Welcome to Bible Believers Fellowship where we love you enough to tell you the truth. On this program we will be looking at the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath. Various false teachings surrounding the Sabbath law will be exposed while we focus primarily on the true meaning of Sabbath to the Jew and to the Bible believer. So please open your Bible to Exodus chapter 20 and follow along. Exodus chapter 20 verses 8 through 11 We are going to look at commandment number four, and it is the Sabbath law. Beginning in verse eight, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." The Sabbath day today is a controversial topic, and we're going to look at why. You see that it's really important to rightly divide the Word of Truth or you can get tripped up and really get into a mess. And the wrong beliefs on the Sabbath have produced cults. Religions that because they're wrong on the Sabbath, that just is a symptom of their being wrong on their interpretation of the Word of God. And so not only are they wrong Sabbath law being for trying to apply it to us today, but then they give a false gospel. They end up off the deep end on the doctrine of salvation, and then they're teaching on prophecy. There's a saying, heresy begets heresy. And what that means is once you go off on the wrong interpretation on one thing, that normally leads, kind of like a snowball effect, it goes down the hill to finally you've got this mammoth a collection of heresy and you're just considered a cult. Look over at chapter 31 in Exodus. And of course, we'll run into this again, so we won't go too deep into this. But in Exodus 31, beginning in verse 12, Moses is told the purpose of the Sabbath. It says, In the Lord spake unto Moses, verse 12, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath thereof, for it is holy unto you, Everyone that defileth it shall surely be put to death. For whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done, but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death." He's repeating that. He's trying to say something. Verse 16 says, Wherefore, who? The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant. And here he is again. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed. So the point is that the Sabbath, first of all, does not appear until now, Exodus 20. There is no Sabbath in the book of Genesis, and there's no Sabbath until Exodus 20, and there is no Sabbath for Gentiles. The Sabbath is only for circumcised Jews who have willfully made a covenant through circumcision and keeping of the sacrifice with God and made a covenant of law. So unless you are a part of a nation with a temple in Jerusalem where you offer lamb and goat and turtle doves as a blood sacrifice to atone for your sin, unless that describes you, the Sabbath is not for you. You've got to get that nailed down. The Sabbath is for the Jews under the law. And there's no Sabbath before this. And you'll never find the Sabbath in the New Testament commanded for Christians. The other ten commandments, which would leave nine, are repeated in the New Testament. The Sabbath is never repeated for Christians. Look at Jeremiah real quick. Jeremiah chapter 11. beginning in verse 1, "...the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant..." Still talking about the same covenant we were reading. "...and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt from the iron furnace saying obey my voice and do them according to all which I command you so shall ye be my people and I will be your God." This covenant that he just said is what we're reading right now when they came out of Egypt and he made with the children of Israel. It's for Israel. It's not for the church. It's not for the church age. It's not for a born-again Christian. And we've repeated that over and over. The purpose of the law in this age has nothing to do with the covenant. The purpose of the law is for civil restraint in government and in society. And, as a schoolmaster, to show you that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. And it has nothing to do with your covenant with God. And unless that's the case, then you are not bound by Sabbath law. Now, here's one thing to keep in mind. When you see these folks who teach so-called Sabbath, there are those who teach the Seventh-day Sabbath, there are Seventh-day Adventists, there are Seventh-day Baptists, there are Seventh-day this and that's. They teach a Saturday Sabbath and they have church on Saturday. And then there are Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and most Protestant churches, and the Reformed Baptist movement, who teach that Sabbath was transferred over to Sunday. And we're going to see that that's false. And every one of them should be dead. Because the Bible says if you don't keep it the way He put it, then you die, and they all break it every Saturday and Sunday. You're only supposed to travel about a third of a mile, No one's supposed to cook, not just in your family, but if you go to a restaurant and you cause others to break the Sabbath, you're guilty. Let me say this. One thing they all have in common is, the same thing you see in some of these evangelical and fundamentalist churches with people who don't know what they believe and why either, is that when you go to the churches, they don't teach through the Bible. They pick and choose this issue, that issue all the time, and their people are plumb dumb. They don't know the Bible. And so when you take them to the Scripture and you talk about it, they don't even understand the context, they don't understand what you're talking about, because they don't know more than 10% of the book. And I'm sorry, unless you learn the book, you might as well get used to being blind and walking around bumping your head into walls, spiritually. That's what your life's going to be like. Boom, boom, boom. Constantly running into walls. You know, and it's really, it's just not intelligent. on an intellectual level, but it's not an intellectual thing. It's a spiritual thing. But you think about how silly that is. But you see, that's what you're up against on a physical level. We deal with that all the time. But on a spiritual level, when you're talking to people, and we have people that we work with, and they come to you to talk and everything, and they think you're crazy, but the answer is not just to get a quick fix and have me write you an answer like a prescription. What you need to do is start daily feeding on the Word of God and prayer and witnessing and everything God told you to do, do that. Then you'll see changes. But God is not going to reward your laziness and apathy by having Mike Kaler sitting over there waiting to give you wisdom from on high every time you find yourself in neck deep. And that's what people think. Well, turn over to John 20, and let's look at what we as Christians need to understand in relation to the Sabbath. There is no Sabbath for Christians, and we do worship on Sunday. So why do we worship on Sunday? And let me tell you that if you know anyone who is a Seventh-day Adventist, their official doctrine is that we have the mark of the beast because we worship on Sunday. This is a quote from Advent Review. This is 1850. I just got this off the internet, but I wanted to go back to where it began with the Seventh-day Adventists. It goes all the way back. This isn't anything new. The Adventists have always believed this. Quote, The Sunday Sabbath is purely a child of the papacy. It is the mark of the beast. End quote. Now, the Pope did not start Sunday worship. And everyone knows that, including Seventh-day Adventists today. The Pope, just like the Bible, Bible believers already had their 66 books and believed the Bible to be the Word of God. A couple of centuries later, the Pope declared that, hear ye, hear ye, we now recognize these books. That doesn't mean that he established the canon of Scripture. He confirmed that they agreed with what Bible believers had already settled. Then later they added the Apocrypha and all that to it and, you know, made a joke of it. But Christians settled the Bible as soon as it was done in 105 A.D. It was shortly after that that there was no question at all, and there's actually letters back and forth where they discuss all the books of the Bible. And Peter called Paul's letters Scripture, and Paul called the Gospels, you know, Scripture and all that. Well, here's another quote from Ellen G. White, who is their prophetess, and she's the big cheese of Seventh-day Adventists. And she wrote in her book called The Great Controversy, Volume 4, page 281, says, quote, The change of the Sabbath is the sign or mark of the authority of the Romish Church. The keeping of the counterfeit Sabbath is the reception of the mark. And one more, because it just adds a little bit to what I just read back in the Advent Review Extra, same time, 1850. Quote, Sunday keeping. is an institution of the first beast. All who submit to obey this institution emphatically worship the first beast and receive his mark, the mark of the beast. Those who worship the beast and his image by observing the first day are certainly idolaters as were the worshipers of the golden calf." There you go. So, when you're talking to people about this and they're coming at you about the seventh day, Especially if they're Seventh-day Adventists, they believe you've got the mark of the beast if you go to church on Sunday. Well, in John chapter 20, here is why we have church on Sunday. Let's start here. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early. The first day of the week. That's Sunday. Jesus arose at dawn on Sunday. And in case you didn't know that, that's why we get together for church. on Sunday. He appears in verses 14 and 18 victorious over death. Sunday. Read verses 19 and 20. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, Sunday, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. He appears then glorified. Look at verse 21 though. We're not done. Verse 21, Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. So there, Jesus has commissioned believers on Sunday. Look at verse 22. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Jesus empowers them on Sunday. So, it's pretty clear that Sunday is a very significant time because of that. Look at Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20 and verse 7. And upon the first day of the week, When the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight." The first day of the week is Sunday. And it was clear that this was a practice. It was a given that they were going to come together on the first day of the week. Now, Paul gives instructions over in 1 Corinthians. Turn over a few more pages to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. And he's giving instructions in 1 Corinthians 16 to the Church of Corinth, and again makes it clear that it is an established practice of Christians to meet together on Sunday. 1 Corinthians 16, beginning verse 1, now concerning the collection for the saints, As I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye, upon the first day of the week. Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." So, these are just some of the references that we can run, but that should be enough for anybody to see that Christians meet on Sunday and did from the very beginning, met on Sunday, not on Saturday. Now, there are a few instances where it says Paul went into the synagogue, but that wasn't to meet with other Christians. That was so he could witness to the Jew first, before he then went out to the Gentiles and preached to the Gentiles. And that was his practice. Where would he go to the Jews? To the synagogue. And when he was in there, he would then preach Jesus Christ as Messiah. He would preach Psalm 22 and Deuteronomy 18 for starters, and then Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 and all those Messianic passages. And he would show that Christ had to suffer and die before being resurrected and glorified and then returning to establish His kingdom. Now, just as this question, it's like Mike said, how can you see all this and still not get it? Well, there's more to it than that. It's not just what we see in a practice of the early Christians, but turn over to Colossians. And in Colossians chapter 2, Paul deals with this whole thing as far as don't do this and do that, but also about Sabbaths and holy days and the whole thing. In Colossians chapter 2, Colossians 2, verse 8, Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. And in other places, Paul constantly tells people that it's got to be God's Word. It's got to be God's way, not man's way. In Acts 17, verse 11, the Berean believers were called more noble because they searched the Scripture daily to check if what Paul was preaching was biblical. So they even checked him out. Now verse 9 says, For in him, talking about Jesus Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him. Now that's a mouthful right there. Which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. See, we're not under a covenant of circumcision of the flesh under law. We're under a covenant of circumcision of the Spirit in Christ. Look at verse 12. buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." That quickening is the new birth, being born again. And verse 14 is a key verse now. blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. The covenant of law could not save and did not save anybody. And Christ, He didn't come to destroy it, He came to fulfill it. And He did. He was not only sinless, but He fulfilled the law in every aspect And then He took the guilt that you and I have because of law, and it says right here, nailed it to His cross. So the whole Sabbath burden, as it became, was nailed to the cross. And we are no longer under that burden. Just keep reading here, verse 15, And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Now verse 16, "...let no man, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink..." Come on, Mike, I know you want to say amen. Now here's key, "...or in respect of any holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come. But the body is of Christ. It's like this. The law was just a shadow in the sense that it only showed you kind of dimly what you needed to know and it pointed you to the cross. But when the cross came, then we saw clearly what we needed. We knew our need from the law, but we didn't have an answer. But the cross provides an answer. And so, Those who try to keep the Sabbath law and those who pin themselves down on the law to try to somehow earn righteousness, that's the equivalent of you seeing Angel come and then when He shows up in the driveway, you run out and then you drop to the ground and start kissing His shadow. You ran right past your husband and kissed His shadow. And that's what people are doing when they try to keep the law. Christ is what we're supposed to chase after. It's the cross that saves us. And so when we put ourselves under the law, we've passed the cross, went right past Jesus, and we're hugging the shadow, which can't do a thing for us. It's so liberating. And that's what I feel so pity for these people. I'm just full of pity for them. Whether they're a Catholic trying to keep the sacraments, or an Adventist who can't eat meat, has to go to church on Saturday and has to endure to the end and they don't know they're saved unless they endure to the end and one of these days they might know they're saved if they've endured to the end. You know, that sort of thing. It doesn't matter what law. You throw the Muslim in there. You know, that type of thing. Praying five times a day, facing Mecca and all the, you know, other rules and regulations they're trying to keep and, you know, the Buddhists, you know, they're trying to become one with the universe or whatever through meditation and this and that. The monks in the monasteries, whether it's Buddhist or Roman Catholic, they think through self-sacrifice and some of them still flagellate and beat themselves bloody and all kinds of things. Down in Mexico and Guatemala and places like that, every Easter season, they nail people to crosses because they're trying to pay for their own sins. It doesn't matter what the law is. You have just put yourself under a burden that is too big to bear. And you put yourself in a circumstance where you will never have, number one, that's never going to save you. And in this life, you'll never have peace. You'll never have the joy and the peace. Beginning verse 18 says, Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility. See, that's the problem. It's a voluntary humility. It's not what God has told us to do, but it's a show of humility. And he goes on to give an example in worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. Now, it's just coincidence that most of the people we just named off who are on this works-based kick, they get into the angel worship. And worship of Mary and the saints and all that's the same thing. And verse 19, and not holding the Head, capital H in my Bible. That's a reference to Jesus. He's the Head. He's the object of worship. "...from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle not." And Mike says, I rebuke thee. Which all are to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men. Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship. That's not true worship. Will-worship is you conjuring it up. And it has a show of wisdom in will-worship and humility and neglecting of the body, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. Not only is keeping the Sabbath and trying to put yourself back under this covenant, and even when you make it up and choose which ones and which you're not and all that, it's a burden. But turn over to Hebrews. Hebrews is written to, guess who? Hebrews. Jews. And these are Hebrews who profess to be Christians, but are doing exactly what we're talking about. Trying to keep that law. Stay under the law. Keep the Sabbath. The whole book is to convince them to let it go, man. Let it go. And in Hebrews 4, let's just start in verse 1. Let us therefore fear, lest the promise being left to us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. See, the whole purpose of the Sabbath is rest. And it was a sign for the Jews. They would rest. And the world knew they rested on the Sabbath and the special holy days. And that's why now that they're regathering in the nation of Israel, guess when the Arabs thought they could wipe them out? Yom Kippur, 1973. And verse 2 says, For unto us was the gospel preached. Of course, it's to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. As well as unto them, But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest. As he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place, again, if they shall enter into my rest, seeing, therefore, it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief, again he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time as it is said, Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." That's telling the Jews that Jesus has accomplished the fulfillment of that Sabbath rest. And He has become our Sabbath rest. When He died on the cross, He shed His blood and He said, it is finished, meaning it's finished. So stop trying to add something to it. And don't try to go back and put yourself under that law that He nailed to the cross. And when He died on the cross, paid the full price, was buried and rose again the third day, He then won the victory for us, and He has now become that Sabbath rest for us. And by faith in Christ, we can experience that Sabbath rest spiritually in this life. And then, after this life, it's an eternal Sabbath. An eternal rest. And it's all in Jesus. And it doesn't have anything to do with you and I trying to work and keep the covenant, keep the Sabbath, and try to work our way into this or that. We are set free from that by the blood of Jesus Christ. If you will visit our website at kjvbiblebelievers.com, you can download all of our messages in mp3 format, you can watch hours of free video, and you can find dozens of articles all for your use at absolutely no charge. This program was brought to you by Bible Believers Fellowship, P.O. Box 662, Worthington, Ohio 43085. Thank you for listening.