#8
Created For Something Better
How to Satisfy Your Deepest Desires

Two men were arguing at work one day about religion. Neither really knew what they were talking about! Finally one said: “Man, you don’t know anything about religion. I’ll bet you $10 you can’t even repeat the Lord’s Prayer.” Replied the other: “Oh yeah? It’s a bet!” And he began to recite: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…and to the republic…Amen!” The first man looked stunned. “I didn’t think you could do it! Here’s your $10.”

We smile. But unfortunately this story illustrates just how little people today really now about God’s Word. But tonight we’re going to dig up some deeply buried, long forgotten gems, from the mine of God’s truth. Please don’t be surprised or embarrassed if God’s Word undresses us and reveals certain popular religious fallacies many of us may have believed without thinking this through. But if the Bible does reveal error in our thinking, we ought to thank God, shouldn’t we?

We discovered last night the scientific world is challenged today like never before with its theory of Evolution first proclaimed by Charles Darwin in 1844.

Scholars are now writing books which contest and dispute present thinking about Macro evolution.

The Hubble Spacecraft is exploding theories of evolution right and left about the origin of the stars. (I read an article in the Jan. 2002, “L.A. Times” that was devastating to Evolution.)

One of the foremost new thinkers, Phillip Johnson, recently wrote a provocative book called, “The Wedge of Truth.” Where he indicates there suddenly seems to be renewed interest among scientists in “Intelligent Design.” The more we reach out into space, the more we see evidence of a Designer at work in making the universe.

Doctors studying anatomy for any part of the human body admit the eye or ear, or kidneys or heart, couldn’t just happen by chance! If there is design, there has to be a Designer! But if God created all these things, how come He’s so completely forgotten by today’s generation? Let’s take our Bibles and discover some answers.

Billy Graham stated God’s last message to this world is found in the 14th chapter of Revelation.

An angel flies in the midst of heaven loudly proclaiming the final warning message to all the world:

<Revelation 14:7>
“...Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come;
and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

Worship Him, because worship is the central issue of the great controversy. Worship Him because at the end of time when it’s all over, everything boils down to one final issue. Who are we going to worship? The last warning message isn’t about Armageddon. Or 666. Or Left Behind. It’s about Jesus. About worship!

Before Jesus comes, God’s final S.O.S. judgment call from heaven is to worship Him. “I have authority to judge because I’m Creator!”

Precisely when Evolution teaches we’re the result of chance.

And the beast of Revelation 13 says: “Follow Me and accept my mark! Forget the Seal of the Creator!” At this very time, God calls everyone on Planet Earth to “remember” to worship the Creator and His Sign. You say, “But how do I know what the sign of creation is?” Let’s take a look at some evidence found in the first Chapter of Genesis. Last night we discovered the very first thing the Bible tells us is:

<Genesis 1:1>
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

God designed this world! The whole Trinity was there – God the Father.

<Genesis 1:2>
“...And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

That’s the third member of the Godhead. But Jesus was involved, too! John 1:3 says,

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:9 Jesus put the finishing brush strokes on the canvas!
“...God...created all things through Jesus Christ.”

But Genesis tells us how they did this. Let’s review, because this has something very important to do with the final Armageddon issue of worship.

<Genesis 1:3>
Day #1: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.”

<Genesis 1:6>
Day #2: “Then God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’”

Our oceans and the atmosphere, we’d call it today.

<Genesis 1:9, 10>
Day #3: “Then God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear,’ and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

Notice what God did with the dry land:

<Genesis 1:11>
“Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so.”

What day was this?

<Genesis 1:13>
“So the evening and the morning were the third day.”

On the fourth day, God arranged for permanent light.

<Genesis 1:14>
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night...”

The sun and the moon!

<Genesis 1:16>
“Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day; and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also...

<Genesis 1:19>
“So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

On Day # 5: God turns His attention to the sea and the air.

<Genesis 1:20, 21, 23>
“Then God said, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’ So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good...So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”

Each day God’s unfathomable artistry created whole eco-systems, step by step.

But God didn’t create this magnificent world simply for birds and fish! He created it to be inhabited.

So, on the 6th Day God said,

<Genesis 1:24, 25>
“...Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping things and beast of the earth, each according to its kind...And God saw that it was good.”

But then comes the moment God has been waiting for. The moment of truth! His crowning act! Human beings!

<Genesis 1:26>
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

See Him forming handsome Adam. Then Eve? Even more gorgeous! Perfect.

<Genesis 1:28, 31>
“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; and fill the earth...’ Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

This wasn’t Steven Spielberg’s Hollywood science fiction. It was the real thing! Absolutely awesome! How did He do it so quickly?

The Bible gives the answer (and this is why we worship Him):

<Psalm 33:8, 9>
“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”

<Genesis 2:1>
“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.”

In six literal days our Creator brought into being shrubs and trees, flowers and streams.

Sunshine and glorious sunsets and a magnificent moon to enjoy by night. Fish that would jump and do tricks better than Marineland and Sea World.

But best of all, He created two perfect people with whom He could fellowship. Walk and talk in the cool of the evening!

Oh, but God wasn’t through yet! Notice, He had one more crowning delight that He wanted to create.

<Genesis 2:2, 3>
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

Something unique. Something stunning. Something extraordinarily profound. God blessed and made holy a day!

Something different from any other.

But God did something else for this day. He “sanctified” the seventh day.

Actually put some of His Divinity, His holiness, into that 24-hour period of time. Angels were amazed. Stunned. Wow! God didn’t make some THING holy: a building; pagoda; monument. He created a palace in time – 24 hours.

The Bible says He “Set it aside for a holy use.” Didn’t do it for Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Different from all other days.

He set one day aside as holy – dedicated totally to Him. “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” By the way, when God blesses something, how long is it blessed? 1 Chronicles 17:27 says,

“You have blessed it, O Lord, and it is blessed forever.”

Then God gave this time to Adam and Eve as His personal wedding present. Jesus said,

<Mark 2:27>
“...The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

“Well,” someone says, “does it make a difference which day?”: If it’s a popularity contest, which day should we keep holy? Probably Friday – one-quarter of the world is Muslim! But does it make a difference? Won’t any one of the seven do?

ILLUST: Gentlemen, suppose it’s your wedding day. But your fiancée has six more sisters, who all look alike. Identical septuplets. However, you selected one. Set her aside. Sanctified. Consecrated in holy matrimony. (After the ceremony, “any one will do!”) Does it make a difference? Yes. God took one common, ordinary day of the seven, chose it, sanctified it, and dedicated it to Himself. Blessed. Hallowed. Sanctified. Set apart. Not any day, but the seventh.

“Remember” this day, because in six days I created. Sure, you can worship every day. But on the 7th Day you honor Me as Creator.

If God created the world in 3 days, which day would be the Sabbath? The fourth day.
If God created the world in 4 days, which day would be the Sabbath? The fifth day.

Did you know that if the Taliban and Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein kept the Sabbath, there wouldn’t be any terrorism attacks. No infidels, no skeptics, no crime. We’d all be reminded each week of our roots, our relationship to our Creator! That we were “Created for Something Better!” But look at what happened back in Genesis.

As sin increased on earth, humans forgot about our Creator; forgot about the Sabbath. We forgot our roots: forgot where we came from, why we’re here. Forgot how we should live. Completely forgot about God, worshiping idols and tramping off after other gods. When you look at the record: every time God’s people forgot the Sabbath it resulted in two things: 1.) captivity and 2.) they lost the prophetic gift.

Back at the time of Moses, the Book of Exodus says they’d completely forgotten which day was the Sabbath. So there in the Sinai wilderness, God provided three miracles to help get them back to worshiping Him as Creator and keep holy His Sabbath.

First, God provided miracle food called: “MANNA” for 40 years!

<Exodus 16:4>
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.’”

Manna every day, 6 days a week! Fresh. Perfect. Like coriander seed. Angels food. But then a second miracle.

<Exodus 16:5, 6>
“‘And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.’ Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, ‘At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

Each day, miracle manna enough for that day. But now notice what happened on the sixth day – twice as much! Miracle Two.

<Exodus 16:21-23>
“So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted. [Or, if they hoarded too much, it bred worms.] And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, [Ah!] ‘This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’”

And miracle #3: It won’t breed worms! When you keep Sabbath, things happen!

<Exodus 16:25, 26>
“Then Moses said, ‘Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.’”

And presto! Without refrigerators, the manna was miraculously preserved on Sabbath. Ah! But notice what happened. Some went out on the Sabbath to gather manna with their cooking and baking and frying utensils. Intentionally disobeying.

<Exodus 16:28-30>
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.’”

Later, when they finally got to Mt. Sinai – so they wouldn’t forget again – God chiseled it in stone with His own finger. And He made a special forever promise.

<Exodus 20:8-11>
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of [the Jews? No!] the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

By the way, if you’ll carefully count the words of the 10 Commandments you’ll notice that the Sabbath is in the center, or the heart, of those ten precepts. Because the Sabbath is God’s “flag.”

Every country has a flag. Suppose in America I take an ordinary white piece of cloth and drop it here on the platform. This is all right. Suppose I take an ordinary piece of blue cloth and drop it here; and walk on it. Then I take an ordinary piece of red cloth and drop it; walk on it; even shine my shoes. Nothing wrong. But suppose we take these ordinary red, white and blue pieces of cloth and sew them into the “Stars and Stripes,” Old Glory. THEN suppose I drop that flag here: “Well, it’s just an ordinary piece of cloth!” Walk on it. Shine my shoes. Does it make a difference? Every red-blooded American would do something. Why? It’s now our country’s emblem. A symbol of everything we stand for as American citizens. It’s just ordinary cloth; but we have made it something special.

God took an ordinary day. He blessed it. Sanctified it; hallowed it. And made it His flag, the Sabbath. A symbol of His creative power and of our forever fellowship with Him. A symbol of salvation. That He’s King of Kings, Lord of Lords. God. Creator of the Universe. Just an ordinary day? Yes. Might not look any different. But any day won’t do, will it? Because He made it something special forever.

Yet, billions today trample God’s flag. Care nothing about His Holy Sabbath. And friends, I want to tell you, the Voice of prophecy foretold this would happen. God’s flag would be trampled. But in the last days the Voice of Prophecy SPEAKS again and says God is going to raise up a people to restore God’s flag and fly the ensign of His Creative power. Tonight this very VOP SPEAKS meeting is fulfilling Isaiah 58. A great breach, a large hole has been gouged out of the Ten Commandments. Sabbath has been literally forgotten. But God prophesies and pleads in Isaiah 58, “People, I want you to repair and rebuild these old waste places!”

<Isaiah 58:12>
“...You shall raise up the [flags] of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Paths to Dwell in.”

And if you do this with His flag, God promises something!

Verses 13-14 say:

“If you cease to tread the Sabbath underfoot [take your foot off My flag; stop walking on it], and keep my holy day free from your own affairs...if you honor it by not plying your trade, not seeking your own interest or attending to your own affairs, then you shall find your joy in the Lord...”

God promises, you’ll delight yourself in the Lord and ride on the high places of the earth!

<Isaiah 56:6, 7>
“...Everyone that keepeth the Sabbath...will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer...for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”

Nowhere in the Bible is the seventh day called “the Sabbath of the Jews. Jesus made it crystal clear…

<Mark 2:27>
“...The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

<Exodus 20:10>
“...the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord...”

Jesus says, “I made the Sabbath.” It’s My day! When Pharisees criticized Jesus for breaking the Sabbath, He said, “Don’t tell Me how to keep the Sabbath!”

<Matthew 12:8>
“For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

I made it. That’s why it’s…

<Revelation 1:10>
“...the Lord’s Day...”

But can I get very personal? Let me tell you why the Sabbath, never Sunday or Wednesday or Friday – really becomes intimate for me. It’s a special “secret sign” between God and me! It’s not only God’s sign He’s Creator. It’s the sign He’s my Redeemer. That I’ve been born again!

<Ezekiel 20:12>
“Moreover also I gave them [Lonnie] my Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifies them.”

That’s why I couldn’t do without the Sabbath. It’s the sign of my redemption.

<Ezekiel 20:20>
“And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.”

In fact, this is one of the greatest reasons why we’ll keep Sabbath in heaven. Why will we need a Sabbath? Will we need time off? No. It will be the only reminder we have of creation...AND redemption. Every week, God’s “forever sign” we were born again, re-created in Jesus’ image! You ask, “Does the Bible say that?” Yes. Listen to Isaiah 66:22-23 reminding us of this forever sign…

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.”

Throughout eternity, we’ll celebrate Sabbath to honor Jesus as Creator and Redeemer!

In our home, on Friday evening at sunset, we have a tradition. We usually light candles to signify Sabbath has come. Lev. 23:23 says that’s when God’s Sabbath begins: at sunset. We have special food – the best! Special music plays on our stereo. Special time for family, for celebrating holy time. Doesn’t it seem reasonable if Sabbath was celebrated before sin came, and that it will be celebrated when the earth is made new, that God’s people should celebrate it now? And, if there’s still any question about which day to keep, we’re always safe to follow Jesus’ example.

Luke 4:16 tells us:

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.”

Jesus’ custom was to go to church on Sabbath. And He is out perfect model in all things.

Webster’s Dictionary says the Sabbath Day is “the seventh day of the week (Saturday).” Spanish: Sabado. Russian: Subato.

A happy day. A day of joy! The best day of the week! It’s a date with God. With our family. And God says, “Delight yourselves on this day.” If you’re miserable or bored, you’re not keeping Sabbath.

You girls listening: Would you like to go out on a date with a bore? Someone looking at his watch all the time? Or, talking on his cell phone – like, “When’s this going to be over?” I’m afraid God goes through this a lot on Sabbaths – people at church with cell phones, yawning, looking at the clock. Dad’s watching football; mom’s at the mall. Hey! That kind of date is no good! Unless you can enjoy each other. The Sabbath should be the most exciting day of our lives. In fact, Jews looked forward to Sabbath so much they wept when it came, they were so happy!

Some interesting people have recently discovered this. Of all things,
1. United Airlines “Hemisphere”
2. Reader’s Digest article (Meryl Streep, cover)
3. “Bottom Line”
4. Michael Card
5. Steve Green
We’ve even made some VOP “spots” on Sabbath. Listen to an example.

SAMPLE AUDIO ‘SPOT’ (psychiatrist)

Twelve million Christian people have discovered Sabbath as the most exciting day of our lives. Some Catholics and Lutherans and Methodists are starting to have Saturday services. For convenience, not because they believe it’s Sabbath. Now let me clarify something: Sabbath is not a day to say, “Hey, God! Let’s get together and do what I like to do: fish; play golf; watch TV; surf.” No. God wants us to use that day to develop character in us; morality; integrity. Taking quality time with family. Blessing others. A time to get out into nature. Jesus completely revolutionized Sabbath’s deeper meaning, by saying,

<Matthew 12:12>
“...it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Take a break! Take time to visit the hospital. Or, take your kids to nursing homes with their pets. Minister. Heal. Help broken people feel whole again. Get radical. Be different! Sabbath is a day to “re-create” life! That’s what Jesus did. (Like Ann Landers).

You see, Sabbath is more than the difference of a day. It’s an experience! A different way of life. You stop the rat race on Sabbath and focus on setting people free – free from loneliness, guilt, estrangement, prejudice. We free up ourselves to re-create in the image of God. That’s what Sabbath is! (It’s not just a 24-hour Saturday “nap.”)

But come with me to Calvary and stand near the cross…the most sacred emblem of all Christendom. In the world’s greatest emergency, the true meaning of the Sabbath was demonstrated by the disciples and the women. What did they do?

<Luke 23:56>
“And they returned and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

You see, to tamper with the Sabbath would be to tamper with Calvary itself!

That’s why the book of Acts records Paul and the disciples kept the Sabbath

For 6,000 years the Sabbath runs like a golden thread from Genesis to the book of Revelation. Where Chapter 14 describes those patiently waiting for Jesus. God’s final last day “called out ones.” Those prepared to meet Jesus at His Second Coming – right here at the end of time! Near Armageddon.

<Revelation 14:12>
“Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

But friend, what settles this question tonight for me is this. Jesus says, Lonnie,

<John 14:15>
“If you love Me, keep my commandments.”

One of those commandments is “Remember the Sabbath day...” His special forever sign. Am I willing to trust? Willing to follow Jesus, willing to obey just because God asks me to? You see, the highest act of moral choice is to do something for someone just because they ask you to.

You say, “Lonnie, what I’m hearing is so new! I’m wondering about all the people who sincerely keep Sunday?” I can understand. God knows their hearts. In fact, He says,

<Acts 17:30>
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.”

He “winks” at past ignorance. But when we know the truth, He expects us to start walking in the light of truth. I’ll help you.” So tonight I’d like to invite YOU to make a decision to keep the Sabbath. Millions of others have. But tonight God is talking to you. Inviting you. Placing a new responsibility upon your heart to obey what you now know.

ILLUST: [TELLIE SAVALES, “Kojak”]

As you weigh the eternal consequences of your decision for Christ tonight, wondering, pondering, asking: “What day shall I keep?” There are those who keep Sunday out there who are calling. Beckoning to you. They’re saying: “Come over and join us. It’s easy. It’s convenient. It’s traditional. It’s popular. We’re in the majority.”

But friend, look again. Look to Jesus who stands lifting His nail-scarred hands over the saints of all the ages. Jesus is saying,

<John 14:15>
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

And He gently calls us, “Friend, follow Me.”

Pastor George Vandeman was preaching on this subject one night. As he made his appeal, he noticed a young man slip outside into the darkness. He was weeping. As George Vandeman approached, he took his coat collar and said:

“All my life I prayed for truth. I never thought to ask God, ‘How much it would cost.’ It will cost you something, friend! But it will be one of the most important decisions you will ever make!

I know you’ll say, “Jesus, I’ll stand with You. I’ll put You first. I’ll raise up Your flag in my life. I’ll follow You all the way.”