Transcription
[Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] if there is one thing that Jesus talked about, it was the kingdom of God. He would often give parables explaining what the kingdom is like. [Music] He wanted his audience to know that he was more than just another prophet. Jesus declared that he is King. Now, at the time, the people of Israel were under Roman rule. They had wicked leaders. They were held captive to abusive governments. But Jesus brought a liberation that would come from within the kingdom of God. [Music] [Music] [Music] And this kingdom would be able to liberate them only if they placed their hope not in Caesar, but in King Jesus, their new leader. [Music] Now, the first half of this presentation will explore the kingdom of God in detail. And the second half will cover what many of you have been asking us to address for quite some time: what is the Sabbath about? What is its purpose? And how should we view it in light of the new covenant? So, this will be a journey, and let's begin. [Music]
"What have you come here to show us?"
"A kingdom, a sort of kingdom that a person cannot see unless he is born again."
"Born again? Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
"My kingdom does not belong to this world."
"Are you a king, then?"
"I was born and came into the world for this one purpose."
"What is the kingdom of heaven like?"
"I'll tell you. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field."
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. That part of you that is what must be reborn to new life. Come see the kingdom I am bringing into this world."
As you can see, one of the main things Jesus talked about was the kingdom. And to get deep into that message, we must first go back in time to explore the kings of Israel. God has always wanted to be King over His people. He freed the Israelites from captivity. He fed them manna in the wilderness. Allowed them to settle in their own land. And even after all that, they still weren't satisfied with God being their only ruler. No, they wanted to be like the other nations. They wanted a human king to rule over them. And so they pleaded with God and asked His prophets to give them a human king. This was not God's desire for them, but He agreed to it and allowed King Saul to rule over them. And of course, when eventually the kingdom of Saul began to fall, the people were let down. And so they pledged their allegiance to a new king, David. And as great as he was, even his kingdom was imperfect and eventually fell. This led to the rise of King Solomon. And even though he was a man of great wisdom, idolatry began to creep into his kingdom, and eventually that kingdom fell. The great kingdoms of Israel eventually became split. Their nation experienced defeat at the hands of many foreign armies, and they experienced exile and devastation. [Music]
Basically, God allowed them to experience the hard truth: whenever you put your trust and hopes in human leaders, disappointment, division, and devastation are inevitable. But God didn't leave them without hope. His prophets foretold that one day there would be a King who would arise to lead and shepherd His people. And this King would be righteous, and His kingdom everlasting. And so, this coming King, this Messiah, became the hope upon which the people of Israel looked forward to. [Music]
Now, remember, God always wanted to be their King. So, in His wisdom, what did He do? Well, He entered humanity through Jesus Christ, which satisfies His agreement to give them a human King, and it satisfies His desire to be King over them. And so, this is why when Jesus first began His public ministry, His first statement, His inaugural address, if you will, was: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." He wanted them to know that the kingdom you have longed for is at hand. He came bringing the kingdom. Now, as you could imagine, many were excited about that, but for the wrong reasons. The Jewish people were under Roman oppression. There were limits on how they could practice their faith, and when they got out of line, they were killed in the most brutal of ways. And so, for many, the news about this Messiah and the kingdom of God was not about peace, but was about overthrowing Rome. They were expecting a militant Messiah to come and destroy Rome and establish the kingdom of God physically, right then. And so, when Jesus came onto the scene, preaching to love your enemies and saying things like, "My kingdom is not of this world," well, it kind of flipped things upside down for many of them. The way Jesus explained the kingdom was unfamiliar. He taught that the kingdom of God is not just something you see physically, but it is within you. He explained that their kingdom is not about overthrowing physical territory and governments, because His kingdom is not of this world. Notice what He says after He was arrested: "My kingdom is not from here. If it were, my servants would have fought to prevent my arrest."
Now, you could imagine why this was confusing for many of the people at the time, because the Messianic prophecies from Zechariah and others do say that when the Lord comes, He will be King over the whole earth, and that there will be no other government besides His kingdom. And that's what many of them were expecting at the time. However, what we now understand is that many of these prophecies speaking of how the kingdom will be the only government on earth, and how Jesus will literally set up His throne and rule on planet Earth, all of these things are a reference not to the first coming of Jesus, but to the second coming, when He locks away Satan and establishes the millennial reign. But Jesus had to explain this to them. And even after He was resurrected and was about to ascend to the Father, many of His followers came and said to Him, "Jesus, are you now going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" And look at what He says to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority." You see, they still wanted that physical kingdom in this age. But Jesus let them know that in this age, before the second coming, the physical establishment of the kingdom was not yet. That day and hour when the second coming happens is only known by the Father. Jesus wanted them to know that until the second coming, they would have to learn how to live on earth as spiritual citizens of His heavenly kingdom, even while in the midst of ungodly rulers. This is why Jesus said to them, "The kingdom of God is within you." He let them know that even when they are present among wicked kings ruling the land, the kingdom of God will still stand. And so, even in His first coming, Jesus provided a way for all who have faith in Him to be citizens of His kingdom. This is why, after you are born again, the scripture says we have become foreigners of this world, because now our true citizenship is in heaven, and our allegiance is to King Jesus.
Now, the first believers began to understand this. They began to learn that we have become aliens of this world and are now citizens of heaven. But along the way, that kingdom message that Christ and His apostles established would slowly become lost, as believers once again started to embrace the rituals, religions, and politics of earthly cultures. Many believers began to forget that we are supposed to be aliens of this world. And whenever you forget that, it's so easy to revert back to the idea of establishing by force a militant kingdom in this age. Case in point: the Crusades. The people of God, who once relied on His kingdom, began to rely on kingdoms of their own. Many of them tried to take territory for God's kingdom by physically overthrowing human governments. And this motive is one factor that led to wars and mayhem. [Music]
Many claiming to be warriors for Christ thought that taking physical territory, fighting other religions, and conquering new lands was the way to expand the kingdom of God. But again, although these warriors were very religious in their motives, the kingdom message of Jesus was lost in their methods. Because again, Jesus taught that His kingdom was not about taking physical territory or setting up earthly institutions in this age. Saul tried it. David tried it. And their kingdoms fell. But Jesus, in His wisdom, knew that the eternal kingdom of God truly expands and takes residence not in physical land mass, but in the hearts of the masses. And so, if the kingdom of God is within, and one comes into it by being born again, the biblical way to expand it and take territory for the kingdom is through evangelism. Which is why the parting words of our King were not to overthrow the nations, but to make disciples of the nations. That's how you expand the kingdom. And so, when you want to see a change in your world and in your nation, no matter what these earthly governments are doing, remember the kingdom of God is still standing. And as long as you can evangelize and make disciples, nothing can hinder kingdom expansion. You want to see a nation overtaken by the kingdom of God? Bring the kingdom of God into the hearts of the nation. Introduce people to the King. And when they put their hopes in Him, no longer will they find themselves hopeless when these human governments disappoint, as we know they will. They always do. Human governments disappointed us when they had slaves working in fields. They disappointed us when they had the first Christians brutally killed. They disappointed us when they killed in the name of Christ. And they disappointed us when they allowed wicked leaders to rise in the third rank. Human governments always come up short and will continue to come up short. And this is why Jesus came, bringing upon His shoulders the solution He knew we all needed: holy and righteous government. [Music]
As the prophet Isaiah foretold: "For unto us a child is born, a son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders." [Music] Jesus came bringing new government from heaven. And so, no matter what is reigning on earth, never forget that your true King is reigning in heaven. You are blessed. Listen. You are a citizen of heaven, functioning on earth as an ambassador of King Jesus, with the mission of bringing souls into His kingdom. You are blessed. [Music]
And so now that we've talked about that, we can break down further what kingdom citizenship is all about. In our "Ambassador of Christ" episode and in the "Law of Christ" movie, we discussed how when someone accepts Christ as King and receives His Holy Spirit, they become a foreigner of this world and a citizen of heaven. And when one comes to that realization, it becomes clear that the purpose of Christ was not so much about starting a new religion, but it's more so about the establishment of His kingdom. Yours is the kingdom of heaven. When you study the words of Jesus and you research what a kingdom is, you find that a religion and a kingdom are two completely different things. One is a system of beliefs, and the other is a government ruled by a King. Completely night and day. Now, based upon the way you define religion, there are religious aspects involved in His teaching, the sacraments, and things of that sort. However, the main focus of Jesus's teaching was His kingdom, which is His government that we are invited into. And this is why when people ask a believer what their religion is, it's not really a simple question. Because yes, there are religious aspects involved, but a more accurate, encompassing description of what we now have is citizenship in God's kingdom, which is a type of government. And so, the kingdom message is really unfamiliar to the world. For example, when we do things like bow before King Jesus, the world sees that as some, uh, sort of religious act. But no, in a kingdom, citizens are expected to bow before their King. It's protocol. Do you see? For example, since the world mainly sees Jesus as just another religious figure, they hear the title "Lord Jesus" and think of it in a religious way. But when you study the way kingdom governments work, you find that Kings are referred to as Lords because they own everyone within their kingdom. The King becomes their master. This is why you don't call presidents or prime ministers "Lord," because they don't own you. But since you are in a kingdom now, when you call Jesus Lord, you are saying, "Jesus, I am Your servant. My life is Yours. My allegiance is Yours. And everything I have is Yours." It's a complete surrender. That's kingdom. And of course, as with any governments, the citizens have to obey what the law of their leader. And so, this is why in the last movie, we explored in detail what Paul refers to as the law of Christ. And I love the way James describes it: "If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right." And so, when you start thinking in a kingdom way, statements like this start to make more sense. You see how commands such as "love your neighbor as yourself" are not just religious rules, but are royal laws. And so, many ask, "Do these royal laws include all of the 613 laws found in the Torah, or just the Ten Commandments, or perhaps just the two commandments that Jesus mentions in Matthew 22?" That's the big question. And we covered that question in detail in the entire "Law of Christ" movie. And so, rather than just repeat that entire film right here, definitely see that when you can. But in short, it's clear that even in the new covenant, the commandments are important. For instance, in Revelation 12, John writes how the dragon will, in the end times, make war against those who keep the commandments. [Music]
In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus is talking to His followers about the commandments and how to apply them. And He says, "Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." [Music]
And so, there you go. That's strong, strong language. The commandments are important. And many scholars do point out how throughout the witness of the biblical canon, it seems that the Ten Commandments are elevated and spoken of in a different way than many of these ceremonial and ritualistic laws. For example, the Old Testament says that the commandments were written by the finger of God. And many argue that this is mentioned to emphasize their significance. Even within the layout of the Tabernacle, we see that the religious rituals, such as sacrificing, were regulated in the outer courts of the Tabernacle, but the commandments were placed in the Ark of the Covenant, in the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. And commentators note that this sacred place of their keeping is likely a symbol of their eternal significance. And so, if we can conclude that even in the new covenant, the commandments should be kept, well, why would that be a big deal? Well, here's the thing. You see, most believers don't really debate over the commandment "Do not murder." There's not much of a debate. You just don't do it. We don't really debate over bearing false witness or having other gods. We agree that we should not commit adultery. Paul refers to that command in Romans 13:9. And Jesus elevated it by saying, "Not only don't commit adultery, but don't even look at a woman lustfully." So, most of the commandments we talk about, and there's harmony. But when it comes to the fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath holy, this command has been at the center of more debates and division than probably any other. And at AOC Network, we often receive emails requesting that we create episodes on certain topics. And over the years, one of the top questions we have received is, "How does the Sabbath function in the new covenant? What is the Sabbath even about?" And so, finally, you can pull out your notepad and get ready as we explore the purpose of Sabbath.
So, why did God even give the Israelites a commandment regarding Sabbath day rest in the first place? Well, let's look at the history of it. So, when you study the patterns of the number seven in scripture, we see that it is connected to this idea of something being complete. And once that completeness arrives, there is a period of rest. In the book of Genesis, after working and creating the world, on the seventh day, God has this period of rest because the creation is complete. Now, the interesting thing is, on days one through six, the days are described as having an evening and a morning. But on the seventh day, when God enters this rest, there is no mention in the text of there being an evening or morning, just on the seventh day. And why is that? Well, many scholars note that this simple textual variance is a foreshadowing of the ultimate Sabbath day rest that one day we all will enter into when Jesus returns. For in that day, there will be no evening. Look at when it reads: "It will be a unique day, a day only known to the Lord, with no distinction between day and night. And when the evening comes, there will be light." And so, when Jesus returns to rid this world of evil, and He ushers in the eternal kingdom physically, there will be a seventh-day type of rest and renewal. Additionally, in Revelation 21, it mentions how there will be no night there. And so, you can see the parallel with how there is no mention of night on the seventh day in Genesis, and how that foreshadows this coming of an ultimate seventh day where there will be no night. It's amazing. And so, just as on the seventh day, there is this rest and completion, mentioned at the second coming, there is another type of completion that takes place when the enemies of Christ are made His footstool, and the children of God are liberated from this world of decay and brought into the reality of resurrection. And when that happens, that will be the ultimate end of creation, and we can all rest. And so, in Genesis, on the seventh day of creation, we see how humanity got a small preview of the coming ultimate Sabbath. On the seventh day, Adam and Eve experienced the presence of God, peace, and the rest of God. However, they lost that rest, and along with the rest of humanity, were doomed to toil and work in a back-breaking way just to survive. However, even though they lost that rest, God would allow His people to one day a week experience rest again. [Music]
And so, this is why seven is so important. Even our weeks are structured in patterns of seven, because God wanted humanity to remember that one day we will experience that Genesis Eden type of rest again. I'm about to get excited. And so, through Moses, God invited His people to practice, if you will, what one day we will be doing eternally: resting in the presence of God. And so, the fourth commandment regarding Sabbath was not intended to burden God's people. No, in the contrary, it was intended to allow them to practice and experience God's rest in a, quote, "Eden type of way." [Music]
And so, this is one of the reasons why when Jesus was questioned about the Sabbath and how to keep it, and what you can do or can't do, He explained to them that "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." And yes, this text can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but when you look at the historical context of Sabbath, it is understandable why many scholars note that here Jesus is saying that the Sabbath is not supposed to be a burden. It's not supposed to be something where you cannot help people, or cannot do what you need to feed yourself or someone in need. Jesus said it was created for man. It's almost as if He is saying the Sabbath is a gift, not a curse, which is pretty much what the Pharisees were turning it into by criticizing Jesus and His followers for doing too much on it. For example, in Luke chapter 13, Jesus was in the synagogue teaching on the Sabbath, and there was a woman present who was crippled. Jesus seized this and He healed her. [Music] And the synagogue leader was angry about that, because apparently providing healing was doing a work. And of course, you know, no works are allowed on the Sabbath. But Jesus responded by basically saying, "What better day to bring healing and freedom to that woman than the Sabbath?" In the book of John, chapter 5, Jesus healed a man who was unable to walk for 38 years. [Music] And of course, out of all days to heal this man, Jesus chose to heal him on the Sabbath. I think He was doing this intentionally because He wants to teach us something. And so, of course, when the Pharisees found out that Jesus was healing on the Sabbath again, oh, they were upset. [Music] And they again criticized Jesus for working on the Sabbath. And notice how Jesus defends Himself. In His defense, Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working." And so, it is argued that by saying God is still working, He is alluding to how there is still a future Sabbath rest to come. And when that arrives, of course, true healing for all will take place. And so, again, what better way to honor the Sabbath than to heal? Jesus here demonstrates that Sabbath is a time for practicing in the present what we will one day have in the millennial kingdom. And what a day that will be. [Music]
But currently, we live in this world of sickness, disease, sadness, crime. Humanity is still in this wilderness journey towards that ultimate promised land when Jesus returns. But what you will find is that whenever God establishes a covenant with His people, He allows His people to get a taste of His rest. About to get excited again. For example, when God established the Old Covenant through Moses, He allowed the Israelites to get a taste of His rest through the fourth commandment, allowing them to rest from their works. And of course, Jesus came and demonstrated what that rest looked like. However, after His death and resurrection, scripture says that there is a new covenant established. And remember, whenever a covenant is established, God allows His people to get a taste of His rest. And so, through Jesus, in the new covenant, we also get to experience a type of rest. Can you guess what it is? Well, before the new covenant, how did you have to be forgiven for your sins? Well, you had to use the blood of animals. Before the new covenant, what was the sign a man belonged to God? Well, he had to be circumcised. But in Christ, you are invited into a rest that doesn't require you to sacrifice animals for your sins, because Jesus sacrificed Himself with His own blood. And if you are a male, it is written that now you don't have to be physically circumcised, because true circumcision in the new covenant is about God renewing your heart. In the new covenant, your standing with God is not based upon your own works. No, in the new covenant, you are made a child of God through the works of Christ, who lived more righteously than you or I ever could. That's rest. Rest from rituals and rest from works. In the new covenant, you don't have to find a high priest on earth to commune with God. No, in the new covenant, Jesus is our mediator and High Priest, and every day, 24/7, you have open communication with God and can approach His throne of grace at any time. That is rest. And so, in the new covenant, just like with the old, God allows us to enter a preview of His rest, even in this fallen wasteland of a world. He allows us to experience the rest that one day we will have forever. Jesus Himself echoes this when He says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." This new covenant rest is further echoed in the book of Hebrews chapter 4, as it is written: "For we who have believed enter that rest." And it says again in Hebrews 4: "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works." And again, this echoes how salvation is not based upon works, but the works of Christ. And so, by all means, read chapter 4 of Hebrews and the surrounding chapters for context, because it goes deep to show how the Sabbath in the Old Covenant, as well as the new, has to do with allowing God's people to experience the type of rest that we ultimately will have forever.
Now, we still have a big question to address. Yes, we see that in the new covenant, there are many things we rest from that point to the ultimate Sabbath and allow us to experience some of it even now. But what about the weekly Sabbath written in the commandments? I mean, that's the big question. Does the rest that we now have in Christ somehow replace that, or do both work together? Big, big question. And so, I think a good way to navigate that is to explore some of the primary perspectives of believers with this and how the first Christians addressed it. So, regarding how believers keep the Sabbath today, there are really three main groups or perspectives. With the first perspective, you have believers who will often cite the many references in the New Testament that uphold the Ten Commandments, such as when John writes that in the end times, Satan will attack those who keep the commandments. And so, since the Sabbath is one of the commandments, those in this perspective will aim to keep it holy by number one, practicing a weekly Sabbath on Saturday. And actually, many of them will still attend church on other days, like Sunday or Wednesday. [Music] But they are careful to have a day of rest on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Now, for this group, many of the Sabbath restrictions from the Old Testament, such as lighting a fire or things of that sort, well, many of those things are not strictly observed, but those in this perspective do try their best to rest and allow for Saturday to be a sacred time. And then you have those in the second perspective, that many fit into. And those in this perspective largely agree that the commandments are still important, written with the finger of God, including the Sabbath. But they would argue that the work of Christ allows us to honor it in a different way. Well, what does that mean? Well, they largely view the Sabbath sort of like the way many view the new covenant circumcision. And so, they would say that the application of Sabbath looks differently in the new covenant. Many reference how in the new covenant, circumcision is largely about the condition of one's heart rather than the removal of skin. And so, they will take that same reasoning and argue that Sabbath rest in the new covenant is not about how you rest on a particular day, but now is about experiencing the rest that we now have in the finished work of Christ, such as not, you know, having to sacrifice animals for your sins and things of that sort. And those in this perspective would argue also that the Sabbath command is not done away with, just like circumcision isn't done away with. They would just say it's expressed differently now. And then you have the third perspective. And it is similar to the first view, but their Sabbath is about as strict as you can get. They won't be lighting any fires. They do no kind of work. And they also don't take off on Sundays, because the commandment literally says to work six days. And so, they make sure that they work six days a week, and then on that one day, they completely rest and devote themselves to God in a way that they just couldn't do on other days. And so, for them, Shabbat is almost like a weekly fast, in a way. And so, these are generally the three main perspectives with how to honor the Sabbath. And of course, you know, some of them can overlap. And so, since this is an open forum, I think this would be a great video for you to share in the comments: Which of these perspectives do you identify with? And what type of guidance has the Holy Spirit given you regarding keeping the Sabbath holy? But again, what you will find is that for all three of these groups, each group would say that they keep the Sabbath holy, but where they differ is in their interpretation of how to keep it holy. That's very important to get.
And in scripture, it's clear that Paul also had to navigate through similar Sabbath perspectives as he was writing to believers. And you can see evidence of that through the text when he was writing to the Colossian church. The text suggests that he was writing to believers who were facing criticism. And look at what it says: "Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." Wow. And so, he speaks to them and he says, "Let no one judge you regarding a Sabbath day." Now, it is disputed amongst commentators if Paul here is referring to the weekly Sabbath or annual Sabbaths. But when you look at the general consensus of scholars on the matter, it seems that most lean with this referring to the weekly Sabbath. Many argue that at the time, one's practice of the weekly Sabbath is what was known for bringing about contentious debates. And we actually saw this with how the Pharisees criticized Jesus and His practice of the weekly Sabbath. [Music]
And so, if Paul here is referring to the weekly Sabbath, and he tells the Colossian church to "let no one judge you regarding the Sabbath," well, we need to break down why he is saying this. Now, for the majority of believers today, when we read this, we usually interpret this statement to mean, "Don't let anyone judge you on which day you rest, or which day you go to church, or which day you decide to keep the Sabbath, right?" I mean, that's just how most of us read it. And the reason why is because these are the discussions that we are often having today in our Christian communities. But when you devote a lot of time into commentaries regarding this, you will often come across scholars who make the point that we have to read this in the context of when it was written. And what they usually point out is that during the time Paul was writing this, the church was not facing criticism on what day to keep the Sabbath, but how to keep the Sabbath. That's very important. Very important. You see, today we have debates: Is the Sabbath on Sunday? Or is it Saturday? Right? But the thing is, this idea of keeping the Sabbath on Sunday was not even in practice until hundreds of years after this letter was written. Now, stick with me here. I know some of you are going to say, "Well, didn't they worship on Sundays?" Hold on. You see, once Paul and the apostles died, once the first believers who were taught by those who walked with Jesus died, well, things began to change. Not only was the kingdom message lost, like we talked about earlier, but also many who were from pagan backgrounds and who were not taught under the apostles started to bring in all of these various religious concepts and ideas into the faith. And what ended up happening is what Jesus came to bring, which is a kingdom, slowly began to transform into just another religion. And that's why what you see in the medieval period of Christianity looks absolutely nothing like what the faith looked like in the early church. Why? Because people tried to turn what Jesus established into a religion. Because, as you know, religion can be very useful to control the masses. [Music] Right? And so, rather than allowing people to have their own relationships with God, rather than allowing them to own their own Bibles, at the time, religion started to tell them that they had to do certain things, such as repenting to a priest, things such as purchasing indulgences to lessen the punishment of sin. And so, when you research this and dig deep into the history of it, what you will find is that the same religious people who created an institutionalized system so different from what the first believers had are the same people who also said, "Well, maybe the Sabbath can be moved to Sunday." You see? And so, now believers wrestle with what day is the Sabbath, because hundreds of years after the early church, this whole concept of the Sabbath possibly being on Sunday became a thing because of these religious groups. And you know, it's taken hundreds and hundreds of years of reformations and Protestant uprisings for believers to get back to how Jesus and the earliest believers lived, which is really the aim: to understand the theology and lifestyle of the earliest believers, those who walked with Christ. And so, when you read this, you have to ask yourself, what was Paul referring to in the context of the earliest believers? Well, he isn't referring to a Sunday Sabbath, because at the time, the early church and Jews only saw Sabbath as the seventh day of the week, which was Saturday. That was a part of their culture and heritage. They just knew it was Saturday. Now, um, I must say, yes, they did meet on Sundays and worship on Sundays, absolutely. We see that in the text. But in the book of Acts, we see that the apostles worshipped as often as they could, and every day, sometimes. So, yes, they did worship and praise together on Sundays, but also on Mondays and Wednesdays. They worshipped together as often as they could. But there is no mention in the biblical text of the early church ever officially making Sunday the new Sabbath day of rest. And so, now that we understand all of that, it seems that what Paul is referring to in Colossians here is not the day one keeps the Sabbath, but how one keeps the Sabbath. And that view gels with the witness of the text. We see Jesus was criticized for how He kept the Sabbath. And so, it is understandable that here Paul is saying to them, "Let no one judge you on how you keep the Sabbath day." And as we have reviewed, there are many different perspectives from believers on how exactly to keep it. And Paul echoes this further in the book of Romans, as he writes how believers should not judge each other regarding how we do certain things. He writes in Romans 14: "Except the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One's faith allows them to eat everything, but another whose faith is weak eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not. The one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand." And here it is: "One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. But each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind." Now, this is big, because even though this verse does not explicitly say the Sabbath, most scholars write that this is referring to the Sabbath. The ESV Study Bible, which is largely recommended by orthodox Protestant scholars, writes: "Given the Jewish background here, the day that is supremely in view is certainly the Sabbath." And so, in your research, you will find the general consensus is that this references the Sabbath. And what he says is, "One must be fully convinced in their own mind." Now, what's interesting is, in verses 3 and 4, he says to not judge someone else's servant. And then here he makes this reference to the sacredness of a day and says to be convinced in your own mind. And so, if Paul here is referring to the Sabbath, it's as if he is saying we should not judge each other on how we hold the sacredness of that day. Now, another interesting thing is, you can't really imagine Paul referring to the other commandments like this, right? I mean, could you imagine Paul saying, "For one person, murder is okay, and to the other, it's not. But as long as each of you are convinced in your own mind about it, you're good"? I mean, you couldn't really imagine him saying that, right? You could not imagine him saying, "One person considers adultery wrong, and the other may feel that you are free to commit adultery, but as long as you're both convinced in your own mind about it, you're good." No, he, he wouldn't say that, because we have seen his other writings where he clearly says that those who murder and commit adultery do not inherit the kingdom of God. But with this regarding the sacredness of a day, it's as if he gives some room for interpretation regarding the execution of the commandment. And so, what I suspect the text is hinting at is that the way each of us honors God in some things, such as the Sabbath, is between you and God. And regarding the Sabbath, that's a great thing, because in the Old Testament, if you didn't keep the Sabbath a certain way, you could be killed. In the book of Numbers 15, a man was brutally stoned to death because he was picking up sticks on the Sabbath. Do you see? Imagine if believers today stoned each other for picking up wood on the Sabbath. It would be chaos. In the book of Exodus, it is commanded to not light a fire on the Sabbath. Now, imagine if we stoned each other for lighting a fire. And so, this is why Jesus came and demonstrated that this Sabbath is not something to stone each other about. The Pharisees wanted to kill Him for healing and doing things on the Sabbath, but Jesus demonstrated that the Sabbath is the greatest time for doing good works. I mean, are we not going to be doing good works in the millennial kingdom, the ultimate Shabbat? And so, I really lean into this Pauline argument about not judging regarding certain things, especially with the Sabbath, that is between you and God. Look, who am I to judge you for lighting a fire on the Sabbath? Who am I to say, "Well, you aren't a true Sabbath keeper. You only work five days a week. You should be working six days a week and only having one day of rest. And on that day of rest, you better make sure you stay home and go nowhere." You see how that could turn the gift of rest into a burden? And God did not create it to be a burden. We make it one. And so, this is why the way you honor the Sabbath is not between me and you. It's not between you and anyone else. It's between you and your Dad, your Father in heaven, God. You have His Spirit, and that Holy Spirit will lead you in how to honor Him in all things. Moreover, Paul says, "Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God." And he further says, "You then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat." And again, he says, "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself; but if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean." Okay, now here, you know, he's starting to get into unclean foods, um, which is really an entirely different discussion. But by him mentioning unclean foods here, it leads you to believe that this is what he was alluding to earlier in the text when he was talking about not judging each other for eating meat and certain things. But nevertheless, as you can see, I pretty much skimmed through this for the sake of time. But in your study, read Romans 14 carefully. And I would spend a whole week just going through Romans 14. I would recommend reading it in multiple versions: KJV, ESV, and also use a Blue Letter Bible here to look at the original Greek words. Read the surrounding chapters for context. And most importantly, most important, pray for revelation and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. And I am confident that God will greatly bless your study on it. But I just love Romans 14 here, because after he talks about unclean foods here, he then says in verse 17: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." You see, this is why we begin this whole discussion talking about the kingdom, because Paul, he addresses all of these ritualistic things that we are in contention about, but then he, what, brings it back to kingdom, the very thing we should all be focused on. And so, that's what we're doing. We're getting back to the kingdom of God and relearning what the kingdom is all about. Many of us have been in contention with religious debates for too long. We've played religion for too long. But in these last days, God is teaching us and preparing us to live as kingdom citizens. So, if you have made it to this point in the video, you have heard the good news of the kingdom, which is exactly what Jesus said would happen before He returns. He says, "Once the world hears the good news of the kingdom, then the end will come." And so, it is not a coincidence that ministries all over the world are speaking about their kingdom like never before. So, spread the word. Jesus is King. Now, many will dismiss your message. They will say, "They have already heard about Jesus." But do they really know about His mission? Do they really understand the kingdom? And so, as ambassadors of Christ, our work is far from over, because there is more territory to take for the kingdom, but not in physical land mass, but in the hearts of the masses. [Music] You