11/30/2007 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

This coming month the world will make a huge deal out of celebrating one day out of the year, a "Holi-Day" called "Christmas"

Tonight I would like to share some things concerning a truly Holy Day that all the world ignores.. one that should be kept every week!

In the scriptures it is written:

Exodus 20:8 - Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

This is quoting from the Ten Commandments which Yahweh gave at Sinai.

Sadly, the one commandment out of the Ten that we are told to "remember".. is the one that is most often forgotten by those who claim to be believers in the bible.

We are told to Remember the Sabbath. What is the Sabbath?

Let's continue reading:

Exodus 20:9 - Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Exodus 20:10 - But the seventh day is the sabbath of YAHWEH thy Elohim: 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:

Exodus 20:11 - For in six days YAHWEH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore YAHWEH blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

So the Sabbath is something considered to be so important to Yahweh---that He kept it Himself.

It was, in fact, the last act He did as part of Creation week.

Today, there is no shortage of excuses as to why people don't want to keep it as Yahweh did.

Some claim that the Sabbath day has actually been changed to the first day of the week.

The excuse that is commonly used to change the Sabbath to the first day of the week is: The Messiah rose on the first day of the week, so we keep that day instead.

But to this I must ask, "Rest & worship Him on the first day, then work six days? Where is this in scripture?"

The truth is, there is no scripture anywhere in the bible to support such a statement, but it is simply a justification to continue in the status quo, which was established by post-apostolic christians and later validated/enforced by the Catholic church and various rulers.

If we are going to come up with extra-biblical allegories to support our day of worship/rest, wouldn't it make more sense that we rest when He rested (when He was in the grave) and we rise to work again as the Savior did ("I go and prepare a place for you", John 14:2-3)?

But we really don't need to come up with an allegory to support the day of worship & rest. We can simply look to the Ten Commandments to find the answer.

Today, many Christians are active in spending millions of dollars to keep the Ten Commandments in the courtrooms and other public buildings and prominent places.

Yet, if you ask them if they believe in keeping the 4th commandment, few will agree that it should observed as it is written.

The truth is that we could search from Genesis to Revelation and not find a single verse that institutes a new day of worship. If it was changed, surely we would expect to find clear authorization somewhere in scripture. But it is nowhere to be found. Therefore, by what authority has it been changed? Ask any Catholic priest and they will tell you.

During the Council of Trent in 1545, I once read that the Pope was almost ready to "set aside tradition altogether and make the Scriptures the sole standard of appeal"

But then the Archbishop of Reggio turned the Council against the Reformation by saying, "The Protestants claim to stand upon the written word only: they profess to hold the Scriptures alone as the standard of faith. They justify their revolt by the plea that the Chrurch has apostatized from the written word and follows tradition. Now the Protestant's claim that they stand upon the written word alone is not true"

Why was it not true?

Continuing..

"IF they truly hold the scriptures alone as the standard, they would be observing the Sabbath the seventh day as it is enjoined in the Scripture throughout. Yet they not onlyh reject the observance of the Sabbath as enjoined in the written word, but they have adopted and do practice the observance of Sunday, for which they have only the tradition of the (Catholic) church!"

At this argument, the council unanimously condemned Protestantism and the entire Reformation!

See, the Protestants weren't willing to let go of that much tradition.. and this remains until this day.

In the "New Testament", the first day of the week is always translated "first day of the week" and the seventh day of the week is always called "the Sabbath"

Some examples...

Acts 13:42 - And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

Acts 15:21 - For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

Acts 16:16 - And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Acts 16:13 - And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

Acts 17:2 - And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Acts 18:4 - And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

So it is very clear which day is the Sabbath. It is not "Sunday", or the first day of the week

It can be demonstrated in the Dead Sea Scrolls that the authors of these scrolls (the Essenes) kept the Sabbath every 7 days in an uninterruptable cycle.

In the Calendrical scroll, it shows that they observed a fixed calendar of 364 days per year. There were 12 months in each year with 30 days in each month except for one extra day in the last month of each quarter. In that calendar, they kept the recurring seven day Sabbath. 

In the book of Josephus, he speaks much about the Essenes. He goes into great detail as to how their practices were different than others.

He mentions everything from how the Essenes don't carry anything with them when they travel to how regard oil to be defilement. Josephus describes them in no less than 2000 words, describing over 100 characteristics of their way of life.

It becomes clear that they were keeping the Sabbath on the same day as the Pharisees and Sadducees when he says:

5Wars of the Jews 2:147 ... Moreover, they are stricter than any other of the Jews in resting from their labors on the seventh day; for they not only get their food ready the day before, that they may not be obliged to kindle a fire on that day, but they will not move any vessel out of its place, nor go to stool thereon.

Note that he says they are "stricter than any other of the Jews in resting from their labors on the seventh day."

The Essenes were keeping the Sabbath on "the seventh day" just as the rest of Judaism. If they were observing Sabbath on any other day, Josephus wouldn't have been able to say that they were even resting on the seventh day to begin with. He would have to say they were typically resting on some other day.

Also, it is notable that he was writing to the Romans, who also kept a seven day week.

Since Yahushua's day, the seven day week has remained in its weekly cycle with no changes up to today.

There was one adjustment by Pope Gregory but the weekly cycle remained intact

So, the 7th day Sabbath has remained preserved... by Yahweh who commanded it and did not want it to be lost.

Historical Christianity wanted to make sure the first day of the week remained preserved and Islam the 6th day of the week, and Jews the 7th day. There was no motivation to change anything.

We are told in the Ten Commandments to "Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy". Notice that we are to "keep" it holy. It is already a holy day because it was sanctified at creation according to Genesis 2:3.

We are simply told to keep it holy the way our Creator did. He kept it holy by resting on that day. We are told that six days we work but on the seventh day we rest. It's that simple.

Now if we want to keep holy another day, we are wasting our time because there is no other day of the week that is holy to begin with.

You will not find any scripture declaring the holiness of the first day of the week. Man thought he could do better by keeping another day holy, but in doing so he profanes the day that actually is holy.

Is the 7th day for Jews and the 1st day for Gentiles? We discussed this at length a couple of weeks ago

There is no evidence in scripture that the Heavenly Father wanted to separate the Jews and Gentiles within the body of Messiah. In fact, the Messiah was to do just the opposite:

Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in the Messiah Yahushua.

Galatians 3:29 - And if you are the Messiah's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Note that it is the Gentiles who are joining to Abraham's seed and not the other way around. We are all one in Messiah. We aren't supposed to be meeting on different days with one day for Jews and another for Gentiles

We cannot distance ourselves from the Sabbath because the old covenant was with Israel and then embrace the terms of the New Covenant because the New covenant is also with Israel, not Gentiles.

Jeremiah 31:31 - Behold, the days come, saith YAHWEH, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Gentiles become Israel (Abraham's seed) through the Messiah according to Galatians 3:29. Even in the Old Covenant, the Sabbath was for Gentiles as well:

Exodus 12:49 - One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

Not two laws, but one law. Yahweh doesn't hold a double standard because He is not a respecter of persons!

Isaiah 56:6 - Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to YAHWEH, to serve him, and to love the name of YAHWEH, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;

Isaiah 56:7 - Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

So when Yahweh commanded the Sabbath, He desired that it be kept by all, Jew and Gentile alike. Yahweh doesn't change.

Now one of the most common excuses to disobey Yahweh's commandment to keep the Sabbath is that "it is the one commandment out of the Ten that isn't repeated in the New Testament"

Actually this is not true, for the New Testament never repeats the commandment "Do not take the name of Yahweh in vain."

Either way, Yahushua and the Apostles didn't need to go around telling people to keep the Sabbath. It was the way of life in those days!

There are a number of things that are not repeated in the NT, but are still observed by mainstream Christians today.

For instance, there is no commandment in the New Testament forbidding a woman to wear a man's garment. There is no commandment forbidding bestiality, tatoos, being cruel to animals, taking interest from brethren, taking bribes, etc.

There is no commandment in the NT that says a person should take 10% of their income and give it to the church, but don't you dare say that is done away with!

Brethren, there are a host of excuses as to why people don't want to do what Yahweh says. Let's not fall prey to any of them, but rather reprove the unfruitful works of darkness.

Another popular one of late is the doctrine that "the Messiah is our Sabbath now" and "now we rest in Him."

Well, let's look at the commandment again and see if it really makes any sense:

Exodus 20:8 - Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:9 - Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Exodus 20:10 - But the seventh day is the sabbath of YAHWEH thy Elohim: 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:

They say that we "rest every day now.. in Messiah". But notice that it says in this commandment "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work". It never says "7 days shalt thou rest". It is a very plain and easy to understand commandment, is it not?

We all know that we need to work for a living. And we all know that if we tried to work every single day, our bodies would be exhausted and unhealthy

The above commandment even says that our animals need rest too.

Suppose you were a farmer living in the early 1900's. Could you claim that your animals were keeping the Sabbath by "resting in Messiah" while you had them plowing your fields on the Sabbath?

Neither can anyone claim to be keeping the Sabbath by "resting in Messiah" when they go to work on that day.

It is true that Messiah gives us rest in the age to come, and that we will rest in Him after man's 6000 years of work on this earth

But just because there is a spiritual representation of a clear command of scripture, it does not mean we are free to disobey what the commandment clearly says.

We were clearly commanded to be baptized, yet we all know it has a spiritual meaning that is very important. Did the apostles just "spiritualize" the commandment and say "Yeah, He said to be baptized in water but you can keep that commandment just by receiving Messiah and living a changed life". No, they baptized in water numerous times.

The truth is, we cannot "spiritually" keep a commandment while breaking it physically!

For instance, you cannot break the commandment which says "thou shalt not commit adultery" and then claim you are keeping it spiritually.

Numerous times Yahweh refers to idolatry as a form of spiritual adultery. Could one go out and physically commit adultery on his wife and claim he never broke the commandment because he didn't commit idolatry, or claim he didn't lust after her in his heart? Could He say that He didn't commit adultery because "Messiah kept that commandment for me and I am pure in Him"?

Of course not. Neither can you physically work on the Sabbath and claim you never broke it because you "rested in Messiah."

This excuse reminds me of Yahushua's parable when He said:

Matthew 21:28 - But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

Matthew 21:29 - He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

Matthew 21:30 - And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Matthew 21:31 - Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Yahushua saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of YAHWEH before you.

Yahweh said that we are keep the Sabbath by resting from our physical labors on the 7th day of the week.

Many claim "I do, sir" by "resting in Messiah", but then they don't really do what the Father said to do!

You see, the Ten Commandments really are not multiple choice!

The fact that they are written in stone signifies the finality and eternity of all ten of them.

We should be far removed from any teaching which causes one of the Ten Commandments to be sawed out, cut out, removed, changed, abolished in our hearts or set aside in any way.

It is no more acceptable to break the Sabbath every week by profaning the day He made holy than it is to commit adultery or murder once a week.

If it is, then our Creator didn't really mean what He said and the push to keep the Ten Commandments today is simply a joke.

I truly believe that keeping the Sabbath is essential to our spiritual growth.

Why is it that so many people become believers in Messiah for a time but soon fall away back into the same sinful condition they were in before or perhaps even worse?

The front door of Christian churches is a revolving door because people have an emotional conversion but fail to stand strong.

But if we have one day out of the week where we can withdraw ourselves from the world and its influences--and concentrate on keeping the day holy by worshipping, praying and studying Yahweh's word, it truly strengthens our faith and a keeps us growing spiritually.

Soon, keeping the Sabbath is no longer just a day of rest but rather a way of life! Often, the keeping of the Sabbath will keep us from falling away.

Just as it would be unthinkable to not go to work during the week, the idea of breaking it becomes unthinkable because it is just the way we live!

Acts 5:32 - And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom Elohim hath given to them that obey him.

If we want Yahweh's Spirit to work in our lives, we need to walk in obedience to Yahweh's commandments. The Holy Spirit is quenched by breaking the Sabbath just as it is quenched by murder or any disobedience.

Yahushua said:?

Yahushua said:

John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:16 - And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:17 - Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The principle is not "Give us the Comforter and then we will keep the commandments," but you must first take that step in obedience for the Spirit to do works in you

Those who use the Sabbath day as a day for pursuing worldly pleasure, work or profit are not only missing out on a true spiritual blessing that will keep our minds and bodies strong but are also quenching His Spirit which leads us into all truth. Yahweh gives His Spirit to those who obey Him!

I can testify in my own life that having one day out of the week to focus on Yahweh and spiritual things has kept me spiritually strong through the years.

In that sense, the Sabbath has kept me as I have kept it.

If I had a bad week where I was getting weakened spiritually, there is always that day at the end of the week... like a shining beacon to set me back on the path.

I believe Yahweh had that in mind. For this reason, He commanded a holy convocation:

Leviticus 23:3 - Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of YAHWEH in all your dwellings.

Having a holy convocation is one of the things that Yahweh commanded. It literally means a holy reading, spoken aloud

A reading of the scriptures with the implication of gathering together to do so.

Just to give a little example of how much the Sabbath can do this, allow me to share a personal example of how the Sabbath has enriched our spiritual lives.

My family and I have a special meal on Sabbath evenings just after sundown. We call it "Special Sabbath".

We like to get out our best dishes, and often would put on our best clothes and let our children choose the meal they would like. We set a place for our Savior at the table, knowing that He is in the midst of where two or three are gathered.

Of course, Yahushua gets the best dishes and placemat. We even use cloth napkins, and we have a candlelight dinner. During the meal we like to talk about the week and the things we gained spiritually.

After the meal I get out the guitar and we sing praise to our Creator. Then I bless my children, and my wife.

It has been a very special, very memorable time for all of us. We rejoice and long for that special time at the end of the week that we can rest from the cares of this life and focus on what's really important in life.

Brethren, it is always a blessing to do exactly what our Heavenly Father asks us to do and certainly He knows what is best for us.

Some have asked for more specifics on what is good to do on the Sabbath and what is not good.

Here are some examples of things that are good to do:

Resting/sleeping, Reading Scripture, Reading books about Yahweh, Worship, Meeting with brethren, Listening to His word, Going outside for a gentle stroll and enjoying Creation, Studying Yahweh's word in depth, doing ministry, play spiritually enriching games with the family, Memorizing Scripture, Learning about Creation, Special Sabbath meals, Talking about Yahweh, Doing Yahweh’s pleasure, not our own, Helping others, Praying, Learning Hebrew and keeping a Holy>>

Conversation.

Some examples of things that are not good to do on the Sabbath:

Going to work, Cooking, Cleaning, Raking Your Yard, Mowing the Lawn, Building Your House, Entertainments, Buying/Selling, Going to Restaurants, Riding bikes, Playing wordly games, Reading books unrelated to Yahweh, starting fires and fighting or arguing (unholy conversation).

Some might say, "Well I can just do those things on Sunday"

But suppose for a moment there was a man who had seven sheep

He commanded his son to set aside a special sheep he named "Shabbat," and he blessed the wool... and asked his son to shear it for a special use.

But then the son went and looked at the sheep and there was another sheep whose wool he liked better.

So he went and sheered the wool of another sheep and brought it to his father.

Did this son do his Father's will?

I think we know the answer.

Rather than choosing what we think is best, I encourage everyone to consider doing what He thinks is best. The Father chose to set apart the seventh day of the week. Ought we not to do the will of our Father?

We know our Savior did just that and He is our example. We bring abundant blessings in our lives by following the example of our Saviour and keeping holy the day that our Father made holy to begin with

Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Since the Father chose to set apart the seventh day of the week, ought we not to do the will of our Father and keep it set apart from the the other days as He said?

The saints are those who do His commandments and cleave to the faith of Yahushua.

Revelation 14:12 - Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of YAHWEH and the faith of Yahushua.

Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:15 - But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Don't believe the lie that deceived Eve in the garden, "Hath Yahweh said (you shall keep the Sabbath)?"

You can put anything Yahweh has commanded in the parenthesis. Satan is constantly looking for ways to cause people to break Yahweh's commands.

Yahweh has said for us to keep the Sabbath day holy. He didn't set it apart at creation and ask us to remember it, only to tell us later to forget about it or keep another day!

Matthew 5:19 - Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Yahushua meant every word He said, yes?

And He also set an example for us, that we should walk in His steps.

1John 2:6 - He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

So if Yahushua lives in you... bring abundant blessings in your life by following the footsteps of our Saviour and start keeping holy the day that our Father made holy, and Yahushua Himself kept holy.

It is high time that men listen to the Father and keep holy what He made holy!

We can't make any other day holy and try to keep it holy because there is only one day that was sanctified and blessed to begin with!

Trying to remember another day to keep it holy is a waste of time.

Yahweh wants our time, brethren

He appointed a day for us to come together as His people.

Let's forsake the traditions and commandments of men and let's walk in truth of Yahweh.

The original is always the best, accept no substitutes.

May Yahweh bless you and have mercy on us all!