There was a
time in world history
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when most people believed
that the earth was flat.
00:00:34.83\00:00:40.18
When Christopher
Columbus boarded his ships
00:00:40.21\00:00:42.13
and sailed west from
Spain for several weeks,
00:00:42.16\00:00:45.52
you know the story
that his sailors were
00:00:45.55\00:00:47.15
absolutely terrified
because they were certain
00:00:47.18\00:00:49.27
they would fall right
off the edge of the world.
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But you know had people back
then taken the Bible seriously
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and if they'd looked
into it, they would have seen
00:00:58.17\00:01:00.04
that God said way back
here that the world was round.
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Back to Prophet
Isaiah, writing about God, says
00:01:04.92\00:01:08.69
"It is He who sits upon
the circle of the earth."
00:01:08.72\00:01:15.17
Now that's written 2,000 years
00:01:15.20\00:01:17.29
before Columbus sailed
west in search of India.
00:01:17.32\00:01:21.14
You see, ladies and gentlemen
just because most people
00:01:21.17\00:01:23.78
believed that
the earth was flat,
00:01:23.81\00:01:26.48
didn't make it so.
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Now tonight I want to especially
00:01:29.24\00:01:30.70
talk to my Protestant
friends in the audience
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all across North
America in this planet.
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Because we're going to
look into the Bible and history
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and discover how millions of
us have been fooled by a myth.
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But believing a myth
doesn't make it true, does it?
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Are you ready? Yes.
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Give me 30 minutes
before anybody moves.
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The speed with which
the early Christian church
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tobogganed
downhill into apostasy,
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takes one's breath away.
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In fact, even
before Peter, and Paul,
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and the other apostles died,
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things in the early church
were going terribly wrong.
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And that's
because immediately after
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Jesus went back to
heaven, Satan launched
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a cunning campaign
against the infant church,
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determined to
lead people into error.
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He wanted to ruin Christianity.
00:02:18.42\00:02:20.76
In fact, Paul cried
out in 2 Thessalonians 2:7.
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"the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work"
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"Beware of these dogs,
beware of evil workers"
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he said in Philippians 3:2.
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Beware of compromises
because Christianity was
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tumbling, tumbling,
tumbling downhill into apostasy.
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In fact when you look in
your church history books,
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I don't care where
you go to any library.
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In the very 1st century,
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already some were
beginning to teach heresies.
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Like, for example, they denied
that Jesus had a real body.
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You find that in 1 John 4.
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And we find that
Paul was bitterly harassed
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by an off-shoot group
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who followed him
preaching of all things.
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"Another gospel" of works.
Philippians 3, Galatians 1.
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You see, immediately
after the days of Jesus,
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Satan stirred up this
great controversy again.
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This great play and
counter-play between
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the forces of good
and evil in the universe.
00:03:15.89\00:03:18.19
And you what? You
and I are the prize.
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We're the game.
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Every time God's divine
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inspiration reveals truth to us,
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Satan comes and counters
by attempting to confuse
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and twist and distort the truth
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to wrench away our
allegiance to Christ.
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And Satan's greatest deceptive
efforts to produce apostasy,
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zeroed in to fool
millions by myths.
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In fact, the
doctrine for example
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of what happens
when a person dies?
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Satan widely distorted
that in the second century A.D.
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In the 3rd century one
of the early church fathers
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by the name of
Origen he taught that,
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"Hey, you have a
second chance after death."
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And we find also that the
doctrine of "Righteousness
00:04:03.40\00:04:05.84
by faith faded completely from
the picture very, very early.
00:04:05.87\00:04:09.79
Because Satan saw to it,
that it gave way to forgiveness
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through penance or
through priests and bishops.
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Well, another strange
doctrine that arose early
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in the second century was
when Christians of all people
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began to
popularize through novels.
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"Celibacy, chastity, virginity."
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Why they said, that's
much more pleasing to God
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than even marriage.
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In fact, some synods even
went to say that adultery,
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you know, adultery
can never be forgiven.
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So you're best
not to marry at all.
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And so convents and monasteries
popped up everywhere.
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You see, Satan was
very early setting the stage
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for the exaltation of
tradition above scripture.
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The doctrine of apostolic
succession and the supremacy
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of the Church of Rome,
all way back before 300 A.D.
00:05:05.04\00:05:10.18
And we might very well
expect that the Sabbath
00:05:10.21\00:05:14.15
was among the earliest
doctrines to be abandoned
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in those first centuries
by the early Christians.
00:05:16.94\00:05:19.16
Why? Well, why not?
00:05:19.19\00:05:21.28
In view the importance
that we saw last weekend,
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the very, very special place
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God intended for
the Sabbath to fill.
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You know, what would be strange
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had Satan not
attacked the Sabbath early.
00:05:28.52\00:05:32.26
But this same prophetic voice
00:05:32.29\00:05:35.03
that predicted the rise
and fall of world empires
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also predicted many,
many centuries before,
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the rise and progress of
great religions upon this earth.
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And it predicted a
great historical apostasy.
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And tonight this Voice
of Prophecy speaks again.
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"Johnny," said the teacher.
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"Johnny, how many
legs does a puppy have
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if you call its tail a leg?"
00:06:03.32\00:06:05.93
"Five," said Johnny.
"Wrong" said the teacher.
00:06:05.96\00:06:09.72
"For Johnny to call his leg--
00:06:09.75\00:06:12.80
his tail a leg
doesn't make it one."
00:06:12.83\00:06:17.98
You got the point?
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You see millions of
sincere people today,
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they believe that the
day that God wants them
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to worship is Sunday,
the first day of the week,
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but to call Sunday
"Sabbath" doesn't make it so.
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The Bible from
beginning to end testifies
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as we found the other night.
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That God established the Sabbath
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as the seventh day of the week.
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And no place in all
of Scripture does God
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ever indicate that
He has changed that day,
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that He made in
creation as our day of rest.
00:06:48.91\00:06:52.39
Now before I unfold
"Evil's Masterstroke Revealed,"
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Let me first
carefully review for a moment
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what we found out by a
study of His prophetic Word
00:06:59.02\00:07:02.01
from the last three nights that
are built up toward tonight.
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I want you to follow me
closely by way of review
00:07:04.59\00:07:06.48
for those of you who maybe
listening in the first time.
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We discovered that when
God first created Planet Earth,
00:07:08.97\00:07:12.66
He created the
seventh-day Sabbath
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as a memorial of creation.
00:07:14.90\00:07:17.79
And when God then wrote His Ten
Commandment Law at Mt. Sinai,
00:07:17.82\00:07:21.20
the Sabbath was put
right in the very heart
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of those Ten Commandments.
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In Exodus 20:8, 9, He says
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"Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it Holy.
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Six days you shall
labor and do all your work,
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but the seventh day is
the Sabbath of the Lord."
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Oh, and don't forget, God also
reminds us in Deuteronomy 4:2
00:07:34.86\00:07:39.50
"Don't add to what I command
you and don't subtract from it,
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but keep the commands of the
Lord your God that I give you."
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In Psalm 89:34 God says,
"My covenant I will not break,
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nor alter the word
that's gone out of My lips."
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That's why Jesus,
when he came here.
00:07:56.31\00:07:58.44
In His Sermon on the
Mount, said in Matthew 5:17-19
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"Don't even think about it,
00:08:01.96\00:08:03.68
that I came to destroy
the Law or the Prophets.
00:08:03.71\00:08:06.66
I did not come to
destroy but to fulfill."
00:08:06.69\00:08:09.76
And we found out what that word
means to give fuller meaning.
00:08:09.79\00:08:13.64
For Jesus said
assuredly, I say to you,
00:08:13.67\00:08:15.81
till heaven and earth pass
away, one jot or one tittle
00:08:15.84\00:08:18.96
will by no means pass from
the law till all is fulfilled.
00:08:18.99\00:08:23.03
In fact, Jesus goes on to
say "Whoever therefore breaks
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one of the least
of these commandments,
00:08:25.99\00:08:28.69
and teaches men to do so,
00:08:28.72\00:08:30.15
he shall be called least
in the kingdom of heaven"
00:08:30.18\00:08:32.24
which was a gentle way of saying
00:08:32.27\00:08:33.80
he is not gonna get there.
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And that's why
the Bible tells us
00:08:36.36\00:08:38.22
Jesus modeled for us
keeping holy the Sabbath.
00:08:38.25\00:08:41.37
He gave us an example.
00:08:41.40\00:08:43.76
And when those high
muckety-muck religious leaders
00:08:43.79\00:08:45.93
accused Jesus of violating
the Sabbath and breaking it,
00:08:45.96\00:08:48.84
Jesus said, "You don't
tell Me how to keep the Sabbath.
00:08:48.87\00:08:51.93
I'm Lord of
that day. I made it."
00:08:51.96\00:08:54.63
Mark 2:27, 28 "The
Sabbath was made for man,
00:08:54.66\00:08:58.88
and not man for the Sabbath.
00:08:58.91\00:09:00.22
Therefore, the Son of Man
is also Lord of the Sabbath."
00:09:00.25\00:09:04.86
Something else
interesting in Matthew 24,
00:09:04.89\00:09:07.12
when Jesus was talking
of the disciples looking far
00:09:07.15\00:09:09.40
into the future way down to the
days of terrorists and jihad,
00:09:09.43\00:09:14.46
and the destruction
of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
00:09:14.49\00:09:18.05
Jesus said in Matthew 24:20.
00:09:18.08\00:09:20.42
He said, "You folks pray
that you don't have to be
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fully pregnant and
fleeing on the when that comes.
00:09:23.18\00:09:26.96
You are also
pray that your flight
00:09:26.99\00:09:28.78
won't have to be in
winter or on the Sabbath day."
00:09:28.81\00:09:33.15
Jesus evidently
thought the Sabbath
00:09:33.18\00:09:35.39
would be kept 70
years in the future.
00:09:35.42\00:09:38.54
Now of course, everyone
would admit that our friends
00:09:38.57\00:09:40.65
the Orthodox Jews have
worshiped on the seventh day
00:09:40.68\00:09:44.12
ever since the Exodus
more than 3,500 years ago.
00:09:44.15\00:09:49.03
In fact throughout the
rest of the New Testament,
00:09:49.06\00:09:51.09
we find that Jesus' followers
continued to honor the Sabbath.
00:09:51.12\00:09:55.57
You see, friend,
even if the Bible
00:09:55.60\00:09:57.04
were our only
source of information,
00:09:57.07\00:09:59.39
we would still
be able to determine
00:09:59.42\00:10:00.96
which day is the
seventh day, Sabbath.
00:10:00.99\00:10:04.08
Take for example something that
just happened three weeks ago.
00:10:04.11\00:10:07.24
Easter. Easter weekend.
00:10:07.27\00:10:10.16
All four of the Gospels
give the exact same account.
00:10:10.19\00:10:13.45
Explicitly telling us that
the day between Good Friday
00:10:13.48\00:10:17.57
and Resurrection
morning is the Sabbath
00:10:17.60\00:10:20.74
according to the
commandment is what it says.
00:10:20.77\00:10:22.85
Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John, they all wrote
00:10:22.88\00:10:25.01
that Sunday is the
first day of the week
00:10:25.04\00:10:28.49
and they called the
seventh day the Sabbath.
00:10:28.52\00:10:31.26
So the biblical
record is crystal clear,
00:10:31.29\00:10:33.26
showing us
Christ and His disciples
00:10:33.29\00:10:35.48
they never changed
the day of worship.
00:10:35.51\00:10:37.62
In fact, you know
if they had changed,
00:10:37.65\00:10:39.83
if they had changed
God's Ten Commandments,
00:10:39.86\00:10:42.26
that would have
been the lead article
00:10:42.29\00:10:44.06
in every single New
Testament Book of the Bible.
00:10:44.09\00:10:46.30
It would have
been a momentous change
00:10:46.33\00:10:48.22
because no one has the
right to alter God's Law.
00:10:48.25\00:10:53.13
In fact, do you
know that scholars
00:10:53.16\00:10:54.58
from
Sunday-keeping churches agree
00:10:54.61\00:10:56.58
with what I have just told you?
00:10:56.61\00:10:58.30
Let me take a quotation,
you can look at it on the screen
00:10:58.33\00:11:00.41
from Catholic Cardinal
James Gibbons, I'm quoting.
00:11:00.44\00:11:04.74
He wrote, "You
may read the Bible
00:11:04.77\00:11:07.17
from Genesis to Revelation,
you will not find a single line
00:11:07.20\00:11:10.84
authorizing the
sanctification of Sunday.
00:11:10.87\00:11:13.71
The Scriptures enforce
00:11:13.74\00:11:14.77
the religious
observance of Saturday."
00:11:14.80\00:11:18.65
Well, let's take a Methodist,
00:11:18.68\00:11:20.30
here is Clovis G.
Chappell, a Methodist.
00:11:20.33\00:11:23.52
He concedes the same
point that he says and I quote,
00:11:23.55\00:11:26.20
"The reason we observe
as Methodist the first day
00:11:26.23\00:11:29.73
instead of the seventh is
based on no positive command.
00:11:29.76\00:11:33.76
One will search the
Scriptures in vain for authority
00:11:33.79\00:11:36.28
for changing from the
seventh day to the first day."
00:11:36.31\00:11:40.01
Let's go to another
popular denomination
00:11:40.04\00:11:42.09
at least in
United Sates, R.W. Dale,
00:11:42.12\00:11:44.31
who speaks for the
Congregationalists,
00:11:44.34\00:11:45.84
and he says, "It
is quite clear that,
00:11:45.87\00:11:48.51
however rigidly or
devotedly we might spend Sunday,
00:11:48.54\00:11:52.19
we are not keeping the Sabbath.
00:11:52.22\00:11:54.18
There is not a single
sentence in the New Testament
00:11:54.21\00:11:56.51
to suggest that
we incur any penalty
00:11:56.54\00:11:58.44
by violating the
supposed sanctity of Sunday."
00:11:58.47\00:12:02.99
Well, now I could choose
all kinds of other quotations
00:12:03.02\00:12:05.51
from practically every
denomination in any community.
00:12:05.54\00:12:08.42
We could take the Constitution
of the Presbyterian Church,"
00:12:08.45\00:12:11.47
the Church of
England, our Baptist friends,
00:12:11.50\00:12:13.91
our Lutheran
friends, the Christian Church.
00:12:13.94\00:12:15.81
In fact, it's interesting
that Father T. Enright,
00:12:15.84\00:12:18.24
who is a Catholic
priest, said this.
00:12:18.27\00:12:21.06
Notice what it
says on the screen.
00:12:21.09\00:12:22.98
He said, "I have
repeatedly offered $1,000
00:12:23.01\00:12:26.15
to anyone who can prove
to me from the Bible alone
00:12:26.18\00:12:29.20
that I am bound
to keep Sunday holy.
00:12:29.23\00:12:31.72
There is no such law
in the Bible he said.
00:12:31.75\00:12:33.52
It is a law of the
holy Catholic Church alone.
00:12:33.55\00:12:37.47
The Bible says, 'Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy.'
00:12:37.50\00:12:40.74
The Catholic Church says, 'No.
00:12:40.77\00:12:42.57
By my divine power I
abolish the Sabbath day
00:12:42.60\00:12:45.97
and command you to keep
holy the first day of the week.'
00:12:46.00\00:12:48.33
And, lo!
00:12:48.36\00:12:49.39
The entire
civilized world bows down
00:12:49.42\00:12:51.18
in a reverent
obedience to the command
00:12:51.21\00:12:53.69
of the holy Catholic Church."
00:12:53.72\00:12:57.57
Well, the real
question is this though.
00:12:57.60\00:13:01.41
If there's no biblical record,
that Christ or His disciples
00:13:01.44\00:13:05.37
kept any other day and
any minister today will agree,
00:13:05.40\00:13:10.33
then the
question you will ask is,
00:13:10.36\00:13:12.02
how did
Sunday-keeping get started?
00:13:12.05\00:13:15.42
Well, ladies and
gentlemen, since there's no hint
00:13:15.45\00:13:17.30
of a change in the Bible,
we have to turn to history.
00:13:17.33\00:13:21.85
How? When? Why
was this change made?
00:13:21.88\00:13:27.24
Well, it came about
through a very involved
00:13:27.27\00:13:30.33
combination of
circumstances in history.
00:13:30.36\00:13:32.52
Let me share
just a few highlights.
00:13:32.55\00:13:34.72
But first, I want to share
something from my heart here
00:13:34.75\00:13:37.13
very important so we don't think
00:13:37.16\00:13:38.68
that we're pointing
fingers or criticism at anyone
00:13:38.71\00:13:41.89
or any particular denomination
tonight, is that fair?
00:13:41.92\00:13:45.80
Listen, when we go back
into early Christianity,
00:13:45.83\00:13:48.99
folks there were
no denominations.
00:13:49.02\00:13:51.08
There were no Presbyterians,
there were no any.
00:13:51.11\00:13:54.96
So we're talking
about our church here.
00:13:54.99\00:13:58.55
Is that good? My
church, your church.
00:13:58.58\00:14:03.31
Sure, there was persecution.
00:14:03.34\00:14:05.31
There were some heresies
there. There were compromises.
00:14:05.34\00:14:08.19
But to simply point the
finger at any one denomination
00:14:08.22\00:14:11.37
is misleading,
because for a thousand years
00:14:11.40\00:14:13.40
there weren't any
other denominations.
00:14:13.43\00:14:15.77
So tonight
whether you're a Catholic
00:14:15.80\00:14:17.53
or you're Jew or
Protestant or whatever.
00:14:17.56\00:14:19.77
This is our heritage
in the Christian church.
00:14:19.80\00:14:24.62
That's our church.
Did they make mistakes?
00:14:24.65\00:14:27.35
Yes, just like they do today.
00:14:27.38\00:14:30.33
But it's our
Christian church that committed
00:14:30.36\00:14:32.79
these mistakes and
adopted these myths.
00:14:32.82\00:14:35.77
But you see in an
honest love for the Lord
00:14:35.80\00:14:37.63
and a desire to rediscover
end-time prophetic truths
00:14:37.66\00:14:41.08
demands that we
today pray real hard,
00:14:41.11\00:14:44.03
hold hands here
together tonight,
00:14:44.06\00:14:46.14
we humble our hearts to
prove and study all things.
00:14:46.17\00:14:50.25
So let's proceed.
00:14:50.28\00:14:52.02
But the evidence seems to
point to the Church of Rome.
00:14:52.05\00:14:57.29
For instance we learn
from Socrates Scholasticus.
00:14:57.32\00:15:00.39
Now he was a
fifth-century historian,
00:15:00.42\00:15:02.47
he says this, quoting.
00:15:02.50\00:15:05.04
"Almost all churches
throughout the world celebrate
00:15:05.07\00:15:08.28
the sacred mysteries,
that would be the Lord's Supper
00:15:08.31\00:15:11.03
on the Sabbath of every week,
00:15:11.06\00:15:14.32
yet the Christians of
Alexandria and at Rome,
00:15:14.35\00:15:18.10
on account of
some ancient tradition,
00:15:18.13\00:15:20.30
have ceased to do this."
00:15:20.33\00:15:23.54
See a gradual change
of days in some areas
00:15:23.57\00:15:26.81
began somewhere
between A.D. 70 and A.D. 135,
00:15:26.84\00:15:30.78
the dates when two very
bitter and bloody insurrections
00:15:30.81\00:15:34.39
by the Jews were just
crushed by the Romans.
00:15:34.42\00:15:37.92
Now you remember,
the Jews hated Rome.
00:15:37.95\00:15:41.86
Well, Rome finally got fed
up with the Jewish revolts.
00:15:41.89\00:15:45.66
A doctoral, doctoral thesis
on this change of the Sabbath
00:15:45.69\00:15:49.39
was written at the
Pontifical University in Rome,
00:15:49.42\00:15:51.63
and it states this, I'm
quoting notice on the screen
00:15:51.66\00:15:54.75
"Beginning with
the first Jewish Revolt
00:15:54.78\00:15:56.98
that was against
Rome in about 66-70 AD,
00:15:57.01\00:16:01.66
various repressive measures
military, political and fiscal
00:16:01.69\00:16:05.82
were imposed by the
Romans on the Jews."
00:16:05.85\00:16:09.09
Wow, that only
added fuel to the fire.
00:16:09.12\00:16:12.23
So again in A.D. 135 there
was another major Jewish revolt
00:16:12.26\00:16:16.04
led by fellow by
the name of Bar-Kokkba.
00:16:16.07\00:16:18.98
And that was crushed by
the armies of Emperor Hadrian.
00:16:19.01\00:16:22.78
Listen to what history
says happened, and I'm quoting,
00:16:22.81\00:16:25.47
"Outraged, Roman Emperor
Hadrian at this time prohibited
00:16:25.50\00:16:30.64
the practice of the Jewish
religion throughout the empire,
00:16:30.67\00:16:33.16
condemning
especially Sabbath observance."
00:16:33.19\00:16:36.96
I want you to notice
what's happening here.
00:16:36.99\00:16:39.61
Christians were
keeping the Sabbath too.
00:16:39.64\00:16:42.96
But they weren't Jews.
00:16:42.99\00:16:45.45
And the mounting hostility
of the Romans against the Jews
00:16:45.48\00:16:48.67
coupled with
the conflict between
00:16:48.70\00:16:50.12
the Jews and the Christians,
00:16:50.15\00:16:52.05
encouraged a rash of
anti-Jewish literature,
00:16:52.08\00:16:55.09
which, in turn
created all kinds of strong
00:16:55.12\00:16:57.48
anti-Jewish sentiment
throughout the Roman Empire.
00:16:57.51\00:17:00.69
And Christians became
increasingly sensitive
00:17:00.72\00:17:03.65
about any
identification with the Jews.
00:17:03.68\00:17:06.67
And since Sabbath-keeping tended
00:17:06.70\00:17:08.90
to identify them with the Jews,
00:17:08.93\00:17:10.64
many of the Christians began
to minimize its obligations,
00:17:10.67\00:17:13.95
quoting history again,
Impressive indications suggest
00:17:13.98\00:17:17.85
that Sunday
observance was introduced
00:17:17.88\00:17:20.38
at this time in
conjunction with Easter-Sunday,
00:17:20.41\00:17:24.41
as an attempt to
clarify to the Roman authorities
00:17:24.44\00:17:27.19
the Christian
distinction from Judaism."
00:17:27.22\00:17:31.07
Now this is a historical fact.
00:17:31.10\00:17:34.02
Maybe you didn't
know this, but at first,
00:17:34.05\00:17:35.92
Sunday was only kept
once a year at Easter,
00:17:35.95\00:17:39.86
when Christians celebrated
Christ's resurrection.
00:17:39.89\00:17:42.11
It's known in history as
the "Easter Controversy."
00:17:42.14\00:17:46.13
That's an other subject, but
with this background in mind,
00:17:46.16\00:17:49.23
you know, it's easy to see
how Christians who were living
00:17:49.26\00:17:51.30
in Rome, the capital
city of the Roman Empire,
00:17:51.33\00:17:54.06
where they hated
Jews, well, those Christians
00:17:54.09\00:17:56.82
kind of led the way in
disassociating themselves
00:17:56.85\00:17:59.11
from Sabbath-keeping.
00:17:59.14\00:18:01.60
Rome held the
Jewish Sabbath-keeping.
00:18:01.63\00:18:04.89
That was something in contempt.
00:18:04.92\00:18:07.53
And so the Roman
Christians protested too.
00:18:07.56\00:18:10.44
You know, "Hey, we're not Jews.
00:18:10.47\00:18:12.55
You know, we'll go
so far to prove it,
00:18:12.58\00:18:14.49
that we're going to even
shy away from Sabbath-keeping"
00:18:14.52\00:18:17.97
Now no Jew would ever say that.
00:18:18.00\00:18:21.11
But you know, the Bible
does tell us that the church
00:18:21.14\00:18:23.12
in Rome was composed
predominantly of Gentiles.
00:18:23.15\00:18:27.15
Remember Paul, addressing the
church in Rome in Romans 11:13.
00:18:27.18\00:18:31.59
He says, "I am
talking to you Gentiles"
00:18:31.62\00:18:34.74
converts who were former pagans.
00:18:34.77\00:18:38.45
Now the Gentile pagans
weren't nearly as familiar
00:18:38.48\00:18:41.97
and established
in Sabbath-keeping
00:18:42.00\00:18:43.75
as were the Jewish Christians,
00:18:43.78\00:18:45.26
who'd always
practice Sabbath-keeping.
00:18:45.29\00:18:48.28
But the question is, why
was Sunday finally chosen
00:18:48.31\00:18:52.75
rather than some
other day of the week?
00:18:52.78\00:18:55.82
Well, that's a good question.
00:18:55.85\00:18:58.17
But the pagans
00:18:58.20\00:19:00.52
guess what day they
just happened to worship on?
00:19:00.55\00:19:04.57
They'd been sun
worshipers for millennia,
00:19:04.60\00:19:08.10
celebrating Sun-day
as the sun God's day.
00:19:08.13\00:19:13.86
So some of the
Christians in Rome,
00:19:13.89\00:19:15.36
they saw an advantage in maybe
compromising with paganism.
00:19:15.39\00:19:19.86
You know, we'll
worship on the pagan "sun-day"
00:19:19.89\00:19:24.51
but we will call it
the Lord's day instead.
00:19:24.54\00:19:27.89
By just adopting
a few pagan customs,
00:19:27.92\00:19:31.70
while all of these pagans here
they'll convert to Christianity
00:19:31.73\00:19:34.31
even more quickly and
they'll feel more at home.
00:19:34.34\00:19:36.51
Besides, we'll
benefit the Roman Empire,
00:19:36.54\00:19:39.29
uniting its subjects
into one great religion.
00:19:39.32\00:19:43.83
How right they
were. But oh, how wrong.
00:19:43.86\00:19:47.73
You go back in a church history,
00:19:47.76\00:19:49.04
you will find out that
from then on Christianity
00:19:49.07\00:19:51.13
tobogganed into apostasy
as all kinds of pagan rites
00:19:51.16\00:19:55.33
and ceremonies and
practices crept into the church.
00:19:55.36\00:19:59.11
If you want to
go to a book store
00:19:59.14\00:20:00.37
or look for an old used
book store, you get this book.
00:20:00.40\00:20:04.73
It's written by
Alexander Hislop.
00:20:04.76\00:20:06.98
It's called The Two Babylons.
00:20:07.01\00:20:10.08
I promise you, it
will blow your minds
00:20:10.11\00:20:12.76
about things that have crept
into Christianity, Christmas
00:20:12.79\00:20:15.28
and Easter and bunny
rabbits and all that stuff.
00:20:15.31\00:20:17.65
But history tells
us, that at first,
00:20:17.68\00:20:21.27
at first Sunday was celebrated
not as a holy day at all,
00:20:21.30\00:20:24.62
but just kind of like a holiday.
00:20:24.65\00:20:27.08
And for years Christians kept
both days, Sabbath and Sunday.
00:20:27.11\00:20:32.15
In fact, the Apostolic
Constitutions, Book 7 says,
00:20:32.18\00:20:35.54
"The erosion of the
purity of the apostolic church
00:20:35.57\00:20:38.80
stood firm and
pure, but when the second
00:20:38.83\00:20:42.91
and third generation
Christians came along,
00:20:42.94\00:20:45.30
we see evidence of
compromise and apostasy."
00:20:45.33\00:20:49.55
Another history book, historian
Dr. W. D. Killen writes,
00:20:49.58\00:20:54.12
"Between the
days of the apostles
00:20:54.15\00:20:56.14
and the
conversion of Constantine...
00:20:56.17\00:20:58.61
rites and ceremonies of
which neither Paul nor Peter
00:20:58.64\00:21:01.01
ever heard, crept
silently into use,
00:21:01.04\00:21:03.49
and then claimed the
ranks of Divine institutions."
00:21:03.52\00:21:07.62
See they were saying
thing like, you know,
00:21:07.65\00:21:09.81
we'll just adopt a few
pagan customs like sprinkling
00:21:09.84\00:21:14.76
or images, prayers to
the saints, purgatory,
00:21:14.79\00:21:19.42
infant baptism, Halloween,
rings Jewelry, the sun-god day.
00:21:19.45\00:21:26.63
But suddenly the
church was becoming
00:21:26.66\00:21:28.38
more pagan than
it was Christian.
00:21:28.41\00:21:30.92
In fact, this is
a historical fact,
00:21:30.95\00:21:33.55
Constantine was so amazed
at how popular Christianity
00:21:33.58\00:21:37.43
was becoming now
throughout the Roman Empire.
00:21:37.46\00:21:39.65
One day he decided well,
I should be baptized too.
00:21:39.68\00:21:44.41
And history tells us
that one day he marched down
00:21:44.44\00:21:46.69
with his entire
army, down into the river
00:21:46.72\00:21:49.00
and he said, now
we are all baptized.
00:21:49.03\00:21:52.69
Well they got wet, all right.
00:21:52.72\00:21:55.76
But it didn't change
their hearts, did it?
00:21:55.79\00:21:58.74
Now Christianity was more
pagan than it was Christian,
00:21:58.77\00:22:02.64
tumbling into apostasy and ruin.
00:22:02.67\00:22:07.16
Then came the very first
civil Sunday law passed by
00:22:07.19\00:22:10.99
the Roman Emperor Constantine
on March 7, A.D. 321.
00:22:11.02\00:22:14.63
You can look it up on
in your history books.
00:22:14.66\00:22:16.73
Now mind you
Constantine was still pagan,
00:22:16.76\00:22:19.26
still worshiped the sun.
00:22:19.29\00:22:21.07
But he legislated, "On
the venerable day of the sun
00:22:21.10\00:22:24.51
let the magistrates and people
residing in the cities rest,
00:22:24.54\00:22:28.79
and let all workshops be closed.
00:22:28.82\00:22:31.12
In the country, however,
persons engaged in agriculture
00:22:31.15\00:22:34.21
may freely and lawfully
continue their pursuits."
00:22:34.24\00:22:39.83
Then, the church
jumped on the bandwagon.
00:22:39.86\00:22:44.38
Because the next step
in making Sunday-keeping
00:22:44.41\00:22:46.95
an integral part of
Christianity was taken
00:22:46.98\00:22:49.93
by the church there at
Rome in the Council of Laodicea,
00:22:49.96\00:22:54.10
the first religious law
00:22:54.13\00:22:55.81
concerning the
keeping of Sunday.
00:22:55.84\00:22:57.17
I want you to
notice on the screen.
00:22:57.20\00:22:59.33
"In the year 325,
Sylvester, Bishop of Rome,
00:22:59.36\00:23:04.03
changed the
title of the first day,
00:23:04.06\00:23:06.87
calling it the Lord's day."
00:23:06.90\00:23:09.78
And then again at the Council
of Laodicea, in A.D. 364,
00:23:09.81\00:23:13.91
the Roman
Church issued this law,
00:23:13.94\00:23:16.10
and I'm quoting
"Christians shall not Judaize."
00:23:16.13\00:23:19.84
That means, we don't want
them to keep Sabbath any more
00:23:19.87\00:23:23.58
and be idle on Saturday...
but shall work on that day,
00:23:23.61\00:23:27.73
but the Lord's day
they shall especially honor,
00:23:27.76\00:23:30.18
and, as being
Christians, shall if possible,
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.46
do no work on that day.
00:23:32.49\00:23:34.29
If however, they
are found Judaizing,
00:23:34.32\00:23:37.07
they shall be
shut out from Christ."
00:23:37.10\00:23:41.15
Well, now folks, they
didn't have faxes back there.
00:23:41.18\00:23:44.15
They didn't have email,
they didn't have newspapers,
00:23:44.18\00:23:47.77
so very, very few
people around the planet knew
00:23:47.80\00:23:50.10
about these dictums there
from Rome and these changes
00:23:50.13\00:23:52.91
and history
confirms in fact that
00:23:52.94\00:23:54.58
many, many, many Christians
00:23:54.61\00:23:56.28
still continue
to observed Sabbath
00:23:56.31\00:23:58.21
as late as the sixth century.
00:23:58.24\00:24:01.52
In France, in Italy, in Germany,
00:24:01.55\00:24:04.11
historians record that
clear into the Middle Ages,
00:24:04.14\00:24:07.19
the Waldenses, the Albigenses,
00:24:07.22\00:24:09.42
they observed the
seventh-day Sabbath
00:24:09.45\00:24:11.61
over in Africa,
the islands of the sea.
00:24:11.64\00:24:14.03
They hadn't gotten word
that the Sabbath was changed.
00:24:14.06\00:24:16.99
In fact, I'm gonna
kind of blow your minds
00:24:17.02\00:24:18.59
a little bit tonight.
00:24:18.62\00:24:19.71
You ladies here
are wearing green.
00:24:19.74\00:24:22.30
We celebrate St. Patrick's Day
with wearing the green, right?
00:24:22.33\00:24:25.40
Did you know
ladies and gentlemen
00:24:25.43\00:24:26.86
that St. Patrick of Ireland
kept the Sabbath day holy?
00:24:26.89\00:24:31.13
Because the news
of the change in Rome
00:24:31.16\00:24:33.09
hadn't reached
Ireland by the time he died,
00:24:33.12\00:24:35.55
so he was a Sabbath-keeper.
00:24:35.58\00:24:37.84
In fact, the
Celtic church in England
00:24:37.87\00:24:40.25
and Ireland they
kept the Sabbath.
00:24:40.28\00:24:43.17
Meanwhile, back at
Rome, Pope Gregory,
00:24:43.20\00:24:45.99
when he heard about
some of these people
00:24:46.02\00:24:47.30
that weren't
changing, he denounced
00:24:47.33\00:24:49.50
"As the prophets of
Antichrist those who maintained
00:24:49.53\00:24:52.55
that work ought not to
be done on the seventh day."
00:24:52.58\00:24:56.57
And keep in mind of
course too that the Bible
00:24:56.60\00:24:58.97
was not available back then.
00:24:59.00\00:25:00.47
Printing hadn't been
invented, as it is now.
00:25:00.50\00:25:03.41
So for centuries,
no one had a Bible.
00:25:03.44\00:25:07.63
Doctrines were
passed along from the clergy
00:25:07.66\00:25:10.33
by word of mouth
until the laymen scarcely
00:25:10.36\00:25:13.06
could distinguish
between what was Scripture
00:25:13.09\00:25:15.24
and what was just tradition.
00:25:15.27\00:25:17.49
Very few people
really knew the truth
00:25:17.52\00:25:20.78
as taught by
Jesus or the disciples.
00:25:20.81\00:25:23.67
In fact by the sixth
century the Sabbath truth lay
00:25:23.70\00:25:27.59
almost dormant, hidden
under centuries of tradition.
00:25:27.62\00:25:31.89
I mean, no one can
examine the Scriptures
00:25:31.92\00:25:33.57
and find out what they taught.
00:25:33.60\00:25:35.35
So people simply
accepted what was passed along
00:25:35.38\00:25:38.02
by the religious
hierarchy for generations,
00:25:38.05\00:25:40.84
never questioning
whether it was fact or fiction.
00:25:40.87\00:25:44.27
And centuries
passed, hundreds and hundreds
00:25:44.30\00:25:46.55
and hundreds of
years, until in 1517
00:25:46.58\00:25:49.37
the Protestant
Reformation came along.
00:25:49.40\00:25:52.65
Suddenly there
was a Bible available,
00:25:52.68\00:25:54.74
suddenly Martin
Luther and the reformers
00:25:54.77\00:25:57.20
got a copy of the Scripture
and they began questioning
00:25:57.23\00:25:59.30
countless rites and doctrines
and ceremonies and traditions
00:25:59.33\00:26:02.63
that had completely supplanted
00:26:02.66\00:26:04.79
the plain
teaching of God's Word.
00:26:04.82\00:26:07.12
In fact, the cry of
Luther and the reformation was,
00:26:07.15\00:26:10.67
we got to get back
to the Bible, the Bible
00:26:10.70\00:26:12.75
and the Bible only as our
rule of faith and practice.
00:26:12.78\00:26:15.61
Amen.
00:26:15.64\00:26:16.78
And many of those
reformers like Huss and Jerome,
00:26:16.81\00:26:19.72
they paid for their
fidelity to the Bible
00:26:19.75\00:26:21.78
by being burned at the stake.
00:26:21.81\00:26:25.77
Now back to our question.
00:26:25.80\00:26:27.77
How was the
Sabbath finally changed?
00:26:27.80\00:26:32.21
I want you to listen to the
following amazing statements
00:26:32.24\00:26:35.42
by Roman Catholic authors,
whose church led the way
00:26:35.45\00:26:39.18
in the change
from Sabbath to Sunday.
00:26:39.21\00:26:42.72
"The Catholic Church
for over one thousand years
00:26:42.75\00:26:46.31
before the
existence of a Protestant
00:26:46.34\00:26:48.16
by virtue of her Divine mission,
00:26:48.19\00:26:50.88
changed the day
from Saturday to Sunday."
00:26:50.91\00:26:55.58
Folks, if you ever decide
you're gonna become a Catholic,
00:26:55.61\00:26:57.84
and you to Catechism class,
00:26:57.87\00:27:01.61
here is what you will read
from there Convert's Catechism.
00:27:01.64\00:27:05.66
It's in a question and
answer form, it goes like this.
00:27:05.69\00:27:07.66
Question. Which
is the Sabbath day?
00:27:07.69\00:27:10.44
Answer. Saturday
is the Sabbath day.
00:27:10.47\00:27:13.69
Question.
00:27:13.72\00:27:14.88
Why do we observe
Sunday instead of Saturday?
00:27:14.91\00:27:17.80
Answer.
00:27:17.83\00:27:19.03
The Catholic Church
transferred the solemnity
00:27:19.06\00:27:21.86
from Saturday to Sunday.
00:27:21.89\00:27:25.14
Someone is saying,
"Lonnie, wait a minute.
00:27:25.17\00:27:27.18
Does the Catholic Church
openly admit this change?"
00:27:27.21\00:27:31.04
Yes. You say, well, why?
00:27:31.07\00:27:35.31
Listen to me very carefully
because the answer lies
00:27:35.34\00:27:37.93
in a major difference between
our dedicated Catholic friends
00:27:37.96\00:27:42.51
and those of us
who are Protestants,
00:27:42.54\00:27:44.73
on one simple item.
00:27:44.76\00:27:48.92
This book, the Bible.
00:27:48.95\00:27:52.55
You see, when it comes to
authority our Catholics friends
00:27:52.58\00:27:55.82
place greater confidence
in tradition above Scripture.
00:27:55.85\00:28:00.74
And here's what our
Catholic friends believe,
00:28:00.77\00:28:02.60
from official Catholic Belief.
00:28:02.63\00:28:04.11
We're not gonna talk about them
00:28:04.14\00:28:05.18
we're gonna
quote from them, okay?
00:28:05.21\00:28:07.58
They say this, "Like two sacred
rivers flowing from paradise,
00:28:07.61\00:28:12.41
the Bible and divine Tradition
contain the Word of God.
00:28:12.44\00:28:17.36
Though these two divine
streams are of equal sacredness,
00:28:17.39\00:28:20.93
still, of the two, TRADITION
is to us more safe and clear.
00:28:20.96\00:28:28.26
Do you see the difference here?
00:28:28.29\00:28:30.04
The main point of
difference between
00:28:30.07\00:28:31.37
our Protestants
and our Catholics
00:28:31.40\00:28:33.32
is the authority of
tradition in the church
00:28:33.35\00:28:36.89
and when that
priest Martin Luther
00:28:36.92\00:28:39.95
said to the church of his day,
00:28:39.98\00:28:42.26
we've got to follow
the Bible, the Bible only.
00:28:42.29\00:28:45.10
He was challenging
many of the institutions
00:28:45.13\00:28:47.36
of the Catholic church that
were based totally on tradition
00:28:47.39\00:28:50.52
like indulgences, penance,
purgatory, prayers to Mary,
00:28:50.55\00:28:54.66
mass, the rosary and Luther's
challenge got so serious
00:28:54.69\00:28:59.43
that the council of Trent
was convened to decide exactly
00:28:59.46\00:29:02.62
what position the
Catholic Church should take
00:29:02.65\00:29:05.15
on tradition and its
relationship to the Bible.
00:29:05.18\00:29:08.24
I want you to listen
again the Catholic Dogma
00:29:08.27\00:29:10.64
on how the question
was finally settled.
00:29:10.67\00:29:12.89
Watch very
closely, people may have
00:29:12.92\00:29:14.43
never seen this
quotation before quoting,
00:29:14.46\00:29:17.27
"Finally, at the last opening
00:29:17.30\00:29:19.34
on the
eighteenth of January, 1562,
00:29:19.37\00:29:22.51
all hesitation was set aside.
00:29:22.54\00:29:24.45
The Archbishop of
Reggio made a speech in which
00:29:24.48\00:29:26.67
he openly declared
00:29:26.70\00:29:27.95
that tradition
stood above Scripture.
00:29:27.98\00:29:31.65
The authority of the
church could therefore
00:29:31.68\00:29:33.44
not be bound to the
authority of the Scriptures,
00:29:33.47\00:29:35.86
because the Church had
changed the Sabbath into Sunday,
00:29:35.89\00:29:39.47
not by command of Christ,
but by its own authority."
00:29:39.50\00:29:44.83
But did you notice here,
00:29:44.86\00:29:46.30
what's swung the pendulum to
put tradition above Scripture.
00:29:46.33\00:29:50.61
I mean, whatever they're saying
00:29:50.64\00:29:51.67
to the standstill there
at the Council of Trent.
00:29:51.70\00:29:53.91
It was the fact that
the church had changed
00:29:53.94\00:29:57.16
one of God's commandments
on the authority of tradition.
00:29:57.19\00:30:02.06
Now my
Protestant friends tonight,
00:30:02.09\00:30:03.66
you may be more surprised than
Catholics over this revelation.
00:30:03.69\00:30:07.56
You see, I have to laude
00:30:07.59\00:30:09.04
my Catholic friends
for their consistency.
00:30:09.07\00:30:11.60
They have long taken
pride in their traditions,
00:30:11.63\00:30:14.64
they believe the authority
00:30:14.67\00:30:15.73
for their churches
tradition, not scripture.
00:30:15.76\00:30:18.80
And they are consistent.
00:30:18.83\00:30:21.60
The Bible though
doesn't support tradition
00:30:21.63\00:30:23.76
as the bases for
Christian doctrine.
00:30:23.79\00:30:26.68
So Jesus even asked the
religious leaders of his day
00:30:26.71\00:30:29.01
and he asked them of
our day in Matthew 15:3,
00:30:29.04\00:30:32.44
"Why do you also transgress
the commandment of God
00:30:32.47\00:30:37.30
by your tradition?"
00:30:37.33\00:30:39.76
And He adds in Matthew 15:9,
00:30:39.79\00:30:42.87
"But in vain they do worship me,
00:30:42.90\00:30:45.64
teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men.
00:30:45.67\00:30:51.89
Are you with me? Yes.
00:30:51.92\00:30:53.76
Do you see the issue? Yes.
00:30:53.79\00:30:55.30
Folks it is not
a question of days.
00:30:55.33\00:30:58.54
The real question is,
00:30:58.57\00:30:59.99
will you follow our Lord
Jesus Christ and the Bible?
00:31:00.02\00:31:03.56
Amen. Or human traditions?
00:31:03.59\00:31:05.75
It's not a matter
of days and numbers,
00:31:05.78\00:31:07.78
it's a matter of masters.
00:31:07.81\00:31:10.30
That's the real issue.
00:31:10.33\00:31:11.61
Is Jesus word master
00:31:11.64\00:31:14.37
or the traditions
of some organization?
00:31:14.40\00:31:19.84
Scrap up your seat
belt one more notch
00:31:19.87\00:31:22.00
before we close
tonight, I've got,
00:31:22.03\00:31:23.46
I've saved two
very recent modern
00:31:23.49\00:31:26.33
20th century statements
that are gonna shock you,
00:31:26.36\00:31:29.25
from Catholic scholars on
the change of the Sabbath.
00:31:29.28\00:31:32.33
I want you to
notice this one from 1988.
00:31:32.36\00:31:36.57
"It was the Catholic Church
that decided Sunday should be
00:31:36.60\00:31:39.75
the day of
worship for Christians
00:31:39.78\00:31:41.16
in honor of the resurrection."
00:31:41.19\00:31:44.22
Now this one was
just given it me today.
00:31:44.25\00:31:46.88
Someone gave me
this from the internet.
00:31:46.91\00:31:48.53
It was May 21, 1995.
It's up on the screen.
00:31:48.56\00:31:52.36
From the Saint Catherine
Catholic Church Sentinel,
00:31:52.39\00:31:56.81
"Perhaps the boldest thing,"
but let's read it together,
00:31:56.84\00:32:00.46
it says "Perhaps
the boldest thing,
00:32:00.49\00:32:02.37
the most revolutionary
change that the church ever did,
00:32:02.40\00:32:06.09
happened in the first century.
00:32:06.12\00:32:07.86
The holy day, the Sabbath,
00:32:07.89\00:32:09.58
was changed from
Saturday to Sunday,
00:32:09.61\00:32:12.60
not from any directions
noted in the scriptures,
00:32:12.63\00:32:14.79
but from the Church's
sense of its own power."
00:32:14.82\00:32:17.75
Now notice this next part.
00:32:17.78\00:32:20.11
People who think that
the scriptures should be
00:32:20.14\00:32:21.98
the sole authority
should logically become
00:32:22.01\00:32:24.75
Seventh-day Adventist,
and keep Saturday holy."
00:32:24.78\00:32:27.37
Praise the Lord. Amen.
00:32:27.40\00:32:32.63
Now friends, what
these two statements do
00:32:32.66\00:32:34.79
is they take us back to
the Bible for a warning.
00:32:34.82\00:32:38.92
In just a few nights
now we're gonna study again
00:32:38.95\00:32:40.89
the prophecy of Daniel 7
where God revealed to Daniel
00:32:40.92\00:32:43.77
that the "little
horn" of Daniel 7:25,
00:32:43.80\00:32:46.98
would think to
change God's times and laws.
00:32:47.01\00:32:53.08
This power thought to do
this. But is God changed?
00:32:53.11\00:33:00.13
We say Jesus Christ
is the same yesterday,
00:33:00.16\00:33:02.37
today and what forever.
00:33:02.40\00:33:04.32
He is still the
same, He hasn't changed.
00:33:04.35\00:33:06.49
That's why, the Book of
Revelation, the apocalypse,
00:33:06.52\00:33:10.19
John prophesied a
last-day back to the Bible
00:33:10.22\00:33:14.85
message of
revival and reformation,
00:33:14.88\00:33:17.08
just like
you're hearing tonight.
00:33:17.11\00:33:19.37
Revelation 14:6, 7 says,
"Then I saw another angel
00:33:19.40\00:33:23.25
flying in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel
00:33:23.28\00:33:26.34
to preach to those
who dwell on the earth,
00:33:26.37\00:33:27.83
to every nation, tribe,
tongue, and people, saying
00:33:27.86\00:33:30.61
with a loud voice, 'Fear
God and give glory to Him,
00:33:30.64\00:33:33.50
for the hour of
His judgment has come,
00:33:33.53\00:33:35.63
and now notice
this and worship Him
00:33:35.66\00:33:39.03
who made the heaven the earth,
the sea and springs of water.'"
00:33:39.06\00:33:42.66
That's quoting right out
of the Sabbath Commandment.
00:33:42.69\00:33:46.69
It's saying,
don't worship tradition.
00:33:46.72\00:33:49.40
Worship the Creator. The
One who made the Sabbath.
00:33:49.43\00:33:53.57
Because He is coming to
judge mankind and so John says:
00:33:53.60\00:33:56.58
"People,
people, people get ready
00:33:56.61\00:33:58.77
to meet Him to meet Jesus.
00:33:58.80\00:34:01.00
How? Worship Him on
His day, His Sabbath.
00:34:01.03\00:34:06.08
Revelation 14:12
says very, very clearly,
00:34:06.11\00:34:08.52
"Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:34:08.55\00:34:12.37
here they are they're
keeping the commandments of God
00:34:12.40\00:34:16.40
and the faith of Jesus."
00:34:16.43\00:34:18.82
Amen.
00:34:18.85\00:34:20.15
In these closing hours
of this world's history,
00:34:20.18\00:34:22.80
if you and I want to have
the faith of Jesus evidently
00:34:22.83\00:34:26.93
we've got to
keep His commandments.
00:34:26.96\00:34:29.40
But do you see, millions today
have been fooled by a myth.
00:34:29.43\00:34:36.04
Jesus asked us to remember only
00:34:37.64\00:34:39.63
one of the Ten
Commandments, the Sabbath.
00:34:39.66\00:34:44.43
And all the world
completely forgot.
00:34:44.46\00:34:47.57
Remember Him as Creator
by keeping His Holy Day.
00:34:47.60\00:34:50.88
And he says Lonnie, "If you
love me, keep my commandments."
00:34:50.91\00:34:54.74
John 14:15, When
we do what Jesus says,
00:34:54.77\00:35:00.69
you see, we show loyalty to Him.
00:35:00.72\00:35:03.73
You know, that
there's no greater honor
00:35:03.76\00:35:06.06
than to do
something for someone else
00:35:06.09\00:35:08.56
just because they
asked you to do it.
00:35:08.59\00:35:12.39
If we keep a man made Sabbath,
we obey man's traditions.
00:35:12.42\00:35:17.90
We have loyalty
to him and a myth.
00:35:17.93\00:35:21.01
But when we discover God's will,
00:35:21.04\00:35:22.88
it's our joy and privilege
to turn and start following it.
00:35:22.91\00:35:28.03
By the way, Jesus
did have something to say
00:35:28.06\00:35:29.75
about man's
traditions in Matthew 15:8, 9,
00:35:29.78\00:35:32.72
"These people they
honor me with their what?
00:35:32.75\00:35:36.32
Their lips, but their
hearts are far from Me.
00:35:36.35\00:35:40.96
They worship me in vain,
00:35:40.99\00:35:42.74
their teachings are
but rules taught by men."
00:35:42.77\00:35:48.74
Mark 7:9 Jesus said, "You know,
00:35:48.77\00:35:51.02
you have a fine way of setting
aside the commands of God
00:35:51.05\00:35:54.18
in order to observe
your own traditions."
00:35:54.21\00:35:58.06
Friends, I want to be as
loving as I know how tonight,
00:35:58.09\00:36:00.91
do you see the issue?
00:36:00.94\00:36:03.03
Jesus says, "Their
hearts are far from Me."
00:36:03.06\00:36:07.04
And friend, it is
really a matter of the heart.
00:36:07.07\00:36:10.17
It's a matter of love.
00:36:10.20\00:36:12.59
The Bible says in 1 John 5:3,
00:36:12.62\00:36:14.31
"For this is the love of God,
that we keep His commandments.
00:36:14.34\00:36:17.79
And His commandments
are not burdensome."
00:36:17.82\00:36:21.63
One day as Jesus was teaching,
00:36:21.66\00:36:22.92
He made a very
surprising statement.
00:36:22.95\00:36:24.71
He said "Not everybody is
going to get to go to heaven.
00:36:24.74\00:36:28.15
Matthew 7:21, "Not
everyone who says to Me,
00:36:28.18\00:36:31.86
'Lord, Lord,' shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven,
00:36:31.89\00:36:34.62
but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven."
00:36:34.65\00:36:37.90
Now that is very, very plain.
00:36:37.93\00:36:42.02
But the choice is up to you.
00:36:42.05\00:36:45.63
Over on one side we
have truth, God's word.
00:36:45.66\00:36:50.73
On the other
side, we have tradition.
00:36:50.76\00:36:52.74
On one side we have the Bible,
00:36:52.77\00:36:54.31
on the other
side, human teachings.
00:36:54.34\00:36:56.86
On one side we
have God's command,
00:36:56.89\00:36:59.17
on the other, doctrines of men.
00:36:59.20\00:37:01.59
On the one side we
have God's Sabbath,
00:37:01.62\00:37:04.18
on the other day,
the day of the sun.
00:37:04.21\00:37:08.95
But remember, it's
not a matter of days.
00:37:08.98\00:37:11.78
It's a matter of masters. Amen.
00:37:11.81\00:37:14.33
It's a matter
of following Jesus.
00:37:14.36\00:37:17.70
He says it's not just those
who say they belong to God,
00:37:17.73\00:37:21.22
but those who do what
He has told them to do.
00:37:21.25\00:37:24.21
Those, Jesus says,
00:37:24.24\00:37:25.70
will be welcomed
into the kingdom of God.
00:37:25.73\00:37:29.25
Will you love Him
00:37:29.28\00:37:31.31
by letting Him write
His Law on your heart?
00:37:31.34\00:37:34.91
We let Jesus be the
One who runs your life
00:37:34.94\00:37:37.57
so that you can do His will?
00:37:37.60\00:37:42.04
Tonight I would like to
invite every one of you to make
00:37:42.07\00:37:44.96
one of the most important
decisions of your life,
00:37:44.99\00:37:48.20
to follow God's truth.
00:37:48.23\00:37:51.35
Not man-made tradition.
00:37:51.38\00:37:53.69
Tonight, why not tell
Jesus you'll follow Him
00:37:53.72\00:37:57.51
all the way as Joey sings.
00:37:57.54\00:38:01.36
I'll follow you, Lord
00:38:04.53\00:38:10.97
Wherever you will lead
00:38:11.00\00:38:17.08
I'll follow you, Lord
00:38:17.11\00:38:22.85
No matter how far
00:38:22.88\00:38:29.95
And today that I serve you
00:38:29.98\00:38:35.88
You feel my every need
00:38:35.91\00:38:41.03
I'll follow you, Lord
00:38:41.06\00:38:46.38
Wherever you will lead
00:38:46.41\00:38:52.32
In a land far away, Lord
00:38:52.35\00:38:58.79
I'll go there for you
00:38:58.82\00:39:04.24
If only a foot step, Lord
00:39:04.27\00:39:10.48
I'll go there too
00:39:10.51\00:39:18.21
I love your name
00:39:18.24\00:39:23.17
There is lot since you came
00:39:23.20\00:39:28.22
I'll follow you, Lord
00:39:28.25\00:39:34.10
Wherever you will lead
00:39:34.13\00:39:39.31
Let's bow our heads and pray.
00:39:42.73\00:39:46.31
Father dear, I want to thank you
00:39:46.34\00:39:47.92
for the
unfolding of truth tonight
00:39:47.95\00:39:49.87
perhaps in a new
and disturbing way.
00:39:49.90\00:39:54.94
Lord, all of us confess
00:39:54.97\00:39:56.13
we haven't always
understood the cross.
00:39:56.16\00:39:59.14
So today, we simply
want to give ourselves
00:39:59.17\00:40:01.75
a new to you in
loving obedience.
00:40:01.78\00:40:06.87
But perhaps some are
still wondering that,
00:40:06.90\00:40:08.72
they're little bit confused,
00:40:08.75\00:40:11.00
uncertain about
your Holy Sabbath.
00:40:11.03\00:40:15.79
They don't quite understand.
00:40:15.82\00:40:18.73
Lord would you
help us, prompt us,
00:40:18.76\00:40:21.38
motivate us, speak to
us by faith to follow you.
00:40:21.41\00:40:28.64
We know we'll
not be disappointed.
00:40:28.67\00:40:31.69
Wonder how many tonight
as we are in prayer here,
00:40:31.72\00:40:33.84
our heads are bowed
and every eye is closed.
00:40:33.87\00:40:37.12
During this
prayer we'd like to say,
00:40:37.15\00:40:38.60
Lord, I do, I
want to choose Jesus
00:40:38.63\00:40:42.21
and I want to choose
the commandments of God.
00:40:42.24\00:40:45.67
And by your grace
Lord I will from this day
00:40:45.70\00:40:48.22
forward try with my conscience
00:40:48.25\00:40:51.20
to remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy.
00:40:51.23\00:40:54.49
So just like to raise
your hand wherever you are
00:40:54.52\00:40:57.31
be included in this prayer.
00:40:57.34\00:40:58.72
God bless you.
00:40:58.75\00:40:59.97
Angels will see your
response in the locations
00:41:00.00\00:41:03.61
wherever you're
watching, downlink sites.
00:41:03.64\00:41:07.11
I want the row captains
00:41:07.14\00:41:08.68
to send those
decision response cards down.
00:41:08.71\00:41:11.41
I want to go through these
00:41:11.44\00:41:12.48
with you right now
before Joey Sings again.
00:41:12.51\00:41:16.70
Thank you row captains
and wherever you're located
00:41:16.73\00:41:19.28
please distribute these
right now and take a pencil,
00:41:19.31\00:41:22.70
look at these with me
00:41:22.73\00:41:23.76
we're still in an
attitude of prayer.
00:41:23.79\00:41:24.96
But I want you
to make a response.
00:41:24.99\00:41:26.51
I hope everyone can
check this first response.
00:41:26.54\00:41:31.13
I love Jesus and I
desire to obey Him.
00:41:31.16\00:41:35.89
Can I hear big
amen from the church?
00:41:35.92\00:41:37.74
Amen. Amen.
00:41:37.77\00:41:39.04
I love Jesus want to
obey Him, put a check there.
00:41:39.07\00:41:43.31
And then number
two this is getting
00:41:43.34\00:41:44.94
a little bit more
explicit and specific.
00:41:44.97\00:41:47.33
We want to pray for
you with your decision.
00:41:47.36\00:41:49.40
Number two says,
"It is clear to me now
00:41:49.43\00:41:52.42
that the true
Bible Sabbath is Saturday
00:41:52.45\00:41:54.82
and I choose to
keep His holy day.
00:41:54.85\00:41:58.17
Would you put a big
check beside number two.
00:41:58.20\00:42:01.32
Number of folks here
in auditorium in Columbia
00:42:03.85\00:42:06.32
has come up to me
the other night and said,
00:42:06.35\00:42:07.93
Lon, are we gonna have
a baptism here some time.
00:42:07.96\00:42:12.21
Well, this one's for you.
00:42:12.24\00:42:14.03
Some of you maybe
thinking about baptism
00:42:14.06\00:42:16.25
and if you'd like
to make a check here,
00:42:16.28\00:42:17.65
I love Jesus and I
desire to be baptized soon.
00:42:17.68\00:42:20.68
We haven't even talked about
00:42:20.71\00:42:21.74
that subject
yet but you go ahead
00:42:21.77\00:42:22.95
and put a check
there, all right.
00:42:22.98\00:42:25.37
And there maybe others
here who would you say you know
00:42:25.40\00:42:28.27
I just need some more time,
00:42:28.30\00:42:29.72
I got to have some
reading materials on this,
00:42:29.75\00:42:31.84
we gave out a little
track the other night here
00:42:31.87\00:42:33.86
on our downlink
site in Columbia.
00:42:33.89\00:42:35.17
You'll be given
another one tonight.
00:42:35.20\00:42:36.97
Be sure you get that or ask
one of our hostesses for it.
00:42:37.00\00:42:39.72
But put a check there,
00:42:39.75\00:42:40.82
we will make certain
that you're provided this
00:42:40.85\00:42:42.55
wherever you
are watching tonight
00:42:42.58\00:42:43.77
on your downlink location.
00:42:43.80\00:42:45.79
Just make your commitment
right now and pray about it,
00:42:45.82\00:42:48.48
maybe write your prayer request
on the back as Joey sings.
00:42:48.51\00:42:52.35
I'll follow you Lord
00:42:56.09\00:43:01.97
Wherever you lead
00:43:02.00\00:43:07.84
I'll follow you Lord
00:43:07.87\00:43:13.57
No matter how far
00:43:13.60\00:43:20.60
Each day that I serve you
00:43:20.63\00:43:26.53
You fill my every need
00:43:26.56\00:43:32.13
I'll follow you Lord
00:43:32.16\00:43:38.32
Wherever you lead
00:43:38.35\00:43:43.61
And heavenly father as
we conclude this prayer,
00:43:47.06\00:43:49.26
Lord, would you seal
our decisions tonight,
00:43:49.29\00:43:54.50
impresses Jesus for those who--
00:43:54.53\00:43:57.23
well, they're a little undecided
00:43:57.26\00:43:58.43
because this is so new.
00:43:58.46\00:43:59.50
Would you just send
Your promised Holy Spirit
00:43:59.53\00:44:02.30
to guide us to Your Holy Word.
00:44:02.33\00:44:05.53
Prompt us to search out truth
00:44:05.56\00:44:07.34
and then be willing to
follow you in Jesus' name.
00:44:07.37\00:44:14.94
Amen.
00:44:16.14\00:44:17.26
I hope that
you'll take advantage
00:44:19.79\00:44:21.31
of our discover Bible school
00:44:21.34\00:44:22.67
located at all
the downlink sites
00:44:22.70\00:44:25.18
here on both sides
of this auditorium.
00:44:25.21\00:44:27.41
We have a special lesson tonight
00:44:27.44\00:44:30.12
that compliments the topic
00:44:30.15\00:44:31.58
that I've shared in
the last three nights.
00:44:31.61\00:44:33.91
By the way, ladies and gentleman
00:44:33.94\00:44:34.98
I want you to know that
00:44:35.01\00:44:38.74
when I say that what's next
the Voice of Prophecy speaks
00:44:38.77\00:44:42.40
there's a lot of other subjects
00:44:42.43\00:44:43.80
that we're gonna deal
with in the coming nights.
00:44:43.83\00:44:45.37
We gonna move from this topic,
00:44:45.40\00:44:46.68
I told you it was
a three part series,
00:44:46.71\00:44:48.34
we've wrapped it up tonight.
00:44:48.37\00:44:50.13
There are some exciting things,
00:44:50.16\00:44:52.00
hold on tight, you can't
believe what's coming yet
00:44:52.03\00:44:55.34
from the Voice
of Prophecy speak.
00:44:55.37\00:44:56.85
So be with us tomorrow,
00:44:56.88\00:44:58.70
out of the scrap heap
right here at 11 o'clock
00:44:58.73\00:45:02.14
and for many of you I hope you
will try to come little early
00:45:02.17\00:45:04.36
and join us for a
study session at 9:30.
00:45:04.39\00:45:07.03
There will be music
and inspiring talks.
00:45:07.06\00:45:10.55
Doctor will be
speaking to us again
00:45:10.58\00:45:12.18
but 11:00 o'clock we go
live by satellite till 12:10
00:45:12.21\00:45:15.66
and then the stage opens up
00:45:15.69\00:45:16.88
and I've got to be
finished by that time.
00:45:16.91\00:45:18.81
We hope you join us
and then in the evening
00:45:18.84\00:45:21.34
an entirely separate subject.
00:45:21.37\00:45:23.98
Making a new
start, the day I died,
00:45:24.01\00:45:27.75
I live to tell about
it. I hope you be with us.
00:45:27.78\00:45:30.27
Tomorrow a big
day, double header
00:45:30.30\00:45:32.06
don't forget join us there.
00:45:32.09\00:45:33.22
Won't you?
00:45:33.25\00:45:34.29
We're ending a
little early tonight,
00:45:34.32\00:45:35.42
so you can get back home,
00:45:35.45\00:45:36.54
get a good night's
rest and join us tomorrow.
00:45:36.57\00:45:39.21
Goodnight every one.
00:45:39.24\00:45:40.27
Remember, God
really does love you.
00:45:40.30\00:45:44.15