This sermon discusses the destructive effects when we don’t deal early on with sin or leaven. Lucifer is a great example. We also speak about man and the nation of Israel, and show how God protected His righteous servants in the past and how He will protect His Church in the future.
As we will celebrate the festival of Pentecost at the end of this month, it would be a good idea to reflect on just what this festival represents where the church is concerned and also our individual lives.
Historically, this Festival was the beginning of the establishment of God’s true church in 31 A.D., when the Holy Spirit was given for the first time in a general manner to those assembled in Jerusalem for the festival. In Old Testament times, the prophets and some faithful servants had been given the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s plan and purpose in their time, but it was not generally available for entire groups of people until the Feast of Pentecost in 31 A.D. (Acts 2:1-4).
For the approximately one hundred and twenty disciples there at the time, they had witnessed Christ’s miracles, signs and wonders and His death, and many had also been witnesses of His resurrection. They had been or were now committed to being faithful and to what Christ had taught in His messages for the previous three and a-half years.
The others were moved by Peter’s inspired sermon after the Holy Spirit had been bestowed on the 120 disciples, and they wanted to know what was required of them to receive this gift. In Act 2:37, we read: “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’”
Peter gave them the answer in verses 38-39: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’”
Notice the opportunity to even qualify for this precious gift comes from God who calls us and grants us repentance and a heart willing to accept Christ as our Savior.
The common denominator in the human family is the blood. That is the thread that all races share and one can die physically from loss of blood. The common thread for true Christians is God’s Holy Spirit which emanates from God and sets us apart as His children. It gives us the potential to enter the God Family as God beings at the return of His Son Jesus Christ, if we faithfully endure to the end.
One of the key components to this goal is obedience, since God gives His Spirit only to those who obey Him. Conversely, He withholds it from those who willingly disobey Him. In Act 5:32, Peter said: “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit [which] God has given to those who obey Him.”
As one can get sick for not taking care of himself physically, even to the point of death, so one can quench the precious gift of the Holy Spirit if one neglects the tools given him to maintain the Spirit, and even lose it to the point of committing the unpardonable sin and dying the eternal death.
We have to appreciate this very precious gift from God and stay true to the course by remaining spiritually healthy, as it were. Pentecost was the starting point for the beginning of God’s Church. Baptism and the receipt of the Holy Spirit is the starting point for our walk with God. At the end of this walk, we want to ensure we are in good shape spiritually for the challenges we will face as children of God in the Millennium as kings and priests.
When the people, after listening to Peter, cried out, “What shall we do,” they were told by Peter what was required of them. We need to make sure we are doing the things required of us to fulfill our future role of ruling with Christ in the Millennium and then for all eternity.
First, we should look at where the command to de-leaven our homes is mentioned in the Bible, beginning with the Old Testament.
We read in Exodus 12:15-20:
“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 Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 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. 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. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.”
This is the first place where this is mentioned and the penalty for not complying was being “cut off” from the congregation. The Jews understood correctly that the removal of leaven would have to be completed “at the eve of this festival,” prior to the beginning of the First Day of Unleavened Bread.
Adam Clarke’s commentary explains that “leaven was an emblem of sin, because it proceeded from corruption; and the putting away of this implied the turning to God with simplicity and uprightness of heart.” We should note, however, that the biblical passage, quoted above, does not specifically explain this meaning. As we will see, this will be explained later in Old Testament passages, and the full explanation can be found in the New Testament where the spirit of the law is discussed.
Exodus 13:3-10 also addresses de-leavening and abstaining from eating leavened products for seven days, while eating unleavened products:
“And Moses said to the people: ‘Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, “This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.” It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.”
Here it is stated that it was a sign and annual memorial when God brought them out of Egypt, which occurred on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, at night.
Another place speaking about eating unleavened products and abstaining from leaven for seven days is mentioned in Deuteronomy 16:3-4:
“You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days…”
Notice the reference here to coming out of Egypt, where they had been held captive and had been afflicted for many years. The Church of God has understood that Egypt is used here as a type of sin and that the introduction of a little leaven to a clump of dough will eventually leaven the whole lump. This is further explained, for example, in 1 Corinthians 5:6:
“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”
This is a clear reference to a little sin which, if not removed, will corrupt a person. It might even corrupt others in the church. If a person is sinning continually in plain sight and is not removed or “cut off” from the congregation, it might affect others. Paul is referring to this principle when he addressed a person having sexual relations with his mother or stepmother, which evil conduct was known, tolerated and even endorsed by some in the church.
Paul was aware of the danger of tolerating sinful behavior. If we do not put sin out of our lives, it could lead to our destruction and the destruction of others. Even a little sin or compromise can be catastrophic if not being dealt with. It is compared to leaven which puffs up both in its physical use and in a person’s life.
Notice the further instruction by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
We are to de-leaven our homes and abstain from leavened products and thereby remind ourselves that we have to purge out the sin and disassociate ourselves from the sinner who, like a rotten apple, influences others. We are to get rid of sinful conduct, repent of it and be a new lump by becoming spiritually renewed before God. We must not justify sin or make excuses for the sin, but rather, we must eradicate it and replace it with righteous behavior.
Paul restated the same injunction in Galatians 5:9: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
The importance of removing leaven from our homes—a physical act—lies foremost in its spiritual application: It represents removing sin—a type of leaven—which, if not dealt with and repented of, can ultimately lead to the second death in the lake of fire.
There are several examples in the Bible where, if we are obedient in doing the physical things required of us, the spiritual meaning and understanding is revealed later. That is why obedience even in commanded physical matters is so important since it tests us to see if we will obey God in everything, and God can and will add the spiritual understanding in His due time.
Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)
The world at the moment is in a spiraling catastrophic downspin of one major curse after another, which has accelerated since January this year. One article which demonstrates this, titled, “10 Plagues That Are Hitting Our Planet Simultaneously,” has been published on February 17 by Michael Snyder and linked by the Drudge Report, as follows:
“All of a sudden, really crazy things are starting to happen all over the world… The following is a list of 10 plagues that are hitting our planet simultaneously…
“#1 Armies Of Locusts –… swarms of locusts the size of major cities have been devouring entire farms in Africa in as little as 30 seconds. These swarms have also been spreading throughout the Middle East, and now we have learned that they have even reached China… Billions of the insects have destroyed food supplies across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia in what has been described as the worst plague for decades.
“#2 Extremely Bizarre Weather Patterns –… An all-time record 209 mph wind gust just hit California, and absolutely crazy storms are happening all over the planet… Sydney has been thrown into chaos by a devastating storm that saw two months of rainfall in just two days – forcing mass evacuations, leaving 150,000 homes without power, and prompted warnings not to drive to work. The storm dumped 400mm of rain on the city over the weekend, causing mayhem for commuters on Monday morning with roads blocked, ferries canceled and trains suffering major delays across the network.
“#3 Unprecedented Flooding – We are seeing unusual flooding all over the world right now, and the flooding that is devastating the southern U.S. at this moment is being called ‘unprecedented’… In Jackson, Mississippi, hundreds of residents either watched their homes flood over the weekend or worried their residence would soon be drenched as the Pearl River crested Monday at 36.8 feet, its third-highest level ever recorded – behind only 1979 and 1983. Calling the Jackson floods ‘historic’ and ‘unprecedented,’ Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a Sunday press conference that ‘we do not anticipate this situation to end anytime soon. It will be days before we are out of the woods and the waters recede.’
“#4 Major Earthquakes –… A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Tuesday (January 28) about 80 miles from Jamaica, shaking people in the Caribbean and as far away as Miami. A tsunami of 0.4 feet was recorded in the Cayman Islands at George Town, but no tsunami was observed at Port Royal, Jamaica, or Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
“#5 Unusual Volcanic Eruptions – … One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Merapi just experienced its most powerful eruption since 1930! The eruption reportedly took place on Thursday (February 13) and was caught on video displaying a powerful and terrifying eruption showing the moment the crater exploded and launched lava and ash an estimated 2,000 meters into the air forcing local residents to stay outside of the designated no-go zone 3km (1.8 miles) from the crater.
“#6 The Coronavirus – Needless to say, the coronavirus outbreak in China has been getting more headlines than anything else on this list. The numbers continue to rise, and many are speculating that this could potentially become the worst global pandemic since the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918…
“#7 The African Swine Fever – ‘Pig Ebola’ has already wiped out millions upon millions of pigs in China, and it has now spread to more than 40 other countries. The price of pork is absolutely skyrocketing in China right now, and to help fill the demand the Chinese are increasingly importing pork from U.S. sources…
“#8 The H1N1 Swine Flu – Unlike the African Swine Fever, the H1N1 Swine Flu can actually kill humans. In fact, it has already killed more people outside of China than the coronavirus outbreak has… As of now, the H1N1 virus is posing a great threat once again as it has claimed 13 lives in Taiwan in the last week. This virus is highly contagious and is known to spread from human to human. It is especially dangerous for those with a compromised immune system like those suffering from chronic medical conditions and long-term health conditions.
“#9 The H5N1 Bird Flu – This strain of the bird flu caused a massive global scare a number of years ago, and now it is experiencing a stunning resurgence… experts are warning that this outbreak could be just getting started… China also is reportedly dealing with an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in chickens in the Hunan province, an area that borders the province where the coronavirus emerged… As of Feb. 1, local authorities had culled 17,828 poultry after the H5NI outbreak…
“#10 The H5N8 Bird Flu – This strain is different from the H5N1 bird flu, but many believe that it is even more frightening. It has started to pop up in numerous places around the globe… Germany has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus in a backyard in the southwestern part of the country…
“2020 has certainly started off with quite a bang, and many expect global events to continue to accelerate… things are likely to get even crazier in the months ahead.”
In spite of all of this happening, and much more could be added, are the people, communities and nations asking themselves WHY this is occurring? Well, it is happening because of SIN. China is experiencing this horrible outbreak of the coronavirus because of breaking God’s laws regarding clean and unclean meats. The United States is under a curse for their murders, sexual sins, drug abuse and a host of other issues they are not addressing nor dealing with.
We are witnessing the effect of worldwide sinning but not addressing the root cause which is transgressing His commandments and laws in effect today, but if they were to obey, these curses would go away. Just as the author of the article states, “Hold on to your hats, it will get worse” (paraphrasing). Indeed, it will get much worse before it gets better.
Look at what Christ stated in Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
As we approach the Passover season and examine ourselves, let us make sure we are putting sin out of our lives so that we may be worthy to escape that which is coming on the whole world and to stand before the Son of Man when He returns. This we know: Things will get MUCH better—there will be absolutely no comparison whatsoever–once Christ returns and ends the current madness.
This sermon discusses the importance of understanding and of keeping the Sabbath which has been described as the Test Commandment. We will address the Sabbath’s origins, its endurance through times past, at this present time, and its meaning and importance in the future.
Having been anxiously waiting to go with my wife on a boat cruise out of California’s San Pedro Bay, I was somewhat shocked and dismayed to receive an email from Air Canada on Saturday, after the Sabbath, stating that our flight on Sunday morning, December 1, to the Los Angeles Airport had been delayed to 11:00AM. We were originally supposed to leave at 5:40 AM and arrive at LAX at 12:25 PM. The new arrival time of 4:28 PM via Salt Lake City was almost two hours after the ship would leave for our Mexico Cruise.
The worst part was that I had taken out any cancellation insurance for the flight or cruise and I was told now that the cruise line would not refund a “no show.” Trying to sort this out on a Saturday evening when the Travel Agency was closed and the offices of the cruise lines were also closed was frustrating. So, there was nothing I could do that evening. Taking the flight at 11:00 AM on December 1 would accomplish nothing, so we did not even leave the house.
I was distraught as to why God would allow this to happen. He knew we were looking forward to getting away from the cold for a week. He knew about our plans and our anticipation in regard to this trip. On Sunday, I called the credit card company with whom I had booked my flight, using points and cash to buy the tickets, and explained the situation to them. It took some time on the phone, but eventually, they said I would get a refund and my points would be put back on my card, but it would take four to six weeks.
That made me feel a bit better, but what about the price for the cruise?
I went to Penticton, about twenty minutes south of where I live, and talked to the travel agent through whom I booked the cruise. She reiterated the cruise line policy, which I already knew by now, and said she would phone them and get back to me, so I went home. About half an hour later, I got a call from her telling me she tried but the cruise line said, no refund.
Not wanting to give up on this, I called the cruise line myself. After explaining my situation, the agent told me the policy of no refund for no shows. Then I started to tell her that they were a million dollar company, and I was a senior citizen with limited income, and that they had my money and I had nothing in return and that their public customer relations were not very high on the scale. She put me through to the supervisor, and I told him my story, and after some thought, he relented and said I could apply my fare to the next cruise which was on January 5, as the cruises prior to that date were sold out. I had to pay a bit more since that cruise was more costly, due to seasonal prices.I was very happy about that, but why did all of this have to happen?
A few days later, I got an email from Mrs. Johanna Link, asking me if the ship we were supposed to go on was the one in the news she had listened to. She wrote: “I am just watching the news and they said that the cruise ship Norwegian Joy had to come back today because people got sick on board. This is the ship you were supposed to go on, isn’t it?” She also sent a link of an article in regard to the ship, and this is what the CNN article said:
“Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics treated 10 people aboard the Norwegian Joy cruise ship for minor medical complaints after the ship docked early Sunday, the LAFD said. It’s the second time in a week passengers were treated for illness after returning from a trip aboard the vessel. The patients, on a Mexican Riviera cruise, had minor medical complaints and none were transported to hospitals, the LAFD said about Sunday’s incident. It was not immediately clear what caused their illness.
“Initially, the LAFD was expecting to treat 20 patients ‘reporting unspecified illness’ as the cruise ship began to dock, it said. The ship is capable of carrying more than 3,600 guests, according to Norwegian Cruise Line. ‘During Norwegian Joy’s Mexican Riviera sailing, a few guests on board experienced a stomach-related illness,’ the cruise line said in a statement. ‘To mitigate any impact of this rare occurrence, we implemented stringent sanitation procedures. As always, we will continue to monitor this situation.’
“Norwegian Joy experienced a similar incident last week when, the LAFD said, six passengers arriving to Los Angeles from a Panama Canal voyage were treated for flu-like symptoms. Those passengers, who arrived in the Port of Los Angeles on November 24, were diagnosed with norovirus, Los Angeles Port Police Lt. Rosario Ferrara told CNN. They were among 127 passengers and six crew members who reported being ill while aboard the ship, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ill passengers were mostly suffering from diarrhea, the CDC said.”
So then it dawned on me that God was protecting us. As painful as the experience was, He was looking out after two of His begotten children. I had to apologize to God for questioning why this had been happening to us. I should have put my faith and trust in God a bit more. This was a good lesson as Christ tells us that He would never leave or abandon us. He kept His word; I just did not see or understand it at the time. But now I know that the cruise line is aware of the potential problems with sickness, and I know that nothing similar will happen on our cruise on January 5. The lessons have been learned.
After we had such an inspiring and joy-filled Feast of Tabernacles, it does not take Satan long to start creating problems for and among the brethren. After all, he is the accuser of the brethren, an agitator and a provocateur, and he is like a vicious roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). He discourages and causes problems for us in the hope we will fall short of the mark.
Some, returning from the Feast, had difficulty with flight delays and some had to stay in a hotel overnight due to flight interruptions. One couple came home to a flooded basement due to a water-valve failure.
I came home to find only two of my nine chickens were alive. Some wild animal killed seven of them while we were away, due to the failure of those who were supposed to take care and feed them according to my instructions.
So we can expect more trials and tests as we settle into the coming winter months, with shorter days and inclement weather in various parts of the country.
Trials and tests are part and parcel for those who are seeking to obey God, and we only need to read what Paul, an apostle of Christ, went through. He outlined and summarized his experience in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, which included beatings and being stoned, as well as the added stress of care for the brethren and church congregations.
In spite of all this, he never took his eyes off the reward and his crown which he would receive from Christ at His coming and at the end of the race. This is such an encouragement and example for us. As he endured and remained faithful to the end, so can we, since it is unlikely that we will have to experience all the trials that he went through.
There will be several long months until the Spring Holy Days, so let us ensure we stay close to God by not neglecting our responsibilities in our efforts to further the Work of preaching the Gospel to the world as a witness and never taking our eyes off the great reward that lies ahead.
A look at those who overcame and the great rewards for achieving that goal.
We are looking at the aspects and requirements to rule under Christ in the millennium.
