"The Foundation of True Worship" - Pastor Stephen Bohr

shall we bow our heads for prayer what a wonderful day this has been o loving Heavenly Father and now we have the opportunity of culminating or reaching the climax of this day through the study of your Holy Word and the subject that we're going to study today is extremely solemn and important and we know that we can't understand it without the aid of your Holy Spirit so we ask father that through the ministration of your spirit you will come to be with us in this place you will also be with all of those who are watching this program on the different channels on television I ask Lord that through your spirit you will speak clearly and distinctly to each heart and we thank you for hearing our prayer for we ask it in Jesus name Amen I'd like to begin by reading the verses that we've been studying in the last several sessions Revelation chapter 14 and verses 6 and 7 then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation tribe tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and worship Him who made heaven and earth the sea and the springs of water this is the third imperative in the first angels message that we're going to take a look at in our study today first imperative is fear God the second imperative is give glory to him and the third of course is worship Him who made the heaven earth the sea and the springs of water now the first thing that we want to ask is who was this creator that is mentioned in the first angels message well go with me to chapter one and we'll read verses 15 through 17 Colossians chapter 1 and verses 15 through 17 here it's speaking about Jesus Christ and notice what it says he is the image of the invisible God the firstborn over all creation for by him that is by Jesus all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created through him and for him and he is before all things and in him all things consist now that expression in him all things consist means that he holds creation together in him all things hold together that's the way that it's translated for example in the New International Version and so the Bible is very clear that the Creator who is mentioned in the first angels message was none other than Jesus Christ himself but now we must ask the question why does Jesus command us to worship Him notice Psalm 95 and verse 6 here is the motivation or the reason why Jesus calls upon us to worship Him it says in Nam Psalm 95 verse 6 oh come let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our maker so the motivation for worship is the fact that he is the creator and we are his creatures worship is due from us because we were created by Jesus Christ let's notice one other verse that speaks about the motivation for worship Nehemiah chapter 9 and verse 6 Nehemiah 9 and verse 6 here Nehemiah inspired by the Holy Spirit says you alone are the Lord you have made heaven the heaven of heavens with all their hosts the earth and everything on it the Seas and all that is in them and you preserve them all notice the similar idea to colossians chapter 1 he's also the preserver or the one who holds everything together and now notice how verse 6 ends the host of heaven what the host of heaven worships human so what is the motivation for worship the fact that God alone is the Lord and he made the heavens and everything that is in them now in order to understand the first angels message then we have to go back to the story of creation because the first angels message says the reason why you're supposed to worship Jesus or worship God is because he's the creator so the first angels message obviously sends us back to Genesis 2 the story of creation in other words we cannot understand the first angels message without going back to Genesis chapter 1 and also chapter 2 so let's go back there to Genesis chapter 1 and verse 31 and we'll read through chapter 2 in verse 1 I want you to notice several interesting details here it says then God saw everything that he had made who had made God who specifically Jesus then God saw everything that he had made and indeed it was very good saw the evening and the morning were the sixth day thus the heavens and the earth and all the host of them were what finished I want you to remember that word finished ask you what day did Jesus finish his work of creation he finished the sixth day the word finish is used who did all the work the first six days Jesus did all of the work did human beings do any of the work that Adam and Eve do any of the work absolutely not it says clearly then God saw everything that he had made and then it says that he finished the sixth day saw that it was good and his works were finished but now we need to talk about the day after the sixth day let's talk about the seventh day go with me to Genesis chapter 2 and verses 2 & 3 Genesis chapter 2 and verses 2 & 3 and I want us to notice several interesting things in these two verses and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had done and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made now here's my question once again this passage tells us that who did all of the work Jesus did all of the work God did all of the work it's repeated time and again it says on the seventh day God ended his work which he had done he rested then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made in other words once again it's repeated that the person who created everything during the first six days was who was God or as we read at the beginning of our presentation Jesus Christ but now I want you to notice another very interesting detail in this passage of Genesis 2 verses 2 & 3 let's go once again and read the passage and I'm going to underline two key words it says and on the seventh day God ended here work what she had done and he rested notice he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done and don't miss this next word then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it when did God bless and sanctify the seventh day it was after he worked after he rested in other words what made the Sabbath holy the fact that God or Jesus what rested on the Sabbath and in case you didn't get it from where it says then after he rested then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it we're told again because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made in other words Jesus did all of the work the Frick's first six days and then Jesus rested the seventh day and when the seventh day ended Jesus blessed the seventh day and he sanctified the seventh day now we need to ask the question what did Jesus do on the seventh day you know for a long time I had had an enigma in my mind about the book of Genesis particularly about the seventh day you know you read the story of creation and gods rest on the seventh day and it never says in the creation story that Jesus told Adam and Eve to keep the Sabbath and I always wondered about that there are other places in the Bible that showed that the Sabbath originally was made for man nevertheless I always wondered why in the Genesis account it doesn't say God told Adam and Eve to keep the Sabbath I want you to put that enigma on hold because we're going to come back to it I want to go to another verse now that corroborates the idea that we just noted in Genesis where it says that Jesus rested or God rested and he rested the whole day then he blessed and sanctified the day let's go to the fourth commandment of God's holy law and by the way the first angels message is referring to with its language to Exodus chapter 20 the fourth commandment by the way what I'm going to read was spoken by God's own voice and it was written by his own finger on tables of stone so we must listen it says in Exodus 20 verse 8 remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days you shall labor into all your work but the seventh day is the sabbath of the jews no it says but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God we're going to notice the reason why in it you shall do not work you nor your son nor your daughter nor your male servant nor your female servant nor your cattle nor your stranger who is within your gates for now comes the reason why are we supposed to work six days and rest the seventh for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth the sea and all that is in them and don't miss knit this now and rest of the seventh day therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it or made it holy is this very clear that God or Jesus rested the seventh day and then Jesus blessed the seventh day and made it holy yes or no absolutely so this first week of the history of the world is what I call God's week or Jesus's week you see it's God's week before it becomes man's week because God is the one who worked 6 and God is the one who rested on the seventh day in other words the first week is all about God the first week does not deal primarily with man in other words God among other things created the week by working 6 days and by resting on the seventh day you know as I studied this out I discovered the reason why God did not command Adam and Eve to keep that first Sabbath holy you say well what is the reason listen folks we just noted in scripture that the day did not become holy until it was over Jesus didn't make the Sabbath holy until the day ended so how could he tell Adam and Eve when the Sabbath was beginning keep the Sabbath holy if it wasn't holy yet furthermore how could God tell Adam and Eve keep the Sabbath and follow my example if God or Jesus had not first given the example furthermore and this is a very important point the Sabbath that God commanded man to keep was not the first Sabbath of human history but starting with the second Sabbath of human history and you say how is that this might be new to you even if you're seventh-day Adventist it might be new to you but it's biblical and it's powerful and it explains why God did not command Adam and Eve to keep that first step but rather the second Sabbath what does the fourth commandment see the fourth commandment makes the Sabbath a creation ordinance because it sends you back to creation it explains that you keep the Sabbath because of creation now it's very interesting that God says in the fourth commandment to man work six and what rest on the seventh now here's my question when that first Sabbath came had man worked six days he had not worked six days so could he keep the commandment technically that says work six and rest the seventh no Jesus worked six he rested the seventh and then the fourth commandment says that he told Adam and Eve in all their descendants now as you saw me work six and rest on the seventh you work six and you rest the next seventh day so after Jesus made the Sabbath holy after Jesus gave the example then he gives the fourth commandment which says keep the Sabbath day holy because now after I rested the Sabbath is holy so let me ask you whose day is the service the Sabbath is the day of whom of Jesus because before it is the day of man the week was created by Jesus and then the week was given to man after it was created by Jesus by the way seventh-day Adventist are not the only ones that believe that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance let me read you a statement from an evangelical scholar his name is Henry Morris I'll be saying a little bit more about him a little bit later notice what he says this is in the book biblical creationism page 62 the Lord himself had worked 6 days then rested on the seventh setting there by a permanent pattern for the benefit of mankind what did God do what did Jesus do when he created the weak he established a permanent what a permanent pattern for man to follow the same process or procedure as God so let me ask you did the Sabbath then become a sign of God the Creator for man the 4th commandment says yes because the motivation for keeping the Sabbath is because of creation so as soon as the first week ended Jesus says to man now you're gonna work 6 and the next seventh day you're gonna come and we're gonna keep the Sabbath the way you saw me keep this first Sabbath and in this way from then on you are going to remember that I am the creator the Sabbath will be the sign that I am the creator and you will remember it from then I incidentally that's the reason why the fourth commandment begins by saying remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy in fact the Bible tells us that the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people I want you to remember this because we're going to come back to it in later lectures Exodus 31 verse 17 Exodus chapter 31 and verse 17 God says it is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever you say well that was for the children of Israel but do you know that the new desk says that those who are Christ's are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise you can read it in Galatians chapter 3 verse 29 if you are Christ you're Abraham's seed if you're Christ you are Israel and so it says it is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever and then it says he says why it's a sign notice for that is because in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and on the seventh day he rested and was what he rested and was refreshed so let me ask you was the Sabbath a creation institution it most certainly was a creation institution it predates the Jews it has nothing to do in its original intention with redemption at the cross because the Sabbath was created in a perfect world it has nothing to do with redemption with the Cross in its original intention later it takes on a secondary function but from the beginning it points towards creation so the first angels message when it tells us to worship the creator is sending us back to Genesis and we notice that the sign of the Creator is the observance of the seventh day Sabbath now allow me to read you a few other statements amazing statements from Henry Morris who is an evangelical scholar by the way he passed away in 2006 he's a staunch deep he was a staunch defender of a six-day literal creation and he was the founder of the institution for Creation Research in San Diego California notice what he says biblical creationism pages 61 and 62 the observance of the Sabbath day that is resti was not instituted by this commandment that is by the fourth command he says the Sabbath was not instituted by the fourth commandment for it had been practiced by mankind ever since the actual week of creation when God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because he had rested from all his work which God created and made on page 251 he says this not only is there considerable evidence that Sabbath observance existed in both Israel and in other nations long before Moses but the Word of God makes it plain that it was established by God himself in commemoration of his completed creation and that it has been observed as a special day of rest at least by some ever since in another quotation page 253 of the book biblical creationism he says with the passing of the centuries the Sabbath eventually became almost exclusively associated with the religious ceremonies of the nation of Israel even though the Creator had hallowed it originally for all men when the Creator eventually became man however in the person of Jesus Christ he stressed that it had never been intended as a mere Jewish religious ritual as the Pharisees had distorted it but it was made for the good of all men those are amazing statements from an evangelical scholar who saying that the Sabbath is a creation institution and it was kept by the human race long before the existence of Moses or the existence of the Ten Commandments and now we need to move forward let's talk about the exodus of Israel from Egypt you remember the sign that God gave to mark the exodus from Egypt it was the Passover right let me ask you who was it that delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and established the institution of the Passover go with me to Exodus chapter 3 and verses 13 and 14 this is happening at the burning bush there's a majestic beam that comes to speak with Moses I want you to notice the terminology that is used then Moses said to God indeed when I come to the children of Israel and say to them the god of your father's has sent me to you and they say to me what is his name what should I say to them and God said to Moses I am Who I am and he said thus you shall say to the children of Israel I am has sent me to you who was it that appeared in the burning bush what was his name his name was I am and he says I have been sent to deliver Israel from Egypt now if you read Exodus 20 verse 1 which is the preamble to the Ten Commandments it says there I am the Lord your God who took you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage let me ask you was the giver of the Ten Commandments the same one who appeared in the burning bush yes because at the burning bush he says I'm gonna deliver you when when the ten commandments are given he says I am the one who delivered you now the question is who was this that appeared in the burning bush who said I'm going to deliver you and also gave the Ten Commandments let's go to John chapter 8 verses 58 and 59 John chapter 8 verses 58 and 59 Jesus is entertaining a conversation with the Jews notice what it says here jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you before Abraham was I am what was Jesus claiming when he said before Abraham was I am he was saying I was the one who appeared where in the burning bush did the Jews know that he was claiming that you better believe it notice verse 59 it says there in verse 59 then they took up stones to throw at him but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by let me ask you then who delivered Israel from Egypt Jesus who was the one who gave the Ten Commandments Jesus who was the one who created this world worked six days and rested on the seventh and by his wrist he made the Sabbath holy and then gave it to man along with the week who was it it was Jesus Christ so the Sabbath belongs to Jesus the deliverer of Israel was Jesus in other words the creator is also the Redeemer of Israel let me ask you was that the same person who came to deliver the human race from bondage go with me to John chapter 1 verses 1 to 3 and then we'll read verse 14 this is one of the ones that's not on your list but you know it so well that probably you don't even have to look it up John one versus one two three and verse 14 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God he was in the beginning with God who is this who is the word Jesus now notice all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made was Jesus the Creator yes he was was he also the Redeemer notice verse 14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth was Jesus the fulfillment of the Passover lamb absolutely and so you have an unbroken chain of creation redemption of Israel and the Redeemer of the human race being home being Jesus Christ now if you examine the story of the Bible you'll find that the Passover lamb needed to have two characteristics first of all the pastoral a Passover lamb had to be perfect and without blemish and then when it was determined that the lamb was perfect and without blemish the lamb was then sacrificed let me ask you what did this represent the perfect unblemished lamb it represented the perfect life of Jesus Christ as that he lived on this earth and what did the death of the lamb represent the death of the lamb represented the death of Jesus berry bearing our sins on the cross in other words the Passover had a much greater dimension to it than just sacrificing a lamb and eating bitter herbs and partaking of unleavened bread the sign that Jesus gave to Israel was fulfilled in himself when he came to this world but now we need to ask the question what day an hour did Jesus die as the Passover lamb go with me in Matthew 27 and verses 46 and 47 we're gonna notice something very interesting here don't you go to sleep on me because this is gonna get very interesting and very good Matthew 27 verses 46 and 47 we're going to look at the last three sayings of Jesus on the cross it says and about the ninth hour no it wasn't the ninth hour says about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Eli Eli lama sabachthani that is my God my God why have you forsaken me it's about the ninth hour it's not the ninth hour yet because he still has some things to say John 19 and verse 30 so when Jesus had received the sour wine he said what it is finished and bowing his head he gave up his spirit but when you go to Luke you discover that he said something after he said it is finished in Luke 23 verse 46 it says and when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice that's when he says it is finished he said father into your hands I commend my spirit having said this he breathed his last let me ask you what hour of the day do you think that Jesus breathed his last after saying it is finished father into your hands I commend my spirit exactly at what hour at the ninth hour and you say well pastor what is the ninth oh well let's go to Exodus chapter 12 and verse 6 Exodus chapter 12 and verse 6 we're still dealing with the Sabbath we'll come back to the Sabbath but we need some background here Exodus 12 and verse 6 it's speaking about the observance of the Passover and it says this now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month then the whole Assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it that is kill the Passover lamb win at Twilight in Hebrew it literally says between the two evenings you say so the Jews had two evenings absolutely you say what were the two evenings the first evening is when the Sun reaches the meridian and it still starts its downward course and by the way I know that scientifically the Sun doesn't move but we're speaking in the manner that we usually speak when the Sun reaches its summit and begins its descent that is when the afternoon begins you know even in Spanish when when we get to the hours of the afternoon we say Saturday right in other words the first evening is when the Sun begins setting from the Meridian the second evening is when the Sun actually sets at sundown now the question is what would be between the two evenings between the two evenings would be the ninth hour or 3:00 o'clock because the ninth hour was three o'clock third hour was nine o'clock that's when Jesus crucified the sixth hour would have been known and the ninth hour was at three o'clock in the afternoon in other words Jesus died at the precise moment that the Passover lamb was supposed to be what was supposed to be sacrificed three o'clock on what Christians call Good Friday now I want to read a passage in scripture that gives us the sequence of days of The Passion of Christ I want to show you that Jesus died on Friday he was buried in the tomb and remained in the tomb all day Sabbath and he resurrected on the first day of the week Luke 23 verses 54 to 56 here you find the chronological sequence we know that he died at 3 o'clock in the afternoon which day let's notice that day this is when Jesus was crucified and died that day was the preparation and the Sabbath drew near saw the Sabbath begun yet no it was Friday verse 55 and the women who would come with him from Galilee followed after and they observed the tomb and how his body was laid then they returned him repaired spices and fragrant oils and they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment what did the ladies do outside the tomb they what they arrested let me ask you was there an urgency to get the body of Jesus off of the cross on Friday yes why was their agent to seek to get it off the cross because he could not be on the cross on the Sabbath there's a deeper intent than that than the legalism of the Jews you see when the Sabbath began Jesus had to be already prepared like the Passover lamb effort was killed it had to be prepared and then later on probably at sundown then they ate the Passover lamb you see Jesus died at 3 o'clock his body needed to be prepared in order to be buried so that his body would rest in the tomb all of the day Sabbath in other words Jesus did in Redemption what he did at creation on the cross and the sixth day says it is finished we read the word finished in Genesis after six days of work Jesus is saying I have bought back the human race I have paid the price of redemption and then he breathed his last and he was put in the tomb and he rested in the tomb on Sabbath now in order to fully understand this we need to go to Exodus chapter 16 the Sabbath in Redemption you see there was a reason why Jesus had to remain in the tomb on the Sabbath Exodus 16 19 to 21 and Moses said let no one have any of it till morning in other words when the banner was picked up any day other than Friday for Sabbath nobody was supposed to save any manna for the next day verse 20 notwithstanding they did not heed Moses but some of them left part of it until morning and what happened when they left it any other day except Friday for Sabbath what happened to the man two things it bread worms and it stank and Moses was angry with him let me ask you was this normal bread no what happens with normal bread if you leave it from one day to the next nothing really and even if you leave it a week it just gets moldy but it doesn't breed worms and stink what is it that breeds worms and stinks flesh decomposing flesh that's right now notice what happened when the manor was picked up on Friday for the Sabbath Exodus 16 23 and 24 then he said to them this is what the Lord has said tomorrow is a Sabbath rest a holy Sabbath for the Jews let me ask you why is the Sabbath called the Sabbath of the Lord because the Lord kept it first it's his day and then he gave it to man God says it's mine before I was yours notice then he said to them this is what the Lord has said tomorrow is the Sabbath rest a holy Sabbath to the Lord bake what you will bake today and boil what you will boil and lay up for yourselves all that remains to be kept until morning so they laid it up until morning this is on Friday when they're doing this as Moses commanded and it did not what stink nor were there anyone any worms in it what was God trying to teach through the man episode because the manna did not be composed when it was saved from Friday to Sabbath well we need to know what the man who represents let's go to John chapter 6 and verse 51 you see most commentators have missed this messianic dimension of the story of the manna God is not only trying to teach that we're supposed to keep the Sabbath by the main episode he's trying to teach that Jesus kept the Sabbath when he died on the cross and he rested in the tomb and his body saw no corruption notice John 6 and verse 51 here Jesus is speaking I am The Living bread which came down from heaven if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever and the bread that I give is my flesh which I shall give for the life of the world what does the manna represent the one of Jesus the flesh of Jesus let me ask you when Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath did his flesh see any decay or decomposition no because he was the living manna you see as the manna one was picked up on Friday did not decomposed on the Sabbath Jesus died on Friday and his body did not decompose on the tomb or in the tomb on Sabbath because he was a living manna in fact notice the prophecy that we find in Psalm 16 verses 8 through 10 this is not just something off the top of my head the Bible teaches it it says in sound 16 verses 8 through 10 this is a messianic prophecy I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices my flesh also noticed my flesh also will what will rest in hope what happened was the blast of Jesus and what it rested in hope why did it rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in shale I like the New International Version it says you will not abandon me to the grave nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption or decay as it says in the New International Version what happened when Jesus was put in the tomb his body did not see what decayed what would have happened with a normal body it would have begun the process of what of decomposition but not the body of Jesus because he was the living manna in other words what God was trying to teach was this that when Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath the Sabbath of Exodus chapter 16 his body would see no corruption because he was the living manna the emphasis falls upon the fact that he was going to rest on Sabbath from his works of redemption and his flesh would not see corruption in fact let's notice the fulfillment of the as its given an axe chapter 2 verses 25 to 27 and verse 31 acts 2:25 to 27 here Psalm 16 that I just read is quoted for David says concerning him I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad moreover this is Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost moreover my flesh also will rest in hope what was going to happen with the flesh of Jesus it was going to wet rest in hope notice I'm reading from the NIV you will not leave me in the grave nor will you allow your Holy One to see decay and then verses verse 31 explains what was meant by this seeing what was ahead he spoke David spoke of the resurrection of the Christ that he was not abandoned to the grave nor did his body see decay was God trying to teach that the body of Jesus was going to rest in the tomb on Sabbath and it was not going to decompose absolutely so did Jesus do the same after hurried redeemed the human race as what he had done after creating the human race absolutely what did he do he rested on the seventh day the whole seventh day because he was put in the tomb before the Sabbath began and he remained in the tomb all day seven you know some Christians say well you know I prefer Sunday because you know Sunday was a happy day and the Sabbath was a sad day it's amazing what kind of rational arguments people will come up with the fact is that the SAB that Sabbath should have never been a sad day because Jesus had told them that he was going to go to Jerusalem he was going to dine he was going to resurrect the third day if they'd listened to him that day would have been a day of glorious anticipation they would have understood that Jesus the sixth day said I have finished the work of redemption they were said now he's resting in the tomb he said he's gonna resurrect tomorrow I would have been a day joyous anticipation by the way Sunday was no happy day because the night of Sunday the disciples didn't even believe that Jesus had resurrected so how could they be happy so we need to be careful with rational arguments that people provide if they truly had understood what God was trying to teach them through this prophecy of the rest of the body of Jesus in the tomb the Sabbath would have been a glorious day they would have understood the Messiah is resting from his words of redemption like he rested from his works of creation you know some Christians say well Jesus resurrected on Sunday because he wanted that the church to know that Sunday was a special holy day but now we see that the focus is not Sunday the focus is what the Sabbath listen in order for Jesus to rest in the tomb all day Sabbath he would have had to resurrect on Sunday but the important thing is not his resurrection on Sunday the important thing is as rest in the tomb on Sabbath but Christians say no it's Sunday Sunday that's important no no it's his rest in the tomb and therefore because he had to rest in the tomb all day he had to resurrect when he had to resurrect on the first day of the week it's amazing how during Holy Week Christians speak about you know they say Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday and Good Friday resurrected Resurrection Sunday Palm Sunday and whoever mentions the Sabbath nobody ever mentions the Sabbath during Holy Week it kind of gets lost in the shuffle so let's review Jesus died at 3 o'clock on Friday between the two evenings his body was taken down from the cross and prepared for burial before the Sabbath began shortly before sundown his body was put in the tomb he arrested from his works of redemption and his body did not decompose because he was the living manna and then Jesus resurrected on the first day of the week not to make make the first day of the week holy but because the previous day he had to rest in the tomb on Sabbath let me ask you what is it that makes the Sabbath holy we read in the book of Genesis and also in the fourth commandment that what makes the Sabbath holy was the rest of Jesus he rested there for he blessed and sanctified the day you know is that what the Bible teaches absolutely so what made the Sabbath holy the rest of Jesus Christ in order for you to say that sunday is the holy day of rest you would have to prove from Scripture that Jesus rested on the first day of the week because all his rest would make the day whole but Jesus did not rest on the first day of the week Jesus rested the Sabbath in the tomb like he did at creation thus sanctifying the Sabbath now folks Satan has done his utmost to erase the memory of Jesus Christ from this world he has sought to eradicate the sign of the creator the Sabbath because it reminds us of Jesus the creator and the Redeemer and so he has tried to erase the sign and in this way erase in our memories the existence of Jesus and the importance of Jesus you know men have come up with all kinds of explanations for the existence of the world Darwinian evolution intelligent design punctuated equilibrium progressive creation theistic evolution new-age theories if people get the seventh-day Sabbath none of these theories would be accepted because the Bible says that Jesus created the world in six days and he rested the seventh day period that's what scripture says the tragic truth however is that these philosophies that I just mentioned are no longer the belief system of secular humanists skeptics agnostics atheists materialists and evolutionists they have become the belief of the Christian Church and even of some scholars within the seventh-day Adventist Church allow me to read you a statement from the Roman Catholic catechism this is the latest catechism 1994 page 87 the Catholic catechism leaves the door open for evolution notice what it says God Himself created the visible world in all its richness diversity and order scripture presents the work of the creator now what is this what is this word it's very it's very covert but you need to read it it says scripture presents the work of the creator symbolically as a succession of six days of divine work see they're not literal they're what symbolic it's leaving the door open for evolution so scripture presents the work of the creator symbolically as a succession of six days of divine work concluded by the rest of the seventh day do you know that john paul ii who was greatly admired all over the world not only opened the door a little crack in the door he opened the door wide back notice he gave a speech on october 22nd 1996 to the Pontifical Academy of the sciences and he said this it is indeed remarkable that this theory that is evolution has been progressively accepted by researchers following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge the convergence of all of these scholars and their in their research the convergence neither sought nor fabricated of the results of work that was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favor of this theory let me read you a newspaper column that speaks about this event this speech that john paul ii gave this is from the chicago tribune october 25 1996 in a major statement of the Roman Catholic Church's position on the theory of evolution pope john paul ii has proclaimed that theory is more than just a hypothesis and that evolution is compatible with Christian faith in a written message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences the Pope said that the theory of evolution has been but rest that is strengthened by scientific studies and discoveries since Charles Darwin if taken literally the biblical view of the beginning of life and Darwin's scientific view would seem irreconcilable in Genesis the creation of the world and Adam the first human took six days evolutions process of genetic mutation and natural selection the survival and proliferation of the fittest new species has taken billions of years according to the scientists so basically john paul ii has said that evolution is compatible with the christian faith and that this world perhaps came into existence through the process of evolution do you know that there are many evangelical scholars that are teaching the same thing renowned evangelical scholars that are teaching the idea of progressive creation that God used evolution as his method of creation and that there was death long before sin that God used the process of evolution the survival of the fittest animals killing animals so that they could develop into higher species what kind of God is a God who can't speak and things are done why does God have to use a process where there's death for millions of years before things come into existence what kind of a militant God is that I don't serve that kind of God I serve a God of perfection I don't serve a God who uses the system of trial and error to eventually create the world many scholars even in the Adventist Church are reinterpreting the days of creation as long periods of time many of our own scholars are using the historical critical method some are even saying that Moses didn't write the book of Genesis that it's the result of the work of several different authors and they're saying that yeah Moses believed that the days of creation or whoever wrote Genisys believed that the days of creation are literal days but Moses was wrong because science has proved him wrong that's the idea that they're sharing this in spite of the fact that there are powerful biblical arguments to show that the days of creation were literal days first of all if you read that the main Hebrew lexicons which are the dictionaries of Hebrew for example holidays Hebrew lexicon Brown driver and Briggs which is probably the most famous Hebrew lexicon they all say that Genesis no matter what your interpretation is they say that the author that wrote this believed that the days were literal 24-hour days you have for example in the story creation it says the evening in the morning of the first day boy I'll tell you does that mean the evening in the morning of the first million years the expression evening and morning shows that it's literal furthermore in the Old Testament the number with a numeral adjective is used at the word day excuse me with the numeral adjective is used 150 times in the Old Testament and every single time that the word dae-jung appears with a numeral adjective it refers to a literal 24-hour day and then what do you do with the fourth commandment fourth commandment says you work six and worthless and rest the seventh because God worked six and rest of the seventh so if you make the original day's million-dollar Milt Milt million-year days what do you do with us following the example of the Creator it breaks down if we're supposed to work six literal days and keep the Sabbath it's because originally God worked six literal days and kept the Sabbath or else he would be asking us to keep an impossibility it all boils down to whether you have faith or not by faith we believe and I'll tell you what I choose to believe the story that God tells in his holy word do you think the devil is able to shift things around on the earth to make it appear that evolution is a plausible theory you better believe he can so all we can do is trust the Word of God now before we bring this to an end I need to talk to you about the Sabbath in its future dimension see the Sabbath is not only a commemoration of Jesus as the creator it's not only a commemoration of Jesus as the Redeemer it's also a prophecy about the future rests that we will have in the kingdom come notice Isaiah 66 verses 22 and 23 Isaiah 66 22 and 23 it says for as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make notice he's going to make a new heavens and new earth right for as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me says the Lord Saul shall your descendants and your name remain and it shall come to pass when he makes a new heavens and new earth according to the context and it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another better translation would be from one month to another because the new moon marks the beginning of the month from one month to another and Spanish in fact it says they may send miss from month to month and from Sunday to Sunday no that's not what it says can't be Sunday because that's not the way it day Jesus rested its his rest that makes it a holy and it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another all flesh shall come to worship before me says the Lord will the Sabbath be the sign of worship to the creator of the new heavens and new earth yes so there are three reasons for keeping the Sabbath one because Jesus created the world in six days rested the seventh because Jesus redeemed the world and on the sixth day said it is finished and rested in the tomb on the Sabbath and it points forward to the future when after he makes a new heavens and a new earth he will say it is finished and he will rest with his people in the kingdom come now you say why does it say from one new moon to another or from one month to another well the reason is very simple we're not only going to keep the Sabbath in the earth made new we're also going to go every month to eat from a very peculiar tree notice revelation 22 verses 1 and 2 revelation 22 verses 1 & 2 and he showed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb in the middle of its street this is a New Jerusalem in the middle of its street and on either side of the river was the Tree of Life which bore twelve fruits each tree yielding its fruit every what every month so do you know what we're gonna do every month by going to worship before the Lord to eat from the tree of life to refurbish our battery or life force and why are we going to go from Sabbath to Sabbath in order to commemorate what the new creation and by the way some people misunderstand a verse in the Bible revelation 21:23 where it says and I want to read it it says the city had no need of Sun or moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it the lamp is its light so they say see in the earth made new there's not going to be any day or night there's not going to be months there that's going to be days yes there are if you're going to keep the Sabbath there must be a week if you're gonna go for a month-to-month it must be there are months and if there are months there are years hello are you all out there what is revelation 21:23 saying it's talking not about the earth it's talking about the city and it doesn't say that there is no center moon that has no need of Sun or moon that's really carefully the city had no need of Sun or of moon to shine it he had no need it says for the glory of God illuminated it the lamp is its light so basically what's going to happen is in the city the light is going to be so bright that you won't even see the center of the moon it's like turning on a flashlight in Fresno in the month of July at 12:00 noon who's going to see the light of like the flash lights is on but the light can't be seen because the greater light makes it makes it dissipate so that people cannot see it folks the final conflict in this world is going to have to do with worship they're going to be two signs we're gonna talk later about this the seal of God of the mark of the beast one sign is a sign of worship to the Creator the first angels message says worship Him who made heaven earth the sea and springs of water you cannot speak about that without keeping his holy Sabbath but there's another power known as the Beast and we're going to talk about this power later on and they're gonna be people in the world were gonna worship the Beast who obviously claims to be a counterfeit Creator he doesn't claim to be a counterfeit but he is a counterfeit Creator notice revelation 14 9 and 10 if anyone worships the Beast and His image and received his mark receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation two powers vying for the loyalty of the human race two signs one created by God before sin the other created by the man of sin the question is which sign will we accept the sign that God has established or the sign that the Beast has established as a sign of his power and his authority that's the decision that we must make and I pray to the Lord that God will help us make the right decision [Music]

Channel: Aaron

Views: 10,670

Rating: 4.7966104 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: BJ8KF2e8wOU

Length: 57min 2sec (3422 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 20 2019