"Jesus entered
again into the Synagogue,
00:00:11.29\00:00:14.30
and there was a man there
which had a withered hand,
00:00:20.50\00:00:26.17
and they watched Him
whether He would heal him
00:00:26.20\00:00:28.15
on the Sabbath day
that they might accuse him.
00:00:28.18\00:00:31.37
And He saith unto man which had
the withered hand stand forth
00:00:31.40\00:00:36.24
and He saith unto them,
00:00:36.27\00:00:37.64
is it lawful to do good on
the Sabbath days or to do evil?
00:00:37.67\00:00:41.42
To save life or to kill?
But they held their peace.
00:00:41.45\00:00:45.93
And when He had looked
round about on them with anger
00:00:45.96\00:00:48.50
being grieved for the
hardness of their hearts,
00:00:48.53\00:00:51.34
He saith unto the man,
stretch forth thine hand,
00:00:51.37\00:00:55.28
and He stretched
it out and his hand
00:00:55.31\00:00:57.17
was restored whole as the other.
00:00:57.20\00:01:00.04
And the Pharisees went forth,
00:01:00.07\00:01:01.62
and straightway took counsel
with the Herodians against Him,
00:01:01.65\00:01:05.79
how they might destroy him."
00:01:05.82\00:01:09.59
One of the teachings of Jesus
00:01:09.62\00:01:10.99
that caused a huge amount
of thunder in the holy land
00:01:11.02\00:01:14.04
was His claim to be
Lord of the Sabbath.
00:01:14.07\00:01:17.77
This bold claim by Jesus
put Him in direct opposition
00:01:17.80\00:01:21.49
to many of the traditions
that had been built up
00:01:21.52\00:01:24.46
around the Sabbath by
the religious leaders.
00:01:24.49\00:01:27.47
It wasn't that
Jesus was in opposition
00:01:27.50\00:01:29.86
to customs and
traditions per say.
00:01:29.89\00:01:32.50
After all, Jesus' custom was
00:01:32.53\00:01:34.96
to be in the
synagogue on the Sabbath.
00:01:34.99\00:01:38.98
Traditions and customs can be
a helpful tool in establishing
00:01:39.01\00:01:42.74
relationships and
creating community and memories.
00:01:42.77\00:01:46.94
But on this particular Sabbath,
00:01:46.97\00:01:48.61
the misguided and oppressive
doctrines of the Jewish leaders
00:01:48.64\00:01:52.27
collided with the
simple teachings of Jesus.
00:01:52.30\00:01:55.97
In the mind and
kingdom of Christ,
00:01:56.00\00:01:58.42
a veritable
thunderstorm of anger erupted.
00:01:58.45\00:02:02.01
It may seem strange to
learn that Jesus could get angry
00:02:54.84\00:02:58.06
in church but
sacred history records
00:02:58.09\00:03:01.28
that that's
exactly what happened.
00:03:01.31\00:03:03.94
On this particular Sabbath,
what caused the angering Christ
00:03:03.97\00:03:07.54
was the
hardness of their hearts.
00:03:07.57\00:03:10.70
This hardness was developed
in part by years of traditions
00:03:10.73\00:03:14.40
that came to
supersede and contradict
00:03:14.43\00:03:17.27
the plain
teachings of Scripture.
00:03:17.30\00:03:19.94
The Sabbath had
been designed by God
00:03:19.97\00:03:22.19
to be a blessing of time spent
together in intimate fellowship.
00:03:22.22\00:03:27.41
Now the teachers who
are ordained to speak
00:03:27.44\00:03:29.78
on behalf of God are
making the Sabbath a stifling
00:03:29.81\00:03:33.16
and complex tradition instead of
a simply delightful experience.
00:03:33.19\00:03:39.19
Jesus' attempt
to disabuse the Jews
00:03:39.22\00:03:41.55
of their treasure traditions
caused a great deal of thunder
00:03:41.58\00:03:45.36
in the holy land and
if we care to notice,
00:03:45.39\00:03:48.75
Jesus' doctrine
regarding the Sabbath is causing
00:03:48.78\00:03:51.44
some ominous clouds on
our own national horizon.
00:03:51.47\00:03:56.35
Charles, the synagogue is a
place of worship for the Jews.
00:03:56.38\00:03:59.89
Today, I'm in Capernaum,
00:03:59.92\00:04:01.46
the very synagogue that
Jesus would have attended.
00:04:01.49\00:04:04.72
In Mark 13, we have
a story about Jesus,
00:04:04.75\00:04:07.58
the Jews, and the Sabbath.
00:04:07.61\00:04:09.45
But first, we need to
establish a baseline here.
00:04:09.48\00:04:12.15
The Sabbath is non-negotiable.
00:04:12.18\00:04:15.25
And that the teaching of
Jesus made absolutely clear
00:04:15.28\00:04:18.12
that "The Sabbath
was made for man."
00:04:18.15\00:04:21.45
And after all, it was
given to perfect people
00:04:21.48\00:04:24.01
in a perfect world
by the God of Creation.
00:04:24.04\00:04:27.15
In Exodus Chapter 20
that same Creator God
00:04:27.18\00:04:31.41
gave us His Ten Commandments.
00:04:31.44\00:04:33.87
At the physical heart and
center of His Ten Commandments
00:04:33.90\00:04:37.69
is His reminder
that He has set aside
00:04:37.72\00:04:40.27
a sacred time, the Sabbath.
00:04:40.30\00:04:42.65
So it should not
surprise us that we find Jesus
00:04:42.68\00:04:45.35
in this
synagogue on the Sabbath.
00:04:45.38\00:04:47.55
Exactly. Now when Jesus entered
00:04:47.58\00:04:49.79
the Synagogue on
this particular Sabbath
00:04:49.82\00:04:52.22
and those in
charge for watching Jesus,
00:04:52.25\00:04:55.02
looking for Him to do something
by which they could accuse Him.
00:04:55.05\00:04:59.21
They came to church
not to rest in the goodness
00:04:59.24\00:05:02.02
and power of God but
to limit and restrict
00:05:02.05\00:05:05.28
His flow of mercy and grace.
00:05:05.31\00:05:07.79
In this story, we discover
00:05:07.82\00:05:09.30
the church leaders
had changed the meaning
00:05:09.33\00:05:12.44
and definition
of the word "work."
00:05:12.47\00:05:15.64
And words have to have meaning,
00:05:15.67\00:05:17.26
without a common
and shared definition,
00:05:17.29\00:05:20.55
without an agreed-upon meaning
00:05:20.58\00:05:23.04
there can be no
communication. Okay.
00:05:23.07\00:05:25.42
And it's clear from Exodus 20:9
that God has given us six days
00:05:25.45\00:05:32.14
to labor and work and but
the seventh day is the Sabbath,
00:05:32.17\00:05:36.32
the Lord thy God, in it
thou shall not do any work.
00:05:36.35\00:05:40.45
But in Luke 13:14,
one synagogue ruler got
00:05:40.48\00:05:43.52
so upset with Jesus
healing in the church
00:05:43.55\00:05:45.81
on the Sabbath
day that he cried out,
00:05:45.84\00:05:48.28
"There are six days in
which men ought to work,
00:05:48.31\00:05:50.73
in them therefore
come and be healed
00:05:50.76\00:05:52.76
and not on the Sabbath day."
00:05:52.79\00:05:54.88
The Bible doesn't tell us
we can't heal on the Sabbath.
00:05:54.91\00:05:57.27
So it clearly a
tradition of the Jews
00:05:57.30\00:06:00.36
changed the
meaning of the word "work."
00:06:00.39\00:06:02.99
I'm not sure how a miracle of
God can be construed to be work.
00:06:03.02\00:06:07.70
Well, that's just it, you can't,
00:06:07.73\00:06:09.98
unless you take
God off His throne
00:06:10.01\00:06:11.94
and make yourself or your wisdom
00:06:11.97\00:06:14.32
or your traditions the
ruler and God of your life.
00:06:14.35\00:06:18.73
Perhaps, Jesus
was trying to make
00:06:18.76\00:06:20.32
that point when He asked them,
00:06:20.35\00:06:22.26
"Is it lawful to do good
on the Sabbath, or to do evil?
00:06:22.29\00:06:26.12
To save life, or to kill?"
00:06:26.15\00:06:28.72
But they wouldn't answer him.
00:06:28.75\00:06:30.24
It says, "But
they held their peace."
00:06:30.27\00:06:32.71
In a way they stonewalled Him.
00:06:32.74\00:06:35.34
No one would want to
admit that you can do evil
00:06:35.37\00:06:37.38
but not good on a Sabbath day.
00:06:37.41\00:06:39.46
And people still do that today.
00:06:39.49\00:06:41.52
They can't give an
honest biblical answer as to why
00:06:41.55\00:06:44.35
they worship on Sunday or
some other day of the week.
00:06:44.38\00:06:47.29
And probably the
most fascinating detail
00:06:47.32\00:06:49.58
of this story is that
while they don't want Jesus
00:06:49.61\00:06:52.32
healing on the
Sabbath because that's "work,"
00:06:52.35\00:06:55.41
they can hold an assassination
meeting with the hit squad
00:06:55.44\00:06:58.51
and somehow that's acceptable.
00:06:58.54\00:07:00.68
And to me, this illustrates
00:07:00.71\00:07:02.50
perhaps the number one reason
00:07:02.53\00:07:04.66
why young people
leave the church today.
00:07:04.69\00:07:06.65
It's hypocrisy.
00:07:06.68\00:07:08.47
And we may be young
00:07:08.50\00:07:09.87
but we are not
completely devoid of thought.
00:07:09.90\00:07:11.27
If Jesus is who He claims to be,
00:07:12.67\00:07:15.76
His question
deserves to be answered.
00:07:15.79\00:07:19.01
And based on biblical history,
00:07:19.04\00:07:20.99
I guess that
Jesus' Sabbath question
00:07:21.02\00:07:22.83
will only be rightly
answered by honest people.
00:07:22.86\00:07:27.19
Jesus told that the
Sabbath is made for men.
00:07:27.22\00:07:29.74
Jesus also claimed that
He was Lord of the Sabbath.
00:07:29.77\00:07:32.84
Those who are honest in heart
will consider these claims.
00:07:32.87\00:07:35.94
And they also need to consider
two more important insights.
00:07:35.97\00:07:39.24
The Sabbath is not
just about time together
00:07:39.27\00:07:41.22
with another
being, it's about time
00:07:41.25\00:07:43.50
with someone called
God, Father, and Creator.
00:07:43.53\00:07:46.83
The Sabbath then by
default is about worship.
00:07:46.86\00:07:50.56
Revelation 15:4 tells us
that, "In regard to all beings,
00:07:50.59\00:07:54.14
only God is Holy and
as a result all nations
00:07:54.17\00:07:57.63
shall come and
worship before Him."
00:07:57.66\00:08:00.16
And what reason is put forth,
00:08:00.19\00:08:01.56
what reason is given as
to why we should worship Him?
00:08:01.59\00:08:04.43
Once again we turn to
the Book of Revelation
00:08:04.46\00:08:06.66
which is the
testimony of Jesus Himself.
00:08:06.69\00:08:09.91
In this apocalyptic
book, John sees an angel flying
00:08:09.94\00:08:12.49
in the midst of heaven
having the everlasting gospel
00:08:12.52\00:08:15.01
to preach to all
those who dwell on earth.
00:08:15.04\00:08:17.53
As the cry goes out, people
everywhere on planet earth,
00:08:17.56\00:08:20.26
whether Asian or Middle
Eastern, European or American,
00:08:20.29\00:08:23.68
are called to worship him.
00:08:23.71\00:08:25.50
Him, who?
00:08:25.53\00:08:26.90
"Him that made
heaven, and earth,
00:08:26.93\00:08:28.30
and the sea, and the
fountains of waters."
00:08:28.33\00:08:31.03
We are invited to
worship the creator.
00:08:31.06\00:08:34.06
Indeed, the only
being worthy of our worship
00:08:34.09\00:08:36.13
is the one who created
this earth and put us on it.
00:08:36.16\00:08:38.93
And the sign of His creatorship
is the Sabbath. Check it out.
00:08:38.96\00:08:42.76
Exodus 20:8 tells us to
00:08:42.79\00:08:44.59
"Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy."
00:08:44.62\00:08:47.47
And the reason or
rationale is given in verse 11.
00:08:47.50\00:08:50.45
"For in six days, the
Lord made heaven and earth,
00:08:50.48\00:08:53.20
and the sea, and
all that in them is,
00:08:53.23\00:08:55.35
and rested on the
seventh day, wherefore the Lord
00:08:55.38\00:08:57.98
blessed the Sabbath
day, and hallowed it."
00:08:58.01\00:09:00.75
John clearly states
that Jesus is the creator.
00:09:00.78\00:09:03.66
"All things were made by
him." He says in John 1:3.
00:09:03.69\00:09:06.91
"And without Him was not
any thing made that was made."
00:09:06.94\00:09:10.36
So if Jesus is in fact Emmanuel,
00:09:10.39\00:09:12.61
God with us and if
He is indeed the creator
00:09:12.64\00:09:16.00
and if He personally set
aside the Sabbath to be a sign
00:09:16.03\00:09:18.70
between His children and Himself
that He is the Creator God
00:09:18.73\00:09:22.43
and also assign
that He is the one
00:09:22.46\00:09:24.22
who recreates us
or makes us holy,
00:09:24.25\00:09:27.01
if He is the Lord of this weakly
time that we call Sabbath,
00:09:27.04\00:09:30.09
how is it that most of
the world does not keep
00:09:30.12\00:09:32.04
the Sabbath as a holy day?
00:09:32.07\00:09:34.50
I think Jesus
Himself gave us the answer
00:09:34.53\00:09:36.98
in one of His parables
that people had made a choice
00:09:37.01\00:09:40.81
and sent God this message.
00:09:40.84\00:09:43.57
"We do not want this
man to rule over us."
00:09:43.60\00:09:48.55
Ever since man chose to disobey
God in the Garden of Eden,
00:09:48.58\00:09:52.55
we have made our own gods.
00:09:52.58\00:09:54.82
We've made a god
out of our own reason.
00:09:54.85\00:09:57.79
Our own thought processes
have become the premier standard
00:09:57.82\00:10:01.04
by which we guide our
lives instead of a simple
00:10:01.07\00:10:04.45
"Thus saith the Lord."
00:10:04.48\00:10:06.93
And that's the reason there are
so many forms of worship today.
00:10:06.96\00:10:10.98
We create our own religions,
our own churches, our own God's.
00:10:11.01\00:10:16.21
Without any biblical
directive Christians are keeping
00:10:16.24\00:10:19.08
Sunday as a holy day,
Muslims are keeping Friday,
00:10:19.11\00:10:23.50
and Hindus go to
temple on Tuesday.
00:10:23.53\00:10:26.11
But what does Jesus,
the God of creation, say,
00:10:26.14\00:10:30.22
"The Son of man is Lord
even of the Sabbath day."
00:10:30.25\00:10:34.91
And according to Exodus 20:10,
00:10:34.94\00:10:37.12
the Sabbath day is the
seventh day of the week.
00:10:37.15\00:10:41.37
He was not only
Lord of the Sabbath,
00:10:41.40\00:10:43.75
but while Jesus was
here on earth as a man,
00:10:43.78\00:10:46.51
He personally kept
the Sabbath as a holy day
00:10:46.54\00:10:49.51
for church
attendance and fellowship.
00:10:49.54\00:10:52.53
Dr. Luke, the
only gentile writer
00:10:52.56\00:10:54.79
in the New Testament reports,
00:10:54.82\00:10:56.42
"And He came to Nazareth,
where He had been brought up
00:10:56.45\00:10:59.93
and as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue
00:10:59.96\00:11:03.08
on the Sabbath day
and stood up for to read."
00:11:03.11\00:11:07.24
Keeping the Sabbath was part of
the weekly cycle in Jesus' life.
00:11:07.27\00:11:11.93
Not as some supposed
because He was a Jew,
00:11:11.96\00:11:14.93
but because He was
Lord of the Sabbath.
00:11:14.96\00:11:18.05
He led by example
and rested just like
00:11:18.08\00:11:20.77
He did in Genesis,
following creation.
00:11:20.80\00:11:24.14
And His disciples
followed that example.
00:11:24.17\00:11:27.47
In the New Testament
alone, we have 84 examples
00:11:27.50\00:11:30.71
of Christ's followers keeping
the seventh day of the week
00:11:30.74\00:11:34.25
as a holy time,
dedicated to the worship of
00:11:34.28\00:11:37.36
and a relationship
with the God of creation.
00:11:37.39\00:11:41.40
The Apostle Paul
explicitly declares,
00:11:41.43\00:11:44.61
"There remaineth therefore
a rest to the people of God."
00:11:44.64\00:11:49.89
This word, rest, in the Greek
00:11:49.92\00:11:51.48
is sabbatismos or
a keeping Sabbath.
00:11:51.51\00:11:56.67
The New Revised Version
well translates this verse,
00:11:56.70\00:12:00.13
"So then a Sabbath rest still
remains for the people of God."
00:12:00.16\00:12:06.12
I've heard some folks
say that the New Testament
00:12:06.15\00:12:08.51
never makes Sabbath
observance an issue.
00:12:08.54\00:12:11.69
Well, Paul, who personally kept
the Sabbath, made it an issue.
00:12:11.72\00:12:16.61
And what does that mean for
the New Testament Christian?
00:12:16.64\00:12:20.14
Paul goes on to
explain, "For those who enter
00:12:20.17\00:12:23.60
God's rest also cease from their
labors as God did from His."
00:12:23.63\00:12:29.88
At the heart of most religions,
Christian or otherwise,
00:12:29.91\00:12:33.60
there is a desire to be
said and to be transported
00:12:33.63\00:12:37.33
into God's
kingdom, a better place.
00:12:37.36\00:12:40.65
Humans seek to accomplish
that goal through pilgrimages,
00:12:40.68\00:12:44.08
penances, or gifts to
some church or clergy.
00:12:44.11\00:12:47.95
But the Sabbath is not a
ritual that earns us merit.
00:12:47.98\00:12:52.15
It is a sign that we are
resting in his power to save
00:12:52.18\00:12:57.12
and recreate
just like Adam and Eve
00:12:57.15\00:13:00.46
rested in God's power to create.
00:13:00.49\00:13:03.99
The reason God's true followers
still observe the Sabbath today
00:13:04.02\00:13:07.79
is they believe in a
living God who still has power
00:13:07.82\00:13:11.74
to create in them a holy life.
00:13:11.77\00:13:15.00
You see, the
Sabbath is a sign for both
00:13:15.03\00:13:17.65
Old and New Testament believers
that we serve a living,
00:13:17.68\00:13:22.08
all powerful, life
changing God who can and does,
00:13:22.11\00:13:26.01
actually and in
fact change lives.
00:13:26.04\00:13:29.23
God tells us
through the prophet Ezekiel,
00:13:29.26\00:13:32.07
"Moreover also I
gave them my Sabbaths,
00:13:32.10\00:13:35.11
to be a sign between me
and them that they might know
00:13:35.14\00:13:38.81
that I am the Lord
that sanctify them."
00:13:38.84\00:13:42.88
The drunkards become
sober, the liars become honest,
00:13:42.91\00:13:46.34
the angry become peaceful.
00:13:46.37\00:13:48.62
We rest in that power and
the Sabbath is God's signet,
00:13:48.65\00:13:53.04
His sign of that life
changing relationship.
00:13:53.07\00:13:57.36
But since almost all Christians
keep Sunday as Sabbath,
00:13:57.39\00:14:01.07
you think Jesus must
have changed it somewhere
00:14:01.10\00:14:03.32
in the Bible before
He went back to Heaven.
00:14:03.35\00:14:06.31
Yes, with the
widespread acceptance
00:14:06.34\00:14:08.77
of Sunday as the day of worship,
00:14:08.80\00:14:11.21
it would seem that
there must be some reference,
00:14:11.24\00:14:13.62
some biblical
support for its observance.
00:14:13.65\00:14:16.46
And since the word
Sunday is not in the Bible
00:14:16.49\00:14:18.86
and to investigate
God's word, we must look up
00:14:18.89\00:14:21.99
all the verses
containing the words, first day.
00:14:22.02\00:14:25.27
Of the 80 texts
containing first and day
00:14:25.30\00:14:29.24
only nine referred
the first day of the week.
00:14:29.27\00:14:32.11
One appears in the Old
Testament and eight in the New.
00:14:32.14\00:14:35.21
So let's examine them.
00:14:35.24\00:14:37.85
The first verse is
Genesis 1:5 and it talks about
00:14:37.88\00:14:41.19
the first day of creation
and what was created on it.
00:14:41.22\00:14:45.07
The next six are in the
Gospels and they surround
00:14:45.10\00:14:47.83
the crucifixion
and five of them talk
00:14:47.86\00:14:50.15
about the women
returning early Sunday morning
00:14:50.18\00:14:52.58
after resting on the Sabbath
according to the commandment
00:14:52.61\00:14:55.74
to finish their
work of embalming Jesus.
00:14:55.77\00:14:58.30
Then one text, John
20:19, talks about Jesus'
00:14:58.33\00:15:01.98
first meeting with His
disciples on Sunday evening.
00:15:02.01\00:15:05.05
Now, I'm sure that
was indeed an awesome
00:15:05.08\00:15:07.82
and worshipful experience
and certainly this would've been
00:15:07.85\00:15:11.59
the ideal time for Jesus to tell
His disciples to observe Sunday.
00:15:11.62\00:15:16.23
But there's
absolutely no record of Him
00:15:16.26\00:15:18.76
even insinuating that change.
00:15:18.79\00:15:21.12
And that leaves us
just two more texts
00:15:21.15\00:15:23.37
regarding the
first day of the week.
00:15:23.40\00:15:25.78
Acts 20 actually
talks about Paul preaching
00:15:25.81\00:15:28.29
on the first day of the
week and at first glance
00:15:28.32\00:15:30.89
we may think we found our first
00:15:30.92\00:15:33.20
biblical reference
to Sunday observance.
00:15:33.23\00:15:35.99
But a critical
look at this passage
00:15:36.02\00:15:37.50
reveals nothing of this sort.
00:15:37.53\00:15:39.20
You see, in the Bible
00:15:39.23\00:15:40.92
each day doesn't start
at midnight, but at sunset.
00:15:40.95\00:15:44.76
And this was just a
Saturday evening supper
00:15:44.79\00:15:46.92
and then at a preaching service
that happened to last all night.
00:15:46.95\00:15:50.82
Getting along with
it to the near demise
00:15:50.85\00:15:53.02
of one of his
listeners, Paul preached until
00:15:53.05\00:15:55.89
early Sunday morning
when he resumed his journey.
00:15:55.92\00:15:59.23
If Sunday was a true
Sabbath, a day of rest,
00:15:59.26\00:16:03.68
he certainly wouldn't
have spent Sunday traveling.
00:16:03.71\00:16:06.65
Our last first day
verse is in 1 Corinthians 16:2
00:16:06.68\00:16:10.38
which tells us, "Upon
the first day of the week
00:16:10.41\00:16:13.90
let every one of
you lay by him in store,
00:16:13.93\00:16:17.55
as God hath prospered him,
00:16:17.58\00:16:19.65
that there be no
gatherings when I come."
00:16:19.68\00:16:22.84
And the first thing
to notice in this passage
00:16:22.87\00:16:24.66
is that nothing
is said about church
00:16:24.69\00:16:27.02
or passing the offering plate.
00:16:27.05\00:16:29.65
There are two key
phrases in this verse
00:16:29.68\00:16:32.30
that make its meaning clear.
00:16:32.33\00:16:33.85
They are, number 1,
"let every one lay by him"
00:16:33.88\00:16:38.41
and 2, "in store."
00:16:38.44\00:16:41.40
Funds were to be laid aside
at home each week for those
00:16:41.43\00:16:44.00
suffering persecution
and famine in Jerusalem.
00:16:44.03\00:16:47.25
This weekly store would be
saved up till Paul would come
00:16:47.28\00:16:49.94
and forward those funds to
the Christians in Jerusalem.
00:16:49.97\00:16:53.56
This practice would
result in a larger offering
00:16:53.59\00:16:56.00
as it was part of
their weekly planning
00:16:56.03\00:16:58.61
and they wouldn't have to
make any special gathering
00:16:58.64\00:17:00.81
or call for
contributions or offerings
00:17:00.84\00:17:04.11
since it would
already be set aside.
00:17:04.14\00:17:06.78
We've now looked at
every Sunday or first day text.
00:17:06.81\00:17:10.03
And not one puts the
sacred seal of God's blessing
00:17:10.06\00:17:12.80
on that day as a
sanctified or hallowed time.
00:17:12.83\00:17:17.23
Our Sunday keeping friends, have
never been able to produce one
00:17:17.26\00:17:20.01
verse of scripture that
supports Sunday's sacredness.
00:17:20.04\00:17:24.25
It's simply not there.
00:17:24.28\00:17:26.95
Some one may be asking just now,
00:17:26.98\00:17:29.17
if Jesus kept the Sabbath holy
00:17:29.20\00:17:31.00
and the apostles also
kept the Sabbath sacred
00:17:31.03\00:17:33.82
and the early church
fathers kept the Sabbath,
00:17:33.85\00:17:36.62
how is it then that Christendom,
00:17:36.65\00:17:38.38
the people who take the
name of Christ by and large
00:17:38.41\00:17:41.46
now keep Sunday as
the predominant holy day?
00:17:41.49\00:17:45.20
Well, the change
didn't happen overnight.
00:17:45.23\00:17:47.78
For approximately 300 years
after Christ's resurrection,
00:17:47.81\00:17:52.05
the seventh day
Sabbath was the only day
00:17:52.08\00:17:54.56
that the organized
Christians set aside as sacred.
00:17:54.59\00:17:57.96
But the Jews
were a detested people
00:17:57.99\00:18:00.13
among the world
government of Rome.
00:18:00.16\00:18:02.75
Because the Christian believers
held many things in common
00:18:02.78\00:18:05.48
with the Jews such
as diet and the Sabbath,
00:18:05.51\00:18:08.68
they often shared
in their persecution.
00:18:08.71\00:18:11.57
For this reason,
Christians sought
00:18:11.60\00:18:13.46
to distance themselves
from the ill-favored Jews
00:18:13.49\00:18:16.28
and they felt that by
christening some pagan practices
00:18:16.31\00:18:19.49
and making less prominent
their Christian beliefs,
00:18:19.52\00:18:22.43
they could not only attain
distinction from the Jews,
00:18:22.46\00:18:25.43
but perhaps win some of
the pagans to the church.
00:18:25.46\00:18:28.71
Both of these goals were
accomplished to some degree,
00:18:28.74\00:18:32.14
but not without a high cost,
00:18:32.17\00:18:34.55
the loss of the sacred truths
of Christ and His apostles.
00:18:34.58\00:18:39.03
By the year 250 AD, many
of the professed Christians
00:18:39.06\00:18:42.71
had become worldly
and thought of increasing
00:18:42.74\00:18:45.55
their earthly possessions
00:18:45.58\00:18:46.95
more than cultivating
their Christian virtues.
00:18:46.98\00:18:50.31
Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage,
00:18:50.34\00:18:52.20
wrote of these
times in these words,
00:18:52.23\00:18:54.92
"Forgetful of what believers had
either done before in the times
00:18:54.95\00:18:58.40
of the apostles or
always ought to do, they,
00:18:58.43\00:19:01.93
with the insatiable
ardor of covetousness,
00:19:01.96\00:19:04.93
devoted themselves to the
increase of their property."
00:19:04.96\00:19:09.44
For those in this younger
universal or Catholic Church,
00:19:09.47\00:19:13.11
the solomn, sacred
Sabbath was followed by Sunday
00:19:13.14\00:19:16.64
which was the day
of fun and festivities.
00:19:16.67\00:19:19.17
And because God, the Sabbath,
00:19:19.20\00:19:21.17
and the Jews
were looked on through
00:19:21.20\00:19:22.75
a distorted and
embittered light,
00:19:22.78\00:19:25.18
people gravitated more
towards Sunday observance.
00:19:25.21\00:19:28.68
In the year 336,
Canon 29 was formulated
00:19:28.71\00:19:32.10
by some of the church leaders.
00:19:32.13\00:19:34.05
And at the Council
of Laodicea in 363,
00:19:34.08\00:19:37.08
it became the official
universal church mandate.
00:19:37.11\00:19:41.03
Canon 29 was the primary canon
00:19:41.06\00:19:43.70
approved at the
Council of Laodicea.
00:19:43.73\00:19:45.97
It prohibits resting on Sabbath,
00:19:46.00\00:19:48.34
Saturday and compels
Christians to sanctify
00:19:48.37\00:19:51.19
what they call the
Lord's Day or Sunday.
00:19:51.22\00:19:54.88
Canon 29,
"Christians must not Judaize
00:19:54.91\00:19:58.35
by resting on the Sabbath,
but must work on that day,
00:19:58.38\00:20:02.41
rather honoring the
Lord's day and if they can,
00:20:02.44\00:20:05.77
resting then as Christians.
00:20:05.80\00:20:08.33
But if any shall be
found to be judaizers,
00:20:08.36\00:20:11.25
let them be
anathema from Christ."
00:20:11.28\00:20:14.21
So now you know the
reason that Sunday became sacred
00:20:14.24\00:20:17.20
to Christendom because the
organized church made it so.
00:20:17.23\00:20:21.12
It says so right in
their own catechism.
00:20:21.15\00:20:24.46
Indeed it does.
00:20:24.49\00:20:25.90
I was raised in a Catholic home,
00:20:25.93\00:20:28.12
I grew up wanting to be a nun
and I became a nun for 28 years.
00:20:28.15\00:20:32.39
Here is the Catholic catechism
00:20:32.42\00:20:35.00
and this is what it
says starting on page 49.
00:20:35.03\00:20:39.11
Question, "What is
the Third Commandment?"
00:20:39.14\00:20:42.24
Answer, "The
Third Commandment is,
00:20:42.27\00:20:44.65
remember that thou
keep holy the Sabbath day."
00:20:44.68\00:20:49.55
Actually, the Sabbath
commandment in the Bible
00:20:49.58\00:20:53.36
is the fourth Commandment,
but that's another story.
00:20:53.39\00:20:57.51
Continuing to read. Question,
"Which is the Sabbath day?"
00:20:57.54\00:21:03.06
Answer, "Saturday
is the Sabbath day."
00:21:03.09\00:21:07.51
And they are
correct on this point,
00:21:07.54\00:21:10.38
but if you're honest with
yourself and honest with God,
00:21:10.41\00:21:14.36
this should make you
ask an important question,
00:21:14.39\00:21:17.46
a question that is so obvious
00:21:17.49\00:21:19.93
they simply made it the
next question in the catechism.
00:21:19.96\00:21:24.56
Question, "Then why do
00:21:24.59\00:21:26.53
we observe Sunday
instead of Saturday?"
00:21:26.56\00:21:29.63
And here is the truth of
how the Sabbath was changed
00:21:29.66\00:21:33.53
from Saturday to Sunday, right
from the catholic catechism.
00:21:33.56\00:21:38.42
Question, "By what authority
00:21:38.45\00:21:40.81
did the church
substitute Sunday for Saturday?"
00:21:40.84\00:21:44.22
I'd also like to know
the answer to this question.
00:21:44.25\00:21:48.21
How can a church run by mere
men change the very law of God,
00:21:48.24\00:21:53.25
the law written on stone
with the finger of God himself?
00:21:53.28\00:21:57.58
Well, here's their
answer in their own words.
00:21:57.61\00:22:03.02
Answer, "The church substituted
00:22:03.05\00:22:05.64
Sunday for
Saturday by the plenitude
00:22:05.67\00:22:08.56
of that divine power which
Jesus Christ bestowed upon her."
00:22:08.59\00:22:14.01
This is a flowery way of
saying because we decided to,
00:22:14.04\00:22:18.76
but nowhere in the Bible
00:22:18.79\00:22:20.54
did God give the
church such divine power.
00:22:20.57\00:22:25.21
And right here is
where the teachings of Jesus
00:22:25.24\00:22:27.07
are causing
thunder on our own horizon.
00:22:27.10\00:22:29.52
It is on this very
point that the Sabbath
00:22:29.55\00:22:31.35
becomes extremely
relevant for our lives today.
00:22:31.38\00:22:34.45
The most powerful
church in the world,
00:22:34.48\00:22:36.51
the only one that
has its own country,
00:22:36.54\00:22:38.69
postal system,
police, and currency,
00:22:38.72\00:22:41.54
the only church that
shares-- don't miss this,
00:22:41.57\00:22:44.30
ambassadors with
the United States,
00:22:44.33\00:22:46.88
that church has a
question for all Protestants.
00:22:46.91\00:22:49.78
John L. Stoddard who was a
sincere Protestant Seminarian
00:22:49.81\00:22:52.93
who later became
a devout Catholic,
00:22:52.96\00:22:54.96
in his book "Rebuilding
a Lost Faith" page 80,
00:22:54.99\00:22:57.43
he challenges
all those who claimed
00:22:57.46\00:22:58.94
to be Protestant
with these words,
00:22:58.97\00:23:01.15
"The Bible which the Protestants
claim to obey exclusively
00:23:01.18\00:23:03.90
gives no authorization
for the substitution
00:23:03.93\00:23:06.34
of the first day of
the week for the seventh.
00:23:06.37\00:23:09.12
On what authority
have they done so?
00:23:09.15\00:23:11.15
Plainly on the authority
of that same Catholic Church
00:23:11.18\00:23:13.95
which they abandoned, and
whose traditions they condemn."
00:23:13.98\00:23:17.08
John Stoddard is
actually correct.
00:23:17.11\00:23:19.17
There's not one
verse of Scripture
00:23:19.20\00:23:20.57
that supports Sunday
as a holy day, not one.
00:23:20.60\00:23:23.76
Then there's this quote
from the Catholic Mirror,
00:23:23.79\00:23:26.12
"Reason and common
sense demands the acceptance
00:23:26.15\00:23:28.18
of one or the other
of these alternatives,
00:23:28.21\00:23:30.43
either Protestantism and
the keeping holy of Saturday,
00:23:30.46\00:23:33.52
or Catholicity and the
keeping holy of Sunday."
00:23:33.55\00:23:36.45
Give the Catholic
Church credit here.
00:23:36.48\00:23:38.01
At least they're honest.
00:23:38.04\00:23:39.51
The Catholic Church says,
00:23:39.54\00:23:41.08
"We go by
tradition and the Bible."
00:23:41.11\00:23:43.90
Sunday's
sacredness is their tradition
00:23:43.93\00:23:45.69
and has been since
the Council of Laodicea.
00:23:45.72\00:23:48.22
The Protestants
on the other hand
00:23:48.25\00:23:49.63
left the Catholic Church
with this cry on their lips,
00:23:49.66\00:23:52.29
"Sola scriptura," or "The
Bible and the Bible alone."
00:23:52.32\00:23:57.24
But even Catholics can
see that there's nothing
00:23:57.27\00:23:59.11
in the Bible which
calls for Sunday's sacredness.
00:23:59.14\00:24:01.82
"Sunday is a
Catholic institution"
00:24:01.85\00:24:03.25
they tell us "and
its claim to observance
00:24:03.28\00:24:05.66
can be defended only
on Catholic principles.
00:24:05.69\00:24:08.86
From beginning
to end of Scripture
00:24:08.89\00:24:10.26
there is not a
single passage that warrants
00:24:10.29\00:24:12.57
the transfer of
weekly public worship
00:24:12.60\00:24:14.56
from the last day of
the week to the first."
00:24:14.59\00:24:17.44
Chancellor H.F. Thomas
writing on behalf of the office
00:24:17.47\00:24:19.92
of Cardinal Gibbons wrote
"Of course the Catholic Church
00:24:19.95\00:24:22.60
claims that the change of
Sabbath to Sunday was her act,
00:24:22.63\00:24:25.32
and the act is a mark of
her ecclesiastical power."
00:24:25.35\00:24:28.55
Prophetic adherence
warns us that this same power,
00:24:28.58\00:24:31.17
the Catholic Church,
well in the near future
00:24:31.20\00:24:33.57
once again used the political
power of the state to demand
00:24:33.60\00:24:36.78
that we keep
Sunday sacred and holy
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.01
just as she did
during the dark ages
00:24:39.04\00:24:41.04
when she was
responsible for the destruction
00:24:41.07\00:24:42.76
of between 40 to 80 million
Christians whose only crime
00:24:42.79\00:24:46.58
was a desire to read
God's word and let God be God.
00:24:46.61\00:24:50.43
When the Papacy's mark
of Ecclesiastes authority,
00:24:50.46\00:24:52.99
Sunday sacredness,
stands in direct opposition
00:24:53.02\00:24:55.69
to God and His sign that He
is the creator of all things
00:24:55.72\00:24:59.48
and the re-creator
of our sin-sick souls.
00:24:59.51\00:25:02.27
And what is the
established name sign of God?
00:25:02.30\00:25:06.01
The Sabbath.
00:25:06.04\00:25:07.69
So it comes down to
this, either God is God
00:25:07.72\00:25:10.70
and Lord of all or He's
not God and not Lord at all.
00:25:10.73\00:25:15.58
Jesus clearly taught,
00:25:15.61\00:25:16.98
"The Son of man is
Lord also of the Sabbath."
00:25:17.01\00:25:21.39
By their own
admission, the papacy has sought
00:25:21.42\00:25:23.58
to remove God's mark of Lordship
and creation from the decalog;
00:25:23.61\00:25:27.82
replacing it with their
own mark, Sunday sacredness.
00:25:27.85\00:25:32.66
But in the spirit of tolerance
00:25:32.69\00:25:34.23
and religious
freedom some might ask,
00:25:34.26\00:25:36.64
is Saturday versus
Sunday really that important?
00:25:36.67\00:25:40.87
The assured
answer is, absolutely!
00:25:40.90\00:25:43.88
And here is why,
00:25:43.91\00:25:45.60
If God is the creator
then He has the right to rule.
00:25:45.63\00:25:49.68
The right to ask of us anything
even if it doesn't make sense
00:25:49.71\00:25:54.00
and making one day holy
really doesn't make sense.
00:25:54.03\00:25:57.81
And truly the only
reason we give for obedience
00:25:57.84\00:26:01.15
to the Sabbath commandment
is He's God and He asked me to.
00:26:01.18\00:26:06.70
To say no to the
Fourth Commandment
00:26:06.73\00:26:08.35
is the same as saying,
"You are not God, I am."
00:26:08.38\00:26:13.83
And there is another
simple reason God chose to make
00:26:13.86\00:26:17.34
the Sabbath a testing
truth for His true followers.
00:26:17.37\00:26:21.05
It's easy. Yes, once again, God
really makes salvation simple.
00:26:21.08\00:26:27.43
If God said you
have to have wealth
00:26:27.46\00:26:29.55
or you have to be
educated to be saved
00:26:29.58\00:26:32.17
then 50 to 75% of
the world would be lost.
00:26:32.20\00:26:36.83
So the God of
creation used something
00:26:36.86\00:26:39.08
that everyone is equal in, time.
00:26:39.11\00:26:43.10
No matter you're wealth,
education, sex, or ethnicity
00:26:43.13\00:26:46.79
everyone is
completely equal in time.
00:26:46.82\00:26:51.38
God want's to spend
time, eternity with you.
00:26:51.41\00:26:54.42
So is it unreasonable
for our Creator, Savior,
00:26:54.45\00:26:58.47
and Friend to
ask you to set aside
00:26:58.50\00:27:01.00
one seventh of your
time to spend with Him now?
00:27:01.03\00:27:04.84