SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE. The Orchard is a multicultural inner city church with members from Australia, Samoa, Chile, Spain, Italy, Singapore, Scotland and elsewhere. Our church programs encourage faith in Jesus Christ our Saviour and salvation by grace. We are easy to find on Flinders Street being opposite the Melbourne Aquarium with a tram stop outside. For those driving into the city we have onsite parking. Click here to go to our main home page.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
As Seventh-day Adventists we believe the Bible is supreme in matters of doctrine. We believe the entire Bible is relevant to men and women today. Our key doctrines are the Seventh day Sabbath and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We believe the Ten Commandments are to be obeyed today, along with an acceptance of the six day creation week found in Genesis chapter one. To find out more about our key beliefs click here
MEANING OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST NAME.
The name Seventh-day Adventist comes from our two main teachings –
- Seventh day – We worship on the Seventh day of the week being Saturday.
- Adventist – is Latin for Coming, referring to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
PEOPLE GROW AT THE ORCHARD
At The Orchard we encourage people to discover and utilize their spiritual gifts. Whatever role one finds oneself in, service for Jesus Christ brings a sense of purpose and satisfaction.
We promote healthy living, the importance of the family, along with the institution of marriage being between a man and a woman.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
Sabbath worship at the Orchard
Each Saturday we meet at Level 12, 474 Flinders Street for Sabbath worship. Access is through Highlander Lane. It is a wonderful time of fellowship and worship among people who love Jesus Christ and choose to be faithful to the Bible. Worshipping at the Orchard Seventh Day Adventist Church Melbourne is a joyful experience.
Access to the Orchard Melbourne Central City Church is on Highlander Lane
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
Sabbath School or Group bible study commences at 10am. During this time we gather into small groups for study and discussion of the Bible. Each quarter we study different topics.
At 11am we have a short 10 minutes break for refreshments.
We have a song service which commences at 11:10am. Members of the church choose their favourite Scripture and Sacred songs for a happy time of singing.
Our main church service begins at 11:20am with prayer, singing, mission stories, and the sermon. Our church service normally runs for 60 minutes. At the conclusion of church we offer a delicious vegetarian lunch, visitors are welcome, and it gives us a chance to get to know you better.
WE WOULD LOVE TO MEET YOU AT THE ORCHARD
If you are thinking about a new church give us a try. We would love to meet you. You can be assured that you will enjoy the experience of worshipping with the Orchard, the Seventh Day Adventist Melbourne City Church.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Why are we one of the Sabbath Keeping Churches Melbourne Australia – There are many Christians today who believe that what they label Christian doctrines, are what the first century disciples taught and first century Christians believed and can be supported in the Bible, but that is just not the case. In Matthew 28:19,20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
In these two verses Jesus not only gave the disciples their work, but gave them their message. Teach the people He said, to observe all things that I have commanded you. The disciples were to teach what Jesus taught. That which He had spoken, not only in person, but through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament. Human teaching is shut out. There is no place for tradition, for man’s theories and conclusions, or for church legislation and laws ordained by ecclesiastical authority, but sadly that is what happened, ., and we see that after the death of the apostles in the first century when new ideas came forth and false teachings entered the church. At times the motives were good, to build bridges into pagan society to make the gospel of Christianity more appealing, at other times it was just rank apostasy when pagan teachings were given a Christian form and name and became a part of church tradition.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
For example many false teachings, unscriptural doctrines have entered the church like prayers for the dead, infant baptism that might surprise some but it is not in the Bible, a literal hell where people are burning now – it just does not exist, the sign of the cross after the completion of a prayer is not in the Bible, the secret coming of Jesus and a plethora of others.
But the one that strikes most boldly against God’s government is the teaching pervading Christianity that the Ten Commandments finished at the cross. However, all of the disciples continued to teach and preach the Ten Commandments while they were alive, and even in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation there are numerous verses which highlight that in the last days God’s people will still be faithful to Jesus Christ and keep God’s Ten Commandments. In Revelation 14:12 we read this
“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
The Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20, are not just cold hard rules, filled with “thou shall not,” but give us wonderful insights on the type of relationship that God wants with us, and the sort of relationships He wants us to have with those around us.
In the gospel of Matthew that Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments with the following
(Mat 22:34-40 KJV) Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus did not dismiss the Ten Commandments, because He was asked which of them was the most important and instead elevating one to the detriment of the other nine Jesus said, love God with all of your heart and mind. Jesus said “mind” it shows us true Christianity is the thinking man’s religion, and then Jesus went on to says love your neighbor as yourself, these two commandments also found in the Old Testatment in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, summarize the Ten Commandments.
Further to that the Ten Commandments show us that there is no one in the universe more deeply and totally committed to preserving relationships than God Himself. The Ten Commandments begin by prioritizing and protecting our relationship with Him, and then He shows us how to prioritize and protect our relationships with others around us. The Ten Commandments cover both the vertical and horizontal aspect revealing our duty to God and our duty to our fellow men. And it is for those reasons that every minister of every denomination, should be advocating strong and loud for the Ten Commandments to be re-established into every family of our great nation.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that God created the world in six twenty-four-hour days. Now, when God had finished His work of Creation, we read in chapter 2 that God gave mankind a special gift;
(Gen 2:1 KJV) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (Gen 2:2 KJV) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (Gen 2:3 KJV) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
It says that on the seventh day, after He ended His work, that God rested, God blessed the seventh day and God sanctified the seventh day. The resting of God was not because he was tired because in the book of Psalms we are told that God never slumbers or sleeps, and in Isaiah 40:28, that He fainteth not, neither is weary. So He was not tired, but rather God’s “resting” served as a Divine example to mankind that we should do likewise, that we need a full 24 hour block of time to be refreshed.
This passage says that God blessed the Seventh day. So not only did God rest, but He placed His special blessing on the Seventh day. In 1Chronicles 17 we read that when God blesses something it remains blessed forever. The blessing on the seventh day implied that it is a special object of Divine favor and a day that would bring blessing to mankind. No other day has received the blessing of God. But let’s keep studying, because it says that God sanctified the Seventh-day. That word sanctify means to “set aside for Holy Use”. In other words this is a special day, and has spiritual significance. God never sanctified any of the other days, he did not set any of them apart for Holy use, only one, the Seventh day of the week. So we see that God rested, blessed and sanctified the seventh-day. It is a special day that God has set aside for a particular purpose and no other day can take its place.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
Well let’s find out what day is the Seventh day. Let’s turn to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20
(Exo 20:8 KJV) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exo 20:9 KJV) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:(Exo 20:10 KJV) But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (Exo 20:11 KJV) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The fourth commandment tells us very clearly that the Seventh-day is the Sabbath. This commandment begins with the word “remember”. All of the other commandments begin with “Thou Shall Not”, except the fifth, which begins with “Honour”, but the fourth commandment begins with that word Remember. Obviously as God looked down through the pages of history into the future, He could see in this fourth commandment, the Sabbath would be forgotten, even forgotten by the very people who claimed to follow and serve Him.
Now we ask the question: “Why Lord, should we remember Your day, the Seventh day, the Sabbath day? Why can’t I rest and worship corporately on some other day?” Well, if we look at this commandment, it clearly tells us that we are to remember His day because God is our Creator, and it is because He created us that we are to worship Him on His appointed day. The fact is, the Sabbath is the memorial to Creation.
Jesus remembered the Sabbath Day, and both the Apostle Peter and Apostle John tell us we should walk as Jesus walked. In other words Jesus is our model, he is our example. Let’s read from Luke 4:16,
(Luke 4:16 KJV) And 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.
This is a very important verse in our study, because we learn that Jesus went to the Synagogue. Stop; -what’s a synagogue? It is a Jewish Church right? Yes, so Jesus went to church on the Sabbath day and it says that it was His custom. What is a custom? It is something we do regularly, in other words Jesus went to church regularly on the Sabbath day. Now let’s find out for sure what day Jesus went to church, what day is the Sabbath day.
When we observe Easter what day do we say Jesus died? Yes, Good Friday. What day we say that Jesus rose? Yes, Easter Sunday. The whole of Christendom knows that, it is common knowledge. Every denomination agrees with this record. Let’s turn in our Bibles to Luke chapter 23.
(Luke 23:50 KJV) And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just: (Luke 23:51 KJV) (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.(Luke 23:52 KJV) This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.(Luke 23:53 KJV) And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.(Luke 23:54 KJV) And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.
Pausing here for a moment. What day are we told that Joseph asked for the body of Jesus? Yes, the Preparation day, and that is the day we call Good Friday, because it is the day that Jesus died. Let’s continue on;
(Luke 23:55 KJV) And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
(Luke 23:56 KJV) And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.
Again let’s pause, what have we learnt? Jesus died on the Friday. The Bible calls the day the Preparation day. Then the women rested on the Sabbath Day according to the commandment. What commandment is that? Yes the fourth commandment of God’s Ten Commandments. Let’s read on now in chapter 24 verse 1
(Luke 24:1 KJV) Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. (Luke 24:2 KJV) And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. (Luke 24:3 KJV) And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
What day are we told that Jesus rose? That’s it, -the first day of the week, which we call Easter Sunday. Therefore Jesus died on the Preparation day which we call good Friday, He rose on the first day of the week, the day we call Easter Sunday, and according to the verses we have just read the Sabbath is the day in between Friday and Sunday, the day we call Saturday. It is so clear even a young child could work that out! Saturday is the Sabbath of the Bible, Saturday is the day that God rested, blessed and sanctified. Saturday is the day that God has called us to remember. Saturday is the day that Jesus went to church.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
If you go to the Mirriam Websters International Dictionary and look up Saturday, you would see that it identifies Saturday as the Seventh day of the week, the day that follows Friday. Go to a wall calendar, the evidence is just too compelling to ignore, Saturday is the seventh day of the week, the Bible Sabbath.
Furthermore anyone who has even the smallest knowledge regarding the Jews, knows that they would not make a mistake regarding the correct day to worship. Here is a whole nation – millions of individuals – who have been counting off time meticulously, week after week, since the time of Jesus. Could they have lost track? Impossible. Oh yes, Saturday is definitely the Bible Sabbath.
Actually this leads on to our next point because some people will say that Saturday is a Jewish day, and defend Sunday keeping by the fallacious and puerile declaration “we are not Jews so we don’t have to keep the Sabbath.” But how did Jesus address this very subject in Mark 2:27.28.
(Mark 2:27 KJV) And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: (Mark 2:28 KJV) Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath was made for man! That sure is a funny way to spell Jew isn’t it? Before a Jew even stepped foot on the earth, it was made for all of mankind right back at Creation as we have already seen. God never intended that only one nation would receive the blessings which comes from keeping the Sabbath, He intended the whole world should keep the Sabbath, because Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for man, for every man woman and child.
Jesus said that “the Son of Man…….”, Who is the “Son of Man”? …….Yes, Jesus. Jesus said that He was “Lord also of the Sabbath” in verse 28. So my question to you is “what day is the Lord’s day?” You know I have heard people tell me that Sunday is the Lord’s day.
Have any of you ever heard such a thing? Jesus Himself makes it very clear in this passage, that the Lord’s day is the Sabbath, the seventh day, the day we call Saturday.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
It is amazing in all of the three and a half years of Jesus ministry He never talks about any change of the Sabbath, and it is highly significant that during the 40 days after His resurrection when He taught and instructed the disciples till His ascension, not once, not a word, is mentioned about any change of the day of worship. In fact all of Jesus’ disciples continued to worship on the Sabbath day (Saturday) their entire lives.
Before we continue, -what year was Jesus crucified and rose again? 31AD, that is a very important date, lets remember that as we turn to a few texts in the book of Acts beginning with Acts 13:14
(Acts 13:14 KJV) But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. (Acts 13:15 KJV) And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
This event happened about 45 ad, 14 years after Jesus death and resurrection, and still the Apostle Paul and His companions are worshipping on the Sabbath day, turning now to Acts 17:1,2
(Acts 17:1 KJV) Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: (Acts 17:2 KJV) And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures,
We have now moved to 53 ad, 22 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and what does the Bible say Paul’s custom or manner was? Yes to go to church on what day, yes the Sabbath. In Acts chapter 18 we read this account from the journal of Doctor Luke
(Acts 18:1 KJV) After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; (Acts 18:2 KJV) .(Acts 18:4 KJV) And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. (Acts 18:11 KJV) And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
The year now is 54 ad, 23 years after Jesus death, and again we read that Sabbath is still the preferred day for corporate worship, nothing has changed after 23 years. Now that is clear isn’t it?
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
All right let’s change our tact and examine Bible prophecy. In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus announces a prophecy which warns of the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple and this is highly significant for our study tonight. Remember Jesus died in 31AD, and Jerusalem wasn’t destroyed until 70ad by the Romans, 39 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. Matthew 24:15-20
(Mat 24:15 KJV) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)(Mat 24:16 KJV) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:(Mat 24:17 KJV) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:(Mat 24:18 KJV) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.(Mat 24:19 KJV)
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!(Mat 24:20 KJV) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:
Jesus said, when you see those desolating Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem, don’t run back into your homes but flee into the mountains, as I said this event didn’t happen until 39 years after Jesus death and resurrection, but in verse 20 Jesus said “pray that your flight be not in winter,” why? Because it would be difficult to travel, but He also adds “nor on the Sabbath day!” Why, because the gates of Jerusalem were locked on the Sabbath day and none could escape, therefore it is quite clear that Jesus still expected His followers to be keeping the Sabbath after His death. The point is, that Jesus never intended that the day of worship would be altered and that was also the view of the Apostles after His death. Turn to Revelation 1:10
(Rev 1:10 KJV) I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
What day was the Apostle John in the Spirit? On the Lord’s day, what have we found to be the Lord’s day in the Bible? That’s right the Sabbath, Saturday, but did you know that the book of Revelation was written around 95ad by John, when he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos by Emperor Domitian, nevertheless despite the passing years, the Apostle John is recognizing the authority of the fourth commandment the Sabbath Commandment, 64 years after the death of Jesus Christ.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
The Sabbath, God’s own day is so precious to God, should it not be precious to us? In an age of false gods, of atheistic evolution, and traditions of men, the world needs the Sabbath more than ever, and it is a test of our loyalty to the great Creator-God. And my experience and the experience of multitudes of others is I have never known anyone who has been loyal to the Sabbath to be disadvantaged in the long run.
This is not only about one day in preference for another, this is about loyalty and our commitment to Jesus Christ. It reflects our love for Jesus Christ and our appreciation of His great sacrifice for us. In John 15:10, Jesus said
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Jesus commanded us to keep His Commandments as He kept His Father’s commandments the corollary of which they are one and the same thing. Jesus commandments are the same as His Father’s Commandments, the Ten Commandments including the fourth the Sabbath, which begins with the word “remember.”
Remember the Sabbath Commandment is one of the Ten Commandments written by God’s own finger on tablets of stone. He gave them to us for our benefit, so that we would live happier more satisfying lives. And He wants us to get the most out of our time in this life, for He who made us knows that if we ignore God’s laws, only brings unhappiness to the family and discontent with the life.
Our lives pass away so quickly, why play games with God, if you want to be truly faithful God, then demonstrate it by your obedience to His commands. Please listen to this final statement I am going to make.
“In the Judgment men and women will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, neglecting the opportunity of learning what is truth.”
The above our just some of the reasons why we at The Orchard Melbourne Central City Church keep the Sabbath, please join us and you will be blessed. Click here to view our location and service times.
SDA CHURCHES IN MELBOURNE
Access is through Highlander Lane