all this
mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble.
00:43:34.84\00:43:37.22
She says, its not sin
anymore, it's an addiction.
00:43:37.25\00:43:41.03
It's a problem that
someone has that we have to help
00:43:41.06\00:43:44.34
and nurture them through and--
00:43:44.37\00:43:46.17
It's not
rebellion, its ADHD. Yeah.
00:43:46.20\00:43:50.67
You know, its not--
it's not--in America--
00:43:50.70\00:43:55.28
and there was a book written,
00:43:55.31\00:43:56.68
I so appreciated that
presentations she had done,
00:43:56.71\00:43:59.46
because she said, it
was a book written called
00:43:59.49\00:44:00.86
"One Nation Under
Therapy." That's good.
00:44:00.89\00:44:04.39
You know, not
one nation under God,
00:44:04.42\00:44:06.13
one nation under therapy.
00:44:06.16\00:44:07.76
And that's the
problem in our nation,
00:44:07.79\00:44:09.43
we have explained away the
general problem which is sin.
00:44:09.46\00:44:15.50
And people now have
come to the place where,
00:44:15.53\00:44:17.60
if I eradicated the
idea that we have to keep
00:44:17.63\00:44:20.24
the commandments, then we
no longer see sin as it is.
00:44:20.27\00:44:24.03
But if you go to Romans 3,
we'll go there very quickly.
00:44:24.06\00:44:26.58
Turn there with me
Romans 3. And here I am.
00:44:26.61\00:44:31.49
Let's look at something that
is very important Romans 3:20.
00:44:35.04\00:44:40.21
It says, "Therefore
by the deeds of the law
00:44:43.45\00:44:46.71
no flesh will be
justified in his sight,
00:44:46.74\00:44:50.22
for by the law is the--",
00:44:50.25\00:44:51.62
what? "Knowledge of sin."
00:44:51.65\00:44:53.79
In other word I--
if I don't have a law,
00:44:53.82\00:44:57.07
then I don't
even know what sin is.
00:44:57.10\00:45:00.10
There are certain parts of
the country, not very many,
00:45:00.13\00:45:02.60
you know, in
certain parts of our country
00:45:02.63\00:45:05.44
the speed limit changes.
00:45:05.47\00:45:07.53
I am so mindful when
I drive on highway 57,
00:45:07.56\00:45:10.80
when I am coming
back from Nashville,
00:45:10.83\00:45:13.55
we got through Kentucky
and there are certain stretches
00:45:13.58\00:45:16.02
where it goes up
to 70 miles an hour.
00:45:16.05\00:45:18.63
Then all of a
sudden there's a section
00:45:18.66\00:45:20.43
where it goes from 70 to 65
00:45:20.46\00:45:22.64
and right down to 55
and it--it never fails,
00:45:22.67\00:45:27.58
but as you come
around the corner
00:45:27.61\00:45:29.11
there is the
highway patrol to remind all
00:45:29.14\00:45:31.74
those who think its
still 70 that is now 55.
00:45:31.77\00:45:35.44
But now here is the question.
00:45:35.47\00:45:37.37
If we get rid of the--
if we get rid of the law,
00:45:37.40\00:45:42.06
then we don't know
what sin is any longer
00:45:42.09\00:45:44.13
and where there is no sin,
00:45:44.16\00:45:46.48
where there is no
law there is no sin,
00:45:46.51\00:45:48.28
where there is no sin,
there is no need of a Savior.
00:45:48.31\00:45:52.79
And so you begin to
look at all of this.
00:45:52.82\00:45:54.68
Now let's take that
as an actual conclusion.
00:45:54.71\00:45:57.34
If a preacher begins to say,
00:45:57.37\00:45:58.74
there is no law
or the commandments
00:45:58.77\00:46:01.95
have been nailed to the cross,
00:46:01.98\00:46:03.73
then what's his job all about.
00:46:03.76\00:46:06.69
He's nothing but a
well paid cheerleader,
00:46:06.72\00:46:10.52
because he has no answer
because there is no problem.
00:46:10.55\00:46:15.89
So there are preachers
that are preaching nowadays
00:46:15.92\00:46:17.66
and they are no
longer talking about sin,
00:46:17.69\00:46:19.60
they are talking about
all these social programs,
00:46:19.63\00:46:22.59
how to get rid of a guy
that doesn't treat you right
00:46:22.62\00:46:25.28
or how to--lighten
the load of the person
00:46:25.31\00:46:28.76
that gets on your nerve,
00:46:28.79\00:46:30.34
all this stuff
that is often talk about
00:46:30.37\00:46:32.10
by psychologists or counselors
00:46:32.13\00:46:34.90
but the word if you mention sin,
00:46:34.93\00:46:37.07
you can empty a 30,000
seats stadium in a heartbeat.
00:46:37.10\00:46:39.79
But there,
John, there's a reason
00:46:39.82\00:46:41.22
why we see this happening today
00:46:41.25\00:46:43.08
and you always got to ask
00:46:43.11\00:46:44.48
why are we
seeing the trends today?
00:46:44.51\00:46:46.19
And the devil is
doing this for one reason.
00:46:46.22\00:46:49.09
He knows that if we
don't acknowledge our sin
00:46:49.12\00:46:51.62
that we don't have anything
that drives us to a Savior.
00:46:51.65\00:46:55.67
There is no need--sense
of need of a Redeemer,
00:46:55.70\00:46:59.76
a Savior from our
sins, if we don't realize
00:46:59.79\00:47:03.40
that we are sinners.
00:47:03.43\00:47:05.61
And that's the
purpose of the law.
00:47:05.64\00:47:07.01
So we can get rid of
the law and its obligation
00:47:07.04\00:47:09.89
then he gets rid of
the need for a Savior.
00:47:09.92\00:47:12.65
And these are all
part of the subtle attacks
00:47:12.68\00:47:15.83
and the subtle
of the-- the things
00:47:15.86\00:47:17.84
that enter into
the Christian faith
00:47:17.87\00:47:19.28
that the devil is
bringing in to get us off track.
00:47:19.31\00:47:22.16
And one of my
favorite verses John,
00:47:22.19\00:47:24.97
is from the Book of Jude,
a little Book of Jude-- Okay.
00:47:25.00\00:47:28.18
That I think has
just a powerful, powerful,
00:47:28.21\00:47:32.20
it provides a powerful
statement along this--this
00:47:32.23\00:47:34.62
very topic that we
are talking about here.
00:47:34.65\00:47:37.10
It's only one chapter
and its verses 3 and 4.
00:47:37.13\00:47:39.29
Okay, go ahead. And
listen to here what he says.
00:47:39.32\00:47:42.56
Wow, this is huge.
00:47:42.59\00:47:44.50
It says, "Beloved
while I was very diligent
00:47:44.53\00:47:47.17
to write to you
concerning our common salvation,
00:47:47.20\00:47:50.60
I found it necessary
to write to exhorting
00:47:50.63\00:47:52.99
you to contend
earnestly for the--" Faith.
00:47:53.02\00:47:55.66
"Faith, which was once for
all delivered to the saints."
00:47:55.69\00:47:58.78
In other words, it's
not old--it's not old news.
00:47:58.81\00:48:01.23
It's the faith that
holds on and endures forever.
00:48:01.26\00:48:04.27
And then he says,
first--the reason why is
00:48:04.30\00:48:07.02
"For certain men
have crept in unnoticed,
00:48:07.05\00:48:10.55
who long ago were marked out
00:48:10.58\00:48:12.15
for this
condemnation, ungodly men,
00:48:12.18\00:48:14.84
who turned the grace
of our God into lewdness."
00:48:14.87\00:48:20.49
I like the NIV in that one you
get a license for immorality.
00:48:20.52\00:48:23.70
Yeah, and then it says in the--
00:48:23.73\00:48:26.16
it says
licentiousness. Licentiousness.
00:48:26.19\00:48:28.23
Lewdness, the
license for immorality.
00:48:28.26\00:48:30.48
"And deny the only Lord
God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:48:30.51\00:48:34.60
In other words,
they are preaching grace,
00:48:34.63\00:48:37.19
but their brand of grace is
giving people a license for sin.
00:48:37.22\00:48:42.30
And what they do when
they respond to it that way
00:48:42.33\00:48:44.78
and they accept that is
they deny Christ himself.
00:48:44.81\00:48:47.27
That's right. And now what we--
00:48:47.30\00:48:49.17
And this has
crept in, Paul says.
00:48:49.20\00:48:51.52
That's what--I mean, Jude says.
00:48:51.55\00:48:54.06
It's crept in,
unnoticed in fact.
00:48:54.09\00:48:57.28
And you know what happens
00:48:57.31\00:48:58.68
when--this thing that
we are experiencing now
00:48:58.71\00:49:00.91
in the Christian world today
00:49:00.94\00:49:02.37
is not the product of
an overnight revolution
00:49:02.40\00:49:06.02
where they decide to replace
00:49:06.05\00:49:07.82
what the Bible
teaches with or man teaches.
00:49:07.85\00:49:09.98
But it's a gradual,
it's like--it's like putting
00:49:10.01\00:49:14.62
butter on the
pavement in the winter time
00:49:14.65\00:49:18.87
and it will stay frozen solid.
00:49:18.90\00:49:20.86
But as you
increase the temperature
00:49:20.89\00:49:22.54
the butter just
slowly begins to melt.
00:49:22.57\00:49:25.02
And that's what
happens, Satan has increased
00:49:25.05\00:49:27.06
the temperature and he
is melting those things
00:49:27.09\00:49:29.64
that really are substantial to
a solid Christian relationship.
00:49:29.67\00:49:34.92
He has taken out--
He has taken out sin
00:49:34.95\00:49:38.74
and replaced it with--
with conditions and well,
00:49:38.77\00:49:45.46
I think I don't want to go
through all the conditions.
00:49:45.49\00:49:46.86
Well, let me
follow up to this too
00:49:46.89\00:49:48.79
because in Revelation
and this is the message
00:49:48.82\00:49:53.22
to the church in
Pergamos. All right.
00:49:53.25\00:49:57.72
If you look at Revelation 2:15,
00:49:57.75\00:50:00.02
it doesn't appear to relate to
what we were talking about here.
00:50:00.05\00:50:04.42
But if you look
little deeper, it does.
00:50:04.45\00:50:06.46
Listen to these
words of Christ Himself,
00:50:06.49\00:50:08.01
"Thus you also have
those who hold to the doctrine
00:50:08.04\00:50:11.88
of the Nicolaitans,
which thing I," what?
00:50:11.91\00:50:15.43
Hate. "Hate."
00:50:15.46\00:50:16.83
You know what
the Nicolaitans did?
00:50:16.86\00:50:18.23
You know what their thing was?
00:50:18.26\00:50:19.64
They were antinomianist,
antinomianism which is anti law.
00:50:19.67\00:50:26.49
They were doing away
00:50:26.52\00:50:27.89
with the law of
God in favor of grace.
00:50:27.92\00:50:30.39
This stuff you were
hearing today is not new.
00:50:30.42\00:50:33.60
No, it isn't. It's old.
00:50:33.63\00:50:35.45
The Nicolaitans
began it, Christ says,
00:50:35.48\00:50:37.53
I hate that and we still
are seeing it today preach
00:50:37.56\00:50:41.21
through out Christendom. Right.
00:50:41.24\00:50:43.42
And he's preached
with such fervency
00:50:43.45\00:50:44.86
that's why it said in Hosea 8:7,
00:50:44.89\00:50:47.66
"They saw the wind and
they reap the whirlwind."
00:50:47.69\00:50:51.46
So what's happened now
is for so many centuries
00:50:51.49\00:50:54.41
Christianity has been
beating the pillow of truth
00:50:54.44\00:50:58.53
and all the feathers of
truth are flying all over.
00:50:58.56\00:51:01.08
Now, that we see
the impact on society
00:51:01.11\00:51:03.96
that the level of immorality,
we're kind of saying,
00:51:03.99\00:51:06.97
could we get it back.
00:51:07.00\00:51:08.48
No, you can never get it back.
00:51:08.51\00:51:10.28
You try to recover it, but now
since you cannot get it back,
00:51:10.31\00:51:13.05
you substitute that with
things that are not as solid
00:51:13.08\00:51:16.85
and as relevant as
what the Word of God says.
00:51:16.88\00:51:19.29
So if you just
simply allow the Word of God
00:51:19.32\00:51:21.50
to be the number
one book in your life,
00:51:21.53\00:51:23.69
then you'll see why it's
so important to follow what
00:51:23.72\00:51:27.91
"Thus saith the
Lord" is all about.
00:51:27.94\00:51:29.86
What the Word of God
really is saying to us.
00:51:29.89\00:51:31.82
Maybe we had to
answer just a few objections.
00:51:31.85\00:51:34.62
As we are closing here,
and one of them is that--
00:51:34.65\00:51:41.24
well, God redeemed us
from the curse of the law.
00:51:41.27\00:51:45.43
And so if the law is
the curse there obliviously
00:51:45.46\00:51:48.19
we don't have law anymore.
00:51:48.22\00:51:49.99
But you've got to
read that verse carefully.
00:51:50.02\00:51:51.69
It's the curse that
He redeemed us from.
00:51:51.72\00:51:54.91
Right. Not the law.
00:51:54.94\00:51:56.31
That's right.
00:51:56.34\00:51:57.71
The last stone effect,
it's the curse of the law,
00:51:57.74\00:52:00.20
that was our redemption. Right.
00:52:00.23\00:52:03.26
So the curse means, I break the
law I am condemned and I die.
00:52:03.29\00:52:09.35
Jesus says, no, I kept the law
00:52:09.38\00:52:11.50
by faith that they have in me,
I give them my life, perfection,
00:52:11.53\00:52:15.96
I no longer have the curse
but the law is still in effect.
00:52:15.99\00:52:19.46
In fact there
would be no judgment
00:52:19.49\00:52:20.86
at the end if the law
wasn't still in force.
00:52:20.89\00:52:22.26
Very good point.
00:52:22.29\00:52:23.66
So it's the curse that was
done way with, not the law.
00:52:23.69\00:52:26.98
And the curse of the
law, "Thou shalt not kill."
00:52:27.01\00:52:29.08
I violate the law and now
the wages of sin is death.
00:52:29.11\00:52:32.13
He has redeemed us
from the death that comes
00:52:32.16\00:52:34.67
from violation of the law. Yeah.
00:52:34.70\00:52:36.52
It's been snatched out, He
says, Okay, I pay the price.
00:52:36.55\00:52:39.41
Yes, you should die.
00:52:39.44\00:52:41.60
But I redeem you from
what the law is gonna--
00:52:41.63\00:52:43.52
what the law hands down,
00:52:43.55\00:52:46.32
and it passes on to
you the wages of sin
00:52:46.35\00:52:48.56
which is death,
the death sentence.
00:52:48.59\00:52:50.08
So you don't have to
worry about that any longer.
00:52:50.11\00:52:53.00
Another objection is,
well, what about Colossians 2
00:52:53.03\00:52:57.70
and Ephesians 2, in regard
00:52:57.73\00:53:00.35
to God's law
ending at the cross.
00:53:00.38\00:53:02.70
What do we say about
that? Let's look at it.
00:53:02.73\00:53:06.09
Let's take a look at
those two--two passages here.
00:53:06.12\00:53:08.87
Here it is.
00:53:08.90\00:53:10.27
You go to
Ephesians, I go to Colossians.
00:53:10.30\00:53:11.67
Okay. Okay, Colossians 2.
00:53:11.70\00:53:15.30
Why don't I
read Ephesians first?
00:53:15.33\00:53:17.18
And then-- You got it?
00:53:17.21\00:53:20.26
And then
Colossians is very similar
00:53:20.29\00:53:21.93
and so I have you read that.
00:53:21.96\00:53:23.46
Okay. Right.
00:53:23.49\00:53:26.53
All right, Ephesians 2:14-15,
00:53:26.56\00:53:32.34
"For he himself is our peace,
00:53:32.37\00:53:34.05
who had made both
one and has broken down
00:53:34.08\00:53:36.44
the middle wall of separation,
00:53:36.47\00:53:39.45
having abolished in
his flesh the enmity."
00:53:39.48\00:53:43.59
What did He abolish?
00:53:43.62\00:53:44.99
The enmity. The enmity.
00:53:45.02\00:53:46.97
"That is the law of commandments
contained in ordinances.
00:53:47.00\00:53:52.49
So as to create in
himself one new man
00:53:52.52\00:53:55.32
from the two
that's making peace."
00:53:55.35\00:53:58.75
So he is abolished or he has
removed the wall of separation,
00:53:58.78\00:54:03.56
the enmity that is--that
is the law of commandments
00:54:03.59\00:54:07.18
contained in ordinances.
00:54:07.21\00:54:09.76
So many say well, look
right there, look says the law,
00:54:09.79\00:54:12.64
the commandments done away with.
00:54:12.67\00:54:15.14
We have to read little careful,
00:54:15.17\00:54:16.64
more carefully and
little more closely.
00:54:16.67\00:54:18.94
These are the commandments
that are given in ordinances
00:54:18.97\00:54:22.61
issued to the Jews, the
Israel, as a whole surrounding
00:54:22.64\00:54:30.55
or as part of the
ceremonial services.
00:54:30.58\00:54:33.64
And all they need to do, John,
00:54:33.67\00:54:35.04
to find out what
those ordinances are is read
00:54:35.07\00:54:36.44
Hebrews 9 and Hebrews 10
and it starts up by saying,
00:54:36.47\00:54:41.07
"Then indeed even
the first covenant
00:54:41.10\00:54:43.03
had ordinances
of divine services
00:54:43.06\00:54:45.31
and an earthly sanctuary."
00:54:45.34\00:54:47.15
And it goes on to break
all those ordinances down.
00:54:47.18\00:54:50.08
Chapter 9 and--
chapter 8, 9 and 10.
00:54:50.11\00:54:52.64
So when it says law
contained in ordinances
00:54:52.67\00:54:55.75
you know, the carnal
ordinances, the washings,
00:54:55.78\00:54:58.95
the sacrifices, the
ceremonies, the feasts,
00:54:58.98\00:55:01.65
these were
ordinances and he says,
00:55:01.68\00:55:03.56
I have done away with that,
so there is now and the Jews
00:55:03.59\00:55:06.86
used that to boast and say,
00:55:06.89\00:55:08.37
okay, because these
ordinances are ours,
00:55:08.40\00:55:11.99
you Christians
have one of two choices.
00:55:12.02\00:55:14.12
You either get
circumcised and honor these
00:55:14.15\00:55:17.09
or you do not get circumcised
and you are now lost.
00:55:17.12\00:55:20.69
And the Lord says, wait
a minute, wait a minute,
00:55:20.72\00:55:22.31
1 Corinthians 7:19.
Gonna go there very quickly.
00:55:22.34\00:55:26.21
1 Corinthians 7:19, I want
to get this in there before we--
00:55:26.24\00:55:28.55
I am already
there. You already there?
00:55:28.58\00:55:30.24
"Circumcision is nothing
and uncircumcision is nothing
00:55:30.27\00:55:32.98
but keeping the commands
of God is what matters."
00:55:33.01\00:55:36.07
Okay. So the
Jews were blown away
00:55:36.10\00:55:38.43
when Paul, the Apostle said,
wait a minute, wait a minute,
00:55:38.46\00:55:40.74
circumcision nothing,
uncircumcision nothing,
00:55:40.77\00:55:44.25
but keeping the
commands of God is what matters.
00:55:44.28\00:55:47.12
So people now what
they say, you Jewish,
00:55:47.15\00:55:48.93
you're keeping all the
Jewish laws that's the answer.
00:55:48.96\00:55:50.96
No, we are not.
00:55:50.99\00:55:52.36
We are not talking
about killing bulls and goats
00:55:52.39\00:55:56.28
and doves and
calves and sacrifices
00:55:56.31\00:55:59.08
and--we are not
talking about that,
00:55:59.11\00:56:01.11
we are simply the one
keeping the Commandments of God,
00:56:01.14\00:56:02.76
which is not Jewish at all.
00:56:02.79\00:56:04.16
Because Paul
completely obliterate that,
00:56:04.19\00:56:06.69
whether you're Jew and
you believe in circumcision
00:56:06.72\00:56:08.59
or where you are not Jew
and do not do not believe
00:56:08.62\00:56:10.09
in circumcision,
neither one matters.
00:56:10.12\00:56:11.81
What matters is keeping
the Commandments of God.
00:56:11.84\00:56:13.59
And why would Paul, the
same writer of Ephesians
00:56:13.62\00:56:15.73
and Colossians the Jew passages
00:56:15.76\00:56:17.30
write this in 1 Corinthians
contradicting himself.
00:56:17.33\00:56:21.63
He didn't. He
didn't contradict himself.
00:56:21.66\00:56:23.22
That's the answer.
00:56:23.25\00:56:24.62
The Commandments of God
and commandments in ordinances
00:56:24.65\00:56:27.22
are different,
two different things.
00:56:27.25\00:56:30.41
Also another quick reference
00:56:30.44\00:56:31.81
to look at just to
give them some text here.
00:56:31.84\00:56:35.49
I have it
written in my margin here
00:56:35.52\00:56:37.09
so I won't be able to give that
00:56:37.12\00:56:38.49
them as you are
going to Colossians 2.
00:56:38.52\00:56:40.05
Yeah, Colossians 2 to 6 down.
00:56:40.08\00:56:41.45
1 Chronicles 23:31
talks about ordinances there.
00:56:41.48\00:56:45.58
Go and read
Colossians 'cause it talks about
00:56:45.61\00:56:47.17
ordinances to and
I'll look this one up.
00:56:47.20\00:56:49.80
Well, in a
nutshell, Colossians 2
00:56:49.83\00:56:52.11
is repeat of Ephesians 2
and in the interest of time
00:56:52.14\00:56:57.31
these are talking
about all the shadows
00:56:57.34\00:56:59.77
that pointed to
the coming of Christ
00:56:59.80\00:57:02.45
and all these
things ended in Christ.
00:57:02.48\00:57:05.28
So therefore friends, at
House Calls we see clearly
00:57:05.31\00:57:08.69
that these ordinances that
were temporary only pointing
00:57:08.72\00:57:12.47
to the work of Christ,
have all pointed to the Messiah
00:57:12.50\00:57:15.77
who did come, who
through getting His life brought
00:57:15.80\00:57:19.11
these ceremonies and these
traditions of the Jews to an end
00:57:19.14\00:57:23.58
but the Commandments
would never done away with.
00:57:23.61\00:57:25.87
The commandments were
never nailed to the cross
00:57:25.90\00:57:27.90
because still
today they are transcript
00:57:27.93\00:57:30.45
of the Character of God.
00:57:30.48\00:57:32.11
By following Christ
you'll find peace in Him
00:57:32.14\00:57:34.08
and give your life to Him today,
00:57:34.11\00:57:36.03
God bless you.
00:57:36.06\00:57:37.46