The Final Five

Today's sermon is titled, The Final Five. It's part two of a two-part sermon that I started last week on eight scriptures that modern Christianity uses to besmirch, talk down, or ridicule what we observe in the Church of God. It's the scriptures that everyone uses to dispel what they believe is wrong teachings by the Churches of God. I went into the Sabbath earlier. Last week we looked into the book of Romans and covered three major scriptures that people use. As I talked about, my great-uncle who was such a wonderful chess player who knew every move on the chessboard.

There are only seven start moves that you can do, and there's five after that. So he knew every move on the board. You could not beat him, you could only tie him. It's interesting when you do know every move that your opponent is going to make. It helps you if you're a defensive coordinator in football. It definitely helps you to defend against another team. These I wanted to give were the arguments that people give by the scriptures.

Basically, there's just about eight scriptures that almost everyone uses to spell what we teach. Whether it's the Sabbath, whether it's clean unclean meats, whether it's obeying the commandments. These are the ones that they use. So I went through that last week, so I won't rehash those three. You can find them on our YouTube site, ucgcaribbean. So I wanted to go through the final five.

As I said, we'll be printing a paper up on this so that you can have it. All on one page, so that you can rehearse that. So you'll know exactly when somebody says, why do you do that?

Doesn't this scripture say something different? You can know exactly where they're coming from and what verses they're using. So today, I want to give those five the final five. Let's start in this. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to cover this. So if we will, let's go to the first of the five. It's in Colossians. Colossians 2 and verse 16. I have heard this as people call me and ask me about it. We'll send me emails and say, what you're doing is wrong because this scripture teaches us something different. So let's turn. I'll read from the new King James Version here. 2 Corinthians 2 and verse 16.

Therefore, therefore, let no one judge you in food or in drink or regarding festivals or feast days. Jeff just pointed up here something we do. Or a new moon or Sabbath. Let no one judge you. So that means if I want to keep Thursday, I can keep Thursday as my Sabbath day. It also says, let no one judge you food or drink.

So wait a minute. Don't judge me on what I eat or what I drink. So I shouldn't judge you, Bruce, if you have me over and say, we're having skunk tonight. Or in Florida, iguanas. We can just eat an iguana because when it gets real cold, they just kind of fall out of the trees. You can take them in, fry them up. Why could you judge me? You can't judge me. That's what it says. Food. Right? You can't judge anybody on that? What about drink? You can't judge me on what I drink.

If I want to drink my own urine, you can't judge me on that. You can't judge me if I drink blood, can you? I had a man that, when I was a young kid, worked summers, and there was this German name, Oscar. Oscar Simon was his name, and he worked for a company. And my father was the superintendent at the time. Oscar was this huge six-foot-five, 250-pound beast. And he came from Germany, spoke very little English. And so, one of the things that he loved to do was everybody brought their lunch back then.

Nobody ate out. They ate out for lunch. Everybody brought their lunch. And so, here he would bring his drink, and it was this big thing of blood. He would go to the slaughterhouses, and he would buy cow's blood, pig's blood, or whatever. And that was what he drank many times. He says, it's good. Make strong. Oscar strong. What if we had that? What if grace brought in blood for the last week for the potluck?

Oh, could we judge? I don't think we would. I think even people looking here watching somebody bring in blood might go, what? They're vampires.

But the Scripture, if you take it, it says, don't judge.

Let no one judge you.

And then it says about calendar. We keep festivals. We keep feast days. We actually have a calendar that tells us when to keep. Holy days following God's commands. So let no one judge you here. Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing in March?

Let's make it in June. Kids are out of school. It's better, right? Do what we want.

Oh, it's Saturday? Wait, you got the service. You got this. Whoa. That's not convenient. Everybody else is on Sunday. Let's do Sunday. Really? So we can't judge. That's this Scripture, and that's what's actually used or put out there.

New moons, which is a way to keep. They didn't have calendars, which was kind of their way of keeping time when things changed. Since you didn't have a printed calendar, we look at it now. We say how many moons until spring holy day. How many moons, full moons until we're at the feast of tepidactyls. But, you know, but then there comes verse 17. That's also used to dispel that you can keep any day you want, whenever you want. Because in verse 17 it says, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Ah, because I hear that quite often. People will bring it to me. Well, you know those holy days you keep, they were only a shadow.

And that when Christ came, shadow's gone. He's here. He's a substance.

So we no longer have to keep the holy day. We no longer have to keep the, we don't have to keep the food because they were just a shadow.

You can read it in the literature. But here's the interesting part. Then I used to ask somebody, would you mind reading it again?

Which are?

Are? Are? Not were? Are?

Are? Are?

Which means what? He was saying they were still in effect to the collagions. At this time, it was in effect to the people of God.

Which are a shadow of things to come because, like Jeff's saying, the things we do, point to Christ. We're looking now, we're halfway there. We're waiting for the kingdom of God to come. We're waiting for the final four holy days to be fulfilled on this earth. On this planet!

In the future. And at the end, all will be turned over to God.

So, how do you dispel this?

Well, most of it is context. Because if you just pull those scriptures out, that's what it appears to be until you're as sarcastic as I am about these things. Because after you read them and put it into context, you'll realize that, wow, that's not what it means. Now, one of the things you have to realize is that there was one thing. No matter what book, and I should have brought expositors or any of the commentaries you get, you can search this out in Colossians. It'll tell you that the Church of Colossae at the time were dealing with a crisis of Gnosticism. Now, I won't go into that because it's a whole. If you want to study that, you can read that. But it comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means to know. Basically, you had people coming into the Church. You had Jews who were coming in wanting to teach about the old Jewish ways. Everything you had to do to be a good Jew, to be righteous, we'll also talk about, because that's a conflict. If you study the book of Acts, you'll realize that no matter where Paul went, he had these Jews following him around, stirring up trouble. And he had him in the Church, coming into the Church. No, no, no, no, no, you can't do that. You've got to do this.

Well, you also have another side. You had this Gnostic, which was a religious movement, claiming that salvation could be gained by having secret knowledge. Secret knowledge.

And that only they had this knowledge, and they were willing to share it and teach it.

And so they were coming into the Church. So you can imagine sitting in Church going, I've got this side, I've got this side, and we think we have problems or issues today.

Same way then. And Paul is having to write this and address this in the Church, because he's been there. He knows all of it. He knows the Jewish end. He knows the Greek end of this Gnosticism, what they're teaching in the worship of angels and various things that they teach, that you could have this special knowledge if you followed them.

Yeah, it's amazing that I find, and I digress here, it's amazing that when you have members in a Church that pay tithes, that believe in tithing, it's amazing how popular those people are for other people, for other religions.

Because most people do not pay tithes.

Most religious, I think the last, Barna said most quote-unquote Christians today in America, pay anywhere between two and two and a half percent of their income as a tithe. But even back then, they tithed, and so all of a sudden people are like, I can get those people to follow me and I can get money.

Some things never change, as I've seen in my years in the Church. So, this shadow, can we understand it?

Can we understand it? We're here, this is it. This is the kingdom of God.

And these things help us. I don't know about you, but they help me keep my life focused, they help me keep my eyes on the goal, eyes on the prize. Prizes here. Whatever can help me keep my eyes there.

And a glass, dimly, clear? But let's go, let's go. In Colossians chapter 2, let's look at the context of this. Now, as I'll just finish this up here, I want you to see. In chapter 2, verse 1, For I want you to know that what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. He's never been there. He's having a right to my letter.

That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and attaining to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding to the knowledge of the mysteries of God, both of the Father and of Christ. So we're talking about knowledge, because that's what Gnosis is. You need this special knowledge.

You need to get it, we have it. Paul's saying, you have all the knowledge, and it's through Christ, and it's through the Word of God. You don't need some secret society to bring it to you.

Verse 3, "...in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say, lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words." So now we see what Paul's having to address, people coming into the church, trying to get people to follow them in another way. And I encourage you to read chapter 2 in the fullness, and even a couple of different translations will help you to understand.

But then let's go down to verse 8. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, not of God. The traditions of men. They were trying to come in and stir it up. Get a following.

According to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ. Now, I want to put this, and I don't have all the slides here because there's another one here, but I want you to, if you're following me here, let's go down then to verse 13. Chapter 2 and verse 13, You being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made you alive with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting requirements that was against us, or our sins. This is what Christ did.

He took away, but here people want to use even this verse to say, The commandment is nailed to the cross. You don't have to do anything. It's not even in there.

Which were contrary to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Why? He took our sins. He qualified for that.

He qualified to be able to take all of our sins away. That's great. Great. The debt. He had no debt. They say no on the cross because when they used to crucify you, they put your sins, they what you were convicted of, above your head. And so they were like, nailing it. This is what you're guilty of. He was guilty of nothing, but something still got nailed. Our sins, who caused His death. That's what was up there. That's what Paul is talking about here. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it. Therefore, let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one defraud you of your reward. So it's not talking about judging whether it is how they were keeping it. His people were saying, you didn't have to give it. It's how.

It wasn't to say, oh no, you don't have to keep that anymore. I think that's crystal clear when you read the context.

This is what He's trying to teach them. Yet this is a scripture that you use so often. Let's go to the second one. Second one. I want to make sure I have plenty of time here for my last one. So if you will go, may revelation. One, verse 10. This is a big one. This is the big, big, big, big, big one about Sunday worship.

And in Revelation 1, verse 10, it says, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Sunday.

I went through last week and went through the eight places where Sunday is first day of the week, as mentioned last week in Virile Beach. You can see that it's on UUCG Caribbean too. But I went through the exact time, the 59 times the Sabbath is mentioned in the New Testament compared to the eight times. And five of them were the very same account in the four Gospels of the first day of the week. And yet they say that's why we keep...

that the world should... you should keep Sunday. Because it's the Lord's day. Thank you, you can dispel it. So here, here is their main scripture. And why they say we don't keep the right day.

That we don't worship God. Others will say you can worship Him on any day you want. Okay. What does God say? What's the thing? Who are we to follow?

Jesus Christ and God. Did Jesus Christ keep the Sabbath? Yes. So what would be His day? Here, here.

In Matthew 12 and verse 8, it says the same thing. Mark 2 and verse 28. And then it says in Luke 6 verse 5, I'd like to have that. Luke 6 verse 5, it says, just like the others have said it. And He said to them, the Son of Man, which is Jesus Christ, is also Lord of Sunday. Now, Lord of the Sabbath.

This is not the only witness. Matthew's a witness. He said the very same thing.

Mark 2 and verse 28, He says, I am Lord of the Sabbath. It's from His own words.

So when you turn to Revelation 1 and verse 10, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Which day do you think that is?

You have to jump the shark big time to come up with something else.

Because He says it time and time and time again. He kept it week after week, after Sabbath, after Sabbath. And then you go, well, now He changed the day.

The third. The third scripture that is used. I'd like you to go back with me to Ephesians. Ephesians.

And let's go to Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2.

Verse 13. I mean, this is it. I mean, these are the eight. They don't go anywhere else. There is no other argument. There is over 31,000 verses in the entire Bible. There's almost 8,000 verses in the New Testament. This is it. There's only eight verses that is used to condemn what we teach. And I think we should know those.

So, Ephesians 2. Verse 13. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been made near by the blood of Christ. I don't have a problem with that statement. That's very true.

Verse 14. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of the vision between us. What?

Do you get that?

Well, verse 15. Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law of the commandments contained in the ordinances. So, guess what?

He abolished the commandments.

That's what people bring me. They tell me this Scripture. They say, see, He abolished in His flesh the commandments. We no longer have to keep the commandments of God.

They're shattered. That's what they say the Scripture is about.

Matter of fact, I had a preacher that lived just down the road from us, liked him, but he came to me, and he had to sign in his front yard, the Ten Commandments are kept here.

And he did joke and stuff like that, and so he was saying, I'm surprised you don't have one of these. I said, I'm surprised you got the one being you don't keep the Sabbath.

You got up in your yard, Darryl.

And he goes, well, we have those. But I said, I thought that your church taught that they were done away. Well, yeah, they have been nailed to the cross. I said, so you don't have to keep them. Yeah, well, we keep them here. He was kind of confused in the matter.

And I said, if they've been done away, which one do you not want your wife to keep?

Lying?

How about adultery?

How about murder while you're sleeping?

And he goes, you just need to come to my service and listen sometime. Well, we got along fine, but we weren't going to see eye to eye on that. But this is one of the things. But if you were to read this, what is the wall? What is the wall that's coming down? What is this? What is this?

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in the ordinances so as to create in himself one new man from two thus making peace. And if you just take it out of context, it's very confusing, so you can put anything in there that you want. Well, how do you grasp this? How do you explain this? Well, you basically just have to say, what are you talking about?

Because if you wrote a letter to someone and it's a three-page letter, and you hand me the second page, and I'm going, what? Who? Who are you talking to? What's this about? I wouldn't know unless I got read the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to put it.

So let's read the rest of that story in here in Ephesus, because Paul stayed in Ephesus longer than any other church. They knew this man. So let's go. We're going to cover Ephesians 2. This will be New King James Version 1 through 16. Okay. And you, he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom we also, in whom also we all once conducted our lives in the last of the flesh. So he's saying, guess what? You're Gentiles.

But before you were called, we all followed this stuff. We all did what we wanted to do according to the flesh, right? I did.

Well, Paul's even saying, hmm, I want you to understand what's going on here. Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who in his rich mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved.

So why would he bring that up? And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ. Jesus, well, I'm not in the heavenly places. What is he talking about?

Well, because Christ became what? Sitting in the right hand of God. He became our mediator.

He's our go-between. He's our advocate. We have somebody sitting right there. So when we sin, we can be forgiven. It's through his name we pray. So it's like we have an advocate up there.

That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, and in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves. So why would you say not of yourselves? Is somebody teaching you?

So guess what? The people from Colossians, people from Ephesians, people from Galatians, people from Romans, they were all following him around. All you got to do is read Book of Acts. You'll find out they followed him from one town to another, trying to disturb his churches, trying to get him to not start his churches. It is the gift of God. What is faith?

Not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Wow, I get to be in the kingdom because I'm perfect. I get to be in the kingdom because I tithe more than you. Nobody can boast. It is by faith. It is by faith. And this is where Paul sees you. For we are his workmanship created in Jesus Christ for good works, which God, good works? What are good works? You got to do something. And God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. That's why we do good works. That's why we are called to do good work. And it is through our faith and through our works that we are able to accomplish what God is trying to do with us on this planet. And therefore, remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision. Well, he brought that out. Where did that come from? Who would have been bringing that up to his church people? You're uncircumcised!

You're not righteous. He said, "...are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands, that at that time you were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. We were before we were called. They were. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off had been made near by..." What? "...the blood of Christ? He died. His blood was shed for us, takes away our sins. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one..." Well, who? Who's the one? "...one with Him, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us, between the Jew and the Gentile." Who put that wall up there? The Jews. What was that wall? Circumcision.

They put that wall up there. That you can't be righteous because you're not circumcised.

"...having abolished in His flesh the enmity that is the law of..." What? "...the law of the commandments contained in the ordinances." It was sacrificial laws. It was circumcision. These were the things that were most important to the Jewish teachers, to the Jewish nation.

You remember? So, "...to create Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace. Christ broke that wall down." It's no longer, well, you have to do this. The sign of righteousness is being circumcised. No, it's not. Paul has covered that. "...and that He might reconcile them both to God and in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." Circumcision put up this wall that actually said, what? If I'm a Jew, you're a Gentile. As a matter of fact, they even used other words, right?

Pagans, heathens. Okay. I can't, because you're not circumcised, I can't eat with you. I don't even want to talk to you. I definitely wouldn't shake your hand.

This was the wall.

Christ tore down that wall and said, we're all one in me. My blood is going to cover everything. Everybody, I've opened up salvation to all mankind. Gentiles. And this is what Paul is trying to teach here. It isn't about doing away with the wall. It's about doing away with these ordinances that they still wanted to keep.

Context, context, context. When you read it, it makes sense, and I ask you to read it again. You know the Scriptures, just read it. You read it over and over again, and you begin, wow, what's the big deal?

Let's go to number four. Number four. I have to go back to the book of Galatians.

Galatians 3. This is another one that is used. Galatians 3 and verse 19. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come. Law.

Till the seed should come. So that means when the seed came, lived and died, law is done away with. That's the Scripture. This is a Scripture that is used every time.

So, till the seed should come. So what is it talking about? Are we at one of those points where Peter was talking about how Paul's words are sometimes hard to understand? Is this hard to understand? Is it talking about the law? Because it just says that, you know, until the seed come to whom the promises are made. Hmm. It's interesting here that I want you to think about now these Scriptures, but I don't want to tell you what the basis of what Paul is talking about till we go a few Scriptures into it. And see if you can figure out, because you know what it takes to be forgiven of your sins.

And we're not talking about a goat. Okay? Now let's go. Let's read Galatians 3, 19-28. Okay, let's start with this and let's look at the context of it. What purpose, then, does the law serve? Which law was it, though? It was added because of transgressions. Wait a minute. What was added back then if you transgressed? What did you have to do? Okay.

Till the seed should come to whom the promises are made. It was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. You'll see that in Acts 7, verse 53. Now, a mediator does not mediate for only one, but God is one. Is the law, then, which law? Then, against the promises of God? Certainly not. Okay, are we talking about the Ten Commandments? For if there had been a law given which could have given life truly righteousness, would have been by that law. So, how are we made righteous today? That's what he's trying to... How are we made righteous with God? How are we made right with God? Justified, as the word says. What? We repent, right? But repenting just say, I'm sorry, and do it, does it? What else is required? We sin, blood is required. Your blood? Pull out my knife, cut my finger? Okay, I'm righteous now. No. The blood of Jesus Christ was required. The blood of God is required. His blood was worth more than any 1,400 billion people who ever lived. It's His blood. We have to have His blood to take away our sins. What did the blood of bulls and goats and lambs do? Anybody? Cover! They didn't take anything away. All they did was cover it, till what? Till the Messiah came. So, what kind of law is He talking about here? The law of sacrifice. The law of sacrifice. That's the law that God put into effect, because there had to be some type of price paid. Otherwise, everybody just keeps sinning.

Verse 22, but the Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law. Why? Because if you sinned, and most times you had to go, go bring an animal.

There's a penalty for sin, and it's going to cost me.

Kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. No longer just the animal, but we know Christ died for us, and we're forgiven. Verse 25, but after faith has come, we no longer under a tutor. So if we want to say, well, wait a minute, when Christ came, we're no longer under the law, which they're talking about the Ten Commandments here. They're not talking about the law of sacrifice. Well, the laws never could save you anyway, so that excuse is just an excuse. Right?

In Hebrews 10, verse 4, the blood of goats and lambs could not take away sin. That's why this law of sacrifice was replaced by a greater one. He didn't do away with the law of sacrifice, okay? But Christ took the place of animals. So we no longer have to sacrifice animals. When he wrote this, were they still sacrificing animals in Jerusalem? Yes! Yes! They were sacrificing them daily.

Why? Because the Jews didn't believe in a Messiah. The Messiah hadn't come yet. They didn't accept this, and they couldn't stand that other people, Paul, being one of them who taught this very thing and persecuted the people. Now he's going around teaching about this God that came to earth and died for all humanity, even though it's in their scriptures in the Old Testament.

It's like the law of sacrifice was replaced just like the Ten Commandments are not done away with. Okay, but no longer do we carry these little...we have this tassel hanging off of us.

Have these little...have a little zigzag and so forth like this that we're to look at to remind us Ten Commandments.

Ten Commandments.

Oh, Ten Commandments! We won't do that anymore! Why? Now, it's nice that we have them.

Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5. It's great that we have them and we teach them, right, Maurice? Right? We teach them to the kids? Okay, but pretty soon you teach them enough. You don't have to teach them anymore. They know them. Does that mean they're done away with? No. The retinars are replaced by what's written in your mind and in your heart. And all of a sudden, it's just not the letter of the law that we teach. We teach the Spirit of the law. And we teach even greater. This is what is going on here. Let's go on. Verse 26. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. You know what's interesting about the book of Galatians? It's the very... it's the oldest. It was the first letter, first book written. Now, you may go, oh, wait a minute. What about... No, it was the very first. It's the oldest of the... Check! Check me! Anywhere you want to check. They all write. Oh, I found some writing that didn't know when it happened, but most will say this is the first book written around 49 A.D. A.C.E., to be exact. Okay. So, what was the very first book written? So, he's having to cover this. What is he having to deal with?

In a Greek world, Greek thought, Greek philosophy. And then, here they come. Here comes the Jews. Here come the Jewish religion, into corrupt.

Because there were synagogues set up in these churches in the Gentile areas. There were synagogues set up there. And people were attending there. And they said, what's happening? Paul's coming in and he's teaching this incredible teaching. They're leaving the synagogues and they're taking their tithes. And they want them back. So, they're sending people to tear up this new religion. Stop this thing before it gets out of control because there's hundreds and there's thousands of people following this thing. Verse 26, For we are all sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. So, no longer can the Jews tell you, no, you're not because you're not circumcised. You don't keep the law. You don't do what we do. You don't have the tassel. I had a little thread that runs through there. Say, no. And that was all for a purpose. God wanted Israel to have it. He commanded that he had it. I'm not denigrating what God gave, but it's gone past there when Christ came. He was teaching that. You need to know it in here and in here. That's what the new covenant is going to be all about. It's not about nationalism.

And then verse 29, And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. It's just because you're Gentiles, you're still. I don't have that scripture on there.

So, can we see that it's talking about the sacrificial law? Read it again and again, and you'll see because otherwise it doesn't make sense any other way. But you read it. Let's go to the last one. Galatians 4.

Galatians 4. Just follow down the page here. Galatians 4, verse 9 and 10. But now, after you have known God, or rather are known a God, how is it that you turn again to weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage? Notice the word again. You observe days and months and seasons and years. Do we? Because this is one that they say, well, wait a minute. You can do all this and those are the beggarly elements. And you observe these days and weeks and beggarly elements. That sounds bad. Well, if you go to the Greek word on the elements, it's storkulon. It's storkulon. And that actually means worldly ways.

Worldly way of life.

It's the base way of life that he's talking about. And, I mean, beggarly elements. He's talking about, why are you turning back again? He mentions again twice. Because these are people in the church and people are trying to turn them. The Jews are trying to turn them this way. The Greeks are trying to teach them another way.

You can even find commentaries that talk about these beggarly elements as being astrology and the worship of the moon and the time when the moon is full. Or it's called the waxing moon, where you have plenty of light. And the Romans and the Greeks at the time worshiped this time and it was a special time. Days. So is this here? Because they say, well, you observe days and months and seasons and years.

Is that talking about what the church was keeping at the time? Okay, we observe days, certain days. You remember the calendar? We have certain days that we keep. We have certain days we keep. We have months. There's those months, seventh month. We have the Holy Days we know. And seasons.

Seasons. That's what God talked about in Genesis 1.14. But we're in the world. If this is talking about us, what's the years? Do we celebrate any years? If it is, I've been around 50 years. I haven't seen it yet.

And yes, some of the things why some people don't keep birthdays is the one thing that the Romans and the Greeks always did was the day that their gods were born.

Who were their gods? We just heard about Antiochus. It was the emperors. They were gods. So the days were worshipped. But we don't have years. So this can't be us. And yet people want to say that it is. So as I wrap this up, I do want to, and I'll be happy to answer any questions. I just ask that you read these scriptures. Read these scriptures. We will give you a paper so that you can put it in back of your Bible so you'll know these. But if you read them, it's context, context, context. But to show this situation, go to Galatians 4 and verse 3. Galatians 4, Even so, when we were children, which he's talking about before we were called, before we understood, when we were children, we were in bondage under the elements of the world. That tells you what these elements are. It doesn't have anything to do with God's truth. It doesn't have anything to do with God's holy days. It doesn't have anything to do with His Sabbath.

Because there was an issue here. Go back with me to Galatians 1. Go back to Galatians 1. Paul is addressing Galatians because there's an issue. Galatians 1, verse 6. He opens up his letter by saying, I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel. So you can see why He's not addressing what everybody says He's addressing. And that He's doing away with the law. And that the whole book of Galatians is doing away with the law. It's all about faith. It is about faith. Go to Galatians 3. Galatians 3, verse 1. I just make this for the case. Galatians 3, verse 1. Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth but whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? So who has bewitched you? Who's coming in teaching you this stuff? Paul is trying to clear it. Yeah, it's interesting because circumcision is talked about so much in the book of Galatians. Because people were coming in. You had the world teaching this thing about the the beggarly element of the astrology and why the moons and days and everything else. And then you had over here you had you had the Jews coming in just like they did to all the other churches. They're coming in teaching, oh, you need to be circumcised. You need to be circumcised. Well, Paul mentioned circumcision 13 times in the book of Galatians.

While it was definitely a problem that finally he wraps it up. And if we can go there, Galatians 6 and verse 15. Galatians 6 and verse 15. He talked about it 12 other times before he gets to this verse. And in verse 15 chapter 6 he says, For in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but a new creation. He's saying it doesn't matter because people were saying, you got to be circumcised. And they had the law of circumcision. And so they wanted to deal away with the law when he's talking about circumcision. Go to Galatians 5 as I finish this up now. Galatians 5. It's interesting in verse 1. He said, Stand fast therefore in liberty by which Christ has made us and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. What? For the law? No, from circumcision. Indeed, I Paul say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. That proves right there it's not talking about doing away with the law. It's talking about the law of circumcision. You don't have to be circumcised. Matter of fact, in verse 6 he said, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith workers through love. I hear that guy talking about it. But I want to go in verse 11. Verse 11, he goes, And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer?

If he was teaching it, they wouldn't be following him around. But he's not teaching. He's teaching. It's not necessary. Then the offense of the cross is, I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves, emasculate themselves, mutilate, castrate themselves. He's being so cynical now. He says, I just wish I'd cut the whole thing off. See, he's just like, you're making such a big deal of this, and it shouldn't be. Don't.

Like the checkerboard. Like the checkerboard. Hopefully you will study these scriptures, not just take my word for it. You will study these scriptures. You will know them because they are the only eight moves that will be used for those who protest, who devalue, who besmirch, and who teach that we do not follow Christ.