Shall we pray.
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Our loving heavenly
Father, what a privilege it is
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to come before Your throne,
the King of the universe,
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to present our requests to You.
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We thank You, Father,
that we have Your Word.
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This Word that keeps us
in the strait and narrow
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but shows us exactly what
is in harmony with Your will.
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As we speak today about the
importance of distinguishing
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the holy from the
common, we ask for the guidance
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of Your Holy Spirit.
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Open our hearts
and open our minds
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that we might be willing to
receive what You have for us.
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And we thank You,
Father, for hearing our prayer.
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For we ask it in
Jesus' name, amen.
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The Bible gives us stories
that teach universal principles
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that apply in every age.
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Now, the circumstances of
those stories might change.
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But the principles
illustrated by those stories
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remain eternally.
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I'd like to begin by speaking
about the conquest of Jericho.
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If you'd go with me
to Joshua chapter 6,
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we're going to read several
verses here in this chapter
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of the book of Joshua
that speaks about the conquest
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of the Promised Land.
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Now when Israel crossed
the Jordon, the first city that
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they came to was
the city of Jericho.
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And God told them that they
should march around the city
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seven days and seven
times on the seventh day.
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And of course when
they did that, the city
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was destroyed by God.
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Now, God had warned
the Israelites not to take
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anything that was in
the city for themselves.
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I'd like to read
Joshua chapter 6 and verse 18,
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where we are told, "And you,
by all means abstain from the
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accursed things, lest you
become accursed when you take
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of the accursed things,
and make the camp of Israel
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a curse, and trouble it."
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Now that word, "accursed,"
at least the time where it is
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used first and the
third time that it is used,
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is the Hebrew word, "cherem."
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And basically, that word
is also translated in the
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Old Testament, "devoted."
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In other words, I believe
that the best translation
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is not to "abstain
from accursed things,"
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but abstain from devoted things.
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Now allow me to read you another
text from the book of Leviticus
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where this word is
translated "devoted,"
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so that you can see that
it is translated "devoted"
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in the Old Testament.
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Leviticus
chapter 27 and verse 28.
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Leviticus 27 verse 28
uses the same word, "cherem."
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It says there,
"Nevertheless no devoted..."
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Same word.
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"...no devoted offering
that a man may devote..."
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There's the same word again.
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"...to the Lord of all
that he has, both man and beast,
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or the field of his possession,
shall be sold or redeemed;
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every devoted..."
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There's the word
used for the third time.
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"...every devoted offering
is most holy to the Lord."
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So I believe that in
Joshua, the better translation
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is not "accursed."
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The best
translation is "devoted."
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The things in Jericho
were devoted, or set apart.
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Now you say, set apart for what?
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Well, the book of
Joshua tells us for what.
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Chapter 6 and verse
19, the very next verse
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says the following.
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What was the gold and the silver
and the bronze to be used for?
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It was to come into
the treasury of the Lord.
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In other words, these
things were devoted to whom?
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They were devoted to God.
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They weren't accursed.
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They were devoted to God.
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Interestingly enough, in
this verse Joshua 6 verse 19
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where it says that they
are consecrated to the Lord,
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the Hebrew word
there is "qadash."
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Which means, to
set apart as holy.
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Now listen up.
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Jericho was the first
city that Israel conquered
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in the Promised Land.
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And because it was the first
city that Israel conquered,
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the goods of the city were
God's tithe of the Holy Land.
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After that, God gave Israel
permission to take of the loot
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when cities fell.
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But when it was Jericho, the
things of Jericho were devoted.
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They were set apart
as holy for the Lord.
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Now there was one
individual who's name was Achan,
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who took some of the
gold and some of the silver
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and hid it under his tent.
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Now interestingly enough,
the sin of Achan was not only
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the sin of stealing.
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The sin of Achan
was taking what was holy
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to use for his own secular use.
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He was taking the tithe of the
land that belonged to the Lord,
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and he was using that
which was dedicated to the Lord,
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that which was holy,
for his common everyday use.
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There's one thing which is
very clear in the Old Testament
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as well as in the New.
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And that is that the
priests were to teach the people
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the difference between
the holy and the common.
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In fact, the High Priest
wore on his forehead a miter.
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And I want you to
notice what this miter said.
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It was kind of like a crown.
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It had an inscription on it.
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Exodus chapter 28 and verse
36 speaks about this miter,
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or this crown, that he used and
the inscription that was on it.
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It says here...
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What was the inscription on
the miter of the High Priest?
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Holiness unto the Lord.
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The priests were to teach the
people the distinction between
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the holy and the common.
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Let's read another verse where
this is made very, very clear.
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Ezekiel 44 and verse 23.
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Here it's speaking about the
priests and one of the duties
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of the priests of Israel.
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Notice what we are told here.
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And by the way, Ezekiel
40 through 48 is speaking
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about the
services of the temple.
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So this is in a
sanctuary context.
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It says there, "And
they..." That is the priests.
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Unholy means simply, common.
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In other words, the priests of
Israel were to teach the people
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the distinction between the
holy and that which was secular,
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or was common.
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You see, in Israel, there was
holy money and secular money.
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In Israel, there was
holy dress and secular dress.
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In Israel, there were
common days and holy days.
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In Israel, there were
common places and holy places.
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In Israel, there was
holy music and common music.
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In Israel, there were
holy occasions and there were
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common occasions.
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In Israel, there were
holy vocations and there were
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common vocations.
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And the priests were to
teach the Israelites the clear
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distinction between that
which had been dedicated to God,
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that which was holy,
and that which was common.
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The Bible tells us that
the priests failed miserably
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in this task.
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Ezekiel 22 and verse 26.
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Ezekiel 22 and verse 26
speaks about the priests
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and their
failure to do this task.
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It says there in
Ezekiel 22 verse 26...
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So I want to underline
the fact that the priests were
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to teach the people clearly the
distinction between that which
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was holy and
that which was common.
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Now there was one
thing in the sanctuary
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which was very
holy, among other things.
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And that was the
incense that was used to burn
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on the altar of
incense, or the golden altar.
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Exodus 30 verses 7 through
9 speaks about this incense
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that was to be offered.
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Incidentally, it
was a special formula.
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And no one was to
duplicate this holy formula.
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Because the Bible tells us that
if anybody tried to duplicate
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the formula and use the incense
in a secular environment,
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the sentence was death.
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Notice Exodus chapter
30 and verses 7 through 9.
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This is the altar of incense.
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What does that
mean, strange incense?
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It means, any other kind
of incense than the incense
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that is made with this
special formula, which is holy
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and dedicated to God.
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"Don't you offer any
other kind of incense
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on My altar of incense."
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Was God serious about this?
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Isn't incense incense?
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Absolutely not.
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There was a special
incense that was holy
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and it was not to
be used as secular.
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And secular incense was
not to be presented as holy
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before the Lord.
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Now the question is, what
did the incense represent?
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Well, let's read a few
verses from Scripture to see
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what the incense symbolized.
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Psalm 141 and verse 2.
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It says there...
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So what is incense
connected with here in
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Psalm 141 and verse 2?
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It's connected with prayer.
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But now listen carefully.
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This text tells us that the
prayer is linked with incense.
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But there's more to the story.
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Go with me to Revelation
chapter 8 and verse 3.
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The prayer itself
was not the incense.
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The incense was something
separate from the prayer.
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Notice, Revelation
chapter 8 and verse 3
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makes this distinction clear.
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It says here...
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This is in heaven, by the way.
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This is the heavenly sanctuary.
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Does the incense
represent the prayers?
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No, the incense is
offered with the prayers.
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That's a very important detail.
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Now go with me to Luke
chapter 1 verses 8 through 10
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where you have both the symbol
and what the symbol represents.
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Luke 1 verses 8 through 10.
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It's speaking about Zacharias,
the father of John the Baptist,
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and he was
serving in the sanctuary.
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And I want you to notice at
what hour he was burning incense
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on the altar, and what
the people were doing outside
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while he was burning
the incense on the altar.
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It says in Luke
chapter 1 and verse 8...
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Which, by the way,
was the eight division.
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So Zacharias goes in and
he's going to burn incense.
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Now what were the
people doing outside?
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The incense is added to what?
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To the prayers of the saints.
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Now that's the symbol, right?
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That's the
symbol in the sanctuary.
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But what did
that symbol represent?
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The last verse
tells us. Verse 10 says...
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So there you have the reality,
the prayers, and you also have
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the symbol, which is
the incense that's being
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burned on the altar.
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Now what does the
incense represent?
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It's added to the
prayers of God's people.
00:16:01.90\00:16:05.10
Let me read you a
statement that we find in
00:16:06.01\00:16:08.34
Selected Message,
volume 1, page 329
00:16:08.37\00:16:11.52
where Ellen White explains this
symbolism of the incense that
00:16:11.98\00:16:16.06
is added to the
prayers of the saints.
00:16:16.09\00:16:18.03
Can we pray to God...
00:16:18.23\00:16:19.60
Would God listen to our
prayers if our prayers went
00:16:19.63\00:16:21.79
directly to his throne?
00:16:21.82\00:16:23.43
He would have to destroy us
because our prayers are defiled.
00:16:24.45\00:16:27.92
They come from sinful lips.
00:16:27.95\00:16:30.08
What must happen
with our prayers?
00:16:31.13\00:16:33.06
They must be
cleansed and purified by the
00:16:33.26\00:16:35.83
righteousness of Christ.
00:16:35.86\00:16:37.60
Because He's our Intercessor.
00:16:38.02\00:16:39.67
They can't go just as
bare prayers before the Lord.
00:16:39.70\00:16:43.03
Notice what we find
here in this statement.
00:16:43.43\00:16:45.24
Profound.
00:16:45.27\00:16:46.64
She says, "With the confession
of the repenting believing
00:16:46.67\00:16:52.00
sinner, Christ
mingles His own righteousness
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that the prayer of
fallen man may go up as fragrant
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incense before the Father,
and the grace of God be imparted
00:17:03.68\00:17:09.91
to the believing soul."
00:17:09.94\00:17:11.41
So what does incense represent?
00:17:11.94\00:17:14.04
It represents the merits
of Christ's righteousness
00:17:14.41\00:17:19.50
that makes our
prayers acceptable before God.
00:17:19.53\00:17:24.07
Now the question is,
what does the fire represent?
00:17:25.65\00:17:29.68
Because you have the incense.
00:17:30.11\00:17:31.48
The incense represents
the merits of Christ that are
00:17:31.51\00:17:33.56
added to our prayers.
00:17:33.59\00:17:34.96
But what was it that
made the incense ascend?
00:17:34.99\00:17:38.04
Is was the fire, right?
00:17:39.14\00:17:40.57
The burning of the incense
is what made the incense ascend.
00:17:40.77\00:17:44.88
Now what does
the fire represent?
00:17:44.91\00:17:47.17
Well, I think you
know what fire represents
00:17:47.65\00:17:49.88
in Scripture symbolically.
00:17:49.91\00:17:51.44
It represents the Holy Spirit.
00:17:51.72\00:17:53.99
On the day of
Pentecost, what happened?
00:17:54.35\00:17:56.62
Tongues of fire were seen.
00:17:56.79\00:17:58.93
John the Baptist said He
will baptize you with the
00:17:59.33\00:18:02.00
Holy Spirit, and with what?
00:18:02.03\00:18:03.97
And with fire.
00:18:04.00\00:18:05.37
Fire in Scripture
represents the Holy Spirit.
00:18:05.40\00:18:07.92
And I'm going to
show you in a few moments
00:18:08.18\00:18:09.90
that our prayers are actually
aided by the Holy Spirit
00:18:10.13\00:18:15.60
so that we know what to
ask for and how to pray.
00:18:15.63\00:18:18.88
The Holy Spirit is involved
in bearing our prayers to Christ
00:18:18.91\00:18:22.91
so that Christ can represent
us in the heavenly sanctuary.
00:18:23.01\00:18:26.51
Now I want you to
notice Leviticus chapter 9
00:18:26.99\00:18:30.18
and verses 23 and 24.
00:18:30.21\00:18:32.59
Leviticus chapter
9 verses 23 and 24.
00:18:32.79\00:18:36.24
This is when the sanctuary
sacrifices were established
00:18:36.74\00:18:41.77
in the wilderness tabernacle.
00:18:41.80\00:18:44.02
I want you to notice what
happened when the sacrifices
00:18:44.68\00:18:48.42
had been placed upon the altar.
00:18:48.45\00:18:50.12
It says here...
00:18:50.24\00:18:51.61
"And fire came out
from before the Lord..."
00:19:03.57\00:19:07.32
And we spoke about
this in a previous lecture.
00:19:07.93\00:19:09.83
How did God show
that He accepted the
00:19:09.93\00:19:11.92
sacrifice of Christ?
00:19:11.95\00:19:13.63
By the tongues of fire
on the day of Pentecost.
00:19:14.27\00:19:16.44
Remember?
00:19:16.47\00:19:17.84
So notice what it
continues saying, verse 24.
00:19:17.87\00:19:19.67
So how did God show that
He accepted the sacrifices
00:19:32.27\00:19:35.16
that were placed upon the altar?
00:19:35.19\00:19:36.76
He rained fire from heaven.
00:19:36.79\00:19:38.47
Now listen carefully.
00:19:38.50\00:19:39.87
That fire that He rained
from heaven was holy fire.
00:19:39.90\00:19:43.80
It was fire that
came from the Lord.
00:19:45.60\00:19:48.33
Now let me ask you.
00:19:49.57\00:19:50.94
If you had compared that
fire with any other fire,
00:19:50.97\00:19:54.21
would the two
fires look similar?
00:19:54.24\00:19:55.83
Sure, absolutely.
00:19:56.54\00:19:57.91
If you stuck your finger
in one or the other fire,
00:19:57.94\00:20:00.38
would your finger be burned?
00:20:00.41\00:20:01.78
Absolutely.
00:20:02.17\00:20:03.54
If some chemist
examined the chemical qualities
00:20:03.57\00:20:06.68
of common fire and holy
fire, would it be the same.
00:20:06.71\00:20:10.51
Of course.
00:20:10.54\00:20:11.91
What made that fire holy?
00:20:11.94\00:20:13.90
The fact that God had
rained it from heaven.
00:20:14.40\00:20:17.08
That was holy fire.
00:20:17.11\00:20:18.48
And God told the
priests, "When you take fire
00:20:18.51\00:20:22.45
into the sanctuary
to burn the incense,
00:20:22.48\00:20:25.56
you make sure that
you take this holy fire.
00:20:25.76\00:20:30.39
Don't you take Me
any other incense,
00:20:30.42\00:20:33.00
and don't you take
Me any other fire."
00:20:33.03\00:20:35.16
Now we need to read
the very next chapter.
00:20:36.96\00:20:39.02
Because we have a story
of two men, sons of Aaron,
00:20:39.61\00:20:45.12
who ignored that command of God.
00:20:45.82\00:20:49.10
They took the right
incense, but the wrong fire.
00:20:49.47\00:20:53.77
They used common fire and they
presented it as if it were holy.
00:20:54.47\00:20:59.35
Let's read about it.
00:20:59.78\00:21:01.15
Leviticus
chapter 10 and verse 1.
00:21:01.18\00:21:03.68
No problem with
the incense, evidently.
00:21:14.69\00:21:17.34
A problem with the fire
which represents our prayers
00:21:17.37\00:21:20.40
taken to the presence
of Christ through the work
00:21:21.16\00:21:23.60
of the Holy Spirit.
00:21:23.63\00:21:25.00
Some versions
say, "strange fire."
00:21:35.38\00:21:37.59
It's not the
fire from the altar.
00:21:37.62\00:21:39.20
Did they know which
fire they should offer?
00:21:47.85\00:21:49.92
You better believe they knew.
00:21:50.12\00:21:51.86
Was this willful
disobedience and trampling
00:21:51.89\00:21:56.35
on the holiness of God?
00:21:56.38\00:21:58.05
It most certainly was.
00:21:58.08\00:21:59.45
Because God had not commanded
them to take that common fire.
00:21:59.48\00:22:02.97
He said, "You take the
holy fire from the altar,
00:22:03.18\00:22:06.11
because that's the fire
that I rained from heaven."
00:22:06.14\00:22:08.36
They willfully disobeyed God.
00:22:08.39\00:22:11.53
So what was the result?
00:22:12.90\00:22:14.27
When God sees them bring
in this common fire, God says,
00:22:14.85\00:22:17.82
"Oh, who cares. Fire is fire."
00:22:17.85\00:22:20.50
No.
00:22:21.37\00:22:22.79
Is God serious when He
says that something is holy?
00:22:23.43\00:22:26.41
Oh, God is very serious when
He says that something is holy.
00:22:26.72\00:22:29.99
And we see how
serious He was in this story.
00:22:30.86\00:22:34.04
We're told in
chapter 10 and verse 2...
00:22:34.53\00:22:37.24
Wow.
00:22:48.18\00:22:49.55
Because they presented common
fire as if it were... What?
00:22:49.58\00:22:53.56
...as if it were holy.
00:22:53.87\00:22:55.63
Now let me read you
that statement from Scripture
00:22:56.29\00:22:59.70
where it says that the
Holy Spirit helps us in our
00:22:59.73\00:23:02.73
prayer life and actually
intercedes with us before
00:23:02.76\00:23:06.50
Jesus with groanings.
00:23:06.53\00:23:08.55
Romans chapter 8
and verses 26 and 27.
00:23:08.58\00:23:12.44
Romans chapter 8
and verses 26 and 27.
00:23:12.84\00:23:16.21
Here, the apostle Paul
says, "Likewise, the Spirit
00:23:16.54\00:23:20.20
also helps in our weaknesses.
00:23:20.30\00:23:23.56
For we do not know what we
should pray for as we ought,
00:23:23.59\00:23:28.78
but the Spirit
Himself..." Does what?
00:23:29.30\00:23:32.57
"...makes intercession
for us with groanings
00:23:32.90\00:23:37.16
which cannot be uttered."
00:23:37.19\00:23:38.77
That is what
the fire represents.
00:23:38.99\00:23:41.14
Our prayers ascend
to God through the help
00:23:41.39\00:23:44.15
of the Holy Spirit.
00:23:44.18\00:23:45.55
And by the way, the Holy Spirit
does it through coordinating
00:23:45.58\00:23:48.43
the angelic hosts,
as we've studied before.
00:23:48.46\00:23:51.03
Now, are there certain
prayers that God rejects?
00:23:52.00\00:23:55.08
How about prayers
where we pray to God
00:23:56.22\00:24:00.20
in willful disobedience to God?
00:24:00.23\00:24:03.29
Does God hear those prayers?
00:24:04.80\00:24:06.38
Absolutely not.
00:24:06.73\00:24:08.10
Notice what
Scripture has to say to us.
00:24:08.50\00:24:10.51
Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 9.
00:24:10.54\00:24:12.99
Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 9.
00:24:13.39\00:24:16.19
It says here...
00:24:16.89\00:24:18.26
That's God's
clearly revealed will.
00:24:24.07\00:24:26.70
So if you say the law
was nailed to the cross,
00:24:32.90\00:24:35.17
that we don't have
to keep the law anymore,
00:24:35.20\00:24:36.88
that the law was for the Jews,
00:24:36.91\00:24:38.53
we're not under the law
but we're under grace...
00:24:38.56\00:24:40.70
Does God listen
to those prayers?
00:24:42.26\00:24:44.18
According to the
Bible, He doesn't.
00:24:44.75\00:24:46.65
Because it says, "He who
turns away his ear from hearing
00:24:47.01\00:24:50.99
the law, even his
prayer is an abomination."
00:24:51.02\00:24:53.72
Notice also Psalm 66
and verses 18 through 20.
00:24:53.87\00:24:58.14
The same idea comes forth.
00:24:58.17\00:25:00.12
Psalm 66 and
verses 18 through 20.
00:25:00.15\00:25:03.86
So what happens when
you, according to this text,
00:25:27.04\00:25:30.28
when you regard iniquity in
your heart or when you turn away
00:25:30.31\00:25:35.02
your ear from hearing
the explicitly revealed
00:25:35.05\00:25:38.28
Word of God?
00:25:38.31\00:25:39.70
What happens?
00:25:39.73\00:25:41.10
You can pray to God, but Jesus
will not present that prayer
00:25:41.13\00:25:45.92
before the Father.
00:25:45.95\00:25:47.48
Very serious.
00:25:48.15\00:25:49.52
Now let's continue in
our story of Nadab and Abihu.
00:25:50.09\00:25:53.81
Let's go to Leviticus
chapter 10 and verse 3.
00:25:54.24\00:25:57.42
Now God is going to explain
something to Moses and Aaron.
00:25:57.68\00:26:02.97
He says this...
00:26:03.29\00:26:04.66
"Those who come into
My presence must recognize
00:26:18.08\00:26:20.90
that I am..." What?
00:26:20.93\00:26:22.30
"...that I am holy."
00:26:22.33\00:26:23.71
God is saying, "When
you come into My presence,
00:26:32.35\00:26:34.56
you make sure that you
respect that which is holy."
00:26:34.59\00:26:38.34
God is saying, "I
will not be played with.
00:26:39.02\00:26:41.49
I will not be trifled with.
00:26:41.52\00:26:43.42
You can't approach
Me any old way that you
00:26:43.80\00:26:46.40
want to approach Me.
00:26:46.43\00:26:47.89
You have to
approach Me on My terms.
00:26:48.06\00:26:50.22
You have to respect
that which is holy."
00:26:50.25\00:26:52.24
He's saying, "Don't
consider Me your good old buddy
00:26:53.01\00:26:55.65
or the Man upstairs.
00:26:55.68\00:26:57.27
Consider Me the high and
lofty One who's name is holy,
00:26:57.93\00:27:02.29
who also comes and inhabits
with those who are humble
00:27:02.85\00:27:05.94
and contrite of heart."
00:27:05.97\00:27:07.50
God is serious when He
says that we're suppose to
00:27:08.70\00:27:11.59
separate that which is
holy from that which is common.
00:27:11.62\00:27:15.32
I wonder what He says
about some worship services
00:27:15.84\00:27:18.97
of Christians
in the world today.
00:27:19.00\00:27:21.13
We'll come back to
that a little bit later.
00:27:22.06\00:27:24.14
Now I want you to notice what
we find in Leviticus chapter 10
00:27:25.31\00:27:28.80
and verses 4 through 7.
00:27:29.71\00:27:31.45
God, here, gives a drastic
formula to Moses and Aaron.
00:27:32.22\00:27:38.93
He says something that is
difficult for us to understand.
00:27:38.96\00:27:42.28
He actually says, "Don't you
dare mourn those two young men."
00:27:42.31\00:27:46.64
Wow.
00:27:47.48\00:27:48.85
Let's read about it.
00:27:48.88\00:27:50.25
Notice Leviticus chapter 10 and
we'll read verses 4 through 7.
00:27:50.56\00:27:53.95
Notice, they're
thrown outside the camp,
00:28:08.53\00:28:10.89
because they're no longer
members of God's chosen people.
00:28:10.92\00:28:14.06
Which would be
signs of affliction.
00:28:30.19\00:28:32.02
You see, if the people had
mourned these two young men,
00:28:52.02\00:28:55.60
they would have given
the impression that they were
00:28:55.63\00:28:58.08
sympathizing with them.
00:28:58.11\00:28:59.97
Do you remember what happened
in the rebellion of Korah,
00:29:00.66\00:29:04.57
Dathan, and Abiram?
00:29:04.60\00:29:06.27
You see, they were Levites,
but they wanted to be priests.
00:29:06.60\00:29:09.95
And so they brought their
censors before the Lord saying,
00:29:10.26\00:29:13.18
"We want to be priests
and, you know, we're capable.
00:29:13.21\00:29:16.32
We are able to do it.
00:29:16.35\00:29:17.72
So why does the
Lord say we can't?"
00:29:17.75\00:29:19.52
And so Moses says,
"Bring your censors."
00:29:19.72\00:29:22.05
And they brought
their censors, 250 of them.
00:29:22.72\00:29:25.39
And Moses says, "If
I'm a prophet of the Lord
00:29:25.49\00:29:27.76
and the earth opens
up and swallows you up,
00:29:27.79\00:29:30.31
then you're going to know
whether I'm right or not."
00:29:30.34\00:29:34.21
And the Bible says
that the earth opened up
00:29:34.66\00:29:37.31
and swallowed up these 250 men.
00:29:37.80\00:29:40.28
And do you know what Israel did?
00:29:40.54\00:29:41.91
They started condemning
the Lord and sympathizing
00:29:42.87\00:29:46.15
with those who had been
swallowed up by the earth.
00:29:46.18\00:29:48.92
And God says,
"Now what a minute."
00:29:49.23\00:29:50.79
God was not going to allow that
to happen with Nadab and Abihu.
00:29:50.82\00:29:53.81
If people had mourned them, it
would have been an announcement
00:29:53.84\00:29:57.45
that they were sorry for
the death of the young men.
00:29:57.48\00:29:59.55
God says, "You be
sorry that My holiness has
00:29:59.58\00:30:02.39
been trampled upon."
00:30:02.42\00:30:03.94
Now we need to ask a
very important question.
00:30:04.40\00:30:06.35
Why did Nadab and Abihu offer
common fire before the Lord?
00:30:07.23\00:30:11.47
They knew that they
had to offer holy fire.
00:30:12.11\00:30:14.97
Why did they take
common fire and offer it?
00:30:15.00\00:30:17.88
Why is it that they saw
no difference between the
00:30:18.08\00:30:20.86
holy and the common?
00:30:20.89\00:30:22.26
The book of
Leviticus explains why.
00:30:22.29\00:30:24.14
Notice chapter 10
and verses 8 and 9.
00:30:24.17\00:30:27.04
Leviticus chapter
10 and verses 8 and 9.
00:30:27.07\00:30:30.18
Listen to counsel, now.
00:30:34.61\00:30:36.06
Why weren't Nadab and
Abihu able to distinguish
00:30:53.74\00:30:57.30
the holy from the common?
00:30:57.33\00:30:58.72
Because they were
under the influence.
00:30:59.05\00:31:02.03
They were intoxicated with wine.
00:31:02.89\00:31:05.43
Which did not allow
them to distinguish the holy
00:31:05.80\00:31:10.01
from the common.
00:31:10.04\00:31:11.42
Not only that, Moses also
gave some additional counsel.
00:31:11.93\00:31:17.85
He said, "Don't
intoxicate yourselves
00:31:17.88\00:31:19.91
so that you don't
die before the Lord.
00:31:19.94\00:31:21.38
So that you are able
to distinguish between
00:31:21.41\00:31:23.26
the holy and the common.
00:31:23.29\00:31:24.66
But then notice what he
also says in verses 10 and 11
00:31:24.69\00:31:27.94
of Leviticus 10.
00:31:27.97\00:31:29.34
In other words, the
counsel given is, "Don't drink
00:31:52.00\00:31:55.50
when you're going
into the sanctuary.
00:31:55.53\00:31:57.42
So that you can distinguish
the holy from the common.
00:31:57.45\00:32:00.53
And also so that you have
clear minds and you're able
00:32:00.56\00:32:04.51
to teach the statutes or
the laws of God to His people,
00:32:04.54\00:32:09.21
to Israel."
00:32:09.24\00:32:10.76
So what was the great
sin of Nadab and Abihu?
00:32:11.31\00:32:14.81
Is was the sin of
taking that which was common
00:32:15.20\00:32:19.77
and presenting it to
God as if it was holy.
00:32:20.32\00:32:25.41
How did God look upon that?
00:32:27.14\00:32:28.65
Not very favorably
according to the story.
00:32:29.69\00:32:32.58
But now I want us to
look at another story
00:32:33.40\00:32:35.95
that presents the
other side of the coin.
00:32:36.54\00:32:39.35
The other side of the
coin; meaning, how does God feel
00:32:40.44\00:32:44.64
when somebody takes
something that is holy
00:32:44.67\00:32:47.78
and treats it
as if it is common?
00:32:47.81\00:32:50.47
See, the problem with Nadab
and Abihu was that they took
00:32:51.29\00:32:53.73
that which was common
and presented it as holy.
00:32:53.76\00:32:56.25
How does God feel when we
take something that's holy
00:32:56.28\00:32:58.81
and we treat it as
though it's common?
00:32:58.84\00:33:00.70
We have a story in the Bible
that illustrates that point.
00:33:00.90\00:33:03.78
Daniel chapter 5.
00:33:04.31\00:33:05.85
Go with me to Daniel
chapter 5 and verse 1.
00:33:05.88\00:33:08.88
This chapter
describes the fall of Babylon
00:33:09.34\00:33:12.37
when Darius the Mede, or
Darius as he's usually called,
00:33:13.43\00:33:16.64
when Darius the Mede came
to Babylon and dried up the
00:33:16.67\00:33:20.74
river Euphrates,
and the city fell.
00:33:20.77\00:33:23.71
Now that night, the
Bible tells us, that Belshazzar
00:33:24.37\00:33:27.60
was celebrating
a special banquet.
00:33:27.63\00:33:31.21
Imagine, the invading
armies were outside the city,
00:33:31.53\00:33:34.41
and here he was having a banquet
for a thousand of his leaders.
00:33:34.44\00:33:38.66
Now notice what we find in
Daniel chapter 5 and verse 1.
00:33:39.05\00:33:42.28
This was the straw
that broke the camel's back,
00:33:58.38\00:34:01.71
we're going to notice.
00:34:01.74\00:34:03.11
He was drinking wine.
00:34:03.31\00:34:04.92
He was intoxicated.
00:34:05.50\00:34:07.02
And for that reason, he
was not able to distinguish
00:34:07.58\00:34:11.22
what was holy
from what was common.
00:34:11.25\00:34:14.11
Go with me to verse
2 of Daniel chapter 5.
00:34:14.52\00:34:17.38
It says, "While he
tasted the wine..."
00:34:17.85\00:34:20.14
This is interesting,
"While he tasted the wine..."
00:34:20.17\00:34:22.06
In other words,
he's drinking wine.
00:34:22.09\00:34:23.46
While he was
drinking the wine...
00:34:23.49\00:34:24.86
Were these holy
vessels? Absolutely.
00:34:35.20\00:34:37.92
Interesting.
00:34:51.03\00:34:52.40
That he would take the holy
vessels and he would treat them
00:34:52.43\00:34:55.83
as if they were... What?
00:34:55.86\00:34:57.43
...as if they were common.
00:34:57.63\00:34:59.01
Drinking in a common
social activity at a banquet.
00:34:59.21\00:35:03.37
Now you're saying, did
Belshazzar know that he
00:35:04.55\00:35:06.64
was doing wrong?
00:35:06.67\00:35:08.04
We're going to notice
that he knew very well
00:35:08.29\00:35:10.92
what those vessels were
and where they had come from.
00:35:10.95\00:35:14.23
He knew the whole
story of Nebuchadnezzar.
00:35:14.26\00:35:16.76
And yet he still,
because he was intoxicated,
00:35:16.79\00:35:19.36
he couldn't think
straight, he brought those
00:35:19.39\00:35:21.96
holy vessels and he treated
them as if they were common.
00:35:21.99\00:35:25.16
Notice Daniel
chapter 5 and verse 3.
00:35:25.19\00:35:27.86
Holy vessels, folks.
00:35:33.32\00:35:34.83
Now I want you to
notice something very important
00:35:43.19\00:35:44.99
in the next verse.
00:35:45.02\00:35:46.39
They were intoxicated,
and therefore they were not
00:35:47.21\00:35:49.87
able to distinguish
the holy from the common.
00:35:49.90\00:35:52.14
And the end result was that they
ended up practicing idolatry.
00:35:52.34\00:35:59.19
Notice Daniel
chapter 5 and verse 4.
00:36:00.33\00:36:03.08
Did a failure to distinguish
between the holy and the
00:36:16.01\00:36:19.15
common lead to idolatry?
00:36:19.18\00:36:21.52
Absolutely.
00:36:21.83\00:36:23.20
It led to worshipping idols
that were made with men's hands.
00:36:23.31\00:36:28.89
Are you following me or not?
00:36:29.79\00:36:31.27
Very, very important.
00:36:31.77\00:36:33.14
It led to breaking
the commandment that says,
00:36:33.53\00:36:36.54
"Thou shalt not have
any other gods before Me,"
00:36:36.84\00:36:40.64
and the commandment that says,
don't make images and don't
00:36:40.67\00:36:43.06
bow down to those images.
00:36:43.09\00:36:44.94
And it was also a
trampling on the name of God.
00:36:45.19\00:36:47.91
And so basically, what we
find here is that Belshazzar,
00:36:48.63\00:36:53.75
because he did not distinguish
the holy from the common
00:36:54.14\00:36:57.29
fell into idolatry and trampled
upon the commandments of God.
00:36:57.32\00:37:01.52
Particularly, the
first table of the law.
00:37:01.55\00:37:04.12
Now let's go to Daniel
chapter 5 and verses 5 and 6.
00:37:05.17\00:37:08.64
This is the straw that
broke the camel's back,
00:37:09.51\00:37:11.61
as I was mentioning to you.
00:37:11.64\00:37:13.29
See, God had put up with a
lot when it came to Belshazzar.
00:37:13.49\00:37:16.52
But when it came to not
distinguishing the holy from
00:37:16.55\00:37:19.20
the common, and as a result
trampling on God's commandments
00:37:19.23\00:37:22.97
and practicing false
worship, God said, "That's it."
00:37:23.22\00:37:26.12
Notice Daniel 5:5 and 6.
00:37:26.96\00:37:28.94
And so to make a long
story short, eventually Daniel
00:37:54.04\00:37:58.41
comes to interpret the meaning
of the handwriting on the wall,
00:37:58.44\00:38:02.47
because the experts in
Babylon couldn't do it.
00:38:02.50\00:38:04.58
And Daniel gives him a
long speech about the story of
00:38:05.41\00:38:08.42
Nebuchadnezzar's insanity.
00:38:08.45\00:38:10.50
Because he became
arrogant and proud, God said,
00:38:10.70\00:38:14.16
"I humbled him for seven years."
00:38:14.19\00:38:16.59
And then in verse
22 of chapter 5, we see
00:38:16.62\00:38:20.87
that Belshazzar
knew this very well.
00:38:20.90\00:38:24.16
He was trampling on what
he knew very well was holy.
00:38:24.19\00:38:28.58
It says in Daniel
chapter 5 verse 22...
00:38:28.61\00:38:31.09
Was this willful disobedience
to God in taking what was holy
00:38:40.72\00:38:44.73
and treating it as if it
was common and trampling on
00:38:44.96\00:38:48.06
God's commandments and
practicing false worship?
00:38:48.09\00:38:50.58
Absolutely.
00:38:50.94\00:38:52.31
Now there are other
stories in the Old Testament
00:38:53.82\00:38:55.81
and in the New Testament that
illustrates the same principle.
00:38:55.84\00:38:58.45
Remember the story of Uzzah?
00:38:59.18\00:39:00.70
God had said,
"Don't you touch the ark.
00:39:01.91\00:39:04.54
The ark was being brought
back from the Philistine cities
00:39:05.62\00:39:09.82
and it was going up a
hill and it looked like it was
00:39:09.85\00:39:11.80
going to fall off.
00:39:11.83\00:39:13.20
And the Bible says that a
man called Uzzah reached out
00:39:13.23\00:39:15.98
to hold the ark.
00:39:16.01\00:39:17.38
And God said, "Uzzah,
thank you for saving My ark."
00:39:17.70\00:39:20.80
No, that's not what God said.
00:39:21.25\00:39:23.01
The Bible says that
instantly he dropped dead
00:39:23.79\00:39:26.17
because he had
touched the holy ark of God.
00:39:26.20\00:39:28.50
Does God take
seriously what He has made holy?
00:39:28.53\00:39:31.55
Oh, yes He does.
00:39:31.85\00:39:33.22
You know, Christians don't
want to talk about that today.
00:39:33.61\00:39:35.71
They want a lovey-dovey God.
00:39:35.74\00:39:37.74
You know, a Santa Clause God.
00:39:37.77\00:39:39.80
And even better
than Santa Clause.
00:39:40.29\00:39:42.25
He gives presents to
those who are naughty and nice.
00:39:42.28\00:39:45.16
Now, the story of
Ananias and Sapphira.
00:39:45.62\00:39:48.31
You remember that story?
That's New Testament now.
00:39:48.34\00:39:50.25
That's after the
day of Pentecost.
00:39:50.28\00:39:52.20
Remember that they had devoted
a certain amount of money
00:39:52.40\00:39:54.58
to the Lord and they
held back some of it?
00:39:54.61\00:39:56.93
And so they come and Peter says,
00:39:57.27\00:39:58.64
"Have you given
all of the money?"
00:39:58.67\00:40:00.13
"Yes, we have."
00:40:00.16\00:40:01.55
Boom, Ananias falls dead.
00:40:01.85\00:40:04.29
And then Sapphira comes in.
00:40:04.56\00:40:06.13
And Peter says, "Did you
sell what you said you were
00:40:06.44\00:40:08.99
going to sell and give
the money to the Lord?"
00:40:09.02\00:40:10.54
"Yes, we did."
00:40:10.64\00:40:12.01
Boom, she fell and
she died on the spot.
00:40:12.04\00:40:14.17
Because they had held
back what they had devoted
00:40:14.84\00:40:18.34
as holy to the Lord.
00:40:18.37\00:40:20.26
Do you remember what happened
when the prophet Elisha,
00:40:20.51\00:40:25.38
whom it seems had the same
type of problem that I have.
00:40:25.41\00:40:28.60
He was going bald.
00:40:28.63\00:40:30.00
But you know, the 42 kids,
they come running behind Elisha.
00:40:30.03\00:40:34.43
They say, "Go up, you bald
head. Go up, you bald head."
00:40:34.46\00:40:37.36
The Bible says that he
turned and he cursed them
00:40:37.56\00:40:39.50
in the name of the Lord.
00:40:39.53\00:40:40.90
See, he was God's holy prophet.
00:40:40.93\00:40:42.41
Don't you
criticize God's holy prophet.
00:40:43.41\00:40:45.29
You might get leprosy.
00:40:45.32\00:40:46.73
Remember the story of
Miriam who criticized Moses?
00:40:47.54\00:40:50.30
The Bible says that
two she bears came out.
00:40:51.08\00:40:53.53
The Bible doesn't say
that they killed the children.
00:40:54.33\00:40:57.16
But the Bible says that they
went away and they were hurt
00:40:57.37\00:41:00.54
by these two she bears.
00:41:00.77\00:41:02.38
Because God expected His
holy prophet to be respected.
00:41:02.41\00:41:07.61
Now, let's talk about the end
time scenario of all of this.
00:41:08.49\00:41:14.55
Because these are stories that
we find in Scripture that have
00:41:14.92\00:41:18.24
principles that we need
to apply to end time events.
00:41:18.27\00:41:21.93
Revelation chapter 17.
00:41:22.45\00:41:24.32
And we're not going
to study this chapter.
00:41:24.73\00:41:26.26
This is a complex chapter.
00:41:26.29\00:41:27.90
I've done some presentations
on this chapter before,
00:41:27.93\00:41:31.27
if you're interested.
00:41:31.30\00:41:32.67
Now Revelation 17,
just summarizing, you have a
00:41:32.70\00:41:35.05
harlot woman.
00:41:35.08\00:41:36.45
And this harlot woman
is seated on many waters.
00:41:36.64\00:41:39.78
The waters represent multitudes,
nations, tongues, and peoples.
00:41:39.81\00:41:43.87
The Bible says that
this harlot is clothed
00:41:44.18\00:41:47.10
in purple and scarlet.
00:41:47.13\00:41:49.33
And she has daughters
that were born from her.
00:41:49.94\00:41:52.32
Because she's the
mother of harlots,
00:41:53.14\00:41:55.62
according to this passage.
00:41:55.65\00:41:57.38
The Bible tells us that
she has a cup in her hand.
00:41:57.72\00:42:00.15
And what do you
suppose is in the cup?
00:42:01.18\00:42:02.93
Wine.
00:42:03.76\00:42:05.32
Welch's? No.
00:42:05.92\00:42:08.35
Ernest and Julio Gallo.
00:42:08.38\00:42:10.00
Fermented wine.
00:42:11.36\00:42:12.93
And she gives this wine
to the kings of the earth.
00:42:13.96\00:42:17.58
And she gives this wine to
the multitudes of the earth.
00:42:17.61\00:42:20.60
And she makes them drunk.
00:42:20.63\00:42:22.37
And prophecy tells us that as a
result, people practice idolatry
00:42:23.38\00:42:28.68
and they trample on
the commandments of God,
00:42:28.71\00:42:31.22
and they persecute those who
keep the commandments of God.
00:42:31.25\00:42:34.69
Allow me to read you a passage
from Great Controversy page 389,
00:42:35.51\00:42:39.14
a powerful
statement from Ellen White.
00:42:39.28\00:42:41.12
She saw what
this wine represents.
00:42:41.15\00:42:42.97
And if I had time, I
would need a whole lecture
00:42:43.00\00:42:45.42
to deal with what is
Babylon's abominable wine.
00:42:45.45\00:42:48.81
It represents
her false teachings
00:42:48.84\00:42:50.41
or her false doctrines.
00:42:50.44\00:42:51.81
Notice what she says.
00:42:51.84\00:42:53.21
Who is to blame for
the confusion in the world,
00:43:51.69\00:43:54.66
the religious and doctrinal
confusion in the world?
00:43:54.69\00:43:57.65
It is the religious
leaders, the ministers,
00:43:58.71\00:44:01.20
that are teaching things that
are not found in God's Word.
00:44:01.89\00:44:04.89
And they're teaching practices
that the Word of God condemns.
00:44:04.92\00:44:08.32
This is the reason why
God gives a last time message
00:44:08.87\00:44:11.92
to those who are
in these churches.
00:44:11.95\00:44:13.53
And He calls them to come out.
00:44:14.30\00:44:16.07
Notice Revelation
chapter 18 verses 1 through 5.
00:44:16.48\00:44:19.27
Revelation chapter
18 verses 1 through 5.
00:44:19.30\00:44:21.75
After talking
about the fall of Babylon
00:44:22.54\00:44:24.68
and the sinfulness of Babylon,
God makes a call for His
00:44:24.71\00:44:27.92
people to come out.
00:44:27.95\00:44:29.32
These are unclean
birds that represent demons.
00:44:50.35\00:44:53.71
Remember when Jesus spoke
in the parable of the sower,
00:44:54.63\00:44:56.65
that the birds came and
took away the seed of truth?
00:44:56.68\00:44:58.96
And then He
explains what it means.
00:44:59.47\00:45:00.84
Satan comes and he
takes away the seed of truth
00:45:00.87\00:45:03.31
from the heart so that
people will not believe.
00:45:03.34\00:45:05.52
Notice verse 3.
00:45:05.85\00:45:07.22
This is why Babylon
has become this way.
00:45:09.00\00:45:11.09
Does God have a
people in Babylon?
00:45:41.22\00:45:42.75
Does God have a
people in all these churches
00:45:43.23\00:45:45.21
where the truth is not taught?
00:45:45.48\00:45:46.85
You better believe it.
00:45:46.88\00:45:48.25
Most of His people are in all
of the churches of the world.
00:45:48.28\00:45:51.66
Sincere loving people
who serve God to the best
00:45:52.42\00:45:56.41
of their knowledge.
00:45:56.44\00:45:57.81
But they're simply
listening probably to their
00:45:58.41\00:46:00.66
religious leaders that teach
them things that are directly
00:46:00.69\00:46:04.54
contrary to scripture.
00:46:04.60\00:46:05.97
But if they're sincere
and they truly love the Lord,
00:46:06.30\00:46:08.85
when they hear the truth they
will hear the voice of Jesus
00:46:09.28\00:46:12.75
and they will come out.
00:46:12.78\00:46:14.24
Now let's apply
this in practical terms,
00:46:15.02\00:46:17.30
what we've studied.
00:46:17.33\00:46:18.70
Let me ask you.
00:46:19.77\00:46:21.14
Is Sunday holy?
00:46:21.33\00:46:23.87
Is the Sabbath holy?
00:46:25.90\00:46:28.22
Who made Sunday holy?
00:46:29.18\00:46:32.19
It is an idol of
time created by man.
00:46:34.31\00:46:38.55
Am I right?
00:46:41.57\00:46:42.94
Most certainly so.
00:46:43.75\00:46:45.12
Now, why do I say this?
00:46:46.65\00:46:48.14
Why is it that Christians
today exalt Sunday as a holy day
00:46:48.99\00:46:56.17
of worship and they say that you
don't have to keep the Sabbath?
00:46:56.20\00:47:01.02
The reason why is because
they are drinking the wine
00:47:01.99\00:47:05.24
of the harlot.
00:47:05.27\00:47:06.64
The Roman Catholic Papacy
who claims to have changed the
00:47:08.52\00:47:11.61
day of worship, as we
have studied in this seminar.
00:47:11.64\00:47:14.55
They don't try to hide it.
00:47:15.02\00:47:17.33
They say, "We were the
ones who changed the day,
00:47:17.36\00:47:19.64
by the authority that
Jesus Christ gave to the church
00:47:20.65\00:47:23.94
to change His commandments."
00:47:23.97\00:47:25.65
In other words, the
religious world is intoxicated
00:47:26.19\00:47:29.27
with the wine of Babylon.
00:47:29.30\00:47:31.64
You see, the first
day, according to the Bible,
00:47:32.79\00:47:34.65
is a common work day.
00:47:34.85\00:47:36.60
Because God said, "Six
days shall you labor and
00:47:37.54\00:47:40.14
do all your work.
00:47:40.17\00:47:41.54
But the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord your God."
00:47:41.57\00:47:44.44
So in other words,
Sunday is a common work day.
00:47:45.07\00:47:47.74
The Sabbath is God's what?
00:47:48.42\00:47:50.65
Is God's rest day.
00:47:50.68\00:47:52.23
Is the Christian
world distinguishing between
00:47:54.65\00:47:56.96
the holy and the common?
00:47:56.99\00:47:58.36
They are not distinguishing
between the holy and the common.
00:47:58.89\00:48:01.47
And listen careful to
what I'm going to say.
00:48:01.67\00:48:03.45
As a result, they
are practicing idolatry.
00:48:03.73\00:48:07.87
You're saying,
"Now wait a minute.
00:48:09.66\00:48:11.03
Are you saying
that the observance
00:48:11.86\00:48:13.31
of Sunday is idolatry?"
00:48:13.34\00:48:15.59
Some are doing it ignorantly.
00:48:16.12\00:48:17.95
But never the
less, it is idolatry.
00:48:18.81\00:48:20.74
And you say, "How is that?"
00:48:20.77\00:48:22.14
Well, let me explain how.
00:48:22.17\00:48:23.54
Let me ask you.
00:48:24.23\00:48:25.60
Who created the sun?
00:48:26.03\00:48:28.19
God created the sun.
00:48:29.49\00:48:30.91
Is the sun a holy
object or a secular object?
00:48:31.86\00:48:35.30
A secular object, right?
00:48:36.15\00:48:38.03
Now what happens if you
make the sun a sacred object
00:48:39.74\00:48:44.58
and you worship the sun?
00:48:44.61\00:48:46.33
What is that called?
00:48:46.83\00:48:48.20
Idolatry.
00:48:48.74\00:48:50.11
Now, who made the
first day of the week?
00:48:50.22\00:48:53.72
God.
00:48:54.63\00:48:56.00
Did He make that day holy?
00:48:56.03\00:48:57.75
So what happens if
you make that day holy?
00:48:58.45\00:49:00.94
It's idolatry.
00:49:02.21\00:49:03.58
It's the same principle.
00:49:03.81\00:49:05.18
The only difference is that
the first is an idol composed of
00:49:05.44\00:49:09.17
matter, whereas the second
is an idol composed of time.
00:49:09.20\00:49:13.50
But it's still an idol because
it's something made by man
00:49:14.34\00:49:17.68
for worship that God
did not make for worship.
00:49:17.71\00:49:21.38
Are you following me?
00:49:21.41\00:49:22.78
Now let me read you a
statement from Ellen White,
00:49:23.39\00:49:25.42
Volume 9 of the
Testimonies, page 211.
00:49:25.45\00:49:27.81
I know what I'm
saying is strong.
00:49:27.84\00:49:29.53
But it's the truth.
00:49:30.12\00:49:31.49
Notice what she says.
00:49:32.82\00:49:34.19
"The Sabbath question is
one that will demand great care
00:49:35.12\00:49:40.36
and wisdom in its presentation.
00:49:41.17\00:49:43.75
Much of the grace and
power of God will be needed
00:49:44.89\00:49:48.88
to cast down the idol..."
00:49:49.95\00:49:52.46
To cast down what?
00:49:53.66\00:49:55.04
"...the idol that has
been erected in the shape
00:49:55.71\00:49:59.77
of a false Sabbath."
00:50:00.23\00:50:01.85
So what is the first day of the
week for the Christian world?
00:50:04.75\00:50:07.91
It is a what? An idol.
00:50:07.94\00:50:09.90
Because anything
that man makes for worship
00:50:09.93\00:50:12.53
that God did not make
for worship is... What?
00:50:12.56\00:50:15.82
...is an idol.
00:50:15.85\00:50:17.22
And I repeat once again,
the only difference between
00:50:17.25\00:50:20.03
worshipping the sun
and worshipping on the day
00:50:20.06\00:50:22.07
of the sun is that man made
the sun an object of worship,
00:50:22.10\00:50:26.60
and made time a
matter of worship.
00:50:26.63\00:50:30.61
But the principle
is exactly the same.
00:50:30.64\00:50:33.85
Now you're saying, "Pastor,
are you saying then that
00:50:34.70\00:50:36.67
God does not accept the
prayers of those individuals
00:50:36.77\00:50:39.92
who are keeping Sunday?"
00:50:39.95\00:50:41.33
I'm not saying that at all.
00:50:41.76\00:50:43.13
Because most
Christians are oblivious to what
00:50:43.58\00:50:45.75
I'm talking about tonight.
00:50:45.78\00:50:47.15
Most Christians don't
know anything about this.
00:50:47.18\00:50:49.46
They simply go to church
on Sunday and they assimilate
00:50:49.49\00:50:52.01
what their
religious leaders teach them.
00:50:52.04\00:50:53.74
And then they go home
and watch the football game.
00:50:53.97\00:50:56.42
Or go to the
restaurant to go out to eat.
00:50:57.64\00:50:59.78
Now if you don't know
about this and you're sincere
00:51:01.57\00:51:04.61
and you love the Lord and you're
going to church on Sunday,
00:51:04.64\00:51:07.19
God still accepts your prayers.
00:51:08.34\00:51:10.14
However, according
to what we've studied,
00:51:10.63\00:51:13.24
if you know the truth of God,
if you know from your studies
00:51:13.27\00:51:17.12
that the Sabbath is
God's rest day and you insist
00:51:17.15\00:51:20.55
on keeping Sunday because
of family, because of friends,
00:51:20.58\00:51:23.49
because of work,
or whatever it is,
00:51:23.52\00:51:26.05
then you are
accountable before God
00:51:27.28\00:51:30.35
and God will not
hear your prayers.
00:51:30.38\00:51:32.79
Because the Bible tells us
that he who turns away his ear
00:51:33.41\00:51:37.12
from hearing God's law,
his prayer will be... What?
00:51:37.15\00:51:41.64
...will be an abomination.
00:51:41.74\00:51:43.62
And that's why the
world needs to know this.
00:51:43.65\00:51:46.21
The religious
world needs to know this
00:51:47.17\00:51:49.43
that we're talking about.
00:51:49.46\00:51:50.92
Now allow me to read you
a statement from Ellen White
00:51:50.95\00:51:53.44
where she describes,
where she actually connects the
00:51:53.86\00:51:57.16
sin of Nadab and Abihu
with this Sabbath Sunday issue.
00:51:57.19\00:52:00.96
She says, "Those who ignore
the Lord's Sabbath to keep holy
00:52:02.15\00:52:07.09
the first day of the week
offer strange fire to God."
00:52:07.12\00:52:10.62
I know this is strong.
00:52:12.64\00:52:14.39
But it's the truth.
00:52:14.89\00:52:16.26
It's the truth of God's Word.
00:52:16.70\00:52:18.37
Listen, if God accepts
Sunday as the day of worship,
00:52:19.05\00:52:22.63
He's going to have to
apologize to Nadab and Abihu.
00:52:22.66\00:52:25.31
He's going to have
to say, "I'm sorry.
00:52:26.09\00:52:27.96
You took that which was common
and you presented it as holy."
00:52:27.99\00:52:32.75
Is the Christian world
taking a common day of work and
00:52:33.68\00:52:37.12
presenting it as if it was holy?
00:52:37.15\00:52:39.06
So if God accepts that,
He's going to have to apologize
00:52:39.55\00:52:42.52
to Nadab and Abihu
for what He did to them.
00:52:42.55\00:52:44.72
Now listen to what
she continues saying.
00:52:46.33\00:52:48.01
"Those who ignore the
Lord's Sabbath to keep holy the
00:52:48.04\00:52:50.29
first day of the week
offer strange fire to God.
00:52:50.32\00:52:52.52
It is a strange Sabbath
which He has not commanded them.
00:52:52.82\00:52:56.40
Will He accept
it at their hands?
00:52:57.64\00:53:00.29
Men have sought
out many inventions.
00:53:00.77\00:53:04.41
They have taken a common
day upon which God has placed no
00:53:04.61\00:53:08.74
sanctity, and have clothed
it with sacred prerogatives.
00:53:08.77\00:53:14.23
They have declared it to be
holy, but this does not give it
00:53:14.52\00:53:18.66
a vestige of sanctity.
00:53:18.69\00:53:20.37
They dishonor God by
accepting human institutions
00:53:20.68\00:53:25.22
and presenting to the
world as the Christian Sabbath
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a day which has no, 'thus saith
the Lord,' for its authority.
00:53:29.05\00:53:34.06
As did Nadab and Abihu.
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They offered the
common in place of the holy."
00:53:36.48\00:53:42.00
A powerful statement.
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So what have we studied tonight?
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What have we learned tonight?
00:53:47.51\00:53:49.26
We've learned that God
will not accept us taking
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something common and presenting
it to God as if it is holy.
00:53:52.37\00:53:57.34
And God will not accept
us taking something holy
00:53:58.36\00:54:02.21
and treating it
as if it is... What?
00:54:02.24\00:54:04.81
...as if it is common.
00:54:05.01\00:54:06.71
Now let's apply that to
the Sabbath Sunday issue.
00:54:07.95\00:54:11.29
The Christian
world takes a common day
00:54:11.98\00:54:14.61
and they present
it to God as... What?
00:54:15.03\00:54:17.25
...as holy.
00:54:17.60\00:54:18.97
Whereas they take the
holy day of God and they
00:54:19.00\00:54:21.47
treat it as if it is... What?
00:54:21.50\00:54:23.26
...common.
00:54:23.29\00:54:24.66
Is that the same
sin of Nadab and Abihu?
00:54:24.69\00:54:27.36
It most certainly is.
00:54:27.56\00:54:28.93
Especially if you know
it and you still choose
00:54:28.96\00:54:32.43
to be disobedient to God.
00:54:32.63\00:54:34.90
Now allow me to say a
few things to Adventists.
00:54:36.45\00:54:38.84
Pick on our own.
00:54:41.17\00:54:42.70
You see, in the
Adventist church we have fallen
00:54:44.93\00:54:50.91
in some places
into the same error,
00:54:51.67\00:54:54.17
into the same sin that was
committed by Nadab and Abihu.
00:54:56.06\00:54:59.24
Let me ask you, do you
think that God cares about the
00:55:00.64\00:55:02.73
way we dress to come to church?
00:55:02.76\00:55:04.60
Does God accept us coming
in work clothes to church?
00:55:06.84\00:55:09.95
In unironed dirty
clothes to church?
00:55:10.82\00:55:13.55
No, we're going to meet
with the King of the universe.
00:55:14.08\00:55:16.73
There has to be special
ironed and washed clothing
00:55:17.39\00:55:22.69
to come before the Lord.
00:55:22.72\00:55:24.09
Our best.
00:55:24.12\00:55:25.49
And yet Christians today
say, "Oh no, I dress down
00:55:25.52\00:55:29.01
to go to church."
00:55:29.04\00:55:30.41
But they would never dress
down if they were going to go
00:55:30.79\00:55:33.13
meet the President
of the United States.
00:55:33.16\00:55:35.22
They would never dress
down if they were going to
00:55:35.97\00:55:38.48
some formal event.
00:55:38.51\00:55:40.86
But to go to
church, you dress down.
00:55:41.42\00:55:43.60
Does God care about the
way that we present ourselves
00:55:43.76\00:55:46.08
before Him in the sanctuary?
00:55:46.11\00:55:48.18
You better believe it.
00:55:48.21\00:55:49.58
How about what we do on Sabbath?
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Does God care about
what we do on the Sabbath?
00:55:52.21\00:55:54.81
Whether we go out to
eat in the restaurant?
00:55:55.74\00:55:57.85
Or we bring the
Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the
00:55:58.85\00:56:01.15
foyer of the church?
00:56:01.18\00:56:02.56
Like happens in some churches.
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God cares.
00:56:06.66\00:56:08.03
Does he care about what
we talk about on the Sabbath?
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He most certainly does.
00:56:11.44\00:56:12.81
Does God care about the
kind of music that we listen to?
00:56:13.19\00:56:16.34
Is all religious
music sacred music?
00:56:17.62\00:56:21.22
You know, that's what
the Christian world has said.
00:56:21.87\00:56:23.76
"As long as it
has Christian words,
00:56:23.79\00:56:26.09
God doesn't care
about the music."
00:56:27.10\00:56:29.37
Is there such a
thing as sacred music?
00:56:30.15\00:56:32.17
Yes. Is there such a thing
as common or secular music?
00:56:32.73\00:56:36.39
Absolutely.
00:56:36.42\00:56:37.79
Must we make a
distinction between the two?
00:56:37.82\00:56:40.42
Absolutely.
00:56:40.45\00:56:41.82
A distinction has to be made
between the holy and the common.
00:56:42.02\00:56:44.84
Last night, we
studied about the tithe.
00:56:45.90\00:56:48.21
To whom does the tithe belong?
00:56:48.78\00:56:50.42
To God.
00:56:51.17\00:56:52.54
Does God care when we
take His holy tithe and we
00:56:52.83\00:56:55.10
use it for our
everyday expenses?
00:56:55.13\00:56:57.13
You better believe it.
00:56:57.59\00:56:58.96
God takes that personally.
00:56:59.12\00:57:00.62
Because that is not ours.
00:57:01.02\00:57:02.71
That is holy.
00:57:02.74\00:57:04.42
It's separated for the Lord.
00:57:04.45\00:57:06.39
And yet there are many
Adventists, even within
00:57:06.59\00:57:08.76
my own church, that don't tithe.
00:57:08.79\00:57:10.66
Let's not point the
finger at Sunday keepers alone.
00:57:13.00\00:57:17.17
Because if we are
doing these things,
00:57:17.30\00:57:20.30
we are in no better shape.
00:57:20.50\00:57:22.90
We must learn to distinguish
between the holy and the common.
00:57:23.70\00:57:28.90