I'm delighted that
you've joined us for this series
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of prophetic Bible messages fo-
cusing on the book of Revelation
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titled: Three Cosmic Messages.
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These presentations especially
underline the prophecies
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in the book of Revelation
chapter 14 verses 6 to 12
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called the Three
Angels' Messages.
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We've been studying
them. The first angel's message
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that goes to the
ends of the earth says:
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"I saw another angel
flying in the middle of heaven
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having the everlasting
gospel to preach to them
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that dwell on the earth:
to every nation, kindred,
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tongue, and people.
Saying with a loud voice:
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'Fear God and give glory to Him
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for the hour of
His judgment has come
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and worship Him that
made heaven, earth, the sea,
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and the fountains of waters. ' "
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In our last presentation
we looked at the significance
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of creation. We
saw that creation
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speaks of a God
that is all-powerful,
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all-intelligent. A
God of infinite design.
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A God of careful
planning; a God of purpose;
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and a God that's
created us unique and special.
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We introduced the
fact that the Bible Sabbath
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was a symbol of
God's creative power
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and His desire to
have fellowship with us.
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In this presentation we'll
continue to probe the depths
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of the meaning of what it
means to worship God as Creator.
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Let's pray together.
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Father in heaven, we're thankful
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that we're not some
speck of cosmic dust.
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We're not some tin
can run over by some truck
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that some guy's
kicking down the road.
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We're not some
meaningless object.
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We're not merely an
enlarged protein molecule
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part of the animal creation.
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We thank you that we're
created in the image of God.
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As we study the
magnificence of creation,
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as we study the Sabbath
as a symbol of Your creative
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authority, open our
eyes to see divine truths
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in Your Word. In
Christ's name, Amen.
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My topic for
this presentation is:
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If we ever needed a refuge
in the world of confusion,
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it's today. If we ever needed
a place of security, it's indeed
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today. Come back with me
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to a battle that was
waging in the first World War.
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The casualties on
both sides were high.
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The shelling was intense.
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The firefight had
increased all day.
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American soldiers with
their allies were in trenches
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facing the Axis
powers led by Germany.
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There the rival armies faced
one another across the trenches.
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Many that day were killed.
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The wounded, the
dying, the bloody
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were all around scattered there.
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When evening came it
was Christmas Eve 1914
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and a young G.I. Joe
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was there in one
of those trenches.
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His mind wandered.
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He began to think about home;
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he began to think about the Xmas
tree with all of its trimmings.
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He began to think about
turkey and mashed potatoes
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and mixed vegetables and home-
made chocolate chip cookies
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and apple pie.
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There in the trench that night
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in that war his
heart longed for home.
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Then surprisingly enough
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he heard the familiar
sound of a Christmas carol that
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gladdened the
air. As he listened
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he recognized the tune and
he recognized that the words
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were German. He recognized
that old familiar carol
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Silent night, holy night.
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He wondered: "Is this
some kind of a ploy? "
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"Is this something
that the enemy is using
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to pull us out of the trenches
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and shoot us down on
this Christmas Eve? "
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But then as he looked
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he saw those German soldiers
coming toward him singing.
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He, along with other Allied
forces and American soldiers,
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got out of the trench
and they met together.
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And for that one night
- that one brief moment -
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in that horrible war
these soldiers were brothers.
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They were linked
together in a common humanity.
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That night those
forces - American, German,
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Allied Axis forces -
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met together and there together
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for that one brief moment of
time they were common humanity.
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That's really
what creation does.
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Creation links us as
brothers and sisters.
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Creation links the
nations of this world together.
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The essence of humanity's
dignity is a common creation
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because every human
being was fashioned by God.
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Every human being by God
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was shaped and made anew.
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Every human being is
unique... they're new.
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You know, I'm told
that when Swiss lace makers
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make their Swiss
lace at times they take
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a microscopic slab - a
little piece of glass -
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and they let the
snowflakes fall in that glass
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and then put it
under a microscope.
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And every snowflake is different
so no two pieces of Swiss lace
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pattern are
essentially the same.
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When God made you He
threw away the pattern.
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You see, creation elevates
us above the animal creation.
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It elevates us above
this evolutionary idea.
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The idea of creation is
the idea that establishes
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our human dignity.
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In Christ, the Creator, every
human being has priceless value
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and God-given dignity.
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Whether that's the unborn;
whether it is a young man
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who has been
hit by an automobile
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and now is a quadriplegic
and sits in a wheelchair.
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Whether it's a young man
born and has Down syndrome.
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Whether it is an
older woman, senior citizen,
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with dementia or Alzheimer's
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that has difficulty
communicating and remembering.
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All humanity, male and female,
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young and old, rich and poor,
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wise and unwise,
educated and uneducated,
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all humanity has
worth in God's sight
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because they were
created by the living God.
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Creation also provides us
with a true sense of self-worth.
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A true sense of self-worth
is a sense not that we're
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superior to others, not
that we're better than others,
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not that we lord it over others,
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but a true sense of
self-worth recognizes
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that we are created by
God. We have value in His sight.
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That's He's given
us unique abilities.
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He's given us unique gifts.
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And these unique
abilities, these unique gifts,
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are to be given back
in service to others.
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All humanity created by God
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understanding that creation,
understanding their worth,
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has that sense of self-worth.
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So we no longer
walk with our heads down,
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depressed,
thinking: "Oh... poor me! "
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Rather we walk with our heads up
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taking a deep breath
with our shoulders back
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and a smile on our face
and a sparkle in our eyes
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because we know who we are.
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We are sons and daughters of God
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created by the
King of the universe.
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We are unique creations.
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Nobody is exactly
like you in the universe.
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And isn't that a good thing?
Because if anybody was like you
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their worth and your worth
would be diminished by 50%.
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You know, even identical
twins are not identical.
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Even identical twins have their
differences, their uniqueness's.
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You are created by God.
When the genes and chromosomes
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came together to form the
unique biological structure
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of your personality
God threw away the pattern.
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Like a masterpiece
painted by Leonardo da Vinci
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that has incredible worth
because it's one of a kind,
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because it's unique,
YOU are one of a kind.
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You cannot be produced
on a photocopy machine.
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Nobody can make
a photocopy of you!
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Although somebody may take
a picture of you with their
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digital photograph
camera or on their iPhone
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that's not you.
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You are YOU...
created by God unique.
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Once we go down
the road of evolution
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we wander down a road
that dehumanizes human beings.
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If we truly
worship Him as the Creator,
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we will value
life like He values it
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and we will see every human
being created in His image.
00:11:00.19\00:11:04.86
That's why
evolution is so dehumanizing.
00:11:05.06\00:11:07.76
Because really...
what does evolution say?
00:11:07.96\00:11:10.27
It says that
there is no Creator.
00:11:10.47\00:11:12.97
It says we evolved from
the lower forms of life.
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It says we are here
by chance, by randomness.
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So if I'm merely
a genetic accident,
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if I'm merely an
enlarged protein molecule,
00:11:23.98\00:11:27.45
if I am merely a
little more intelligent
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species than the animals.
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If that's all I am, then I
have very very little worth.
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But if I'm created by God,
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if every human being is created
by God special in God's sight,
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then I value others
through the eyes of creation
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as God values them.
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Creation provides a
moral imperative for living
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as well. Creation says:
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"The One that
made me and created me
00:12:00.65\00:12:04.05
as an intelligent rational being
00:12:04.25\00:12:07.06
holds me responsible for
the choices that I make. "
00:12:07.26\00:12:11.19
Now let's pause here.
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This is why the message of
Revelation 14 is so significant.
00:12:13.70\00:12:17.97
Because in an age of evolution
00:12:18.17\00:12:20.60
that says really at least
two things here at the outset.
00:12:20.80\00:12:24.61
That says, number
1, that we are merely
00:12:24.81\00:12:27.74
advanced animals. That
dehumanizes human beings
00:12:27.94\00:12:31.71
and it does not
provide any basis for genuine
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authentic love toward others.
00:12:36.65\00:12:38.55
In that philosophy it is
the survival of the fittest
00:12:38.75\00:12:43.43
and I simply trample upon others
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to achieve my goal.
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There's no moral
ethic that's provided.
00:12:48.66\00:12:50.77
The second thing is that
if I'm just an advanced animal
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and a little more
intelligent than the animal,
00:12:54.17\00:12:56.94
I have no
accountability except to myself.
00:12:57.14\00:12:59.97
Therefore if there is no accoun-
tability except to myself
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the idea of making
positive moral choices
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and standing before the
judgment bar of God one day
00:13:07.15\00:13:09.95
to give account of those choices
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that simply goes out the window.
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So creation provides a
moral imperative for living.
00:13:14.86\00:13:19.83
It indicates that
the One who made me
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made me responsible. There
the message of Revelation 14:7
00:13:22.46\00:13:27.24
to a generation that says
they have no responsibility
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except to themselves,
that has no moral ethic
00:13:32.41\00:13:36.04
higher than their own mind...
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This message of Revelation says:
00:13:38.31\00:13:40.12
In other words, we are
responsible for the decisions
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we make. We are
free moral agents.
00:13:46.69\00:13:48.86
God has given to us conscience;
He's given to us reason.
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He's given to us judgment,
and therefore the choices
00:13:51.99\00:13:55.23
we make we will ultimately
be held accountable for
00:13:55.43\00:13:58.83
through all eternity.
00:13:59.03\00:14:00.74
Those choices will
decide our eternal destiny.
00:14:00.94\00:14:04.24
To a generation it says
00:14:04.44\00:14:06.98
the summum bonum
of life... that is,
00:14:07.18\00:14:09.64
the essence of life is
doing what you want to do.
00:14:09.84\00:14:12.35
God calls us back... He
calls us back to the fact
00:14:12.55\00:14:15.58
that He created us. He
calls us back to the fact
00:14:15.78\00:14:18.55
that He's given us conscience.
00:14:18.75\00:14:20.22
He calls us back to the fact of
making positive moral choices.
00:14:20.42\00:14:24.16
We are
responsible to our Creator.
00:14:32.90\00:14:36.10
We are responsible
to the One that made us.
00:14:36.30\00:14:38.74
Since He made us
and He created us
00:14:38.94\00:14:42.18
and He created us with
minds to make decisions
00:14:42.38\00:14:45.28
we are responsible to Him
for the decisions that we make.
00:14:45.48\00:14:49.32
To the evolutionist, the highest
standard is the human mind.
00:14:49.52\00:14:54.32
For those who
believe in creation
00:14:54.72\00:14:57.19
the highest
standard is doing God's will
00:14:57.39\00:15:00.53
as revealed in God's Word.
00:15:00.73\00:15:02.66
For those of us
who believe creation
00:15:03.06\00:15:05.47
we believe the God
that created the world
00:15:05.67\00:15:08.27
reveals Himself in
this book called the Bible
00:15:08.47\00:15:12.14
and that we'll be accountable
for the decisions we make
00:15:12.54\00:15:16.24
in the light of the
eternal moral principles
00:15:16.44\00:15:19.48
of the very living Word of God.
00:15:19.68\00:15:22.45
For those of us
who believe in creation
00:15:22.65\00:15:25.65
we believe that
there are two pathways:
00:15:25.85\00:15:28.19
the pathway of life
and the pathway of death
00:15:28.39\00:15:31.53
and that the devil is leading
millions down the pathway
00:15:31.73\00:15:35.40
of eternal destruction
by failing to recognize
00:15:35.60\00:15:39.67
their responsibility
to the Creator God.
00:15:39.87\00:15:43.24
For the evolutionist,
you see, death is the end.
00:15:43.44\00:15:46.17
There is no tomorrow.
00:15:46.37\00:15:47.71
Creation, though, speaks of a
00:15:47.74\00:15:49.51
very bright and
glorious tomorrow.
00:15:49.71\00:15:52.25
I spent many years in
the former Soviet Union.
00:15:52.45\00:15:56.89
From 1985 to 1990 I traveled to
Hungary, Poland, and Yugoslavia
00:15:57.29\00:16:02.22
and spent time
there sharing Christ
00:16:02.62\00:16:06.49
with audiences that were largely
atheistic in their background.
00:16:06.70\00:16:10.90
When the former
Soviet Union fell in 1989
00:16:11.30\00:16:14.94
I immediately went to Russia.
00:16:15.14\00:16:16.97
Lectured in
Plekhanov University.
00:16:17.17\00:16:18.91
Lectured as well in the Kremlin.
00:16:19.51\00:16:22.08
Lectured in the Olympic Stadium.
00:16:22.28\00:16:25.75
Thousands came to our
meetings at that point.
00:16:25.95\00:16:28.78
At one occasion I
was invited to debate -
00:16:28.98\00:16:32.45
which I didn't choose to do -
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.16
a Communist philosopher.
00:16:34.32\00:16:36.56
Because the Christian church
in the former Soviet Union
00:16:36.76\00:16:40.80
encouraged me to do that
00:16:41.00\00:16:42.76
to put Christianity in
the forefront I agreed.
00:16:42.96\00:16:45.63
One of the things that I
said to him in that debate
00:16:46.03\00:16:49.50
over national
television was this:
00:16:49.70\00:16:51.91
I said: "Suppose you
have a very close friend
00:16:52.31\00:16:56.51
and you've know this
family for many, many years.
00:16:56.91\00:17:00.35
And suppose your friend's
wife is in a tragic car accident
00:17:00.55\00:17:05.99
and is killed instantly.
00:17:06.19\00:17:08.32
Your friend is in the
hospital and you go to him
00:17:08.52\00:17:12.03
to give him
comfort. I want to know
00:17:12.23\00:17:14.96
what you're going to say.
00:17:15.16\00:17:16.93
Are you going to say to your
friend: 'Well you know, friend,
00:17:17.13\00:17:19.90
it's just too
bad your wife died.
00:17:20.10\00:17:22.70
At least she's
no longer suffering
00:17:22.90\00:17:25.54
and well, she's in the grave now
and you'll never see her again
00:17:25.74\00:17:28.44
and worms are
going to eat her body
00:17:28.64\00:17:30.08
and you know, this is just
a mystery we don't understand.
00:17:30.28\00:17:32.88
Soon we're all going to
die anyway so take courage. '
00:17:33.08\00:17:35.88
What are you going
to say to your friend
00:17:36.08\00:17:37.89
who's lost his wife? "
00:17:38.09\00:17:39.42
You know, if I have a Christian
friend whose wife's been
00:17:39.45\00:17:41.99
in a car accident I can go
to visit him in the hospital.
00:17:42.19\00:17:45.73
I can put my arms around him.
00:17:45.93\00:17:47.50
We can cry together and
weep together and I can say:
00:17:47.70\00:17:50.47
"Friend, you know you and I
don't fully understand this.
00:17:50.67\00:17:52.87
We live in a broken
world, a world of good and evil
00:17:53.07\00:17:56.00
and I don't have any
pat answers but I know this:
00:17:56.20\00:17:58.27
that Christ is
going to be with you.
00:17:58.47\00:18:00.04
He says: 'Lo, I am with
you always... even to the end
00:18:00.24\00:18:03.41
of the earth. '
" I can say to him
00:18:03.61\00:18:05.55
"Christ will give you
strength to get through this
00:18:05.75\00:18:07.65
and one day, one day
beyond all the sickness,
00:18:07.85\00:18:10.99
suffering, and pain you
can see your wife again. "
00:18:11.15\00:18:13.92
"You can live with her
through all eternity again. "
00:18:14.12\00:18:17.56
"One day there is a
better world coming. "
00:18:17.76\00:18:20.13
You see, atheism has
no hope for the future.
00:18:20.33\00:18:24.50
If you accept evolution and
you take it to its final end,
00:18:24.70\00:18:28.27
it does not answer the
great questions of life.
00:18:28.47\00:18:33.27
But if you look at
the "eyes" of Scripture
00:18:33.48\00:18:36.54
and through the
"eyes" of Scripture
00:18:36.75\00:18:38.78
2 Peter 3:13 says:
00:18:38.98\00:18:41.25
In this world there is sickness.
00:19:06.27\00:19:08.81
In this world
there is suffering.
00:19:09.01\00:19:10.58
In this world
there is heartache.
00:19:10.78\00:19:12.11
But there is a new world coming
where righteousness dwells.
00:19:12.31\00:19:16.18
Christ created this world once.
00:19:16.58\00:19:19.15
He created it in Edenic splendor
00:19:19.35\00:19:22.09
where there was no
sickness, suffering, and death.
00:19:22.29\00:19:24.39
And our Creator
will re-create it.
00:19:24.59\00:19:26.80
That's the message of
the book of Revelation:
00:19:27.00\00:19:29.23
that we're not
wandering on some aimless planet
00:19:29.43\00:19:33.23
spinning through
space. We're not alone:
00:19:33.44\00:19:36.04
but that Christ is here with us.
00:19:36.24\00:19:38.41
And one day
there'll be a better world.
00:19:38.61\00:19:40.58
Evolution offers no
hope of eternal life.
00:19:40.78\00:19:44.11
It simply offers the grave
as a dark hole in the ground.
00:19:44.31\00:19:48.55
Death: a long
night without a morning.
00:19:48.95\00:19:51.82
But creation answers the
eternal questions of life:
00:19:52.02\00:19:55.12
Where did I come from?
00:19:55.32\00:19:56.66
From the hand of a
loving God that created me.
00:19:56.99\00:20:00.00
Why am I here?
00:20:00.20\00:20:01.53
To reveal His glory.
00:20:01.70\00:20:03.40
To enjoy the
abundance of life He offers.
00:20:03.60\00:20:06.43
Where am I going?
00:20:06.63\00:20:08.30
My destiny is eternity.
00:20:08.50\00:20:11.41
I remember the story
of a preacher who was
00:20:11.61\00:20:14.71
the preacher of
Bourbon Street actually.
00:20:14.91\00:20:16.44
His name was Bob Harrington.
00:20:16.64\00:20:17.98
And he would go down to
Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
00:20:18.11\00:20:20.98
He would open his Bible
and he would share Christ
00:20:21.18\00:20:25.15
with many of the
down-and-out and outcasts there.
00:20:25.35\00:20:27.92
One time he was preaching
and one of those outcasts
00:20:28.12\00:20:30.69
came and took a
bottle of beer, opened it,
00:20:30.89\00:20:34.50
and poured it over his head.
00:20:34.70\00:20:36.03
And another time he
was walking through the
00:20:36.20\00:20:39.60
Bourbon Street and somebody
came up to him and said:
00:20:39.80\00:20:41.70
"Bob! Where you might
be goin' preacher Bob? "
00:20:41.90\00:20:43.77
He said: "I'm going to heaven
but I'm just passing through
00:20:43.97\00:20:47.01
this life. Passing down through
Bourbon Street but I'm on my way
00:20:47.21\00:20:50.81
to heaven. " You know,
my brother and my sister,
00:20:51.01\00:20:53.55
friends: creation says
this life is not all there is.
00:20:53.75\00:20:59.29
God created a perfect world
00:20:59.69\00:21:01.79
and He will
re-create it in Edenic splendor
00:21:01.99\00:21:04.89
as a perfect world once again.
00:21:05.09\00:21:07.66
We are just
passing through this world.
00:21:07.86\00:21:11.17
Creation unites us to God.
00:21:11.37\00:21:13.67
The God that created us wants
to have fellowship with us.
00:21:13.87\00:21:17.17
Creation establishes
our self-worth. It says
00:21:17.57\00:21:21.34
we have value in His sight
because we were made uniquely.
00:21:21.54\00:21:25.98
Creation forges
ties with all humanity.
00:21:26.18\00:21:30.49
It says all humanity
is made of one family.
00:21:30.89\00:21:36.09
That we are brothers
and sisters in Christ.
00:21:36.29\00:21:39.19
Creation inspires us
with a confidence that a God
00:21:39.59\00:21:43.26
that cares, the God that
made us, has not forgotten us.
00:21:43.47\00:21:48.14
The God that
made us cares for us.
00:21:48.34\00:21:50.74
Creation links us to
God's inexhaustible power.
00:21:50.94\00:21:54.48
The One that made us,
the One that shaped us,
00:21:54.88\00:21:57.71
the One that fashioned us
00:21:57.91\00:21:59.61
has this inexhaustible,
this incredible power.
00:21:59.81\00:22:04.59
This is the
message of the 3 angels.
00:22:04.79\00:22:07.66
This is part of
these three cosmic messages
00:22:07.82\00:22:10.93
that go to the
world in this generation.
00:22:11.13\00:22:14.46
Creation encourages us with
the hope of life after death.
00:22:14.66\00:22:20.34
This is an amazing graphic.
00:22:20.74\00:22:23.24
It was painted by
the artist Nathan Greene.
00:22:23.44\00:22:27.24
He painted this aspect
- this part of the picture
00:22:27.44\00:22:31.75
of the second coming of
Christ called The Blessed Hope -
00:22:31.95\00:22:35.18
and he painted into the
picture the angel presenting
00:22:35.38\00:22:39.29
a little girl
back to her parents.
00:22:39.49\00:22:43.02
The artist, Nathan Greene,
happened to know this family.
00:22:43.22\00:22:47.00
And their little one
died at a very young age
00:22:47.20\00:22:51.00
of a strange disease.
00:22:51.20\00:22:52.63
To encourage them he
had painted this picture
00:22:53.74\00:22:56.74
of an angel presenting
her back to her parents.
00:22:57.14\00:23:02.08
What hope we have!
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.11
The God that created
us has not forgotten us.
00:23:04.31\00:23:07.82
The God that created us
will re-create this world
00:23:08.22\00:23:11.65
in Edenic splendor. And
as the apostle Paul says:
00:23:11.85\00:23:14.99
"The Lord Himself will
descend from heaven... "
00:23:15.19\00:23:18.09
in that Blessed
Hope... "with a shout,
00:23:18.29\00:23:20.96
with the voice of the archangel.
00:23:21.16\00:23:22.83
The dead in
Christ shall rise first
00:23:23.03\00:23:25.40
and we which
are alive and remain
00:23:25.60\00:23:27.74
will be caught up together
with them to meet the Lord
00:23:27.94\00:23:30.61
in the air. " Husbands
and wives united in Christ.
00:23:30.81\00:23:34.74
Sons and daughters brought
back and placed in their mothers
00:23:35.44\00:23:40.08
arms... those that
have died in childhood.
00:23:40.28\00:23:42.78
What a day of
rejoicing that will be!
00:23:42.98\00:23:45.22
God created us.
He is all powerful.
00:23:45.42\00:23:48.86
He is coming again
in the clouds of heaven
00:23:49.06\00:23:51.43
in Christ to redeem us.
00:23:51.63\00:23:53.53
Now this
creation has given to us
00:23:53.73\00:23:58.27
a sign of that creation.
00:23:58.47\00:24:02.24
When Christ created the world
00:24:02.64\00:24:04.57
He left a perpetual sign
00:24:04.77\00:24:07.78
of His creative
authority called the Sabbath,
00:24:07.98\00:24:10.88
and every week
the Sabbath reminds us
00:24:11.28\00:24:15.32
of that God that made us.
00:24:15.72\00:24:18.15
Every week the Sabbath reminds
us that we are valuable and
00:24:18.55\00:24:22.02
precious in His sight.
00:24:22.22\00:24:23.56
Every week the Sabbath
reminds us that He is the God
00:24:23.86\00:24:27.23
of intelligent design
and that He has a purpose
00:24:27.43\00:24:31.00
for our lives.
00:24:31.20\00:24:32.93
Every week the
Sabbath reminds us
00:24:33.13\00:24:35.30
when we go through
difficulties and troubles
00:24:35.50\00:24:38.04
that He has power to change our
lives and solve those problems
00:24:38.24\00:24:42.54
that we face. Every
Sabbath the creation
00:24:42.74\00:24:47.72
story calls us to the
new creation that there is
00:24:47.92\00:24:52.82
in Christ and that He will
make this world over again.
00:24:53.02\00:24:57.19
That's what this message
of Revelation is all about.
00:24:57.39\00:25:00.66
That's what the first of these
three cosmic messages is about.
00:25:00.86\00:25:04.40
This is no message that
is to be done in a corner.
00:25:18.68\00:25:21.38
It is to go to
the ends of the earth.
00:25:21.58\00:25:23.15
In other words:
worship the Creator.
00:25:41.54\00:25:43.07
So in an age of evolution
00:25:43.27\00:25:45.11
God has sent a special message
00:25:45.31\00:25:47.44
calling us back to
worship the Creator.
00:25:47.64\00:25:51.55
Why do we worship anyway?
00:25:51.95\00:25:54.52
Now this may be a
new thought for you.
00:26:01.12\00:26:04.33
Who is it that
created the world?
00:26:04.53\00:26:07.40
The Bible says in
Genesis 1: "In the beginning God
00:26:07.60\00:26:12.17
created the
heavens and the earth. "
00:26:12.37\00:26:13.70
But the Bible also
says: "The Spirit of God moved
00:26:14.20\00:26:16.50
on the face of the
deep. " So God is the active
00:26:16.71\00:26:20.44
agent in creation. He
creates through the power
00:26:20.64\00:26:24.08
of the Holy Spirit but He
designates creative authority
00:26:24.28\00:26:28.35
to someone. Who is that?
00:26:28.55\00:26:29.95
So God is the master Creator
00:26:47.34\00:26:51.47
but He designates
creative authority to Christ.
00:26:51.67\00:26:56.44
So Christ is really the
active agent in creation,
00:26:56.64\00:27:01.35
the One who carries
out the Father's plan.
00:27:01.55\00:27:03.42
So Revelation's call
to worship the Creator
00:27:04.19\00:27:07.46
is really a call
to worship Jesus.
00:27:07.66\00:27:11.09
Do you see why Satan
hates creation so much?
00:27:11.49\00:27:15.10
Because for
Satan Jesus is a rival
00:27:15.30\00:27:18.93
and he's made every
attempt to discredit creation
00:27:19.13\00:27:22.70
because he hates the Creator.
00:27:22.90\00:27:24.67
So the devil has
attacked creation
00:27:25.07\00:27:27.81
as a way of attacking Jesus.
00:27:28.01\00:27:30.95
The devil wants to rob Christ
of His creative authority.
00:27:31.35\00:27:36.32
He wants to rob Christ of
the worthiness that Jesus has
00:27:36.52\00:27:41.69
to be worshiped as our Creator.
00:27:41.89\00:27:44.46
That's why the
Sabbath, the symbol of creation,
00:27:44.86\00:27:49.26
is at the center of
the great controversy
00:27:49.46\00:27:52.47
over Christ's
worthiness to receive worship
00:27:52.67\00:27:56.10
as our Creator. As we
come and worship on the Sabbath
00:27:56.30\00:28:01.24
we say: "Jesus, You are worthy
00:28:01.44\00:28:04.61
to be worshiped as Creator. "
00:28:04.81\00:28:07.32
The very basis of all worship
00:28:07.72\00:28:10.19
is the fact that He created us.
00:28:10.39\00:28:12.79
If you destroy creation,
00:28:36.01\00:28:38.28
you destroy Christ's glory.
00:28:38.48\00:28:40.05
You destroy the honor
that is due to Christ.
00:28:40.25\00:28:42.88
You destroy the
very power of Christ
00:28:43.08\00:28:45.12
because He spoke and the
worlds came into existence.
00:28:45.32\00:28:48.32
So this issue of the Sabbath
00:28:48.52\00:28:50.79
is not some issue of legalism.
00:28:51.19\00:28:54.46
It's not some minor
issue of you choose one day
00:28:54.66\00:28:57.63
and I choose another.
It is at the very heart
00:28:57.83\00:29:00.44
of the great controversy
between good and evil.
00:29:00.64\00:29:02.87
It has to do with
Satan's intentional intent
00:29:03.07\00:29:08.04
to destroy Christ as Creator
00:29:08.24\00:29:11.91
and undermine the very basis
of all of worship for Christ.
00:29:12.11\00:29:17.99
When we come to
worship on the Sabbath
00:29:37.31\00:29:39.94
we are saying:
"Lord, in You we live.
00:29:40.14\00:29:42.64
In You we move. In
You we have life. "
00:29:42.84\00:29:45.71
We are acknowledging that
Christ is indeed the life giver.
00:29:45.91\00:29:50.62
The Sabbath also is that
link to our family of origin.
00:29:50.82\00:29:55.52
It reminds us of who we are.
00:29:55.72\00:29:58.39
It takes us back to our roots.
00:29:58.59\00:30:01.16
We are anchored
in a God that made us
00:30:01.36\00:30:06.60
at the beginning... not
anchored in primeval slime.
00:30:06.80\00:30:11.44
The Sabbath is a link
to that family of origin.
00:30:11.64\00:30:15.64
It reminds us that we
are special in His sight.
00:30:16.04\00:30:19.68
That we are
precious in His sight.
00:30:19.88\00:30:22.08
That we are fashioned
uniquely in His sight.
00:30:22.28\00:30:25.22
You know, some time
ago I read a fascinating
00:30:25.42\00:30:28.62
and a real cute little story.
00:30:28.82\00:30:30.33
Little Shia was
about 7 years old.
00:30:30.73\00:30:35.33
Her Mommy had a baby.
00:30:35.73\00:30:37.93
And Mommy and
Daddy, Shia and her sister
00:30:38.13\00:30:42.27
were just a family
that loved one another.
00:30:42.47\00:30:45.67
And Shia kept saying: "Mommy,
can I go into the baby's room
00:30:45.87\00:30:50.15
and talk to the
baby by herself? "
00:30:50.35\00:30:52.61
"Mommy, can I go into
the room with the baby? "
00:30:52.81\00:30:55.08
And you know, mother
was a little bit hesitant.
00:30:55.28\00:30:57.29
She wondered what Shia
would say to that little baby
00:30:57.49\00:31:02.09
and she wanted
to be quite careful.
00:31:02.29\00:31:04.13
But as the baby
grew a little bit
00:31:04.33\00:31:06.93
and as Shia showed maturity
00:31:07.13\00:31:09.46
and as she showed a
real love for her sister
00:31:09.66\00:31:11.93
Shia was allowed
to go into the room.
00:31:12.13\00:31:15.00
Shia went in; closed the door
00:31:15.20\00:31:17.74
but left it open
just a little crack.
00:31:17.94\00:31:19.94
Well Mommy and Daddy
wanted to know what Shia
00:31:20.14\00:31:22.81
was going to say to her sister.
00:31:23.01\00:31:24.35
And so they listened at that
door in the crack of the door.
00:31:24.51\00:31:27.92
And they heard Shia say this:
00:31:28.12\00:31:31.02
"Baby Sister, tell
me what God is like
00:31:31.22\00:31:35.62
because I'm
beginning to forget. "
00:31:35.82\00:31:39.19
"Baby Sister, tell
me what God is like
00:31:39.39\00:31:42.30
because I'm
beginning to forget. "
00:31:42.50\00:31:43.97
This world overwhelms us.
00:31:54.28\00:31:57.01
The responsibilities of
life seem to choke out at times
00:31:57.21\00:32:02.98
the very life of spirituality.
00:32:03.18\00:32:04.95
At times the world
presses in too close.
00:32:05.35\00:32:09.29
We tend to forget.
00:32:09.49\00:32:10.89
We forget that God created us.
00:32:11.09\00:32:13.53
We forget that we
were made special by Him.
00:32:13.73\00:32:16.23
We forget that we are
precious in His sight.
00:32:16.43\00:32:19.30
We forget that He can
re-make us and re-create us
00:32:19.50\00:32:22.77
into His image.
00:32:22.97\00:32:24.31
We forget that He has
a better world coming,
00:32:24.41\00:32:26.98
that there's a new day dawning,
00:32:27.18\00:32:28.94
that there's a better
tomorrow on the horizon.
00:32:29.14\00:32:31.55
And so He's
given us the Sabbath.
00:32:31.75\00:32:33.88
The Sabbath is an oasis in time.
00:32:34.08\00:32:36.89
The Sabbath - this
palace in time - invites us
00:32:37.09\00:32:41.62
to remember: to
remember that He created us,
00:32:41.82\00:32:44.69
that He fashioned
us, that He shaped us,
00:32:44.89\00:32:46.93
that He cares for
us, that He died for us.
00:32:47.13\00:32:49.63
To remember that
He's coming again for us.
00:32:49.83\00:32:52.67
Now there is a
not-so-subtle deception.
00:32:52.87\00:32:55.80
And that not-so-subtle
deception tries to blend
00:32:56.00\00:32:58.94
evolution with a
form of creation.
00:32:59.14\00:33:01.84
And what it says is this...
00:33:02.04\00:33:03.45
and some Christians have
really bought into this lie...
00:33:03.65\00:33:06.35
It says: "Well, you
know, maybe God was the first
00:33:06.55\00:33:10.35
cause of everything
but maybe then He just
00:33:10.55\00:33:13.76
allowed the world to
evolve after He created life
00:33:13.96\00:33:18.69
initially. Then
over millions of years
00:33:18.89\00:33:21.73
He let the world kind
of evolve. So He was really
00:33:21.93\00:33:25.03
the first cause. He caused
that first spark of life. "
00:33:25.23\00:33:27.80
That's what some
people think or believe.
00:33:28.00\00:33:30.17
They try to harmonize
creation and evolution.
00:33:30.37\00:33:33.51
But from a Biblical perspective
that's really not possible.
00:33:33.71\00:33:37.88
Because the Bible says
in Psalm 33 verse 6 and 9:
00:33:38.08\00:33:41.12
So the Bible teaches that
this world came into existence
00:33:51.99\00:33:56.16
not over long periods of time
00:33:56.36\00:33:58.20
but God spoke the
world into existence.
00:33:58.40\00:34:01.17
So to accept the idea that
God created the first spark
00:34:01.37\00:34:04.07
of life and then let life evolve
00:34:04.27\00:34:06.68
is a denial of
the scriptural story
00:34:06.88\00:34:09.61
and undermines the very
foundation of Scripture.
00:34:09.81\00:34:13.75
The Bible also says
in Hebrews 11 verse 3:
00:34:13.95\00:34:17.65
In other words,
there were no long years
00:34:29.00\00:34:31.73
of evolutionary progress.
00:34:31.93\00:34:33.64
Rather, God spoke and
this world was created
00:34:33.84\00:34:37.41
in the very
likeness of God's plan.
00:34:37.61\00:34:41.91
God spoke and the
world came into existence.
00:34:42.11\00:34:45.01
The days of creation
according to Scripture
00:34:45.41\00:34:49.42
were 24-hour days.
00:34:49.62\00:34:51.92
Now some people say:
"Well, could those days
00:34:52.12\00:34:54.56
have been thousands
and thousands of years? "
00:34:54.76\00:34:56.83
Well, we already read Psalm
33. He spoke and it was done.
00:34:57.03\00:35:00.20
Doesn't say He spoke
and continued to be done
00:35:00.40\00:35:02.30
for thousands of
years... millions of years.
00:35:02.50\00:35:04.27
But there is another
way that we can know that.
00:35:04.57\00:35:07.27
If you look at creation
00:35:07.67\00:35:09.80
and you see the
linguistic grammatical structure
00:35:10.01\00:35:14.58
of Genesis chapter 1,
00:35:14.78\00:35:16.28
the Hebrew word for
day is the word yom.
00:35:16.48\00:35:20.52
Now it is true that
sometimes the word yom
00:35:29.12\00:35:31.93
in the Bible is used
for a longer period of time.
00:35:32.13\00:35:34.56
But when you have a number
preceding it as an adjective
00:35:34.76\00:35:38.70
it has to be twenty-four hours.
00:35:38.90\00:35:40.24
So if you say that the
24-hour days of creation
00:35:40.30\00:35:44.24
are longer periods of time,
that they are not 24 hours,
00:35:44.44\00:35:48.91
one of the real
problems you have
00:35:49.11\00:35:51.28
is you undermine the very
structure, the very grammatical
00:35:51.48\00:35:55.28
structure, of Scripture.
00:35:55.48\00:35:56.89
There's another
problem with that.
00:35:57.09\00:35:58.49
What sense would it make
00:36:14.30\00:36:17.01
for God to say:
"Remember the 7th-day Sabbath"
00:36:17.21\00:36:20.21
if the 7th-day Sabbath
were not a 24-hour period
00:36:20.41\00:36:24.51
of time and if it were
merely thousands and thousands
00:36:24.71\00:36:27.32
of years each day of creation?
00:36:27.52\00:36:29.18
So it would be nonsensical
to say: "Remember the Sabbath.
00:36:29.38\00:36:32.22
In six days God
created the world...
00:36:32.42\00:36:34.16
the seventh day He rested"
00:36:34.32\00:36:35.66
if indeed there is
no 7-day creation week
00:36:35.72\00:36:39.36
that are literal
days 24 hours each.
00:36:39.56\00:36:41.56
So what happens when you
begin to revise the Scripture
00:36:41.76\00:36:45.40
and try to make it fit
in to what one believes
00:36:45.60\00:36:49.00
is a more
scientific explanation.
00:36:49.20\00:36:51.57
Although I should hastily add
00:36:51.77\00:36:53.51
that there are
many creation scientists
00:36:53.71\00:36:56.04
who look at the
evidence in geology,
00:36:56.24\00:36:58.45
the evidence in biology,
00:36:58.65\00:37:00.22
the evidence in the earth
00:37:00.42\00:37:02.12
and believe that
that evidence indicates
00:37:02.32\00:37:05.52
the reasons why there
was a flood, for example.
00:37:05.92\00:37:11.06
A universal catastrophe.
00:37:11.26\00:37:12.63
They believe - these
creation scientists - that
00:37:12.83\00:37:15.73
the evidence of the earth
indicates that God did create
00:37:15.93\00:37:18.70
the world. They
see in nature design;
00:37:18.90\00:37:22.47
they see in nature an intricacy;
00:37:22.67\00:37:25.61
they see in nature
a careful planning.
00:37:25.81\00:37:28.31
But here's the problem
with one who tries to both
00:37:28.51\00:37:32.51
harmonize the
evolutionary data with
00:37:32.71\00:37:37.95
the Biblical data. It means
that you undermine Genesis.
00:37:38.15\00:37:41.72
It means you
undermine the Ten Commandments.
00:37:41.92\00:37:43.73
And it really means
you bring into question
00:37:43.93\00:37:45.99
what Christ Himself said
00:37:46.19\00:37:47.86
because Christ
talks about creation.
00:37:48.06\00:37:50.00
He talks about the flood.
00:37:50.20\00:37:51.53
He says: "In the beginning
God created male and female. "
00:37:51.73\00:37:55.40
So you bring into
question the entire realm
00:37:55.60\00:37:58.71
of Scripture if
you go down that road.
00:37:58.91\00:38:02.18
That's why Satan is challenging
00:38:02.38\00:38:04.48
the very heart
of God's authority.
00:38:04.68\00:38:06.72
He wants to attack the Sabbath
because he wants to undermine
00:38:06.92\00:38:09.88
creation because he
wants to attack Jesus
00:38:10.09\00:38:12.62
and he wants to
diminish the authority of Christ
00:38:12.82\00:38:16.09
and take away the very essence
of why we worship Christ.
00:38:16.29\00:38:20.20
The Sabbath is at the
very heart of this controversy
00:38:20.60\00:38:24.87
between good and
evil. It's at the very heart
00:38:25.07\00:38:27.17
of this
controversy over worship.
00:38:27.37\00:38:29.17
Satan claimed that
God was unfair and unjust.
00:38:29.37\00:38:32.81
He claimed that His
laws were arbitrary.
00:38:33.01\00:38:35.54
The ultimate
question was one of authority.
00:38:35.74\00:38:38.88
And the law of God -
the commandments of God -
00:38:39.08\00:38:42.18
are the very basis
of the authority of God.
00:38:42.38\00:38:45.62
And the Sabbath in
the heart of God's law
00:38:45.82\00:38:48.69
is at the very foundation
of this battle between good
00:38:48.89\00:38:52.83
and evil.
00:38:53.03\00:38:54.36
It's not something
superimposed upon believers.
00:39:01.94\00:39:05.61
Obedience comes from the heart.
00:39:05.81\00:39:08.14
Now somebody asks: "Well wasn't
the law of God done away with
00:39:08.34\00:39:11.68
when Christ died on the cross? "
00:39:11.88\00:39:13.21
Jesus says, John 14:15,
00:39:13.42\00:39:16.48
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments. "
00:39:16.69\00:39:18.99
He says in the book of Hebrews
00:39:19.19\00:39:21.26
"A new heart will I give you
00:39:21.46\00:39:23.73
and a new spirit
will I put within you.
00:39:23.93\00:39:26.16
I will write My
law in your mind. "
00:39:26.36\00:39:29.26
In our minds so we know it.
00:39:29.46\00:39:31.77
"I will write My
law in your heart. "
00:39:31.97\00:39:33.87
In your heart so you'll love it.
00:39:34.07\00:39:35.40
So in this controversy
between good and evil
00:39:35.60\00:39:38.44
we are called to
make moral decisions.
00:39:38.64\00:39:41.61
We're called to obedience in
the light of the judgment hour.
00:39:41.81\00:39:45.11
We are called to
worship the Creator.
00:39:45.31\00:39:47.48
And the very essence
of that Creator worship is
00:39:47.68\00:39:50.35
worship on the Sabbath.
00:39:50.55\00:39:51.89
This is a titanic struggle;
it's more than a matter of days.
00:39:52.09\00:39:54.62
It's more than a
matter of an arbitrary decree.
00:39:54.92\00:39:58.03
It's a matter of a battle
for the throne of the universe.
00:39:58.23\00:40:02.16
That's why the message
says, Revelation 14 verse 7:
00:40:02.36\00:40:06.03
"Fear God... " a
message as important for our day
00:40:06.23\00:40:09.64
as Noah's
message was for his day.
00:40:09.84\00:40:11.84
A message of obedience: fearing
God, giving glory to Him.
00:40:12.24\00:40:15.21
A message of the judgment
hour to make eternal choices.
00:40:15.61\00:40:18.61
A message to
worship the Creator.
00:40:18.81\00:40:20.92
And the very essence
of worshiping the Creator
00:40:21.12\00:40:23.59
is found in the
Creator's day: the Sabbath.
00:40:23.79\00:40:26.86
But notice: Revelation 14:7
says "Worship the Creator. "
00:40:27.06\00:40:30.99
But we go down to the 9th
verse. A second angel follows
00:40:31.19\00:40:35.06
in the 8th verse talking
about the fall of Babylon.
00:40:35.26\00:40:38.73
We're going to talk about
that in our next presentation.
00:40:38.93\00:40:40.97
But notice:
00:40:41.17\00:40:42.50
Revelation chapter 14 verse 7
00:40:54.98\00:40:58.55
says: "Worship the Creator. "
00:40:58.75\00:41:00.32
Revelation
chapter 14 verse 9 says:
00:41:00.52\00:41:03.63
"Don't worship the beast. "
00:41:03.83\00:41:05.16
So you have two worships
set distinctly in opposition.
00:41:05.29\00:41:09.46
Where do these
worships find their focal point?
00:41:09.86\00:41:13.13
Where do they find their climax?
00:41:13.54\00:41:15.74
The next verse tells us.
00:41:15.94\00:41:17.54
So Revelation 14:7
says: "Worship the Creator. "
00:41:29.82\00:41:34.42
Revelation 14:9 says:
"Do not worship the beast. "
00:41:34.82\00:41:39.73
Revelation 14:12 says
that the way we worship
00:41:39.93\00:41:43.83
the Creator and do
not worship the beast
00:41:44.03\00:41:46.40
is because of
the faith of Christ
00:41:46.60\00:41:49.40
that lives and
dwells in our hearts.
00:41:49.60\00:41:52.24
We thus keep the command-
ments of God in obedience.
00:41:52.44\00:41:55.74
Now my friend, this is
not some periphery issue.
00:41:56.14\00:42:00.02
This matter of
keeping God's commandments
00:42:00.42\00:42:03.05
is not something that is a
side issue of Christianity.
00:42:03.25\00:42:07.42
It's not that I'm saved by
grace so I can do as I please.
00:42:07.62\00:42:10.89
It's I'm saved by grace so
I can do as Christ pleases.
00:42:11.29\00:42:14.16
And once I
understand this larger issue
00:42:14.36\00:42:17.17
this message that God
is sending to all humanity,
00:42:17.37\00:42:20.84
this message that's a call
back to fearing and respecting
00:42:21.04\00:42:25.74
and obeying Him, of giving
Him glory in the way we live,
00:42:25.94\00:42:28.84
this message of
the judgment hour
00:42:29.04\00:42:31.38
that calls us, that
compels us, that urges us,
00:42:31.58\00:42:35.18
that beseeches us to make a
choice to give our whole lives
00:42:35.38\00:42:39.15
to Him... this message
calls us back to worshiping
00:42:39.35\00:42:42.62
the Creator. It calls us from
the falsehoods, the traditions,
00:42:42.82\00:42:46.66
the deceptions of Satan
00:42:46.86\00:42:49.00
which he's trying to
undermine the very law of God
00:42:49.20\00:42:52.10
and destroy the Creator's
authority because he hates
00:42:52.30\00:42:56.87
Jesus. These two worships
are contras- ted in the book of
00:42:57.07\00:43:01.08
Revelation and they are
contrasted before our very eyes.
00:43:01.48\00:43:04.18
Worshiping the beast
or worshiping Jesus Christ
00:43:04.38\00:43:07.72
on the day that He
has created and enshrined.
00:43:07.92\00:43:10.75
In the future church and
state will one day again unite.
00:43:10.95\00:43:15.52
In the future at a
time of chaos and calamity
00:43:15.72\00:43:18.49
as we shall study
there will be laws passed
00:43:18.69\00:43:22.06
in an attempt to
enforce worship of the beast.
00:43:22.26\00:43:25.60
But those who
worship the Creator
00:43:25.80\00:43:28.37
will stand firm for Jesus Christ
00:43:28.57\00:43:31.14
through His grace, by His
power, because they love Him
00:43:31.34\00:43:34.71
and they're saved by His grace.
00:43:34.91\00:43:36.51
What does Sabbath say
in a 21st-century society?
00:43:50.93\00:43:55.86
It calls us to devotion.
00:43:56.06\00:43:58.27
It calls us to the
deepest allegiance to Christ.
00:43:58.47\00:44:01.60
It calls us to loyalty.
00:44:01.80\00:44:03.81
And every 7th day that palace
descends from heaven to earth.
00:44:08.01\00:44:13.25
A Jewish writer by the
name of Abraham Heschel
00:44:19.09\00:44:22.99
really describes the
magnificence of the Sabbath
00:44:23.19\00:44:26.53
in these words:
00:44:26.73\00:44:28.06
You see what Heschel was saying.
00:44:42.94\00:44:44.38
That the Sabbath is a
metaphor for paradise.
00:44:44.58\00:44:47.05
So on the Sabbath the
palace in time descends.
00:44:47.25\00:44:51.09
We leave the cares of earth.
00:44:51.29\00:44:52.99
We leave the
heartaches of earth.
00:44:53.19\00:44:55.16
We leave the sorrows of earth.
00:44:55.36\00:44:57.33
We are enclosed... we
are shut in with Jesus
00:44:57.53\00:45:00.73
in His palace.
00:45:00.93\00:45:03.13
We are in
relationship to Him in worship.
00:45:03.33\00:45:06.60
We are in relationship
to Him as each week we come
00:45:06.80\00:45:10.67
to sing His praises
as we study His Word.
00:45:10.87\00:45:13.61
As we pray as
corporate bodies in worship.
00:45:13.81\00:45:16.85
The Bible says in the book
of Hebrews: "Forsake not the day
00:45:17.05\00:45:20.78
of yourselves
assembling and so much the more
00:45:20.98\00:45:23.89
as you see the
day approaching. "
00:45:24.09\00:45:25.42
The Sabbath becomes
the sign of loyalty to Him
00:45:25.52\00:45:28.32
in the light of a universal con-
flict between Christ and Satan.
00:45:28.52\00:45:32.03
And then Heschel says:
00:45:32.33\00:45:33.66
The Sabbath is an appetizer.
00:45:42.07\00:45:44.87
The Sabbath provides
for us a taste of eternity.
00:45:45.07\00:45:48.81
The Sabbath is a time for us
to fellowship with our Creator.
00:45:49.21\00:45:53.15
Heschel goes on:
00:45:53.35\00:45:54.68
You see, the Sabbath
is that time to nurture
00:46:09.86\00:46:14.44
that seed of eternity
that God has put in our hearts.
00:46:14.64\00:46:18.54
And we nurture that as we
worship our loving Creator.
00:46:18.74\00:46:22.64
And that seed grows and blossoms
so the fruits of the Spirit
00:46:22.84\00:46:26.11
can be seen in our very lives.
00:46:26.31\00:46:28.85
On Sabbath Christ finished
His work; it was complete.
00:46:29.05\00:46:33.82
And on Sabbath we
rest in His love and care.
00:46:34.22\00:46:37.86
Sabbath rest is a
rest in His loving care.
00:46:38.06\00:46:40.86
Sabbath rest is a rest in
His righteousness not ours.
00:46:41.06\00:46:44.67
Sabbath rest is a
rest in anticipation
00:46:44.87\00:46:48.24
of the eternal rest that Christ
will give us when He comes
00:46:48.44\00:46:51.77
again. Sabbath rest is a symbol
00:46:51.97\00:46:54.94
of a faith experience in Jesus.
00:46:55.14\00:46:57.65
It is a graphic
illustration of our trust in Him
00:46:57.85\00:47:00.88
because it is a total
period of rest in Him.
00:47:01.28\00:47:04.99
We enter into
His palace in time.
00:47:05.19\00:47:08.09
But we rest in
His love and care.
00:47:12.96\00:47:16.16
We rest in the fact
that He created the world
00:47:16.36\00:47:19.87
in His finished
work of creation.
00:47:20.07\00:47:21.67
We rest in His
finished work on the cross.
00:47:21.87\00:47:24.67
And as we rest on Sabbath
we say: "We can add nothing to
00:47:24.87\00:47:28.54
our salvation. " Our
works don't add to it;
00:47:28.74\00:47:31.58
our works are the
response to His grace,
00:47:31.78\00:47:34.48
the response to His salvation.
00:47:34.68\00:47:37.25
We come and we say:
00:47:37.45\00:47:39.45
We come resting in the
cross, resting in grace,
00:47:44.56\00:47:47.60
resting in His mercy,
resting in His pardon.
00:47:47.80\00:47:50.73
But there's something else
even deeper in the Sabbath.
00:47:50.93\00:47:54.50
The Creator God,
the all-powerful God
00:48:05.61\00:48:09.45
who created this world
and rested on the 7th day,
00:48:09.65\00:48:12.99
the God who spoke and
worlds came into existence,
00:48:13.19\00:48:16.09
He says to us that
the Sabbath is a sign
00:48:16.29\00:48:20.46
of His sanctifying power.
00:48:20.66\00:48:23.00
The Sabbath is a sign
that He can make us over again.
00:48:23.20\00:48:26.67
The Sabbath is a
sign of the new creation.
00:48:27.07\00:48:30.41
Sanctification is a word in
the Bible that means holiness.
00:48:30.61\00:48:35.24
It means one who is set aside.
00:48:35.44\00:48:37.91
Christ makes us holy.
00:48:38.11\00:48:41.08
We don't make ourselves holy.
00:48:41.28\00:48:42.98
We don't change our own lives.
00:48:43.18\00:48:44.99
We are not our own creators.
00:48:45.19\00:48:47.52
But as we come on
Sabbath we acknowledge the fact
00:48:47.72\00:48:50.73
that He is the sanctifying God.
00:48:50.93\00:48:52.86
We acknowledge the fact that
He is the God that touches us
00:48:53.06\00:48:56.10
with blessing. We
acknowledge the fact that
00:48:56.30\00:48:58.50
He is our all-powerful Creator.
00:48:58.70\00:49:02.07
He longs to sanctify you
as that special child of His.
00:49:05.47\00:49:11.15
The Sabbath is a symbol of that.
00:49:11.55\00:49:14.58
... so He can give us victory
over those besetting sins
00:49:24.59\00:49:28.43
so this all-powerful
Creator can break the chains
00:49:28.63\00:49:31.93
that bind us, that can unlock
the prison doors that trap us.
00:49:32.13\00:49:36.14
He can deliver from alcohol;
He can deliver from tobacco.
00:49:36.34\00:49:39.47
He can deliver from those
foods that we use to indulge our
00:49:39.67\00:49:43.51
appetite to destroy our bodies.
00:49:43.71\00:49:45.11
He can deliver us from
hatred and bitterness and anger
00:49:45.31\00:49:49.42
and resentment. He can deliver
us from lust and impurity.
00:49:49.62\00:49:53.02
He can deliver us from the
captivating alluring attraction
00:49:53.22\00:49:57.93
of those video
programs and those digital media
00:49:58.13\00:50:03.90
onslaughts that
corrupt our mind at times.
00:50:04.10\00:50:08.34
He is the One that
can give us new desires,
00:50:08.54\00:50:11.37
new tastes, new love.
00:50:11.57\00:50:13.44
You see, worshiping
Christ as the Creator
00:50:19.81\00:50:22.72
not only means that
He will re-create us.
00:50:23.12\00:50:26.35
But if I worship
Him as the Creator,
00:50:26.76\00:50:29.39
I will be interested in
caring for His creation.
00:50:29.59\00:50:33.36
In an era when
industrial pollution
00:50:34.26\00:50:38.37
is destroying our
earth, in an era when
00:50:38.57\00:50:42.64
this earth is being polluted
by factories all around us,
00:50:42.84\00:50:48.01
there is a call... a relevant
call... an end-time call
00:50:48.21\00:50:52.61
to worship Him as Creator.
If I worship Him as Creator,
00:50:52.81\00:50:54.92
I'm going to respect
that which He created -
00:50:55.12\00:50:57.99
the earth - and do everything
I can to care for the earth.
00:50:58.19\00:51:01.16
But also, if I
worship Him as Creator
00:51:01.36\00:51:04.59
of all that He has created
00:51:04.79\00:51:06.59
the human body
is the most sacred.
00:51:06.80\00:51:08.46
So if I worship Him as Creator,
00:51:08.66\00:51:10.50
I'm going to care for
this body that He made.
00:51:10.70\00:51:13.40
Sabbath is that call
to worship Him together
00:51:14.24\00:51:18.67
as Creator, the One who
created heaven and earth.
00:51:18.87\00:51:21.21
It's a call for families
to come, to pray together,
00:51:21.41\00:51:24.25
to study God's Word together,
00:51:24.45\00:51:26.31
to let the power of the
Creator change their lives.
00:51:26.51\00:51:29.08
We need Sabbath quality time
with God, with our families.
00:51:29.28\00:51:32.72
Who sanctifies us? The God
who helps us to keep growing
00:51:32.92\00:51:37.03
in our spiritual lives.
00:51:37.23\00:51:38.56
And one day in eternity,
one day in a place called glory,
00:51:38.76\00:51:42.66
one day in a
place called heaven,
00:51:42.86\00:51:44.63
one day when we
walk on streets of gold
00:51:44.83\00:51:46.87
the Bible says, Isaiah 66:23-24:
00:51:47.07\00:51:50.97
We will have an entry
into that forever relationship
00:52:11.66\00:52:17.50
with Him. Can you imagine it?
00:52:17.70\00:52:19.93
Singing on Sabbath in
heaven: "Worthy, worthy
00:52:20.34\00:52:24.37
is the Lamb to
receive blessing and honor
00:52:24.57\00:52:27.28
and glory. " The Sabbath is
not some legalistic requirement.
00:52:27.48\00:52:31.35
It is a day of
rest and gladness.
00:52:31.55\00:52:35.62
Let joy fill your
soul as Charles sings
00:52:35.82\00:52:40.09
O Day of Rest and Gladness.
00:52:40.29\00:52:44.93
O day of rest and gladness,
00:52:51.43\00:52:56.40
O day of joy and light,
00:52:56.81\00:53:01.38
O balm of care and sadness,
00:53:01.78\00:53:06.21
most beautiful most bright;
00:53:06.41\00:53:11.19
On thee, the high and lowly
00:53:11.39\00:53:16.09
before the eternal throne
00:53:16.29\00:53:20.96
sing "Holy, holy, holy"
00:53:21.16\00:53:25.90
to the eternal One.
00:53:26.10\00:53:31.04
Thou art a port protected
00:53:31.24\00:53:35.84
from storms that round us rise.
00:53:36.24\00:53:40.98
A garden intersected
00:53:41.18\00:53:45.85
with streams of paradise.
00:53:46.05\00:53:50.73
Thou art a cooling fountain
00:53:51.09\00:53:55.56
in life's dry, dreary sand;
00:53:55.96\00:54:00.24
From thee, like
Pisgah's mountain,
00:54:00.64\00:54:05.04
we view our promised land.
00:54:05.44\00:54:10.55
O day of sweet reflection,
00:54:10.75\00:54:14.98
thou art a day of love.
00:54:15.38\00:54:20.52
A day to raise affection
00:54:20.72\00:54:25.43
from earth to things above.
00:54:25.83\00:54:30.33
New graces ever gaining
00:54:30.53\00:54:35.27
from this our day of rest
00:54:35.67\00:54:39.94
We seek the rest remaining
00:54:40.34\00:54:45.35
in mansions of the blessed.
00:54:45.55\00:54:51.49
The Creator God invites you
00:54:54.52\00:54:58.99
to enter into His palace.
00:55:00.13\00:55:02.70
Every Sabbath God's palace
descends from heaven to earth
00:55:03.70\00:55:09.64
and you have a personal
invitation to fellowship
00:55:10.47\00:55:14.41
with the
Creator. Creation speaks
00:55:14.61\00:55:18.21
of a God that cares for you.
00:55:18.61\00:55:20.62
Creation speaks of a God that
created you and fashioned you
00:55:21.02\00:55:26.62
and loved you beyond
what you ever imagined.
00:55:26.82\00:55:29.46
Creation speaks of
this all-powerful God
00:55:30.36\00:55:32.99
that wants to change your life.
00:55:33.40\00:55:35.43
That wants to
give you a new heart.
00:55:36.50\00:55:38.63
Creation speaks of a God
who rested on the seventh day.
00:55:39.57\00:55:45.54
And we can rest...
rest from that anxiety.
00:55:46.88\00:55:51.05
Rest from that worry.
00:55:51.45\00:55:53.11
Rest from that care.
00:55:53.52\00:55:55.32
We can place our
lives in His hands.
00:55:55.72\00:56:00.26
Creation speaks
of a new world...
00:56:00.66\00:56:03.29
a world where the
heartache and sorrow is gone.
00:56:04.39\00:56:09.23
Creation speaks of a
God that is coming again.
00:56:09.96\00:56:15.84
He created the world once
00:56:16.81\00:56:18.64
and He longs to
re-create it again.
00:56:18.84\00:56:22.81
O day of rest and gladness!
00:56:23.95\00:56:26.15
Will you enter
into the joy of creation
00:56:26.35\00:56:29.02
by committing your life
to worship Him each Sabbath
00:56:29.42\00:56:35.02
and understand the bigness
and largeness of the Sabbath
00:56:35.42\00:56:39.33
as we pray?
00:56:39.53\00:56:40.86
Father, many of us
have understood the Sabbath
00:56:40.90\00:56:42.70
before, but we see it in
bigger terms, larger terms.
00:56:42.90\00:56:46.50
We accept Your invitation
00:56:46.90\00:56:48.87
to accept this as a
day of joy and gladness.
00:56:49.27\00:56:52.37
Some of us have never heard
messages on the Bible Sabbath
00:56:52.77\00:56:54.94
before, and just now we
make that decision to follow You
00:56:55.14\00:56:59.88
and enter into Your
joy. In Christ's name, Amen.
00:57:00.48\00:57:05.05
May Jesus guide your life
00:57:05.59\00:57:09.46
as you understand more fully
00:57:11.16\00:57:13.70
the blessings that
He has for you each week
00:57:14.10\00:57:17.87
in the Bible Sabbath. My prayer
00:57:18.07\00:57:19.73
is you will enjoy the blessing
of the Sabbath today and always.
00:57:19.93\00:57:23.77