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Pastor David Mitchell
Turn with me to Galatians chapter 3 This morning and then you can put another hand over in Leviticus chapter 23. I Sometimes seem to me that time Is going faster than it was when I was younger. Does it ever seem that way to you?
Could it be true? I Think it may be. I Have read some scientists who have said that since the universe is expanding time is going faster. So sure seems to be true, but I can't believe that it's been 50 days Since Pentecost were we right about that?
I Mean since Passover which brings us to the Feast of Pentecost and I told you last Sunday we were gonna Talk about the feast as they come and at that time I hadn't realized that much time had gone by but it is the time for the Feast of the Pat Pentecost, which is also called the Feast of Weeks so I'm going to talk about that this morning and In keeping with what I said, I would do however, I With it is When you try to preach through it.
Unless a person is here for every single session They might come in in the middle and not really understand exactly where we're going with it, which could create a problem and so what I'm probably gonna do is put this thing together in a booklet for you and put it out on a table at some future event and You can get it and read through Where the Lord's taken me in this study I was going to I had a sermon prepared for today, which was going to be kind of a Conclusion to the study as far as the preaching of it except for I do want to teach through the faith feast as we come to them because It dealt with some of the New Testament principles of the Apostle Paul with regard to the law with respect to the New Testament and I'm not gonna be able to get into that today because we just don't have enough time because I do want to talk about the Feast of Weeks, so I will preach that message next Sunday.
I didn't plan to do it today, but I'm gonna do that next Sunday, and I think it will tie some things together for you we'll get into some of the things this morning that that are in that message, but what I've found is this is a very complex issue and We don't spend a lot of time in the New Testament Church nowadays Talking about the Old Testament talking about the law and how it relates to our life.
And so a lot of times we're not really sure how it relates or if it relates or if it does in what way and So to me, it's a very important study I just sometimes have to remember that I like to really get into the detail of things and sometimes you know might take two years to preach through the study that I'm doing so I'm gonna stop it and The next Sunday will be the last message on it for a while.
But for those of you who may have missed a few sessions or something I am gonna put it in print and make it available to you because to me It's a fascinating study and it certainly can help our families.
I Guess it must have been. Are we right on the 50 days? Has it been 50 days exactly? Okay Time flies. But I guess 50 days ago Russ and his family invited us to come to their home to keep the Passover and I have you know been around dr. Freeman for 22 years and I've seen him do the Passover at other churches and so forth, but it's been a long long time and When we kept the Passover feast with That dear family It really was an event that changed my life.
It was an event that I could never be the same again after it because it's so vividly pictured. What Jesus Christ has done for us? And that's what the feasts are all about their types their pictures their shadows.
Pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ through just laced through and through these feasts the Old Testament Saints Time and time again throughout the year had to look at the Messiah. They had to look at pictures of him.
Of course we can see these pictures more clearly than they could with hindsight being on this side of the cross and Really? They're more beautiful to us than they ever could have been to them because we know Exactly what they were picturing and I believe the more we study them the more we will see Jesus in them.
And I have Come to this knowledge Over the past years in my life and studying the scriptures. That the Old Testament is what gives the details and the color to the truths in the New Testament. The truths in the New Testament are what we are all about and what we're supposed to live.
But if you want to see the details and the colors and the All of the fullness of these doctrines you go to the Old Testament and you find the type and you read about it and you'll see it in vivid color.
So this morning, I want to talk to you a little bit about the Feast of Pentecost that happens 50 days after the Passover. Before we get into the actual passage. I want you to go to Galatians chapter 3 in verse 13 and Really?
The title of this message is the spirit of promise. God has taught me Tremendous things in this study and there's no way that I can ever. You just don't have the time to really go through it here. That's why maybe it takes a book I don't know.
But you just don't have the time and you don't know which part to go through because so much of it is good. But one awesome thing that I have seen and it's been made extremely vivid to me is What the phrase the spirit of promise means?
Because we deal a lot when we go back and we look at the feasts and we go back and we look at the law we have to look at the promise we have to look at the covenants and we have to look at the promise and I Had never really understood the fullness of the phrase the spirit of promise and I think maybe we'll see that this morning.
So let's look at Galatians 3 and 13 Christ Hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Being made a curse for us. For it is written Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Now what I hope really next Sunday.
The message is going to kind of pull this whole thing together for you. But I hope that we can do a little bit of that today. And as we see some of these introductory passages I hope some of this will start to pull together in your minds as far as how the feasts and Even how the Old Testament relates to us.
So it says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law Being made a curse for us now verse 14 says that the blessing so so the purpose of Christ being made a curse for us was so that the blessing of Abraham Might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ.
That we might receive the promise of the Spirit Through faith and I want you to focus on the phrase the promise of the Spirit. We're gonna see that in another verse here in a minute through faith, so at least part of the reason.
Or of what we find in the Old Testament material Dealing with the feast even dealing with the law and certainly dealing with the promise the Abrahamic Covenant and Abrahamic promise is that we see that the Gentiles come into play here.
Now I feel that the Old Testament prophets Had to have had a hard time grasping that because certainly the Jewish believers in the early church and before very many Gentiles were saved they had a hard time believing Gentiles would even get saved and Part of the reason for the gift of languages was that it showed to the Jew.
It was a sign gift and Paul said only the Jews need a sign. The Gentiles like knowledge the Jews need a sign. It showed the Jew that the Gentile had the Holy Spirit of promise. Just like they did it showed them that this promise of to Abraham was also to Abraham's seed.
And it's pointed out in the New Testament that it did not say seeds it said seed and it says that seed is Christ and So the promise was to Abraham and to Christ and what's so fascinating about it is through the Holy Spirit of promise Who baptizes us into the body of Christ then the Gentile becomes a partaker in that promise and in the covenant?
Now there's no other way it could have happened because if you think about it the covenants weren't made for the Gentiles and. And yet the promise was because it says Abraham would not only be a father of a large nation.
But he said he would be a blessing to many nations. You remember that in the scripture and It's through Jesus Christ, but it's specifically by the operation of God whereby at the moment of your salvation the Holy Spirit baptizes you replaces you into the body of Christ and The promise was to Christ.
He is the seed and if you're in Christ, then that promise Benefits you and me. So I want us to think about the role that the Holy Spirit plays In the promise as it relates to the Gentiles. Now, let's go on here.
It says in verse 14 that the so that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. You see there's no other way it could have come upon us. But it did because of our Relationship with Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith brethren.
I speak after the manner of men though it be but a man's covenant yet if it be conferred no man dis annulleth or addeth therein to. Now to Abraham and his seed where the promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ.
And This I say that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the law Which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannul in other words The scripture is saying that the law of Moses cannot annul.
Or take away the promise that was given four hundred and thirty years before that. That it should make the promise of none effect. So the law does not do away with this promise and this promise preceded came before the law.
For if the inheritance of Be of the law now notice it uses the word now inheritance if the inheritance be of the law. It is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by Promise. Now look at verse 22.
For the scripture hath concluded all under sin. That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe so. You can look around and you can see who this promise is for is for anyone who's a believer.
But before faith came we were kept under the law that being the Jews. And a few proselyte Christians Christians See their Gentiles. It's synonymous. But before faith came we were kept under the law. Shut up unto faith.
Which should afterwards be revealed. Now this begins to teach us what the law was about and what its purpose was. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster. The law was like a teacher to the Jew to bring us unto Christ.
Now it's not only a teacher to the Jew. It's meant to be a teacher to us as well. You remember many times throughout this study? We've talked about a couple of different passages that say that everything that happened a four time Was for in samples or as an in sample to those of us who live in the last day.
So we also have the law as a schoolmaster. But look what it says to bring us unto Christ. That is the purpose. That we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
So let me relieve any of you who may have thought I was headed towards bringing us under the law. That's not at all where we go if you've known me for a while you know that I've never wanted been one at least not since our early experiences under our founding pastor.
To believe that legalism was the route to go. I Have come to learn maybe through those things that seem to be so bad at the time. That what a pastor should do is trust the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of the people and in his own life.
I Don't have to tell you how to dress and don't have to tell you what music to listen to and not listen to. I don't have to tell you any of those things because what happens is if you have a relationship with God.
The Holy Spirit works in your life if you're in the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will move you into the place where he wants you to be and So legalism never did work. It didn't work in the Old Testament times.
It could not work. It was a thing that showed very clearly The nature of man and the inability of man in the flesh to do things in order to please God. Because it was a failure when it came to Trying to please God through keeping the law.
Now. Why do you think God brought in the sacrificial system? Brother Otis if you'll turn that off. Click it where it goes off and wait five minutes and then click it back on it'll work. It is getting a little warm, isn't it?
Just click it to the right where it goes off and wait about five minutes and then Turn it on real slow and the lights will dim and that'll tell you it's working. Okay for I hope it does work it's getting a little warm up here.
All right the the sacrificial system. Which of course was a major part of the whole system. Or as some of the scholars call it the Old Testament economy versus the New Testament economy the sacrificial system was there because it was impossible for them to keep the law perfectly and So they had the sacrifice and they had the blood which of course we know pointed forward to The coming Messiah and his death on the cross.
They knew that in a shadow. They knew about the Messiah, but they didn't see it nearly so clearly as we do. But they knew that that blood was important now if if the Jew of the Old Testament was God's child.
If he had the circumcision of the heart so to speak then he realized that he was falling short and He depended on the sacrificial system to be an atonement which the word means a covering. It's the same word that's used for the word tar.
That was placed on the bottom and all over the ark that kept the water out kept the judgment away from God's people. So they depended on the atoning blood. Now we know that that blood did not take away their sins.
It's well, I've heard brother Otis say it pushed him forward again another year. I like that phrase, but it covered them until the time that the Lord would come and die for the sins of his people and.
So we see all these things, but we see that the law was a schoolmaster. That would bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith now look at verse 25. But after that faith has come we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
So we in the New Testament time are not under the law like they were. We are not under the letter of the law. We don't have to keep the letter of the law and we certainly don't use it to please God or climb Stairway to heaven or any other such thing?
The law is there for us today as an end sample and as a shadow. It is a shadow of what Jesus Christ has done and has finished for us and of things. He will yet do. In fact, it's interesting to look at the feast, but at least half of them point to things that haven't even happened yet and That's one of the things that makes me wonder at how Satan has been able to remove the feast.
Or the proper keeping the biblical keeping of the feast from the Jew from the Jewish people in the world today. But also he's totally removed it from the church. We don't hardly ever talk about it. You can't find that many books written about it.
Really. I found a couple of good ones and It's for the most part removed. So you don't have the schoolmaster not that you're supposed to be under it, but you can't even look at it and I don't know that that was the The right interpretation of what we're supposed to do with the Old Testament, but now look at verse 26.
For you're all the children of God. By faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. That is neither there is neither Jew nor Greek neither Jew nor Gentile.
There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female. For ye are all one in Christ Jesus and if you be Christ Then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise? So we see that the only way we as Gentiles and predominantly were Gentiles this morning.
Probably about 140th of us are Jews but The only way we as Gentiles Come in and take part of this beautiful promise is by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And that's why the Holy Spirit I believe is called the spirit of promise one reason.
Another reason is he was promised by Jesus to come and be the comforter but I think that heavier meaning is that he baptizes us into the body of Christ and Because we are in Christ and because the promise was made to Christ.
Then the promise applies to us even as Gentiles now what's fascinating about this to me in verse 28. It very clearly teaches that in the New Testament economy. The Gentile no longer comes to God by going through the Jewish nation.
In the Old Testament time the only way anybody in this world can come to God and we studied it in Sunday school this morning in Jonah. The men that were on that ship. What did they do? When all of a sudden they began to fear God what did it say?
They did immediately after they threw him overboard was the next thing they did somebody from Sunday school. Tell me. They did the sacrifices where they learn how to do that. Well, they were Jews in a lot of places.
And the only way that those men we did we kind of discussed whether or not those men were saved. We Kind of leaned toward thinking that they were I believe in Sunday school, but the only way that they could come in was to become proselyte Jews and Come in through the Jewish religion.
And when I say the word Jew, let me tell you what I'm using it to mean. I'm using it in the sense that it's mostly used in the New Testament. It just means the Hebrew people. It's in the larger sense of the word and that was the way they came in.
Now when we come on this side of the cross. What's interesting about it is that now the Bible teaches us there is neither Jew nor Greek neither Jew nor Gentile. But that is in Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile.
What that means is you no longer have a situation where you can line it up in a linear fashion where you have heaven here you have the Jewish religion here the true Jewish religion here and you have the Gentile here and he comes in through that to Come on board.
What we have now is you have the Jew here and the Gentile here and you have this thing called the church. Which is the body of Christ and I'm not talking about the local church I'm talking about the the body of Christ, which is the church and both come in that way and Because the reason is because the promise was made to Jesus Christ.
And so if you be Christ Then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise now look over at Ephesians chapter 1 in verse 9. Now what that tells us though is that you don't come in by the law you come in by grace through faith and As you are baptized into the body of Jesus Christ at the moment of your salvation.
Then you are a partaker in the promise of Abraham at that at that point It is interesting to study Abraham and to realize that he was not a Jew. He was an Assyrian and he was not even circumcised at the time at the point when the promise was made and so It's just so very clear that this was intended for the Jew and the Gentile and that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of it.
And the Holy Spirit is the operation behind it that makes it happen. Now in Ephesians chapter 1 in verse 9. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will According to his good pleasure Which he hath purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.
Both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him in whom also we have obtained an inheritance. Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
That we should be to the praise of his glory. Who first trusted in Christ. Now look at this in whom. Also, you trusted. After that you heard the word of truth, which is the gospel of your salvation in whom also After that you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
Isn't that a beautiful name? Holy Spirit of promise we might call it a title and Now notice these after that's in that phrase. That's only written so that we can kind of comprehend it. The fact is it happened in the same instant.
Have you ever seen brother Otis's illustration of pushing the point of a pen through a piece of paper? And he'll ask you what got there first the hole or the tip of that pin. Think about it. It's hard to determine that.
But it's interesting that these things in verse 13 and verse 14 happen at the same moment. But What happens is you are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise? Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession and to the praise of his glory.
One other verse in the New Testament once you look at Colossians chapter 2. Now remember the law was a schoolmaster to teach us To come to Christ and in Christ we are partakers of the promise. Now Colossians 2 starting with verse 9.
For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in him. Now notice that phrase that's very important because I don't want to mislead you. I mean I'm gonna take you work to where I think the Lord what the Lord has taught me about these feasts and how they Should apply to us, but I don't want you to think I'm taking you somewhere that I'm not.
Notice that this says very clearly and you are complete in him. You don't need the Old Testament law to make you complete. I was reading a A book written by a Jewish believer this week and I remember one of the phrases that he said he said that Christianity is not Built on the law of the Jews.
Now you have to be careful with that phrase because there's a way in which that's not true and there's a way in which it is true. Obviously all of the oracles of God and all of the law and the promises were made To the Jewish nation and in the Abrahamic promise was made also to the Gentile if he is in Christ and So in that sense it is built upon it.
But in the sense that this author was referring to it He meant we are complete in Christ and we do not have to come in as the Judaizers in the first century of the church there were many if the Bible even speaks of Pharisees who who were saved and were born again and wanted to bring the people back into the law.
What did Paul feel about that? Did he like that it says he contended earnestly with them and so you don't have to take what we have and Come back and build it and bring in the law and put that with it and build on top of it in order to Be right with God and that's exactly what it means in verse 10 when it says you're complete in him if you're in Christ if you're born again, and you are in Christ, then he was the fulfillment of the law and The Holy Spirit of promise who lives in your heart is the only way you will ever Keep the law.
You could not do it through the Old Testament economy. You had to continually offer the sacrifice to atone and cover for lack of ability to keep it and yet in our time with the Holy Spirit in our hearts and The Lord Jesus having already been to the cross and presented that precious blood in the heavenlies at the true altar and the true Place of God.
We can now serve him that which the Old Testament could not do the New Testament can and You're complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands this Circumcision pictures the breadth of the law.
It was the sign in the Jewish religion just as bad bad water baptism is in in the New Testament times. It was the sign that you were partaking in the things of the law. And yet the Bible teaches us that if you're in Christ, you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and Putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ if you are in Christ this morning.
Do you realize that you were also crucified in him almost 2 ,000 years ago? And when you were crucified in him, the old man died. He was nailed to the cross and When he came out of that grave you came out with him and you're quickened and risen.
And do you know that a man that his dead has been killed? It's not tempted by anything. He's laying there on the ground. Just looking up. That reminds me of this story. Charlotte's looking down. She's praying will tell a bad story here.
That reminds me the story of mr. Russell man. It works for me on the lease out in Big Lake one time. He went to the barber and there's a bunch of men in there and this one man. It was kind of a know-it-all came in.
He said I'm looking to buy a horse. Any have you got a horse for sale? Well on the way to the barbershop that morning. Mr. Russell had seen a dead horse over there underneath the bridge and So he got in his mind.
I'll sell him that dead horse. So I said, yeah, I've got I've got a horse for you. And he said well listen, he started asking him all these questions. He said well, is he gentle and he said man, he won't flinch.
He won't move a muscle. He said your kids can just pat him all over the body and he won't move. He said well good. Well, he said well, is he big enough? He said it's biggest horse. I've ever seen bloated up, you know.
And he went through this line of questioning and every question. Mr. Russell had the exact answer and it fit perfectly. He finally said will you go with me to get the horse? He said I won't need to he'll be right there under that bridge and he won't move.
You can go get him by yourself and the guy wrote him a check and he sold him a dead horse. And he's still known for that all over that part of West, Texas. But you take something that's dead. It can't be tempted.
It can't break the law in fact, there are places in the scripture where it says when you die you die to the law. If you're married and the law says that you're married to a husband and that husband dies.
Then you are dead to that husband and to the law of that husband and you're free to marry another one now. That is a picture of the New Testament and the Old Testament so. In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and putting off the body the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptism.
Do you see how? As the scholars call it the economy has changed what they mean by that is it's just a different system. It's not that you're saved in a different way because nobody's ever been saved without the blood of Jesus.
But before the cross things had to be different because sins were not removed. They were just covered over. Until Jesus would come and after the cross when you get born again, those sins are removed. Now in the Old Testament if a saint died, where did he go?
Abraham's bosom or paradise. Why didn't he go straight into the presence of God in the third heaven? The blood hadn't been applied. But now when a saint today dies, where does he go? He goes straight to be with the Lord.
You see there are things that are different. That's why we call these dispensations. And so what has happened now in Christ. You have died to the flesh. You have died to the law. You have died to the world and you've died to Satan in Christ.
That's why if you walk filled with the Holy Spirit if you can ever read enough scripture to figure out what that means and to Do it on a moment-by-moment basis tomorrow. You will be keeping the law perfectly To the letter and You cannot sin if you're filled with the Holy Spirit.
Why he's the spirit of promise. We've been buried with him in bad tip that baptism. We're in also you are risen With him through the faith of the operation of God who has raised him from the dead. Do you realize that the same power that brought Jesus out of that grave operates in your body today in your life today?
I'm gonna say in your body. That's not accurate in your life that same resurrection power works in you and It is that power that causes you To walk before the Lord in a pleasing way. It is God working in us both the will and to do his goodwill in Verse 13 says and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh.
Hath he quickened brought alive together with him that means when Jesus came out of that grave. That's when you were actually quickened. Now that'll play with your mind a little bit. But in time that happened over there in the passage in Ephesians.
We read earlier when it said when you heard the gospel. You were saved. When you were saved you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise in time. That's when it happened. But in reality in God's mind it happened on the cross in Christ and when he came out of that grave.
Then he was quickened and we were quickened in him and you being dead in your sins and uncircumcision. Your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses. Look at verse 14 blotting out the handwriting of ordinances.
Now there's no preacher that believes this that could take a church into the law folks. It don't it don't work that way. Because when we died We died to the law. When we were resurrected We were in Christ and we are keeping the law as long as we're filled with the Holy Spirit.
And not only that but his death on the cross blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us. Why does it say it was against us? Yes, what else he said it demanded death? If you break it and it shows our guilt continually because we couldn't keep it.
Oh. What's another reason it was against our what? The nature of our flesh. And that's why salvation is so awesome. Because in that one instant when you're born again. You were then placed in Christ and in reality since God is a God who is outside of time you were in Christ when he was on the cross and you died to the law to the flesh to the world even to Satan and When you make that spiritual connection by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
You're in the best place that there can be you are in the heavenlies. You are literally seated in the heavenlies and none of that can touch you not even the law because it's blotted out. The ordinance were blotted out that were against us which were contrary to us and took it out of the way.
Nailing it to his cross. Having spoiled principalities and powers here. It shows that we've we've died to Satan himself and Made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it. If that's true, how can he affect you?
I've heard preachers say that Christians born-again Christians cannot be influenced by demons at all. Do you think they're right? They're not right. But if you have died to them, how can they affect you because you let them simple best answer.
You get in the flesh. You walk in the power and that's a misuse the word of the old man and you open the door. But if you're walking in Christ filled with the Holy Spirit. Can they mess with you? Why.
Because not only is the law been nailed to the cross, but he also spoiled the principalities and powers. He made a show of them openly Triumphing over them in his death and they thought that they had won the victory when they saw him nailed to that cross didn't they?
Let no man therefore judge you and meet now. What is the therefore referred to? Everything we've read the fact that we are complete in Christ. The fact that in Christ we died to the law to the flesh to the world and the fact that in Christ we are risen.
We are complete in him because of that therefore don't let any man judge you and meet or drink or in respect of a holiday or Of the new moon or of the Sabbath now the word days is in italics. It's not in the Greek language.
It just means of the Sabbath. Don't ever let anybody judge you if you don't keep the Sabbath. Because we're not under the law. Now that's exactly what this is teaching and then it goes on and says in verse 17 that these Sabbath days in these holidays.
Which we could call the feats the feasts and so forth. Verse 17 says they are a shadow of things to come but the body is Christ now. That's gone a little bit more. But I want you to remember this idea of a shadow of things to come and let me ask you this question before we go.
No, do you think that the scripture is teaching us that the shadow is no longer important or that the schoolmaster is no longer important. Is it teaching us that we should be only a New Testament Church and never study the Old Testament?
No. Because all of the color is there. If you want to read this little passage now, we've read this little passage and it tells us this in a nutshell. It says when you believed you were baptized into the body of Christ and when he died you died in him when he was buried.
You were buried in him when he was risen. You were risen in him and that's beautiful, isn't it? But how would you like to get into the detail of how that worked? How would you like to see more of what Christ did for you during those three days?
How would you like to see what happened when he came out of that grave when he went to the heavenlies and put the blood? On the mercy seat in heaven. You can't see that unless you go to the Old Testament.
You will not see the colors. So it's not telling us to put it away and never have anything to do with this and it's not really telling us not to Keep the feast. It's just saying you don't have to be bound by it.
You're not under it. If you do keep it you do it to the Lord if you don't then you don't do it to the Lord and you never judge The man that does it nor do you judge the man that doesn't do it? Now that can be a bit of a problem because in our Christian churches, we love to Be legalistic not so much in this church, but you know that that's the case.
And so what happens the weaker Christian he'll find some new thing he can go do. And he'll try to make everybody else think they're carnal because they don't do that thing. Now you have to guard against that and so if it's not of the heart if it's not unto the Lord.
It's not real. Anyway, now look what it says in verse 16 Let no man therefore judge you and all these things don't let them judge you about the Sabbath Verse 17 which are a shadow of things to come. Let no man beguile you of your reward and a voluntary humility or worshiping of angels.
Intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puffed up fleshly mind and not holding the head that's Jesus Christ and so forth and So verse 20 wherefore if you're a dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world.
Why as though living in the world are you subject to ordinances? Don't touch this. How many Baptist churches have you seen like especially independent churches if you seem like they don't touch this. Don't taste that don't handle that don't wear that don't listen to that.
Why are we bound by these beggarly elements and included in this, you know are the things such as Paul's making a specific reference To the Old Testament law, but what he's saying is he's not saying it's bad.
What he's saying is you're not bound by it. He's saying you are above it. You are seated in the heavenlies. You are in Christ seated in the heavenlies far above the law. It was given to Moses. You don't have to be bound by it.
You know what if you're spirit-filled. You're gonna keep it and you don't even know what it is necessarily now you ought to be studying. But you're gonna keep what God wants you to do and he says which all perish with the using after the commandment and doctrines of men which things have indeed a show of wisdom and will worship and humility and neglecting of the body not in any Honor to the satisfying of the flesh if you then be risen in Christ seek those things which are above which Christ sitteth on the right hand of God and he says this in the exact context of context of a reference to Worrying about keeping all the details of the law.
He tells us we're risen above it. If you're risen in Christ seek the things which are above not the things of the below and the law is a thing of this world. It's a physical thing that was given. He says we're above that now where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
He says set your affection on things above not on the things that are of the earth for you are dead. You have died to the flesh to the world to the law. Even to the principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places.
You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. Why is the therefore there because if you're dead.
Then reckon it to be so if your old man is dead then don't let him tell you what to do every day. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication and cleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and Covetousness, which is idolatry and so forth.
Why not one to another? Have put on the new man, which is renewed and knowledge after the image of him that created him. Christ is all in all and it goes on down through. What a beautiful passage. But there is nothing that God gives us as the New Testament saint baptized into the body of Christ spiritually at one with the Holy Spirit.
There is nothing that he gives us by way of things that we can add to that to make us more pleasing to God. Does that make sense? You cannot add to that because you've gone above it all and you're seated in the heavenlies in Christ.
You can't add to that. You are complete in him and if you choose to go into the Old Testament and Partake of a feast such as we did some 50 days ago. You are not doing it with the purpose of Making yourself to be more pleasing to God.
Because you cannot be more pleasing to God than Christ and you're in Christ the only purpose behind it would be as a memorial to cause you to think about the Lord Jesus Christ who has done that for you and There is nothing wrong with that.
In fact, it's quite spiritually healthy, but it doesn't make you more spiritual. Doesn't make you more pleasing to God. It might make you more thankful though. Now, let me take a moment and talk about this feast that is happening right now.
And I think Pat I wonder if she's still in Israel. They left Monday. So I guess they're still there. So they're they're probably involved in this over there, aren't they? That would be beautiful. Turn to Leviticus chapter 23.
Well that air conditioner keeps kicking off somehow. But we got fire ants in it. Leviticus 23 look at verse 11. Let's start with verse 9. If you'll just kick it off. Is it on auto or run? Good leave leave it on auto.
You just have to kick it off from wait five minutes and try it again. It'll run for a while. I don't know what why it's doing that today. As we look at verse 9 we go back 50 days. To the time of the Passover and if you remember you have the Passover feast.
But during that time you really have three feasts and they kind of happen together. You have the feast of unleavened bread, which we've talked about leaven pictures the sin and. Then you have This feast that we're about to read about coming down especially into verse 11.
Remember that this part happened 50 days ago. All right, so I want you to keep the sequence of it in mind. So this happens at the time of the Passover and then we'll get into the verses that are happening at this time.
So start with verse 9 and the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speaking to the children of Israel and saying to them when you be coming to the land Which I given to you and shall reap the harvest thereof.
Then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest. And this is called the feast of firstfruits. Now, let me ask you this. What does the land that he's going to take them into the promised land?
What is it? What is it a type of today for us? Right the abundant life I suppose we could say. And so he says when you get to that place then bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest now.
We don't have to. And he accomplished on the cross for us and then on The morrow after the first Sabbath after the Passover, let's say the Passover happens on a Wednesday. Then that next Saturday is the Sabbath and the morrow after the Sabbath is a Sunday.
It's what we call Sunday and That is when this next this feast takes place this feast of the firstfruits of your harvest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it and You shall offer.
Don't you think it's interesting that the Jew would do something on The day after the Sabbath, that's very unusual. They're so used to focusing on the Sabbath and God says why won't you do this the day after?
Well, if the Sabbath has always been on Saturday, then that would be our Sunday, wouldn't it? And so they wave this and he shall offer that day when you have when you wave the sheaf and He lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord.
Now, that's not a sin offering. That's a burnt offering and it's a picture of who who does that perfect lamb picture? Without a blemish. It pictures the Lord Jesus Christ and the meal offering. Thereof shall be two-tenths deals of fine flour mingled with oil.
Now. There's a lot of things pictured in this. How do you get? Flour or how do you take grain from the field and turn it into not just flour but fine flour? What would you have to do to it? You'd have to crush it and Grind it and crush it again.
Do you think that might be a picture of the suffering of Jesus Christ and then you mingle it with oil. What is that picture? The Holy Spirit and it's an offering made by fire. What does that mean? It's consumed.
Didn't Jesus give his all for us? Wasn't he totally and absolutely consumed? Was there anything left? Did he held back from us? The Passover when the lamb is slain remember it says don't let any of it be left in the morning burn it all.
Why he was totally consumed and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine. What do you suppose that pictures? That beautiful red wine. The blood and it can picture joy. In fact in this coming feast it will but it pictures the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And ye shall eat neither bread nor parched corn or green ears until the selfsame day that you have brought an offering unto your God. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations and all of your dwellings now that happens on the Sunday after the Passover.
Now we remember that the Lord Jesus Christ do we know what day he was crucified on. What was the day called it's called a Passover. He was crucified on the Passover day and. Then what happened on the morrow after the first Sabbath.
After the Passover after his crucifixion. He was quickened and where were you? You were in him and you were quickened as well. Now that's what that feast pictures. 50 days go by and God commands the following in verse 15.
And he shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath. From the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering now this pictures this sheaf of the wave offering the feast. We just looked at pictures the resurrection on the day after the Sabbath.
It pictures it so specifically and then you count from that day. Which would have been from the resurrection day? You count forward and From that day that you brought the sheep of the wave offering seven Sabbath shall be complete.
Now that'll end up being 49 days or 50 days from the actual event. Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. Shall you number 50 days? To the Sabbath would be 49 in the morrow after now notice that we're talking about another feast.
It's about to take place on the morrow after the Sabbath. It's so unusual for the Jewish people to do anything on the day after the Sabbath, but that's what God made them do so now they're looking at the first day of the week and You shall offer a new meal offering unto the Lord.
You shall bring out of your habitations two Wave loaves of two tenths deals. They shall be made of fine flour and they shall bake be baked with leaven. Do you see anything unusual about that? What what did they spend an entire week doing on the week of the Passover at the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.
What did they do? They even sent the little children looking for one little Purposefully placed piece of leaven to find it so that child would learn to get it out. Get it out of your life. Get it out of your family.
Get it out of the church get it out from the nation get it away from here. It pictures sin and They were told during that week to eat nothing with leaven for that entire week and Now the sudden God commands them 50 days later to eat bread specifically baked with leaven in it.
What in the world is happening here? What is the Jew thinking brother Russ? He's got to be saying this picture sin and. And they are the first fruits unto the Lord and you shall offer with the bread seven lambs and it goes on and it talks About sacrifices that were also offered the priest in verse 20 shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits.
For a wave offering before the Lord with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest and you shall proclaim on the self same day that it may be a holy Convocation unto you that means a Sabbath of rest and it pictures the fact that we rest in Christ.
He shall do no servile work therein. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout all of your generations. Now we see that it's interesting to study in history that the the Feast of Weeks and and The day of Pentecost it is believed by ancient rabbi scholars who carefully calculated the time they reckoned it to be the birthday of the law of Moses and They studied this some of the ancient rabbis and they calculated mathematically the day and it went back to the fact that The law was given to Moses on the day of Pentecost.
So it is the birthday of the law. Now we see with the two wave loaves. Have any of you thought about what those loaves might picture? Now they have leaven in them which pictures sin and there are two of them and it's kind of interesting because Year after year The Jews would keep this feast and they would do these things and they were looking at a type Or a picture of something and they kind of knew what it was.
I'm going to show you that in a moment, which is fascinating to me. But what about the two wave loaves find fine flour ground of new wheat. Baked with leaven though. Why? There's no other place in the Bible where they added leaven to anything that they were doing.
Well, it's obviously symbolic of sin. And in just a moment, we're gonna see why there were two loaves. 1 ,500 years passed. Since God commanded his people to observe the Feast of Weeks. Prophets came and went all telling of the coming Messiah some telling of impending judgment of the nation.
God's people came in and came out of slavery. And all of this time passed and all of a sudden we come up to the time of the life of Jesus Christ. And I'd like you to turn to Acts chapter 1. Jesus came into the world the Christ the Messiah.
Before he ascended into heaven. He commanded his disciples to wait until they would be endued With the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 1 in verse 3. To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days.
And Speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God the word them is important because only God's people saw Jesus. Kind of the way it is today, isn't it? And being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.
Which he saith he ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Not many days hence he told them not to go anywhere but to tarry right there until the time of Pentecost and They obeyed him.
When they therefore were come together now you have to realize that when they had the Last Supper. Which is what pictures or brings us the Lord's Supper today the Last Supper was Jesus keeping a particular feast with his disciples.
What feast was it the Passover and then He died and Then three days and nights went by. And then on the morrow after the Sabbath He was resurrected and now he tells his disciples wait 49 days. He didn't give him the time period.
I don't think but he told him to wait and that's what it turned out to be. And therefore we are come together. They asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?
And he said unto them it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and into the uttermost part of the earth.
And When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked Steadfastly towards heaven. He went up behold two men Stood by them in white apparel and he said you men of Galilee.
Why stand you gazing with your mouths open? Don't you realize that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven will come in like manner as you have seen him Go into heaven. Then return day unto Jerusalem.
From the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days journey. And when they were come in they went up into an upper room they obeyed the Lord and they stayed there Till the 50th day came after the Passover in verse 14 It says these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication With the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren.
They waited until the 50th day after after his resurrection. And at the same time the Jews of that day were waiting the same 50 days until Pentecost would come. In Acts chapter 2 verse 1 It says. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come and you have to understand that this city was filled with Jews from all over the world speaking all different kinds of languages from whatever country they came and Even Gentiles who were proselytes had come.
I believe the Ethiopian eunuch was one of those and When the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place they had obeyed the Lord Jesus when he told him to wait and Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven languages like as of fire and it sat upon each of them. The fire was actually there. It looked like little tongues going like this. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance or as the Spirit gave them ability to do so and they were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every nation Under heaven.
And in verse 41 in Acts chapter 2 says. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day. They were added to them 3 ,000 souls. That was quite a sermon, wasn't it? Do you think the power of the Holy Spirit was on the disciples and the Apostles that day when they preached and They continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.
That's how you can tell when the Holy Spirit did a salvation. As opposed to some soul winning technique. Any of you had the experience where you led them to the Lord went back and wouldn't even let you in the house.
Never got baptized. Didn't you want to see your face, but you got him to pray that prayer. But you know there are times when you witness and the Holy Spirit comes in and Changes that life so the church Made up of 3 ,000 Jews and perhaps a few Gentile proselytes was born on The same day that the law was born on the day of Pentecost.
We now see that the two wave law loaves Which both had leaven represented the Jewish believer and the Gentile believer Baptized into the body of Christ, which is the church. And it does contain leaven as we look about us.
We know that. But this reminds us that we are not to look at the church for our perfection. We are to look at the perfect Son of God in whom there is no sin. Three thousand Jewish believers and a few Gentiles were the first fruits of the church purchased by the blood of the Lamb and the last thing about this Feast of Pentecost that the Jews do even till today is very interesting.
They always read from the book of Ruth. Now if you remember the book of Ruth It's interesting for several reasons. First of all, the setting is good for this time of year. It's the rustic setting and Bethlehem at the harvest time.
Ruth the Moabitess Was a Gentile woman who came to know and love God through Naomi the Jewess and They look the Jews even till today look to the day when the Jew and the Gentile shall worship God together.
It's not interesting. It's as if they understood what these two wave loaves were. They look to a time when the Jew and the Gentile shall worship together through the kinsman Redeemer Jesus Christ Who is typified by Boaz the friend and husband of Ruth his Gentile bride.
Do we see any pictures there? Isn't that amazing and they read this story at the feast of Pentecost every year. Ruth chapter 1 Verse 15 and she said behold thy sister-in-law has gone back into her people and unto her gods.
Returned out after thy sister-in-law. But Ruth said and treat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee for whither thou goest I will go and where their largest I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God.
Where thou diest will I die. And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee from me. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her then she left speaking unto her and Ruth the Gentile woman of Moab Came to be the ancestral line of David and of Jesus Christ the Messiah according to Matthew chapter 1 verses 1 through 16.
Isn't that interesting story? The wave loaves picture the Jew and the Gentile being baptized into the church the body of Christ. Promise of Abraham is fulfilled in Christ. We see that the line of the Messiah has some Gentile blood in there.
Did you know that? Did you know that Ruth was a Gentile and we see that God's plan is bigger than the Jew thinks it is as he looks at the law and it's bigger than the Gentile Christian thinks it is as he looks down upon.
Anything that would have to do with the Old Testament or that the Jew would think would be interesting or important. There's a major problem the Apostle Paul dealt with and the Apostles and the elders of the early church.
How do we keep peace in a church? That's got Gentile loaves and Jew loaves all put together in one body. How do we keep peace. And they gave some instruction and that's what we'll talk about next Sunday.
But the beautiful pictures of this feast every feast all eight of them Are seven not counting the Sabbath. They show beautiful pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ and some of the ones to come talk about future events and They all call our minds and hearts to the Lord and what he's done for us and show us the details.
The vivid picture of how much he loved us when he went to that cross. Let's stand and have prayer together. Dear father. We thank you for the scriptures. We thank you that you've taught us very clearly that the things of the Old Testament are given to us as in samples.
For us who live in the last days. Types and Lord, we thank you that they are pictures that give us the detail Of all that you've done for us in Christ. Father help us to contemplate this week as we go about our lives the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was the first fruit and the sheep offering and the fact that 50 days later Pentecost pictures the baptism of believers into the body of Christ both Jew and Gentile and the power of The death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and our being placed into him.
The power that lifts us up to The heavenlies above the world the flesh the law in the place where we're in Christ. Father may you move us this week to be filled with your spirit. That we might be one with your spirit and truly fulfill the law in Christ and Lord as we have times the year come when these different feasts come about draw our minds to them and To your son Jesus until he comes back for us and we ask it in his name Amen.