Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000915
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01:00 Father in heaven, we praise You and thank You for Your power,
01:04 for Your presence and for Your word 01:08 which is truly a lamp unto our feet 01:12 and a light unto our path. 01:14 And we ask during this sitting as we have asked before 01:19 that You would be the honored guest. 01:22 That You would be the true teacher. 01:25 That we would hear not the words of man, 01:28 not the thoughts of man, 01:30 but the words the thoughts 01:33 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 01:35 Prepare our hearts those who sit in this building 01:39 and those who hear around the world 01:42 so that we may accept and do 01:46 because it is in the doing 01:48 that we are made like Christ Jesus. 01:51 Fill us with Your Spirit this day 01:53 and we thank You in Jesus' name, amen, amen. 01:58 Our special music is coming from Jim and Pam Rhodes, 02:03 wonderful musicians, dedicated to the Lord 02:06 who have been given a beautiful gift 02:07 of music ministry. 02:10 And so Pam will be singing as Jim plays 02:13 "Calvary means Heaven to Me", 02:16 and they'll be assisted by the lovely Donna Klein 02:19 on the organ, praise the Lord. 02:33 There were three crosses raised 02:38 On Calvary 02:41 Only one held the Son 02:45 Of God 02:49 Sin lost its power 02:52 In that final hour 02:56 Now I praise Him 02:59 For He set me free 03:04 Calvary means heaven to me 03:11 From the cross 03:13 To eternity 03:20 Now I'm no longer a slave 03:25 In sin For Jesus paid 03:29 The ransom for me 03:41 Like the thief on the cross 03:46 I believe 03:49 He's the one 03:51 Only Son of God 03:57 Sin lost His power 04:00 In that final hour 04:05 Now I praise Him 04:08 For He set me free 04:13 Calvary means heaven 04:17 To me 04:20 From the cross 04:22 To eternity 04:28 Now I'm no longer a slave in sin 04:35 My Jesus paid the ransom 04:39 For me 04:43 Now I'm no longer 04:47 A slave in sin 04:51 For Calvary means heaven 04:56 To me 05:03 Amen. Amen. 05:10 I almost missed my cue coming out here, 05:13 Pastor Bohr and I got to a theological discussion 05:15 just that fast. 05:17 And he was making his point 05:20 just as she was ending the song. 05:22 And I said, "Hold your point, I'll be right back", 05:24 but that he's got to come out here. 05:26 So we'll have to hold it to a little bit later. 05:28 Our speaker is, is Pastor Steven Bohr, 05:31 who is pastor of the Fresno Central 05:33 Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fresno, California. 05:36 We know him as a student of the word. 05:39 He slips into our homes quietly each evening. 05:50 Even as he slipped on the stage quietly 05:52 this afternoon. 05:54 And we've learned about Genesis from him, 05:58 about Revelation. 05:59 He's the driving force behind secrets unsealed 06:02 and a fine student of the word. 06:04 When you listen to him, you hear the truth of God. 06:07 He digs into the word 06:08 and bring forth nuggets for our edification. 06:12 So I won't take anymore of his time. 06:13 He is married, 06:16 his wife has the same name as my sister-in-law Aoda. 06:20 She is from Colombia. 06:23 And he has two children, 06:24 boy and a girl a match set 06:26 and so he's husband of one wife, 06:28 father of two children. 06:30 Preacher of righteousness and a friend of this ministry, 06:33 and without further ado, 06:34 I give to you our pastor, our teacher, Steven Bohr. 06:45 Thank you very much, C.A., it's a real pleasure to be here 06:48 at Spring 3ABN Camp Meeting. 06:51 You know, I was here last fall 06:54 and the camp meetings here at 3ABN are super special. 06:58 And I was looking forward to being here. 07:00 Last weekend we were at the first Hispanic 07:03 GJC Conference 07:05 which is the Hispanic equivalent of GYC 07:08 and we had approximately 400 young people 07:10 at Andrews University 07:12 and it was a real blessing 07:13 and so now this weekend I'm here at 3ABN, 07:16 and I know that the blessing is going to continue. 07:19 Before we begin our study this morning, 07:22 I would like to invite you to bow your heads 07:23 with me as we pray. 07:26 Father in heaven, 07:27 we thank You for the awesome privilege 07:28 of being at the camp meeting this year. 07:31 And as we open Your Holy Word, 07:33 we ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. 07:36 We ask that that spirit who originally gave the word 07:39 will come and explain it to us, 07:42 help us understand the times that we're living in. 07:45 And especially help us to prepare 07:47 in the light of everything that's happening in the world. 07:50 So we plead for Your presence and Your blessing, 07:53 and we thank You for hearing and answering our prayer 07:55 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 08:00 The Book of Isaiah 24 is a vivid description 08:06 of the second coming of Jesus Christ 08:09 in power and glory. 08:12 If you read the whole chapter you'll notice 08:14 that this will be a cataclysmic destructive event 08:20 that will practically demolish the world. 08:24 And as we began, 08:26 I would like us to turn to verses 5 and 6 08:30 which will be the focus of our study in Isaiah 24. 08:35 What I want us to remember as we read these verses 08:37 is that Isaiah 24 is describing 08:39 the second coming of Jesus Christ 08:41 in power and glory. 08:44 Let's read verse 5. 08:47 "The earth mourns and fades away, 08:50 the world languishes and fades away, 08:54 the haughty people of the earth languish. 08:58 The earth also is defiled under its inhabitants." 09:05 So you notice here that we're told 09:07 that the earth is defiled under her inhabitants. 09:10 The word defiled here 09:12 means basically to be defiled morally, 09:16 it means to soil, to corrupt, to defile, to pollute. 09:20 In other words, the inhabitants of the earth are polluted 09:24 when Jesus comes. 09:26 Now I want you to notice that in this same verse, 09:29 three reasons are given 09:31 for the defilement of the earth. 09:33 Once again notice verse 5, 09:35 "The earth mourns and fades away, 09:38 the world languishes and fades away, 09:41 the haughty people of the earth languish." 09:43 The earth is also defiled 09:46 under its inhabitants because... 09:50 Now three reasons are going to be given 09:51 for the defilement of the earth. 09:54 Number one: They have transgressed the laws. 09:59 Number two: They have changed the ordinance. 10:04 Number three: They have broken the everlasting covenant. 10:10 And then verse 6 tells us what the consequences 10:13 are for these threefold apostasy 10:17 that is mentioned in verse 5. 10:20 Notice verse 6, "Therefore, 10:24 that's an important word 10:26 because they have transgressed the laws 10:28 because they have changed the ordinance, 10:30 because they have broken the everlasting covenant. 10:35 The curse has devoured the earth 10:39 and those who dwell in it 10:40 are desolate therefore the inhabitants of the earth 10:44 are burnt and few men are left." 10:49 In other words, the cause of the destruction 10:52 is this three fold description of the iniquity 10:58 that existed in the world. 11:01 Now what I want us to do is examine 11:03 each one of these reasons, 11:05 first of all transgress the laws, 11:08 secondly change the ordinance 11:11 and in the third place broken the everlasting covenant. 11:15 Let's examine each one of these one by one 11:18 so that we can determine what it was that will lead 11:23 to the destruction of the world at the end of time. 11:27 Let's discuss first of all transgress the laws. 11:31 The word laws here is the word Torah, 11:34 which is very, very prevalent and common 11:36 in the Old Testament. 11:38 But I want you to notice 11:39 one particular use of the word Torah, 11:42 in Nehemiah 9:13-14. 11:46 Nehemiah 9:13-14. 11:51 Here it's speaking about 11:52 what God revealed at Mount Sinai, 11:54 and I want you to notice that the word Torah is linked 11:58 with the Ten Commandments 11:59 and specifically with the Sabbath. 12:03 It says there in Nehemiah 9:13, speaking about God. 12:07 "You came down also on Mount Sinai 12:11 and spoke with them from heaven. 12:14 And gave them just ordinances and true laws..." 12:19 That's the same identical word as in Isaiah 24:5. 12:24 "You gave them true laws, 12:26 good statutes and commandments." 12:29 Now notice, "You made known to them Your Holy Sabbath. 12:35 And commanded them precepts statutes," 12:39 and here's the word again, 12:40 "and laws by the hand of Moses, your servant." 12:45 So the word laws is linked with God coming down 12:48 to reveal the Ten Commandments 12:50 and it's also linked specifically 12:53 with the Sabbath. 12:55 Notice also Exodus 24:12, 12:58 Exodus 24:12, here the word is used again. 13:05 It's speaking about the giving of the Ten Commandments, 13:07 it says, "Then the Lord said to Moses, 13:11 "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there, 13:15 and I will give you, notice, 13:18 tables of stone and the law," 13:22 that's the same word Torah. 13:24 And the law, and Commandments and we notice 13:27 that the law here is referring 13:29 to the Ten Commandments specifically 13:31 because it says and commandments 13:33 which I have written that you may teach them. 13:37 These commandments are the ones 13:39 that God wrote with His own finger. 13:41 All of the other things in the Book of the Law 13:44 were written by Moses, 13:45 but this is referring to the Ten Commandments. 13:49 So in other words transgress 13:50 the laws is referring to a transgression of God's 13:55 Ten Commandment law given on Mount Sinai. 13:59 Now the New Testament also tells us 14:02 that the destruction will come upon the world 14:05 because of the transgression of God's law. 14:09 Let's examine some New Testament passages 14:11 that speak about the transgression of the law 14:14 as the reason for the wickedness 14:17 and the ultimate destruction of the world. 14:21 Notice Matthew 24:12, 14:24 Matthew 24:12. 14:28 Here we have a description of the signs 14:31 of the coming of Jesus and it says there, 14:34 "And because lawlessness will abound, 14:38 the love of many will grow cold." 14:42 What is the problem that is going 14:44 to exist immediately 14:45 before the second coming of Jesus? 14:47 Lawlessness, because of lawlessness 14:51 will abound the love of many will grow cold. 14:55 Notice also Matthew 7:23, 14:58 I want you to notice that this condition 15:00 is not only going 15:01 to be the condition of the world, 15:02 it's going to be the condition of those 15:04 who profess to serve Jesus Christ. 15:07 Matthew 7:23, 15:10 by the way this verse is talking about 15:12 those who say Lord, Lord 15:14 and they perform signs and wonders 15:17 and exorcisms and miracles, 15:19 in other words they're professed Christians. 15:22 And notice what Jesus says to them in Matthew 7:23. 15:26 "And then I will declare to them, 15:29 'I never knew you, 15:30 depart from Me, you who practice" what? 15:35 "You who practice lawlessness!' 15:38 " There it is again, now we all know 1 John 3:4, 15:43 it says, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, 15:47 for sin is lawlessness." 15:49 Or as the King James Version says, 15:51 "Sin is the transgression of the law." 15:56 Now let me ask you this, 15:58 would God hold the world accountable 16:00 for the transgression of the law, 16:01 if the law had been nailed to the cross? 16:05 It doesn't make any sense to say 16:06 that God is going to hold the world accountable 16:08 for transgression of the law, 16:10 if the law had been done away with at the cross. 16:13 It becomes very, very clear 16:14 that the law is still God's standard 16:18 of righteousness. 16:19 Now let's notice what Jesus had to say 16:23 about the law or rather what the Bible says about Jesus 16:27 and His attitude concerning the law? 16:30 Notice Hebrews 1:8, 16:32 Hebrews 1:8, 16:36 here the father is speaking to the son, 16:38 "But to the Son he says, Your throne, 16:42 Oh God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness 16:47 is the scepter of Your kingdom." 16:49 And now notice this, 16:51 "You have loved righteousness and hated" what? 16:56 "Lawlessness, therefore God, 16:59 Your God has anointed you 17:01 with the oil of gladness more than your companions." 17:05 By the way did you know that it's possible 17:08 to be a legalist and also be lawless? 17:13 We're not only talking about people 17:15 who committed adultery 17:16 and people who kill and people who bear false witness. 17:20 Legalist can also be lawbreakers. 17:23 And there will be some of those in the end time as well. 17:26 Notice Matthew 23:28, 17:29 here Jesus is speaking about the Pharisees 17:32 and the scribes who by the way professed great godliness. 17:36 And it says there in Matthew 23:28, 17:40 speaking about the Pharisees and the scribes, 17:42 "Even so you also outwardly 17:46 appear righteous onto man 17:49 but inside you are fill up full of hypocrisy" and what? 17:54 "And lawlessness." 17:57 So let me ask you, 17:58 does the New Testament back up 18:00 the Old Testament with the idea 18:02 that the society immediately 18:04 before the second coming of Jesus 18:06 is going to be a lawless society? 18:10 Absolutely. 18:12 By the way, scripture teaches 18:15 that most of the transgressions of the law 18:18 in the very end time are going to be committed 18:21 by people who profess to be followers of Jesus. 18:24 Notice 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 18:28 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 18:32 we usually apply this to the world 18:34 but it's really speaking about people 18:36 who profess to serve Jesus Christ. 18:39 Here the Apostle Paul says this, 18:41 but know this 18:43 that in the last days perilous times will come, 18:47 for men will be lovers of themselves, 18:49 lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, 18:54 disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, 19:00 unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, 19:06 despisers of good, traders, headstrong, haughty, 19:11 lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. 19:15 And now notice the conclusion, 19:16 and having a form of godliness 19:20 but denying its power and from such power, 19:24 from such people turn away. 19:28 What does this passage say? 19:30 That those who are committing these things have what? 19:33 The form of godliness 19:36 but without the power of godliness. 19:40 So the first reason why the earth is defiled 19:42 is because the people in the world 19:45 have transgressed the laws. 19:48 Now let's examine the second reason why 19:51 the world is destroyed, it's closely related to this. 19:55 The Bible says, 19:57 "That they changed the ordinance." 20:01 Interesting, change the ordinance. 20:04 By the way, I looked up this word changed 20:07 and I discovered that it means exactly 20:09 that but it's translated in different ways. 20:12 For example, it's used to describe Laban 20:15 who changed Jacob salary seven times, 20:20 do you remember that? 20:21 The word changed is used there, 20:23 it's used to speak about Joseph 20:25 when he was going to appear before his brothers, 20:27 the Bible says that he changed his garments. 20:30 It's also translated in Isaiah 2:18, abolish. 20:35 And in Leviticus 27:10, 20:37 it is translated to all alter. 20:42 In other words, the world will have changed 20:44 some ordinance that God established. 20:48 Now allow me to give you 20:49 a little definition of this word 20:52 change the ordinance, 20:54 the word ordinance really means. 20:56 The Hebrew word is choq. 21:00 And according to Hebrew lexicographers 21:03 the word ordinance means this, 21:06 to scratch or to write 21:10 cutting in or engraving in stone. 21:14 Interesting, 21:16 to scratch or write cutting in or engraving in stone. 21:20 They also say that it means to engrave laws 21:24 upon slabs of stone or metal 21:27 to set them in a public place. 21:31 Now as we examined the meaning of the word choq, 21:35 the word ordinance, 21:37 we discover that it's used very frequently 21:39 for things that God established at creation. 21:42 For example it's used to speak 21:44 about God setting bounds for the sea, 21:46 so that the sea would not go out of its limits. 21:49 Proverbs 8:29 is one of those instances. 21:54 By the way, I'm reading from the NIV, 21:57 the translation is a bit clearer, 21:59 it speaks there, 22:00 "When he gave the sea its boundary, 22:05 that's the word choq, 22:06 the same word that is translated ordinance. 22:09 When he gave the sea its boundary 22:12 so the waters would not overstep his what? 22:16 His command. 22:18 In other words, his command established the boundary. 22:20 And when he marked out, I want you to remember that, 22:24 marked out the foundations of the earth. 22:27 Job 38:8-11 also speak about 22:31 how God fixed the limits of the sea. 22:33 It says there, 22:35 reading once again from the NIV, 22:36 "Who shut up the sea behind doors 22:39 when it burst forth from the womb, 22:42 when I made the clouds its garment 22:45 and wrapped it in thick darkness, 22:48 when I fixed limits..." 22:50 Once again the word choq, the word ordinance. 22:53 "When I fixed limits for it 22:55 and set its doors and bars in place, 22:58 when I said, 22:59 'This far you may come and no farther, 23:02 here is where your proud waves halt?" 23:08 ' Another way in which this word is used 23:10 concerning a creation ordinance 23:12 is in the fact that God has given the decree 23:16 that keeps the heavenly bodies in their orbits, 23:19 which he made at the beginning. 23:21 Notice for example Psalm 148 and we'll read verse 3 23:25 and then we'll jump down to verse 6. 23:27 Psalm 148:3 and 6, 23:31 says here, "Praise ye him, sun and moon, 23:36 praise him, all you stars of light." 23:40 And then verse 6 says, "Praise him, 23:42 you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 23:46 Let them praise the name of the Lord, 23:48 for He commanded and they were created. 23:51 He set them in place for ever and ever, 23:55 he gave a choq. 23:57 He gave an ordinance 23:59 or a decree that will never pass away." 24:05 Amen. 24:06 This word is also used to speak about the cycle of the rain 24:09 which God established. 24:11 Notice, what we find in Job 28, 24:15 Job 28 once again reading 24:17 from the NIV verses 25 and 26. 24:21 It says here, 24:22 "When he established the force of the wind 24:27 and measured out the waters, when he made a decree, 24:32 an ordinance, 24:34 that's the word choq once again, 24:36 for the rain and a path, for the thunderstorm. 24:39 In other words, God has established this 24:42 as an ordinance or as a decree. 24:46 It's also used to describe the regularity of the seasons 24:49 that God established at creation. 24:52 Jeremiah 5:24, 24:55 Jeremiah 5:24 says this, 24:59 "They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the Lord our God, 25:05 who gives autumn and spring rains in season, 25:09 who assures us of the regular..." 25:11 There's the word choq once again, 25:13 "of the regular weeks of harvest." 25:17 Sounds interesting that this word 25:19 is used very frequently to describe things 25:23 that God established by decree 25:26 at creation and which cannot be changed. 25:32 I find it interesting, 25:35 that in the Old Testament we find, 25:39 in Daniel 7, 25:42 a little horn who thought 25:46 he could change the times and what? 25:51 The times and the law. 25:54 Interesting. 25:56 Let me ask you. 25:58 What ordinances besides these geographical, 26:01 physical ordinances, 26:03 what other ordinance did God established at creation, 26:07 which cannot be changed or removed? 26:11 He made His Holy Sabbath. 26:15 He marked off the week seven days, 26:19 and He marked off the Sabbath as His day of rest. 26:24 Allow me to read you a statement from, 26:27 that we find in the Spirit of Prophecy, 26:29 this is in Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, 26:32 and Divorce, page 159. 26:34 I want you to notice the terminology 26:36 that Ellen White used here. 26:38 You know, she didn't know Hebrew, 26:39 she didn't really take time 26:41 to study out the meaning of the word ordinance, 26:45 but I find interesting that she would use 26:47 the word ordinance as she does with the first institution 26:51 that God established at creation 26:53 which was marriage. 26:55 Notice, God gave only one cause 26:58 why a wife should leave her husband, 27:01 or the husband leave his wife, which was adultery? 27:05 Let this ground be prayerfully considered, 27:09 marriage was from the creation 27:12 constituted by God a divine ordinance. 27:16 Marriage was created what? 27:19 A divine ordinance, 27:21 the marriage institution was made in Eden, 27:24 the Sabbath of the fourth commandment 27:25 was instituted in Eden. 27:27 When the foundations of the world were laid, 27:29 when the morning stars sang together, 27:32 and all the sons of God shouted for joy. 27:35 Then let this God's institution of marriage 27:40 stand before you as firm 27:43 as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. 27:47 Interesting that she would connect marriage 27:49 with the Sabbath. 27:50 You know, there is, this big debate 27:52 in the Christian world today. 27:54 You have, the people on the left 27:57 who want to change marriage 28:01 and they want to say that marriage can be 28:03 between a man and a man and a woman and a woman 28:05 irrespective of the fact that God created marriage 28:08 to be between a man and a woman 28:10 so they're trying to change marriage, 28:13 but on the other side of the spectrum 28:15 you have people on the right 28:16 who are saying that we need to change the Sabbath. 28:23 They're not any less guilty than those who are saying 28:25 that we're supposed to change marriage 28:28 because God also established the seventh-day Sabbath 28:31 at creation. 28:32 So how can you fight against gay marriage 28:35 and not at the same time fight in favor of the Sabbath 28:40 which God established at the very beginning of time? 28:44 Now allow me to read you this interesting statement 28:46 from Patriarchs and Prophets, page 111 28:49 and notice the terminology that she uses. 28:52 Like the Sabbath 28:54 the week originated at creation, 28:57 and it has been preserved and brought down to us 28:59 through Bible history. 29:01 And here's the term that I want us to notice, 29:03 God Himself measured off. 29:08 Remember that we read a few texts 29:10 where it says that God marked, 29:12 measured when He set these creation ordinances in place. 29:17 She says once again. 29:21 God Himself measured off the first week as a sample 29:26 for successive weeks to the close of time, 29:29 like every other it consisted of seven literal days, 29:33 six days were to be employed in the work of creation, 29:37 upon the seventh God rested and He then blessed this day 29:41 and set it apart as a day of rest for man. 29:46 And then she connects it with the sun. 29:49 Notice, volume three of Selective Messages, 29:52 page 318 and 319, she says, 29:54 "All those who hold 29:56 the beginning of their confidence firm 29:58 on to the end will keep the seventh-day Sabbath 30:02 which comes to us as marked by the sun." 30:06 In other words, as God set the sun in the sky 30:09 to rule the day as an unchangeable decree, 30:13 so God established at the same time 30:16 the Sabbath as His unchangeable decree. 30:20 By the way you're saying, 30:22 does the Sabbath commandment, 30:28 is the word ordinance used with regards 30:31 to the Sabbath commandment? 30:33 Absolutely. 30:34 Notice, Signs of the Time, September 14, 1882, 30:38 the creator of the heavens and the earth commanded, 30:42 the seventh-day is the Sabbath of the Lord, thy God, 30:45 in it thou shalt not do any work, 30:48 this command, now notice this, 30:50 this command was enforced by the example of its author." 30:56 That's profound. 30:59 It wasn't enforced by you do it. 31:02 It was enforced by the example of the author. 31:05 Proclaimed with His own voice 31:08 and placed in the very bosom of the Decalogue. 31:12 Now notice this, 31:14 but the papal power has removed. 31:19 You could use the word change there also, 31:21 she uses the word changed in other venues. 31:24 But the papal power has removed, notice this, 31:27 this divine ordinance and substituted a day 31:33 which God has not sanctified 31:36 and upon which He did not rest 31:38 the festival so long adored by the heathens 31:42 as the venerable day of the sun. 31:47 Interesting. 31:49 So the first two phrases are, they have changed, 31:55 they have transgressed what? 31:57 The laws. 31:58 Second, they have changed what? 32:01 The ordinance. 32:02 And by the way it's interesting 32:04 that the word that is used here is in singular. 32:08 There is a particular ordinance that has been changed. 32:12 And as we've noticed this word ordinance 32:16 used in the context of creation refers to something 32:20 that was established and which cannot be changed. 32:25 Now let's notice the third phrase, 32:28 the third phrase is that they have broken 32:30 the everlasting covenant. 32:32 Now in order to understand the covenant, 32:34 we need to comprehend two things. 32:36 First of all, the covenant has two aspects. 32:39 First of all you have covenant law, 32:42 and in the second place you have covenant sacrifice. 32:46 Now Covenant law of course is the Ten Commandments. 32:49 We're going to read a text in the moment that shows that, 32:51 covenant laws are Ten Commandments. 32:54 But when people transgress the Ten Commandments, 32:56 what do you need as a result? 32:58 You need the covenant sacrifice, right? 33:01 So covenant law and covenant sacrifice 33:04 are very closely related one to the other. 33:08 Now what I want to show you 33:10 is that the law is referred to as the covenant. 33:13 Notice, Deuteronomy 4:12-13, 33:18 Deuteronomy 4:12-13. 33:22 This speaks about covenant law, it says, 33:26 "And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. 33:30 You heard the sound of the words 33:33 but saw no form, 33:35 you only heard a voice. 33:37 So He declared to you, notice this, 33:40 His covenant 33:42 which He commanded you to reform that is ten, 33:46 the Ten Commandants and He wrote them 33:49 on two tablets of stone." 33:52 So let me ask you, 33:53 are the Ten Commandments the covenant? 33:56 Absolutely, it says so here, 33:58 so he declared to you His covenant 34:01 which He commanded you to perform, 34:03 that is the Ten Commandments. 34:06 But I want you to notice also 34:08 that the Bible speaks about covenant sacrifice also 34:11 because the law has been transgressed, 34:14 a covenant sacrifice is required. 34:17 Notice Matthew 26:27-28. 34:22 Matthew 26:27-28 and then we'll also read 34:27 from the Book of Hebrews in a few moments. 34:30 Matthew 26 is speaking about 34:31 the institution of the Lord's Supper. 34:34 And it says there, "And as they were eating 34:37 Jesus took bread, 34:39 blessed and broke it 34:41 and gave it to the disciples and said, 34:44 'Take, eat, this is my body, 34:49 then He took the cup and gave thanks 34:50 and gave it to them saying, 34:52 drink from it all of you." 34:55 Now notice this, 34:56 "For this is my blood of the" what? 35:00 "Of the new covenant 35:01 which is shed for many for the remission of sins." 35:07 So you have the covenant 35:09 and you have the blood of the covenant. 35:12 Notice, Hebrews 13:20-21, 35:15 Hebrews 13:20-21, 35:20 once again the blood is referred to in conjunction 35:23 with the everlasting covenant, it says, 35:27 "Now may the God of Peace 35:28 who brought up our Lord Jesus Christ 35:31 from the dead, 35:32 that great shepherd of the sheep, 35:35 through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 35:40 make you complete in every good work 35:43 to do His will working in you 35:45 what is well pleasing in His sight 35:47 through Jesus Christ to whom the glory for ever, 35:50 to whom be glory for ever and ever, amen." 35:53 Amen. 35:55 So you have in Hebrews 35:57 as well as in Matthew the blood of the covenant. 36:01 In Deuteronomy we have the tables of the covenant. 36:05 We have the law of the covenant. 36:07 Now, how do these two relate to one another? 36:11 You know, some people say, 36:12 well, now that we have the blood of the covenant, 36:15 we don't need the tables of the covenant anymore. 36:18 In other words, now we're under grace 36:20 and the Old Testament was all law, 36:23 but you see that it's not the issue 36:25 when we talk about covenant law and covenant sacrifice 36:29 or covenant grace. 36:31 You see, covenant law shows us that we need Christ's grace, 36:36 that we need salvation through His blood. 36:40 But that doesn't mean that 36:42 because we receive Jesus as our Savior 36:44 and when we confess our sins, 36:46 and when we repent from our sins, 36:48 Jesus forgives us and He looks upon us 36:50 as if we never sinned, 36:52 that now we can go out and we can continue sinning. 36:56 You see, covenant law and covenant sacrifice 36:59 are related with regards to us 37:01 in the sense that through the blood of Jesus 37:04 our sins are all are forgiven, 37:06 but through the blood of Jesus 37:08 also we repent in a way in which we want to do that 37:12 which is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. 37:14 Amen. Amen. 37:16 In fact, if you go with me to Hebrews 8:10-12 37:20 you'll find these two ideas together. 37:22 Forgiveness and God writing the law on our hearts. 37:26 You see, God wants to do two things 37:27 He wants to forgive our transgression of the covenant, 37:30 He wants to forgive 37:31 our transgression of the Ten Commandments, 37:33 but then He wants to take those Ten Commandments 37:35 and He wants to write them on our minds and on our hearts. 37:39 Notice Hebrews 8:10-12, 37:43 "For this is the covenant that I will make 37:45 with the house of Israel after those days, 37:48 says the Lord." 37:50 Now notice this, 37:52 I will put my laws in their mind, 37:56 and write them on their hearts. 37:58 And I will be their God and they shall be my people. 38:02 None of them shall teach his neighbor 38:05 and none his brother saying, 38:06 "No the Lord for all shall know me 38:09 from the least of them to the greatest of them." 38:12 That's the first aspect writing the law on our minds 38:15 and on our hearts but then notice verse 12, 38:18 for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness 38:22 and their sins, 38:23 and their lawless deeds I will what? 38:26 I will remember no more, there is forgiveness. 38:30 Writing the law on the heart and forgiveness both, 38:34 and a person who says I am forgiven 38:36 but does not want to keep God's law. 38:40 Is really not forgiven 38:42 because forgiveness demands true repentance 38:45 and at it demands confession of our sin to God. 38:49 Now do you know that the Book of Revelation 38:51 also presents this idea of covenant law 38:54 and covenant sacrifice 38:55 and God's people embracing both? 38:58 Notice what we find in Revelation 7:13-14, 39:03 Revelation 7:13-14, you know, 39:05 usually we identify Adventists 39:07 as those who keep the Ten Commandments. 39:10 And that's one of the identifying characteristics. 39:14 But there's another as well. 39:16 Notice, Revelation 7:13-14. 39:21 Then one of the elders answered saying to me, 39:23 "Who are these arrayed in white robes, 39:27 and where did they come from? 39:30 This is the redeemed. 39:32 And I said to him, sir, you know, so he said to me, 39:36 these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation 39:40 and have kept the Ten Commandments." 39:45 That's a revised Bohr version. 39:49 It's not what it says, 39:51 so he said to me these are ones 39:53 who'll come out of the great tribulation 39:55 and wash their ropes and made them white 39:58 in the blood of the Lamb. 40:00 Covenant sacrifice, 40:02 but then we all know those texts that say 40:04 that God's people will also be commandment keepers. 40:07 Notice Revelation 12:17, Revelation 12:17, 40:12 it says and the dragon was in rage with the woman, 40:15 and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, 40:19 who what? 40:20 Who keep the commandments of God 40:22 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 40:25 Now of course we all know 40:28 where the characteristics of God's remnant are given, 40:32 here is the patience of the saints, 40:35 here are those who what? 40:37 Here are those who keep the commandments of God 40:40 and the faith of Jesus. 40:44 So let me ask you, is it just possible 40:46 that in the end time, 40:49 most of the world is going to slight the law of God 40:52 and is also gonna slight the grace of Christ? 40:57 Absolutely. 40:59 And so what do we find in these three expressions 41:02 in Isaiah 24:5-6, 41:05 they have transgressed the laws. 41:09 They have changed the ordinance, 41:12 one specific ordinance 41:14 which God established at creation 41:16 like He established all of these other things 41:18 at creation. 41:20 And they have broken what? 41:22 The everlasting covenant, 41:25 covenant law and covenant grace. 41:27 And you'll say, well, Pastor Bohr, 41:29 are you saying then that we're saved 41:31 because we keep the Ten Commandments? 41:33 Absolutely not. 41:35 You see, folks, when we come to Jesus Christ 41:37 as our Savior and as our Lord, we see what sin did to Jesus, 41:42 will not only ask Jesus to forgive our sins, 41:45 but will ask Jesus to write His law in our hearts 41:48 because we don't want to continue 41:50 causing Him the pain 41:52 that He had when He was on the cross 41:53 as a result of our sins. 41:55 In other words when we come to the cross of Jesus, 41:57 we see covenant law punishing Jesus in our place 42:02 because He took our sins, but at the same time we say, 42:04 Lord Jesus, if sin did that with you, 42:07 I don't want anything more to do with sin. 42:10 Get me victory over sin. 42:12 Amen. 42:13 Do you know I found several texts? 42:16 The first of which I'm going to read is from Isaiah 26 42:19 in the same context of a passage 42:21 that we're studying 42:22 where the whole secret 42:24 to this issue of faith and works, 42:28 and grace and law are related to one another. 42:32 Notice Isaiah 26:12 42:35 and we're going to read these text very carefully, 42:38 Isaiah 26:12. 42:41 By the way this chapter speaking about the redeemed, 42:43 it's speaking about God's people in the end time. 42:47 Lord, You will establish peace for us. 42:54 Now notice this, 42:56 you have also done 42:59 all our works in us. 43:04 Did you catch that? 43:06 You have also done all our works in us. 43:12 So whose works are they? 43:15 They're God's works. 43:17 God is the one who works in and through us. 43:21 Notice Philippians 2:12-13, Philippians 2:12-13, 43:26 the same idea comes through time and again. 43:30 You see if God is working in, 43:32 His righteousness will work out. 43:35 Says in Philippians 2:12, "Therefore my beloved, 43:39 as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only, 43:43 but now much more in my absence." 43:46 Now notice this. 43:48 "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." 43:53 Now wait a minute. 43:56 We're supposed to work out our own salvation 43:59 is what it says. 44:00 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 44:04 but then comes the balancing statement, 44:06 for it is God who works in you, 44:10 both to will, 44:12 in other words He gives us the desire both to will 44:15 and to do His good pleasure. 44:20 You see obedience is the fruit. 44:23 Obedience is not the root. 44:26 Notice Revelation 19:7-8, 44:29 once again that you have this idea here 44:31 of works having something to do 44:34 with the genuineness of your faith. 44:37 Notice Revelation 19:7-8, 44:39 it's speaking about God's glistening, 44:42 purify church. 44:44 And the church is spoken of as being clothed in white. 44:48 Notice, let us be glad and rejoice 44:51 and give Him glory, 44:52 for the marriage of the Lamb has come 44:55 and his wife has made herself ready 44:58 and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen." 45:02 Let me ask you, what does the fine linen represent? 45:07 The righteousness of whom? 45:09 You're sure about that. 45:15 Let's read verse 8 again. 45:18 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen 45:21 clean and bright, 45:23 for the fine linen is the righteousness of Christ. 45:29 Now wait a minute, 45:30 for the fine linen is the righteous... 45:32 A better translation as it is in the New King James, 45:36 for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 45:41 Now you'll say, now, wait a minute, you're saying 45:43 that the righteousness of the saints. 45:44 Yes, because God works that in them. 45:48 So they honor the glories for God, 45:49 but notice that the church has described 45:52 as working out the righteousness 45:54 of Jesus in the life. 45:57 Notice also Ephesians 2, Ephesians 2:8-10, 46:01 these passage is used all the time 46:03 by Christians to say that you know, 46:05 we don't really have to keep the law 46:06 because we're saved by grace through faith. 46:09 Let's read verse 10 also usually people skip verse 10, 46:14 it says there in Ephesians 2:8, 46:17 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. 46:23 And that of not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 46:26 Not of works lest anyone should boast. 46:31 So some people stop there. 46:32 See, it's not of works lest anyone should boast, 46:34 it's all by grace. 46:36 But notice verse 10. 46:38 "For we are His workmanship, created... 46:42 By the way, this is speaking about creation and redemption, 46:46 it's not talking about original creation, 46:47 it's now talking about recreation, redemption, 46:50 created in Christ Jesus for what? 46:54 For good works. 46:57 When we were redeemed what where we created for? 47:01 For good works, and we do all of those good works, right? 47:04 No. 47:06 Because it says, "Which God prepared beforehand 47:10 that we should walk in them. 47:13 That God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 47:18 One further verse Hebrews 13 47:20 from where we read a little while ago, 47:22 Hebrews 13:20-21. 47:25 Once again you have the same idea. 47:27 You know, God's people are going to be law abiding, 47:30 they're going to obey the law of God, 47:32 not because they have to 47:33 but because it comes from the heart, 47:35 because they love the Lord, 47:37 because they will have received Jesus as Savior and Lord, 47:40 because they have accepted covenant sacrifice. 47:43 They will delight to have the law of God 47:45 written in the heart and in the mind. 47:48 Notice Hebrews 13:20, "Now may the God of peace 47:53 who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, 47:57 that great shepherd of the sheep 47:59 through the blood of the everlasting covenant." 48:05 There's a consequence to that, notice verse 21, 48:09 "Make you complete 48:12 in every good work to do His will." 48:21 Notice, working in you, who is working in you? 48:26 God, working in you what is well pleasing 48:31 in His sight through Jesus Christ 48:34 to whom be glory for ever and ever, amen. 48:37 Amen. 48:40 Do you understand what the Bible is saying 48:41 when it says that people in the end time 48:43 will be destroyed 48:44 because they broke the everlasting covenant. 48:49 Do you understand what the Bible is saying 48:51 when it speaks about 48:52 because they have changed the ordinance, the choq? 48:57 Are you understanding what the Bible means 48:59 when it says that the destruction comes 49:02 because they have transgressed the laws? 49:05 You see, it's because they have, 49:07 they have refused to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. 49:14 Not only as Savior, he who accepts Jesus as Savior 49:17 must accept Him as Lord. 49:20 He who receives the grace of Jesus must also obey, 49:24 not by but voluntarily because he loves Jesus Christ. 49:30 Now you say, how can I ever reach this point. 49:34 Isaiah 26 has the answer. 49:37 You know the reason why we live lives 49:39 that have so little victory in them? 49:43 Because we are so caught up in the rat race of life, 49:46 so caught up in our own activities 49:48 even things that are not necessarily bad in themselves 49:50 that we don't have time to dwell upon the Lord. 49:54 Isaiah 26:1-3. 49:58 This is speaking about, 50:00 about what's going to take place in Revelation, 50:02 you have the Holy City, you have the gates. 50:03 Notice, in that day this song 50:06 will be sung in the land of Judah. 50:09 We have a strong city. What's the name of that city? 50:14 Jerusalem, God will appoint salvation 50:17 for walls and bulwarks. 50:20 Open the gates that the righteous nation 50:24 which keeps the truth may enter in. 50:30 Who are the ones inside the city? 50:31 Those who keep what? 50:33 The truth and they are righteous 50:37 according to this. 50:39 How did they... 50:40 How did they reach this condition? 50:42 Notice, you will keep him in perfect peace 50:48 whose mind is what? 50:50 Stayed on you 50:53 because he trusts in you. 50:58 So there you have the secret 50:59 of those who are within the holy city. 51:02 The reason why they are righteous nation, 51:04 the reason why they keep the truth as it is in Jesus. 51:09 Of course, you know the word is truth, 51:10 the law is spoken of as truth 51:12 is because their minds are stayed on Jesus. 51:18 This is not talking about taking a glimpse of Jesus 51:21 or glancing at Jesus, but it means lingering 51:24 and dwelling upon Jesus. 51:27 That's the only way in which we are changed. 51:31 2 Corinthians 3:18 will be our last text. 51:35 2 Corinthians 3:18, a verse that we all know very well. 51:40 Let's take a look at it again. 51:42 But we all with unveiled face, 51:47 beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. 51:51 What do we behold? 51:53 The glory of the Lord are being what? 51:58 Are being transformed into the same image 52:03 from glory to glory 52:04 just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 52:07 How are we transformed into the image 52:10 and likeness of Jesus? 52:12 By what? 52:13 By continually beholding the Spirit of the Lord 52:17 does that work in our lives and in our hearts. 52:21 By beholding His beautiful character, 52:23 by beholding His self sacrificing love, 52:26 and while we linger there 52:28 and while we dwell upon Him, we will not be among those 52:32 who are spoken of as breaking the everlasting covenant 52:36 and changing the ordinance and transgressing the laws, 52:41 we will be up among those 52:43 who keep the commandments of God 52:45 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 52:48 I'd like to end by reading a statement 52:50 that we find in Sons and Daughters of God, page 387. 52:55 I love this statement from Ellen White, 52:56 it's beautiful. 52:58 She says, "By beholding Christ, by talking of Him, 53:05 by beholding the loveliness of His character, 53:10 we become changed." 53:15 By beholding Christ, by talking of Him, 53:17 by beholding the loveliness of His character, 53:20 we become changed. 53:23 Changed from glory to glory. 53:28 What does that mean, change from glory to glory? 53:31 Well, the more you dwell on Him, 53:34 the greater the change. 53:37 And then she asks this question, 53:39 "What is glory?" 53:44 She answers, character and he becomes change 53:50 from character to character. 53:53 And then she says this, thus we see 53:56 that there is a work of purification 53:59 that goes on by beholding Jesus. 54:04 There is a work of purification that goes on as we what? 54:08 As we behold Jesus. 54:11 And by the way the word that is used here 54:13 for changed in 2 Corinthians 3:18, 54:15 is the very word that we get in English metamorphosis. 54:20 Let me ask you. 54:22 In what way is a caterpillar similar to a butterfly? 54:31 They look just like, don't they? 54:33 They're just opposite, one flies 54:35 and the other drags himself along. 54:39 Have ever seen a metamorphosis 54:41 of a caterpillar into a butterfly? 54:42 It's one of the most magnificent miracles 54:45 that you could ever witness. 54:47 To have this caterpillar 54:48 and then after a while the caterpillar, 54:50 caterpillar becomes a butterfly. 54:53 How did it happen? 54:55 A process known as metamorphosis. 54:59 You know God can do the same thing with us. 55:02 All we have to do is behold the lovely, 55:05 lovely character of Jesus as is found in His word. 55:09 And as He's found in other people 55:12 who need Jesus 55:14 because the face of Jesus is in them, 55:17 as we witness as we read scripture, 55:19 as we pray, as we have communion with Jesus, 55:22 our lives are changed 55:24 into His image and His likeness. 55:27 I pray to God that at 3ABN camp meeting, 55:29 this will be our experience 55:32 that we will truly be changed into the image 55:35 and likeness of Jesus. |
Revised 2017-06-08