A Shocking Discovery. 00:00:34.34\00:00:35.37 Now I want to begin with the text this evening 00:00:35.40\00:00:37.27 which expresses for me the purpose, 00:00:37.30\00:00:40.11 the purpose behind the Life Discovery series. 00:00:40.14\00:00:42.87 It is found in 1 Corinthians 2:1, 2 00:00:42.90\00:00:46.87 they are the words of Paul 00:00:46.90\00:00:48.45 to the believers of the Corinthian Church. 00:00:48.48\00:00:50.80 I just love this passage for it says 00:00:50.83\00:00:52.72 "And when I came to you, brethren, 00:00:52.75\00:00:55.15 I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, 00:00:55.18\00:00:58.21 proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 00:00:58.24\00:01:01.70 For I determined to know 00:01:01.73\00:01:03.30 nothing among you except Jesus Christ, 00:01:03.33\00:01:06.23 and Him crucified." 00:01:06.26\00:01:07.78 That's just one of those text that have that ring, doesn't it? 00:01:07.81\00:01:11.10 Just has that ring. 00:01:11.13\00:01:13.11 And, you know, it is really 00:01:13.14\00:01:14.96 the focal point is all about Jesus. 00:01:14.99\00:01:17.34 And it means there has been only one fundamental 00:01:17.37\00:01:19.91 underline motive in all of this seminar 00:01:19.94\00:01:22.45 and that has been to exalt Jesus as Lord and Savior. 00:01:22.48\00:01:27.09 And He is surely all of that to us, isn't He? 00:01:27.12\00:01:29.94 Every Biblical teaching has-- 00:01:29.97\00:01:32.37 that has been presented has had Him 00:01:32.40\00:01:34.87 at some point as the heart and the foundation of it. 00:01:34.90\00:01:38.76 Indeed it's only possible for us to experience the abundant life 00:01:38.79\00:01:42.45 as we accept Jesus as our personal Savior 00:01:42.48\00:01:46.12 and as we abide in Him 00:01:46.15\00:01:48.70 and His spirit is at work within our hearts. 00:01:48.73\00:01:52.63 For the Christian that are only true criterion, 00:01:52.66\00:01:55.77 true criterion by which we can determine 00:01:55.80\00:01:58.45 whether a particular church doctrine 00:01:58.48\00:02:01.87 is or teaching is valid. 00:02:01.90\00:02:04.99 First of all we ask the question 00:02:05.02\00:02:06.99 and we must ask the question is it Biblical 00:02:07.02\00:02:10.40 and secondly we must ask the question 00:02:10.43\00:02:12.85 do we find Jesus in it? 00:02:12.88\00:02:14.98 And, my friend, if it's Biblical 00:02:15.01\00:02:16.96 we will find Jesus in it, because these are His words. 00:02:16.99\00:02:21.67 This is the Revelation from Jesus Christ. 00:02:21.70\00:02:24.78 You know, Jesus express concerning about 00:02:24.81\00:02:26.50 those who invalidate the truth of God 00:02:26.53\00:02:28.76 by their manmade traditions. 00:02:28.79\00:02:31.45 And it doesn't surprises in our quest for the truth 00:02:31.48\00:02:34.26 define that there are some things that are being taught 00:02:34.29\00:02:37.28 which have no scriptural basis. 00:02:37.31\00:02:40.34 They simply are not to be found in the Bible. 00:02:40.37\00:02:43.98 When individuals discover that 00:02:44.01\00:02:45.48 I am a Sabbath keeping Christian, 00:02:45.51\00:02:48.99 a Sabbath keeping Christian 00:02:49.02\00:02:51.07 they often wonder why, why would you do that? 00:02:51.10\00:02:54.58 It seems a lot of stuff with the acceptance practice. 00:02:54.61\00:02:57.77 But again there are some practices 00:02:57.80\00:03:00.39 that have become accepted 00:03:00.42\00:03:02.87 which were they little investigation 00:03:02.90\00:03:04.55 are found to be out of step with what the Bible teaches. 00:03:04.58\00:03:09.03 I keep the Sabbath as a Christian 00:03:09.06\00:03:11.79 and I hope you caught that. 00:03:11.82\00:03:12.85 I keep the Sabbath as a Christian, 00:03:12.88\00:03:14.02 because it's the only day which the Bible declares 00:03:14.05\00:03:17.15 that God has set aside for us to keep. 00:03:17.18\00:03:20.63 I'm gonna share with you the Biblical evidence of that. 00:03:20.66\00:03:23.33 I've also found it to be a vital part of my relationship 00:03:23.36\00:03:25.84 in Jesus Christ. 00:03:25.87\00:03:27.68 So let's take our Bibles and let me share with you 00:03:27.71\00:03:30.41 specifically not only from the Old Testament, 00:03:30.44\00:03:33.77 but also from the New Testament 00:03:33.80\00:03:35.61 why the Sabbath is important to us as born again Christians. 00:03:35.64\00:03:39.78 And if there is going to be a shock, 00:03:39.81\00:03:42.86 A Shocking Discovery from the Garden of Eden 00:03:42.89\00:03:45.22 don't forget that title. 00:03:45.25\00:03:46.92 The shock would come 00:03:46.95\00:03:48.18 when we move into the New Testament 00:03:48.21\00:03:51.04 and we see how very specifically 00:03:51.07\00:03:53.56 and how very particular the New Testament 00:03:53.59\00:03:56.31 teaches this matter of the Sabbath. 00:03:56.34\00:03:58.46 Text that we often have not been heard 00:03:58.49\00:04:01.68 being preached from you know many pulpits of today. 00:04:01.71\00:04:05.46 But we are gonna begin in the Old Testament 00:04:05.49\00:04:07.29 because we're gonna trace the origins of the Sabbath 00:04:07.32\00:04:09.50 and to do that we have to go back to the beginning 00:04:09.53\00:04:12.41 that is to the creation week 00:04:12.44\00:04:14.19 and we find that in Genesis Chapter 2 00:04:14.22\00:04:16.49 the Old Testament page 1. 00:04:16.52\00:04:18.22 Page 1, Genesis 2 00:04:18.25\00:04:19.95 we're gonna be looking at the first three verses here 00:04:19.98\00:04:22.70 in Genesis. 00:04:22.73\00:04:24.89 Genesis 1 is a record of the six days of creation 00:04:24.92\00:04:28.70 and then again it's a part of the narrative of creation. 00:04:28.73\00:04:32.54 It says in verse 1 of Chapter 2 00:04:32.57\00:04:36.82 "Thus the heavens and the earth were completed 00:04:36.85\00:04:39.69 in all their host. 00:04:39.72\00:04:41.35 And by the seventh day God completed His work 00:04:41.38\00:04:43.69 which He had done 00:04:43.72\00:04:44.98 and He rested on the seventh day 00:04:45.01\00:04:47.22 from all His work which He had done. 00:04:47.25\00:04:49.30 Then God blessed." 00:04:49.33\00:04:50.86 Notice what He did. 00:04:50.89\00:04:52.13 "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, 00:04:52.16\00:04:55.67 because in it He rested from all His work 00:04:55.70\00:04:58.67 which God had created and made." 00:04:58.70\00:05:03.06 So as we're looking at this particular passage 00:05:03.09\00:05:04.75 the question is, where did the Sabbath come from? 00:05:04.78\00:05:06.78 Oh yeah, it's a part of the creation narrative. 00:05:06.81\00:05:10.07 It's a part of that first weekly cycle. 00:05:10.10\00:05:13.67 God worked and then He rested. 00:05:13.70\00:05:15.51 He set a pattern for us. 00:05:15.54\00:05:17.04 Indeed He was setting us an example 00:05:17.07\00:05:19.81 at the very beginnings of time 00:05:19.84\00:05:21.69 that it would be vital to our interested 00:05:21.72\00:05:24.54 and to our prosperity to enjoy a Sabbath rest. 00:05:24.57\00:05:29.41 You know, God really wasn't tired, 00:05:29.44\00:05:31.71 God never gets tired aren't you glad for that? 00:05:31.74\00:05:34.68 He didn't really need to rest. 00:05:34.71\00:05:37.91 So there was another purpose behind it 00:05:37.94\00:05:40.30 and it was again to give us an example of what we are to do. 00:05:40.33\00:05:44.25 The pattern we ought to follow 00:05:44.28\00:05:46.17 after six days of work we are to rest. 00:05:46.20\00:05:49.29 It's not the purpose of God 00:05:49.32\00:05:50.87 that we ought to be burning ourselves out 00:05:50.90\00:05:53.21 day in and day out. 00:05:53.24\00:05:56.39 Oh my friend, take a break. 00:05:56.42\00:06:00.64 That's what God said, take a break. 00:06:00.67\00:06:03.88 You're gonna live longer. 00:06:03.91\00:06:05.07 You're gonna feel better. 00:06:05.10\00:06:06.84 And if you're under a lot of stress 00:06:06.87\00:06:08.65 and, you know, 00:06:08.68\00:06:09.99 you've got a lot of issues going on where you work 00:06:10.02\00:06:14.18 and you're just really bone-tired at the end of the day 00:06:14.21\00:06:17.00 my friend, you need rest. 00:06:17.03\00:06:19.99 It's a part of what God has design at the very beginning. 00:06:20.02\00:06:22.98 But, my friend, take note of the fact 00:06:23.01\00:06:25.26 that Sabbath originated from the Garden of Eden. 00:06:25.29\00:06:29.67 It was one of those things that God set aside 00:06:29.70\00:06:33.12 before sin came into the world and that's significant. 00:06:33.15\00:06:36.78 It was a part of the world 00:06:36.81\00:06:38.45 that He created in the beginning paradise. 00:06:38.48\00:06:42.12 And, my friend, if God, 00:06:42.15\00:06:45.05 you know, calls us to rest in paradise again 00:06:45.08\00:06:48.55 how much more important is it today? 00:06:48.58\00:06:51.43 And by the way according to the Bible 00:06:51.46\00:06:53.36 which day is the Sabbath? 00:06:53.39\00:06:55.56 Now that is a question. 00:06:55.59\00:06:57.68 How particular is the Bible about this whole matter? 00:06:57.71\00:07:00.67 The really question that comes down to, 00:07:00.70\00:07:03.58 do we and then some people take this approach. 00:07:03.61\00:07:06.05 You know, I'll pick and choose which day I'm going to keep. 00:07:06.08\00:07:10.28 It could be Friday, it could be Sunday, 00:07:10.31\00:07:12.87 it could be Wednesday. 00:07:12.90\00:07:15.68 So that is a question are we free 00:07:15.71\00:07:18.56 in light of what the Bible teaches to pick 00:07:18.59\00:07:20.29 and choose the day or has God already done the picking, 00:07:20.32\00:07:23.71 the picking and the choosing of the day? 00:07:23.74\00:07:25.95 Isn't that important to know? 00:07:25.98\00:07:28.47 If God picked the day it be specific about the day 00:07:28.50\00:07:32.35 then that ought to be of importance to us 00:07:32.38\00:07:35.19 somehow that could be important. 00:07:35.22\00:07:36.97 And we know it says here in verse 2 00:07:37.00\00:07:40.38 that it was the seventh day. 00:07:40.41\00:07:43.55 Not the first day, 00:07:43.58\00:07:44.61 not the second day the seventh day is-- 00:07:44.64\00:07:49.13 and notice what He did. 00:07:49.16\00:07:50.65 First of all and it's in verse 3 it says 00:07:50.68\00:07:53.17 first of all God blessed the seventh day. 00:07:53.20\00:07:56.98 Notice He did something very unique with time. 00:07:57.01\00:07:59.87 He put a blessing in this day. 00:07:59.90\00:08:02.58 And when we keep the Sabbath 00:08:02.61\00:08:04.07 we participate and we experience the blessing of the Sabbath. 00:08:04.10\00:08:07.77 But that's not all He did. 00:08:07.80\00:08:09.63 It says for the more that God sanctified it. 00:08:09.66\00:08:13.33 The word sanctify means it was set aside. 00:08:13.36\00:08:16.89 And was set aside for what? For rest. 00:08:16.92\00:08:21.00 And as we study this matter of the Sabbath 00:08:21.03\00:08:23.03 and it's not just speaking of physical rest 00:08:23.06\00:08:25.19 which is a part of it, 00:08:25.22\00:08:27.52 but it's also pointing us to spiritual rest in Jesus. 00:08:27.55\00:08:33.42 Wait until we get into the New Testament 00:08:33.45\00:08:35.15 on the teaching on that part of it. 00:08:35.18\00:08:37.65 The rest that is ours in Jesus is connected very directly 00:08:37.68\00:08:40.80 in the New Testament 00:08:40.83\00:08:42.40 to this matter of keeping the Bible Sabbath, it is. 00:08:42.43\00:08:47.04 So and then last of all we saw in verse 3 00:08:47.07\00:08:51.77 further more it's says like God rested on the seventh day. 00:08:51.80\00:08:56.24 Three significant things that God did on the seventh day 00:08:56.27\00:09:01.07 at the very beginnings of time as I've already shared with you. 00:09:01.10\00:09:04.70 And so when we keep the Sabbath 00:09:04.73\00:09:06.33 we're simply accepting 00:09:06.36\00:09:07.39 God's invitation to enter into His rest 00:09:07.42\00:09:11.37 and to seizing from our works. 00:09:11.40\00:09:13.96 And again there is physical implications to that 00:09:13.99\00:09:16.32 and there is also spiritual implications 00:09:16.35\00:09:19.20 to this matter of seizing from our works. 00:09:19.23\00:09:21.83 I just really love it. 00:09:21.86\00:09:22.89 I'm really anxious to get there to Hebrews 4, 00:09:22.92\00:09:25.34 but we'll get to there and due process 00:09:25.37\00:09:28.36 as we continue our study. 00:09:28.39\00:09:31.34 You know, it is a shock 00:09:31.37\00:09:32.40 for hundreds and thousands of Christians 00:09:32.43\00:09:34.06 as they realize that seventh day is the Sabbath 00:09:34.09\00:09:36.10 and that's Saturday not Sunday. 00:09:36.13\00:09:39.03 My friend, it wouldn't matter a bit to us except that, 00:09:39.06\00:09:43.23 you know, if we truly be born of the spirit of God, 00:09:43.26\00:09:46.92 if we're truly under the blood of Jesus, 00:09:46.95\00:09:49.86 truth is vital to us. 00:09:49.89\00:09:53.27 And I would guess that is one of the major factors 00:09:53.30\00:09:55.71 that have brought you and kept you coming 00:09:55.74\00:09:58.21 to the meetings 00:09:58.24\00:09:59.27 because we really are taking into what the Bible teaches. 00:09:59.30\00:10:01.82 And let me tell you we're not just interested 00:10:01.85\00:10:04.29 in studying out those things that are popular 00:10:04.32\00:10:07.51 that everybody is gonna saying amen about, 00:10:07.54\00:10:09.74 we ought to be concessive, 00:10:09.77\00:10:11.03 we are also interested in knowing those truths 00:10:11.06\00:10:13.82 that may not be popular and this maybe one of them. 00:10:13.85\00:10:17.99 But beyond the nuts and bolts of it 00:10:18.02\00:10:20.91 there is a wonderful blessing in this matter of the Sabbath. 00:10:20.94\00:10:24.19 Oh by the way, since we're talking about the origins of it 00:10:24.22\00:10:27.50 and we take note again of the fact 00:10:27.53\00:10:29.50 that is right in the middle of the Ten Commandments. 00:10:29.53\00:10:32.50 Longest of all of the commandments 00:10:32.53\00:10:34.52 in Exodus 20 and beginning with verse 8. 00:10:34.55\00:10:37.17 Interestingly it begins by saying 00:10:37.20\00:10:38.90 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 00:10:38.93\00:10:41.57 Isn't it fascinating that the one day 00:10:41.60\00:10:44.85 the much of the Christian world has forgotten. 00:10:44.88\00:10:47.80 Now I share a little piece on the historical side of that 00:10:47.83\00:10:50.44 how that came to be. 00:10:50.47\00:10:52.75 Much of the Christian world has forgotten 00:10:52.78\00:10:55.00 that God begins with this commandment 00:10:55.03\00:10:58.30 with the word remember. 00:10:58.33\00:11:00.94 You know, He knows us better than we know ourselves. 00:11:00.97\00:11:04.53 He knows how easy it is for us to get busy 00:11:04.56\00:11:07.15 and distracted and to forget sometimes those saying 00:11:07.18\00:11:09.87 that are really essential to our well-being. 00:11:09.90\00:11:13.03 And I think that's probably the reason 00:11:13.06\00:11:14.30 why He says remember, don't you forget. 00:11:14.33\00:11:16.86 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 00:11:16.89\00:11:18.80 That's certainly another issue, 00:11:18.83\00:11:20.01 how do you keep a day holy? 00:11:20.04\00:11:21.47 Well, it kind of explains itself in the fourth commandment. 00:11:21.50\00:11:25.42 Six days-- God goes on 00:11:25.45\00:11:27.76 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 00:11:27.79\00:11:30.03 but the seventh day 00:11:30.06\00:11:31.34 is the Sabbath of the Lord you God." 00:11:31.37\00:11:34.60 Again which day is the Sabbath? 00:11:34.63\00:11:38.19 It says the seventh day. 00:11:38.22\00:11:40.64 And the Sabbath of whom? 00:11:40.67\00:11:42.43 Whose day is it anyway, is it my day? 00:11:42.46\00:11:45.28 I'm gonna pick and choose the day. 00:11:45.31\00:11:46.50 Lord, this is my day. No. 00:11:46.53\00:11:49.38 "Is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. 00:11:49.41\00:11:52.32 In it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, 00:11:52.35\00:11:55.78 nor your daughter, nor your male servant, 00:11:55.81\00:11:58.08 nor your female servant, nor your cattle, 00:11:58.11\00:12:00.31 nor your stranger who is within your gates." 00:12:00.34\00:12:03.47 And then the reason is given to us 00:12:03.50\00:12:05.01 why we're to keep the Sabbath. 00:12:05.04\00:12:06.48 It's says for or you can use the word 00:12:06.51\00:12:08.67 because "For in six days 00:12:08.70\00:12:10.96 the Lord made the heavens and the earth, 00:12:10.99\00:12:12.68 the sea, and all that is in them, 00:12:12.71\00:12:15.32 and rested the seventh day." 00:12:15.35\00:12:17.73 And, my friend, when it points us 00:12:17.76\00:12:19.98 to the fact that God worked 00:12:20.01\00:12:21.80 and then rested on the Sabbath day 00:12:21.83\00:12:24.37 as a reason why we're to keep it 00:12:24.40\00:12:26.01 it's specifically is indicating that He set us an example. 00:12:26.04\00:12:31.06 Isn't that what it says? 00:12:31.09\00:12:32.86 We have to do because He did it. 00:12:32.89\00:12:35.55 And it goes on to say 00:12:35.58\00:12:36.70 "Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day 00:12:36.73\00:12:39.63 and He hallowed it." 00:12:39.66\00:12:41.41 But I know there are those who say 00:12:41.44\00:12:43.37 what a legalistic thing to do 00:12:43.40\00:12:46.30 this matter of keeping the Sabbath. 00:12:46.33\00:12:49.46 But, you know, as long as this earth remains 00:12:49.49\00:12:53.39 the Sabbath will continue to be a commemoration of His creation, 00:12:53.42\00:12:57.11 because that is embedded also in this matter of the Sabbath, 00:12:57.14\00:13:01.33 because as we just read 00:13:01.36\00:13:03.87 it reminds us that God in six days created this planet 00:13:03.90\00:13:08.87 and then He rested. 00:13:08.90\00:13:11.00 So it points back to creation. 00:13:11.03\00:13:12.92 We'll also see that a points forward to the future rest 00:13:12.95\00:13:15.27 that is ours in the kingdom of God. 00:13:15.30\00:13:18.61 So but as I said, there are those who say 00:13:18.64\00:13:21.13 what a legalistic thing to do 00:13:21.16\00:13:23.82 this matter of keeping the Sabbath. 00:13:23.85\00:13:27.15 Well, I keep the Sabbath as a Christian 00:13:27.18\00:13:31.34 by the grace of Jesus, by the grace of Jesus 00:13:31.37\00:13:34.85 for the same fundamental reason 00:13:34.88\00:13:36.27 I seek to keep the other nine commandments. 00:13:36.30\00:13:38.75 They are God's eternal principles 00:13:38.78\00:13:40.92 and they are meant to be lived by. 00:13:40.95\00:13:43.34 Now can Sabbath keeping be a legalistic thing? 00:13:43.37\00:13:46.09 Absolutely, it all depends on the motivation. 00:13:46.12\00:13:51.28 You know, this that nobody ever says about the person 00:13:51.31\00:13:53.63 who doesn't believe in breaking the commandment that says, 00:13:53.66\00:13:55.93 thou shall not steal. 00:13:55.96\00:13:57.37 What a legalistic thing to do. 00:13:57.40\00:14:00.27 You don't steal. 00:14:00.30\00:14:03.28 Or the person that doesn't believe in breaking 00:14:03.31\00:14:05.04 the seventh commandment the moral individual 00:14:05.07\00:14:07.00 who doesn't believe in committing adultery 00:14:07.03\00:14:08.64 what a legalistic thing to do. 00:14:08.67\00:14:12.63 My friend, it does not make sense 00:14:12.66\00:14:15.08 that we would hold up one of the commandments 00:14:15.11\00:14:17.28 that says that this automatically isn't legalistic, 00:14:17.31\00:14:20.65 it can be, but it all depends on the motivation 00:14:20.68\00:14:25.27 and if it comes out of ones love and commitment to Jesus Christ 00:14:25.30\00:14:29.06 it comes out of a relationship. 00:14:29.09\00:14:31.30 My friend, whenever Jesus is in it, 00:14:31.33\00:14:33.84 it keeps us away from legalism. 00:14:33.87\00:14:36.97 It does every time. 00:14:37.00\00:14:38.99 You know, nobody is here to suggest 00:14:39.02\00:14:40.61 that we ought to keep the Sabbath 00:14:40.64\00:14:42.11 or any of the commandments to be saved. 00:14:42.14\00:14:44.68 I hope you write that one down. 00:14:44.71\00:14:46.70 Because we're saved by grace alone 00:14:46.73\00:14:49.24 through the blood of Jesus. 00:14:49.27\00:14:53.40 Period. 00:14:53.43\00:14:57.07 Remember what Jesus said. 00:14:57.10\00:14:58.18 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law 00:14:58.21\00:15:00.60 or the Prophets, 00:15:00.63\00:15:01.73 I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill." 00:15:01.76\00:15:07.77 My friend, it's clear as we look at this passage of scripture 00:15:07.80\00:15:10.43 Jesus did not come with the intension 00:15:10.46\00:15:12.91 of eliminating or doing the way 00:15:12.94\00:15:14.77 with any of the commandments. 00:15:14.80\00:15:16.68 And He said, don't you think that I came to abolish. 00:15:16.71\00:15:19.57 Don't you think that in fulfilling the law 00:15:19.60\00:15:21.58 that I did away with it? 00:15:21.61\00:15:23.79 He said it, right? 00:15:23.82\00:15:25.54 It's black and white. 00:15:25.57\00:15:27.42 Remember that, because some of you're gonna hear this. 00:15:27.45\00:15:30.15 And then He says in verse 18 00:15:30.18\00:15:32.27 "For truly" I mean this is a solid statement 00:15:32.30\00:15:35.70 when Jesus says "For truly I say to you. 00:15:35.73\00:15:39.58 Until heaven and earth pas away, 00:15:39.61\00:15:42.14 not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away 00:15:42.17\00:15:47.17 from the Law, until all is accomplished." 00:15:47.20\00:15:50.74 We are certain heaven and earth is still here. 00:15:50.77\00:15:53.27 Not all has been accomplished yet. 00:15:53.30\00:15:56.67 Jesus for one thing as yet to come 00:15:56.70\00:15:59.72 or still needs dealing with the mess down here 00:15:59.75\00:16:02.28 that sin has brought to us that hasn't been dealt 00:16:02.31\00:16:05.02 with as it been brought to enhance it. 00:16:05.05\00:16:08.71 But notice Jesus said, not the smallest letter 00:16:08.74\00:16:12.67 or stroke shall pass away from the Lord 00:16:12.70\00:16:16.06 yet to suggest that a whole commandment 00:16:16.09\00:16:19.22 has been done away with. 00:16:19.25\00:16:22.46 You know, we need to really be consistent in the Biblical 00:16:22.49\00:16:24.56 about some of these things, don't we? 00:16:24.59\00:16:26.60 And then He goes on to say, 00:16:26.63\00:16:28.49 He goes on to say "Whoever then annuls 00:16:28.52\00:16:30.24 one of the least of these commandments, 00:16:30.27\00:16:32.62 and so teaches others, 00:16:32.65\00:16:34.48 shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, 00:16:34.51\00:16:37.18 but whoever keeps and teaches them." 00:16:37.21\00:16:39.99 Even the least of them. 00:16:40.02\00:16:41.39 "He shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." 00:16:41.42\00:16:45.41 And as I said last night, 00:16:45.44\00:16:46.51 we really are on solid New Testament foundations 00:16:46.54\00:16:50.95 to be talking in the context of the saving relationship 00:16:50.98\00:16:54.27 that is ours with Jesus Christ to be talking about 00:16:54.30\00:16:57.87 the importance of the commandments. 00:16:57.90\00:17:01.40 My friend, as Christians being born again 00:17:01.43\00:17:04.61 we have certain moral values that set us aside. 00:17:04.64\00:17:09.55 Jesus said, let your light shine. 00:17:09.58\00:17:13.21 And the light that shines forth from us 00:17:13.24\00:17:15.16 is the light of the glory of the presence of Jesus 00:17:15.19\00:17:18.99 in each one of our hearts and it is the light of truth 00:17:19.02\00:17:23.84 that also shines forth and it's demonstrated 00:17:23.87\00:17:28.18 and it's revealed through the lifestyle 00:17:28.21\00:17:31.77 that is uniquely ours as Christians, right. 00:17:31.80\00:17:37.28 So it is a vital part of it. 00:17:37.31\00:17:40.36 In Romans 3:31 Paul ask the question 00:17:40.39\00:17:43.23 "Do we then nullify the Law through faith?" 00:17:43.26\00:17:46.53 Does our faith in Jesus do away with the commandments? 00:17:46.56\00:17:50.36 And, you know, there are some Christians who would say yes, 00:17:50.39\00:17:52.42 that's exactly what it does, 00:17:52.45\00:17:54.75 it's a relevant question. 00:17:54.78\00:17:56.64 But Paul says "May it never be!" 00:17:56.67\00:18:00.06 That's a very strong term or expression in the Greek, 00:18:00.09\00:18:03.39 the original language. 00:18:03.42\00:18:04.65 He says "On the contrary." 00:18:04.68\00:18:07.03 To the contrary, the contrary is actually true. 00:18:07.06\00:18:09.29 "On the contrary, we establish the Law." 00:18:09.32\00:18:13.39 That one included the Sabbath wouldn't it? 00:18:13.42\00:18:15.90 And how do we establish the law? 00:18:15.93\00:18:18.92 Through faith, 00:18:18.95\00:18:21.21 through the relationship, 00:18:21.24\00:18:25.06 okay, right. 00:18:25.09\00:18:27.45 I was listening for an, amen in there somewhere. 00:18:27.48\00:18:31.24 And it's through faith in Jesus. 00:18:31.27\00:18:33.12 Now let's get to the New Testament 00:18:33.15\00:18:34.58 and particularly as Jesus related to the Sabbath. 00:18:34.61\00:18:37.88 Let's look at Luke 4 the New Testament page 47, 00:18:37.91\00:18:41.39 page 47 Luke 4:16. 00:18:41.42\00:18:45.55 Now in most subjects you will find 00:18:45.58\00:18:48.20 that there are what I call the nuts 00:18:48.23\00:18:50.08 and the bolts of the subject that you have to put together, 00:18:50.11\00:18:52.95 you have to take the revelation of God's word 00:18:52.98\00:18:56.76 and take the relevant passages of scripture 00:18:56.79\00:18:58.74 and put in together, 00:18:58.77\00:19:00.05 so that we have an understanding 00:19:00.08\00:19:01.40 what the Bible teaches. 00:19:01.43\00:19:03.24 Sometimes that's where some preachers just leave it. 00:19:03.27\00:19:07.59 I'm not just interested to get in the nuts and bolts 00:19:07.62\00:19:09.91 of a subject in the focus 00:19:09.94\00:19:12.86 I'm also interested 00:19:12.89\00:19:14.14 in how this relates to my relationship 00:19:14.17\00:19:16.21 that Jesus Christ. 00:19:16.24\00:19:17.88 And I want to know 00:19:17.91\00:19:18.94 what this means to me spiritually. 00:19:18.97\00:19:21.61 So I'm gonna deal with the nuts and the bolts, 00:19:21.64\00:19:23.97 because it's important in its place. 00:19:24.00\00:19:27.06 But there is a blessing in this 00:19:27.09\00:19:28.97 that I want to share a little bit with you tonight 00:19:29.00\00:19:31.84 before we're done. 00:19:31.87\00:19:32.90 But here is Luke 4:16 00:19:32.93\00:19:35.96 "And he came to Nazareth." 00:19:35.99\00:19:37.33 Speaking of Jesus "Where he had been brought up: 00:19:37.36\00:19:40.01 and, as his custom, 00:19:40.04\00:19:42.27 he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath 00:19:42.30\00:19:44.08 and stood up to read." 00:19:44.11\00:19:46.15 Custom, custom, what would be another term for that? 00:19:46.18\00:19:49.44 What would be a synonym, what would be another synonym? 00:19:49.47\00:19:54.47 It was his practice, it was his habit, right. 00:19:54.50\00:20:01.95 It was his practice. 00:20:01.98\00:20:03.37 Remember one of the questions I said, 00:20:03.40\00:20:05.53 you know, two questions is a Biblical, 00:20:05.56\00:20:07.95 secondly do we find Jesus in it, okay. 00:20:07.98\00:20:13.76 If you think about maybe this is surprise for some of us 00:20:13.79\00:20:16.60 to find out that Jesus throughout His life 00:20:16.63\00:20:20.09 and His ministry was a Sabbath keeper. 00:20:20.12\00:20:24.82 He kept the Sabbath. 00:20:24.85\00:20:26.51 And in keeping the Sabbath as is a Christian 00:20:26.54\00:20:28.74 we therefore are following the example of whom? 00:20:28.77\00:20:32.81 Of Jesus Christ. 00:20:32.84\00:20:35.24 I mean 1 John 2:6 say that 00:20:35.27\00:20:37.30 "The one who says he abides in Him ought himself 00:20:37.33\00:20:39.91 also to walk in the same manner as He walked." 00:20:39.94\00:20:43.50 We have to follow the example of Jesus. 00:20:43.53\00:20:46.90 And, my friend, He gave us this example. 00:20:46.93\00:20:50.70 Sabbath keeping Christians 00:20:50.73\00:20:53.79 are among the fastest growing Christian groups today. 00:20:53.82\00:20:58.46 There are over 15 million Sabbath keeping Christians. 00:20:58.49\00:21:05.07 And there is a reason because, my friend, 00:21:05.10\00:21:09.06 this is not something 00:21:09.09\00:21:10.12 that we just very quickly come to. 00:21:10.15\00:21:12.79 Because it kind of success apart. 00:21:12.82\00:21:14.99 It's like, you know, with just a casual look at it 00:21:15.02\00:21:17.52 you can even seem kind of weird 00:21:17.55\00:21:20.07 and just kind of our step 00:21:20.10\00:21:22.59 with what most of Christians are doing. 00:21:22.62\00:21:25.51 And so, you know, none of us are quick to get into something 00:21:25.54\00:21:28.86 that seems kind of strange just on the surface of it 00:21:28.89\00:21:32.25 and I'll tell you most Christians 00:21:32.28\00:21:34.67 who become Sabbath keeping Christians do so 00:21:34.70\00:21:37.43 as they very prayerfully consider 00:21:37.46\00:21:39.91 what the Bible teaches about this matter. 00:21:39.94\00:21:43.33 And when they really look at what the Bible teaches 00:21:43.36\00:21:47.47 that's where so many decisions come 00:21:47.50\00:21:50.39 for a lot of since you're Christians 00:21:50.42\00:21:52.32 would become Sabbath keeping Christians. 00:21:52.35\00:21:55.76 Now, you know, we're not criticizing 00:21:55.79\00:21:57.74 Sunday keeping Christians, 00:21:57.77\00:21:58.94 we are not condemning them to hell, 00:21:58.97\00:22:01.49 you know, you know, there are many, 00:22:01.52\00:22:05.34 many sincere born again Christians 00:22:05.37\00:22:08.82 who love the Lord who keep Sunday. 00:22:08.85\00:22:10.91 You know, they've never had a reason to really look at it, 00:22:10.94\00:22:13.11 maybe you can never had a reason even 00:22:13.14\00:22:14.90 to considerate until a preacher like me got up 00:22:14.93\00:22:17.34 that one Saturday night and preached on it. 00:22:17.37\00:22:20.89 For my grandmother that happened in 1930-- 00:22:20.92\00:22:25.80 what is 37 or 38 00:22:25.83\00:22:27.86 she went to meetings like this in Garrison, North Dakota 00:22:27.89\00:22:31.80 and the preacher got up and preached on this. 00:22:31.83\00:22:33.62 She actually has some convictions about this 00:22:33.65\00:22:36.03 even before hearing this preached. 00:22:36.06\00:22:38.46 But when she heard the preacher preaching 00:22:38.49\00:22:40.96 on what the Bible taught about this Sabbath 00:22:40.99\00:22:43.68 she recognize the ring of truth and then my family 00:22:43.71\00:22:47.04 well, I know, that's were it really began. 00:22:47.07\00:22:49.05 She became a Sabbath keeping Christian. 00:22:49.08\00:22:52.10 So look at it from the Biblical standpoint. 00:22:52.13\00:22:56.21 It will make a lot more sense. 00:22:56.24\00:22:58.77 And so 500,000 a year and again many Christians 00:22:58.80\00:23:03.99 as they begin to study this out 00:23:04.02\00:23:05.45 hundreds and thousands of Christians 00:23:05.48\00:23:07.78 as they look at this really are asking the question 00:23:07.81\00:23:10.76 why aren't we keeping the first day? 00:23:10.79\00:23:12.76 Why aren't we keeping Sunday 00:23:12.79\00:23:13.84 when the Bible clearly teaches 00:23:13.87\00:23:15.49 that the seventh day is Sabbath and that's Saturday not Sunday? 00:23:15.52\00:23:19.55 And of course that maybe a question 00:23:19.58\00:23:20.80 for some how do we know? 00:23:20.83\00:23:22.55 Well, I'll get to that in due course. 00:23:22.58\00:23:25.04 Let me share with you another passage in Mark 2 00:23:25.07\00:23:29.31 the New Testament page 28. 00:23:29.34\00:23:31.96 Page 28 Mark 2:27, 28. 00:23:31.99\00:23:38.29 Jesus says something very significant 00:23:38.32\00:23:40.08 about this matter of the Sabbath here. 00:23:40.11\00:23:42.16 The Sabbath was made for the Jews 00:23:42.19\00:23:46.45 and not to Jews. 00:23:46.48\00:23:49.06 Well, I hear couple of you kind of laughing. 00:23:51.97\00:23:54.94 Now come on, are you gonna let on preacher get away with that. 00:23:54.97\00:23:59.66 Now come on don't just, you know, you can read it. 00:23:59.69\00:24:04.33 No, that's not. 00:24:04.36\00:24:05.63 What it says it's says the Sabbath was made for man 00:24:05.66\00:24:08.80 and not man for the Sabbath. 00:24:08.83\00:24:12.58 Now let's talk about this matter that the Jews keep the Sabbath. 00:24:12.61\00:24:15.17 They do at least some of them do. 00:24:15.20\00:24:18.52 Of course there are many secular Jews 00:24:18.55\00:24:20.82 that don't keep the Sabbath. 00:24:20.85\00:24:23.23 I'll let you gonna have a secret, 00:24:23.26\00:24:24.29 they also believe in keeping the other nine commandments. 00:24:24.32\00:24:27.86 Again does that necessary to make them Jewish? 00:24:27.89\00:24:31.30 But now Jesus said "The Sabbath was made for man 00:24:31.33\00:24:34.43 and not man for the Sabbath." 00:24:34.46\00:24:36.33 I'm gonna give you a little bit of a Greek lesson right here. 00:24:36.36\00:24:38.25 The word in the Greek is a word anthropos. 00:24:38.28\00:24:42.88 Our word anthropology comes from this Greek anthropos 00:24:42.91\00:24:46.42 that translates out mankind. 00:24:46.45\00:24:49.83 Translates mankind. 00:24:49.86\00:24:52.33 So Jesus was saying something very significant. 00:24:52.36\00:24:56.48 He was teaching that the Sabbath was made for all of mankind. 00:24:56.51\00:25:01.94 It was made for all peoples, right. 00:25:01.97\00:25:08.24 Because I remind you the rights of the Sabbath 00:25:08.27\00:25:11.10 predate the first Jew by about 4,000 years. 00:25:11.13\00:25:15.89 The first Jew being Abraham, that's a rough figure, 00:25:15.92\00:25:18.76 but, you know, after the plot. 00:25:18.79\00:25:21.89 So the Sabbath was made for the whole human race. 00:25:21.92\00:25:27.56 Jesus stated it. 00:25:27.59\00:25:29.31 And then for there on in verse 28 00:25:29.34\00:25:31.27 He says so "The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." 00:25:31.30\00:25:37.24 So which day is the Lord's day? 00:25:37.27\00:25:40.92 It's the Sabbath. 00:25:40.95\00:25:42.34 There is linguistic evidence for the Sabbath 00:25:42.37\00:25:45.26 by the way being the seventh day 00:25:45.29\00:25:47.07 in some 108 languages 00:25:47.10\00:25:49.98 the very word for the seventh day, 00:25:50.01\00:25:52.65 our word is Saturday, 00:25:52.68\00:25:53.71 but for the seventh day is the word Sabbath. 00:25:53.74\00:25:56.98 I'm gonna give you a list of some of them. 00:25:57.01\00:25:59.91 In Ancient Syriac you can see it Shabbatho. 00:25:59.94\00:26:03.78 Now I can't pronounce many of these languages, 00:26:03.81\00:26:06.14 but you can see it. 00:26:06.17\00:26:07.75 In Arabic its Assabt. 00:26:07.78\00:26:10.66 You see the root of it. 00:26:10.69\00:26:11.97 In ancient Babylonian and then are languages in Africa 00:26:12.00\00:26:16.51 were the word is the word for Sabbath. 00:26:16.54\00:26:19.66 In Ethiopic and Greek and Greek has Sabbato 00:26:19.69\00:26:24.86 and Italian you go down the list Kurdish and Latin 00:26:24.89\00:26:27.95 and again another language in Africa Maba 00:26:27.98\00:26:30.70 and Malayan and Polish you can see it in Portuguese, 00:26:30.73\00:26:33.98 the Romanian Sabat and Russian Subbota. 00:26:34.01\00:26:38.21 I've done four of these series in Russia. 00:26:38.24\00:26:41.58 And I tell you when it came to the Sabbath, 00:26:41.61\00:26:44.05 you know, it was such a common term for them, 00:26:44.08\00:26:46.74 you know, it was only after you pointed it out to them 00:26:46.77\00:26:49.30 that their word for Saturday Subbota 00:26:49.33\00:26:53.66 that the word is a word for Sabbath. 00:26:53.69\00:26:55.83 And when they thought of it they said, yes, that's right. 00:26:55.86\00:26:58.93 I didn't really thought of it, it just a very common term. 00:26:58.96\00:27:02.68 And you go on down Servian and in Spanish 00:27:02.71\00:27:05.44 what's the word Sabado. 00:27:05.47\00:27:08.51 So we have linguistic evidence 00:27:08.54\00:27:10.87 which I think is quite astounding, 00:27:10.90\00:27:13.31 because where in this language groups 00:27:13.34\00:27:15.61 and from these particular peoples and cultures 00:27:15.64\00:27:18.18 where did this idea of the seventh day 00:27:18.21\00:27:20.51 being the Sabbath come into the languages 00:27:20.54\00:27:23.28 if there wasn't at some point probably back in many, 00:27:23.31\00:27:28.62 maybe even millennium ago 00:27:28.65\00:27:30.62 there was some reorganization in these people groups 00:27:30.65\00:27:34.14 and in these cultures that the seventh day 00:27:34.17\00:27:37.20 that is Saturday is the Sabbath. 00:27:37.23\00:27:40.50 It's fascinating 00:27:40.53\00:27:41.84 when you look at the linguistic evidence of it. 00:27:41.87\00:27:45.06 And by the way 00:27:45.09\00:27:46.12 how could Jesus claim to be Lord of the Sabbath anyway? 00:27:46.15\00:27:49.15 How could He claim to be Lord of the Sabbath? 00:27:49.18\00:27:52.85 Now remember those vital questions here is, 00:27:52.88\00:27:56.79 do we find Jesus in it? 00:27:56.82\00:27:58.98 Are we discovering Jesus kept it? 00:27:59.01\00:28:03.04 We also discovering in the New Testament 00:28:03.07\00:28:05.52 Jesus said, He is Lord of the Sabbath. 00:28:05.55\00:28:10.68 Remember John 1:3 it says 00:28:10.71\00:28:12.68 "All things came into being by Him 00:28:12.71\00:28:14.81 and without Him nothing came into being that." 00:28:14.84\00:28:17.26 As, you know, some are creation. 00:28:17.29\00:28:19.99 So who do you think set aside that for Sabbath? 00:28:20.02\00:28:24.13 Remember Jesus is the active agency 00:28:24.16\00:28:26.43 by which God create this world, 00:28:26.46\00:28:28.08 by which He paid the price of our redemption, 00:28:28.11\00:28:31.78 by which He will judge the world, 00:28:31.81\00:28:33.85 by which He will establish the everlasting kingdom. 00:28:33.88\00:28:36.14 Remember we study through that. 00:28:36.17\00:28:38.84 So Jesus could claim to be Lord of the Sabbath, 00:28:38.87\00:28:40.93 because He was the agency of creation 00:28:40.96\00:28:44.82 on behalf of the God. 00:28:44.85\00:28:45.88 And it says right here in Colossians 1:16 00:28:45.91\00:28:48.28 "For by Him" that is Jesus "All things were created." 00:28:48.31\00:28:53.21 And so when it says in Genesis 2 that God rested. 00:28:53.24\00:28:55.98 Yes, God the Father was there and yes, 00:28:56.01\00:28:58.06 God the spirit was there. 00:28:58.09\00:28:59.49 But yes, God the Son Himself was there. 00:28:59.52\00:29:03.86 And He is the one that blessed it, He sanctify it. 00:29:03.89\00:29:07.36 He is the one that's set it apart, 00:29:07.39\00:29:09.80 because nothing came into being apart from Him 00:29:09.83\00:29:13.57 is what the Bible teaches. 00:29:13.60\00:29:14.94 So it is so clearly connected 00:29:14.97\00:29:18.86 into our relationship with Jesus. 00:29:18.89\00:29:22.26 Which makes it a pretty spiritual thing 00:29:22.29\00:29:24.92 when you think about it pretty spiritual thing. 00:29:24.95\00:29:28.41 Oh yes, I've been telling you 00:29:28.44\00:29:30.74 I wanted to get you to Hebrews 4:4 00:29:30.77\00:29:34.22 "For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day, 00:29:34.25\00:29:39.16 'And God rested on the seventh day 00:29:39.19\00:29:41.02 from all His works.'" 00:29:41.05\00:29:44.83 And the context he is talking about the rest 00:29:44.86\00:29:47.53 that God seeks for His people. 00:29:47.56\00:29:50.36 And notice how it's connected 00:29:50.39\00:29:51.96 to the Sabbath the seventh day Sabbath. 00:29:51.99\00:29:55.28 Come on down to verses 9-11 00:29:55.31\00:29:58.75 where He says "So there remains 00:29:58.78\00:30:01.72 a Sabbath rest for the people of God." 00:30:01.75\00:30:05.73 In the context of the New Testament 00:30:05.76\00:30:07.47 who constitutes the people of God, who? 00:30:07.50\00:30:13.27 My friend, those who have entered 00:30:13.30\00:30:14.94 into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:30:14.97\00:30:19.29 Would you agree? 00:30:19.32\00:30:21.08 Constitute the people of God. 00:30:21.11\00:30:23.70 And what does this text say 00:30:23.73\00:30:25.54 there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 00:30:25.57\00:30:30.59 My friend, it cannot be said that something remains 00:30:30.62\00:30:34.51 and yet to be told that has been done away with. 00:30:34.54\00:30:38.49 If it's been done away with it, it doesn't remain. 00:30:38.52\00:30:41.38 But the New Testament says 00:30:41.41\00:30:42.88 it remains for the people of God. 00:30:42.91\00:30:47.41 Now how do we get away from it? 00:30:47.44\00:30:49.54 How did the Christian church get away from it? 00:30:49.57\00:30:51.83 I'm just a little piece on that before we're done, 00:30:51.86\00:30:55.43 you know, I just have one presentation 00:30:55.46\00:30:58.07 to deal with what the Bible teaches on. 00:30:58.10\00:30:59.88 So I can get in all the historical aspects 00:30:59.91\00:31:02.05 of how it was changed, so we know the history of it. 00:31:02.08\00:31:04.95 And I will give you 00:31:04.98\00:31:06.01 more of the historical background at some point 00:31:06.04\00:31:08.15 but anyway, but I'll give you a little, 00:31:08.18\00:31:10.79 you know, one of the vital points 00:31:10.82\00:31:12.69 on how the Christian church stop keeping the Sabbath 00:31:12.72\00:31:17.49 and started keeping Sunday the first day of the week. 00:31:17.52\00:31:22.17 Anyway so that remains and then verse 10 00:31:22.20\00:31:26.51 "For the one who has entered His rest 00:31:26.54\00:31:29.06 has himself also rested from his works, 00:31:29.09\00:31:30.97 as God did from His." 00:31:31.00\00:31:33.35 Again it's talking about His example. 00:31:33.38\00:31:35.64 Verse 11, verse 11 00:31:35.67\00:31:37.05 "Therefore let us be diligent." 00:31:37.08\00:31:40.10 Let us be what? 00:31:40.13\00:31:41.90 "Diligent to enter into that rest." 00:31:41.93\00:31:45.73 There is the spiritual side of it, 00:31:45.76\00:31:47.52 there is the blessing of it. 00:31:47.55\00:31:51.61 I'll talk a little bit more about that in a moment. 00:31:51.64\00:31:55.24 So let's us diligently let's us "Be diligent to enter that rest, 00:31:55.27\00:31:59.22 so that no one will fall." 00:31:59.25\00:32:02.07 What it's talking about falling. 00:32:02.10\00:32:03.76 "Through following the same example of disobedience." 00:32:03.79\00:32:08.54 So it's talking about diligently seeking to keep the Sabbath 00:32:08.57\00:32:11.12 and it warns us 00:32:11.15\00:32:13.68 from not falling away from it in disobedience of it. 00:32:13.71\00:32:20.81 Is that now what the text says? 00:32:20.84\00:32:23.71 That's the New Testament. 00:32:23.74\00:32:26.08 Now you will understand why on a typical Sunday morning 00:32:26.11\00:32:27.36 this probably is not going 00:32:27.39\00:32:29.03 to be the chapter or the verse that's gonna be preached on. 00:32:29.06\00:32:35.35 But never the less its in the Bible 00:32:35.38\00:32:37.43 and again I'm not being critical 00:32:37.46\00:32:38.87 when I say that I mean that by observation 00:32:38.90\00:32:41.82 and you know that. 00:32:41.85\00:32:43.44 And its gonna be a work in the Mark 2:27, 28 00:32:43.47\00:32:46.97 is going to be the passage 00:32:47.00\00:32:49.18 that's gonna be preached on in a typical Sunday morning. 00:32:49.21\00:32:52.60 And so that's why many of us have never really maybe heard 00:32:52.63\00:32:56.55 or seen these passages of scripture, 00:32:56.58\00:32:59.98 because the established tradition and practice 00:33:00.01\00:33:04.81 is not the Sabbath it's the first day of the week, 00:33:04.84\00:33:07.94 we'll come to that. 00:33:07.97\00:33:09.50 There is something significant happened 00:33:09.53\00:33:10.90 on the first day. 00:33:10.93\00:33:13.15 Absolutely it did we'll come to that in a moment. 00:33:13.18\00:33:15.65 But you see the beauty of the Sabbath rest. 00:33:15.68\00:33:21.79 Is something that I have valued for much of my life, 00:33:21.82\00:33:27.15 all through my education, my undergraduate work, 00:33:27.18\00:33:30.32 my work on my two masters degrees. 00:33:30.35\00:33:33.24 Man, was I grad and that was all over that formal education. 00:33:33.27\00:33:37.36 It was a lot of work, 00:33:37.39\00:33:38.55 but let me tell you when the Sabbath began 00:33:38.58\00:33:43.32 I just put it all aside may been test week, 00:33:43.35\00:33:46.56 finals coming up next week, 00:33:46.59\00:33:48.28 maybe I had major papers that were do and maybe 00:33:48.31\00:33:51.11 I wasn't, you know, ready, but, my friend, 00:33:51.14\00:33:54.14 I never was tempted on the Sabbath 00:33:54.17\00:33:58.59 to do my school work. 00:33:58.62\00:33:59.96 Never, because I always believe 00:33:59.99\00:34:01.66 by that resting on the Sabbath day 00:34:01.69\00:34:04.91 that I was fresher, I have more energy. 00:34:04.94\00:34:09.55 And by the way let me tell you, 00:34:09.58\00:34:11.20 you could get more dude in a week 00:34:11.23\00:34:13.73 if the happiest productivity is the-- is the game. 00:34:13.76\00:34:17.74 Yes, but you can get more done in a week 00:34:17.77\00:34:21.17 by keeping the Sabbath than by working seven days a week. 00:34:21.20\00:34:26.93 That can be proven scientifically. 00:34:26.96\00:34:31.28 We need the rest and it is when the Sabbath begins 00:34:31.31\00:34:35.88 and, you know, I'm living in this little trailer here 00:34:35.91\00:34:37.88 that Ginger and her husband were kind enough to provide for me. 00:34:37.91\00:34:40.60 Thank you, Ginger. 00:34:40.63\00:34:42.25 And it's my practice at home when the Sabbath hours began 00:34:42.28\00:34:48.49 I turned on my computer and I have a certain, 00:34:48.52\00:34:52.35 there is a couple of websites with beautiful Christian music. 00:34:52.38\00:34:58.24 And I open the doors from my study 00:34:58.27\00:35:00.17 where my computer is, 00:35:00.20\00:35:01.84 so that this music can just infiltrate the whole house 00:35:01.87\00:35:05.76 and all of these beautiful Christian music it's peaceful, 00:35:05.79\00:35:10.39 it's restful, it's joyful. 00:35:10.42\00:35:14.71 There is just in my mind 00:35:14.74\00:35:16.22 and I know this for many who keep the Sabbath, 00:35:16.25\00:35:18.05 because of years of doing that is like a switch goes off. 00:35:18.08\00:35:22.79 Maybe I've been hurried 00:35:22.82\00:35:24.05 and maybe I've been under a lot of pressure, 00:35:24.08\00:35:26.44 but when the Sabbath begins I just, 00:35:26.47\00:35:28.87 I enter into another, I go to another dimension 00:35:28.90\00:35:31.85 if you want to put it in, 00:35:31.88\00:35:33.38 you know, I just go to another place 00:35:33.41\00:35:36.51 and it's restful and peaceful. 00:35:36.54\00:35:38.32 I remember in Vallejo, California 00:35:38.35\00:35:40.59 that's in the bay area, 00:35:40.62\00:35:42.50 I had this had this African-American grandmother 00:35:42.53\00:35:46.28 and her granddaughter attending my meeting. 00:35:46.31\00:35:48.12 She was-- what was she about 22 or something 00:35:48.15\00:35:50.52 and I remember one Saturday afternoon stopping by. 00:35:50.55\00:35:54.43 I wish I could remember names to see 00:35:54.46\00:35:57.23 she and her grandmother they were living together. 00:35:57.26\00:36:00.57 And I knocked on the door. 00:36:00.60\00:36:01.71 This is the afternoon. 00:36:01.74\00:36:02.88 And here she opens the door, 00:36:02.91\00:36:03.95 she is in her pajamas 00:36:03.98\00:36:05.01 which kind of makes me a little bit embarrassed, 00:36:05.04\00:36:06.98 you know, and she was it and she said, 00:36:07.01\00:36:10.20 oh she says you know I've been in my bedroom 00:36:10.23\00:36:14.39 and I have been relaxing today. 00:36:14.42\00:36:18.05 It was her first steps in seeking to keep the Sabbath. 00:36:18.08\00:36:22.70 And so she was experimenting a little bit 00:36:22.73\00:36:25.32 with this idea of just resting. 00:36:25.35\00:36:27.57 She took it very literally. 00:36:27.60\00:36:29.45 You know, she was in bed half the day. 00:36:29.48\00:36:33.39 Well, bless her heart and her grandmother, 00:36:33.42\00:36:37.45 remember we talk warm light 00:36:37.48\00:36:39.31 and, you know, they made their decision 00:36:39.34\00:36:41.50 as they studied out their Bible 00:36:41.53\00:36:43.08 and as they found out this really is a blessing. 00:36:43.11\00:36:46.05 After all God did put a blessing, didn't He? 00:36:46.08\00:36:49.12 So there is this other spiritual side to it 00:36:49.15\00:36:52.65 that is truly wonderful. 00:36:52.68\00:36:55.02 I've been not part for this for anything. 00:36:55.05\00:36:58.09 I'm gonna live longer for this, 00:36:58.12\00:36:59.77 by the way you will too. 00:36:59.80\00:37:02.25 So again the question is, do we need it? 00:37:02.28\00:37:04.66 The Wall Street Journal reports that professionals 00:37:04.69\00:37:07.00 on average work 44 hours a week in the area of law, 00:37:07.03\00:37:13.01 finance and medicine it's more like 88 hours plus. 00:37:13.04\00:37:18.52 And on top of that the Wall Street Journal reported 00:37:18.55\00:37:21.18 that factory workers in the United States 00:37:21.21\00:37:23.81 work 430 hours more each year 00:37:23.84\00:37:27.97 then their German counterparts. 00:37:28.00\00:37:30.59 In other words the American factory worker 00:37:30.62\00:37:34.07 is working two and a half months 00:37:34.10\00:37:36.95 more each year than the Germans. 00:37:36.98\00:37:40.04 We are out working the Germans. 00:37:40.07\00:37:43.47 Can you believe it? 00:37:43.50\00:37:46.61 But we know about those who have come to this country. 00:37:46.64\00:37:49.11 Let me tell you, those who were satisfy 00:37:49.14\00:37:50.80 with the study score are where living 00:37:50.83\00:37:52.56 at didn't come to this country, 00:37:52.59\00:37:55.30 but it was those who are looking for something better 00:37:55.33\00:37:57.68 they would driven for something better 00:37:57.71\00:38:01.15 they have an idea they can make a better life here 00:38:01.18\00:38:03.61 and they were willing to work for it. 00:38:03.64\00:38:06.23 And so we have the work ethic. 00:38:06.26\00:38:08.51 Here in the United States work is good in its proper place. 00:38:08.54\00:38:13.37 But remember God says you need the Sabbath, 00:38:13.40\00:38:16.68 you need to rest. Of course we need it. 00:38:16.71\00:38:18.85 And so the Sabbath points back to the God 00:38:18.88\00:38:23.35 that established the Sabbath. 00:38:23.38\00:38:25.80 It points back to His creative power, 00:38:25.83\00:38:28.59 it also points to the God who gives us rest, 00:38:28.62\00:38:33.18 it points to the God that brings to us peace 00:38:33.21\00:38:36.31 through Jesus Christ. 00:38:36.34\00:38:38.57 In the words of Jesus Himself in Matthew 11 00:38:38.60\00:38:40.77 He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary 00:38:40.80\00:38:43.44 and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 00:38:43.47\00:38:47.30 Take My yoke upon you, learn from Me, 00:38:47.33\00:38:49.23 for I am gentle and humble in heart, 00:38:49.26\00:38:51.68 and you shall find" what? 00:38:51.71\00:38:54.21 "Rest for your souls." 00:38:54.24\00:38:56.29 See this is not just physical rest, 00:38:56.32\00:38:58.16 because Jesus said, 00:38:58.19\00:38:59.22 I will give you rest to your souls, 00:38:59.25\00:39:01.65 for your souls. 00:39:01.68\00:39:03.59 And, my friend, it is impossible 00:39:03.62\00:39:05.96 apart from Jesus to experience 00:39:05.99\00:39:10.19 the rest of the Sabbath. 00:39:10.22\00:39:14.20 The Sabbath is a indicative of the rest 00:39:14.23\00:39:16.07 that we find in Jesus and so as it means 00:39:16.10\00:39:19.32 by which we enter into His rest 00:39:19.35\00:39:21.59 and it points forward to the final rest 00:39:21.62\00:39:23.28 that will be ours. 00:39:23.31\00:39:25.31 When the conflict is ended 00:39:25.34\00:39:28.31 and we inhabit that eternal kingdom 00:39:28.34\00:39:30.62 when we are in paradise restored. 00:39:30.65\00:39:35.37 We all rest. 00:39:35.40\00:39:36.77 Gonna take a long vacation. 00:39:36.80\00:39:38.64 You know, spend pretty tough down here 00:39:38.67\00:39:40.33 lot of balance that we thought here 00:39:40.36\00:39:42.53 is been kind of stressful down here hasn't it? 00:39:42.56\00:39:46.03 And so when we get into the kingdom? 00:39:46.06\00:39:49.60 We're all gonna take a long vacation aren't we? 00:39:49.63\00:39:52.31 It's gonna be wonderful, it's gonna be beautiful. 00:39:52.34\00:39:54.98 So it points forward, but then are those who say yes, 00:39:55.01\00:39:58.68 but I know what the Bible does talk about the Sabbath, 00:39:58.71\00:40:01.86 but I keep Sunday in honor of the resurrection 00:40:01.89\00:40:05.56 which sounds very spiritual. 00:40:05.59\00:40:07.91 But, my friend, show me one text only one 00:40:07.94\00:40:11.88 where the Bible instructs us that we ought to keep Sunday. 00:40:11.91\00:40:15.87 It's not hard to do for there are only eight texts 00:40:15.90\00:40:19.46 in the New Testament 00:40:19.49\00:40:20.79 that even speaks of the first day of the week 00:40:20.82\00:40:22.66 and that's where you find it first day. 00:40:22.69\00:40:24.02 They didn't call the days of the week. 00:40:24.05\00:40:25.98 In New Testament times Saturday and Sunday, 00:40:26.01\00:40:28.96 you know, that comes from our Roman calendar, 00:40:28.99\00:40:31.41 but they called it the first day of the week. 00:40:31.44\00:40:33.70 We all know Jesus was resurrected on the first day 00:40:33.73\00:40:35.99 of the week is a fact is glorious it is powerful 00:40:36.02\00:40:39.39 where we will be without the resurrection in Jesus. 00:40:39.42\00:40:42.70 This is not too, 00:40:42.73\00:40:44.03 you know, undermine the significance 00:40:44.06\00:40:45.97 of the resurrection because it is vital, 00:40:46.00\00:40:49.29 but it again is the question 00:40:49.32\00:40:50.97 and what does the Bible really teach? 00:40:51.00\00:40:53.81 And, my friend, it's not there. 00:40:53.84\00:40:55.56 Take a concordance and look at it. 00:40:55.59\00:40:57.56 It does speak of the resurrection, 00:40:57.59\00:40:59.50 but look for any statement there 00:40:59.53\00:41:02.25 that we ought to keep the first day 00:41:02.28\00:41:04.28 in honor of the resurrection, 00:41:04.31\00:41:05.86 it's just not there. 00:41:05.89\00:41:08.19 You know you can make a fine case 00:41:08.22\00:41:09.66 that we ought to be keeping Thursday evening. 00:41:09.69\00:41:15.96 Thursday evening, Thursday evening, 00:41:15.99\00:41:18.18 it was on Thursday evening 00:41:18.21\00:41:19.38 that Jesus gathered His 00:41:19.41\00:41:20.84 disciples together in the upper room. 00:41:20.87\00:41:23.28 It was on that Thursday evening 00:41:23.31\00:41:25.25 that Jesus gave them the cup 00:41:25.28\00:41:27.16 and He gave them the bread 00:41:27.19\00:41:28.78 representing His broken body and His spilled blood. 00:41:28.81\00:41:33.62 The basis of the new covenant was given there to is these 00:41:33.65\00:41:36.95 some of the most beautiful teachings of Jesus 00:41:36.98\00:41:38.94 were given on that Thursday night, 00:41:38.97\00:41:41.15 but, my friend, the Bible does not teaches us 00:41:41.18\00:41:43.59 that we ought to follows the example of the disciples 00:41:43.62\00:41:46.27 as they did in one occasion 00:41:46.30\00:41:47.55 when they met with Jesus in the upper room. 00:41:47.58\00:41:50.70 So we don't do that. 00:41:50.73\00:41:52.22 We can make another case 00:41:52.25\00:41:53.29 that we ought to be keeping Friday 00:41:53.32\00:41:55.02 for after all it was on Friday 00:41:55.05\00:41:57.23 that Jesus died for our sins on the cross of Calvary. 00:41:57.26\00:42:01.02 I mean where would we be without the crucifixion? 00:42:01.05\00:42:04.99 You see it sounds rational 00:42:05.02\00:42:08.01 when you talk about these things 00:42:08.04\00:42:09.19 apart from what the Bible really teaches. 00:42:09.22\00:42:11.58 It sound spiritual and it sounds theological, 00:42:11.61\00:42:14.48 but without a Biblical base it is not Biblical. 00:42:14.51\00:42:20.39 And so the practice is not in harmony with the Bible 00:42:20.42\00:42:22.93 what the Bible teaches particularly 00:42:22.96\00:42:24.57 when the Bible teaches is the seventh day 00:42:24.60\00:42:26.95 that we ought to keep. 00:42:26.98\00:42:29.22 And by the way if you want to celebrate the resurrection 00:42:29.25\00:42:32.83 do it in the Biblical sense, look at Romans 6:3-6 00:42:32.86\00:42:37.39 where it says by baptism we enter into His death, 00:42:37.42\00:42:40.92 we are burying with Christ in the baptism 00:42:40.95\00:42:43.65 and as we come up out of the waters 00:42:43.68\00:42:45.60 we are celebrating His resurrection. 00:42:45.63\00:42:50.75 Now that's a Biblical way to celebrate the death, 00:42:50.78\00:42:53.75 burial and resurrection of Jesus 00:42:53.78\00:42:55.62 if we want to be Biblical about it. 00:42:55.65\00:42:58.44 In contrast to the eight 00:42:58.47\00:43:00.48 references to the first day of the week 00:43:00.51\00:43:02.93 in the New Testament if you count them up 00:43:02.96\00:43:04.91 you will find 60 specific references 00:43:04.94\00:43:07.50 in the New Testament to the Sabbath. 00:43:07.53\00:43:10.34 That's a little bit shocking to a lot of people to find out 00:43:10.37\00:43:13.35 that the Sabbath is quite prominent 00:43:13.38\00:43:15.29 actually particularly in the gospels. 00:43:15.32\00:43:18.71 But it is quite prominent 60 to 8 00:43:18.74\00:43:21.62 the weight of evidence is quite clear as you look at it. 00:43:21.65\00:43:26.58 You know, take a concordance 00:43:26.61\00:43:27.64 and take a look at it at some point. 00:43:27.67\00:43:31.43 But there are those who say it can't be that important. 00:43:31.46\00:43:35.27 I suppose those same people will be standing there 00:43:35.30\00:43:37.30 if they were there the tree the knowledge of good and evil. 00:43:37.33\00:43:41.30 It's kind of, you know, I think the devil was saying something 00:43:41.33\00:43:44.87 like that it's only the piece of fruit come on, 00:43:44.90\00:43:48.15 you can't be that serious it's only a piece of fruit. 00:43:48.18\00:43:51.43 Of course the consequences tell us a different story. 00:43:51.46\00:43:54.91 It's what the fruit represented. 00:43:54.94\00:43:57.30 What did it represent? 00:43:57.33\00:43:59.80 It represented loyalty to God. 00:43:59.83\00:44:03.37 Didn't it not? 00:44:03.40\00:44:05.56 And, my friend, it may just seem like a date. 00:44:05.59\00:44:08.41 Oh, what's in a date anyway? 00:44:08.44\00:44:10.82 It's what the date represents. 00:44:10.85\00:44:13.61 And what does it represent? 00:44:13.64\00:44:16.29 Loyalty to God and loyalty to Bible teaching 00:44:16.32\00:44:21.12 it's what it represents and that's what God has done 00:44:21.15\00:44:25.31 when He is blessed them and when He is sanctified. 00:44:25.34\00:44:28.31 In my wife's family, my wife's family 00:44:28.34\00:44:31.32 Sabbath keeping Christian-- 00:44:31.35\00:44:32.80 Sabbath keeping was something fairly new. 00:44:32.83\00:44:34.79 It all began with my wife's older sister Andrea 00:44:34.82\00:44:38.08 who is seven years older than her 00:44:38.11\00:44:39.78 living in Twins Fall, Idaho. 00:44:39.81\00:44:42.49 And she and her mother Andrea were not getting long 00:44:42.52\00:44:45.57 they were having these arguments and these fights 00:44:45.60\00:44:47.62 and finally it just got little bit ugly 00:44:47.65\00:44:50.21 and Andrea said, I'm leaving home. 00:44:50.24\00:44:53.15 I think she was about 17, 16 or 17. 00:44:53.18\00:44:56.39 I'm leaving home. 00:44:56.42\00:44:57.73 And her mother in effect say good ridden, 00:44:57.76\00:44:59.18 I'll help you pack your bags. 00:44:59.21\00:45:01.13 Well, it's not very nice situation. 00:45:01.16\00:45:03.56 And so she did 00:45:03.59\00:45:05.79 and she traveled all the way to Walla Walla, Washington. 00:45:05.82\00:45:09.18 Now listen to I state this now. This was culture. 00:45:09.21\00:45:12.71 She moved in with her boyfriend's family. 00:45:12.74\00:45:16.95 Who happen to be Sabbath keeping Christians 00:45:16.98\00:45:19.42 which began to raise some real questions in Andrea's mind. 00:45:19.45\00:45:23.69 She had an attack of appendicitis 00:45:23.72\00:45:26.31 found herself in the Walla General Hospital 00:45:26.34\00:45:29.31 that's run by Sabbath keeping Christians. 00:45:29.34\00:45:32.10 And those were in the days, those were in the days 00:45:32.13\00:45:35.23 when you went into the hospital 00:45:35.26\00:45:37.02 you actually spent a few days there, recovering. 00:45:37.05\00:45:41.07 You know, now the day they put you into the hospital 00:45:41.10\00:45:43.79 and before the day is out you are hardly, 00:45:43.82\00:45:46.66 you know, you've just hardly waking up 00:45:46.69\00:45:48.64 you're still a little bit groggy, 00:45:48.67\00:45:50.13 but they get you in the wheelchair 00:45:50.16\00:45:51.55 and they get you out the front door 00:45:51.58\00:45:53.35 and you are on your way home. 00:45:53.38\00:45:56.09 But those of the days when you spend 00:45:56.12\00:45:57.42 a little bit time recovering. 00:45:57.45\00:45:59.48 She was visit by the chaplain 00:45:59.51\00:46:01.31 who was the Sabbath keeping Christian. 00:46:01.34\00:46:02.63 And she began to asking him some questions and she said. 00:46:02.66\00:46:07.49 Andrea told me this. 00:46:07.52\00:46:08.72 She said, I knew he was wrong. 00:46:08.75\00:46:10.90 And I was gonna prove it. 00:46:10.93\00:46:12.77 She found a Bible in the drawer there 00:46:12.80\00:46:14.54 and she began to study. 00:46:14.57\00:46:17.03 And let me tell you the more she studied 00:46:17.06\00:46:19.49 the more she discovered 00:46:19.52\00:46:21.01 it really was what the Bible talked. 00:46:21.04\00:46:24.09 And she ended up becoming a Sabbath keeping Christian. 00:46:24.12\00:46:27.43 Within five years of Andrea doing that 00:46:27.46\00:46:30.87 my mother-in-law a Roman catholic 00:46:30.90\00:46:33.98 also took the time to study this out 00:46:34.01\00:46:36.84 and became a Sabbath keeping Christian. 00:46:36.87\00:46:39.07 And my wife who was about 16 years of age 00:46:39.10\00:46:43.21 also studied this out and decided 00:46:43.24\00:46:45.63 that she have been going to the Methodist Church 00:46:45.66\00:46:47.93 decide to become a Sabbath keeping Christian. 00:46:47.96\00:46:51.62 So it's just fascinating how this works out. 00:46:51.65\00:46:54.86 I've got to share this with you, 00:46:54.89\00:46:55.92 it's all about the car, the car, 00:46:55.95\00:46:58.51 the 1973 Mustang Mach 1, 00:46:58.54\00:47:01.62 only a youth pastor could get away 00:47:01.65\00:47:03.54 with that kind of a car today. 00:47:03.57\00:47:05.94 After finishing my masters' degrees 00:47:05.97\00:47:08.88 we were in Pasco, Washington. 00:47:08.91\00:47:10.64 I was an associate pastor. 00:47:10.67\00:47:11.86 My wife said, I'm going to give you a job 00:47:11.89\00:47:13.58 and she found one as a secretary at the local Christian church. 00:47:13.61\00:47:18.26 And, you know, two full time pastors on staff. 00:47:18.29\00:47:21.85 So this was a major church in the community 00:47:21.88\00:47:24.37 and it was that car you see 00:47:24.40\00:47:26.31 we were one car family at this point 00:47:26.34\00:47:27.76 that's the point of the story, the picture. 00:47:27.79\00:47:30.58 And so which one I was driving her to work 00:47:30.61\00:47:32.56 picking her up and in the process 00:47:32.59\00:47:34.05 I got acquainted with the pastors 00:47:34.08\00:47:35.48 and one day the senior pastor 00:47:35.51\00:47:37.29 and I have never brought the issue he said, 00:47:37.32\00:47:38.87 I'm really would like to talk to you 00:47:38.90\00:47:40.17 about this matter of the Sabbath. 00:47:40.20\00:47:41.77 So we set an appointment. 00:47:41.80\00:47:43.61 And I came, drop down at her off at her desk. 00:47:43.64\00:47:45.99 He asked me into his office close the door 00:47:46.02\00:47:48.79 and almost blew me over 00:47:48.82\00:47:50.31 when he begin might saying that 00:47:50.34\00:47:51.49 he knew that there was no Biblical reason 00:47:51.52\00:47:54.19 for keeping Sunday. 00:47:54.22\00:47:55.82 I was not expecting him to be that honest. 00:47:55.85\00:47:59.24 And he went to explain 00:47:59.27\00:48:00.52 that because most Christians keep Sunday 00:48:00.55\00:48:03.38 that they as a church keeps Sunday 00:48:03.41\00:48:05.59 to preserve harmony in the families of the church. 00:48:05.62\00:48:10.79 Now I'm not here to judge anybody, 00:48:10.82\00:48:12.10 but here's a clergyman that saying 00:48:12.13\00:48:13.83 despite what the Bible teaches, 00:48:13.86\00:48:15.74 though it is one of the commandments 00:48:15.77\00:48:17.03 that they keep Sunday knowing for a while 00:48:17.06\00:48:19.10 that there is no Biblical reason for doing so. 00:48:19.13\00:48:22.92 Well, my friend, there are Biblical reasons. 00:48:22.95\00:48:25.81 It is one of the commandments. 00:48:25.84\00:48:27.96 I remember Aaron and Gloria 00:48:27.99\00:48:31.16 block attending the series of mine with their family. 00:48:31.19\00:48:33.96 And I remember when we came to this subject. 00:48:33.99\00:48:36.07 And I remember Gloria was the first really 00:48:36.10\00:48:38.19 as she studied this was really convicted 00:48:38.22\00:48:40.68 and then finally her husband Aaron 00:48:40.71\00:48:43.16 and finally they made a decision 00:48:43.19\00:48:44.81 to become Sabbath keeping Christians. 00:48:44.84\00:48:46.78 And Aaron said to me, you know, 00:48:46.81\00:48:48.55 I'm a deacon in my church, 00:48:48.58\00:48:50.35 I've been there long time and I'm close to my pastor. 00:48:50.38\00:48:53.88 And he said, I need to say something before, 00:48:53.91\00:48:57.77 you know, I make my final decision here. 00:48:57.80\00:49:00.35 Explain to him why and he said I want you there. 00:49:00.38\00:49:03.26 So I showed up at their house went into the kitchen door 00:49:03.29\00:49:09.64 and Gloria met me she said, well, the pastor 00:49:09.67\00:49:12.09 and some of these elders in the next room. 00:49:12.12\00:49:14.91 And she said, they don't know you're coming. 00:49:14.94\00:49:17.23 Now that made me just a little nervous. 00:49:17.26\00:49:20.22 I wish they had said something. 00:49:20.25\00:49:21.97 You know, we have a guest that's coming, 00:49:22.00\00:49:23.34 but we're going to some meeting something. 00:49:23.37\00:49:25.59 But I went into the room 00:49:25.62\00:49:28.51 and, you know, we had a wonderful conversation, 00:49:28.54\00:49:31.24 because there was so many things 00:49:31.27\00:49:32.53 that we have in common and yes 00:49:32.56\00:49:33.83 we talked about Ten Commandments 00:49:33.86\00:49:35.10 and yes we did talk about the Sabbath 00:49:35.13\00:49:38.01 and Aaron himself almost got blown at his chair 00:49:38.04\00:49:42.18 when his pastor said before his elders 00:49:42.21\00:49:45.52 and Aaron and Gloria that he believed in the Sabbath 00:49:45.55\00:49:50.90 and that he kept it. 00:49:50.93\00:49:54.74 But that they worshiped on Sunday. 00:49:54.77\00:49:57.83 Aaron told me later he said, 00:49:57.86\00:49:59.49 I've known this man well 00:49:59.52\00:50:00.92 for so long and for him to say that 00:50:00.95\00:50:03.74 that he believed and kept it. 00:50:03.77\00:50:06.88 I was doing research in new Newberg, Oregon 00:50:06.91\00:50:08.55 and the local Nazarene pastor called up 00:50:08.58\00:50:11.71 and said to my friend Tim Main. 00:50:11.74\00:50:13.58 He said, Tim, he says, 00:50:13.61\00:50:14.73 you know, I know you are right about the Sabbath. 00:50:14.76\00:50:18.84 It's interesting to have Sunday keeping preachers 00:50:18.87\00:50:21.46 and saying those kinds of things. 00:50:21.49\00:50:22.99 Do you know on the new earth 00:50:23.02\00:50:24.05 we're gonna be keeping the Sabbath. 00:50:24.08\00:50:25.37 Here it is Isaiah 66 00:50:25.40\00:50:27.24 "'For just as the new heavens and the new earth 00:50:27.27\00:50:29.97 which I make will endure before Me,' declares the Lord, 00:50:30.00\00:50:32.97 'So your offspring and your name will endure. 00:50:33.00\00:50:36.16 And it shall be from new moon to new moon 00:50:36.19\00:50:38.69 and from Sabbath to Sabbath, 00:50:38.72\00:50:40.37 all mankind will come to bow down before Me,' 00:50:40.40\00:50:43.42 says the Lord" 00:50:43.45\00:50:45.21 So the new earth will going to be coming 00:50:45.24\00:50:47.91 before God to worship Him on the Sabbath. 00:50:47.94\00:50:51.51 So there a continuity from the beginning of creation 00:50:51.54\00:50:55.33 through the Old Testament the New Testament 00:50:55.36\00:50:58.38 right on down into the new earth. 00:50:58.41\00:51:02.42 It's really a wonderful thing. 00:51:02.45\00:51:04.34 But how about this issue, 00:51:04.37\00:51:05.71 do we know which day is the seventh day. 00:51:05.74\00:51:08.41 Well, the naval Observatories the leading authority 00:51:08.44\00:51:10.93 on this question of time in this country 00:51:10.96\00:51:12.99 and this is what they say. 00:51:13.02\00:51:14.33 "The cyclical order of the days of the week 00:51:14.36\00:51:16.35 has never changed. 00:51:16.38\00:51:17.41 Furthermore there have been no breaks 00:51:17.44\00:51:19.40 in the sequence of week days, no lost days." 00:51:19.43\00:51:23.21 The longest existing calendar in existence 00:51:23.24\00:51:27.16 is the Jewish calendar it's 4,000 year old. 00:51:27.19\00:51:32.42 And when the Jewish calendar says 00:51:32.45\00:51:35.48 it's the seventh day look at your own calendar 00:51:35.51\00:51:38.36 because it's the same seventh day 00:51:38.39\00:51:40.13 that is in our calendar the Julian calendar. 00:51:40.16\00:51:42.93 It was put and in fact by Julius Caesar in 47 BC. 00:51:42.96\00:51:49.00 So there is no indication 00:51:49.03\00:51:51.24 that we have lost track of the weekly cycle 00:51:51.27\00:51:54.72 is something that goes back to creation. 00:51:54.75\00:51:57.77 And we still have the weekly cycle today. 00:51:57.80\00:52:02.23 Some of experimented 00:52:02.26\00:52:03.60 the communist in Russia experimented 00:52:03.63\00:52:05.85 with the 10 day work week it didn't work. 00:52:05.88\00:52:09.45 And so left at the dictionary, but my friend, 00:52:09.48\00:52:12.72 one is the significant historical events 00:52:12.75\00:52:15.02 that led to the change of the Sabbath 00:52:15.05\00:52:16.57 from Saturday to Sunday 00:52:16.60\00:52:17.73 came under the Empire Constantine 00:52:17.76\00:52:21.73 at the Council of Nicea in 321 AD. 00:52:21.76\00:52:25.50 That's when many Christians began to keep Sunday 00:52:25.53\00:52:28.41 they left the Sabbath behind. 00:52:28.44\00:52:30.65 Jesus said "If you love Me, 00:52:30.68\00:52:31.95 you will keep My commandments." 00:52:31.98\00:52:34.23 You will keep my commandments. 00:52:34.26\00:52:36.11 My last text Luke 23, talking about Nicodemus. 00:52:36.14\00:52:39.48 "This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 00:52:39.51\00:52:42.65 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, 00:52:42.68\00:52:45.82 and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, 00:52:45.85\00:52:48.33 where no one had ever lain. 00:52:48.36\00:52:50.28 And it was the preparation day." 00:52:50.31\00:52:52.14 That's what they called Friday. 00:52:52.17\00:52:53.98 "And the Sabbath was about to begin." 00:52:54.01\00:52:56.17 It's record here in Luke. 00:52:56.20\00:52:57.84 "Now the women who had come with Him 00:52:57.87\00:52:59.48 out of Galilee followed after, 00:52:59.51\00:53:01.08 and saw the tomb and how His body was laid." 00:53:01.11\00:53:04.35 They wanted to be sure that 00:53:04.38\00:53:05.41 things were gonna be taken care of properly 00:53:05.44\00:53:07.29 these women that loved Him. 00:53:07.32\00:53:09.11 "And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes." 00:53:09.14\00:53:11.74 They didn't have local funeral parlors 00:53:11.77\00:53:13.67 it was for the purpose of burying Christ properly. 00:53:13.70\00:53:16.75 So they went home to prepare 00:53:16.78\00:53:18.14 the traditional spices and perfumes. 00:53:18.17\00:53:21.36 "And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." 00:53:21.39\00:53:25.30 They interrupted the burial of Jesus. 00:53:25.33\00:53:27.39 His disciples to keep the Sabbath holy. 00:53:27.42\00:53:31.53 I think they are regarded the Sabbath a reflection 00:53:31.56\00:53:33.42 and Jesus regard for, because it says 00:53:33.45\00:53:35.73 "But on the first day of the week, 00:53:35.76\00:53:37.26 at early dawn, they came to the tomb, 00:53:37.29\00:53:39.50 bringing the spices which they had prepared." 00:53:39.53\00:53:41.80 They interrupted it to keep the Sabbath 00:53:41.83\00:53:43.93 and they came early on the first day 00:53:43.96\00:53:46.28 to finish the burial of Jesus. 00:53:46.31\00:53:49.30 There is something else significant here 00:53:49.33\00:53:50.66 on what day of the week 00:53:50.69\00:53:52.09 that Jesus rest in the grave? 00:53:52.12\00:53:55.88 Sabbath. 00:53:55.91\00:53:57.85 So we put it together at the beginnings of time 00:53:57.88\00:54:00.30 Jesus came to this planet as the Creator the life giver 00:54:00.33\00:54:05.45 and when He finished the work of creation He rested. 00:54:05.48\00:54:08.68 Two thousand years ago Jesus came again 00:54:08.71\00:54:12.11 for the purpose of our redemption 00:54:12.14\00:54:16.31 and when He cried out it is finished He rested again. 00:54:16.34\00:54:21.72 He rested again. 00:54:24.04\00:54:26.15 I want to mediate on the words of the song. 00:54:26.18\00:54:30.36 There is a quiet place 00:54:34.45\00:54:41.98 Far from the rapid pace 00:54:42.01\00:54:46.86 Where God can soothe 00:54:46.89\00:54:52.85 My troubled mind 00:54:52.88\00:54:58.74 Sheltered by tree and flower 00:55:02.10\00:55:08.55 There in my quiet hour 00:55:08.58\00:55:13.77 With him 00:55:13.80\00:55:16.84 My cares 00:55:16.87\00:55:20.07 Are left behind 00:55:20.10\00:55:28.07 Whether a garden small 00:55:31.17\00:55:36.92 Or on a mountain tall 00:55:36.95\00:55:41.65 New strength 00:55:41.68\00:55:44.68 And courage there I find 00:55:44.71\00:55:52.68 Then from this quiet place 00:55:56.42\00:56:02.86 I go prepared 00:56:02.89\00:56:07.01 To face a new day 00:56:07.04\00:56:12.16 With love 00:56:12.19\00:56:14.26 For all mankind 00:56:14.29\00:56:17.37 With love for all mankind 00:56:17.40\00:56:23.90 There is a place 00:56:29.69\00:56:32.40 and there is a time for quiet rest. 00:56:32.43\00:56:36.67 Peace, peace that only Jesus can give. 00:56:36.70\00:56:42.26