Give Me the Bible

The Sabbath Covenant

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox

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Series Code: GMTB

Program Code: GMTB000019


00:20 An interesting phenomenon
00:22 began to appear in the Middle
00:23 Ages in Europe.
00:25 Across the continent,
00:27 churchmen... Abbotts, bishops,
00:31 friars, and monks would appear in certain towns with letters.
00:34 These letters were... apparently,
00:37 or should I say allegedly...
00:39 written by God and left on the altars of certain churches.
00:43 There is one story of a monk by the name of Eustace of Flay
00:47 who was in a town where they were keeping Sabbath
00:49 and no one listened to his preaching.
00:51 And so he came back a couple years later
00:53 with a letter left on the altar of the church of San Simeon
00:57 allegedly written by God and left there
01:01 with a number of sanctions...
01:03 things that were going to happen to the people
01:05 if they didn't keep Sunday.
01:06 Well there were some who were frightened into Sunday-keeping,
01:09 but most people just stuck with the word that they knew
01:12 and they kept on with Sabbath.
01:15 Well, that's the way truth is.
01:18 Truth cannot be feared away or scared away or
01:21 tortured away or driven away or burned away.
01:25 Truth, like a dandelion, always comes back
01:29 because truth is as eternal as the God who gave it.
01:33 There is much scholarship that even says the great
01:36 St. Patrick was a Sabbath-keeper.
01:38 Certainly his spiritual predecessor Columba
01:40 was a Sabbath-keeper. That's the way truth is.
01:43 Truth is as eternal as the God who gave it,
01:48 and we must always hold fast to the truth.
01:51 And that's why I'm so glad to be part of Give Me The Bible.
01:54 Because it's the truth, the whole truth,
01:58 and nothing but the truth.
02:00 Bid you good evening. My name is C.A. Murray
02:02 and I'm so proud to introduce Kenneth Cox
02:05 who God is using in a marked way.
02:07 God has given him an ability to make the plain plainer,
02:13 the simple simpler,
02:14 and the profound and complex easy to understand
02:18 and to believe.
02:20 Take a bouquet of flowers.
02:24 Throw them to the ground.
02:26 Crush them beneath your heel.
02:28 That fragrance that comes up from that crushed bouquet...
02:32 you know what that is?
02:34 That's truth.
02:35 Truth is as eternal as the God who gave it.
02:39 We've been blessed each night to have the musical talent
02:44 of a voice that is really internationally known.
02:47 Great baritone singer and really a wonderful Christian person:
02:51 Joe Pearles.
02:52 He's coming now, and he's going to sing
02:55 Across the Bridge.
03:03 I have lived a life of sin
03:07 in this world I'm living in.
03:09 I have done forbidden things I shouldn't do.
03:15 I asked a beggar on the way
03:18 if he could tell me where to stay...
03:21 where I could find real happiness
03:23 and love that's true.
03:26 Across the bridge there's no more sorrow.
03:32 Across the bridge there's no more pain.
03:38 The sun will shine across the river
03:44 and you'll never be unhappy again.
03:55 Follow the footsteps of the King
03:58 till you hear the voices ring.
04:01 They'll be singing out the glory of the Lamb.
04:06 The River Jordan will be there;
04:10 the sound of trumpets you will hear;
04:13 you'll behold the most precious place ever known to man.
04:18 Across the bridge there's no more sorrow.
04:24 Across the bridge there's no more pain.
04:30 The sun will shine across the river
04:36 and you'll never be unhappy again.
04:42 Across the bridge there's no more sorrow.
04:47 Across the bridge there's no more pain.
04:53 The sun will shine across the river
04:59 and you'll never be unhappy again.
05:05 And you'll never be unhappy again.
05:20 Thank you! Thank you, Joe Pearles.
05:23 Well good evening. Good evening.
05:25 Very glad to welcome all of you back again this evening.
05:28 Appreciate you being here.
05:30 We hope you've had a good day.
05:32 And we just hope that you'll be
05:34 blessed in a special way.
05:35 We want to say a special welcome
05:38 to all of our television audience that's watching
05:40 and those that are listening on radio.
05:42 We welcome you back and we hope that as we go into this subject
05:46 it will bless you in a special way.
05:48 Tonight we're continuing our presentations on the Sabbath.
05:52 And our subject tonight is the
05:56 Sabbath Covenant. And I hope that this will help you
06:00 understand in a better way your relationship to God.
06:05 And so as we go into it try to follow that.
06:08 Our next presentation - our last one in this series
06:14 on the Sabbath - will be entitled:
06:20 This is a question we have come up over and over and over.
06:23 People ask: "Well, how do you keep the Sabbath? "
06:25 "What's involved in it? "
06:27 And so that's what we're going to look at in our next
06:30 presentation is how you and I as followers of the Lord
06:34 should keep the Sabbath.
06:35 So we hope it will help you in our relationship to Christ.
06:39 Tonight what do you want to look for in the subject
06:42 on the covenant?
06:43 Well, the first thing you need to look for is you
06:46 want to make sure you know what the covenant is.
06:50 What is the covenant that God wants to make with you?
06:54 What is that covenant?
06:55 And what are the ramifications of it?
06:59 What's involved in the covenant?
07:01 How do you go about keeping it?
07:03 Those are some things that we'll look at tonight
07:06 as we talk about the Sabbath Covenant.
07:08 What it does for you and for me.
07:11 A very, very special time, and we hope that it will help you
07:16 see in a greater degree than ever before
07:21 God's love towards you and how that you
07:25 as an individual can follow the Lord and walk with Him.
07:28 So we hope you'll be blessed in a very special way
07:32 because the Sabbath is a very very special time
07:37 that God has given to you and to me.
07:40 What says the Bible, the blessed Bible?
07:43 This should my only question be.
07:46 God gave us the Sabbath to bless and remind us.
07:52 What says the Book of God to me?
07:55 That's what we want to find out; that's what we want to look at.
07:58 So we're glad you're here.
08:00 Hope you're enjoying them.
08:02 We pray that you'll continue to follow the Lord day by day.
08:06 It's always nice to have Joe Pearles with us.
08:10 I am always specially blessed as he sings
08:15 and helps me in my walk with the Lord.
08:19 And tonight he's going to sing a song that
08:22 maybe you've never heard before.
08:24 I only heard it as he practiced it,
08:27 and it's a special song.
08:30 It's title is The Plan of Salvation.
08:45 I want to thank Jesus
08:51 for the plan of salvation.
08:58 Just to say "Lord, I love You,
09:04 for You understand. "
09:10 I want to be there on
09:16 that great judgment morning
09:22 to touch all the nail prints
09:28 in His feet and His hands.
09:34 One morning at daybreak
09:40 a crowd slowly gathered.
09:46 They were walking my Lord up
09:52 old Calvary's hill.
09:59 So sad was the scene there
10:05 that the birds hushed their singing.
10:11 Like a lamb He was humble
10:16 to His Father's own will.
10:23 I want to thank Jesus
10:29 for the plan of salvation.
10:35 Just to say "Lord, I love You,
10:41 for You understand.
10:47 I want to be there on
10:54 that great judgment morning
11:00 to touch all the nailprints
11:06 in His feet and His hands.
11:12 I want to thank Jesus
11:18 for the plan of salvation.
11:24 Just to say "Lord, I love you,
11:30 for You understand. "
11:36 I want to be there on
11:42 that great judgment morning
11:49 to touch all the nailprints
11:55 in His feet and His hands.
12:01 To touch all the nailprints
12:07 in His feet and His hands.
12:31 Our Father in Heaven,
12:35 tonight we take the moment... time...
12:39 just to say thank you.
12:42 Thank you, Lord, for Your sacrifice upon Calvary
12:48 that offers to each of us hope and life.
12:54 We pray tonight, Lord, that we might see...
12:57 that we might understand
13:00 the special relationship You want to have
13:04 with each one of us.
13:07 May we learn how to walk, how to follow.
13:12 Give us Your Spirit tonight, Lord.
13:16 Pray that it may fill us
13:19 and that each of us may have clear insight
13:23 to what Your Word says.
13:25 For these things we thank You
13:28 in Christ's name, Amen.
13:35 In Revelation the 19th chapter
13:38 it describes Jesus' second coming.
13:42 Describes Him coming back on a
13:44 white horse.
13:45 And it says this about it. It says that...
13:54 Now it's not unusual
13:57 for somebody to have their name written on their garment.
14:02 You find that occasionally.
14:04 But why would Christ have His name written on His thigh?
14:09 That you don't see very often.
14:12 But it says that He has His name written on His thigh.
14:16 You remember Abraham.
14:19 Abraham of old did not want his son,
14:23 Isaac, marrying one of the Canaanite women.
14:25 And so he called his old servant Eleazer
14:30 and he said: "I want you to go back to my home place
14:33 and I want you to find a wife for Isaac. "
14:36 And it says this about his relationship with Eleazer.
14:40 Watch what it says here:
15:06 You see, that's the way they entered into a covenant
15:09 or an oath. They placed their hand under the person's thigh
15:14 and they entered into that covenant with it.
15:17 So that's the reason Christ's name is written on His thigh...
15:20 because it represents His covenant when He comes back...
15:24 a covenant that He has with His people.
15:27 You see the Lord is looking
15:30 for people that will be His people.
15:35 That what He's looking for.
15:37 He's looking for those that He can say
15:39 "these are My people. "
15:42 Listen to what He says about them.
15:43 Says this:
16:04 He said "I'm looking for some people that will be My people.
16:08 They will be a special treasure to Me
16:11 above all the people that are on the face of the earth. "
16:15 Now there are people that say
16:16 "Well, that was referring to the Jewish people,
16:20 and that's what He was talking about is the Jewish people. "
16:23 No, it's really not
16:25 because that same promise, folks,
16:27 is repeated in the New Testament. Listen:
16:49 How do we know it's not talking about the Jewish people here?
16:52 Listen:
17:04 So he's saying clearly that this was referring to the Gentile.
17:08 So God is looking for some people that He can enter into
17:13 a covenant with. That's what He wants to be...
17:16 enter into a covenant
17:18 and He can say: "these are My people. "
17:21 And those people that He enters into a covenant with
17:26 He says "these are a special treasure to Me. "
17:32 Listen, He gives this promise:
17:48 So He said: "If you'll just enter into this covenant with Me
17:51 and if you'll obey My voice, keep My commandments,
17:55 you WILL be a special treasure. "
17:59 Now that ought to mean something to you
18:02 when God says: "You'll be a special treasure to Me. "
18:05 Let me ask you something.
18:06 If you're a special treasure to God,
18:09 then is He going to take care of you?
18:14 Huh?
18:16 Absolutely! You can depend on that.
18:18 He will take care of you.
18:20 He promises that. He promises this:
18:43 He said: "If you'll just do this
18:45 it will be well with you.
18:46 Things will go like they should. "
18:48 This is what God wants to do for you and for me
18:53 if we're just willing to enter into this covenant.
18:55 So what is the covenant?
18:58 What is the covenant that God wants to make with you
19:02 and with me? Let's see what it is.
19:25 That's the covenant.
19:27 God says: "OK, the covenant I want to make with you
19:31 is you are to be My people
19:34 and I will be your God. "
19:37 And He mentions this over and over in the scripture.
20:02 That's the covenant, folks.
20:04 He's saying: "You be My people, I will be your God.
20:09 And if you are My people,
20:11 then you will be a special treasure to Me
20:15 and it will be well with you. "
20:19 That's something that you and I can depend on.
20:23 That's something that we know God will do.
20:25 In the New Testament it carries the same theme
20:29 right on through. Here in II Corinthians it says:
20:47 So that's the covenant.
20:48 If you're looking for the covenant...
20:50 the covenant you are making with Him and you are saying
20:53 "You be my God,
20:54 I will be Your people. "
20:58 So the question I have this evening
21:00 is: are you willing to do that?
21:02 Are you willing just to say: "You be my God,
21:07 I will obey Your voice.
21:09 I'll walk in Your commandments. "
21:12 And God says: "If you will do that,
21:15 I will be your God
21:18 and I will take special care of you. "
21:23 That He promises to you and to me.
21:27 When God makes a covenant,
21:29 He sometimes makes an everlasting covenant.
21:33 That means it never ends.
21:37 It's good for eternity.
21:39 Everlasting covenant.
21:40 He made an everlasting covenant with Abraham of old.
22:10 So He said: "I'm going to make a covenant with you.
22:13 I will be your God; you shall be My people.
22:16 This will be an everlasting covenant
22:19 that I will make with you. "
22:21 Takes that and brings it right on down
22:23 as it refers to you and me.
22:26 He says: "If you are of Christ,
22:29 then you are... " What?
22:30 So He said: "This covenant that I made over here with Abraham
22:34 of old - this everlasting covenant I made with him -
22:37 if you accept Christ
22:40 then you are Abraham's seed
22:43 and heirs according to the promise. "
22:47 So the promises He made to Abraham
22:50 when He said: "I'll be your God; you be My people,
22:52 I'll bless you... " those promises are yours.
22:55 Because He said He gave you... "If you be of Christ,
22:58 then you're Abraham's seed. "
23:00 Ephesians he goes on and says:
23:12 They were Gentiles in the flesh.
23:15 That meant before we accepted Christ we were without Him.
23:28 He said: "When you were without Christ
23:30 you were strangers, you were alien.
23:32 You weren't part of the covenant of promise... "
23:49 So He said: "This promise I made.
23:52 This covenant I made applies to you as well. "
23:55 He continues here and says:
24:09 Now did you understand what he's saying there?
24:11 "Sons of Abraham. "
24:13 In other words he's saying: "Just because you may have been
24:18 born a Jew
24:22 that doesn't make you a child of Abraham...
24:29 only those that are a child by faith. "
24:43 In other words, I accept Christ.
24:47 When you accept Christ, you become part of Abraham's seed
24:52 and by faith you receive the promise that He made
24:57 to Abraham of old.
25:20 So this evening what you and I must decide
25:25 is am I willing
25:30 to reach out in faith and say
25:33 "You be my God.
25:36 I'll walk with You.
25:38 I'll obey Your voice.
25:40 I'll keep Your commandments
25:42 if You will be my God. "
25:45 And God says: "If you will do that,
25:47 then you will be My people
25:52 and it will be well with you. "
25:56 OK.
25:59 now watch what happens here...
26:01 He's saying: "You're My people.
26:04 I'll care for you. "
26:06 And then He turns right around and He gives you something
26:09 to substantiate that... to make sure you understand.
26:14 And it says:
26:25 Said: "Now I'm going to make a covenant with you here
26:28 and I'll be your God; you shall be My people. "
26:30 And He said: "I'm going to give you the Sabbath
26:33 as a perpetual covenant that you
26:36 are to keep the Sabbath as evidence
26:39 that you are My people. "
26:42 Watch! It says this over and over.
27:01 So He said: "It's a sign between Me and you. "
27:24 See He's saying: "Listen, I'm giving you the Sabbath
27:27 and the Sabbath is to be a sign
27:32 that you are My people. "
27:35 And He said: "Walk with Me.
27:38 Obey My voice.
27:40 Follow Me,
27:42 and I in turn will bless you.
27:45 And the Sabbath is a sign that I have given you. "
28:01 He said: "This is a sign that I am making between you and Me. "
28:05 This is a covenant that He has made with us.
28:22 So this is the covenant that God wants to make,
28:26 and He gave us the Sabbath as a sign of that covenant.
28:31 And He said: "This is a perpetual covenant
28:33 that will go on forever. "
28:35 Now the question that we need to ask ourselves this evening is:
28:50 Or was that just a covenant He made with the Jewish people?
28:53 Was the Gentile included in that covenant He made?
28:59 Well, the children of Israel are standing on the banks
29:05 of the Jordan River.
29:07 They're about to go across the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
29:11 and Moses is speaking to them here.
29:14 I want you to listen to what he says to them:
29:34 Well... who else was there?
29:40 He said: "I'm making this covenant not just with you alone
29:43 but also with those that stand with us here today. "
29:45 Who else was there?
29:46 Well there was quite a few Egyptians that had come.
29:51 And he said not just with that
29:53 but with those that aren't even here.
29:55 So that covenant included
29:57 more than just the Jewish people.
29:59 Listen to this one:
30:22 There it is, you see. He said:
30:24 "I'm making a sign;
30:27 I'm making a covenant with you.
30:28 And the Sabbath I'm giving you is to be a sign. "
30:32 All right, let's watch as it goes on:
30:55 So, yes. It included much more than just the Jewish people.
31:00 It included the Gentiles as well.
31:03 So when God says "Follow Me,
31:06 walk with Me, keep My commandments, "
31:09 dear friend that included the Gentiles.
31:12 That was a promise that He gave,
31:14 and He said: "I want you to be My people
31:17 and I'll be your God. "
31:20 Well, when you pick up your Bible and you begin to study it
31:24 and go through it, it talks about a new covenant.
31:29 A new covenant.
31:32 Why did we need a new covenant?
31:34 It says here:
31:42 So... so there was something wrong...
31:46 something wrong with the first covenant.
31:50 Was there something wrong with the conditions of the covenant?
31:56 Was there something wrong with what was written down?
31:59 What was wrong with the first covenant because it
32:02 said if... if there wasn't anything wrong with it
32:04 well then we didn't need a second one.
32:06 So there was something wrong with it.
32:09 Well let's see if we can find out where the problem is...
32:11 what was wrong with it.
32:12 This is Moses. It said he...
32:24 Was that a good response or a bad response?
32:26 Oh, that was a good response.
32:28 Wasn't anything wrong with that response.
32:31 So they said: "All that the Lord has said we will do
32:33 and be obedient. "
32:35 Where was the problem?
32:38 Well the problem was here, folks.
32:45 The problem wasn't with what was written down.
32:48 The problem wasn't with what the conditions of the covenant
32:51 were... the problem was with the people.
32:54 They said: "All that the Lord has said we will do
32:56 and be obedient, " but they WEREN'T OBEDIENT.
33:08 So it says that they didn't follow the Lord.
33:22 They didn't follow.
33:25 They didn't obey the Lord's voice.
33:28 And so, because they didn't keep the covenant,
33:31 then there was need for a second covenant.
33:36 Now we need to take a close look at this second covenant
33:40 and see what it says about it.
33:42 A new covenant... you understand?
33:46 That what's this book's about, you see...
33:49 that word covenant there.
33:52 Old covenant... new covenant.
33:55 That's what the Bible is: Old Testament, New Testament.
33:59 That's what's involved there.
34:01 What is the new covenant?
34:03 What's... what's involved in the new covenant?
34:06 I just want to say to you this evening, folks...
34:09 if you understand the new covenant and you understand
34:15 what Christ has done,
34:17 it changes things and makes everything different.
34:21 So I hope you will follow very carefully as we look at it.
34:31 Every time you participate in the Lord's Supper,
34:36 communion service,
34:38 you are entering into a covenant with God.
34:42 That's what that's about.
34:44 You're entering into that and you're saying to Him
34:48 "You be my God; I will be Your people. "
34:52 That's a covenant you're entering into with Him.
35:12 Well now, it says that Christ is the Mediator
35:16 of a better covenant which is established on
35:20 better promises.
35:24 Well, let me ask you something.
35:26 Is your promises better than the Jewish people?
35:31 You've got more will power?
35:34 You've got more backbone?
35:37 Your promises better than theirs?
35:41 If they're not, then how does this work...
35:46 established on better promises?
35:55 Let's take a look at that.
35:56 When... let's say that you and I tonight
35:59 were going to enter into a covenant.
36:01 We're going to draw up we can call it a contract
36:04 we can draw agreement...
36:06 whatever word we want to use
36:07 for it. We're going to enter
36:09 into a contract. And let's say
36:11 that you and I... we
36:14 agree on certain points
36:17 and we go to an attorney
36:19 and we ask him to draw up a covenant for us.
36:25 We go to the attorney; he draws up the covenant.
36:29 Puts down all the conditions that you and I want to have
36:33 in the covenant.
36:34 OK?
36:37 Puts it all down there.
36:39 Draws it up into legal terms.
36:41 And we read it over and say "that's good. "
36:44 And so we take it to a notary and we have it notarized.
36:49 OK?
36:51 Can that covenant, that contract, that agreement...
36:54 whatever you want to call it...
36:55 can it be changed?
37:00 You've got to be real clear on that.
37:02 Can it be changed?
37:04 Well, let's see what the scripture says.
37:17 In other words, sure it can be changed.
37:21 You and I can say well this particular part
37:24 in here we don't like.
37:26 And we can go to the attorney
37:28 and we can have that stricken out.
37:30 Initial it and say we want this changed
37:33 and it can be changed.
37:34 But if one of us dies can it be changed?
37:39 NO! In other words, when one of us dies
37:43 that covenant is in force... cannot be changed.
37:48 Get it clear and don't let anybody ever tell you
37:53 any different.
37:54 OK?
37:56 Because I hear people say that after Jesus died
37:59 He changed the covenant.
38:01 No! Could not.
38:04 When He died, He SEALED the covenant.
38:06 Cannot be changed; He sealed it with His blood
38:10 and therefore that covenant could not be changed.
38:14 OK?
38:15 So a covenant is changed before people die.
38:19 When Christ died, He sealed the covenant
38:22 from that time on. All right.
38:35 He's the Mediator of a new covenant
38:37 by means of death.
38:40 In other words, in order for the covenant to be in force
38:46 He had to die.
38:48 It required that.
38:50 That's the reason He's the Mediator of a better covenant
38:53 because He died for you and for me.
39:06 So Jesus came; He died.
39:11 By His death He put into effect that covenant.
39:26 So it's been in force, and so we read here:
39:39 Came, died on the cross, paid the price
39:44 for you and for me.
39:47 That He did. Without that, folks, we're lost.
39:52 Without that... no hope.
39:54 But Christ said: "Listen, I want to enter into a covenant
39:58 with you. I will pay the price.
40:02 I'll die for you. "
40:06 Now if that's all that was necessary,
40:09 that might be all right,
40:12 but the covenant required much, much more than that.
40:18 You see, it doesn't just require
40:22 the death, it requires a perfect life.
40:28 You see law - and that's what He says... "if you'll obey
40:31 My commandments. "
40:33 Law is involved. The law says if you break it
40:37 you must what? You must pay the penalty.
40:41 So if I break the law, then I must pay the penalty.
40:47 That... that's true with everything.
40:50 If I go out here and I run a stop sign,
40:53 then the cop gives me a ticket.
40:56 I'm going to have to pay the fine.
40:58 I have to pay the penalty.
41:00 The penalty for breaking God's law is what?
41:04 It's death.
41:09 I cannot... I cannot pay that penalty
41:15 and have life.
41:19 I can pay the penalty, if you please,
41:22 and die...
41:24 and be lost,
41:26 but I can't pay the penalty and have life.
41:32 Therefore Jesus said: "I will die in your place, "
41:38 and He paid the penalty for you and for me.
41:43 So when I accept Jesus Christ
41:47 His death pays my penalty
41:50 and all my sins are forgiven...
41:56 and I stand right in the eyes of God.
42:02 The law is satisfied.
42:07 OK?
42:09 But the law... the law now says
42:14 "OK, your debt's paid. You're under no condemnation.
42:21 You just have to be perfect. "
42:24 That's what the law says!
42:27 The law will accept nothing less, folks.
42:31 It will accept nothing less than perfection.
42:33 You tell me one law that will.
42:36 Just tell me a law that will accept something more than...
42:40 less than perfection.
42:42 If I run out here and I get in the car
42:45 and I go out here and I run the stop sign.
42:49 And policeman pulls me over and says:
42:52 "Mr. Cox, didn't you see that stop sign? "
42:54 And I say "Yes, sir. "
42:55 Say: "Well, why didn't you stop? "
42:57 I say: "Officer, I'm holding some meetings here, and I
43:00 go back and forth here all the time
43:01 and I only run this stop sign 1% of the time. "
43:06 What's he going to do?
43:08 Going to give me a ticket!
43:10 Going to tell me you stop
43:11 every time.
43:14 Law demands 100%.
43:16 Problem is... is I'm not perfect.
43:22 That's the problem.
43:23 So Jesus said: "I'll not only die for you,
43:27 I'll live a perfect life for you. "
43:30 This is what it says:
43:40 Jesus Christ died that we might be reconciled to God.
43:51 Said: "Yes, I'll come and I'll die in your place.
43:57 But not only will I die in your place
43:59 I'll live a perfect life for you. "
44:03 Now if you don't get anything else out of this presentation,
44:06 folks, I hope you get this
44:09 because as far as I'm concerned it's the most important part
44:13 of it all.
44:14 And it says here:
44:27 Now watch carefully what He's going to do
44:45 Now it says here that He, through the blood of the
44:49 everlasting covenant, will do what?
44:54 Will make you complete.
44:58 You see, dear friend, that's the work of the Lord.
45:03 And you and I must learn to do this.
45:07 You see, God's desire is
45:10 that you say to Him: "You be my God.
45:14 I'll follow You.
45:17 I will surrender my life.
45:22 I will surrender my soul
45:25 to the work of the Holy Spirit. "
45:27 And the Holy Spirit works within us to make us
45:33 complete.
45:34 This is not your work.
45:36 This is not my work.
45:38 This is HIS work.
45:40 My job is to surrender.
45:44 And if I surrender, He will do His work in my life.
46:06 Establishes it because you and I
46:09 can accept that. And since it is Christ
46:14 who died... it's Christ who lived a perfect life.
46:19 He never sinned once.
46:20 Not even so much as in thought.
46:24 He lived an absolute perfect life.
46:27 And since He died and He lived a perfect life,
46:31 that new covenant is established on better promises.
46:37 His promises that He made that you and I
46:41 can receive eternal life in Jesus Christ.
46:51 What do I mean by that?
46:55 You cannot add one thing to it.
46:59 There's nothing you can do, dear friend...
47:03 nothing that you can do...
47:06 to add to the plan of salvation.
47:09 The only thing that you and I can do
47:13 is accept what Christ has done.
47:17 And He died and He lived a perfect life
47:21 for you and for me.
47:25 Therefore He did everything that was necessary.
47:30 Everything that was required for you and I to have salvation.
47:34 Then what is my responsibility?
47:39 Well my responsibility is simply to obey.
47:47 "If you will obey My voice, keep My commandments,
47:51 then you shall be My people
47:55 and I will be your God. "
47:59 That's my responsibility.
48:00 That's what God asks you and asks me to do
48:04 is to be obedient.
48:06 And if we're obedient, then He says
48:09 "I'll bless you in a special way. "
48:12 The wisest man that ever lived
48:14 summed it up very wonderfully, and he said:
48:27 That you and I must simply walk with Him,
48:32 follow Him in all that we do.
48:48 You see, this is talking about a very special relationship.
48:51 He says: "I gave My Sabbaths that it's a sign
48:57 that I can sanctify them. "
49:01 You know what that means?
49:03 That means that He will work in our lives
49:06 to change our lives to make us
49:10 like Him
49:12 so that we do not sin.
49:14 That we don't continue on sinning.
49:17 That that is to stop in our lives.
49:19 And He works in us in a very, very special way in our lives.
49:25 This is what He does,
49:27 and He says the Sabbath is a sign of that.
49:30 It's a sign that "I am your God
49:35 and you are My people. "
49:39 That's what it represents.
49:47 This is the covenant I'm going to make.
49:59 Now you need to read that text carefully
50:02 because He says He will do what?
50:06 He says: "I will put my laws in their mind;
50:12 I will write them on their hearts. "
50:16 You see, that is our relationship to Him.
50:19 That we are to open up our lives.
50:22 We are to open up our hearts
50:24 and invite Him in and let Him do His work in our lives.
50:29 I cannot... I cannot just go my own way.
50:36 I have to surrender and let Him work in my life
50:42 as He wants to work in my life.
50:44 That's what's to happen in my life.
50:49 Jesus...
50:53 Jesus had a very, very special relationship with His Father.
50:57 In fact, He came to this earth
51:00 to show you and I how we are to live.
51:05 And He was to show us how we're to live
51:08 and how we're to relate to Him
51:11 by the way He related to His Father.
51:13 That's what He was to show us.
51:15 And it says here:
51:26 Said: "Abba, Father. " That word Abba, folks,
51:29 is... comes directly from the Hebrew.
51:32 We don't have a word in English for it.
51:36 The closest word we have for Abba is Daddy.
51:39 It talks about a very, very close relationship
51:44 with the Lord.
51:45 That's what it talks about.
51:46 So when Jesus is there praying
51:50 and He said "Abba, Father... "
51:53 that talks about a close relationship with the Lord Jesus
51:57 with His Father.
51:59 A very intimate relationship.
52:01 He wants to have that same relationship with you
52:04 and with me.
52:06 Right in the heart of His law
52:10 He gives us that relationship.
52:13 It works like this:
52:16 right in the middle of the Sabbath you have ABBA.
52:22 Abba, Father...
52:24 the relationship God has with us.
52:31 Abba, Father,
52:35 let me be
52:40 Yours and Yours alone.
52:47 May my will
52:51 forever be
52:56 Yours and Yours
53:00 alone.
53:04 Never let
53:08 my heart grow cold.
53:13 Never let
53:17 me go.
53:22 Abba, Father...
53:26 let me be
53:30 Yours and Yours
53:35 alone.
53:41 Let us pray.
53:44 Heavenly Father,
53:45 we come to you tonight
53:48 asking for You to be our God.
53:51 That we might be Your children.
53:57 Bless us, Lord. May we be mindful of Your words.
54:02 As You have given us a sign in the Sabbath
54:06 that is to be... represent that we are willing
54:11 to come to You and lay everything upon the altar.
54:14 Accept Your death and Your life
54:19 in our behalf that we might be blessed.
54:23 Bless each one here that they may be drawn very close to You
54:28 in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
54:32 For this we ask in His name, Amen.
54:37 Well, God bless you.
54:39 Tomorrow's presentation is How to Keep the Sabbath.
54:43 We hope it will help you
54:45 in your relationship with Christ.
54:47 Uh, folks. Keep your hearts surrendered.
54:50 Stay close to the Lord.
54:52 He wants to be your God.
54:54 I hope that each one of you will be His people.
54:59 Jesus said in Luke chapter 8
55:01 a sower went out to sow his seed.
55:03 And as he sowed,
55:05 some fell by the wayside
55:07 and it was trampled down
55:08 and the birds of the air devoured it.
55:11 Some fell on rock
55:12 and as soon as it sprang up it withered
55:15 because it lacked moisture.
55:17 And some fell among thorns
55:19 and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
55:23 But others fell on good ground,
55:25 sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundred-fold.
55:29 Jesus Christ came to sow the seed of truth
55:32 into this world.
55:34 And just as every seed has life in it,
55:36 the Word of God is also life.
55:39 Jesus said in John 6:63
55:41 "The words that I speak to you, they are Spirit
55:45 and they are life. "
55:46 But sadly in this day and age
55:49 many professed ministers of the gospel
55:51 don't accept the Bible as God's inspired Word.
55:55 Because its plain teachings condemn their practices
55:58 they have tried to make it appear mysterious
56:01 and obscure in order to excuse their own transgressions
56:04 of God's law.
56:05 There are those who try to make everything seem
56:08 pleasant and positive.
56:09 They gloss over or ignore the warnings of God,
56:12 and thus they strip the Bible of the power to convict
56:16 sinners of their need of salvation.
56:19 But no matter how brilliant and how pleasant they sound
56:22 their message cannot satisfy the spiritual hunger
56:26 of a true seeker.
56:29 The truth is that ever since the fall of man
56:33 Satan has been busy sowing the seed of error.
56:36 But friends, when the Word of God is preached
56:39 in simplicity and sincerity,
56:41 it's powerful.
56:43 Instead of pointing out the errors of others
56:45 or seeking to combat the opponents of the gospel,
56:48 we must follow the example of Christ
56:50 and simply sow the seeds of truth.
56:53 Oh, yes, there will be seeds that will fall by the wayside,
56:58 be eaten by the birds.
57:00 Other seeds will sprout in stony soil
57:03 only to dry up for the lack of water.
57:05 Still others will fall among the thorns,
57:08 but many will spring up to bear an abundant fruit.
57:14 The sower's job is to sow seed.
57:16 And believe me, there is no greater joy
57:19 than to see the lives transformed under the influence
57:23 of the Holy Spirit.
57:24 It's an experience all of us can have,
57:27 and it's the only goal we have as a ministry team.
57:31 We have a marvelous opportunity
57:33 to sow by broadcasting these wonderful seeds of life
57:37 to the whole world.
57:39 Jesus gave all of us the gospel commission.
57:42 Won't you join us in this effort?
57:45 Please consider what you can do
57:47 for those who still don't know about Jesus.
57:50 As the Holy Spirit impresses,
57:52 you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
58:07 Thank you for helping us to bring the Blessed Hope
58:09 to millions all around the world.


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Revised 2014-12-17