I have to say something. I've fallen short of God. I've sinned. Last week's sermon was not my own words, for the most part. With stress from school, and spiritual dilemmas, I became vulnerable to the Devil and opened my arms to welcome him. But now He has shown me my wrong, and has declared that I need to take a step back. Until I get my spiritual and academic life on track, I won't be doing a weekly sermon of my own. I'll always announce when it is mine or someone else's words. I'm sorry for any disapointment I caused.
Last week's sermon and this weeks are all acredited to http://www.sabbathfellowship.org/biblestudies/erwingane/biblestudy_gane_sabbathchng.htm
I may change the occasional words, or take out lines I don't actually agree with, but the majority is quoted.
Last week I announced that we'd be answering the question: DID THE APOSTLE PAUL REJECT THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH?
Despite the evidence that Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16) and encouraged His followers to do the same (Matt. 24:20), and despite the evidence that Paul customarily observed the Sabbath (Acts 13, 16, 17, 18), some Bible students focus on certain passages in Paul's writings as supposed evidence that he sought to do away with the seventh-day Sabbath. The two passages that are usually presented are Romans 14:5, 6 and Colossians 2:13-17.
The Romans passage in context reads as follows:
"Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. 5. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God" (Rom. 14:1-6).
Referring to verses 5 and 6, R. C. H. Lenski incorrectly comments: "We see no reason for refusing to assume that the distinction here touched upon refers to the Jewish Sabbath. What other day would any Roman Christian judge to be above other days? That self-chosen days are referred to is scarcely to be assumed. It is not difficult to see that a few Jewish Christians, some of them who perhaps came from the old mother church in Jerusalem, still clung to the Sabbath much as the Christians did after Pentecost."
If Lenski is correct, Paul was condoning those who were disregarding the seventh-day Sabbath? Other Sunday keeping scholars disagree with Lenski, and he is most certainly in error. In his writings, Paul consistently accepted the authority of the Ten Commandments as the standard of righteousness. "Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law" (Rom. 3:31). Paul identified the law that faith upholds as the Ten Commandments. "What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'. . . So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. . . . For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin" (Rom. 7:7, 12, 14). Christ died "so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"(Rom. 8:4).
It is inconceivable that one who had such a confirmed respect for the Ten Commandment law of God should summarily reject one of the commandments as no longer valid for Christians. Raoul Dederen pertinently comments: "It is to be noted, however, that the attempt to connect the Sabbath of the Decalogue with the 'days' mentioned in this passage is not convincing for everyone.(3) Who could have a divine commandment before him and say to others: 'You can treat that commandment as you please; it really makes no difference whether you keep it or not'? No apostle could conduct such an argument. And probably no man would be more surprised at that interpretation than Paul himself, who had utmost respect for the Decalogue, God's law, which is 'holy, and just, and good' (chap. 7:12). Christ, the norm of all Pauline teaching, was indisputably a Sabbathkeeper. And Paul himself, who evidently cannot be reckoned among the 'weak,' worshiped on the Sabbath 'as was his custom' (Acts 17:2, R.S.V.; cf. Luke 4:16).
"There is no conclusive evidence to the contrary. Paul was in no doubt as to the validity of the weekly Sabbath. Thus, to assume that when they were converted to Christianity by Paul, Gentiles or Jews would be anxious to give up the 'Jewish' Sabbath for their 'own day' is hardly likely. This could be expected only at some later time in the history of the Christian church, and for other reasons."
A number of conclusions emerge from a careful consideration of the passage:
(1) Romans 14 is not speaking of moral issues on which we have a clear "Thus saith the Lord." Verses 1-4 clearly make the point that God accepts both the spiritually strong who eat any food as well as the weak who think they should eat only vegetables. Speaking of both groups verse 4 says, "And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand."
(2) The stronger Christians who use any kind of food are not eating that which is physically harmful. For them to do so would be a contradiction of their Christian commitment. Earlier in the epistle Paul instructs: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Rom. 12:1). To deliberately appropriate as food that which God condemns as harmful (see Lev. 11; Isa. 65:3, 4; 66:15-17) cannot be said to be behavior that God can accept; nor is it an acceptable application of the Romans 12:1 counsel. In his first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul seriously warns against defiling the body temple. "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Cor. 3:16, 17). But in Romans 14, God accepted the diet of the non-vegetarians. The issue was not a matter of health. Since God accepted both parties, the dietary issue among the Roman Christians was a matter of indifference (adiaphora); it was not a question of right and wrong.
Paul says later in the chapter, "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love" (Rom. 14:14, 15). This parallels the remark in his epistle to Timothy: "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving" (1 Tim. 4:4) Are we therefore to assume that slugs and snails and the kinds of flesh condemned in the Old Testament as unfit for food can now be eaten because the Christian has been given unrestrained freedom in questions of diet? Obviously not! What Paul is saying is that everything that God created as acceptable for food may be partaken of. But Paul is not condoning the eating of that which would be harmful to health whether it is specifically mentioned in Scripture or not. Since our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, imbibing that which is hurtful to health is a moral issue. The issue in Rome was not a question of health; it was a question of preference in matters that did not involve right and wrong in God's sight. But one party did not recognize that the specific dietary question was a non-issue. Vegetarians today who refrain from eating flesh for health reasons have a different motivation than did the vegetarians in the Roman church.
(3) In Romans 14:5, 6, Paul treats the controversy over days in a similar manner. The question was not a moral issue as it would have been if one of the Ten Commandments was being questioned. The Sabbath and worship are not even mentioned in the passage. The observance of the days in question, whatever days they were, was not a matter of right and wrong. The Lord accepted both parties, those who observed the days and those who did not. In the light of Matthew 24:20, the Lord could not have accepted anyone who did not honor His Sabbath day, as Jesus had honored it during his life on earth (Luke 4:16) and as Paul himself honored it (Acts 13, 15, 17, 18).
(4) Roul Dederen has pointed out that there seems to have been a clear connection between the observance of days in Rome and the vegetarianism of the weaker Christians. Those who were abstaining from eating particular foods "in honor of the Lord" seem to have been those who were observing particular days in honor of the Lord (verse 6). Dederen's suggestion is that there was a party in the Roman church that chose to refrain from certain foods on certain days which they regarded as religious fast days. He writes: "Paul's statement in Romans 14:2, 'One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables' (R.S.V.) is curiously analogous to his thought in verse 5, 'One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike' (R.S.V.). He mentions the two cases together, and later in the chapter he declares that a man should not be judged by his eating (verses 10-13), which may imply that Paul is referring to fast days. It appears quite probable from the context that Paul here is correlating the eating with the observance of days. Most likely--although it is impossible to ascertain this--the apostle is dealing with fast days in a context of either partial or total abstinence.
"Here again the Essenes may have caused the problem It is certainly significant that besides abstaining from meat and wine--at least at times--they were also very specific in the matter of observing days. They sanctified certain days that were not observed by the general stream of Jews. . . .
"Some pertinent observations emerge now that could well tie in the matter of diet with that of esteeming certain days above others. The Essenes scrupulously abstained from meat and wine--at least at times. They added certain feast days to the regular Jewish calendar. The discussion over the point existed in Jewry prior to the advent of Christianity. Could it be that the controversy was carried over into the Christian church and finds itself reflected in Romans 14? In this case, the practice of the weak may be compared with the early Christian custom indicated in the Didache of fasting twice every week. Is it not significant, and relevant as well, that we have in this document too a matter of diet and days connected in a controversial issue?"
The Didache or Teaching that Dederen cites is a late first- or early second-century document.(6) It reveals a controversy in the Christian church over fast days. The relevant statement reads: "Your fasts must not be identical with those of the hypocrites. They fast on Mondays and Thursdays; but you should fast on Wednesdays and Fridays."(7) The hypocrites are a reference to the Jews whose fast days were Mondays and Thursdays.(8) By contrast, Christians were to Fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.
We know that in Jesus' day there was a controversy over fasting. (See Matt. 6:16-18; 9:14, 15; Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33-35.) In fact, in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee prayed, "I fast twice a week" (Luke 18:12). It seems that it would not be unusual for the fasting controversy of Jesus' day to carry over into the early Christian church with lively discussion as to which days would be the most appropriate for fasting.
Some have suggested that the days referred to in Romans 14:5, 6 were the ceremonial feast days of the Jewish religious year. (See Lev. 23; Num. 28, 29.) Although this is a possibility, the suggestion seems to be ruled out by the fact that these days were feast days, not fast days. Paul's discussion of the controversy over days (Rom. 14) is associated with his discussion of abstinence from food. Hence it seems that Dederen's suggestion of the presence in the Roman church of an ascetic group like the Essenes who were insisting on abstinence from certain foods on certain days is the most likely explanation.
At all events, the passage gives no warrant for the conclusion that Paul rejected the seventh-day Sabbath.
A second passage that is often cited as evidence that Paul rejected the seventh-day Sabbath is Colossians 2:13-17. In the New American Standard Bible, the passage is translated as follows:
"13. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14. having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. 16. Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17. things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
Verses 13 and 14 are speaking of God's forgiveness of the believer's sins made possible by Christ's death on the cross. Some would have us believe that the law was nailed to the cross. But this is not what the text is saying. It was our indebtedness in view of our having broken the law that was nailed to the cross. Verse 14 may be translated, "Blotting out the handwriting in decrees which was against us which was contrary to us, and he took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross." The "handwriting" (Greek: cheirographon) refers to a bond or certificate of debt.(9) The certificate of debt was "in decrees" (Greek: tois dogmasin). God had decreed that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). Jesus took the death which was ours so that we can have the life which is His. (Compare Romans 5:15-21.) "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21). It was our guilt born by Jesus Christ that was nailed to the cross. As we have noted above, the law remains as the standard expression of God's righteousness. Christ died "so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4).
Not only did Jesus suffer for our sins on the cross, he disarmed Satan and his cohorts and publicly displayed to the world and the universe the evil demons that they are. "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15).
Verse 16 adds the corollary: No one can now judge the believer in regard to ritualistic eating and drinking or in respect to the sacrificial observances involved in the practice of the ceremonial law. "These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ" (verse 17).
The phrase "a festival [feast] or a new moon or a sabbath" (Col. 2:16, RSV) is an idiomatic or stylized reference to the ceremonial sacrifices offered in the ancient Israelite sanctuary or temple. The Old Testament background is in Numbers 28 and 29 and Leviticus 23, in which the burnt offerings daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly are listed. There were five yearly feasts, involving seven ceremonial sabbaths. The seven ceremonial sabbaths were:
(1) The first day of the feast of unleavened bread (Lev. 23:7).
(2) The last day of the feast of unleavened bread (Lev. 23:8).
(3) The feast of weeks, 50 days after the feast of unleavened bread (Lev. 23:21).
(4) The feast of trumpets on the first day of the seventh month (Lev. 23:24, 25).
(5) The day of atonement on the 10th day of the 7th month (Lev. 23:27-32).
(6) The first day of the feast of tabernacles (Lev. 23:35).
(7) The last day of the feast tabernacles (Lev. 23:36).
Seven Old Testament passages use some form of the phrase "feasts, new moons, sabbaths" (1 Chron. 23:31; 2 Chron. 2:4; 8:12, 13; 31:3; Neh. 10:33; Eze. 45:17; Hosea 2:11). Consistently these passages refer to the burnt offerings to be offered weekly, monthly, and yearly. Usually the feasts specify only the three pilgrimage feasts (Unleavened Bread, Weeks or Pentecost, and Tabernacles). The sabbaths must, therefore, include the ceremonial sabbaths--otherwise Solomon, for example, would have failed to offer burnt offerings on the days of Trumpets and Atonement.
"Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord that he had built in front of the vestibule, as the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual festivals--the festival of unleavened bread, the festival of weeks, and the festival of booths [tabernacles]" (2 Chron. 8:12, 13). If the "sabbaths" mentioned in the passage did not include ceremonial sabbaths, Solomon would have failed to offer the stipulated burnt offerings on the feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, because the feasts as listed exclude these two ceremonial sabbaths.
The word sabbath (whether singular or plural) in the phrase "feast, new moon, sabbath" specifies the burnt offerings for weekly and annual (ceremonial sabbaths). Colossians 2:16, 17 is simply teaching that the sacrifices offered weekly (sabbath), monthly, or yearly were a "shadow" pointing forward to Christ (see Heb. 8:5; 10:1), which lost their significance at the cross. Now no one has a right to judge those who reject these ceremonial observances which pointed forward to the sacrifice and heavenly ministry of Jesus Christ. The phrase "feast, new moon, sabbath" is simply a stylized way of referring to the temporary ceremonial observances that typified the work of our Savior.
Although the special animal sacrifices commanded for the weekly Sabbath (Num 28; Lev. 23) no longer have significance, the weekly Sabbath itself remains as a perpetual memorial of Creation (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Matt. 24:20; Heb. 4:9) and a sign of sanctification (Ex. 31:13) and redemption (Heb. 4:9-11).
The "food and drink" (Col. 2:16, RSV) may refer to the meal and drink offerings that were presented to God along with the burnt offerings (see Num. 28:2, 5, 7, 9, 13, 14, etc.). Or they may refer to ritualistic eating and drinking or abstaining from eating and drinking of the kind referred to in Romans 14:1-6. Or they may refer to eating or not eating food that had been offered to idols (1 Cor. 8).
The force of the passage (Col. 2:13-17) is that, since Christ has died for our sins, and we have now been forgiven, ceremonial, ritualistic observances that foreshadowed aspects of his sacrificial and mediatorial ministries have been done away, and no Christian should allow himself to be judged in respect to these ceremonial observances. Paul was not abolishing the weekly Sabbath which, according to the book of Acts, he consistently observed.
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Next week we will tackle the question, "WHEN AND WHERE DID SUNDAY OBSERVANCE BEGIN?"
May the Lord bless all of you. I love you.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Holy Sabbath, Part 1
Outline
Opening Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Music: Sabbath Day by Neville Peters
Main Text: Exodus 31:13-18
Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Dear Father, as our week comes to a close, we want to thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon us. Thanks for the eagle that was released on this day, thanks for the warmer weather, thanks for bees returning to pollinate our growing flowers. The blessings are without number, Lord, and we humble ourselves with the endless gratitude for Your mercy.
God, we pray You are sitting with us, here, as we read through what I have written. We pray that every word, Lord, is given to me by You. Help the lesson You have presented here today to soften our hearts to be more able to hear and accept what You say.
In Your merciful name, AMEN.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrNwYJRdoQY&feature=related
“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”
And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
(EXODUS 31:13-18, NKJV)
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I'm here to talk about the Sabbath. Get that curser away from the exit box! I know many of you that read my sermons do not follow the Saturday is the Sabbath day idea. I understand that. Yes, I will be doing some preaching here, but the bottom line is this: we don't know, nor will we ever know for sure. Besides, my biggest peeve are not those who keep Sunday as the Sabbath, it is those who do not keep the Sabbath holy, whether it be Saturday or Sunday. So, bear with me. I will poke around the "which day is the Sabbath day" argument, but if you find it hard to focus in on that, please just listen closely to the points where I tell to "keep the Sabbath holy". Open your heart to really hear the words and feel their power.
So, I will start off a little preachy right away. Remember, I am asking you to be tolerant. If you disagree or you have some information I should know, by all means, share! I am on a search for truths, as God calls us to do, and anything that can draw me closer to the Truth is very much appreciated. This sermon will be split into a couple different parts. This is such a loaded topic, that it would be burdensome to the eyes if yall had to read all I had to say in a single sitting.
Many Sunday observers argue that the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week dates back to Jesus and His apostles. They assert that Sunday observance replaced the seventh-day Sabbath for most Christians as early as the first century A.D. and became a fixed custom by the mid-second century. Therefore, they urge that all Christians today should regard the seventh-day Sabbath as a Jewish institution that should not be observed. Since Sunday was the first day of creation week (Gen. 1:5) and the day on which Christ rose from the dead (Matt. 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-9), it should be observed as a day of Christian worship and rejoicing in accordance with the custom of the early Christian fathers. In fact, Sunday keepers argue that observance of the seventh-day Sabbath is a highly legalistic custom that is thoroughly consistent with those Jewish ceremonial practices abolished when Jesus died on the cross.
This theory raises a whole series of questions in regard to the teaching of the New Testament and the testimony of history. Did Jesus change the day from the seventh to the first day of the week? Did the apostles urge that Sunday be observed as a memorial of the resurrection of Christ? Did they themselves observe Sunday as a special day of worship? Was first-day worship a substitute for Sabbath worship for most Christians as early as the second century A.D.? Was the Sabbath regarded by early Christians as a purely Jewish institution with no significance for followers of Christ? What does history have to teach us regarding the reason for the change of the day from the seventh to the first day of the week? These questions are vital for Christians today! If it happens to be unscriptural and unhistorical that Sunday observance was initiated by Christ and the apostles, those who argue so strenuously for it today are supporting a non-Christian practice. If Jesus and the apostles observed the seventh-day Sabbath, and Sunday keeping crept into the Christian Church over a period of centuries as pagan ideas and practices became more and more acceptable, those who reject the Sabbath today are spurning one of Christ's commandments and are, therefore, in grave danger of being rejected by God. To be a Christian is to believe and act as Jesus did (John 14:15; Rev. 3:21; 12:17; 14:12). To profess faith in Christ while rejecting aspects of His teaching and refusing to live and worship as He instructed is to be guilty of serious sin. "Whoever says, 'I have come to know him,' but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked" (1 John 2:4-6).
Notice that I was a little harsh in some of my above statements. I do that because those who have any hint of doubt in their Sunday worship, they must come to understand that it is a sign from God. I am a Saturday worshipping individual, so of course I feel strongly on this matter. However, if someone is truley convicted that Sunday IS the holy Sabbath, I have no right to go up and say 'I am right and you are wrong'--nor would I EVER consider taking that approach! I am a newborn in my faith so I know very little. In fact, I know nothing. I can have faith in what I follow, but I will not KNOW until Christ comes again. Besides, even if Saturday is the true Sabbath day, maybe God has a specific reason for having some individuals feel so sure of Sunday worship. The Divine knows all before it occurs, so I have no position to question Him in any way.
Continuing, we will begin with the Scriptures and then turn to history for the answers to the questions we are asking. A much more complete discussion of the Sabbath-Sunday question can be found in the book edited by Kenneth A. Strand, The Sabbath in Scripture and History (Washington, DC.: Review and Herald, 1982).
DID JESUS AND THE APOSTLES CHANGE THE DAY OF WORSHIP FROM THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH TO SUNDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK?
First, I feel the need to point out verse 18 of the 31st chapter in Exodus: "And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God." It was written with the finger of GOD. Even Jesus can not change the words of the Father. The Lord is consistant, so He wouldn't permit His Son to alter His holy day.
Then, the word Sunday is not found in the Bible. In the New Testament the first day of the week is mentioned eight times. In none of the eight instances is the first day said to be a day of worship, never is it said to be the Christian substitute for the Old Testament Sabbath, and never do the texts suggest that the first day of the week should be regarded as a memorial of Christ's resurrection. Let us briefly consider each of the eight New Testament passages that mention the first day of the week.
Matthew 28:1, "After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake. . . ." Jesus was crucified on Friday. He rested in the tomb over the Sabbath and rose early on Sunday morning. The verse indicates that the women disciples returned to the tomb at the very first opportunity after the death and burial of Jesus. Because the Sabbath came so soon after His burial, they could not approach the tomb again until after sundown on Sabbath evening. (The Sabbath began at sundown on the sixth day and ended at sundown on the seventh day; compare Lev. 23:32; Neh. 13:19; Mark 1:21, 32) Early Sunday morning was the most convenient time for them to visit the tomb.
Mark 16:1, 2, "When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb." Mark records the same events as Matthew with the additional information that the women visited the tomb early on the Sunday morning for the express purpose of anointing Jesus' body with spices.
Mark 16:9, "Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons." This verse simply records that, after His resurrection early on the Sunday morning, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
Luke 23:54 24:1, "It [the day of Jesus' death and burial] was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared." The Sabbath came a few hours after Jesus' death on the cross. The women disciples "rested the sabbath day according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56, KJV). Then very early in the morning of the first day they visited the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. The fact that they observed the Sabbath rest is sufficient indication that Jesus had never attempted to change the day or to suggest that after His death the first day would replace the Sabbath. Writing years after the event, Luke gave not the slightest hint that, even though the women disciples of Jesus observed the Sabbath, such a practice was no longer expected of Christians. He simply recorded that the Sabbath day "according to the commandment," which Jesus' followers were careful to observe, was the day after the crucifixion day (Friday), and before the resurrection day (Sunday).
John 20:1, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb." Mary Magdalene visited the tomb early the first day of the week. Nothing is said of Sunday as a day of worship or rest.
John 20:19, "When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'" On the evening of the first day of the week the disciples were assembled behind locked doors "for fear of the Jews." Jesus appeared to them at that time. The passage does not say that henceforth Sunday was to be the day for worship. Since it was the evening of the first day of the week that Jesus appeared to the disciples, it was after sundown. According to Jewish reckoning this was actually the beginning of the second day (Monday; compare Gen. 1:5, 8). A week later when Thomas happened to be present, Jesus met with the disciples again (verse 26). But, writing years later, John records nothing regarding Sunday as a day of Christian worship. John's narrative gives no warrant for regarding Sunday as a substitute for the Sabbath or as a day to be distinguished by Christians above any other day of the week. And there is no indication in the passage that Sunday should henceforth be observed as a memorial of Christ's resurrection.
Acts 20:7, "On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight." Since the meeting was held at night on the first day of the week, it may have been Saturday night. According to Jewish reckoning, the Sabbath ended and the first day of the week began at sundown of the seventh day. If it were Sunday evening, the event gives no suggestion that Sunday should be observed as a day of worship. The following verses record that Paul preached a sermon on Thursday. The next day after the meeting recorded in Acts 20:7 (Monday), Paul and his party set sail for Mitylene (Acts 20:13, 14). The following day (Tuesday) they arrived opposite Chios (verse 15). The next day (Wednesday) they passed Samos (verse 15), and the day after that (Thursday) they arrived at Miletus (verse 15). The elders of the church of Ephesus met Paul at Miletus, and he preached to them (Acts 20:16-36). Because a Christian service was held on Thursday, do we conclude that Thursday is a day for regular Christian worship replacing the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath? A religious service on Sunday, Thursday, or any other day certainly did not make that day a replacement for the seventh-day Sabbath or a day of regular Christian worship and rest. There is no special significance in the disciples breaking bread at this first-day meeting, for they broke bread "daily" (Acts 2:46). We are not told that it was a Lord's Supper celebration, nor are we told that henceforth Sunday should be the day for this service to be conducted. To read Sunday sacredness or Sunday observance into Acts 20:7 is to do violence to the text.
Corinthians 16:1, 2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem." These verses may be literally translated from the Greek as follows: "And concerning the collection for the saints, as I instructed the churches of Galatia, so also you do. On the first day of the week let each of you place (or 'lay') by himself, storing up whatever he might be prospered, so that when I come there might be no collections." (Italics supplied.) The phrase "by himself" (par' heauto), followed by the participle "storing up" or "saving" (thesaupizon), rules out the possibility that this is a reference to an offering taken up in a worship service. The Christian believer was to check his accounts on Sunday and put by at home the money that he wished to give to Paul for the support of the church. When Paul arrived, then the offerings of each individual would be collected.
None of these eight New Testament references to the first day of the week (Sunday), provides any evidence that Jesus or His disciples changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first day. Nor is the first day of the week represented as a time to memorialize the resurrection of Christ. Whatever special significance was given to Sunday in the later history of the church, it had no basis in the teaching or practice of Jesus and His apostles.
Jesus instructed His disciples to observe the Sabbath after His death (Matt. 24:20). Jesus' instruction was incorporated into His interpretation of Daniel 8 (compare Matthew 24:15 ff.). Daniel predicted that the work of the little horn power would continue until the setting up of God's kingdom (Dan. 8:25). Hence, Jesus' instruction to flee from the little horn power was not confined to Christians at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70). Toward the end of time, during the great tribulation of Matthew 24:21, of which earlier tribulations were a type or preview, God's people will be obliged to flee again. Jesus' instruction that we pray that our flight will not be on the Sabbath day emphasizes His will that we engage in only those activities on the Sabbath that are consistent with worship and spiritual rest.
The record of the book of Acts (chapters 13, 1618) establishes that the apostles consistently kept the Sabbath day as a time for worship and fellowship. This observance was not merely a means of meeting the Jews in the synagogue on their Sabbath day. In Philippi, Paul and his companions met for worship by the riverside. Luke says, "On the sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed [or "thought" or "assumed" : Greek nomizo] there was a place for prayer. . . ." (Acts 16:13). The apostles selected a place by the river that they thought would be appropriate for their Sabbath worship service, and there they prayed and witnessed for their Lord.
Jesus and the apostles kept the seventh-day Sabbath and instructed others to do likewise.
Thanks for bearing with me for this :) Next week I will continue on with this, starting with the question "Did the Apostle Paul reject the seventh-day Sabbath?". I hope I didn't chase anyone away.
Have a blessed week.
______________________________________________
Dear Lord, no matter what day we sit and honor You, we pray we do it in a way that is pleasing in Your sight. You have told us to honor the Spirit of the Law more so than focus on the Word of the Law.
As we continue on with this week, we pray we walk in Your steps, Father, that all we do is good in Your sight, so You can say that You are 'well pleased'. In Christ's Name we pray, AMEN.
Opening Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Music: Sabbath Day by Neville Peters
Main Text: Exodus 31:13-18
Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Dear Father, as our week comes to a close, we want to thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon us. Thanks for the eagle that was released on this day, thanks for the warmer weather, thanks for bees returning to pollinate our growing flowers. The blessings are without number, Lord, and we humble ourselves with the endless gratitude for Your mercy.
God, we pray You are sitting with us, here, as we read through what I have written. We pray that every word, Lord, is given to me by You. Help the lesson You have presented here today to soften our hearts to be more able to hear and accept what You say.
In Your merciful name, AMEN.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrNwYJRdoQY&feature=related
“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”
And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
(EXODUS 31:13-18, NKJV)
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I'm here to talk about the Sabbath. Get that curser away from the exit box! I know many of you that read my sermons do not follow the Saturday is the Sabbath day idea. I understand that. Yes, I will be doing some preaching here, but the bottom line is this: we don't know, nor will we ever know for sure. Besides, my biggest peeve are not those who keep Sunday as the Sabbath, it is those who do not keep the Sabbath holy, whether it be Saturday or Sunday. So, bear with me. I will poke around the "which day is the Sabbath day" argument, but if you find it hard to focus in on that, please just listen closely to the points where I tell to "keep the Sabbath holy". Open your heart to really hear the words and feel their power.
So, I will start off a little preachy right away. Remember, I am asking you to be tolerant. If you disagree or you have some information I should know, by all means, share! I am on a search for truths, as God calls us to do, and anything that can draw me closer to the Truth is very much appreciated. This sermon will be split into a couple different parts. This is such a loaded topic, that it would be burdensome to the eyes if yall had to read all I had to say in a single sitting.
Many Sunday observers argue that the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week dates back to Jesus and His apostles. They assert that Sunday observance replaced the seventh-day Sabbath for most Christians as early as the first century A.D. and became a fixed custom by the mid-second century. Therefore, they urge that all Christians today should regard the seventh-day Sabbath as a Jewish institution that should not be observed. Since Sunday was the first day of creation week (Gen. 1:5) and the day on which Christ rose from the dead (Matt. 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-9), it should be observed as a day of Christian worship and rejoicing in accordance with the custom of the early Christian fathers. In fact, Sunday keepers argue that observance of the seventh-day Sabbath is a highly legalistic custom that is thoroughly consistent with those Jewish ceremonial practices abolished when Jesus died on the cross.
This theory raises a whole series of questions in regard to the teaching of the New Testament and the testimony of history. Did Jesus change the day from the seventh to the first day of the week? Did the apostles urge that Sunday be observed as a memorial of the resurrection of Christ? Did they themselves observe Sunday as a special day of worship? Was first-day worship a substitute for Sabbath worship for most Christians as early as the second century A.D.? Was the Sabbath regarded by early Christians as a purely Jewish institution with no significance for followers of Christ? What does history have to teach us regarding the reason for the change of the day from the seventh to the first day of the week? These questions are vital for Christians today! If it happens to be unscriptural and unhistorical that Sunday observance was initiated by Christ and the apostles, those who argue so strenuously for it today are supporting a non-Christian practice. If Jesus and the apostles observed the seventh-day Sabbath, and Sunday keeping crept into the Christian Church over a period of centuries as pagan ideas and practices became more and more acceptable, those who reject the Sabbath today are spurning one of Christ's commandments and are, therefore, in grave danger of being rejected by God. To be a Christian is to believe and act as Jesus did (John 14:15; Rev. 3:21; 12:17; 14:12). To profess faith in Christ while rejecting aspects of His teaching and refusing to live and worship as He instructed is to be guilty of serious sin. "Whoever says, 'I have come to know him,' but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked" (1 John 2:4-6).
Notice that I was a little harsh in some of my above statements. I do that because those who have any hint of doubt in their Sunday worship, they must come to understand that it is a sign from God. I am a Saturday worshipping individual, so of course I feel strongly on this matter. However, if someone is truley convicted that Sunday IS the holy Sabbath, I have no right to go up and say 'I am right and you are wrong'--nor would I EVER consider taking that approach! I am a newborn in my faith so I know very little. In fact, I know nothing. I can have faith in what I follow, but I will not KNOW until Christ comes again. Besides, even if Saturday is the true Sabbath day, maybe God has a specific reason for having some individuals feel so sure of Sunday worship. The Divine knows all before it occurs, so I have no position to question Him in any way.
Continuing, we will begin with the Scriptures and then turn to history for the answers to the questions we are asking. A much more complete discussion of the Sabbath-Sunday question can be found in the book edited by Kenneth A. Strand, The Sabbath in Scripture and History (Washington, DC.: Review and Herald, 1982).
DID JESUS AND THE APOSTLES CHANGE THE DAY OF WORSHIP FROM THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH TO SUNDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK?
First, I feel the need to point out verse 18 of the 31st chapter in Exodus: "And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God." It was written with the finger of GOD. Even Jesus can not change the words of the Father. The Lord is consistant, so He wouldn't permit His Son to alter His holy day.
Then, the word Sunday is not found in the Bible. In the New Testament the first day of the week is mentioned eight times. In none of the eight instances is the first day said to be a day of worship, never is it said to be the Christian substitute for the Old Testament Sabbath, and never do the texts suggest that the first day of the week should be regarded as a memorial of Christ's resurrection. Let us briefly consider each of the eight New Testament passages that mention the first day of the week.
Matthew 28:1, "After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake. . . ." Jesus was crucified on Friday. He rested in the tomb over the Sabbath and rose early on Sunday morning. The verse indicates that the women disciples returned to the tomb at the very first opportunity after the death and burial of Jesus. Because the Sabbath came so soon after His burial, they could not approach the tomb again until after sundown on Sabbath evening. (The Sabbath began at sundown on the sixth day and ended at sundown on the seventh day; compare Lev. 23:32; Neh. 13:19; Mark 1:21, 32) Early Sunday morning was the most convenient time for them to visit the tomb.
Mark 16:1, 2, "When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb." Mark records the same events as Matthew with the additional information that the women visited the tomb early on the Sunday morning for the express purpose of anointing Jesus' body with spices.
Mark 16:9, "Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons." This verse simply records that, after His resurrection early on the Sunday morning, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
Luke 23:54 24:1, "It [the day of Jesus' death and burial] was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared." The Sabbath came a few hours after Jesus' death on the cross. The women disciples "rested the sabbath day according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56, KJV). Then very early in the morning of the first day they visited the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. The fact that they observed the Sabbath rest is sufficient indication that Jesus had never attempted to change the day or to suggest that after His death the first day would replace the Sabbath. Writing years after the event, Luke gave not the slightest hint that, even though the women disciples of Jesus observed the Sabbath, such a practice was no longer expected of Christians. He simply recorded that the Sabbath day "according to the commandment," which Jesus' followers were careful to observe, was the day after the crucifixion day (Friday), and before the resurrection day (Sunday).
John 20:1, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb." Mary Magdalene visited the tomb early the first day of the week. Nothing is said of Sunday as a day of worship or rest.
John 20:19, "When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'" On the evening of the first day of the week the disciples were assembled behind locked doors "for fear of the Jews." Jesus appeared to them at that time. The passage does not say that henceforth Sunday was to be the day for worship. Since it was the evening of the first day of the week that Jesus appeared to the disciples, it was after sundown. According to Jewish reckoning this was actually the beginning of the second day (Monday; compare Gen. 1:5, 8). A week later when Thomas happened to be present, Jesus met with the disciples again (verse 26). But, writing years later, John records nothing regarding Sunday as a day of Christian worship. John's narrative gives no warrant for regarding Sunday as a substitute for the Sabbath or as a day to be distinguished by Christians above any other day of the week. And there is no indication in the passage that Sunday should henceforth be observed as a memorial of Christ's resurrection.
Acts 20:7, "On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight." Since the meeting was held at night on the first day of the week, it may have been Saturday night. According to Jewish reckoning, the Sabbath ended and the first day of the week began at sundown of the seventh day. If it were Sunday evening, the event gives no suggestion that Sunday should be observed as a day of worship. The following verses record that Paul preached a sermon on Thursday. The next day after the meeting recorded in Acts 20:7 (Monday), Paul and his party set sail for Mitylene (Acts 20:13, 14). The following day (Tuesday) they arrived opposite Chios (verse 15). The next day (Wednesday) they passed Samos (verse 15), and the day after that (Thursday) they arrived at Miletus (verse 15). The elders of the church of Ephesus met Paul at Miletus, and he preached to them (Acts 20:16-36). Because a Christian service was held on Thursday, do we conclude that Thursday is a day for regular Christian worship replacing the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath? A religious service on Sunday, Thursday, or any other day certainly did not make that day a replacement for the seventh-day Sabbath or a day of regular Christian worship and rest. There is no special significance in the disciples breaking bread at this first-day meeting, for they broke bread "daily" (Acts 2:46). We are not told that it was a Lord's Supper celebration, nor are we told that henceforth Sunday should be the day for this service to be conducted. To read Sunday sacredness or Sunday observance into Acts 20:7 is to do violence to the text.
Corinthians 16:1, 2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem." These verses may be literally translated from the Greek as follows: "And concerning the collection for the saints, as I instructed the churches of Galatia, so also you do. On the first day of the week let each of you place (or 'lay') by himself, storing up whatever he might be prospered, so that when I come there might be no collections." (Italics supplied.) The phrase "by himself" (par' heauto), followed by the participle "storing up" or "saving" (thesaupizon), rules out the possibility that this is a reference to an offering taken up in a worship service. The Christian believer was to check his accounts on Sunday and put by at home the money that he wished to give to Paul for the support of the church. When Paul arrived, then the offerings of each individual would be collected.
None of these eight New Testament references to the first day of the week (Sunday), provides any evidence that Jesus or His disciples changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first day. Nor is the first day of the week represented as a time to memorialize the resurrection of Christ. Whatever special significance was given to Sunday in the later history of the church, it had no basis in the teaching or practice of Jesus and His apostles.
Jesus instructed His disciples to observe the Sabbath after His death (Matt. 24:20). Jesus' instruction was incorporated into His interpretation of Daniel 8 (compare Matthew 24:15 ff.). Daniel predicted that the work of the little horn power would continue until the setting up of God's kingdom (Dan. 8:25). Hence, Jesus' instruction to flee from the little horn power was not confined to Christians at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70). Toward the end of time, during the great tribulation of Matthew 24:21, of which earlier tribulations were a type or preview, God's people will be obliged to flee again. Jesus' instruction that we pray that our flight will not be on the Sabbath day emphasizes His will that we engage in only those activities on the Sabbath that are consistent with worship and spiritual rest.
The record of the book of Acts (chapters 13, 1618) establishes that the apostles consistently kept the Sabbath day as a time for worship and fellowship. This observance was not merely a means of meeting the Jews in the synagogue on their Sabbath day. In Philippi, Paul and his companions met for worship by the riverside. Luke says, "On the sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed [or "thought" or "assumed" : Greek nomizo] there was a place for prayer. . . ." (Acts 16:13). The apostles selected a place by the river that they thought would be appropriate for their Sabbath worship service, and there they prayed and witnessed for their Lord.
Jesus and the apostles kept the seventh-day Sabbath and instructed others to do likewise.
Thanks for bearing with me for this :) Next week I will continue on with this, starting with the question "Did the Apostle Paul reject the seventh-day Sabbath?". I hope I didn't chase anyone away.
Have a blessed week.
______________________________________________
Dear Lord, no matter what day we sit and honor You, we pray we do it in a way that is pleasing in Your sight. You have told us to honor the Spirit of the Law more so than focus on the Word of the Law.
As we continue on with this week, we pray we walk in Your steps, Father, that all we do is good in Your sight, so You can say that You are 'well pleased'. In Christ's Name we pray, AMEN.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Mightest Glacier
Outline
Opening Prayer- Lindsay Lagasse
Scripture Reading- Proverbs 3:6
Music- He Leadeth Me (537 SDA Hymnal)
Sermon- Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer- Lindsay Lagasse
Bless'ed Shepherd, thank You for leading us this past week and all the time before. From birth until death, You guide us with loving hands, knowing that we are sheep who have gone astray. Each of us is a priceless jewel who, to You, is worth saving at all costs. This is why You sent Your only Begotten Son to die for us, a lost race that did not deserve Your mercy. Thank You. We not bow humbly before You, asking that You speak through me, dear Friend, that what I say is pleasing to You. I pray that out there someone who needs these words is reading what I have wrote. We know You know, Father, what is on our hearts. Let all that is written here today bring bountiful blessings to those witnessing. In the Name of our Lord and Saviour, AMEN.
"In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." PROVERBS 3:6
Lyrics included: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAcgX3Aqo9g
_______________________________________________
Your paths! Then, every man’s path is distinct for him, and for no other. The paths may lie side by side, but they are different. They have converged; they may diverge. When Peter had been told of the rugged nature of the predestined path which was marked out for him in the Providence of God, he turned towards John, his companion and friend, and said to Jesus, “What shall this man do?” The Lord instantly replied, in effect: “That is a matter in which I can brook no interference; it is entirely a matter for my choice and will; if I will, it may be that he shall tarry till I come.”
We need to be divinely directed. — The man who stands above the maze can direct you through all it by the readiest path. God who made you for your life, and your life for you, can direct you, and He only.
First: Look to a verse before, Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Lean not to your own understanding. — One is apt to pride oneself on one’s far-sighted judgment. We consult our maps and guides and the opinions of fellow-travellers, to find ourselves at fault. We have to learn that our own understanding is not keen enough or wise enough to direct; we must renounce all dependence on it.
Second: In all thy ways acknowledge Him (back to Proverbs 3:6). — Let your eye he single; your one aim, to please Him; your sole motive, His glory. It is marvellous how certainly and delightfully our way open before us when we no longer look down on it, or around at others, but simply upwards into the face of Christ. It is a universal law, unalterable as the nature of God, that no created being can be truly holy, useful, or happy, who is knowingly and deliberately out of the Divine fellowship, for a single moment.
If you ever visit Alaska, you'll want to see the glaciers. These huge packs of ice have formed over many years.
Each year new snow falls on old snow in the basins between mountain peaks. Because the weather stays cold, the snow falls faster than it melts, making the snow very deep. The weight of the new snow presses the old snow tighter, until the lower levels become solid ice or glaciers.
As the ice on the mountain gets deeper, gravity causes the glaciers to slide downhill. As they slide, they push huge boulders with them.
Most glaciers slide only a little distance each day. Sometimes the toe of the glacier is on land, and it gets warm enough to melt. But if the ice toe hangs over a body of water, it breaks off into the water below. This is called calving (because it looks much like as if a giant cow was giving birth)!
If you know what to look for, you can see places where glaciers have moved. Many are now lush U-shaped valleys in which forests and meadows flourish. Only the strength of a great glacier could shape such a valley.
What is happening in your life? Are you learning life lessons from your hard times? Have you chosen to keep God as your focus? In Proverbs 3:6, it is clearly stated that if we acknowledge God, He will keep our paths straight. God knows what is ahead and He will help you "slide" the right way. A glacier is mighty and able to tear through some rough terrain, but isn't God all the mightier?
On that point, I must testify. When I came into the church, things were pretty swell. But as time passed, life took a turn for the worse. I cursed the Father on numerous occasions, believing He was toying with me and trying to bring me down. I decided to take matters into my own hands. You know what? It made matters all the worse. I said some things to people I love that I will never be able to take back. That time ruined my life. Defeated and lost, I turned back to God. I realized the error of my ways, thinking I could handle this alone. And you know what? God forgave me. Since turning back and humbly bowing before Him, He has made my life one of bounty. I won't say it is all an easy hike on a comfortable spring day in flat terrain; heck, there are still a hundred mountains for me to climb! But He has given me a destination, and I know that whatever is His will, will be possible for me with His guidance. He has made my once swerved path, straight. Trust in Him, and He will do the same for you.
___________________________________________
Beloved Savior, thank You for laying Your merciful hand into our lives. Like the mighty glacier, which carves a path through impossible terrains, You clear a way for us in life. Only by Your Divine grace can we flourish. We pray You keep our paths straight this week, Lord, and You guide our eyes to stay on You alone. This world has so many distractions, but with Your help, we can always remember to stay above the petty pleasures, for they are only temporary reliefs. You, Father, are eternal joy. In Christ's Name we pray, AMEN.
Opening Prayer- Lindsay Lagasse
Scripture Reading- Proverbs 3:6
Music- He Leadeth Me (537 SDA Hymnal)
Sermon- Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer- Lindsay Lagasse
Bless'ed Shepherd, thank You for leading us this past week and all the time before. From birth until death, You guide us with loving hands, knowing that we are sheep who have gone astray. Each of us is a priceless jewel who, to You, is worth saving at all costs. This is why You sent Your only Begotten Son to die for us, a lost race that did not deserve Your mercy. Thank You. We not bow humbly before You, asking that You speak through me, dear Friend, that what I say is pleasing to You. I pray that out there someone who needs these words is reading what I have wrote. We know You know, Father, what is on our hearts. Let all that is written here today bring bountiful blessings to those witnessing. In the Name of our Lord and Saviour, AMEN.
"In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." PROVERBS 3:6
Lyrics included: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAcgX3Aqo9g
_______________________________________________
Your paths! Then, every man’s path is distinct for him, and for no other. The paths may lie side by side, but they are different. They have converged; they may diverge. When Peter had been told of the rugged nature of the predestined path which was marked out for him in the Providence of God, he turned towards John, his companion and friend, and said to Jesus, “What shall this man do?” The Lord instantly replied, in effect: “That is a matter in which I can brook no interference; it is entirely a matter for my choice and will; if I will, it may be that he shall tarry till I come.”
We need to be divinely directed. — The man who stands above the maze can direct you through all it by the readiest path. God who made you for your life, and your life for you, can direct you, and He only.
First: Look to a verse before, Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Lean not to your own understanding. — One is apt to pride oneself on one’s far-sighted judgment. We consult our maps and guides and the opinions of fellow-travellers, to find ourselves at fault. We have to learn that our own understanding is not keen enough or wise enough to direct; we must renounce all dependence on it.
Second: In all thy ways acknowledge Him (back to Proverbs 3:6). — Let your eye he single; your one aim, to please Him; your sole motive, His glory. It is marvellous how certainly and delightfully our way open before us when we no longer look down on it, or around at others, but simply upwards into the face of Christ. It is a universal law, unalterable as the nature of God, that no created being can be truly holy, useful, or happy, who is knowingly and deliberately out of the Divine fellowship, for a single moment.
If you ever visit Alaska, you'll want to see the glaciers. These huge packs of ice have formed over many years.
Each year new snow falls on old snow in the basins between mountain peaks. Because the weather stays cold, the snow falls faster than it melts, making the snow very deep. The weight of the new snow presses the old snow tighter, until the lower levels become solid ice or glaciers.
As the ice on the mountain gets deeper, gravity causes the glaciers to slide downhill. As they slide, they push huge boulders with them.
Most glaciers slide only a little distance each day. Sometimes the toe of the glacier is on land, and it gets warm enough to melt. But if the ice toe hangs over a body of water, it breaks off into the water below. This is called calving (because it looks much like as if a giant cow was giving birth)!
If you know what to look for, you can see places where glaciers have moved. Many are now lush U-shaped valleys in which forests and meadows flourish. Only the strength of a great glacier could shape such a valley.
What is happening in your life? Are you learning life lessons from your hard times? Have you chosen to keep God as your focus? In Proverbs 3:6, it is clearly stated that if we acknowledge God, He will keep our paths straight. God knows what is ahead and He will help you "slide" the right way. A glacier is mighty and able to tear through some rough terrain, but isn't God all the mightier?
On that point, I must testify. When I came into the church, things were pretty swell. But as time passed, life took a turn for the worse. I cursed the Father on numerous occasions, believing He was toying with me and trying to bring me down. I decided to take matters into my own hands. You know what? It made matters all the worse. I said some things to people I love that I will never be able to take back. That time ruined my life. Defeated and lost, I turned back to God. I realized the error of my ways, thinking I could handle this alone. And you know what? God forgave me. Since turning back and humbly bowing before Him, He has made my life one of bounty. I won't say it is all an easy hike on a comfortable spring day in flat terrain; heck, there are still a hundred mountains for me to climb! But He has given me a destination, and I know that whatever is His will, will be possible for me with His guidance. He has made my once swerved path, straight. Trust in Him, and He will do the same for you.
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Beloved Savior, thank You for laying Your merciful hand into our lives. Like the mighty glacier, which carves a path through impossible terrains, You clear a way for us in life. Only by Your Divine grace can we flourish. We pray You keep our paths straight this week, Lord, and You guide our eyes to stay on You alone. This world has so many distractions, but with Your help, we can always remember to stay above the petty pleasures, for they are only temporary reliefs. You, Father, are eternal joy. In Christ's Name we pray, AMEN.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Lessons from the Animals
Itinerary
Opening Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Scripture Reading: Job 17:12
Sermon: Rodelio Mallari
Closing Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Father in Heaven, thank You for this beautiful day You have given us. Even when the weather shifts around the country, sometimes bringing some not-so-pleasant precipitation, we can know that You care. You give us every day as a gift, not as a right. We bow humbly before You asking for forgiveness for those times we show no gratitude and forget that every breath is a blessing from You. Thank You. In Christ's name, AMEN.
“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;" JOB 12:7
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/lessons-from-the-animals-rodelio-mallari-sermon-on-animals-150879.asp?Page=2
Dear Almighty, life can be so tough. But in our trials and tribulations, we draw closer to You, for we realize we can not survive on our strength alone. We are weak in heart, but You are strong. So, Father, please guide us in this coming week. Help us to be a sheep, and not a swine. Help us to not be a worm in your sight. Have mercy on this sinful race, and help us to do Your will, not our own. In the Name of Christ, AMEN.
Opening Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Scripture Reading: Job 17:12
Sermon: Rodelio Mallari
Closing Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Father in Heaven, thank You for this beautiful day You have given us. Even when the weather shifts around the country, sometimes bringing some not-so-pleasant precipitation, we can know that You care. You give us every day as a gift, not as a right. We bow humbly before You asking for forgiveness for those times we show no gratitude and forget that every breath is a blessing from You. Thank You. In Christ's name, AMEN.
“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;" JOB 12:7
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/lessons-from-the-animals-rodelio-mallari-sermon-on-animals-150879.asp?Page=2
Dear Almighty, life can be so tough. But in our trials and tribulations, we draw closer to You, for we realize we can not survive on our strength alone. We are weak in heart, but You are strong. So, Father, please guide us in this coming week. Help us to be a sheep, and not a swine. Help us to not be a worm in your sight. Have mercy on this sinful race, and help us to do Your will, not our own. In the Name of Christ, AMEN.
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