Age-changing Festivals

Happy Sabbath, everyone! Great to be here with you. You know, some of us go back a ways. A long ways. I don't just mean 13, 15, 20 years. Some of us go back to, wow, when we were teens. And it's a wonderful thing, you know, being part of a family of believers, a family of those who God has called out, is a great, great blessing.

It is something that some embrace strongly, some embrace for various lighter reasons and may come and go. But we all have an individual choice. We all have choices to make. I'd like to talk to you today with a perspective of a little over 70 years in the church since I was born and raised in this church with some continuity. I'd like to give you a little bit of a viewpoint that I've seen not only in myself but in others. A viewpoint that sometimes is typical of human nature and carnal human nature.

Each of us may view salvation, Christianity, or calling through a little slightly different lens at times because there are aspects of it that appeal to us more, so we'll tend to focus on those a little bit more. Let me just say that the church has and still consistently teaches the gospel of the kingdom of God. It teaches that we are to repent of our selfish and our lawless deeds according to God's word, the Bible, and that we are to be forgiven of our sins through baptism.

We are to be led by God's Holy Spirit. And then the thing that God wants is the byproduct, of course, is developing God's nature, holy righteous character, that who we are coupled with God and Jesus Christ as part of their family mindset. Their goal, of course, is to elevate us into that spiritual family. So those things don't change, but still within all of that, sometimes our minds will say, I like this part the best. This is where I focus.

And one big part of that through the years has been our focus on the future, the proclamation of the gospel. You know what the gospel is? It's the coming world tomorrow, the coming kingdom of God, the coming return of Jesus Christ. There are elements there that are wonderful. We say, I'm all about the wonderful world tomorrow. I can't wait for it to come. I pray for it to come. I tell others about it. I can't wait for God's kingdom to come.

Now that's a wonderful thing. It is a very pleasant element of the gospel, is the reign of God and all the blessings that come along with that. We had a, in our history, we had our sort of main title, radio, TV, publications, the world tomorrow. Your fabulous future, tomorrow's world, and the wonderful world tomorrow in the gospel of the coming kingdom of God. When you were baptized, you agreed to accept Jesus Christ as your soon-coming king. So we can have this futuristic view of our calling that, wow, we're just sort of waiting. We're waiting for the good stuff.

In fact, we even have our own feast, don't we? It's called the feast. Now there are seven festivals, and some of those are directly for us, but sometimes I find members can't even name all the feasts, the annual festivals of God, and they really, many of them can't tell you what the meanings are. That's okay. We don't celebrate them very often, just once a year, so that's understandable.

But still, there is the feast, and everybody's always talking about the feast. If somebody says the feast, well, you know what that is. That's the feast, and we all get all excited and focus on the wonderful world tomorrow. It's someday coming. It's out there, and we re-relish in it. We currently have our flagship publications beyond today. Now, again, if human nature begins to cherry-pick and live sort of in this future fantastical world compared to what the reality is of this particular day, this point in time where we exist right now, then we can develop kind of a dreamy state in our relationship with God that really focuses on something we are not called to do at this time, not called to be about.

Actually, the Feast of Tabernacles is about somebody else's time of conversion, isn't it? Somebody else's calling, somebody else's submission to the rule of God and obedience. We can ignore the first three festivals, not ignore them, but, you know, Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost. Let's get on to the feast, the feast. Forgetting, in a sense, the daily responsibility we have to live in those first three festivals, to be about those first three festivals. Those first three festivals is essentially where Jesus Christ was when He was on earth as the Passover, right?

And showing us how to walk that narrow, difficult path when Satan the Devil is persecuting you and everybody around is trying to buffet you and stay on that course and defeat the wiles of the Devil so that there is a resurrection. And He was the first of the first fruits. And we have the Festival of First Fruits. Those three feasts are about our calling, not just our calling, but also Jesus Christ fits Himself into those festivals, those three feasts. And He shows us the way.

And He's depending on us. And God the Father is depending on us to be doing our calling now so that those other festivals can take place. Those are great festivals, trumpets, atonements.

Those are big, age-changing transitions that roll into future ages of world tomorrow, second resurrection, ultimately, the divine kingdom of God, and New Jerusalem, etc. We preach the Gospel of the coming kingdom of God on earth, and we pray, Your kingdom will come. It's all about coming. Seek You first, the kingdom. Do we really focus on the things that we should? Let's go to Matthew 7, verse 21. It's not me that's bringing this up to you. It's Jesus Christ. I said, many of you are going to have this kind of cherry-picked focus, importance, and that's not going to work out well. So in Matthew 7, verse 21, Jesus makes this statement, and He does it out of love. It's a warning. He says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord. Now let's pause there a minute. If you look at the Greek meaning of the word translated Lord, it means supreme authority. So whether it's the King of England as Lord or the Lord Mayor, or your husband like Abraham's wife referred to him as her authority, you recognize authority, and not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, I mean, you're the guy, shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Did you see the shift right there? This isn't about tame animals in the world tomorrow anymore. This isn't about life on earth. This isn't about people enjoying life under God's realm. Notice the shift. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

Wow! You see, now He's speaking to our calling, our time. We are to transition from this physical life into and enter into a realm that is divine, that is a third or fifth or eighth or who knows how many dimensions, you know? It's a different dimension. It's a spirit world. And He said, not everyone who is calling me the Lord, the Christ, the head of the church, whatever, will enter into the kingdom of the heavenly realm, the spirit kingdom of God.

That's a totally different place than the wonderful world tomorrow.

Totally different people. Totally different dimension. And suddenly, He's got us where we need to be focused and saying, many, many in verse 22. The Greek word polos, which means many or most or much, will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not, notice the word, prophesied.

Have we not future casted? Have we not taught about some other time? You see? Have we not proclaimed the future and prophesied?

In your name cast out demons, done many wonders in your name. And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice iniquity, practice lawlessness.

They had cherry-picked things we can see right here, but the things they cherry-picked ignored the main commitment they were to have to obey God's laws, His commandments, very carefully observe His Sabbaths, His feasts, all of His statues, His principles, the mindset that He speaks of throughout this word. Somehow they had come up with something that was more narrow. We have a firstfruits calling and a work, and that is to prepare. To prepare, be prepared, to develop for serving in God's divine family with Jesus Christ, to help roll out the future according to God's prophecies, according to His will, according to His purpose. And He's depending on us. I don't know sometimes how much we realize how depending the Father is on having a bride for His Son. He said it will be there. How depending Jesus Christ is on us to be a wife who has made herself ready through submission, through fitting into her husband's will, doing the will of our Lord, of fitting into His plans, of serving, of developing His mindset, of following that path through Satan's age that we are in and coming out the other side. Victors, conquerors, is the term.

Conquerors over carnal human nature, over sin, over temptation, over Satan the devil, and the agents of Satan the devil. And we don't have time to work through all those elements of Scripture, but I'm sure they can come rolling out that there is this resistance and persecution towards those individuals who are striving to be sons and daughters of God in the in the divine sense at Christ's return. We have today, all right, forget that element of the message for a moment that is wonderful and it's about future generations. Yes, they will have their calling, they will have their time, but let's come back to today as we think about what's happening in our world, what's going to happen in what the Feast of Trumpets pictures and the Day of Atonement pictures, that we need to have fully experienced those things in our life before they happen to the world.

We must have fully experienced what happens in the millennium in our lifetime before it happens to the world and the second resurrection before it happens to the world and the resurrection before it happens to the world. This is our time today and it's a wonderful time. It's a great opportunity. It's called the better resurrection. It has better promises and it's something that God is depending on you and me to fulfill. In Ephesians the first chapter, we'll read verses 11 through 13 to begin with. I just want you to capture with me an essence here of God's intent for us and the special calling that we are to be focused on. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 11, talking about Jesus Christ, in him also we have obtained an inheritance. Do you know what that inheritance is? Remember? We will inherit all things. That's everything. There is nothing more than you can inherit than all things. So we're going to have an inheritance and we're obtaining this inheritance.

Why? Because God the Father gave it to him and he's giving it to the firstfruits. Jesus Christ is going to have a bride and he and she are one and she co-inherits everything with him.

Verse 13, in whom you also trusted. Jesus said, will he find faith on earth? Will he find trust on earth at his return? These are big, big challenges for those who are under the scrutiny of a world that is beginning to double down and beginning to say people who are of God are of hate speech and they need to be limited. They need to be cancelled. And of course, this just ramps up until you have the great beast power who comes along and starts killing people who do not think and act. Think with the forehead. Act with the right hand like that anti-Christ type of power will.

So we need to be working and developing these things after you heard the word of truth.

Notice the gospel of your salvation. There's an element of the gospel right now that is today. In fact, most of the gospel actually speaks of today to the hearers whenever they hear it.

The gospel, euangelon, if you look it up in Thayer's, means reward for good news.

It is a proclamation of repent, obey God, honor God, let God rule over you, and there's a reward for that. Now, if you don't obey that gospel, there's a different reward. So the term gospel actually carries with it a personal responsibility to the person who hears that message.

The Bible says in one place, if we are scarcely saved, what will happen to those who do not obey the gospel? They don't obey that message of, hey, God is the ruler, hear his laws, honor and obey him.

So we have this gospel of your salvation. It's not just the gospel for some future thing. We have a gospel for your salvation, in whom also, having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Dropping down to verse 18, Paul praying that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may also know what is the hope of his calling. The hope of God's calling for you is not tame animals in the world tomorrow and having your own pet lion. The hope of his calling. Do we understand what are the riches of the glory?

As Jesus said, the sons of God shine bright like the sun. In another place, they'll shine bright like the stars in heaven. Do we understand what the glory, talking about that glory that a God being has, that brilliance, the intellect, the abilities, the understanding?

What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints? And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us, us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power? Verse 20. Here's where we connect back with Jesus Christ again in his life, previously in his life and us now. Verse 20, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead. See, that's to happen to us as well. Be raised from the dead. And he seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. And Jesus said, if you conquer as I have conquered, you overcome is what that word, look it up, you'll find in the Greek, it means to conquer. If you conquer Satan, your nature, sin, temptation like I did, you will sit on my throne at my right hand as I have sit on my father's. In verse 21, far above all principality and power and might and dominion.

If we're sitting there on the throne with Jesus Christ, far above all these other things, that is so far above any inheritance than you and I might picture if we're just sort of dreaming about, oh, I hope Jesus returns so that, you know, I don't know, I'll have a better life or whatever.

No, going on, notice this, not only in this age, which we are called right now to be converting, but also in the age or that which is to come. So right there, you and I, unlike other generations of humans, are expected to live in Satan's current evil age, like Jesus Christ, we're to live in the heavenly kingdom of God in that age with Jesus Christ on his throne, and we are to serve in the next human age, the world tomorrow, and the age after that, after Satan is done away with, and the second resurrection, and the age after that in New Jerusalem, where the bride in New Jerusalem and God go on forever. So to limit ourselves and think of ourselves as something smaller than what God says we are to be and to become in Scripture could cause us to, I don't know, diminish the responsibility we have right now in preparation. And that's what I want to talk to you about today. The title of the sermon today is Age Changing Festivals. Age Changing Festivals. And it's sort of focusing on the need for the fulfillment of those festivals and the helpers for the fulfillment of those festivals. Now we're going to go through those feasts, the Day of Atonement, or Day of Trumpets, Feast of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement. You'll hear lots of the Scriptures and lots of the message about that. I want to sort of take a fly over here and say, before that time comes, will you and I be there? Will you and I have fulfilled our calling? It's not too late. Not for any one of us. But there is only today and the days that we have, as the Bible says, today while it is called today, that's all the time we have.

And it's vital that we don't get caught short or come up, as Jesus said, and have been busy on something else, you know, ten virgins, five of which were not developing that fruit that needed to be harvested. They didn't have the development. They didn't have the as the talents, you know, they hadn't developed that holy righteous character. We all start out, I would say, we all start out as goatish in our mindset, you know, we know everything, we butt things around, we don't care about anything. But we're supposed to be converting into lamb-like, you know, like Jesus Christ, doing God's will and submitting our will and loving others.

So in Romans chapter 8 and verse 16, we find that this challenge that we have is, well, it's a challenging one. But as I like to say, we all like challenges, right? I mean, even if you're doing crossword puzzles, doesn't that challenge you? Or if you like to climb mountains, or if you like to scuba dive, or you like to run distances, we like challenges, or if you like to cut out fabric and make an outfit, a garment, you know, that is challenging. Or repair something that's broken, that you've never repaired before. Or design something new, or create some sort of a presentation. We like challenges. So let's look at one here in Romans chapter 8 and verse 16.

16 through 18. Romans chapter 8 and verse 16. 16. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

And if children heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him. See how we're just joined right back to Jesus Christ again? We don't achieve the blessing, the goal, the reward of that eternal life where Jesus Christ sits without going through what he did. Now we don't have to go through all the terrible trauma that he did, if that's not required of us, but we still have to fight this good fight. We have to wrestle. We have to overcome. So it says here, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. Glorified, bright. Remember that bright, shiny body, that spirit, a composure. First John 3 verse, no, yeah, First John 3, first one I think it is. Let's go there. First John, but it's First John 5. I'm doubting myself now.

First John chapter three and verse one, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him.

There we are, stitched right back again. And now look what happens. Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not been revealed yet what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. It all pulls back into this firstfruits quest that we have. You can go to 1 Corinthians 15 and you can read how Christ is the first of the firstfruits, each one in his own order. First Jesus Christ is resurrected, then those who are his at his coming. This is so, so important for us, so important for God, so important for Jesus Christ. Now verse 18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. We can't see what a spirit being looks like. We can't see what God looks like, but you can glance there at God in Ezekiel the first chapter and other places. And you can see he's a pretty big, bright, powerful being whose thoughts are so high and his power, his creativity is so big. Now just imagine yourself a literal son of God. You know, grown-up sons are like fathers. They're like older brothers with all of that yourself. That's what the Bible presents to us. We will be like him we just read. So in verse 18, there's that glory and we have work to do. Okay? We have work to do. And it's good work. You know it is. We all find that whenever we dig down, drill down, and we really strive to obey God, especially the hard times, especially the ones where human nature would rather fight or do something real selfish or get back, and we do what Jesus did. And we say, no, I'm going to do it your way. The blessings just come rolling in.

Relationships get better. God begins to bless us with little miracles or big miracles, and things kick in, and your life is good. So it's not like this is a tough way of life. It's just Satan doesn't like it. That's the only one that doesn't like it.

In Revelation chapter 3 and verse 21, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 21, it says, to him who overcomes.

Let's pause on this word again. It would be a good message if you want to look up where overcome is in the Bible. You know how the beast power, or sorry, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse of his, he comes conquering and to conquer. This guy, you know, of war, he comes conquering and to conquer. But just is the same word translated over. He comes overcoming and to overcome. Okay, if you translate it that way, it's the same word. But conquering and to conquer is really what that word means wherever it's used. It's conquering, whether it's about sin, whether it's about Satan, whether it's about resisting the devil. Jesus says here, to him who conquers. There's some work right there for us to do today. Every day when we get up, we better be about conquering, right? It's right in the model prayer outline, in fact.

To him who conquers, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne. You know, he said, I have overcome the world. I've conquered the poles of this world. He conquered Satan. He said, the ruler of this world will now be cast down, etc., etc. The point is here that Jesus Christ and the firstfruits need to have all things in common. Need to have all things in common. And Jesus, in his life on earth, set us a great example, a perfect example of what we need to do right to the very end. And he conquered Satan when Satan was throwing things at him as he was torturing him to death on the cross, doing everything he could to get some little sin or thoughtful, you know, selfish thought to come out of his mouth. Didn't do it. Didn't do it. Jesus Christ was, did not respond in kind. And it says, to this you are called. To this you are called. Do it like Jesus.

We are then to overcome or conquer together. We're to be raised from the dead. You know, like we just said, we'll be firstfruits together, raised together with Jesus Christ, glorified with him. We're called firstfruits with Christ.

In Revelation chapter 14, in the first verse or two, is the only time we are referred to as firstfruits. We are to be firstfruits, but that's when we are firstfruits. In other words, we have been reaped. We have been harvested at that point. They resurrected. And these are before the throne of God, and they are firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. So we need to be firstfruits like him. So Revelation 2, 26, he who conquers and keeps my works until the end. Now Jesus said, Matthew 24, he who endures to the end, he who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. You know, you want to waste your time, turn on the news, listen to conservative talk radio, and try to fix everything in the world. I've done that too much in my life, you know. Oh, wow, look at this problem. Oh, now we've got another problem. How can we fix this? And we struggle mentally, and we can't sleep at night, and we waste all this time trying to somehow make Satan's world work. Oh, if we could just get the right politician in, or maybe a bigger bomb, or I don't know, something, you know, I should come up with. You try to fix it somehow. You're trying to fix Satan's world and make sure God's prophecies all fail. Now forget it. Come out of the world, come out mentally, focus on here, that you're going to have power over the nations with Jesus Christ, and you're going to fix it! And He'll show us how, because honestly, at the end of any day that I go through that and try to, I can't get a big enough bomb, I can't, you know, no matter how you, who you wipe out, there's always another wave coming. You just can't do it.

So we will have power over the nations, verse 27. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessel, as I have also received from my Father. That's one thing we inherit with Him, is solving, beginning to solve the issues, God's way. Now Jesus Christ's purpose and life here on earth wasn't someday. He didn't come and sit around thinking about, you know, someday. He was busy. He had things to accomplish, and He has told us that we have things to accomplish. So let's examine the fact that you and I need to fully prepare now to fulfill the calling that we have, to join Christ and to live and help through all the ages, every single age. You know, there's not been an age before us with humans.

It's just Satan's evil age, and when Jesus Christ takes rule, He will never lose that rule again.

Forever God will rule. Satan may come back at the end of the after the millennium ends, let's say, but he never reigns on the earth again. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 47, we see some of our transformation that is really, really just fabulous. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 47. The first man was of the earth made of dust.

So, obviously, Adam, but also you and me, and made of dust. That's what we are.

The second man is the Lord from heaven. He came, and he was also made of dust.

As was the man of dust, so are also those who are made of dust.

You and I can't do a thing about seeking life in the third heaven. You cannot transport yourself there. If you're going to seek yourself to be a spirit being, there's not a lot you can do as far as transforming yourself. That's his point here. As we have borne the image of the man of dust, verse 49, we also shall bear the image of the heavenly man. Once again, it's connected right back with Jesus Christ, with his bride, with that family, with our role. In verse 50, now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This is an important point because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven, the heavenly kingdom, is not coming to this earth. It's going to stay there. God the Father, as you can see in Scripture, is heavenly and he's in the heavenly realm.

But what does come down is the rule of God, the sovereignty of God, the rulership of God through Jesus Christ and those other spirit beings composing his bride.

So what we have here, as in verse 48, as was the man of dust, so are also those who are made of dust, and as is the heavenly man, so are also those who are heavenly. We're going to be like Christ.

Verse 49, and as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall bear the image of the heavenly man. This is really important for you and me to be linked with Jesus Christ in fulfilling what he fulfilled so that we can join him where he is and not just sort of dreamily thinking, you know, about the future. In John chapter 3 verses 8 and 13, Jesus said, those who are of the Spirit are like the wind. They're invisible. They're not of this physical realm. Now let's go to 2 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 16, and let's see where our future is. 2 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 16 and 17.

Oh, look at that.

Let's be 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. There it is.

1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 16.

2 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

See, we look forward to the trumpets, the Feast of Trumpets. And that Feast of Trumpets means certain things for humanity, certain things for Satan, certain things of a real strong transitional phase of the Day of the Lord that's going to really bring some catastrophes and some changes. But it says here, the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God. It also has a meaning for you and me, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Wow. When we think about an age-changing festival, it's the beginning of an age change for humanity from its deepest darkness, but talk about an age change for you and me.

Dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them the clouds and meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

That's our calling. That's your calling, is to always be with the Lord. That's what we need to be focused on, and it's a now proposition. It's not a someday proposition, something we are to be preparing for and prepared for.

We are approaching a transitional point in our service. We are all serving God at this point.

We're in God's church. We serve. We add certain growth elements to that church, building up. The word is edifying, and you'll find there in Ephesians 4, verses 15 and 16, each part doing its share in love is building up. Once again, it's with Jesus Christ, isn't it?

It's the body of Christ. We're doing this together with Him, or we are to be.

We will assist Him in creating a wonderful world tomorrow, and we don't even know, for instance, what responsibilities we'll have. God beings create, and there are certain changes that take place on the landscape and within the environment that we read of during that time. Will we get to participate in some of that? Show up, and we'll find out.

For now, remember what Jesus tells us. We have work to do. If you want to enter into life, He says, remember what the rest is? Let me hear you say it. If you want to enter into life, if you want this spirit life with Christ in the kingdom of God, if you want to enter into life, go ahead and say it.

Keep His commandments. Oh, we've got a whole Bible here for today, don't we? There's a lot in here.

It's not just all about don't eat pork and, you know, don't keep Christmas, and remember to keep the Sabbath. There are some elements here that we are to grow in the favors of God and in the knowledge, and we're to grow and develop this character for the kingdom so that He'll have what He wants to harvest. Jesus also gives us another important element in Mark chapter 1 in verse 14. I want to focus on this a little bit. Mark chapter 1 and verse 14.

Jesus came announcing something. He was something the Bible and the times in that day would have termed as a carousel, one who proclaims something, one who announces something on behalf of a government or a leader, a ruler. Mark chapter 1 and verse 14. Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

So the word preaching there is a a karigma. It is an announcing, but it was one that had to be done with an official, an appointed official, a herald or a kerix, and he proclaimed something he was sent. Like John the Baptist was sent. The apostles were sent to preach this gospel or to proclaim this message. And we see here that he was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. I want to go to one of our booklets from the UCG booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Notice this.

Confusion comes from the meaning of the word kingdom. We often, again, go back to the tomorrow concept, world tomorrow concept, soon-coming king concept, kingdom of God concept. It's all kind of future, right? Go back to the booklet. Confusion comes from the meaning of the word kingdom. In addition to the meaning of a literal, like territorial kingdom, the Greek word bessalia denotes sovereignty and royal power. So let's put that in here.

Jesus came preaching the sovereignty of God, the kingship of God, the rulership of God. Do we think of the gospel that way? That's not futuristic anymore. Suddenly, it's right here. And he says the time is fulfilled. The rule or the sovereignty of God is within arm's reach. That's what at hand means. It's, I'm here.

Your ruler, if you want him, if you want to accept him, the sovereignty of God is at hand.

Therefore, change what you're doing, repent, and believe in this message. Now, that's not just a future message for them in the world tomorrow, is it? Or for the angel to preach to the whole world when he flies around and preaches that message to every person, nation, tribe, and tongue. It's a message that when we hear it, we should respond to that. We should repent. We should believe that the rule and the ruler of God is here. In fact, after baptism, he's living in us. Here we are once again attached to Jesus Christ in a today setting.

From Vine's complete expository dictionary, Bessalia denotes sovereignty and royal power. God's sovereignty and power, the booklet says, begin in the life of a Christian at conversion. When we repent and we actually change rulers, change laws, change rules, change allegiances, we need to embrace that there are times when you enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus said, where flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God. That's entering. And there are times when there is the kingdom of God or the rule of God, you see, is taught. And people either obey it or they don't. The Feast of Trumpets has this proclamation in Revelation 11, verse 15.

It's quite fascinating. Same message you were told that you listened to and you began obeying and it changed your life. Revelation chapter 11 and verse 15.

Then the seventh angel sounded. So here's the seventh trumpet.

The last prophetic trumpet. And there were loud voices in heaven saying, change the word kingdom to rule. The rule of this world is become our Lord Christ's and he shall reign forever and ever. Now that's according to the Cambridge Bible. You'll notice in your Bible, some of those words are in italics. They actually aren't in the Bible. They were added.

Then you find that the word kingdom in your Bible, the first kingdom, is actually singular. Look it up in the Greek. It's not plural. It's not the kingdoms of this world. It's actually singular. The kingdom or the rule, as we've just heard there in the booklet, the sovereignty, the sovereignty or the rule of this world is become our Lord.

And it says, and of his Christ. Well, there is possession. If you look in the Greek, there's possession with the word Christ. So they've they put it and of his Christ. But another version just says Christ's apostrophe, showing the possession. The rule of this world has become the Lord Christ's and he shall reign forever and ever. Now that's a big event. When the angel sounds and that statement is made, that's a big huge thing for the world. That should have already happened in your and my life. Let's just read that a little differently there. Let's put church instead of the world. Let's see how it reads. Then the angel said, and there were loud voices saying, the rule of the church has become our Lord Christ's and he shall reign. Does that fit well?

I mean, it's not exactly the same thing, but that should have happened to us, as it says in Ephesians verse 22, and God put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body. He is our ruler. He's been our ruler. You converted. You were baptized. You said in your baptism, do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord, supreme authority, as your master and your king? And we all said yes. That has already happened to us.

That should be something that we build into our daily life, submitting to his rule. Now, we can be part of proclaiming that to others and telling them, you need to do this as well.

Notice what this ruler, who has this authority, says to us in the church. Let's go to Matthew chapter 28 verse 18. You know, when Jesus Christ died, he was resurrected. He came to the apostles after he had appeared to God in heaven.

And in Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, Jesus came and spoke to them. Notice carefully what he said. He said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. There he is.

He's the supreme authority. He is the Lord. Verse 19, go therefore, because I am now your authorities, telling the apostles, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Verse 20, notice, teaching them to obey, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. He is in charge of those in the church, in the body, right now. You and I really need to come under the rule of Jesus Christ. We need to be praying, your rule come, your will be done. We need to be focusing on what his commandment is that he says they're teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you, not just pork all things carefully. You go back to Deuteronomy 28 and verse 1, now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe carefully all of his commandments. Don't ever let somebody criticize you or convince you that you're being legalistic by trying to obey God carefully or zealous because you have zeal for good works or obeying God. This is what God tells us to do. This is what we're supposed to be doing right now.

This is his directive here in Matthew 28. Notice, I am with you always, there he is again, I am with you always even to the end of this age, this age. We have to do it now. We don't get to do this in the next age. There's no other time. He will help us do this in this age. In scripture, we find that there are things that happen with the trumpets, which the world has a response to that we don't. You know, Jesus Christ says that in Matthew 24, when he returns, then the sign of the Son of Man will appear and they'll see him coming in the sky. And when they see him coming in the sky, all the tribes of the earth will mourn.

Okay? When he comes in the sky, we're to look up for our salvation is near.

These are different things for different people.

In the return of Jesus Christ, we find that as a midpoint event. If you look at, if I can do this, seven festivals. So you have Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost. And then over here, you have Atonement, Visa Tabernacles, Last Grade Day, Eighth Day. What's in the middle? Trumpets. Three and three. Right there in the middle is this change, this change of us and the spirit beings. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And ultimately, you go into the day of Atonement and that takes place.

But you and I should have already had Passover in our life instead of Atonement. Should have already had the repentance and the obedience of Days of Unleavened Bread, the Unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth, the pudding of leaven, the puffing up out of our lives, the being led by the Holy Spirit as a feast of harvest or Pentecost points out, and also the harvest, that first fruits harvest with Jesus Christ. He was harvested during Unleavened Bread, and we are harvested at a festival after that associated with bread and loaves and with Christ. And then when Trumpets comes, we then participate. What's really important for us is to be ready. I want to turn over to a couple scriptures in Revelation. Revelation chapter 19 and verse 6. Revelation chapter 19 and verse 6 as we wrap this up. There's so much of the Bible we could cover today. I'm just throwing out pages and notes here.

I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters, as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. reigns. Let us rejoice. Let's be glad and rejoice and give Him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come. You know, that's your calling right there. To be at the marriage of the Lamb. God, the Father depends on that. Jesus Christ depends on that. Future societies of the world, New Jerusalem, all depend on you being in that marriage. And how does that happen? And His wife has made herself ready. We can only do that now. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

He said, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Notice the words. Blessed are those who are called. Now you see your calling. Your call to the marriage supper of the Lamb. If you're not there, you're not anywhere. But it's so important that you are there as it rolls out in the next chapter. In chapter, well, no, later in this chapter, actually, dropping down in verse 13, He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. That's the name of our husband, the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, or the multitudes of heaven, those who are dressed in white garments, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. And there we go together.

And as we've read before, He'll rule with a rod of iron, and we will assist with that. So, the seventh trumpet blows for Christ. Let's go to Revelation 11.

Revelation 11, verse 18. The nations were angry, the return of Jesus Christ. And your wrath has come in the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints. The word reward actually is an interesting word. It's Greek, mistos, means to pay for services rendered, wages for work. I find it's funny. You can't earn your salvation, but that's what the word means, a reward. So there is effort, in other words, being inferred on what we're doing now in our lives. And there is a, like that gospel, there is reward. There is reward involved.

And those who fear your name, small and great. So, brethren, we have these wonderful festivals, and Jesus Christ gives us two daily instructions. I'd like to conclude with two passages today. They're both found in Matthew, the sixth chapter, if you want to turn over there.

If we focus on these as a daily responsibility that we have, then we will be preparing, and we will be a bride prepared. We will be virgins wise. We will be those investors who have developed the holy righteous character that God wants to harvest. And we'll be the sheep, striving to be like the lambs that God wants as his sons and daughters. The first instruction here is in Matthew 6, verse 33.

Use these two instructions from Jesus every day. The first is, seek first. That word first can mean primary. Make this the primary thing. Seek first the sovereignty of God and his righteousness.

Seek first the rulership of God. Seek first the sovereignty of God, the kingship of God, whatever word you want to put there that has to do with reigning. Seek first the reign of God.

See, suddenly we have a lot to do, don't we? Do we not seek first this thing in the future? No.

Primary focus. Seek the rulership of God in your life and his righteousness. And once again, the Bible is filled with things we can be working on to that end.

You can effectively seek God's rule every minute of the day. You can seek to perform his will every minute of the day, every thought that comes up. And the second instruction is found earlier on in verse 9. It's the model prayer outline. This model prayer outline has components in it that I hope will pop for you as they do for me. Matthew 6, verse 9, our Father, notice that word, our Father. You can't say that without making a choice.

Our Father, I've chosen you. Not the God of this world, your Father the devil, previous kind of a concept. Our Father, in heaven. There's where our citizenship should be. We should declare ourselves strangers and foreigners like the people of Hebrew 11, pilgrims that seek a country, a heavenly country. Our Father in heaven. We are citizens, actually, of heaven, the Bible says. Holy be your name. I choose to hallow the family of God's name.

Your rule, your sovereignty, come. See, it's here now, right? Jesus Christ said the rule, the sovereign of God, the rulership of God is within arms link. Your rule come today.

Begin to see this through a little different light if you pray this in the morning, not these very words necessarily, but you follow this as an outline. It's like, wow, my day is just changing here. I have declared who my Father is, who my citizenship is, who I'm striving to be part of here, and I'm asking Him to reign and rule and for me to obey Him today. A little different than the ideas I had when I woke up of what I want to go do. See? I want your kingdom, your rulership to come. Oh, and I also want it to come tomorrow, and I want it for those other people, and I want your territory to come. I want it all. But right now, today, all that I can really get a hold of is now, and that's your rule, your sovereignty. Your will be done. This whole Bible full of God's will.

On earth as it is in heaven today. Coming, the return of Christ, the millennium, second resurrection, the King who got it throughout time. All of that. Your will be done. Can't really deal with all that. It hasn't happened yet, but I do have today. Your will be done today.

It's a love God. Your heart's a soul of the might. Love your neighbor as yourself. It compasses all Scripture. Lots to do. Keep going. Give us this day, our—there's an hour. It's not about me—our daily bread. Jesus Christ is our bread of life. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Oh, I've got to stop and think about mistakes I made. I have to apologize for those. I have to apologize to God as I forgive others. I can't hold anything against anyone else. And do not lead us or let us be led into temptation. Why? Because we love your law. I don't want to—I don't want to get—I don't want to break your law, you see. Now, temptation—don't lead me into temptation to what?

To break your law. Which means I love your law. I want to keep your law.

For yours is the rule and the territory and the power and the kingdom and everything.

And the glory forever. Can you imagine walking into a day without making that pledge of allegiance to God, to His way of life, and also identifying who the enemy is? You're going to wrestle today, you're going to fight today, you're going to put on the armor of God to push back against like Jesus did every day of His life? And that's a powerful statement right there that orients us going forward. So, brethren, these age-changing festivals, those are things that you and I should have already experienced and already be working through or be well on our way through at this point in life, so that we can rise and help the next generation through them when the time comes.

Let's be focused on today, onto our calling. Let's love God enough and Jesus Christ enough that we will sacrifice our life to see their goal reached, which is you as the Bride of Christ.