BY STEVE BUCHANAN
Good Morning, Everyone!
I appreciate
I’d like to begin this morning by asking you to turn to Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12, I want to begin here to focus and place emphasis where God places emphasis when it comes to these Days. Exodus chapter 12 and I want to begin reading here in verse 15. It says,
Exodus 12:15. ‘Seven days
you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses.
And for all of us we may have taken many days to make sure that the leavening was removed from the places we have control of by the First Day of Unleavened Bread that we had that taken care of.
Exodus 12:15. ‘Seven days
you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the
first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from
So God looked very seriously on these symbols and what they
symbolize. Here for the nation of
Verse 16,
Exodus 12:16. ‘On the first
day there shall be a holy
convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you.
We’re here today by the command of God. Not just because God commands it, because there is spiritual benefit in this. We are here to emphasize what God emphasizes.
Exodus 12:16b. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you.
Verse 17, why do we do this?
Exodus 12:17. ‘So you shall
observe the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the
God places the emphasis here that God is the one who brought them out.
Exodus 12:17b. Therefore you
shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting
ordinance. 18) ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the
month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of
the month at evening. 19) ‘For seven
days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is
leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel,
whether he is a stranger or a native
of the land. 20) ‘You shall eat nothing
leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”
God uses symbols throughout not only these Days of Unleavened Bread, but throughout this Season of the year to impress on us, to remind us of this stage of God’s plan of reproducing Himself. He is emphasizing to us specifically that it’s He that brings us out.
The Church has always taught that I can remember that these Seven Days picture our conversion process. That’s already been referred to today. That we began a process and that process began when we came to the knowledge of Jesus the Christ and God impressed on us the importance and our need for what Jesus Christ provided through that sacrifice for what God as a Family provides to us.
I want to briefly consider some of the symbols in order to emphasize this main point that God emphasizes as we apply it to ourselves in a spiritual sense. To begin I want to consider how long before the Days of Unleavened Bread began did you begin to take the leaven out of the places you control? Out of your homes, out of your cars, out of the furniture? Maybe forgetting the freezer with the bagels under the turkey [laughter]! But how long beforehand did we do this?
And then consider all of that work was done outside the Days of Unleavened Bread. How does that play a part in the analogy that we have always used that God uses in Scripture? How does that play a part in the analogy of our spiritual conversion?
I’d like to turn to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16 and I want to begin reading here with verse 13.
Again many of the Scriptures that we’re going to cover today, it’s nothing new. Everybody in here has read them many times. But as Mr. Biscan tried to bring out in the sermonette, perhaps it doesn’t seem on the surface exciting. Brethren, there’s nothing more exciting than what’s taking place in us! There is nothing more miraculous than what’s taking place inside of you, in your heart and in your mind. There’s nothing more miraculous taking place on the earth today. And I’m going to emphasize that today.
Verse 13,
Matthew 16:13. When Jesus
came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who
do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14) So they said, “Some say
John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the
prophets.” 15) He said to them, “But who
do you say that I am?” 16) Simon Peter
answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17) Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed
are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in
heaven.
This word “revealed” comes from two different Greek words. The first means to cover. The second means to uncover, to show.
How many times have we read in Scripture that mysteries are unveiled? The cover is taken off. Please understand the truth, the simplest basic spiritual understanding that we’ve been given is not something you can discover. It’s not something that any intellect—no matter the capacity that you may have, the knowledge you may have, the smarts, it doesn’t matter. The truth has to be revealed! It’s a conscious choice by God. And Christ emphasizes here to Peter, “There is no way you could have come to this understanding except the Father reveal it to you.”
Turn to John chapter 6. John chapter 6 and we’ll read here just one verse. Here I was about ready to read Luke 6. That wouldn’t have sounded right. John 6 verse 44, Jesus Christ saying,
John 6:44. No one can come
to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the
last day.
As we’ve always been taught as the Scriptures show, the Days of Unleavened Bread picture our conversion process. There’s no doubt about that. But prior to that beginning, God the Father began to reveal to our mind truths. Perhaps it was the very obvious things, the Sabbath Day, the Holy Days, tithing, information, truth that had to be revealed.
You might liken it to how we begin to clean for the Days of Unleavened Bread. It’s the obvious areas. It’s the cars. It’s the houses. It’s the furniture. And it’s going to be the obvious leavening, the things that we have come to learn and know that leavening is contained. It’s going to be in the breads, in the crackers, in the cereals. Those things that we know, but takes place outside the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Outside the time when we were baptized, God began to reveal to us truths. And He brought us to a point where we saw our need for Jesus Christ. At that point, it required in us a choice. And I believe anybody who’s thinking about baptism, it’s a serious decision. It’s something that you have to think about very seriously. The Bible is very clear that you count the cost. It is not something that you rush into.
But I believe this verse clearly says that once the Father brings an individual to Christ, He’s brought them to a fork in the road where a choice has to be made. He has taught them what they need. And at that point, whoever that individual is, they have a choice to make. If they choose not to, that’s God’s judgment as to what happens, as to how it goes forth from there. But it’s not something that you rush into.
But our baptism shows that commitment that we believe in what God has revealed to us that we’re willing to follow it. We begin that by being baptized, by committing ours lives to Him.
If you’d turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. We’re within now what’s pictured by the Days of Unleavened Bread. We have committed our lives. God has revealed to us and brought us to Christ. We are now that committed process, that conversion process. In verse 9,
1 Corinthians 2:9. But as it
is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear
heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared
for those who love Him.”
Verse 10,
1 Corinthians 2:10. But God has revealed them
Same Greek word!
Uncovering something so it can be seen!
1 Corinthians 2:10. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
It is the Spirit of God that He gives at our baptism that
joins with our spirit that guides us into all truth. In John 16 verse 8, Christ made it very clear
that it was through the Spirit that we would be convicted of sin, that we would
be led into all truth. It was by that
means that God would reveal.
1 Corinthians 2:10. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
As we consider these Days of Unleavened Bread, we don’t make it a practice like we do before Unleavened Bread to continue to search and clean, to continue to take that sweeper out and continue to clean our cars and our houses. But what happens? We come across leavening that we didn’t know was there! All of a sudden something’s there. What’s God expect? Get it out!
In our conversion process, we take care of what we do when we commit our lives to Christ. What happens when God reveals truth? It makes manifest leavening that’s there and has been there that we didn’t see and we didn’t know. He requires us to get it out, to make a choice. That’s where we are right now in our conversion process.
But it makes perfect sense that God has to reveal. Consider this for a moment. All of the commentaries, dictionaries, books by people with intellects that would dwarf all of us put together who have college degrees, who have all of this mental capacity, some of them as genius who spend their lives studying this Book and the history behind this Book, but can’t grasp one spiritual aspect of it! And then look around the room. Look at us. Where have we come from? Who are we? We’re just people that try to get by day by day. We’re not the educated of this world. We’re not the famous of this world. We are beneficiaries of God’s revealing and God’s purpose.
The emphasis that Mr. Biscan brought out in the sermonette that we are to focus on what God has done for us could not be more real than during this Season of the year.
Here’s where I want to repeat God’s emphasis for these Days. In Exodus 12 verse 17, it says,
Exodus 12:17b. for on this
same day I will have brought your armies out of the
If we use these Seven Days of Unleavened Bread as an analogy for our spiritual conversion, we know that even though today we are physically observing the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread, we understand its spiritual fulfillment for us has not come yet. It’s still something in the future. It’s still something we look forward to.
As we consider God’s emphasis of His bringing us out, Him revealing His truth and His purpose to us, us still being within these Days and not have reached its end spiritually yet, I want to ask a question. Considering the symbols, considering the years of service we have here and what we have learned all these years, when it comes to getting the leaven out, when it comes to eating the unleavened bread and making it a part of us, nourishing us, fueling us, how are we doing in measuring up to what those symbols are supposed to be doing to us?
This Season is flavored with self-examination. It began prior to Passover. But we are to look at ourselves and to judge ourselves based on what God’s revealed against the life and the pattern that Jesus Christ lived. That is our pattern. That’s our comparison. It seems to be a simple and basic truth.
Today I’m actually going to take the time to touch on several prophecies, prophecies that concern the end time. Prophecies where God reveals some of the things that are going to take place and some of the effects that these actions are going to have, not only in the world but on some of God’s people. Every single one of us have been affected by them. Every single one of us!
The title for today’s sermon is Enduring Until The Seventh Day Of Unleavened Bread Is Fulfilled.
I’d like to begin by turning to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16 and here I want to begin reading in verse 24. It says,
Matthew 16:24. Then Jesus
said to His disciples,
These are Scriptures that no doubt were read to us that we looked at and we studied prior to baptism. No doubt have looked at them after baptism as we examine ourselves to see how we measure up.
Matthew 16:24. Then Jesus
said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me,
So it shows here that something has happened in this individual to cause them to desire to come after Christ. So a revealing has already begun to take place.
Matthew 16:24b. let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Once again, basic stuff!
Concerning “denying himself” is this something that we have accomplished? Is it something that you have accomplished? Have I accomplished? Am I successful at denying myself?
In 2 Corinthians—want to hold your place here—in 2 Corinthians chapter 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 beginning here with verse 4, it says,
2 Corinthians 10:4. For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal
They’re not of the flesh. You don’t possess them. I don’t’ possess them. I can’t do battle with some of these things.
2 Corinthians 10:4b. but
mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5) Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God,
“Everything that exalts itself against God”!
Something that I saw in myself deeper this year, than I had in years past, is coming to the understanding that if ever I fail to obey God, it’s obvious to me that I placed myself above God. I exalted my opinion, my way, my belief, my weakness above what God reveals is truth. That’s something that I have seen.
So it says,
2 Corinthians 10:5. Casting
down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
With the question I asked, my answer would have to be, “No.” At this point in my life, I am not successful in denying myself at every point where God requires a choice from me.
The second is “to bear his cross”. It seems like every single week we have lists—and the lists seem to keep growing—of the prayer requests of people that are suffering, people that have health crises. There are many times that people are going through problems that we’re never made aware of. They’re personal in nature, stressful in nature. But God says, “No matter what it is, you are to bear your cross.” In other words, you are denying yourself. You’re denying your interest, your desire. At the same time, you’re bearing whatever it is God allows to happen to you. Still remaining firm, still remaining strong with what God’s revealed. Now as I say that, I don’t have—at least nothing that I’m aware of—I don’t have a serious physical ailment as I stand before you. My fervency, my understanding of that from that perspective is not what someone else’s is. There are still things all of us need to think about as we examine ourselves.
The last one: to follow Christ. We have to deny ourselves. At the same time we have to bear whatever path God chooses for us. And on top of that, we need to continue to apply what Christ portrayed in His life: that unleavened bread that we are to eat every day that’s supposed to fuel our desire, fuel our action, fuel our purpose.
In Philippians chapter 2 verse 8, a very familiar verse—you don’t have to turn there,
Philippians 2:8. But being
found in appearance as a man, [Christ] humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of
the cross.
Christ to that point would not let up, would not give up what He believed! And He says for us to follow Him.
Verse 25,
Matthew 16:25. “For whoever
desires to save his life will lose it,
Whoever wants to hold on to those beliefs, those desires that we all have, that leavening, if you want to carry it with you,
Matthew 16:25. “For whoever
desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake
will find it.
No matter what the path is, if you continue to move forward believing and having faith in God to follow Him, He says we will find life. We will find quality. We will have eternal life with Him. Our clarity, our vision becomes clearer. We see things clearer.
Verse 26,
Matthew 16:26. “For what
profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his
soul? 27) “For the Son of Man will come
in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each
according to his works.
When we were called—and again under your own personal examination—when we were called, we had truth revealed. We understood. We came to Christ. We saw the need. We knew we needed what God offered through that sacrifice, what Christ offered through His life. God did not automatically remove from me the desires that I had before. Not all of them! In your examination to this day—no matter how many years that you’ve been baptized and a part of God’s Church—is that not true yet till today?
As I said in my self-examination when it comes to asking the question: Am I successful at denying myself? And at all times I have to say, “I’m not.” I still battle this.
All of us have gone to school, every single one of us, some forms of school, grade school, junior high, high school, sometimes trade school, college. What do we learn? We learn some good skills. We learn math. We learn how to speak properly, English. We learn how to create things, to make things. We learn how to be a useful part within a framework. But all of that is intended for us to learn and to function within man’s government that man has devised is right.
I think a lot of the ways that I work—I’m more of in an accounting framework. Sarah would be one who could understand this. You go to school. You learn how to think. You learn how to function as far as adding numbers, putting it together, painting a picture for someone else to be able to see the direction of a company and how they can be more efficient in how they operate their finances.
But it’s also learning about the laws of man, fitting within its tax tables, fitting within its way of doing things. All of these abilities are good if it was under the government of a kind of principle that God says is right. So when we go to school, we learn good abilities, good things, but we have to understand it brings with it man’s idea of right and wrong.
So we still find ourselves at times with the world’s backing to exalt the self. That “I’m better. My grade point average is more. I do a better job. I can do what this person can’t.” We’re taught to blame others for our mistakes. That’s what this government, this society teaches. We’re taught to follow the examples of other men and women, rather than the emphasis being on God.
If you’d turn to Jeremiah chapter 17. Jeremiah chapter 17 and again here we’re just going to read one verse. We’ve been over these things many times, but in Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 9,
Jeremiah 17:9. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;
Or, as the margin has, “incurably sick.”
Jeremiah 17:9b. Who can know
it?
Again using the basis of us examining ourselves prior to Passover this year and looking at ourselves and coming to the opinion—at least I have—that I can’t blame anybody else for my problems. I can’t blame a situation for what’s inside of me. It’s me that has sin in me. It’s me that has to overcome this.
This verse jumps out at me because for me as I examine myself, my heart is the most deceptive thing that I will ever run into! It’s incurably sick. There is nothing that I have, there’s no strength, no talent, no ability that will ever help me by myself to cure what ails me.
As Paul puts it in Romans 7, it will always come down to whether we will follow what we have learned in this society that we still have some desire for, that we still have some belief for, that we want to hold on to and drag with us, or will we deny the self, bear our cross, and follow Christ by what is revealed to us through His Spirit? It always comes down to that. How many forks in the road throughout our conversion process have we come to? Some that seem so dramatic, others that maybe not as much so.
Please turn to 1 Timothy chapter 4. I want to begin hitting some prophecies here. 1 Timothy chapter 4 and as we go through this, keep in mind what we have talked about thus far. God has revealed truth to us. God has made a purpose possible for us. We didn’t discover this. We didn’t come up with this. We didn’t devise it. But it is our heart that we fight. It is the desires we’ve learned in this society that we battle. The deception comes from within us. In 1 Timothy chapter 4 and in verse 1, it says
1 Timothy 4:1. Now the
Spirit expressly says that in latter times
And that Greek word can mean “latter” or “later.” So “latter times,” “later times.”
1 Timothy 4:1b. some will
depart from the faith,
And the meaning of that Greek word is to withdraw from or apostatize. They will give up what God revealed as truth for something else.
1 Timothy 4:1 cont. giving
heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
We have experienced aspects of this. Every single one of us have. I want to emphasize what the Scriptures clearly point out. These problems came from deceiving spirits. So many times it’s been the case for me that we can be affected by something personally. And we can attach something to an individual. And all of a sudden find yourself having ill feelings toward an individual. Not realizing that it’s beyond physical that we’re talking about here. God makes very clear in Scripture that our battles are against spirit in high places that God allows to affect us.
1 Timothy 4:1. Now the
Spirit expressly says that in latter times, some will depart from the faith,
giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
Verse 2,
1 Timothy 4:2. Speaking lies
in hypocrisy,
A hypocrite as it was once described to me—the best definition I’ve ever heard—is an actor on a stage portraying himself to be something that he’s not.
1 Timothy 4:2. Speaking lies
in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3) Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be
received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Have we not experienced this in our day? Have we not experienced truths being thrown out, replaced with other ideas? What have been the effects of them? As we see, it begins with the false teachings. It then continues to where it affects what people do. They leave the truth that was revealed by God. And they begin, not only to affect themselves, but they begin to teach these things and affect others.
I’ve known for a long time that standing behind this lectern carries with it great responsibility. There are many times, I can tell you in front of God, I am most happy to sit over there because I understand what can happen. Because anybody, who stands here and teaches something that’s wrong, does not believe they’re wrong! They believe they’re right. We used the example recently that there is that teaching out there that Christ is a created being. And we are here. We believe that Christ is not a created being. God did not inspire both reasonings. Yet try to convince either of these parties that they were not inspired by God. This is the battles that we will face till Christ returns.
Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3. The false ideas have come in. Those, who had the responsibility of rooting them out, getting them out—from what we’ve experienced in our past—did not do so. The leavening hung around! 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 1,
2 Timothy 3:1. But know
this, that in the last days
This word for “last” has the meaning of farthest or final. You might say, “The last of the latter days.” So we’re talking about a progression. False teachings entered in. We saw that it affected some people to the point that teachings were affected. Teachings were given that were wrong. were not revealed by God. We’re going to start getting into some of the effects that it has on God’s people.
2 Timothy 3:1. But know
this, that in the last days perilous times
Stressful times! Brethren, in what we have gone through, does not stress play a large part? We are affected emotionally. We are affected by what has taken place.
2 Timothy 3:1. But know
this, that in the last days perilous times [stressful times] will
come: 2) For men will be lovers of
themselves,
Think this through! We are called. We have had it revealed to us that we are to be like Christ. Christ was the ultimate picture of selfless love! He gave Himself for us.
And consider, as we examine ourselves, this message is not about trying to place a finger on who’s doing this or who’s at fault. This is an examination of ourselves. What is the affect that all of this situation, the teachings, the practices, the dealings person to person, the emotions that we’ve had affected and perhaps the families that we’ve had split up?
Think about this! We were called to follow Christ. We were called to exhibit selfless love one for another.
It says here “lovers of themselves.” How many times—and I will use myself as an example—how many times that I have taken care of myself, my hurt, my needs before the needs of someone else? Now I could say that I haven’t been affected by these teachings. And, as best I understand, I don’t feel that I have. But I have been affected by how I apply these teachings! How many of us can say, “We have not”? How many of us can say that at all chances, all opportunities, we have displayed selfless Christ-like love for one another?
Continuing on,
2 Timothy 3:2b. lovers of
money,
Concerned with the physical, concerned with the here and now, concerned with what we possess, who we are.
2 Timothy 3:2 cont. boasters,
proud,
How much has pride entered into our reasonings, the teachings that we have heard in the past?
2 Timothy 3:2 cont. blasphemers,
Or as many of the newer translations translate this, “abusive.” It’s not so much that you don’t exhibit the selfless love, but now it’s reaching to the point that actions are being taken that show you don’t care.
2 Timothy 3:2 cont. disobedient
to parents,
How much has all of this affected the family?
2 Timothy 3:2 cont. unthankful,
The emphasis for the Days of Unleavened Bread is to remember that God will lead us out. It now reaches to the level where these people are even unthankful.
2 Timothy 3:2 cont. unholy,
When we are holy, God sets us apart for His purpose. Those who are unholy have taken themselves out of that arena.
2 Timothy 3:3. Unloving,
It has the meaning without natural affection.
2 Timothy 3:3b. unforgiving,
How many chances have I had? I thought just using this one word how many chances have I had to forgive somebody? But, just like leaven that you want to drag with us, sometimes you hold on to it and you don’t do what God reveals we should do, we should follow.
2 Timothy 3:3 cont. slanderers,
without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4) Traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God. 5)
Having a form of godliness but denying its power.
And whenever I read that and I think of the emphasis for these Days, again people who are involved in this, I guarantee you they don’t see it. They don’t understand it. They are sincere! And even here with this verse can appear religious!
It says,
2 Timothy 3:5b. And from
such people
From such ideas, from such drives and purposes,
2 Timothy 3:5 cont. turn
away!
Don’t be infected with the leavening that’s attached there.
These attitudes reflect self-exaltation, exalting the self. Not remembering that God brought them out. Remember, as we read through these as a self-examination, it is our own heart that is our biggest obstacle! It’s not somebody else’s heart. It’s not somebody else’s teaching. Deception can only take place for me if I accept it, if I follow it.
Please turn to Matthew chapter 24, Matthew chapter 24. We’re going to break into the thought beginning here with verse 8.
Matthew 24:8. “All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Christ begins to delineate what’s going to take place toward the end of time.
Matthew 24:8. “All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9) “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation
and kill you,
For whoever He’s speaking to here, if He’s speaking to us, if there is a time coming when we’re going to be given up to be killed, this can picture our cross to bear. It’s God choice to allow this.
Matthew 24:9. “Then they will
deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all
nations for My name’s sake. 10) “And
then many will be offended,
This Greek word has the meaning to trip up, to entice to sin or to apostatize, to commit that which leads to the fall or ruin of someone.
So the situations cause some to leave the truth, to give up standing firm for what was revealed to them.
Matthew 24:10. “And then
many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Please understand the people that firsthand is applying to, it’s not that one side is wrong and one side is right. What’s being portrayed here is that this feeling is mutual between both parties. Both parties are wrong. Both parties are not exhibiting selfless love that Christ did.
Out of that, verse 11,
Matthew 24:11. “Then many
false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
Many false teachings! Many people who will exalt themselves rise out of that. And their effect was that many would be deceived.
Matthew 24:12. “And because
lawlessness will abound,
Because this way is taught and practiced and a part of things, it says it will abound. It will multiply. It’s multiples of. It’s like that snowball rolling down the hill to gain size and speed the further it goes. God allows this to take place amongst us.
Matthew 24:12. “And because
lawlessness will abound, the [agape]
The love that God made possible!
Matthew 24:12b. of many
Not all! But
Matthew 24:12b. of many will
grow cold.
Verse 13,
Matthew 24:13. “But he who
endures to the end shall be saved.
There is none of us here that I don’t feel have not been affected, directly or indirectly, by false teachings and the effects that have arisen from it. “Emotional scars” is a term that we have heard often down through the last several years. We have been affected emotionally. I have been affected emotionally. There are times of great stress for me, as it has been for you. I’m not singling myself out as I’ve got it worse than anybody else. I don’t. We have been placed in this situation.
We can find ourselves, because of everything we’ve gone through, we can find ourselves ready to distrust somebody rather than believing the best of someone even though Scriptures say to believe the best in someone. The effects of the leavening has affected me. It’s affected how I choose to apply the truth that God’s revealed as right and good at every step.
Please turn back to Amos chapter 3. There’s an aspect that I want to consider concerning prophecy.
We had, prior to Passover, it occurred to me that the problems that I had were my problems. They can’t be blamed on someone else. And I had to ask myself the serious question: Why do I study Scripture? Why do I come to Church? And I had to come to the point where I had to realize that my purpose for studying Scripture has got to be God’s purpose. It can’t be my purpose. It can’t be something that I pull apart from and make my own. It’s got to be His purpose.
So in the same way, I asked the question: Why does God give prophecy? What’s the purpose? And we have to ask the same question: Is my purpose for reading prophecy God’s purpose for giving prophecy?
In chapter 3 verse 7,
Amos 3:7. Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His
secret to His servants the prophets. 8)
A lion has roared! Who will not fear?
God expects something from the prophecies that He’s given.
Amos 3:8b. The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
When I think of all of the prophets and you can go back to
the Old Testament, pick one out, Jonah going to
When it comes to the prophecies concerning the latter times, the last days, and we can see the effects going on around us and at times among us and in us, what is God’s purpose for prophecy? What is God’s purpose for letting us know what He says is going to affect some? And I say for me, it appears, again from looking at the prophecies, there are too many reasons. One: to cause a repentant attitude in us returning to God. And two: when it’s done, giving God all the glory and praise for being faithful to carry out the purpose and promise that He gave through prophecy.
To what degree, Brethren, have we been impacted, have we been affected by the leavening, the spiritual teachings that have affected us? And not just the teachings, but the effects that cause the changes in people, especially as we treat one to another? Is our spiritual relationship with God and Jesus Christ affected? How do we look at one another? God says—Christ said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love—selfless agape love—one for another.”
And again, as I stand before you, I use myself as an example because I’m not pointing a finger at anybody else. This is my self-examination. I have not succeeded as I could have when it comes to that.
If you’ll turn back to Daniel. I was going to begin with Daniel chapter 1. It has the example where Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego ask for different foods. We’re familiar with that illustration. They asked for different foods. It was a stressful time for them. They were in captivity. But they asked for different foods because they didn’t want to take part of the king’s delicacy. They didn’t want his wine. They didn’t want his meats. But he asked, “Just to give us vegetables.”
And after that ten day trial, they came out. They looked better than all of the other captives at that time. That was a stressful time, stressful situation. But as they came through that, their faith grew. They glorified God at the end of that trial. Their lives were spared. They were able to continue eating vegetables as they believed they should.
Daniel chapter 2. After God gives the dream to Nebuchadnezzar—and keep that in mind! It’s not Nebuchadnezzar all of a sudden had a dream. God gave the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. In verse 24, it says,
Daniel 2:24. Therefore
Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of
I want to stop there for a second. Let’s say the king or the president of the most important powerful nation brought you into his presence. You had been given a gift. You had been given an understanding where you can interpret a dream. You understand this dream that this king has had was from God. That this is not just a trivial matter!
And that king or that president says to you, “Can you tell me the interpretation of that dream?” How many of us would say, “Yes, I can”? Is that the answer that God wants? Is it so easy to exalt the self, to feel good about what we’ve been given and somehow someway take the glory away from God and give it to ourselves?
Read what Daniel says in verse 27.
Daniel 2:27. Daniel answered
in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded,
the wise men, the astrologers, the
magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.
He understood no intellect, no capacity, no strength—it doesn’t matter—they couldn’t give the king his answer because it’s spiritual in nature. They could not begin to tell the king what he wanted. But in verse 28, he doesn’t say, “I have the answer.” He says,
Daniel 2:28. “But there is a
God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar
what will be in the latter days. Your
dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
I asked myself and I don’t have the answer. I’ll be very honest. I’ve not been placed in this position. But I have to ask the question: What would my response be? Would it be to somehow someway grab a little bit of the spotlight and pat myself on the back?
This danger and temptation for all of us, this is a large situation. But the temptation and situations for us may be much smaller in scope. Not as many people know about it. But as God looks down and judges us, judges every single one of them the same. Is there any aspect that we want to try to take for ourselves and say, “I know, I’ve done, I said”?
Very obvious from the words we’ve read that God reveals all aspects of all truth, all spiritual intent. It never—not one aspect has—ever originated within a human being. It’s God’s gift.
Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. (I see I’m not going to get through all of my stuff here.) 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18,
1 Corinthians 1:18. For the
message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
The truth, the vital truth that we can see that we understand by God’s gift is foolishness to those whom God has not given eyes to see, whom God has not revealed it to.
1 Corinthians 1:18b. but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God.
It is dunamis! It is that power from Him. It originates with Him.
1 Corinthians 1:19. For it
is written: “I will destroy the wisdom
of the wise, and bring to nothing, the understanding of the prudent.”
God inspires Paul to write,
1 Corinthians 1:20. Where is the wise? Where is
the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age?
“Who is it that’s going to argue with Me that My truth is wrong?”
1 Corinthians 1:20b. Has not
God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
That educational system that we came up in, has God not made foolishness of it to us?
1 Corinthians 1:21. For
since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it
pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who
believe.
He requires a response from the revealing that takes place. We’re required to believe. We’re required to make the choice to attempt to get out that spiritual leaven. We are required to do that. God does not do everything from that standpoint for us. It’s not that He couldn’t. He’s chosen that it be done this way.
1 Corinthians 1:22. For Jews
request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23) But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to
the Greeks foolishness, 24) But to those
who are called, both Jews and Greeks [No matter the nationality.], Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God. 25)
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men,
I always write through this Scripture and I say, “God has no foolishness.” It’s just a comparison. There is no comparison with what we can devise in the truth, the pure love that emanates from Them.
Verse 26,
1 Corinthians 1:26. For you
see your calling,
As the margin has, “Consider your calling.” And, Brethren, this consideration never stops. This is something we do from now till Christ returns.
1 Corinthians 1:26. [Consider
your] calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called. 17) But God has chosen the foolish things of
the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the
world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28) And the base things of the world and the
things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to
bring to nothing the things that are.
And, as we began this message, as we look around the room, we’re here because God made a choice. We’re here because God exhibited love. We’re here because God favored us and applied that sacrifice to us at this time. That is the only reason we sit here, other than what God required us to do: to act based on what He revealed,
Verse 29,
1 Corinthians 1:29. That no
flesh should glory in His presence.
And, as I think back to that example in Daniel, I think there are elements of God’s truth—I don’t care which truth we look at—there are elements of God’s truth we haven’t reached yet. And, as I use myself as a negative example—it doesn’t matter which area I look at—there are levels I have not hit yet. There are levels I fail at. No matter which truth I look at. But I could stand up and dispute with people all day long about Biblical perspectives and principles and views. It’s not profitable as God says that we should not dispute these things.
Verse 30,
1 Corinthians 1:30. But of
Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and
righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
All those words outside of our capability, outside of our control!
1 Corinthians 1:31. That, as
it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
God’s involvement in our lives enables us to see the need to unlearn the tendencies that we’ve learned in this society. To get the old leaven, the old ideas, the beliefs, the desires out. We have to make that choice. We have to start that direction. While at the same time, teaching us, motivating us to desire and to believe the wisdom, the sanctification, the purpose, and the redemption that He makes possible for us. By that, He begins to change in us something that produces a belief, a drive, a desire. Again that’s beyond us. It’s spiritual. It is God working. I can’t do this. I know that.
Let’s turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. These are Scriptures that are read most every
single Days of Unleavened Bread. 1
Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 6, as he’s addressing this situation that the
Church in
1 Corinthians 5:6. Your
glorying is not good.
Somehow the people took pride that they were forgiving or they were merciful or they were better than what these people were displaying.
1 Corinthians 5:6. Your
glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens
the whole lump? 7) Therefore purge out
the old leaven, that you may be a new lump,
Purge out those old ideas, old beliefs, old desires. Not that you’re changing what you already are. Changing something old and adapting it.
It says here,
1 Corinthians 5:7b. that you
may be a new lump,
It’s something brand new! You’ve never experienced this before. And it’s only because God’s the one that’s doing the work. We can’t. This is a new lump.
1 Corinthians 5:7 cont. since
you truly are unleavened. For indeed
Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the
leaven of malice and wickedness,
So those things that we can drag with us, those old tendencies and beliefs, we cannot fulfill these Days dragging those things with us. In order to fulfill these Days, it must continue,
1 Corinthians 5:8b. but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth.
“Sincerity” has the meaning of purity of motive. Opposite of hypocrite! Opposite of trying to present yourself something that you’re not!
It has to be this way of life. It has to be from purity of heart, purity of motive. And it must be based upon truth. You cannot have one without the other. If you have sincerity with no truth, it’s no different than looking at today’s religions. You can turn on the TV on Sunday mornings. You can see sincere people that have no truth. But there’s just a few people that have the opportunity of keeping what these Days picture with both sincerity and truth. Again, giving the emphasis and the glory to what God makes possible.
To keep this life, to walk this life without hypocrisy, pure in motive, based on pure truth, how are we doing? Can we do it? If we say we can, I’ll say, “You’re wrong already. You’re deceived already!” We can’t. God is the one who has to do it. We have to bring ourselves.
And this Season above all others impresses on us the need for us to humble ourselves before God. As we truly get a reflection of who we are, as we meditate so much on what’s been done for us, as we meditate on the problems we face, that I face within me. We are so fortunate to be a part of the plan of God! Not one of us could have done this without the God Family. Not one aspect of it!
As humbling as this Season can be, how awe inspiring is it
to consider that the Days of Unleavened Bread will have a Seventh Day? That one day all of the struggles and
stresses and problems and bickerings and disputes will be put away! God will fight our battles and bury them just
as He did the Egyptians in the
Turn to Exodus chapter 15. I was laughing a little as Mr. Biscan said that, “Perhaps this afternoon, you can read the Song of Moses.” Because I thought, “Well, if my sermon goes long, then this afternoon, we’ll read the Song of Moses.” But we’ll do it this morning.
Because I want to consider all that we’ve covered so far and it’s—just please understand—it’s just the tip of the iceberg. We can go as deep as we want to in all these aspects and principles. But as we look back, all that’s been done for us, all that we have at our disposal—not from us, but God’s gift to us—as we consider what we’ve gone through, the mistakes we’ve made, so many times where we come up short. The weaknesses that at times are displayed. And we consider that there’s an end to this journey. We consider that there’s a Seventh Day. That God will not abandon us if we don’t abandon Him.
In chapter 15, as we read through this, I can’t look into
your life. I can’t look into your heart,
your mind to understand all the stresses, all the problems you’ve faced. But as we read through this and we understand
that the emphasis of this song is what God has done for them. They just witnessed the Egyptians being
killed in the
Chapter 15 verse 1,
Exodus 15:1. Then Moses and
the children of
All the problems that we struggle with, we battle on a daily basis, God will put them down!
Exodus 15:2. The Lord is my strength and song,
It’s not me exalting myself. It’s not me saying, “I have more than someone else.”
Exodus 15:2. The Lord is my strength and song, He has become my salvation;
It’s a process. He became
their salvation. This conversion process
for us is something we’re learning, and hopefully, deepening as time goes on.
Exodus 15:2b. He is my God, and I will praise Him; my
father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3)
The Lord is a man of war; the Lord
is His name. 4) Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has
cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the
All of the memories that they had going through their mind,
then walking out of the nation of
Verse 6,
Exodus 15:6. “Your right
hand, O Lord, has become glorious
in power; Your right hand, O Lord,
has dashed the enemy in pieces. 7) And
in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against
You; You sent forth Your wrath; it consumed them like stubble. 8) And with the blast of Your nostrils the
waters were gathered together; the floods stood upright like a heap; the depths
congealed in the heart of the sea. 9) The
enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;
At the end of this age, Satan is going to spew waters after His Church. What does the Church do? Do they take up spears? No! The earth opens up and swallows. Again God fighting for His people!
Exodus 15:9b. my desire
shall be satisfied on them, I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’ 10) You blew with Your wind, the sea covered
them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11) “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
And again as we consider in examining ourselves, “Who is like God amongst all of the things that we can battle with and at times take precedence over what God has given?” The battles we fight. The spiritual weakness we battle.
Exodus 15:11. “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in
holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12) You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them. 13) You in Your mercy have led forth the people
whom You have redeemed; you have guided them
in Your strength to Your holy habitation.
14) “The people will hear and
be afraid; sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of
How real is this to us?
Brethren, when we began we talked about some of the things Mr. Biscan
even mentioned seeming so basic. How
many times have we gone through the Days of Unleavened Bread? Hopefully—it is for me this year—the
deepening understanding of how much I rely on Them. That I cannot do anything without Them. That I rely on Their truth. I rely on Their guidance. I rely on the strengths that They
provide. God’s purpose in these Days is
to remember that He brought the armies out of
For a closing Scripture, turn to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3, I was going to read verses 1 through 9 and 14 through 18, but I’m just going to close with reading verse 9.
When we consider everything that we’ve covered today, when we consider the purpose of God’s truth, the purpose that God has called us, consider repentance and change, getting the old leaven out, the old desires, old ideas, replacing them with that pure revealed truth from God concerning the end time in which we live and so much of the time we thought that the end of time would have happened long before now, because there were so many predictions that have failed. But in verse 9,
2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not
slack concerning His promise, as some
count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should
perish but that all should come to repentance.
This life is a continuing process of a deepening repentance and of bending our knees before our God. Not only to obey Him, to follow Him, to bear our cross, but when all is said and done, from the bottom of our hearts to give all praise and glory to God for what He makes possible for us.
Transcribed by kb