Pr Ivor Myers - “REST” (A must see sermon)

like to ask you to bow your heads with me as we pray and ask for the Lord's presence here today Heavenly Father we thank you for giving us this opportunity Lord to open your word and to see what you have to share with us this evening father please speak to our hearts we know that angels are here Lord both good and evil Lord may our hearts and our minds be in tune for what you will see and then Lord may may this message may this truth be echoed all throughout Australia from this small and humble beginning we pray in Jesus name Amen amen I'd like for you to open your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4 hebrews chapter 4 we are living in a world where people are stressed people are worried people are scared terrified if you will for their future this world is going through financial stress political stress all kinds of stress this disaster that's happening here in Australia now is just a snapshot of disasters happening all over the world and people are really looking for hope people are looking I believe for rest how many of you would agree with that I want you to notice with me Hebrews 4 and verse 9 Hebrews 4 and verse 9 the Bible tells us here there remaineth therefore a what everyone rest to the people of God praise God that there is rest for the people of God amen the Bible tells us there remaineth a rest to the people of God this term rest is a very significant term the greek word is the word Sabattus MOS saba t s-- MOS and I've really come to love that word it has opened up some incredible things in my study of the great controversy I want to share some of those things with you evening I want you to understand that God here is telling his people that there is a rest that remains in other words there is a rest that is yet future for the people of God and in order to understand this you would also have to understand that when God had delivered or was delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt he promised them a land of what of rest a land of rest was a promised land and so what God is telling us here is that just as the Israelites were led out of Egypt into a land of rest so there remains a rest for the people of God therefore what is that rest that remains for the people of God any ideas any thoughts it is it is the land the heavenly promised land the heavenly kingdom that is the rest that remains for the people of God amen how many looking forward to entering into that rest amen and I want you to understand again that this word rest the the Greek of it is Sabbath is most God therefore is calling heaven his rest or his what Sabbath is Moses and I thought to myself this is totally mind-blowing that God would call heaven his Sabbath is Moses that's a powerful thought why does God call heaven his savety smooth and in order to understand this we were going to we're going to go back into the Old Testament and look at some verses on want you to notice with me Leviticus chapter 26 Leviticus chapter 26 and you'll notice with me verses 33 to 35 God here speaking to the children of Israel tells them he is basically warning them listen if you enter into Canaan and begin to disobey me this is what will happen verse 33 I will scatter you among the heathen and will draw out a sword after you and your land shall be desolate and your cities waste then shall the land enjoy her what everyone Sabbath's as long as it might desolate and you be in your enemy's land even then shall the land rest and enjoy her Sabbath's as long as it live desolate it shall rest because it did not rest in your Sabbath's when he dealt when you dwelt upon it so a land being at rest simply signified that the people in it were not rebelling against God that makes sense if hear the verses tell us that if the people were living against the will of God in that land then the land was not enjoying her rest and God would move them out of that land so that the land could once again enjoy her Sabbath's or enjoy her rest how many of you following me okay so I want you to notice again with me second chronicles chapter 14 verse 6 another verse that will help us to understand what it means for a land to be at rest 2nd chronicles chapter 14 and verse 6 the Bible says here also he built fence cities in Judah for the land had once had rest and he had know what everyone wore in those days because the Lord God had given him rest from this verse we see that a land being at rest also meant that the land was not at one not at war so let's recap those two things number one a land being at rest means the inhabitants of that land were not rebelling against God number two a land being at rest also signified that there was no what war in that land and we're gonna go ahead and look at one more verse here 2nd chronicles chapter 36 verse 21 2nd chronicles chapter 36 verse 21 the Bible says here speaking of the 70 years of captivity for the children of Israel to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of jeremiah until the land had enjoyed her Sabbath's for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath to fulfill threescore and ten years remember the children of Israel were put out of their promised land because they were what rebelling against God and so what we're learning here is that when a land was at rest it simply meant that the land the inhabitants of that land were at peace with God there was no war no conflict and no rebellion against God therefore we can begin to see why heaven would be called God's Sabbath is mole's why because in heaven there is no Watts rebellion against God and there is no or it is a land of peace and again I would ask how many of you are looking forward into entering into that Sabbath is most of God amen well we've got to learn something here that basically the Sabbath is most represents three things harmony with God can you repeat that with me harmony with God number two allegiance with God what everyone allegiance with God and number three to be rested in submission to God okay rested in submission to God this is why heaven is called God's sovereignty suppose now not only is heaven God's Sabbath most now and in the future to come but heaven was also God's Sabbath he's most in the past they following me so far listen in the past heaven was a place where there was no war no sin and no rebellion until an angel named Lucifer decided to rebel against God therefore Lucifer broke something in heaven what did he break he broke the Sabbath is mos are you following me he broke the state of peace in which heaven had dwelt for who knows how long Lucifer brought about a state of what's okay if I use the word rebellion I want you to give me another word here discord okay give me another word sin in other word unrest rebellion is good but unrest that's the word I was looking for the devil brought about a state of unrest when I mention the word unrest what do you think of you think of war you think of civil unrest you think of political unrest you think of social unrest you think of religious unrest lucifer by his rebellion in heaven had break had broken the state of peace in heaven right and therefore brought about a state of unrest so in case you haven't gotten the point yet lucifer broke the Sabbath I hope you guys just really like really just thinking hard and not just going like this okay Lucifer broke the Sabbath in heaven and in breaking the Sabbath all we're simply saying is that Lucifer was against the very foundation of God's government which is rests you see that was the foundation of God's government angels simply rested in the will of God but Lucifer said wait a minute I am no longer going to rest in the will of God and in his refusal to rest in the will of God he was warring against the very principle the very foundation of God's government and therefore warring against savuti smus so if I would ask you what was the great controversy in heaven over what would be your response it would be over the principle of rest sabot is mole's I don't need to rest in God that was Lucifer's argument the angels argument was no we need to rest in God what does it mean to rest in God if God says do something what do you do you rest right you don't resist you rest God says a God says jump you rest in that and this is what heaven was based upon God commanded it was done the Angels rested and Lucifer began to say wait a minute we don't need to rest in God we don't need to do what God says the argument was over the issue of rests and so controversy broke out in heaven and I thought that this was really interesting I mean we say that very often controversy broke out and having controversy broke out in heaven and sometimes we don't understand what we're actually seeing so I want you to think of this with me God created the heaven and the earth by doing what by speaking speaking the word and now sharing this in my workshop earlier do you know that the word universe means single sentence or single verse do you know that uni single verse sentence or stanza so if you want to have a unit verse came to be they say yeah God spoke now the question is who was the word or who was the verse that was spoken it was Jesus in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Jesus is the divine verse of God amen and so the devil hated the verse of God he hated Jesus he hated the Word of God and the way I'd like to put it is that the devil was anti verse or contra the devil was controverse the great controversy therefore is simply against the verse or the Word of God Satan does not want us to rest in the verse of God this makes sense the devil doesn't want us to be obedient to the verse or to the will of God but there's something else the devil we we understand the devil was controverse but there's something else that's interesting because you know the Bible says that Lucifer walked up and down in the midst of what the stones of fire what were those stones of fire okay then I mean let me try to jog your mind a little bit in the book of Deuteronomy we're told here Deuteronomy chapter 33 and verse 2 I want you to listen to this Deuteronomy chapter 33 and verse 2 the Bible tells us here I would look at verse 3 this is speaking about God now we look at verse 2 verse 2 says and he said the Lord came from Sinai and rose up from from Sierre unto them he shined forth from mount Paran and he came with ten thousand of saints from his hand went a fiery law for them what was a spiral a fiery law written on tables of stone so could it be possible that the stones of fire upon which Lucifer walked up and down in the midst of heaven could it be possible that those stones of fire are actually a reference to the law of God Lucifer walking up and down in the midst of the stones of fire why would God call these the stones of fire can anyone tell me what fire represents in the scripture purification God's presence Hebrews 12 believers verse 29 says our God is a consuming what fire why is he a consuming fire is he trying to scare us I'm a consuming fire you better watch out know the Song of Solomon tells us that love is like a vehement fire God manifests himself as fire because he is love so the stones of fire if they are to point us to the law of God Lucifer walking up and down and in the law of God we know that this law is a law of what of love this law was summed up by the way were the ticked think about this with me do you think that the Ten Commandments were in heaven do you think there was a commandment it said thou shalt not commit adultery in heaven no no the law in heaven was really summed up in one word it was love the Angels did not what are the Ten Commandments is what I call today righteousness for dummies you know God had to spell out for us what love look like but in heaven all there was was love and and love was simply manifested by what rest if you love me or we might say if you love me rest so Lucifer begins to rebel against this concept of rest because rest is the entire symbol rest is the entire foundation of God's government rest it's that simple rest Lucifer rose up in rebellion and became contra verse contra Christ but also contra long you understand so guess what happens to Lucifer he got kicked out do you remember what we just read God told the children of Israel if you sin in my Sabbath ISA Mose I will remove you from the land so that the land can once again enjoy her rest so Lucifer is moved out of heaven he and his angels and heaven is once again restored as gods what savuti Simoes as this question very often how is it that Lucifer was able to deceive 1/3 of holy and intelligent angels have you ever wondered that have you ever thought how is it that he did it or not you know I simply asked a question do you think that if Lucifer said to the Angels hey guys I want to be evil who wants to come with me bad the Angels would have been like hmm okay No wouldn't it happen the Bible says that these angels were deceived okay how did Lucifer deceive one-third of angels by this and Isaiah 14 Lucifer said I will be like the Most High if someone were to come up to you today and ask you what is the most high like some of the first things that would come out of your mouth would be what he is loving he's kind he's merciful he's long-suffering so listen to what Lucifer was arguing then Lucifer's argument was I can be loving kind merciful long-suffering righteous without God telling me how to do it are you following me if we were to sum it up in one term we would call that self-righteousness so Lucifer's argument wasn't let's go be evil his argument was simply hey there are other ways to be righteous than what God has said God who are you to tell us how to be righteous we're already really holy remember Korres rebellion and if you remember that where Cora rose up against Moses and said why are you exalting yourself above the people don't you see that all the people are holy that rebellion was a snapshot of what took place in heaven Lucifer began to tell the Angels you don't need to rest in what God has said you can do your own thing and be holy we are already holy holiness has been we are not truly holy and so you could begin to see how angels could be deceived because the argument was one that simply said isn't there ugh you know can't there be other ways to righteousness that was Lucifer's original argument it's not his argument anymore he's just straight out evil but originally were even told Ellen White says Lucifer did not at first know whether he was drifting anybody ever read that quote he didn't know at first he was self deceived into thinking that he could sanctify himself so Lucifer's argument was what self sanctification self sanctification I can be righteous by myself I want you to notice again in Isaiah chapter fourteen Isaiah chapter fourteen and you will notice Isaiah chapter 14 notice with me verse 13 lucifer speaking for thou has said in thine heart i will ascend into heaven i will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will sit also upon where the Mount of the congregation what does that sound like to you the amount of the when I say the word congregation what do you think of a church so did you realize there was a church in heaven anybody yeah there was a church of angels in heaven you know would he do a church you worship God that's what was going on in heaven there was the Mount of the congregation and what happened to this congregation it split over what over the Sabbath a smooth listen to me the first church splits took place over the principle of rest let me share something else with you about this verse the term Mount of the congregation is the Hebrew term har Mahad it is the same term that is used in the book of Revelation but translated in the Greek as our mageddon the word Armageddon har Mahad or may God in the Greek same thing Mount of the congregation that's what Revelation 16 is speaking about Armageddon and in Isaiah 14 Mount of the congregation so listen to me then there was a no God or an Armageddon where in heaven Mount of the congregation and what split the mount of the car the Homolka what's with it it was the savuti smooth so then could it be that the Armageddon to come in the last days will once again focus over the issue of Sabbath you see real of what we're what we're beginning to understand here is that the Sabbath goes much deeper than we have thoughts there are principles in there that take us much deeper and I believe that when we begin to share these principles with our non Adventists our friends they will begin to see the Sabbath in its true bearing and then our preaching of the Sabbath will go like wildfire that's the kind of fire I would like to see burning up Australia so Lucifer is cast out because there was a battle of Armageddon in heaven he is now cast out and and heaven is once again at peace and now God is about to create Planet Earth and I want you to notice something with me Genesis chapter 1 verse 4 Genesis chapter 1 verse 4 the Bible tells us here Genesis chapter 1 verse 4 God saw the light that it was good and God divided the light from the darkness it's the end of day 1 God saw that it was what everyone good verse 10 and God called the dry land earth the gathering together this waters called he seas and God saw that it was good verse 12 and the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind and tree yielding fruit whose seed was in itself after his count and God saw that it was good and as you go down all the days you find that God says it was good it was good it was good it was good what he was saying was it's all in harmony everything is settled everything is at peace in fact in Genesis chapter 2 verse 15 go there with me Genesis 2 verse 15 the Bible says and the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to wants to keep it everything was at peace with God and the Bible says that God put man in the garden to do two things well dress it and to keep it now we can begin to understand why in Genesis chapter 2 verses 1 through 3 God Sabbath let me read it for you Genesis chapter 2 verse 1 Bible says thus the heavens in the earth were finished and all the host of them and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and rested or the Hebrew word is Sabbath so God did what everyone Sabbath on the seventh day from all his work which he had made and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because they didn't he had rested from all his work which God created and made why was God resting because everything was at what peace in him therefore when God gave man the Sabbath what he was giving him was the sign of Allegiance okay try it some other way what he was giving him was the symbol that earth was under submission to the will of God in heaven I am Saba thing to let you know that everything is at peace and me all is good I am giving you in in giving you the Sabbath I am giving you the entire philosophy of my government summed up in one day so now we can begin to understand why the devil hates the Sabbath so much it's not just because the Sabbath is a day it's because inside the Sabbath is the very philosophy it's like God taking all these government laws and summing it up in one day I am resting because all earth is at Sabbath now here's something else interesting Genesis 2 verse 15 when the Bible says here that uh God Sabbath or God put Adam in the garden to keep it I want to share with you what that word put means before I do that I want to show you something else when God gave Adam and Eve the Sabbath it was a sign that heaven was in harmony there was no war and there was no or earth was in harmony there was no war on earth and there was no rebellion against God all earth was at peace God also gave man the Sabbath to keep him from falling under the deception that deceived one-third of holy angels what was the deception that deceived one-third of holy angels self or give me another word self sanctification you say how do you get that pastor notice with me Ezekiel chapter 20 is EQ chapter 20 Ezekiel chapter 20 and verse 12 notice what the Bible says here are you there alright notice what it says zekiel 12 verse 20 moreover also I gave them my Sabbath's to be a sign between me and them that they might know that I am the lord that sanctified them now let me read that to you with a different emphasis so you can get the picture okay moreover also I gave them my Sabbath's to be a sign between me then that they might know that I am the lord that sanctifies them you don't sanctify yourself don't fall for the same lie that Lucifer deceived one-third of angels with that we can send to fire our selves I am giving you the Sabbath to know so that you can know that the only way that you can be sanctified is by resting in whatever I tell you you don't sanctify yourself your works don't sanctify you your actions don't sanctify you the only way to sanctification is through rest in that beautiful that Sabbath was to serve as well as as a as a fortress as a protection against a very deception that calls one-third of holy angels to fall and as long as man remained obedient to the will of God all earth would remain in peace I want to read this to you from the good news Bible this translation of Genesis 2 verse 15 it says then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard its guard what was it that Adam was supposed to was he supposed to guard the garden from weeds was he supposed to you know I mean what was it that he was to guard the garden from understand that the garden that God had created the Garden of Eden by the way did you know that Eden was in heaven remember in Isaiah 14 where it said of Lucifer you have been in the Garden of God Eden the garden of God but not in that garden that Eden which is another word or which is also translated as paradise is another term for God's Sabbath is most or heaven remember jesus said verily verily I say to you today you will be with me in paradise the hebrew of it is eaten so God had had an eat in heaven and now he takes Eden which is symbolic of his his perfect government and puts it on earth and says Adam guard Eden hmm because I know you guys are following me guard Eden Adam what was he telling him he wasn't telling him the guard the flowers and the trees he was telling him to guard the very philosophy of Eden which was what rest guarded Adam because one is going to come who will try to bring you in a state of unrest in fact in that same verse when the Bible says that the Lord God put the man in the garden the Hebrew word is new och anyone say that word with me nuan let me tell you what it means the word means to rest it is the same word used in exodus 20 verse 11 which says that God rested on the seventh day therefore God put Adam in the garden or I like the way that the Youngs literal translation puts it and Jehovah God taketh the man and causes him to rest in the Garden of Eden lord have mercy I guess nobody called that one either God put Adam in the garden and caused him to rest he put him in the garden and caused him to run some day adventists you should just be like just jumping up and down right now not that I want you to jump up at that you should be understanding that this issue of Sabbath goes way deeper than we have first thoughts God put him in a garden and caused him to rest the word means to Confederate or to be in allegiance with so God is basically saying here Adam as long as you rest you it is a symbol that you are in Confederate of minds you are in allegiance with me Adam was to guard the state of the garden to keep he was to guard the Sabbath hemos keep the peace out and Adam was to be the first peace keeper and what happened the devil came in came to the garden and said uh Eve what you can be like gods notice what he said to Eve the same thing he said in heaven I will be like God he didn't come to even say Eve I'm mr. Satan would you like to follow me would you like to be evil no he said Eve you can be like God you don't have to you can send to phi yourself you can be righteous yourself without God telling you how you can know the difference between right and wrong you can do it Eve and Eve eats the fruit and what happens Adam and Eve yeah Adam and Eve now Adam eats as well Adam and Eve break anyway yeah I mean not that I'm rejoicing but I'm just glad that you got that Adam and Eve break the Sabbath a small Earth is now in a state of unrest this is reflected by Romans chapter 8 verse 7 which says the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not what subject what is the word subject mean under what is the philosophy behind to be subject it means that I am NOT resisting or it means not to be resisting it means to be what resting the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can eat and so man had now received a carnal mind I want you to fast-forward with me just some time to the book of Genesis chapter 6 verses 1 through 3 how many of you would like to be saved in the last days please let everyone say Amen in Genesis chapter 6 verse 1 the Bible says and it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them but the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them wives of which they all chose verse 3 and the Lord said my spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his day shall be a hundred and twenty years jump over with me very quickly down to verse where are we here verse five the Bible says and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil what continually now why did God destroy man through the flood because man was evil what continually I want you to notice something here this word continually actually means every day man was sinning every day he didn't even take a break okay let me help you he didn't even take a resting period he just cut straight through the week man was sinning every day every day every day what do you think God is telling us what do you think God is trying to tell us that man had no rest they had known what everyone rest now the Bible says that out of all the people on the earth no one found what grace in the sight of God anyone want to tell me or anyone know what the name Noah means can you imagine that Noah means rest oh wow the people God says were sinning every day continually but Noah or rest found grace in the sight of God what's the point I'm trying to tell you is this in the last days there will be people who are sinning every day but those who find grace will be those who are resting in Jesus rest so Jesus the very purpose of the gospel who can tell me does this make you happy as a seventh-day Adventist Jesus says I'm not gonna leave you alone come unto me all you that one labor and are heavy-laden heavy laden with what labor in what sin what doesn't it give me another word for labor works Jesus says the works of the flesh are these and it begins to list you know adultery fornication all these things so he says come unto me all you that are working in sin and that are heavy laden with sin and I will give you rest I will teach you how to cease I will teach you how to rest because the only way that you can be saved is through rest are you ready for this one therefore the Sabbath is the ultimate sign of rest not works okay you don't get it you have been accused as a seventh-day adventists of being works oriented because you keep the Sabbath do you see how the devil has flipped that the Sabbath is the sign of it's the sign of rest it's not the sign of works the Sabbath is the the sign that I say I cannot sanctify myself by my words the only way I can be sanctified is by resting in what God says so if God says it I rest in it the devil has flipped the very sign of rest to be the sign of works you see what God wants us to understand beloved is that we cannot work our way to heaven we must rest our way that's what I said when I saw that too I was happy yeah rest your way to heaven we need to understand something else in this context then that since the Sabbath is a symbol of resting in God we can break the Sabbath when ever say that word with me whenever we step out of rest from God you see as seventh-day Adventists we have fallen for the lie that the Sabbath can only be broken on the seventh day you're thinking real hard on that one listen to me the moment you step out of resting in God you have already broken the Sabbath are you following me you see beloved we have to understand the Sabbath better than we have understood it remember why did God give the Sabbath because the first day was good the second day was good the third day was good the fourth day was good the fifth and sixth day was good and then when it was all good God said I give you the Sabbath what we do first day of the week crooked second day of the week crooked third there the week crooked fourth fifth sixth day of the week cursing and then oh its Sabbath now time to go to church I am keeping the Sabbath man we seventh-day adventists we got it and we don't realize that in order to get the proper blessing of the Sabbath we must have lived the entire week resting and submitted in God then and only then could we truly enjoy the Sabbath which is simply a symbol that you have been resting completely resting in him throughout the week you see but other we have been presenting I believe that we have been presenting the Sabbath to our fellow Christians in a way where they're just like well man it's just what's the big deal about a day it's just a day so anytime we break any of the commandments of God how many of his Commandments any we have already broken the Sabbath he smokes the Sabbath the Sabbath is very simple do you rest or do you resist when God says something do you rest or do you resist it's that simple because if you resist then no matter how much you come the church on sabbath and you pay your tithes on sabbath and you dress up on sabbath you are not keeping it's a false sign to you do you understand you have taken a sign it's almost like i mean i hate to use this and now as well i better not use that analogy you have taken a sign when the reality is not there that makes sense that's what we are doing with the Sabbath and so what you and I need to understand is that even the commandments themselves are an amplification of the Sabbath the all the 10 commandments they are an amplification of what it means to want to rest in God you say how is that pastor listen to me 8 out of the 10 commandments begin with what nobody caught that thou shalt what don't do rest stop I'm not asking you to do anything just stop don't do God says I've forgiven you I've made you righteous and I say God what can I do now to make to help it I just don't don't Steve just rest rest from stealing rest from lying rest from killing rest from adultery that's what he's saying just rest it okay so that's eight out of the ten and then the other two what are we thinking of what are the other two that do not begin with bow shall not honor thy mother and father rest in what your parents say and while they rest don't resist your parents rest be obedient be subject to them rest so nine out of the ten nine out of the ten commandments tell us to what and then remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labor and do all that work saying with me but the seventh day and this is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God in it thou shalt not do any work listen to me in the Ten Commandments there is not one work are you tired of getting dirt kicked in your face by other Christians all you Adventist you're all about works the 10 commandments it's all about works no beloved there is not one work in the ten commandments Wow Wow you mean I just believe them all along well there are good works no beloved there is not one work in the ten commandments all the commandments point us to rest do you see how the devil has flipped this and we're fighting on his ground but of it it's time for us to take the chew rest of God to the earth and I believe that the sincere Christian will accept the Sabbath when they realize that it is the very foundation of rest it is the very symbol that our lies are submitted to the will of God and we recognize and confess that there is nothing we can do to be saved okay now now for the exciting part I want you to turn with me to the vidiq is 25 and verse 4 Leviticus chapter 25 and verse 4 the Bible says here but in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land a Sabbath for the Lord thou shall neither sow thy field nor prune by vineyard that which growth of its own accord of the harvest I shall not reap neither gather the grapes of the vine undressed for it is a year of rest onto the land every six years they were to work the land but the seventh year was a year of what rest they were not to prune the land they were not to gather in a harvest now I find this powerfully interesting because what it relates to us beloved is that there are in the in the last days when Jesus comes again Revelation chapter 14 the Bible says he comes on a cloud and he does what he reaps because the harvest is ripe and when he reaps after he reaps there is 1,000 years where the land is at therefore this seven-year cycle very well represents the timing of Jesus's second coming that seventh year would be a time of rest or Sabbath and what do we know about Sabbath when Jesus comes again what begins what is he coming what is he taking us into his Saba tease moze he's coming to reap the manner then for 1,000 years there will be nothing on the earth to reap the land will be at rest so Lennie let me phrase it in a way that will hit you and then we will explain it the what do we call that by the way when Jesus comes again the great what the great day not of atonement the great day of the great day of the Lord my question is is it possible that the Lord's Day is a type of the day of the Lord okay did you follow that what is the lord's day Sabbath could it be that the Lord's Day is a symbol or a type of the day of the Lord so I want you to notice with me again and we're gonna so I'm gonna try to do this very quickly um there are how many days in a week seven days and I want you to notice this I found this quite amazing do you know that there are seven major events of Scripture I mean like pivotal like posts in Scripture seven major major major major major major major events that delineate the the history of mankind up until the second coming of Christ what would be the first one okay after creation what will be the first major significant event that set us off on a path of where we are now the fall of man you know what's interesting when you look at day one in creation the Bible says there was darkness darkness was upon the face of the deep but then God said what let there be light because at that same time Jesus comes on the scene and says I'm gonna die for you okay next major events the flood do you know what happen on day two the waters were separated right guess what happened during the flood it was reversed what would be the next major event of Scripture think about the next how to cook you know just major major major event me we're in Genesis 6:9 won't be the next major the flood Moses is leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and all you remember that as Moses is leading them out of Egypt to the promised land he stands upon the Red Sea and does what lifts his staff and what happens anybody want to take a wild guess what happened on day three the waters separated and dry land up here what will be the next major event after the children will get into Canaan you know you got all the next major event that comes upon the scene Jesus Christ the light of the world you know can Jesus Christ the son of God okay let's try to put it this way anybody want to take a while guess what happened on day four of creation the light of the world okay so Jesus comes upon the scene and what will be the next major event the next major event after the death of Jesus death and resurrection of Christ what's the next major event Pentecost very good anybody want to take a guess what day five what happened on day five God created the birds and the fish what was kind of cost about can anybody help me the church going out to be fishers of men what will be the next major event and now I want you to think Adventists with me 1844 the creation of God's last-day Men the creation of God's last-day people 1844 on day six the Bible says God created man but he also created beasts and we know that the final events will be the the man of God versus the Beast of prophecy and then the Sabbath the second coming and so beloved look where we are in terms of the creation week it is Friday just before sundown the Sabbath is coming the Sabbath is just before us and once we begin to understand beloved that the Sabbath is coming the Sabbath is just before us then we can begin to understand something else very critical for us as seventh-day adventists the Sabbath becomes what I call a weekly fire drill thank good bye Joe what do you mean pastor I mean every seventh day it's like a miniature second coming you see we talk about Adventist on the Sabbath we're inviting in the presence of the Lord so what I'm saying to you is that what the Scriptures trying to say to us is that every seventh day God has given us a fire drill he is he is trying to train us so that we may be prepared for the second coming every seventh day is a fire drill how do we live throughout the week when we come upon the Sabbath what condition are we in that will determine what condition we will be in when Jesus comes again have you ever had the experience where the Sun is setting and you are sweating I'm not gonna rhyme up here okay I'm not gonna rap and you are saying to yourself I'm not ready please don't come yet Sabbath I still have a whole bunch to do anybody ever had that experience raise your hand let me see Wow well I'm raising my hand to you see beloved what God is trying to show us is that in that fire drill fire drill you know in case of fire because of fire is when Jesus comes the fire is coming with him it's a fire drill so when when you come upon that Sabbath and you find yourself unready what God is trying to show you in His mercy and grace he's week after week he's trying to show you look my son look my daughter you're not ready for me to come you're not ready for me to come and he says look we got another week come on let's get it together praise the Lord but he wants us to get it together so that when he comes we know exactly what to do that's the purpose of a fire drill it trains you so that when the real thing happens you are prepared you know how to move you know what to do you know where to go that is what Jesus trying to do man what a wonderful God to give us such a thing so now you see why the devil would want the world to ignore the fire drill so that they will be totally unprepared for when Jesus comes again when the ten virgins remember the power of the ten virgins the five that were wise what did they enter into they entered into rest why because they were prepared the five foolish virgins were unprepared God is trying to show us beloved that that every Sabbath we must be looking and we must be testing ourselves and saying would I be ready when Jesus comes again let me ask you what is the best time how is the best way why does this happen to us you want to know why because we start to prepare for the Sabbath Friday afternoon and we begin to try to cram in everything so we're running we're sweating no don't talk to me I can't I'm trying to get ready listen to the lesson why put off for just before Sabbath the things that you could have been doing throughout the week think about it what a Christian what are what are many of us doing today we're hanging out we're just relaxing and when we think that we see the Sabbath coming then we're gonna try to start oh yeah okay I gotta get ready now okay I'm gonna and we start trying to get our characters ready and guess what there is never enough time when you put off what you could be doing now waiting for the Sabbath to come and then you oh okay I've got to get ready now I've got to do my character not you will find that there will not be enough time to accomplish the task Jesus is trying to give us that time when now now so the Sabbath is a fire drill the Sabbath also monitors our would be disposition in heaven here's what I'm telling you here's what I mean by that every Sabbath day God it's as though God is inviting us into his Sabbath a smooth okay did you follow that every Sabbath day it's as though God says okay this day is kind of like a a drill to see how you would behave if you were in heaven so you know what we come to church and we have attitudes with people we come to church and there's somebody we're not talking to on Sabbath you don't want to do that God it's as though God is saying I am giving you six days to get it right with your brother six days to get it right because in heaven there is no I'm not talking to him so I'm giving you six days if you knew Jesus was coming back this Friday sundown what would you do with your enemies I think we better become friends we would need to put aside all that stuff and say you know what the most important thing is that you and I must make it into the kingdom of heaven and beloved if we would see the importance of the Sabbath and treat it like that guess what God really says don't let the Sun set on your wrath it's like okay you want the Sun is set on your wrath don't let six days go by because beloved if we carry our burdens you you working on the Sabbath I'm gonna use that in my next sermon don't carry your burdens on the Sabbath otherwise you are working you are breaking the rest that God is trying to give to you not only that listen to me beloved God says on the Sabbath because Sabbath is a type of heaven on the Sabbath I don't want you to sin that's why the Bible says Dawn's 856 turn away your foot from doing any evil and you ever read that what does any mean it says go sue it says O God to say on the Sabbath day I don't want you to smoke you got a smoking problem don't smoke on a Sabbath you got a drinking problem don't drink on the Sabbath you got a curse and probably got a pornography problem you got a problem don't have that problem on the Sabbath rest in me do not do that thing on the Sabbath God says the Sabbath is a minute it's a snapshot of heaven don't do it on a Sabbath because you're not going to be doing it later in heaven now you might say ok well you know ok I can hand in the sound so I'm gonna like you on the Sabbath okay I like you Sabbath I'm not gonna smoke on the Sabbath I'm not gonna drink on the Sabbath you know what God is really trying to show us listen if you can get the victory on Sabbath you see he moves us slowly into if you can get the victory over Sabbath why can't you get the victory on any other day of the week God is trying to sanctifies he's trying to show us that rest is the key to victory in that easy you don't have to do anything for victory you must rest if you want victory rest and the Sabbath also reveals to us whether we would rather the things of this world than the things of God what are you talking about pastor have any of you ever been guilty of looking at the clock when will the Sabbath be over I got things I need to do do you realize what you're asking when you ask when when you are looking forward to Sabbath being over you know who was happy when Sabbath was over in heaven Lucifer Lucifer what are you thinking on Sabbath hours what's going through your mind God says I want you to control I want you to if things are coming to stop that on the Sabbath don't think those kind of thoughts on my Sabbath day because if we were to think them in heaven we'd be zapped out in an instant God is trying to train us on how to Sabbath is how to live in heaven day and that is how to live in heaven day so you are training Lord how do I live in it and he says okay I want you to go you know your fellowshipping together in heaven it's gonna be a big fellowship you're praising God together in heaven there's gonna be a big pretty you're doing these things together you're making peace together this is what heaven is all about you're a joist and suits you kiss each other you're enjoying to see me heaven is a training day a training day on how to live in heaven what a blessing the Sabbath is and then beloved we learned that the Sabbath is about full dependence upon God do you remember the story of the children of Israel walking through the wilderness and God telling them hey I'm going to feed you with what manna remember that do you know that the manna was what kind of a test a Sabbath test what was God trying to teach the children of Israel rest why were they at unrest because they were hungry what are we gonna eat God says okay listen listen I'm going to rain manna down for you okay so just rest just relax don't what worry just rest what God was trying to teach them was how to rest therefore beloved we can understand that God wants to teach us on a daily basis how to rest and he was doing this in order to prepare them for the Sabbath okay did you follow that he was leading up to the Sabbath so every day I'm gonna give you object lessons on how to rest how to rest how to rest how to rest beloved listen to me we must learn how to observe the Sabbath not as one day but throughout the entire week yes Sabbath culminates on one day amen we come the church on the seventh day but the principle of the Sabbath permeates throughout the entire week we learn to rest learn to rest learn to rest and then we what's happening is we're learning to fully depend upon God now not only was God training them how to rest I want you to notice something else on the seventh day God rained down what no man he didn't rain down anything on the sixth day what did he rain down a double portion listen to this he rained down a double portion on the sixth day to see if they would be willing to what fully rest on the second thing okay now what happened on the seventh day what did some people do they went out looking for what looking for manna and what did they find not listen to me many of us as Adventists are coming to church on the seventh day looking for manna we're looking for manna why because we haven't had any all week we haven't studied all week we haven't prayed all week and we depend upon the pastor to feed us the manna on the seventh day and we come the church and we leave empty and we go there in that pasture or man that you know this church but it could it be that the reason we are leaving empty is because we're missing the very lessons that God had been trying to give us throughout the week could it be that we are being just like those Israelites of old okay I promise I'm getting ready to wrap itself I just have a few more points I want to share with you listen the Sabbath is a sign of ministry Isaiah chapter 58 verse 7 the Bible says here the Bible says in fact you read the whole verse the Bible talks about how how we should observe the Sabbath and then it says you know isn't this what I've called you to do to bring the poor the naked one into your order bring the hungry I'm sorry to call the Clos the naked and bring the hungry into your house so are you doing this what verse is it 58 verse 7 isn't that what I said or did I say ok 58 7 what are we doing are we bringing the poor into our house are we feeding the hungry and and the Bible says we're to do this on what day on the Sabbath day but you're saying Paris I got a problem because on Sabbath day I'm at church can I can I share some with you the naked are those who are not clothed in the righteousness of Christ the poor are those who don't have the gospel the hungry are those who are waiting for the Word of God so God says on the Sabbath day you my child are in my house which is your house I want you to bring the poor and naked and blind into your house to feed them and clothe them this house this house I want you to be inviting people into your house on Sabbath why here's why here's why you will not get into heaven if you haven't brought a friend all right let me rephrase it let me put it this way Ellen White says there will be no starless crowns in heaven if you become a Christian and keep your Christianity to yourself you are exhibiting the principle of selfishness who did you bring with you Oh nobody I'm just glad I got here myself whew every Sabbath beloved it says though we are when we bring a friend it's as though we have brought someone into the kingdom of heaven we are rehearsing we are practicing and God is saying every seventh day when you see the Sabbath as the second coming it is as though I want you to say man who can I bring it's that kind of an urgency just imagine if our church was moved by that kind of an urgency to bring people into the kingdom of God every Sabbath he snores just imagine what would happen in the Church of God finally the Sabbath is the seal of God's government's you know what I I kind of looked under her you know in our series we say the Sabbath is a seal of God why because it has his name his title his territory proof it's hardly the seal of God and you know what I'm not mocking yeah that's true and that's good but beloved it goes much deeper the Sabbath is the seal of God's government because God's government is based upon rest I mean all of a sudden now the seal of God just has so much more significance because it stands for something it's not just his name title territory it stands for the very principle of his government which is rest now listen to this how many do you want the seal of God you know what that means when the seal of God is placed upon you it means that you are so rested in God that you cannot be moved guess what the devil tries to do in the final conflict his only job is to try to move you out of rest I bet you God that if you back up I'll be able to move on I'll be able to get them out of rest I bet you that that seal is simply a sign of something that is not true God says listen to me I put my seal upon these people because they are fully what rested in me you go ahead and try to move them and the devil is gonna come he's gonna try to budge us move us and we will be totally rested in God beloved that is what the final conflict is over are you so rested in God that you cannot be moved let me read two quotes to you the soul who keeps the Sabbath is stamped with the sign of God's governments and he must not dishonor this sign by closely examining the Word of God we may know whether we have the Kings mark whether we have been chosen and set apart to honor God are you settled or are you movable are you so settled that you cannot be changed that's what the seal is about something that can't be changed are you so settled in God that you cannot be moved it is the pledge of allegiance Ellen White says again just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their forehead it is not any seal or mark that can be seen but a settling into the truth a resting I'm settled have you settled yeah I'm fully arrested now settled a settling into the truth both intellectually and spiritually so that they cannot be moved just as soon as the people of God are sealed and prepared for the shaking it will come on the seventh day Jesus rested from all his work I'm talking about the cross Jesus rested from all his work on the seventh day therefore beloved to reject the seventh day is to reject the cross of Christ when Jesus was bearing his cross what was he going to do he was going to rest anyone caught that he was going to what to rest God says listen you are broken I want to fix you I want to fix you I want to fix it so that you're no longer broken do you know that the way that Jesus has ordained to famine if you want to be fixed anybody want to be fixed in here so that your seal said that you're settled do you know that the way that Jesus has ordained for you to be fixed is through the cruiser the word crucifix means to be fixed to a cross listen to me what is that when you are somebody says something to you and normally but guess what you have been once fixed to the cross so that you cannot move or be moved the devil will come that's what the conflict is about the last days come down from the cross and by the grace of God your feet that were once quick to run to evil your hands that were once quick to evil your eyes your tongue your mind your body everything about you says no because I have been fixed to the cross I am resting as Jesus rested for me I will not be moved but other my appeal to you today is that you will not be moved that you will strive to rest that you will not seek to work your way to heaven but to rest your way to heaven in Nehemiah's day they had the Sabbath gate that had the gate open and on a side with the gate would close and it it symbolized that those who refused to honor the Sabbath were not allowed into the gates revelation 22 speaks of the gates guess what it is closed to those who refused to rest in God and that's why revelation 14 says they have no rest day nor night who worship the bees you want rest Heavenly Father we thank you today for speaking to our hearts we thank you that you have said to us come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Lord teach us to rest on your cross teach us to rest in your Sabbath teach us to rest in you that whatever you ask of us we will do we will rest not resist but rest thank you Lord for hearing our prayer and in Jesus name we ask these things amen

Channel: Fairfield SDA Church Sydney AUS

Views: 153,690

Rating: 4.8226504 out of 5

Keywords: rest, sabbath, heaven

Id: TEJjQD_Y0xs

Length: 99min 5sec (5945 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 24 2018