Our weekly small group listened to a sermon (on tape) by a Pastor in Michigan on how the Old Testament feast were a prelude to the New Testament fulfillment and what is still yet to come.
It was really amazing to see God's story so beautifully intertwined and laid out for us. Such details! I was in complete awe of the Lord and really humbled in the fact that this is really God's story. We have been given the great privilege of playing a part in His story. To understand the privilege He has given us is beyond what I can comprehend!
I'd like to share my notes I took while listening to the tape. Please remember, I am not a scholar, just a regular person, and this is just what I took from the message. (black=N.T and Red=O.T.)
____________________________________________________________________
In the four days prior to Jesus death, he was questioned and interrogated by the Jewish leaders, the people in town for the passover celebration, and the Roman rulers, all who were trying to find fault in him. Remember, none was found. This compares to the Passover lamb of the OT which was to be selected on the 10th day and kept in the home until the 14th day and was to be without blemish (found perfect).
Jesus died on the cross at 3 PM the day after the Passover celebration. The Passover lamb was to be slaughter at twilight (3 PM in the Hebrew day).
Jesus was buried. The Israelites are allowed to leave Egypt the day after they celebrated the Passover supper. (In the Hebrew week, the new day starts the night before, not the morning of.)
Jesus was buried for 3 days. The Israelites traveled for 3 days in the desert before arriving at the Red Sea.
On the 3rd day Jesus was raised from the dead, breaking the bondage of sin over all people. On the 3rd day God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites safely passed through. The Egyptians were all drowned in the sea. The fact that the Egyptians all died was necessary in breaking the bond of slavery the Egyptians had over the Israelites. If the Egyptians would have lived, the Israelites would have still be enslaved to the Egyptians. They would have had a claim to them.
50 days after the death of Jesus, Pentecost takes place. 50 days after the first Passover, God gives Moses the 10 Commandments.
Jesus death, resurrection, ascension, and, giving of the Holy Spirit to convict us all happen according to the Spring Festivals that God had already established. (May have missed some - it was hard to take notes as fast as he was talking) Cool, huh! So, Jesus came to us the first time during the Spring Harvest.
Hosea 6:3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.
This verse says Jesus will come in both the winter and spring rains. If, His first coming is compared to the Spring festivals, then His second coming will be comparative to the Fall Festivals.
The first Fall Festival is the The Blowing of the Trumpet - Day of Judgement. It is prophesied that the second coming of Jesus will be announced with a trumpet.
The second Fall Festival is the Day of Atonement. It is prophesied that on this day Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. Those who knew Jesus are the sheep. Those who did not know Him are the goats.
The third Fall Festival is the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Israelites were to live in tents together during this feast and celebrate to the Lord. This represents God dwelling with man on earth.
If Jesus first came to earth during the Spring Festival or often called the Spring Harvest season, and He will come again during the Fall Harvest season, then we are currently living in the Summer Harvest.
Matthew 9:37 Then he said to the disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Do we see the harvest work that must be done?
Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited. Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
____________________________________________________________________
Christians - We have a job to do. We have a role in this story. When we share Jesus with others, we are adding to the harvest, to the full number of Gentiles. If we lead someone to Christ, and they accept Christ as their Savior, is that the last one? Is that the full number for the harvest?
The Pastor said this:
We live in a hurting and lost world.
We know where healing and new life can be found- in Jesus.
We can transform the world, and bring complete peace and healing to it, by helping to bring on the second coming of Christ! By adding to the harvest, by reaching the full number.
Wow! We have a role in God's story!
We can hasten Jesus' second coming by doing the work He called us to do- telling others about him!
Too often we make our christian life about standing up for a principle, or a practice, or a belief. I'm just as guilty as the next. But, we're getting it all wrong! It's not about us! It's not about what we know, what we do, how we do it, when we do it, or who does it. It's about God - it's about what He has done and what He is going to do - it's about what He wants to do in us, and in others - it's about what role He has made for us to do in His Story!
This lesson reminded me, and I hope I never forget again, that this is His story, not mine!
All glory and honor and praise be unto Him!!!!
Go, be an effective, focused, and purposeful servant in the harvest of souls for the glory of God!
No comments:
Post a Comment