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>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're glad that
you can be here with us
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as we take a look at
"The Great Controversy,"
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an amazing subject
that we've been studying
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for several weeks, and
we still have a few to go,
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but this week we're
looking at the foundation
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of God's government,
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something very
important for us to understand.
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But let's begin with
prayer before we dive in.
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Father, we ask that You will
bless us as we look once again
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at this important subject
of the great controversy.
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As we're looking at the
foundation of Your government,
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help us to understand
the significance of it
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and how we can help
others understand it as well.
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We thank You in Jesus' name,
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amen. >>Mark Finley: Amen.
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>>Eric: We're happy
once again this week
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to have with us
Pastor Mark Finley.
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He is the author of this
quarter's "Sabbath School"
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lesson, a well-known
speaker, author, evangelist,
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and good friend
of It Is Written.
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Pastor Mark, welcome back.
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>>Mark: I am a good
friend of It Is Written.
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I appreciate it very,
very much and praise God
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for what It Is Written is doing.
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>>Eric: Oh, you have no small
part that you played in that
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in the past, and we're
grateful to have you here
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every single time. >>Thank you.
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>>Eric: Pastor Mark,
as we dive into this,
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"The Foundation
of God's Government,"
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give us a little bit of
background before we dig
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into this
particular week's subject
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on how this whole
quarter came into being,
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this study on the
great controversy,
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and how what we're
studying parallels with the book
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"The Great Controversy."
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How does that all come together?
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>>Mark: This year--in fact,
over the next couple years,
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the General
Conference and world field--
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world divisions--are
emphasizing the passing out
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of the book "Great Controversy."
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Ellen White said that
the book "Great Controversy"
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should be
distributed far and wide.
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It was the most significant of
the books that she had written
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regarding the conflict
between Christ and Satan.
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During that emphasis on
the distribution of the book,
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I was asked to write
the "Sabbath School" lessons
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on the great controversy.
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So, I wondered, is this
the theme great controversy?
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Is it the book
"Great Controversy"?
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And the idea was to
kind of model the lessons
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after the book,
so what I did is read
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each chapter in
"Great Controversy" and began
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to come up with a thematic
approach that would take us
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from the fall of
Lucifer in heaven,
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then followed the chapters
of "The Great Controversy."
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So, for example,
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in "The Foundation
of God's Government,"
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this lesson is
based on chapters 25 to 27
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of "The Great Controversy."
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We usually don't put that in
the "Sabbath School" lessons,
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but I hope that
each of our viewers
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and each of our church members
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are reading "The
Great Controversy"
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along with the
"Sabbath School" lessons.
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Then one thing that I would
do is I'd read the chapter,
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and I'd look at the key
thoughts in that chapter,
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and, you know, every chapter
is filled with Bible text,
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so I'd use those
Bible texts as a basis,
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then add text to
it, add concepts to it
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as I fleshed out that chapter.
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So, the lessons
are strictly biblical.
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They're solidly
based on Scripture.
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But I've used a lot of
the text in the chapters,
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auxiliary texts, other texts,
and then I've used the comments
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on the lesson more than usual
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than we would
usually do by Ellen White
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in the book "Great Controversy"
throughout the lessons.
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>>Eric: And so, that kind of
has guided us through nine weeks
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so far, and we
still have a few to go.
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This week is "The
Foundation of God's Government,"
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a very interesting
title for this week's subject.
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Where does that title come
from? How did we get there?
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>>Mark: Well, certainly Christ
is the center of all the Bible,
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but the foundation
of the government of God
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is the law of God.
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The law of God is the very
foundation of God's throne;
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the law of God is a very
reflection of God's character;
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the law of God is a revelation
of how loving people act.
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So, the foundation of
God's government really
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is God's law because God's law
is love, and love is the law.
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>>Eric: Now, some people,
when you talk about the law,
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they see that as
a negative thing,
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but if, as you're suggesting,
it gives us a picture
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of who God is, then that
shouldn't be a negative thing.
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It gives us a picture of
who Christ is, and Jesus said,
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"If you've seen me,
you've seen the Father."
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So, we're seeing a more loving,
perfect picture of the law.
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Now, we spoke
recently about the sanctuary,
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the significance
of the sanctuary.
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How does the sanctuary
relate to the law of God?
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Where do these two
ideas, concepts come together?
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>>Mark: Let me talk a
little bit about it historically
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and then biblically.
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Early Seventh-day Adventist
pioneers studying the sanctuary
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looked up into heaven by faith.
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They saw Jesus, their
High Priest, ministering
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in the most holy place
of the heavenly sanctuary.
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When they began to
study the most holy place
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in the heavenly sanctuary,
they studied the law of God.
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They saw in the most holy place,
in the ark of the covenant--
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they saw they are--
in that ark--God's law.
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As they looked at God's
law in the most holy place,
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then they saw the significance
of the Sabbath commandment.
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Let me share that with
you from scripture itself.
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We've looked at it a
little bit historically.
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Once the early Advent
pioneers-- and we're looking
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at Revelation 11--once
the early Advent pioneers
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understood that the
sanctuary to be cleansed
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was not the sanctuary on earth
but the sanctuary in heaven,
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they began looking into
the sanctuary in heaven.
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There, in the most holy place,
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they saw the
ark of the covenant.
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One of the texts that really
touched them or impressed them
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was Revelation 11, verse 19.
And would you like to read that?
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>>Eric: "Then the temple
of God was opened in heaven,
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"and the ark of His
covenant was seen in His temple.
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"And there were
lightnings, noises, thunderings,
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an earthquake, and great hail."
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>>Mark: When the early Advent
pioneers studied this passage,
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they saw the temple of God
opened in heaven, the sanctuary,
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the ark of His covenant,
the ten-commandment law.
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That was opened in heaven.
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And so, the ark of the covenant
contained the tables of stone,
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Aaron's rod that
budded, and the manna.
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Each of those three
things are very significant.
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They become the
basis of God's throne.
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The law of God
reveals how loving people act.
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The moral law of God
guides and directs us.
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The pot of manna shows
that God will provide for us
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what we need in our
diet-- it's heaven's diet.
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Aaron's rod that
budded shows that--
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the authority of God's church.
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So, God would have an end-time
church that loved Him enough
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to keep His law in the area of
morality, the Ten Commandments,
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and His physical laws
in the area of health.
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So, when Adventist pioneers
understood that, they began
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to have a comprehensive
view of the sanctuary
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and the necessity
of obeying God's law.
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>>Eric: So, the sanctuary
and the law go together.
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>>Mark: Exactly.
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>>Eric: Beautifully.
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With respect to God's law,
there have been groups at times
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that have tried to downplay
the significance of the law,
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to say that it's been
changed, it's been altered,
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it's no longer valid--
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we don't need to--"We're
not under the law anymore;
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we're under
grace," and so forth.
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What about the changeability,
the alterability--
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I may have just invented
a word there--of God's law?
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Can it be altered?
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And if it can be
altered, what does that mean?
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What are the ramifications?
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What are the repercussions
if God's law can be changed
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or altered in some way?
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>>Mark: I think there are a
number of implications of that;
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then we'll look at scripture.
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First, if you can change
God's law, that means God's--
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Himself can be changed.
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It means that God is fickle;
it means that God is unreliable.
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He's untrustworthy if
you have one law applying
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to one group of people
and another law applying
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to another group of people.
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What about if a
parent says to their child,
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"Look, if you do such and such,
these are the consequences,"
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but then the
child does such and such
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and there are no consequences?
You know, what does that do?
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It undermines the
authority of the parent.
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So, if you change God's law
at the whim of any individual
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or at the whim of
religious leaders,
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you make God undependable.
You make Him unreliable.
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The second
aspect of this is this:
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If God's law could be changed,
why would Jesus need to die?
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The Bible says--
1 John 3, verse 4--
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"Sin is the
transgression of the law."
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Jesus died to
atone for our sins.
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If you can change God's
law, there would be no sin
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because you
couldn't break the law
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if the law was changed and
Jesus wouldn't need to die.
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So, I think there are some very
serious implications of that.
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The Bible is very clear.
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If you look, for
example, at Monday's lesson,
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"The Immutability of God's Law,"
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you look, for
example, at Matthew,
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chapter 5 and verse 17.
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Matthew, chapter
5 and verse 17...
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and go ahead and read that,
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Jesus' statement in Matthew 5.
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>>Eric: "Do not think
that I came to destroy
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"the Law or the Prophets.
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I did not come to
destroy but to fulfill."
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>>Mark: Notice Jesus says,
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"I didn't come to destroy
the law. I came to fulfill."
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What does it mean to fulfill it?
Does "fulfill" mean to do away?
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If I say, "I
fulfill my marriage vows,"
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does that mean I do
away with my marriage vows?
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Yeah, if I fulfill my marriage
vows, I keep them, right?
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If Jesus fulfills the
law, He keeps the law,
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not so that I
wouldn't have to keep the law
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but so that I
could keep the law.
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"To fulfill" means He
fills it full of meaning.
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Jesus didn't come
to do away with the law
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"Thou shalt not
commit adultery."
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He said, "If you look at a
woman with lust in your heart,
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you've committed
adultery in your heart."
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See, so, He didn't say, "I've
come to do away with the law
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'Thou shalt not murder.'"
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He said, "If you get
angry with your brother--"
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so Jesus came to fulfill the
law, to fill it full of meaning.
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Then the text
goes on in verse 18:
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"For assuredly, I say to
you"-- so this is something
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that He gives us assurance,
very strong language--
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"till heaven
and earth pass away,
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"[not] one jot or
one tittle ...by no means
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"[will] pass from the
law till all is fulfilled.
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"Whoever...breaks one of
the least of these commandments,
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"and teaches men
[also], shall be called least
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in the kingdom of heaven."
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Some people say,
"Oh, they'll be in heaven.
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They've been
breaking the commandments."
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No, heavenly beings
will call them "least"
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because they have been breaking
God's law. Call them "least"--
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we could say "by
the kingdom of heaven."
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Either word
works in that passage.
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So, to openly break
God's law, to rebel against God
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is rebelling
against the immutable,
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unchangeable
law of the universe.
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Psalm 111, verse 7
and 8 also bring that out.
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Psalm 111, verse 7, verse
8 also bring out this idea
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of the
immutability of God's law.
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Go ahead and read those as well.
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>>Eric: "The works of His
hands are verity and justice;
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"all His precepts are sure.
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"They stand fast
forever and ever,
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and are done in
truth and uprightness."
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>>Mark: Don't you like that?
"All His precepts are sure.
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They stand fast
forever and ever."
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We serve a God that's
given us the moral way
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to live the
happiest life possible.
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You know, in John
10, verse 10, it says,
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"The thief...comes
[not but for] ...to steal,
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to kill, [or]...destroy."
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But Jesus says, "[I
came to give them] life,
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and...[give
them] more abundantly."
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So, the devil tries to
tell us that breaking God's law
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brings the happiness.
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Jesus says the
abundant life, the abundant life
00:12:25.04\00:12:29.51
is the one that He has
given us to keep His law.
00:12:29.54\00:12:35.15
So, obedience is
the way to happiness.
00:12:35.18\00:12:37.85
Jesus said in John 13, verse
17, "If [you] know these things,
00:12:37.89\00:12:42.32
happy are [you]
if [you] do them."
00:12:42.36\00:12:44.83
>>Eric: And I think
we all want to experience
00:12:44.86\00:12:46.29
that kind of happiness that
00:12:46.33\00:12:47.60
Jesus wants us to
experience. >>Mark: Right.
00:12:47.66\00:12:50.40
>>Eric: We're looking at
the foundation, the immutability
00:12:50.43\00:12:52.83
of God's law, the
foundation of God's government.
00:12:52.87\00:12:55.90
We have a companion book that
goes into deeper detail on this.
00:12:55.94\00:12:59.77
Share with us a little bit
00:12:59.81\00:13:01.21
about why we might
wanna pick that book up.
00:13:01.24\00:13:04.05
>>Mark: Let me tell you a little
bit about how the companion book
00:13:04.08\00:13:06.11
is written, "The War
Between Good and Evil."
00:13:06.15\00:13:08.98
When one writes the
"Sabbath School" lessons,
00:13:09.02\00:13:10.89
the author-- the
publishers asked us
00:13:10.92\00:13:13.56
to write a companion book.
00:13:13.59\00:13:15.82
The reason for this
is when you're studying
00:13:15.86\00:13:18.06
for the "Sabbath
School" lessons, you know,
00:13:18.09\00:13:19.59
you may put 10, 12
hours into one lesson,
00:13:19.63\00:13:23.70
and you can only
put a small fraction
00:13:23.73\00:13:26.03
of what you've
studied in that lesson.
00:13:26.07\00:13:28.40
So, as the result of
that, they've asked us
00:13:28.44\00:13:30.57
to write companion books
so those studying the lessons
00:13:30.61\00:13:34.01
can have a much richer,
broader, deeper experience.
00:13:34.04\00:13:37.48
And so, all the study
that the author has done
00:13:37.51\00:13:40.62
to get the lessons
ready still can be preserved.
00:13:40.65\00:13:44.12
So, if you want more broader,
deeper lessons to supplement
00:13:44.15\00:13:50.06
your lessons, here's the
companion book just for you.
00:13:50.09\00:13:54.20
>>Eric: Thank you, Pastor Mark.
00:13:54.23\00:13:55.63
And it's very easy for
you to pick up that book.
00:13:55.66\00:13:58.47
You can find it
at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:58.50\00:14:01.24
Again, that's itiswritten.shop.
00:14:01.27\00:14:03.27
Just look for the
companion book there,
00:14:03.30\00:14:05.14
and it will be
a blessing to you.
00:14:05.17\00:14:06.71
We're going to
continue looking at
00:14:06.74\00:14:08.28
"The Foundation of God's
Government" in just a moment
00:14:08.31\00:14:10.61
when we come back
here on "Sabbath School,"
00:14:10.65\00:14:12.91
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:12.95\00:14:14.95
¤¤¤
00:14:14.98\00:14:17.99
>>Announcer: If you'd like
to deepen your understanding
00:14:19.52\00:14:21.22
of the powerful themes
brought out in this program,
00:14:21.26\00:14:23.83
we invite you to explore the
book "The Great Controversy."
00:14:23.86\00:14:27.03
For more information, simply
text the code "GC24" to 71392.
00:14:27.10\00:14:32.53
This book delves into
critical end-time themes,
00:14:32.57\00:14:35.27
offering profound
insights into historical events,
00:14:35.30\00:14:37.87
Bible prophecy, and
spiritual preparation
00:14:37.91\00:14:40.64
essential for
today's unique challenges.
00:14:40.68\00:14:43.48
Discover how "The
Great Controversy"
00:14:43.51\00:14:44.91
can illuminate your path
in these uncertain times.
00:14:44.95\00:14:47.88
>>John Bradshaw: They
were told they couldn't do it.
00:14:49.42\00:14:51.69
They were told they
weren't good enough to do it.
00:14:51.72\00:14:54.82
They were told they
weren't allowed to do it.
00:14:54.86\00:14:57.89
And then they did it.
00:14:57.93\00:15:00.93
And as they did,
they changed a nation.
00:15:00.96\00:15:04.20
They became some of
the most renowned aviators
00:15:04.23\00:15:07.10
in the US
military, paving the way
00:15:07.14\00:15:09.90
for an even
broader impact on society.
00:15:09.94\00:15:13.54
The Tuskegee Airmen,
who fought on two fronts:
00:15:13.58\00:15:17.45
overseas as they
strove to turn back tyranny
00:15:17.48\00:15:21.28
and at home as they
battled tyranny of another kind.
00:15:21.32\00:15:26.62
Don't miss "High Fliers."
00:15:26.65\00:15:29.49
Advances made should
never be relinquished.
00:15:29.52\00:15:32.43
And as the Tuskegee Airmen paved
the way for a better tomorrow,
00:15:32.46\00:15:36.26
we remember that Jesus lived
and died so that this world
00:15:36.30\00:15:39.17
could experience a better day.
00:15:39.20\00:15:41.77
"High Fliers," brought
to you by It Is Written TV.
00:15:41.80\00:15:46.54
¤¤¤
00:15:49.71\00:15:54.25
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:15:54.28\00:15:55.78
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:15:55.82\00:15:57.45
We're looking at "The
Foundation of God's Government,"
00:15:57.49\00:16:00.26
His law. Pastor Mark,
as we look at the law,
00:16:00.29\00:16:05.83
we've seen how it
applies to the sanctuary.
00:16:05.86\00:16:07.93
We've seen how
it can't be changed.
00:16:07.96\00:16:09.60
It shows us who God is.
00:16:09.63\00:16:12.30
But part of the
law is the Sabbath.
00:16:12.33\00:16:15.14
One of the
commandments is the Sabbath.
00:16:15.17\00:16:17.41
What role does God's law,
and specifically the Sabbath,
00:16:17.44\00:16:20.98
play in the
events that this world
00:16:21.01\00:16:23.95
is shortly going
to be experiencing?
00:16:23.98\00:16:26.72
What do we know
about what's to come,
00:16:26.75\00:16:28.95
with respect to these things?
00:16:28.98\00:16:30.29
>>Mark: One of the reasons Satan
has attacked the law of God
00:16:30.32\00:16:32.99
so viciously, and
specifically the Sabbath,
00:16:33.02\00:16:36.36
is because the Sabbath reveals
Christ as Creator of our world.
00:16:36.39\00:16:41.76
If you do away with the Sabbath,
you do away with, ultimately,
00:16:41.80\00:16:45.13
creation because the Sabbath
is a memorial of creation.
00:16:45.17\00:16:48.44
The two are linked
together: Sabbath and creation.
00:16:48.47\00:16:51.01
So, to destroy
Sabbath, you impact creation.
00:16:51.04\00:16:54.14
To destroy
creation, you impact Sabbath.
00:16:54.18\00:16:56.38
If you do that, you
destroy the basis for worship.
00:16:56.41\00:16:59.95
The Bible says in
Revelation 4, verse 11,
00:17:00.05\00:17:03.02
"Thou art worthy, O
Lord, to receive glory...
00:17:03.05\00:17:05.79
honour and power [because
You have] created all things."
00:17:05.82\00:17:09.96
So, the very basis
of worship is the fact
00:17:09.99\00:17:12.86
that God is the Creator.
00:17:12.89\00:17:14.63
We find in Revelation,
chapter 14, verse 6 and 7,
00:17:14.66\00:17:19.43
the first of the three angels'
messages that are calling
00:17:19.47\00:17:24.11
the world at end time
back to worship the Creator.
00:17:24.14\00:17:29.41
Revelation, chapter 14, verse
6 and verse 7 puts it this way.
00:17:29.44\00:17:35.45
It says, "I saw another angel
00:17:35.48\00:17:36.89
"flying in the
[middle] of heaven,
00:17:36.92\00:17:38.59
"having the everlasting gospel
to preach to [them that] dwell
00:17:38.62\00:17:41.59
on the earth--to every nation,
[kindred], tongue, and people."
00:17:41.62\00:17:45.83
So, here is the
eternal, everlasting gospel
00:17:45.86\00:17:48.90
that's to go to
the ends of the earth.
00:17:48.93\00:17:50.77
Then it says,
"Saying with a loud voice,
00:17:50.80\00:17:53.37
"'Fear God and
give glory to Him,
00:17:53.40\00:17:55.84
"'for the hour of His judgment
has come; and worship Him
00:17:55.87\00:17:58.24
"'[that] made
heaven... earth, the sea
00:17:58.27\00:17:59.81
and [the fountains] of waters.'"
00:17:59.84\00:18:01.98
So, here in the
light of the judgment,
00:18:02.01\00:18:05.08
just, let's analyze
that text-- says, "Fear God."
00:18:05.11\00:18:08.08
What does fearing God mean?
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.19
It means to
reverence God, to respect God.
00:18:10.22\00:18:13.62
It means to take God seriously.
00:18:13.66\00:18:15.62
Fear God and give Him glory.
00:18:15.66\00:18:18.46
How do we give Him
glory in our lifestyle? Why?
00:18:18.49\00:18:21.26
Because the hour of
His judgment is come.
00:18:21.30\00:18:22.96
Now, notice this linkage:
The hour of His judgment
00:18:23.00\00:18:25.57
has come, and worship Him
that made heaven and earth,
00:18:25.60\00:18:28.47
the sea and the
fountains of waters.
00:18:28.50\00:18:30.54
That's a direct quote from the
fourth commandment, the Sabbath.
00:18:30.57\00:18:35.08
So, there's a linkage between
the sanctuary, the judgment,
00:18:35.11\00:18:39.25
the law of God, and the Sabbath.
00:18:39.28\00:18:41.75
At end time, God gives
His final appeal to worship,
00:18:41.78\00:18:48.39
to keep the Sabbath
as a memorial of creation
00:18:48.42\00:18:52.63
and as a--as a sign of our
allegiance to God at end time.
00:18:52.66\00:18:59.40
>>Eric: So, we see a
clear connection here with this,
00:18:59.43\00:19:01.97
between the
Sabbath and God's law,
00:19:02.00\00:19:03.74
and, as you mentioned,
the sanctuary and judgment.
00:19:03.77\00:19:07.08
For those who have studied
some measure of Bible prophecy,
00:19:07.11\00:19:10.08
they've seen a connection
between the Sabbath, God's law,
00:19:10.11\00:19:14.88
and the mark of the beast.
00:19:14.92\00:19:16.45
Now, that's kind of a
buzzword topic that people even
00:19:16.48\00:19:19.79
outside of Christianity have
heard of the mark of the beast.
00:19:19.82\00:19:22.69
But how does
God's law come together
00:19:22.72\00:19:26.39
with the mark of the beast.
00:19:26.43\00:19:27.76
How are those two
related or unrelated,
00:19:27.76\00:19:30.83
and what sense
can we make of this?
00:19:30.87\00:19:33.03
Because this is an issue that's
going to be facing the world
00:19:33.07\00:19:35.84
in the not-very-distant future.
00:19:35.87\00:19:37.74
And we, of course, don't want to
receive the mark of the beast.
00:19:37.77\00:19:40.78
I don't--I haven't met anybody
yet who does. [Mark laughs]
00:19:40.81\00:19:43.08
But how can we avoid
the mark of the beast
00:19:43.11\00:19:46.61
through our understanding of
what we're looking at this week?
00:19:46.65\00:19:49.72
>>Mark: In Revelation,
chapter 14, you have the linkage
00:19:49.75\00:19:53.09
between worshiping
the Creator, the Sabbath,
00:19:53.12\00:19:58.13
worshiping the
beast, and the law of God.
00:19:58.16\00:20:00.96
Let's just look at
it clearly in the text,
00:20:00.96\00:20:04.20
and if you who are watching,
viewing this "It Is Written
00:20:04.23\00:20:08.20
Sabbath School," if
you have your Bible,
00:20:08.24\00:20:11.34
I'd like you to take it
here and notice a few things.
00:20:11.37\00:20:14.18
Revelation 14, and we're
looking there at verse 7:
00:20:14.21\00:20:18.58
"Saying with a loud voice,
fear God, and give glory to Him;
00:20:18.61\00:20:21.85
"for the hour of
His judgment is come:
00:20:21.88\00:20:24.02
"and worship Him
that made heaven,...
00:20:24.05\00:20:26.59
earth,... the sea, and
the fountains of waters."
00:20:26.62\00:20:28.86
So, who is the
one that made heaven,
00:20:28.89\00:20:30.29
earth, the sea, and
the fountains of waters?
00:20:30.33\00:20:31.79
What do we call
Him? The Creator.
00:20:31.83\00:20:33.96
And what is the
basis of all worship?
00:20:34.00\00:20:36.03
It's that God
created this world.
00:20:36.06\00:20:38.70
So, Revelation 14:7 is a
call to worship the Creator
00:20:38.73\00:20:43.47
in the light of the judgment.
00:20:43.51\00:20:45.21
Now, let your eyes drop
down to verse 9, and, Eric,
00:20:45.24\00:20:48.41
go ahead and read verse 9.
00:20:48.44\00:20:50.21
>>Eric: "Then a
third angel followed them,
00:20:50.25\00:20:52.15
"saying with a loud voice,
'If anyone worships the beast
00:20:52.18\00:20:55.35
"'and his image, and receives
his mark on his forehead
00:20:55.38\00:20:58.99
"'or on his hand, he himself
shall also drink of the wine
00:20:59.02\00:21:03.12
"'of the wrath of
God, which is poured out
00:21:03.16\00:21:05.23
"'full strength into
the cup of His indignation.
00:21:05.26\00:21:08.16
"'He shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone
00:21:08.20\00:21:10.70
"'in the presence
of the holy angels
00:21:10.73\00:21:12.57
and in the
presence of the Lamb.'"
00:21:12.60\00:21:14.60
>>Mark: The wine of the
wrath of God, of course,
00:21:14.64\00:21:16.17
is the seven last plagues.
00:21:16.20\00:21:17.94
Revelation 14:7 calls
us to worship the Creator.
00:21:17.97\00:21:21.91
Revelation 14:9 says,
do not worship the beast.
00:21:21.94\00:21:25.81
So, what are
those two polarities:
00:21:25.85\00:21:28.65
worshiping the
Creator on this hand,
00:21:28.68\00:21:30.82
worshiping the
beast on this hand.
00:21:30.85\00:21:32.95
So, there are two worships.
00:21:32.99\00:21:35.36
This is the
battle for allegiance.
00:21:35.39\00:21:39.19
Here is the great controversy,
00:21:39.23\00:21:42.06
the cosmic
conflict over worship.
00:21:42.10\00:21:45.67
So then, where does this
conflict find its focal point?
00:21:45.70\00:21:50.74
Where are those people
that do not worship the beast?
00:21:50.77\00:21:55.11
Verse 12. Eric?
00:21:55.14\00:21:57.78
>>Eric: "Here is the patience
of the saints; here are those
00:21:57.81\00:22:00.95
who keep the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus."
00:22:00.98\00:22:04.62
>>Mark: So, verse
7-- Revelation 14:7 says,
00:22:04.65\00:22:07.82
worship the Creator.
00:22:07.86\00:22:09.32
Revelation 14:9 says,
do not worship the beast.
00:22:09.36\00:22:13.83
Revelation 14:12 says,
"Here is the [endurance]
00:22:13.86\00:22:17.23
of the saints,"
of the believers.
00:22:17.27\00:22:19.27
"Here are those that
keep the commandments of God
00:22:19.30\00:22:22.54
and the faith of Jesus."
00:22:22.57\00:22:24.31
So, those people who are
keeping the commandments of God
00:22:24.34\00:22:29.51
are those people who
are worshiping the Creator--
00:22:29.54\00:22:32.75
namely, keeping the Sabbath--
and not worshiping the beast.
00:22:32.78\00:22:37.72
So, Sabbath becomes a sign.
00:22:37.75\00:22:40.92
It becomes the seal of
the living God at end time.
00:22:40.96\00:22:44.79
Now, does that mean all
Sabbath keepers will be saved?
00:22:44.83\00:22:47.10
Not at all.
00:22:47.13\00:22:48.40
What it does mean is that
the Sabbath is the external sign
00:22:48.43\00:22:52.20
of an inner faith,
an inner commitment.
00:22:52.23\00:22:55.44
It is, in that
sense, the seal of God.
00:22:55.47\00:22:58.77
What is the seal of God?
00:22:58.81\00:23:00.18
It is the settling
into truth, both spiritually
00:23:00.21\00:23:03.55
and intellectually so you
cannot be moved, and the Sabbath
00:23:03.58\00:23:07.05
is the external manifestation
of that inner seal,
00:23:07.08\00:23:10.39
that inner-heart commitment.
00:23:10.42\00:23:13.36
>>Eric: So, a clear connection
there between the law of God,
00:23:13.39\00:23:17.49
the creatorship of
God, the mark of the beast,
00:23:17.53\00:23:20.60
and that
delineation between at the end,
00:23:20.63\00:23:22.70
the righteous and the wicked,
00:23:22.73\00:23:24.23
and, of course, we can be
making right decisions today:
00:23:24.27\00:23:27.17
choosing to follow our
Creator and our Redeemer.
00:23:27.20\00:23:30.04
You've been reading here
from Revelation, chapter 14
00:23:30.07\00:23:32.51
a very significant
portion of the Bible
00:23:32.54\00:23:35.21
often referred to as
the three angels' messages.
00:23:35.24\00:23:37.71
This is a chapter of the Bible,
which if somebody asked us
00:23:37.75\00:23:41.22
to put our finger
in the Bible in a place
00:23:41.25\00:23:43.59
where we are currently living,
00:23:43.62\00:23:45.52
your finger would
probably come squarely down
00:23:45.55\00:23:47.46
in Revelation,
chapter 14. >>Mark: Sure.
00:23:47.49\00:23:50.16
>>Eric: Share with us
a little bit more about
00:23:50.19\00:23:52.16
the three angels' message
00:23:52.19\00:23:53.83
and the immutability of God's
law and how these come together.
00:23:53.86\00:23:58.77
>>Mark: The three
angels' message starts
00:23:58.80\00:24:00.67
with the expression
"I saw another angel
00:24:00.70\00:24:03.27
flying in the midst of heaven,"
00:24:03.30\00:24:05.54
so this message must be urgent.
00:24:05.57\00:24:07.91
Angels flying
indicate a message carried.
00:24:07.94\00:24:11.75
"I saw another angel
flying in the midst of heaven,
00:24:11.78\00:24:13.45
having the everlasting gospel."
00:24:13.48\00:24:15.08
So, what--how does the
three angels' message begin?
00:24:15.12\00:24:18.32
Begins with the gospel, the
good news that Christ forgives,
00:24:18.35\00:24:21.52
the good news that He
delivers us from guilt,
00:24:21.56\00:24:23.99
the good news that we can
be changed and transformed
00:24:24.03\00:24:26.96
by His grace.
00:24:27.00\00:24:28.43
Then it says "to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people."
00:24:28.46\00:24:31.30
Remember what Jesus
said in Matthew 24, verse 14:
00:24:31.33\00:24:34.24
"This gospel of the
kingdom [shall] be preached
00:24:34.27\00:24:36.50
"in all the world as a
witness to all...nations,
00:24:36.54\00:24:38.87
...then the end [shall] come."
00:24:38.91\00:24:40.74
So, here is a call, a
call to you and a call to me.
00:24:40.78\00:24:45.15
Here is something
to give your life for.
00:24:45.18\00:24:47.38
Here's something
that's bigger than we are,
00:24:47.42\00:24:49.88
a message that's "go
to the ends of the earth."
00:24:49.92\00:24:52.75
You can be part of something big
and grand for God by giving out
00:24:52.79\00:24:56.06
a piece of literature, by giving
out a book, "Great Controversy,"
00:24:56.09\00:24:59.46
by giving a Bible
study, by holding a lay
00:24:59.49\00:25:02.93
evangelistic meeting.
00:25:02.96\00:25:04.47
And then it says, "Fear
God." How do we fear God?
00:25:04.50\00:25:08.00
We fear Him by obeying Him.
00:25:08.04\00:25:10.44
We fear Him, but you can never
obey Him unless you first accept
00:25:10.47\00:25:13.98
the gospel of verse 6.
00:25:14.01\00:25:15.61
So, the gospel leads you to
obedience, not disobedience.
00:25:15.64\00:25:19.38
My love for God leads
me to do what God says,
00:25:19.41\00:25:22.85
not to disobey what God says.
00:25:22.88\00:25:25.32
"And give glory to Him."
How do we give glory to God?
00:25:25.35\00:25:28.16
We give glory to God in
honoring Him in what we eat,
00:25:28.19\00:25:31.13
what we drink, the
things we see, our lifestyle.
00:25:31.16\00:25:34.63
And then "the hour of
His judgment is come."
00:25:34.66\00:25:37.03
We're living in
the judgment hour.
00:25:37.07\00:25:38.90
We're living at a unique
time of earth's history--
00:25:38.93\00:25:41.10
not will come in the
future, but it has come.
00:25:41.14\00:25:43.71
We're living in
that judgment hour.
00:25:43.74\00:25:46.37
Then the message to the
first angel is, "Worship Him
00:25:46.41\00:25:49.24
that made heaven, earth, sea,
and the fountains of water."
00:25:49.28\00:25:50.91
What is the call?
To worship the Creator,
00:25:50.95\00:25:53.35
the call as the very basis
of worship to keep the Sabbath.
00:25:53.38\00:25:57.62
The Sabbath is the
link between the past,
00:25:57.65\00:26:00.32
the present, and the future.
00:26:00.36\00:26:01.96
The Sabbath leads
us back to the past,
00:26:01.99\00:26:04.63
reminds us that God
has created the world
00:26:04.66\00:26:07.76
and that if He
created us, He cares for us.
00:26:07.83\00:26:10.10
The Sabbath is an indication
of what Christ did for us.
00:26:10.13\00:26:12.93
We rest in Christ every Sabbath.
We rest in His grace, His love.
00:26:12.97\00:26:17.11
The Sabbath also
reminds us that He's gonna
00:26:17.14\00:26:19.44
create a new
heavens and a new earth.
00:26:19.47\00:26:21.71
And then the Bible
says, second angel's message,
00:26:21.74\00:26:23.68
"Babylon has fallen."
00:26:23.71\00:26:25.05
What's that about?
00:26:25.08\00:26:26.38
It's about all
confused religion.
00:26:26.41\00:26:28.35
It's about religion
that is based on tradition
00:26:28.38\00:26:32.35
and it's based on
the teachings of man.
00:26:32.39\00:26:34.62
It's a call to be
faithful to Scripture.
00:26:34.66\00:26:37.86
And what about this
mark of the beast business?
00:26:37.89\00:26:40.20
Although we'll study about, more
about it in next week's lesson,
00:26:40.23\00:26:43.50
it is the call from
the commandments of men
00:26:43.53\00:26:47.84
to the commandments of God.
00:26:47.87\00:26:50.44
>>Eric: So, God is working on
the hearts of people right now,
00:26:50.47\00:26:53.88
today, around the world to
make that choice, and, really,
00:26:53.91\00:26:58.05
that's all that it
is-- >>Mark: Right.
00:26:58.08\00:26:59.28
>>Eric: ...a choice to
turn away from traditions
00:26:59.31\00:27:02.85
and the teachings of
man to the Word of God,
00:27:02.88\00:27:05.85
the teachings of
God, and the law of God.
00:27:05.89\00:27:08.82
And we hope that you have
made that decision, that choice
00:27:08.86\00:27:11.89
to turn your life
over completely to God
00:27:11.93\00:27:14.93
and to trust Him.
00:27:14.96\00:27:16.26
There's no amount of
good things that you can do
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.37
to save yourself,
there's no amount of money
00:27:18.40\00:27:21.27
that you can pay, but
what you can do is say,
00:27:21.30\00:27:24.81
"Lord, here I am;
save me." >>Mark: Amen.
00:27:24.84\00:27:27.91
>>Eric: And you turn
your life over to Him,
00:27:27.94\00:27:29.58
you turn your will over
to Him, and say yes to God
00:27:29.61\00:27:32.91
with every choice that
you know you have to make.
00:27:32.95\00:27:35.92
He will give you grace,
He will give you strength,
00:27:35.95\00:27:39.09
and He will give you
hope for the days to come.
00:27:39.12\00:27:43.12
Are there
challenging times to come?
00:27:43.16\00:27:45.03
Yeah, the Bible makes it very
plain that there indeed are.
00:27:45.06\00:27:47.76
How can we be ready for them?
00:27:47.83\00:27:49.60
Surrender our wills
and our lives to Jesus.
00:27:49.63\00:27:51.70
It's that simple.
00:27:51.73\00:27:53.03
We're gonna be digging
into this in more depth,
00:27:53.07\00:27:55.24
in more detail in
next week's lesson,
00:27:55.27\00:27:57.74
and we look
forward to seeing you then,
00:27:57.77\00:27:59.64
here again on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:59.67\00:28:01.48
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:28:01.51\00:28:03.28
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