Are You Prepared for the Passover?

Well, brethren, we have a very tiny bit of time between now and Passover now. It won't be long, and Passover 2014 will be history. It will be past us. So I wanted to give this sermon because we really do need to be prepared to take the Passover with the right type of attitude, with the right type of gratitude as well. So here in Lawton, we've talked a lot about becoming a big loser.

I know I have still one installment on that before I'm completed. We've talked a lot about the importance of losing the sin that does so easily beset us and ensnares us. We covered four out of seven important principles that will help us examine ourselves before Passover. So do you remember those principles that we've already covered? Number one was, what is your relationship like with God the Father and Jesus Christ?

Do you have a close personal relationship? You should ask yourself that as you come to Passover, as you prepare for Passover. Do you communicate well with your Father, with Jesus Christ? Do you have a real close personal relationship? Are you following your coaches' instructions? Remember that was point number one. They are the ultimate coaches. They will lead and guide you, and you need to follow their instructions. Are you obeying them? Are you keeping their commandments carefully? Have you fully accepted Christ as your personal Savior, your Lord and Master, your high priest, and your soon-coming King? So that was principle number one.

Principle number two, do you see yourself as a sinner? Have you confessed your sins before God? Have you repented of your sins? Has God granted you repentance? That was the second principle. In terms of becoming a big loser, you have to admit that you're a sinner. If you're ever to get rid of your sins, you have to know that you are a sinner and that you need your sins forgiven and that you need to stop sinning. The third principle was, are you fully committed and surrendered to God? Are you fully committed, surrendered to God and seeking first His Kingdom?

Number four was, are you now on a good program of prayer, of Bible study, of meditation, and of fasting? Are you on that spiritual quadrathlon that we talked about? That is a real word, by the way. Quadrathlon. Okay, those were the four principles that we covered. I believe we stopped at four, didn't we? Isn't that as far as we got? No one seems to remember. I went back to listen to the last sermon I gave in Lawton, but it hadn't been posted yet. I don't know if it didn't come through or just hadn't been posted yet. So, I think I went through four, but I need to double check that before I give them.

I think I will share the next three with you now, just as a preview of what we will be covering next time. The fifth principle is, are you determined to be very careful to guard your mind and dwell only on those things that are good and virtuous?

That's a very important principle. If you're going to lose the sin that easily besets you, you have to guard your mind. You have to be careful what you allow in your mind. You have to be careful what you dwell upon. Number six was, are you determined to reject all that is evil? That's the other side of the coin. Number five was, be careful to guard your mind and dwell on only positive things, godly things, virtuous things. The flip side of that is, are you determined to reject all that is evil?

Because Satan is the great tempter and he will try to tempt you to sin. So, you have to resist him and draw near to God. With God's help, are you shattering all the strongholds that Satan has set up in your life? That's a huge issue these days. There are so many addictions and Satan uses those addictions, whether it be pornography, alcohol. It could be a number of different things that people are somewhat addicted to. There are habitual problems.

So have you shattered all the strongholds that Satan has set up in your life? Number seven, are you loyal to your church family and fully engaged in helping God's church to become without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing? I believe that's a very important issue too because I really believe God does want us to learn unity. I think he wants us to learn to be united, to stop the splintering, and to really seek first the kingdom of God and to be engaged in learning to love each other so that these things don't occur.

So, are you loyal to your church family? Are you fully engaged in helping the church become without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing? No doubt you've heard other messages by other men in regard to preparing for Passover. You've probably heard something about the importance of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is vital this time of year because we will be forgiven in the same manner that we forgive others. And if you haven't forgiven those who have offended you in certain ways, then God is only going to forgive you in the same manner that you're willing to forgive others. Perhaps you've been listening to or watching the excellent series of Bible studies coming out of the home office, Six Steps to Passover. Mr. Meyers, Mr. Petty, and Mr. McDeely have been giving a series of sermons. I think they ended in last week. If you haven't listened to any of those, you might start doing that because I'm sure you will benefit from them.

There are many ways to prepare for Passover. We've got thousands of sermons on the internet these days, and lately people have been talking a lot about Passover. So the last month, there are many, many sermons that could be listened to if you still have time to listen to them. We don't have a lot of time left. So I wanted to cover this important topic today. Being properly prepared to observe the Passover is vitally important. We must not take lightly the renewal of this most important covenant with God the Father and with Jesus Christ.

It is a renewal. Those of us who are baptized, we renew that covenant every year when we take the Passover. We come before God. We show that we have indeed fallen short of His glory, that we are sinners, that we need the sacrifice of Christ. So are you prepared to participate in the Passover symbols of unleavened bread and wine?

Are you properly prepared to wash one another's feet? Will you be worthy to take the Passover? Now, brethren, our minds should be focused again on the tremendous meaning behind these Holy Days that we're about to observe. They picture something very real that points back to our history. Certainly, it points back to the time when the Israelites were let out of Egypt. God led them out.

Let my people go. That was the battle cry. Let my people go. And God led them out of Egypt. He led them out of a country that was basically dominating the world at that time. They were steeped in paganism, steeped in following Satan the devil, the God of this world. So these days picture something very real that points back to our history, what's happened in the past. But these days also point forward to the fulfillment of God's wonderful plan of salvation for all of mankind.

The spring Holy Days are very important. You've heard me say that if you don't understand and grasp the meaning of the spring Holy Days, you're certainly not going to look forward to the fulfillment of the fall Holy Days, because Christ is coming back, and there's a judgment that is already on the house of God, on the people of God. So we have to understand what these spring Holy Days are all about in order to be prepared for the fulfillment of the fall Holy Days.

So again, these are very important times. Let's go to Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23. And let's read the instruction that God gives us in this most important chapter in regard to the Holy Days. And you know, I think it's very important that we all realize that the annual Holy Days are not more important than the Sabbath.

Sometimes people get the idea that the High Days, the annual Holy Days are more important than the Sabbath. It seems like our attendance is higher on the High Days for some reason, but every Sabbath is a high day. Every week is a Sabbath to the Eternal. Every Sabbath is a commanded assembly. In fact, in Leviticus 23, it begins with the Sabbath. In verse 3, six days shall work be done. The seventh is the Sabbath of solemn rest. So you're here today because you believe that. Today is an important day. It's a holy convocation. It's a commanded assembly.

Now in verse 4 it says, these are the feasts of the Lord. Now he's going to be talking about the annual feasts. Remember, the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people. There's a covenant, a Sabbath covenant. We are to keep God's Sabbath, every Sabbath, if we are to truly be God's people. Now the annual Holy Days are also very important. Verse 4, these are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover.

And of course, that will be observing tomorrow evening. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the Eternal. So that begins with the night to be much observed. Seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it.

You shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. So we will get together in Oklahoma City on that last holy day.

It is a time to observe, not a time to be working or going to school, but it's a time to observe. It's a high day, a holy day. So these are the feasts of the Eternal. They are the Passover and days of unleavened bread. They are feasts of God. They are days to be kept. Now in Exodus 12, where we see the institution of the Passover, Exodus 12, verse 15, and I'm going to skip over the instruction in regard to the Passover Lamb.

But if you haven't read this lately, certainly between now and tomorrow evening would be a good time to review the rest of this chapter or the beginning of this chapter. In verse 15, it says, seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven, or it could be translated, leaven should be out of the house, or it should already be removed by the time the day begins.

So we are now in the process of putting the leaven out. This is the phase. If you're not done yet, you've got a bit to do. I've got some cars that I need to clean out. My house is pretty well cleaned out these days, and Barbara pretty much has most of hers done. Still a little bit in the kitchen, I guess, or maybe she's completely done. I know she threw all the leavening out Friday, I think it was. But we're getting the leaven out of our homes now, and that's a very important phase.

We need to put the leaven out. Now, it's much more difficult to get leaven out of our homes these days. It used to be easier. Back in the old days, when this was instituted, we didn't have big homes where kids could take toast throughout the house in every room of the house. It was more like a tent, you know, sweep it out. It didn't take near as long. It takes a little more work these days. Not that we need to be fanatical about putting leaven out, but we do need to take it seriously and be diligent and try our very best to get the visible leaven out of our homes.

I remember one year we found a piece of toast that was on top of one of the cupboards. This was way up above. She just happened to be up on a ladder or something, a chair where she could get up higher. My son had probably pitched it up there. Didn't want to eat it. We usually made him eat their food, so that was one way to get rid of it. I mean, that's what we're assuming happened.

It might have been, I guess he did admit it. We thought it was probably more him than our daughter, although you can't be sure, but I guess Matt confessed. So you never know where you might find a piece of leaven that it could have been there for years. I mean, a couple years. I don't know. We really don't know. It might have only been there that year, but regardless, it does take a little more diligence to put the leaven out of our homes these days. So we begin earlier than they did back in those days.

So in verse 18 and 19, let's drop down to verse 18 and 19. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leaven, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened in all your dwellings. You shall eat unleavened bread. So we should take this instruction seriously and strive to stay away from leaven. So if your car is kind of on automatic pilot every morning as you go to work, you go into Dunkin' Donuts and you have a donut, you need to take it off of automatic pilot. That's what you need to be doing during the days of unleavened bread.

I remember one day, I never really ate this very often, but one day during the days of unleavened bread I was going by a gas station and I was having a craving for ice cream and I got an ice cream sandwich that has that leavening around it. And I can't remember if I actually, I think I ate the lemon bread. During the days of unleavened bread. And then I realized it. I don't think I ate all of it. I think I halfway through, I got rid of the evidence. It can happen.

It's easy to do, so we need to be on guard. We need to put the leaven out of our homes. We need to keep the leaven out of our homes and out of our lives. We're to eat unleavened bread. And Christ is the unleavened bread. He's the manna that comes down from heaven. He's our Lord and Savior and we should strive to put Him in our lives every day. We need to walk in the Spirit. The Spirit of Christ is to live in us. So we're to walk in the Spirit and let Christ do His works in us. So we're to come out of Egypt. We're to come out of sin. Leaven is symbolic of sin. So we put it out of our homes and we eat only unleavened bread during these days. The Israelites were leaving the Egyptians behind. We're to leave our sins behind. We're to put leaven out of our homes. We are to become big losers and that we are to put the sin out. Now Passover service will take place tomorrow evening.

And let's go to 1 Corinthians 11 and let's read a situation that was taking place. Well, let's see what Paul says about the Passover service. 1 Corinthians 11. And I'm not going to read all about the conduct, but there were things going on on this evening that should not have been taking place. There were certain things that were being done that Paul had to correct the Corinthians about. Some were even drunk on this evening and they were not considering the body of Christ. They were taking advantage. Some were eating before others. They were not sharing like they should. There was some bad conduct going on and they are reprimanded in 1 Corinthians 11 for that. But notice verse 23. Paul says, For I receive from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, again, we're to follow Paul as he follows Christ, that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread.

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Now, this was unleavened bread that he took and ate. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, saying, Take, eat, eat, say, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. So we do it once a year on the memorial of the death of our Savior Jesus Christ. We take these symbols. Verse 27, Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. So again, we need to be careful not to take the Passover in an unworthy manner. Now, some people in the past have read this and they've decided not to take the Passover. They decided they were not worthy. They did not want to take the Passover unworthily. And so they decided not to take the Passover. So is that what the Scripture tells us? Is that what it says here? Let's look at it again. Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. So the importance is in examining oneself prior to the Passover. And that's why I wanted to give this sermon today to focus on the need. Now, I'm assuming that you've been examining yourself. We're very close to the Passover. This is something you should have been doing now for a while. We discussed that some in the series of sermons that I've been giving that we need to examine ourselves and we need to be sure that we've repented of our sins and that we are drawing ever closer to God and to Christ. So, he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner is drinking damnation or judgment upon himself.

So we need to be careful that we're not coming here in an irreverent manner. That's basically what this word, anaxios, means. The word for unworthily is the Greek word anaxios, A-N-A-X-I-O-S. It means irreverently. It's indicating that a person may take the Passover without the proper attitude of humility and reverence for what these symbols picture spiritually.

So, a couple of years ago, I gave an entire sermon on what it meant to take the Passover in a worthy manner. I don't know if you remember that sermon. It's been, like I said, I think two years ago. And I spent considerable time going through a number of scriptures that use this word worthy and unworthily. And we talked about it in detail, so I'm not going to do that now. If you want to review the sermon, it's probably on the website. If it's not on the Lawton one, it's probably on the Tulsa one. But let's talk about a few scriptures so we understand what it means to take the Passover in a worthy manner. How is this word used in the Bible? Let's go to Matthew 3, verse 8. Matthew 3, verse 8. Now, this is John the Baptist, and he was talking to the Pharisees who wanted to be baptized, but were basically hypocrites, and he called them vipers. He said, Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Because there was a wrath to come upon them because they were not repentant. Remember, our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees. He says in verse 8, Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. It was the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the religious leaders of the day that led the people to join in a mob mentality and crucify our Savior Jesus Christ. The religious leaders of the day were behind that. The people were also palpable because, frankly, we are all guilty of sinning. And why did Christ have to die? He had to die for your sins and my sins. So, in that sense, we've all killed Jesus Christ. We've all been a part of the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Certainly, the religious leaders of the day were very responsible for also leading the people against God and into sin. So, John says, Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. Now, what type of fruit is worthy of repentance? In other words, what type of fruit shows that you have repented? We're familiar with the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness. You know, these are all fruits of God's Spirit. Kindness. They're all fruits of God's Spirit. Being faithful is a fruit of God's Spirit. These are fruits that show that you are repentant. And they are worthy of repentance. So, it does make a difference how you live your life. That's the kind of life you should be living, is a life where you're bearing fruit. You're producing fruit, the fruit of God's Holy Spirit. So, you should be an example to others. You should reflect well on your Lord and Savior and upon God the Father and how you live your lives. Remember, we are to be overcomers. To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with me on my throne. So, your conduct is important. You're to live in a worthy manner. Now, we all realize that we're not perfect. Jesus Christ was perfect. He lived perfectly. He never sinned. He was tempted at every point as we are. Yet, He was without sin. So, He sets the perfect example for the rest of us human beings who are to follow Him, to follow His example.

Now, the word worthy in Matthew 3, verse 8, that we just read, is the word axios. So, unworthily is the opposite. It's an axios. It's the opposite of worthy. So, this word means reverently. It means deserving. It means suitable or comparable.

So, we are to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who never sinned. We are to bear fruit that's worthy of repentance. We are to have the fruit of God's Spirit in our lives. But we all realize that none of us are Christ. None of us are perfect. We all fall short. So, how do we deal with that? Brethren, we need to realize, and I pointed this out in the sermon that I gave a few years ago, is that it is God who deems us worthy in the fullest sense. It is God who deems us worthy. We are not worthy of and by ourselves. We all fall short. In one sense, we're unworthy. But God deems us worthy because God looks upon our hearts. Now, he knows whether or not we're truly repentant. He knows whether we're sorry in a godly manner, in a godly way, and whether or not we're coming reverently before him to observe the Passover.

In 2 Thessalonians 1, this word, worthy, is used. It's a little bit different word. It's very closely related to the last word, axios. It's kata-ax-i-u. Kata-ax-i-u. I don't know if that's how you pronounce it, but probably not. In fact, I'm about 99% sure that's not how you pronounce it. But it is the Greek word kata-axi-u, which means to deem entirely deserving. So God is the one that needs to count us worthy and deserving to keep the Passover. In 2 Thessalonians 1, let's start in verse 3. 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 3.

2 Thessalonians 1, verse 3.

Paul, again speaking here.

So Thessalonika was getting good praise, high praise here.

They were a loving church, and Paul is commending them for that.

You know, Christ said that we would suffer persecution if we are entered into the kingdom. We enter in violently in that sense.

We are going to be persecuted along the way. Verse 6, since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you. So God does avenge us. Vents us as minds, says the Lord. We don't have to take vengeance upon our enemies because God is the one who avenges, and He is the one who knows how to do that properly. We should not try to take vengeance upon ourselves. God judges righteous judgment, and He will take care of things and correct people as they need to be corrected. Verse 7, and to give you who are troubled rest. God is going to give us rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels inflaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that God is going to pour out His wrath during the day of the Lord. A year of His wrath poured out, as it says in the book of Revelation. It will be a time of trouble such as we've never seen before. A time of Jacob's trouble. This country and other countries who are largely descended from Israel, the children of Israel, they will pay their price for turning against God and rejecting Him and not obeying Him. So it says we must be counted worthy or to deem entirely deserving of the Kingdom of God.

And then in 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 11, if we'll just skip a few verses here and go to verse 11. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling. We should pray for each other that God will count us all worthy. So that's something you can pray between now and then. Between now and tomorrow evening, pray that God would count us worthy. In other words, that God would see in our hearts the right attitude and that we would repent if necessary. Pray for each other. Pray that God will grant us repentance and that we can all come to the Passover in a proper way. So, verse 11 and 12, it says that God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you and Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, we should pray for one another that we all be counted worthy of God's calling. In other words, to deem entitled. You know, God has to deem us and He does that by forgiving us. Frankly, that's the only way we can be deemed worthy is if we're forgiven. If we're forgiven our sins. If we've truly repented and God has granted us that repentance.

In Luke 21, let's go to another place here. Actually, we'll go to a couple more places. Luke 21, where again uses this word worthy. Now, this is a parallel chapter with Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

Here in Luke 21, it uses this word cataxio again in Luke 21, verse 34.

Here Christ says, but take heed to yourselves lest your hearts, again God looks on the heart.

Take heed to yourself lest your hearts be weighed down. And we know the heart is deceitful above all things and it's desperately wicked. And the carnal mind is enmity against God and it's not subject to God's law. So we have to be walking in the spirit, don't we? In order to be counted worthy.

So take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, with drunkenness, and with cares of this life. And that day, that day of judgment, that day of Christ's return, because again, judgment is upon the house of God and Christ is bringing judgment with Him. That day come upon you unexpectedly for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things. It's this word cataxio, which means to be fully deserving.

To escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.

So we need to be, again, praying that we will be counted worthy to escape the things that are coming to pass during the time of Satan's wrath upon God's people.

That we will be counted worthy to escape these things and to stand before the throne of God, before the throne in the sense that Christ is going to return. Are we going to rise and meet Him in the air? Are we going to be changed in a moment in the twinkly of an eye at the last trumpet?

Now, in Hebrews 10, it brings out something, again, very important in this context. Let's go to Hebrews 10. You might remember that this is the unpardonable sin chapter. This is where it talks about the unpardonable sin. People are oftentimes concerned whether or not they committed the unpardonable sin.

You know, I doubt that you'd be here today if you'd committed the unpardonable sin. I don't think you'd be motivated to come if you'd committed the unpardonable sin.

So, I don't think you have to worry that you've committed the unpardonable sin. But if you're concerned, that's probably a good thing. It shows your heart, your attitude. None of us want to be... none of us, obviously, want to commit the unpardonable sin. We're here because we want to obey God and follow Him and serve Him.

So, in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 29, and it's... I'm not going to read all of this, but... It's hearkening back to verse 26 about sinning willfully and committing the unpardonable sin. Verse 29, of how much more worse punishment do you suppose, will He be thought worthy, who has trampled the Son of God underfoot?

Okay, if a person does not take the sacrifice of Christ seriously, then they will not be counted worthy. Counted... Okay, let's read it all again. Verse 29, of how much more worse punishment... In fact, we probably should read the context here. Let's go back to verse 26.

For if we sin willfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. Okay, there's a difference between sinning willingly or... In other words, out of weakness, sometimes we sin willingly, don't we? We know better, but we willingly go along because we're weak, we're frail, we're not as close to God as we need to be, and so we sin.

But when we sin willfully, we have set our minds against God.

It is something willful. We have set our minds against God. We are rejecting God, and we don't want to go His way any longer. That's why I say I don't think you'd be here if you'd committed the unpardonable sin.

If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing?

Remember, there is life in the blood, and there's life in the blood of Christ.

Christ shed His blood so that we might have eternal life, but we can't take that sacrifice lightly.

Because we will insult the Spirit of grace. You know, God is gracious. He's very forgiving. As long as we don't take sin lightly, as long as we are truly sorry in a godly way for our sins, we should feel ashamed when we sin. We should feel guilt.

Guilt is a good thing. If you sinned against God and you're not feeling guilty for it, then you've got a problem.

You know, you need to feel guilty when you sin, because you are guilty, and you need to feel guilty. You should be ashamed of your sins.

So we need to be careful that we don't insult the Spirit of grace. You know, if God is so gracious to forgive us our sins, we need to admit our sins.

We need to be sorry in a godly way, and we need to be determined to put sin out of our lives.

God looks at the heart. He wants to see what your heart is made of.

Do you have a soft heart that's malleable, that is moved to shame and guilt when you sin?

But it's also moved to repentance and faith. You know, God grants us faith as well, and we are to become boldly before the throne of grace.

When we are in time of need, and when we sin, we are definitely in need.

So we are all in need right now. We've all sinned. We all fall short. We're all in need to go before God's throne, and frankly, we don't always see our sin, do we?

Sometimes we sin, and we don't even realize it. So we have to ask God to forgive us the things we haven't even yet come to realize about our nature, about who we are.

And we need to mean that.

So, Luke 22, let's go back to Luke 22.

Luke 22, verse 7. Luke 22, verse 7.

And he said to them, Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water McIntyre, follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, the teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? Then he'll show you a large furnished upper room, their make ready. So they went and found it, just as he had said to them. And they prepared the Passover.

And when the hour had come, he sat down in the twelve apostles with him, and he said to them, With fervent desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Then he took the cup, and he gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And he took bread, and he gave thanks, and he broke, and he gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given to you, or for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you. So these are the symbols that were instituted, and we need to understand what these symbols are all about. And there was also another important symbol that Christ did prior to the eating of the bread and drinking the wine. And of course, we understand that as the foot washing that takes place before we drink the wine and eat the bread. So let's go to John 13, and I know you'll read this again tomorrow, but I think it's important to consider it now. Before we wash one another's feet, before we come and wash one another's feet, we need to have a foot washing attitude when we do this. It needs to be a humble attitude. John 13. In verse 1, Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And supper being ended, it says here, but notice in the margin, at least in my Bible, it says it was during supper, actually. This is a better translation. During supper, this took place, that Christ got up and washed the people's feet. Verse 2, during supper, the devil, having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, he rose from supper and laid aside his garments. He took a towel and girded himself. After that, he poured water into a basin, and he began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with a towel with which he was girded. And he came to Simon Peter, and Peter said to him, Lord, are you washing my feet? And Jesus answered and said to him, what I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will know after this. And Peter said to him, you shall never wash my feet. And he said it pretty strongly. And Jesus answered him, if I do not wash you, you have no part with me. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Now, Peter was wholehearted, certainly. Sometimes misguided. Jesus said to him, he was bathed, and he needs only to wash his feet. You know, they had come through the... they had already bathed. They weren't dirty everywhere, but their feet were dirty, because they went through the dusty streets to get to this Passover evening. So he was bathed, and he needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean, and you are clean, but not all of you. Of course, he was talking about Judas Iscariot, who was there. For he knew who had betrayed him, therefore he said, you are not all clean. So when he had washed their feet, taken his garments, and sat down again, he said to them, do you know what I have done to you?

You call me teacher and Lord, and you say, well, for so I am. I am your teacher and Lord. If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet. Now, this was basically for servants. This is what the servants would do, wash people's feet. They didn't normally... there certainly wasn't the master who was washing his servants' feet, but this is exactly what Christ did. So this was remarkable. This is why Peter had a problem with this. This was not typically done, but Christ was showing a better way.

He said, I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet. You also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. So we take this literally, and we come to the Passover, and we wash one another's feet. We follow Christ's example. Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master. These men were not greater than Christ. You know, Christ knew that. Nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. So he's even referring to himself. He's not greater than the Father. You know, he always showed submission to the Father, and he showed love toward the Father. He set a perfect example for all of us. An example of unity that we haven't all learned at this point. We all need to learn it. I don't know that any of us have learned it fully. I don't think I have. I doubt that any of us truly have learned this completely.

Jesus washed his disciples' feet. He set an example for us. It wasn't an example of service and humility. True service is impossible without humility. True greatness is impossible without humility. Now, it's likely that the disciples had been arguing that evening, earlier that evening, about whom among them was the greatest. Now, we don't know that for sure if it actually took place then, but it seems to indicate that it possibly could have taken place just prior to the Passover. Perhaps their attitudes directly triggered Christ's decision to wash their feet. We don't know that either. We don't know exactly why Christ decided to wash their feet, but had he heard them bickering over who was greatest, what an example he would have set for them by showing them that he was greatest who serves. And the Master was serving his servants. So, Christ was clearly looked upon as the greatest by his disciples, and now he was washing their feet. Again, what a lesson in service and humility. Brethren, we should all strive to have this kind of attitude that Christ had, this attitude of submission, of humility, of service. How willing are we to sacrifice for others, to sacrifice our personal time, to sacrifice our financial resources, to sacrifice whatever it is we can give that another person needs. How willing are we to do that? How willing are we to esteem others better than ourselves in that sense that we put their needs before our own once, surely, and sometimes even before our own needs? You know, another important aspect is the cleansing part of this. Christ cleaned up his disciples. He cleaned them up. Christ will also clean us up, and we should have a sincere desire to help others cleanse themselves as well. If you have a sincere desire to be clean, you will humble yourself, and you will also learn to accept the help of others. Some people have it. Some people hate having their feet washed more than washing another's people's feet. In fact, I think I'm that way. I'd rather wash someone's feet than have them wash my feet. Why do we feel that way? Is it because we're so righteous? Is it because we're so humble? Or is it perhaps we're not as humble as we think we are? From a spiritual perspective, it is extremely damaging to refuse help that we need. When we allow others to wash our feet on Passover night, we are expressing our willingness to be cleansed and to receive help in being cleansed. That's an important lesson. Are you willing to be helped? Are you willing to take correction? Are you willing to be cleaned up?

Are you willing to take correction from whomever God sends to give you correction? Is a minister willing to take correction also? We should be willing to have anyone wash her feet. And of course, we should be willing to wash anyone else's feet. I think sometimes people, you know, it's sad when people have attitudes toward each other. They may not even talk to each other. There have been people like that in God's Church. It used to be we were a lot bigger. And you could get away with that kind of an attitude a lot easier than you can today. A congregation of 400 or 500 people? I'm not going to get beside him in the Passover line.

I'm going to get as far away from him as I can. I don't want him washing my feet. I don't want to wash his feet. Don't think those games weren't played at times. I think they were certainly played, but that was not a credit to the people playing the games. Today, it's a little tougher. We live in a...we have a small congregation.

We need to be willing to wash anyone's feet. If God sends them here, and they're willing to be here, and they've been baptized, and they're taking the Passover, and all that, who are we to reject someone? Again, we'll be forgiven in the same manner that we accept and forgive others.

Do you have a friend that is able to correct you without you bristling and taking offense?

Do you have any close friends like that? You know, it's good to have close friends like that. And are you that kind of friend? Are you that type of person?

Are you that good a friend? That you will come humbly to help somebody? To help cleanse them?

Now, of course, you know that you have to get the plank out of your own eye first. If you're ever going to be of any help to anyone else, you have to get the plank out of your own eye.

So you can see clearly to help someone who has respect. Interesting how Christ puts that, isn't it?

Are you a friend who is able to correct another friend in humility? If a person knows we love and respect them, it's much easier for them to receive correction.

If we love and respect someone, we can also be more effective in helping that person.

Friendships are important in God's Church. The Bible says that we are known by our love one for another. That's how we're known whether or not we're disciples.

You know, how much love does it take to split apart? To leave people behind? How much love does that take?

I mean, you know, let's get real here. Let's get real for a minute. Is that true, love? Or should we not work out these issues that we have amongst ourselves?

Can't we humble ourselves, admit where we're wrong, and continue to work together and suffer, as the Bible says, if you suffer for righteousness' sake and you take it patiently, it is commendable to you.

I mean, if it's over doctrine and people are splitting up and leaving, you know, that is an issue. That's one issue. But when we split over other issues, are we not in danger? Are we not in danger of being guilty of the very things that we're supposed to be reflecting on Passover?

You know, these are real issues that we shouldn't just hide from. You know, we should think about these things and try to resolve these things and forgive one another. You know, I've got good friends that are no longer part of our organization. I hope one day we'll be back together again.

You know, I haven't written people off. You know, I'm hoping that we can all repent wherever we need to repent. And someday we will truly be united. You know, maybe it's going to be in the place of safety.

Maybe it's going to be when there's a lot of persecution and trials and we'll learn to cling together more, learn to care for each other more.

These are things that we need to think about prior to the Passover. You know, do we have that kind of love for each other? Are we not all guilty to some degree?

All right, let's talk about the bread and the wine.

Isaiah 53. This is a prophecy of Christ.

Isaiah 53. And of course, who inspired the prophecy?

Certainly the one who became Christ had a lot to do with inspiring this prophecy, the God of the Old Testament.

And of course, God the Father was involved as well.

But let's notice Isaiah 53. And we will read this Passover evening.

Verse 3 of Isaiah 53.

Speaking of the Christ, He is despised and rejected by men. He's a man of sorrows.

He's acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him.

He was despised and we did not esteem Him.

Surely that is what happened to Christ, isn't it?

You know, it isn't God that's been hiding from us. We've been hiding from God.

Some people think that God hides from us. It's the other way around.

We've always hid from God. Now, God isn't calling everyone right now, and He's allowing us to learn lessons here on this earth.

And it may seem at times that God is afar off, but God isn't afar off. God is very near, as the Scripture tells us. He's very near.

He does answer our prayers. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. We can count on Him. We can trust in Him.

Verse 4, Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But why was He wounded? Was it His fault?

Was it anything that He did?

No, He was wounded for our transgressions. He was perfect. He never sinned.

Now, I have the highest regard for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We should all hold Him in the highest respect, because He was bruised for our iniquities. Now, He sets the perfect example of what we're talking about, humility and service and sacrifice.

He was wounded for our transgressions, our sins. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.

We'll never have peace except through Christ. He is the peacemaker, the ultimate peacemaker.

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes, we are healed. Christ was beaten for us. He was laid bare for us.

All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to His own way. And the Lord, the Eternal, has laid on Him, on Christ, the iniquity of us all.

We are all in this together, brethren. All of our sins have been laid upon our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Your sins, my sins, the sins of the world have been laid upon Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That is true love, the love of the Father and also the love of the Son. Greater love has no man in this to lay down His life for His friends. So He counts us friends. You are Christ's friend. He's your elder brother. He loves you. He's always there for you. So this is a prophecy regarding our Savior who died for us.

Now, 1 Peter 2, and I've already referred to this, but let's go there briefly. 1 Peter 2.

Again, when we suffer for righteousness' sake and we take it patiently, then that's commendable. God looks upon that. He loves that. But notice here in 1 Peter 2, verse 20.

1 Peter 2, verse 20.

What credit is there? You're guilty as sin. So what credit is there if you are beaten for your faults and you take it patiently? But when you do good and you suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

2 For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps, who committed no sin nor his deceit found in his mouth, who when he was reviled did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously, who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree or the stake, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, again by whose stripes you were healed, as we read in Isaiah. 3 For you were like sheep going astray, but you now return to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

Christ is our great high priest. He makes intercession for our sins.

We are to learn to take things patiently when we are persecuted for righteousness' sake.

That is commendable before God.

That's the example that Christ had for us. He suffered. It wasn't for his faults that he suffered, but he took it patiently. He said, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. That's the kind of example of forgiveness that Christ said for us. Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.

We need to have the love of Christ in us. I know it was Christ's love that allowed me to forgive my father for all of the sins that he committed as an alcoholic, as a father who ended up being instrumental in the breakup of our home.

When I was coming into the church, God was showing me that I needed to forgive my dad. Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. I had to come to see that my father didn't really know what he was doing. God hadn't opened his mind. To some degree, he knew what he was doing, but not fully. So we all have to learn to forgive one another.

Because oftentimes they don't know what they're doing. And when we have this hard-hearted approach, and we won't forgive, then we have to question whether Christ is going to forgive us.

So, brethren, let's go to Hebrews 4 and see that Christ is indeed a high priest, who knows what we're going through. Hebrews 4, verse 14, Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet he was without sin. You know, Christ in a way, in fact, in every way, he understands temptation better than we do. And he struggled against temptation more than we have. Because when we've been tempted, we have given in to that temptation at times, right? We've given in. So we haven't gone as far as Christ has. Christ never gave in to the temptation. He was tested in ways that we've never been tested. And he was without sin. He says, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. We have a high priest. He knows how difficult it is to be perfect. He was perfect. He understands that that's not easy in the flesh. Christ fasted 40 days and 40 nights before he was tempted by Satan the Devil. He prayed all night long at times before he was crucified. He drew near to God. The Father drew near to him. So he set an example for us, but he does know how difficult it is to be perfect. So when we sin, when we fall short, we do need to come boldly to the throne of grace. Now that doesn't mean we don't come humbly before the throne of grace. There is such a thing as humbly coming before the throne of grace, but doing it in a bold manner in that we do it. Sometimes we take the other approach. We don't go before the throne of grace. We feel ashamed. We feel depressed. We feel discouraged. And so we become inward. And we become, woe is me. And we become even more selfish. It says, come boldly before the throne of grace. That's where you need to go in time of need. When you sin, you need to go before the throne of grace. And you need to go there boldly in that sense, because it does take some initiative on our part. We have to go boldly before the throne. And what does that take? It takes faith to do this. It takes faith that you have a Savior that will forgive everything and anything that you've done, and that no sin is too great for our Savior Jesus Christ. That He will forgive your sins. That He will wash them away in the blood of His Son. And we will be forgiven our sins. So let us come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Yes, we are saved by grace.

We're not saved because we're perfect. We're not saved by law-keeping. Yes, we are to keep the law. But when we fall short, we have a high priest. We have a Messiah. We have a Savior. So, brethren, let us draw near to God. He will draw near to us. So Christ took bread and wine that was symbolic of His body given for us, His body broken for us, and His blood shed for us. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, it speaks about communing with Christ. That's where this world comes up with this communion idea. So they want to do it on every week or four or five times a year or whenever they deem appropriate. We do it on the memorial that evening when Christ died for us. And we should do it. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, it is important, but we don't have to add to the Scriptures. We do it as we are told to do it. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 16, The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ. When you drink the wine, you are communing with Christ. You are accepting His blood shed for you. You are drinking the blood of Christ, and you are eating His body. Now, there were disciples who stopped attending, stopped coming, stopped following Christ because this seemed very weird to them. Christ said, you've got to eat my body. You've got to drink my blood. If you're going to be a part of me, this is what He was talking about. This is what it means to accept Christ as your Savior. You eat His body. You drink His blood. You bring Christ into you, into your life. You accept Him as your Savior. You humble yourself. You commune with Him. You have fellowship with Him. When you come here, you are going to have fellowship with Christ. Christ will be here in spirit. Believe me, He'll be here. The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ, for we, though many, are one bread. There will be many people observing the Passover. We are all partakers of that one bread, that unleavened bread that comes down from heaven. We need to partake of that bread. We need to allow Christ, the unleavened bread, the manna that comes from heaven, to live in us. We commune with Christ. We fellowship, or we share in Christ's sacrifice by accepting His sacrifice. So let's talk about some specific lessons from the unleavened bread.

Okay, the life and body of Christ is what made the blood so precious. If Christ had not lived a perfect life, how precious would His blood be? Would there be life in His blood? There wouldn't be life in His blood. There would be no sacrifice. It was because Christ lived perfectly without sin. That is why His blood is so precious.

It's who He is. Christ is righteous. Eating the bread pass over evening symbolizes us allowing Christ to now live in us. We are to live the same life that Christ lived. One of humility, one of service, one of faithfulness, one of obedience. When we all eat a piece of unleavened bread, we collectively show that we are all members of the body of Christ. We are members of the Church of God. Christ is the head of the Church. Individually, we are each one small piece of the body of Christ. But collectively, we are God's elect. Now, individually, we are a member of the elect. But collectively, we are God's elect. We are each a part of something much bigger than ourselves. Collectively, we are very important. Remember what the Scripture says, but if not for the elect's sake, no flesh would be saved alive. This remnant of God's people will become very, very important in the future. And if it were not for the elect's sake, no flesh would be saved alive. That's what the Scripture tells us. It isn't because of our importance, but it's because of Christ's importance.

That we are His elect. We've been called out and chosen by Him. He's the one that does the work in us.

So in Matthew 26, let's go back to Matthew 26, 27 and 28. Again, we'll read many of these verses tomorrow. But we need to think about these things between now and tomorrow evening. Don't be so busy that you don't think about these things between now and then, and that you don't pray about these things, and that you don't read about some of these things. Between now and tomorrow evening. Matthew 26, and trust me, I know you're busy, but you're not too busy. Matthew 20, I mean, you're not too busy to do this. Matthew 26, verse 27. Then He took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you, for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Verse 26, I want to read that. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is My body. Then He took the cup. So we eat the bread, we drink the cup, for this is My blood of the new covenant. We're under a new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of your sins. There is salvation in having our sins forgiven. When John came, you know, he came preaching a baptism of repentance, but there was no salvation in that. There had to be that sacrifice first. You know, there had to be... Christ had to come and lay His life down.

Christ had to be accepted as the Savior.

So there is salvation in the sacrifice of Christ. So there are many lessons that can be learned from eating the unleavened bread. Unity is one of them. We need to be more loving as God's people. We need to be more unified. All right, now lessons from the wine. The wine clearly represents the shed blood of Christ. We are cleansed and forgiven by the shed blood of Christ. Humility is also needed to realize we can't gain salvation on our own. It's natural to pride ourselves in being self-sufficient. You ever heard that? You know, people think they need to be self-sufficient. Independent. That's a human tendency, but it goes contrary to what we really need to be. We do need to be dependent upon Christ because we are dependent. Upon Christ and upon the Father. We need the sacrifice of Christ. You need the sacrifice of Christ. We absolutely need to accept Christ as our Savior. We must be cleansed spiritually by first having our sins forgiven. Then we must be cleansed spiritually by an ongoing relationship with our high priest who makes intercession for us. When we sin after initially being forgiven at baptism, we renew this covenant. Humility is the thread throughout the entire Passover service and the Holy Day season. We are to be cleansed spiritually. To be unleavened is to be flattened. It is to be humbled from a spiritual perspective. Now, wine is a known blood purifier. This is interesting because the blood of Christ shed for us cleanses us from all sin. It purifies us. It cleans us up.

Wine is also known as an antiseptic. It is good for cleaning cuts and wounds. We've all been wounded, haven't we? We need to have our wounds cleansed.

We're wounded by our sins. They take a toll on us. They easily beset us.

Wine is good for cleaning cuts and wounds. And the blood of Christ is good for cleaning cuts and wounds.

Again, we are to treat each member of God's Church as we would Christ with love and respect.

Although the body can function with hurting, diseased, and amputated parts, a person can live with an amputated arm or leg. But it's not as effective. It has to learn to compensate. So we all need to be responsible members of the Church of God. We do need to represent God's way to others. We need to represent it well, and we should try not to be amputated in various ways. We need to be whole.

Rather, we must continually kill the self and let Christ live in us. Remember Galatians 2, verse 20, what Paul said about Christ living in us. Christ is to live in us. And the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So we must make sure that what we personally add to the body is unleavened. Have you become unleavened? Are you unleavened bread in terms of the body of Christ? Or are you leavened? When we come to Passover, we need to repent of our sins. We need to be clean. And we need to be cleansed that evening.

So humility and cleansing each other and letting Christ live in us is all a part of being a piece of the unleavened bread that we each bring to the body of Christ.

Much more could be said. I've got other things that I could cover, but hopefully this has helped you in understanding that we need to look at ourselves.

We need to be sure that we're not hypocrites because Christ was death on hypocrites.

In Matthew 23, over and over again, he excoriated. He just spoke out very strongly against hypocrites.

The scribes and the Pharisees, the Sadducees, they were hypocrites. They were speaking one thing and doing another. They were not setting a right example. Brethren, it is important that we consider these Holy Days that we're about to observe. These days picture the beginning steps of God's wonderful plan of salvation for each and every one of us and ultimately for all of mankind.

They picture a new world that's surely coming. We're all called to be firstfruits now. Judgment has begun upon the house of God. So, brethren, let us keep the Passover and let us keep the feast with the Unleavened Bread of sincerity and truth.

So, I wish you all a wonderful Passover and night to be much observed.

Certainly, first Holy Day here in Lawton area, and then I will... Barbara and I will see you back on the last day of Unleavened Bread. Have a wonderful Holy Day season and let us keep the feast.