This Sabbath lesson from Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis comes the day after the Memorial of the Blowing of the Trumpets, and Brother Obadiah turns from the coming of the Lord to the thing that is already happening: people are dying. Earthquakes, floods, war, famine, and the deaths close to home are not random to him. They are the wages of sin, and they are meant to get the attention of everybody still living. The lesson works through the Lord's controversy with the inhabitants of the land, the soul that sinneth, the fig tree that got one more year, and what God actually says it takes to turn and live. Every passage is read in the King James Version.
Watch the full Sabbath lesson on YouTube.
1.The Sabbath Script, for the Newcomers
He opens the way he always does, aimed at anybody new. Leviticus the twenty-third chapter names the seventh day as a sabbath of rest and a holy convocation.
Leviticus 23:1-3 KJV1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3Six 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 the LORD in all your dwellings.
"I always like to target the new people, because it is the new people that we searching for. The lost sheep are the ones we are looking for, the people who don't know nothing about the Sabbath day at all. Not only do you have to love God, you also have to do what God requires you to do."
"Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation. If you are coming into the word and you got to get a job, make sure you ain't working on the Sabbath. Sometimes you might have to take a lesser living. Satan has it designed to where we cannot keep the Sabbath day, because he got everybody broke and got everybody feeling like I got to take a job where I got to work on the Sabbath. No you don't. Peter said we got to obey God rather than man."
"An holy convocation is a holy gathering. That means we got to gather, not at your job. You got to gather at church. Why? Because the Sabbath day is a sign between God and his people."
And Saint Luke the fourth chapter, because he says we call ourselves Christians, and Christian just means Christlike.
St. Luke 4:14-16 KJV14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
16And 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 for to read.
"Not only did Jesus come and die for the sins of the people, and not only did he come to deliver you from death and give you eternal life, Jesus also came to teach. Jesus was also a teacher."
"And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. His custom was his way of life. If you going to follow Christ, you got to do the things that Christ did. Most people that are new cannot take the blinders off of the Sunday church, and you got to take them off if you going to follow the Lord in truth and in righteousness."
2.The Lord Hath a Controversy With the Inhabitants of the Land
He sets the lesson up out of the news and out of the neighborhood, and then goes to Hosea the fourth chapter, spoken to the ten tribes.
"Last Sabbath I made mention about all of the earthquakes that have happened. We see all of the floods and things like that. Even in Indiana, from the floods that we had, we had about seven or eight people died right there. In the eyes of the Lord, one is good enough."
"When you see all of the death and the destruction and the war and the famine going on in the land, all of that is going on to do one thing, and that is to get the attention of those that are living. When you got death going on around you, God already done took them. So now those that are alive, one day you going to be in that same situation."
"So the title of this lesson is death, the final warning for mankind. This your last warning, world. This what God is telling you. I'm killing people around you, I'm killing people in other countries, and I'm killing people where you dwell, to get your attention, to let you know that you got to repent. Every day when you pray to the Lord, the main thing you have to be concentrating on is repenting for your behavior."
Hosea 4:1-6 KJV1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
"Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. It is nothing changed. He got a controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth no more, no mercy from the people, no forgiveness from the people, and no knowledge of God in the land."
"By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. You hear why God got a controversy? We got a whole lot of swearing going on. I swear on my mama, I swear on this, I swear on God. A whole lot of lying, a whole lot of killing and stealing, and a whole lot of committing adultery. That is what is going on in the world right now."
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. That is why we are being destroyed. We don't have no knowledge when it come to the word of God. Nobody understands how he operates. Nobody understands the operation of God's hands. So that is why people are dying, because they have no knowledge."
"Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee. You could have got the knowledge, but you rejected it. Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. And he not lying about that. You got a generation of kids the parents can't tell nothing no more. You got the youth raising the youth."
And the more the ten tribes prospered, the further they went from him.
Hosea 4:7-11 KJV7As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
11Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
"As they were increased, so they sinned against me. The more God blessed them, the more money they got, the more money they made, that is what turned them away from the Lord. Therefore will I change their glory into shame."
"I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings. You going to get a reward, but the reward you going to get is not the reward you looking for in the end. You think you going to make it and get eternal life and dwell with the Lord, but your reward going to be in the lake of fire if you don't change your ways."
"For they shall eat, and not have enough. You going to do all of these sins, but what I'm going to do is keep you leveled out. You ain't going to grow. Because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. That is what got the ten tribes in trouble, and that is when he put the ten tribes into captivity."
3.They Have Broken the Everlasting Covenant
Isaiah the twenty-fourth chapter says the same thing wider. The Lord does not have a controversy with the land, he has one with the people that inhabit it.
Isaiah 24:1-6 KJV1Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
4The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
"Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. He going to name everybody. One thing about God, he going to get everybody in the road. Even the one that is living righteously, because you ain't all the way right. So sometimes he going to punish you as well."
"And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest. So the people ain't going to get off the hook because they following the priest. You can't just let no man stand right here and dictate the word of God to you. He might be telling you the truth, he might be lying to you, but even if he is telling you the truth, you still got to go read it for yourself."
"The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. That is why the earth is upside down. That is why you seeing murders, that is why you seeing killing, that is why you seeing what they want to call natural disasters, but we call them the Lord's disasters."
"And this is the big one. They have broken the everlasting covenant. It ain't but one covenant, and that is none other than the ten commandments. That covenant is going to still be around even when Jesus is sitting on the throne. It is going to last forever."
Isaiah 24:17 KJV17Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
"Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth."
Then one verse in Romans that he says tells the whole story.
Romans 6:23 KJV23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
"For the wages of sin is death. That is the reason why we got people dying in the world. Wages mean your payment. That is your payment. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That is what we going to get in the future."
4.The Soul That Sinneth, It Shall Die
Ezekiel the eighteenth chapter is the heart of the lesson. It opens by retiring a proverb, that the fathers eat sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge.
Ezekiel 18:1-4 KJV1The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
2What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?
3As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
"Back in the Old Testament, the children at one point in time got in trouble for the sins the father had made. But once they made that golden calf, the Lord said whosoever sinned against me, that is who is going to die."
"Behold, all souls are mine. As the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. You better hear what God is saying. Whatever soul goes against the Lord, goes against the everlasting covenant, that is the soul the Lord gonna take out."
Then the standard for the just man, and the son who does none of those duties.
Ezekiel 18:9-13 KJV9Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.
10If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
11And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,
12Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
13Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
"Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly, he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. So what is God telling you right here? If you keep my statutes and my judgments, and if you deal truly with me, he is just, he shall surely live."
"That is what you come to church to do. You come to church to be a better person. One thing you got to realize about yourself is you got to visit the dark corners in your life. We can point the finger all the time and say what everybody else is doing, but have you stopped and taken a real look in the mirror at yourself? Anytime something bad happens to me, I ask the Lord, what am I doing wrong, that I might live right before your eyes. Ask the Lord those questions and don't be ashamed about it."
"Shall he then live? Ask yourself that. Should he live? When you see people that have died and they were doing these acts that you just read about, God is asking you this question. He shall not live. He hath done all these abominations, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him."
And then the answer that separates every man from his father and his son, and the wicked man from the man he used to be.
Ezekiel 18:20-24 KJV20The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Point blank, period. No matter who he is, no matter who she is, no matter how much you love him, no matter how much they love you. The only thing you can do is pray for your loved ones, but later on they going to have to make their own decisions."
"The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. I ain't going down the same rabbit hole that my father went down. I'm going to do something different. That is why you got to teach the children now, and don't overbear when you teach them. Just let them watch you."
"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. You was wicked at one point in time in your life. We were all wicked. We were all doing things that was contrary to the everlasting covenant."
"All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him. God ain't going to bring your past up at all. You get around a friend and they will bring up your past in a minute. You ain't got to worry about that with God. The only thing he is going to remember is that you walked in his ordinances and kept his laws."
"But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned. All of that good stuff you did, all of that you gave up when you came back to the Lord, and then you let those demons come back into your house, everything you have done righteously shall not be remembered anymore. In them shall he die."
And the call itself, which he says is the main thing about being a man or a woman of God.
Ezekiel 18:30-32 KJV30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
"Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. You can cry all you want, but that is not godly repentance. The only way to get true repentance from God is for you to turn away from all of the sins and transgressions that you have committed. You got to stay strong through a walk that is hard, because it is not easy to have discipline over your life. But that is what a disciple is."
"Cast away from you all your transgressions, and make you a new heart and a new spirit. Wait a minute now. Who is making the new heart right here, God or you? You are. God don't do it later, you got to do it right now."
"For why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. So God don't want to kill nobody that is wicked. He don't have no pleasure in that."
5.Except Ye Repent, Ye Shall All Likewise Perish
Saint Luke the thirteenth chapter is the same message out of the Master's mouth, after a catastrophe in Jerusalem. Two of them, in fact: the Galileans Pilate killed, and the eighteen crushed by the tower in Siloam.
St. Luke 13:1-5 KJV1There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things?
3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
"During the time of Jesus' day there was a catastrophe that happened in Jerusalem, and God going to have a message for the people out of it."
"Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay, but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. And he told them the same thing about the eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Then the parable of the fig tree, which he says is the Son asking the Father for one more year.
St. Luke 13:6-9 KJV6He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
"Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none, cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? This is the Father speaking. What God is doing is giving you time to get it right. I done been at you one year, two years, three years, and I come to find fruit on this tree and I find no fruit at all. That means you just walking around living and you not caring about what you doing for the Lord."
"Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it. This is Jesus talking to the Father. He said don't cut it down yet, Lord, let's give it one more chance. And if it bear fruit, well, and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. So once Jesus can't save you no more, he got to let the Father step in."
6.He That Being Often Reproved Hardeneth His Neck
One verse out of Proverbs the twenty-ninth chapter, on the man who keeps getting corrected and keeps stiffening up.
Proverbs 29:1 KJV1He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
"He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. God ain't going to keep slapping you on the hand. He ain't going to keep telling you don't do it, don't do it, and then you turn around and do it anyway. God gonna get you for that."
"Sin is good for a moment, but then once you find out how you treating your body and the things you doing, you ain't going to love it the way that you used to. There is no way that I can do the things I was doing when I was thirty, knowing that I'm fifty now. It got to be a change in you. That is what God want you to do. God just want you to change."
Then Proverbs the seventh chapter, where the commandments are the thing that keeps a man off the wrong road.
Proverbs 7:1-5 KJV1My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
"My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. The first time the Lord wrote all this down on two tables of stone, but now you got to write these things upon the table of your heart."
"Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman. He didn't say say unto wisdom thou art my friend, because a friend can come and go. But when you got a sister, when you got somebody that is kin to you, they going to be with you forever. That is what God want you to do with these commandments."
"That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. You know how many men have gotten in trouble because of women. And he always get them young, that is why we got to strengthen the children while they are young."
And where that road ends.
Proverbs 7:25-27 KJV25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
"Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths, for she hath cast down many wounded, yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. The only way for you not to follow after that is you got to make sure that you stay close to the Lord."
7.A Living Dog Is Better Than a Dead Lion
Ecclesiastes the ninth chapter is where he puts the hope in the lesson. As long as you are alive, you have got a chance.
Ecclesiastes 9:3-6 KJV3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
"For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. That is the hope. I don't really care how old you are. As long as you alive, you got hope to change. We have seen people in their older age that are changing. So as long as you are alive, you got a chance to turn back to the Lord."
"For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not any thing. Once you die, that is it, and once you wake up it is going to be the judgment. There ain't nobody that died and came back with a dead soul and they haunting houses. It don't work like that. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished."
And why none of us can count on tomorrow.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 KJV11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
12For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
"The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. You might be weak, but because you strong, that don't mean you going to win the battle. For time and chance happeneth to them all."
"For man also knoweth not his time, as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. We don't know what is going to happen."
Then Ecclesiastes the seventh chapter, which he says looks at death the opposite way we do.
Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 KJV1A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
"A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth. We don't look at it that way, but God look at it differently."
"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. Once you see somebody dead in the casket, you going to lay that to your heart, because you know one day, if you don't live to the coming of the Lord, people going to be arranging a funeral for you."
"Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. And the sorrow he is talking about is the sorrow for the world. You can't keep walking around feeling sorry for yourself all the time, because you opening a gateway for Satan to come in. Woe is me, woe is me. You got to keep moving."
8.I Kill, and I Make Alive
Deuteronomy the thirty-second chapter is the Lord saying plainly who is doing it.
Deuteronomy 32:39-41 KJV39See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
40For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
41If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
"See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive, I wound, and I heal, neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. I done tore everything up in my body lately, but I know who caused the wound and I know who is going to heal me."
"I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. When you hate the Lord, you going to get your reward in the end. That is why God telling you we got to walk right now. The more you read this, the more you going to become a better person, because it is going to be in your heart and in your mind."
And Ezekiel the fourteenth chapter, the four sore judgments, which he ties back to the four angels bound in the Euphrates from the trumpets lesson the day before.
Ezekiel 14:21-23 KJV21For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
22Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
"How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence. When we read about the four angels yesterday, those four angels is what causes these acts right here."
"Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant. And I want us to be that remnant. We a small remnant, but we know we doing one thing right, and that is the gospel. It is going to always be a small remnant that is going to know exactly what is going on, and we want to make sure that it is us."
"And ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God. When God take people away, you got to realize that what he has done, he has not done without cause. I had a relative die not long ago, and everybody wanted to talk about what a good man he was. I had a different statement. I said I pray that the Lord have mercy, because I know how that man lived. I'm not going to give you a proper reward when you die if I know you wasn't living right in the word of God. Because the Lord also talks about a lying tongue. We got to tell the truth."
9.Perilous Times, and God Gave Them Up
Second Timothy the third chapter is Paul naming the days we are in.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 KJV1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. And those perilous times are here. For men shall be lovers of their own selves. We see that all the time. Everybody selfie-ing it out nowadays."
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away."
2 Timothy 3:13 KJV13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."
Romans the first chapter is the same list, with the reason underneath it. He lets the book do the talking here.
Romans 1:18-23 KJV18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shewed it unto them, so that they are without excuse."
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."
Romans 1:24-32 KJV24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
"Disobedient to parents. That is a big one nowadays. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful."
"Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. So we just let the book talk a little bit."
And Romans the second chapter turns it back on whoever is reading the list.
Romans 2:1-6 KJV1Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest, for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things. You tell people not to do it, but then you turn around and do the same thing you telling the people not to do."
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Who will render to every man according to his deeds."
Romans 2:7-13 KJV7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11For there is no respect of persons with God.
12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13( For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
"To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life. That is what you going to get when you obey."
"For there is no respect of persons with God. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. You can hear it all day long, but it is the people that do the word of God."
10.Put On the New Man, and Keep the Commandments
Colossians the third chapter shows what changes once a man turns his life over.
Colossians 3:1-4 KJV1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
Colossians 3:5-10 KJV5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
"But now ye also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. I love when he say that right there. Get all that stuff out of your mouth."
"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. And you got to be in the same image of Jesus."
And Saint Matthew the nineteenth chapter answers the question he says is the simplest one in the book.
St. Matthew 19:13-15 KJV13Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
"Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. The children is what is going to make the class grow. You can go get newcomers all you want, but it is through families that a class truly grows."
St. Matthew 19:16-19 KJV16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
"Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? Pay attention to what God is saying. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
"Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother, and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. That is how you get in. Everything God does for us is simple. You just got to write the laws in your heart and obey God's commandments, and you gonna wake up one day with a spiritual body, or live until the spiritual body come."
11.Draw Me Not Away With the Wicked
He closes with two Psalms. The first is the prayer not to be swept up with the men who regard not the works of the Lord.
Psalm 28:1-5 KJV1Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
2Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.
4Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.
5Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.
"Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock, be not silent to me, lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts."
"Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. That is what God said."
And the last one is the prayer of a man who is weak, sore vexed in his bones and in his soul, asking to be healed.
Psalm 6:1-9 KJV1O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
4Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.
5For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
6I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
8Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
"O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak, O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed. I'm asking the Lord, please heal me."
"My soul is also sore vexed. So not only is his body in trouble, but his soul is also sore vexed. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul, oh save me for thy mercies' sake."
"Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication, the Lord will receive my prayer."
Closing Word
"And that is death, the final warning for mankind. We hope you got some understanding in Jesus name."
Brother Obadiah's point was not that death is coming for the wicked out there somewhere. It was that every death you hear about is addressed to you, while you are still alive to do something about it. The wages of sin is death, the soul that sinneth it shall die, and God says plainly that he takes no pleasure in it. The fig tree got one more year. A living dog is better than a dead lion. As long as you are breathing, the instruction stands: repent, cast away your transgressions, make you a new heart and a new spirit, and turn yourselves and live.
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This lesson was taught at our Sabbath service at Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, IN. Join us every Saturday at 12PM, or watch the Sabbath live online.