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Should a Christian observe the Sabbath?

2
00:00:15,083 --> 00:00:18,322
I should have expected this 
one would come up too.

3
00:00:18,322 --> 00:00:20,106
Ah, I thought about this one.

4
00:00:20,106 --> 00:00:23,465
Is this going to get me in trouble?

5
00:00:23,465 --> 00:00:24,683
Here's two of them.

6
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Stu says, "Saturday Sabbath?

7
00:00:27,276 --> 00:00:30,532
Sunday Sabbath? Or no Sabbath?

8
00:00:30,532 --> 00:00:32,653
What is it and why?"

9
00:00:32,653 --> 00:00:37,681
And he's more really asking the question

10
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because he wants to be informed.

11
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I think Daniel Graham,

12
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he comes along with a question -

13
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I'm not so sure he really 
wants an answer to this.

14
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I think maybe he wants 
to set his position forth.

15
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"Why do most Christians and churches

16
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go against Exodus 20 
in the 10 Commandments

17
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by not keeping the Sabbath of the Lord

18
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as He has commanded us?"

19
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Again, you know what?

20
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As I was preparing, I just said,

21
00:01:06,039 --> 00:01:08,742
Lord, I just want to be biblical.

22
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I don't know everything 
from Your Word perfectly.

23
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I just want to say what Your Word says

24
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and I don't want to go beyond it.

25
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You know what I can say?

26
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I can say this,

27
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my Bible says this,

28
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and I think yours does too.

29
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Colossians 2:16,

30
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"Therefore, let no one 
pass judgment on you

31
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in questions of food and drink

32
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or with regard to a festival

33
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or a new moon or Sabbaths."

34
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It says, "let no one pass judgment on you

35
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in questions of... Sabbaths."

36
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"These are a shadow of the things to come,

37
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but the substance belongs to Christ."

38
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Now what I want to emphasize is this:

39
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You cannot argue -

40
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nobody can argue this.

41
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The Apostle Paul was the apostle to who?

42
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The Gentiles.

43
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In all of his letters to the Gentiles,

44
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does he ever once tell them

45
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that they need to observe a Sabbath?

46
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Never.

47
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And you know what?

48
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These Gentiles didn't 
have the Old Testament.

49
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These Gentiles - they were up in the air.

50
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Didn't they have to have a 
council there at Jerusalem?

51
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Just to get together and say what is it

52
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we should even be telling these Gentiles

53
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who don't know anything?

54
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Who don't have the Old Testament?

55
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You know one thing?

56
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They didn't go tell them:
Keep the Sabbath.

57
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Paul didn't go out to all 
the Gentile churches

58
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and say keep the Sabbath.

59
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In fact, the one clear thing

60
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that he says to the Gentiles churches

61
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is what?

62
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Don't let anybody pass judgment 
on you concerning the Sabbath.

63
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Now, I know,

64
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some Greek theologians are going to

65
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come along here and say,

66
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"but it's plural.

67
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And when it talks about 
the weekly Sabbath,

68
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it's singular."

69
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Come on.

70
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You can go to the Old Testament

71
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and clearly find where the weekly Sabbath

72
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is spoken about in the plural.

73
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Repeatedly.

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That just doesn't line up.

75
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Listen to this.

76
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Exodus 31:13,

77
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"You're to speak to the 
people of Israel and say,

78
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'Above all, you shall keep My Sabbaths.'"

79
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Plural.

80
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"...For this is the sign 
between Me and you

81
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throughout your generations 
that you may know

82
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that I, the Lord, sanctify you.

83
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You shall keep the Sabbath 
because it is holy for you."

84
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Now, he uses it right here

85
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in consecutive verses - Sabbath's plural,

86
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Sabbath singular,

87
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but he's not even mincing words.

88
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He says, "Six days shall work be done.

89
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The seventh day is a 
Sabbath to solemn rest,

90
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holy to the Lord.

91
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Whoever does any work on the Sabbath Day

92
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shall be put to death."

93
00:04:10,986 --> 00:04:14,426
And he starts out by 
saying it in the plural.

94
00:04:14,426 --> 00:04:17,783
And he's clearly talking 
about that weekly Sabbath.

95
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Listen, folks, this terminology that Paul

96
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uses in Colossians 2

97
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is so common to the Old Testament.

98
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What do I mean?

99
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Festival - there were three main festivals

100
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were there not?

101
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New moons.

102
00:04:30,709 --> 00:04:35,211
See, the three festivals were yearly.

103
00:04:35,211 --> 00:04:37,661
Then you have the new moons.

104
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They were monthly.

105
00:04:38,794 --> 00:04:40,211
Then you had the Sabbath's.

106
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They were weekly.

107
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You have that order

108
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in the Old Testament, repeatedly

109
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handed to us.

110
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Just listen to this.

111
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1 Chronicles 23.

112
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"Whenever burnt offerings 
are offered to the Lord

113
00:04:52,975 --> 00:04:56,458
on Sabbaths (plural), new moons,

114
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and feast days according to the number

115
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required regularly before the Lord."

116
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That's the same terminology.

117
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Paul is drawing straight from 
the Old Testament usage

118
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where these festivals -

119
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what was the first major festival?

120
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Passover.

121
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Anybody remember the second one?

122
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Pentecost.

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Third one?

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I think it was the Feast of Tabernacles.

125
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The Day of Atonement 
was shortly after there.

126
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Have all those passed away?

127
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Do we still observe Passover?

128
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Pentecost?

129
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Do we observe them?

130
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No, they passed away. Why?

131
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They were shadows.

132
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Do we still observe the new moons?

133
00:05:44,424 --> 00:05:45,347
No.

134
00:05:45,347 --> 00:05:47,368
Do we still observe the Sabbaths?

135
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They're a shadow of things to come.

136
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Listen, this plural usage,

137
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it's used in the Old Testament.

138
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And it's used weekly, monthly, yearly.

139
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And we're not doing 
injustice to the Scriptures

140
00:06:00,219 --> 00:06:03,218
to say that this is speaking 
of the weekly Sabbath.

141
00:06:03,218 --> 00:06:06,359
People come along and they 
want to undo this thing,

142
00:06:06,359 --> 00:06:08,897
but the fact is, that's what's said.

143
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Okay, you know something else?

144
00:06:13,458 --> 00:06:15,937
It just amazes me!

145
00:06:15,937 --> 00:06:19,067
There is not a single 
word in all the Bible

146
00:06:19,067 --> 00:06:22,803
that says that the Sabbath changed days.

147
00:06:22,803 --> 00:06:24,539
You can listen to the theologians.

148
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You can listen to the reformed guys.

149
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You can read all the books written on it.

150
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There is not a single 
verse in all the Bible

151
00:06:30,377 --> 00:06:31,824
that says the Sabbath moved

152
00:06:31,824 --> 00:06:33,171
from Saturday to Sunday.

153
00:06:33,171 --> 00:06:34,137
It's not there.

154
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They can go one with all their theses.

155
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They can go on with all of their arguments

156
00:06:38,632 --> 00:06:41,106
and all of their deductions

157
00:06:41,106 --> 00:06:43,542
and building principles upon principles.

158
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The fact is there is not a single verse

159
00:06:45,939 --> 00:06:48,581
in all the Bible that 
says that the Sabbath

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00:06:48,581 --> 00:06:53,065
moved from the last day to the first day.

161
00:06:53,065 --> 00:06:56,937
It's not there, folks.

162
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In fact, the New Testament teaching

163
00:06:58,724 --> 00:07:00,698
is don't let any man hold you to it.

164
00:07:00,698 --> 00:07:02,394
What does Romans 14 say?

165
00:07:02,394 --> 00:07:04,686
If you want to observe a day,

166
00:07:04,686 --> 00:07:06,120
do it unto the Lord.

167
00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,223
So here's the thing,

168
00:07:08,223 --> 00:07:14,042
don't let those of us who 
take Colossians 2:16

169
00:07:14,042 --> 00:07:15,824
and feel liberty,

170
00:07:15,824 --> 00:07:17,998
don't let us condemn the ones

171
00:07:17,998 --> 00:07:21,568
who are rigid Sabbatarians.

172
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Don't condemn them.

173
00:07:22,721 --> 00:07:25,035
If they want to keep it, let them keep it,

174
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and let them keep it unto the Lord.

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They're going to stand or fall before Him.

176
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Don't you be their judge.

177
00:07:31,185 --> 00:07:33,734
And likewise, if you have 
stringent convictions

178
00:07:33,734 --> 00:07:35,040
about the Sabbath,

179
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don't you dare condemn

180
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and jump all over and be the judge

181
00:07:39,353 --> 00:07:41,865
of those who don't 
have strong convictions.

182
00:07:41,865 --> 00:07:43,937
If you're going to have 
strong convictions,

183
00:07:43,937 --> 00:07:45,086
have them unto the Lord.

184
00:07:45,086 --> 00:07:46,789
If you're going to not observe the day,

185
00:07:46,789 --> 00:07:49,131
don't observe it unto the Lord.

186
00:07:49,131 --> 00:07:50,886
But I will say this,

187
00:07:50,886 --> 00:07:56,063
although the Scriptures definitely -

188
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the Christian Sabbath -

189
00:07:57,426 --> 00:07:59,573
there's no Christian 
Sabbath that I can see.

190
00:07:59,573 --> 00:08:01,411
There's nothing specified 
in the Scripture.

191
00:08:01,411 --> 00:08:03,291
There's nothing about the Jewish Sabbath

192
00:08:03,291 --> 00:08:06,122
being pressed upon the Gentile churches.

193
00:08:06,122 --> 00:08:07,190
It's not there.

194
00:08:07,190 --> 00:08:10,058
They're told to let nobody judge you.

195
00:08:10,058 --> 00:08:11,641
But what is there?

196
00:08:11,641 --> 00:08:13,042
Well, I can tell you this,

197
00:08:13,042 --> 00:08:17,943
in the first chapter of Revelation,

198
00:08:17,943 --> 00:08:23,354
the Apostle John mentions the Lord's Day.

199
00:08:23,354 --> 00:08:26,086
Now nowhere does it say 
it's the Christian Sabbath.

200
00:08:26,086 --> 00:08:28,865
And it only is mentioned 
once in all the Bible.

201
00:08:28,865 --> 00:08:29,874
The Lord's Day.

202
00:08:29,874 --> 00:08:31,637
But you know what's very interesting?

203
00:08:31,637 --> 00:08:34,525
John is writing to the seven churches

204
00:08:34,525 --> 00:08:36,199
at Asia Minor.

205
00:08:36,199 --> 00:08:38,871
And he doesn't have to explain Lord's Day,

206
00:08:38,871 --> 00:08:41,826
which probably means

207
00:08:41,826 --> 00:08:43,900
that all the Christians he was writing to,

208
00:08:43,900 --> 00:08:45,414
they readily understood.

209
00:08:45,414 --> 00:08:47,255
They knew what day the Lord's Day was.

210
00:08:47,255 --> 00:08:48,397
What day?

211
00:08:48,397 --> 00:08:49,701
Well, I'll tell you this,

212
00:08:49,701 --> 00:08:51,470
when you go into the New Testament,

213
00:08:51,470 --> 00:08:54,925
you find one day that's identified.

214
00:08:54,925 --> 00:08:56,608
Only one. What day?

215
00:08:56,608 --> 00:08:57,904
The first day of the week.

216
00:08:57,904 --> 00:09:00,211
And sometimes it says "eight days later,"

217
00:09:00,211 --> 00:09:03,342
which by their counting 
is the next first day.

218
00:09:03,342 --> 00:09:05,371
They included the first day

219
00:09:05,371 --> 00:09:06,953
and then the next days

220
00:09:06,953 --> 00:09:08,658
all the way to the next first day,

221
00:09:08,658 --> 00:09:10,110
and that was 8 days.

222
00:09:10,110 --> 00:09:12,138
So anytime you read "the first day"

223
00:09:12,138 --> 00:09:14,363
and then again "the eighth day,"

224
00:09:14,363 --> 00:09:15,953
it's the next first day.

225
00:09:15,953 --> 00:09:18,549
Those are the only days that 
are called out by number

226
00:09:18,549 --> 00:09:21,202
in all the New Testament.

227
00:09:21,202 --> 00:09:23,062
No other day. You don't find anything

228
00:09:23,062 --> 00:09:24,903
about the second day or the third day.

229
00:09:24,903 --> 00:09:26,733
At least, not in reference to the week

230
00:09:26,733 --> 00:09:28,076
that's being emphasized.

231
00:09:28,076 --> 00:09:29,437
But you find the first day.

232
00:09:29,437 --> 00:09:31,406
And you know what 
happened on the first day?

233
00:09:31,406 --> 00:09:32,853
You know what the New Testament teaches us

234
00:09:32,853 --> 00:09:35,358
happened on the first day?

235
00:09:35,358 --> 00:09:38,101
What's the big thing?

236
00:09:38,101 --> 00:09:41,984
Jesus Christ rose on the first day.

237
00:09:41,984 --> 00:09:43,756
Can you imagine?

238
00:09:43,756 --> 00:09:46,729
(incomplete thought)

239
00:09:46,729 --> 00:09:48,462
You know what else is interesting?

240
00:09:48,462 --> 00:09:49,699
You guys search this out.

241
00:09:49,699 --> 00:09:51,971
You want to have an interesting study?

242
00:09:51,971 --> 00:09:56,207
The only days that we have numbers

243
00:09:56,207 --> 00:09:59,858
that He appeared to His people

244
00:09:59,858 --> 00:10:02,060
after His resurrection -

245
00:10:02,060 --> 00:10:03,856
the first day of the week.

246
00:10:03,856 --> 00:10:05,198
Count it out.

247
00:10:05,198 --> 00:10:08,247
We know when the Feast of Pentecost was.

248
00:10:08,247 --> 00:10:11,148
It was so long after the Passover.

249
00:10:11,148 --> 00:10:14,183
We know when He went to the cross

250
00:10:14,183 --> 00:10:16,503
in relationship to the Passover.

251
00:10:16,503 --> 00:10:19,077
The Spirit of God was given to the church

252
00:10:19,077 --> 00:10:22,261
on the first day.

253
00:10:22,261 --> 00:10:24,436
They broke bread on the first day.

254
00:10:24,436 --> 00:10:26,299
They came together to hear Paul preach

255
00:10:26,299 --> 00:10:27,494
on the first day.

256
00:10:27,494 --> 00:10:29,115
Right there in 1 Corinthians,

257
00:10:29,115 --> 00:10:32,069
it says bring your offerings

258
00:10:32,069 --> 00:10:34,092
and give them on the first day.

259
00:10:34,092 --> 00:10:36,761
You know what? The church 
met on the first day.

260
00:10:36,761 --> 00:10:38,118
They met other days as well,

261
00:10:38,118 --> 00:10:40,377
but the predominant day

262
00:10:40,377 --> 00:10:42,155
that the early church observed

263
00:10:42,155 --> 00:10:43,610
was the first day.

264
00:10:43,610 --> 00:10:45,528
We never see it called a Sabbath,

265
00:10:45,528 --> 00:10:48,168
but we do, I believe, have good reason

266
00:10:48,168 --> 00:10:50,908
to believe that that is the Lord's Day.

267
00:10:50,908 --> 00:10:53,603
I think everything about the 
practice of the early church

268
00:10:53,603 --> 00:10:55,341
would tell us it's so.

269
00:10:55,341 --> 00:10:56,743
You know what Scripture says?

270
00:10:56,743 --> 00:10:59,199
Do not forsake the assembling 
together of yourselves.

271
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And unquestionably, they 
met on the first day.

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And we shouldn't forsake that assembly.

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And what did they do? They worshiped.

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They praised. They prayed.

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They read Scripture.

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They broke bread.

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Those are things that we can 
definitely say has happened.

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Now, I know I'm going 
to receive flack for that.

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People are going to say, 
"you're denying the 10 commandments."

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We've got to teach the Scriptures, folks.

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We've got to teach the Scriptures;

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not the traditions, but the Scriptures.