Be Blessed by God

We are observing the finale of God's annual festival season. And this feast day pictures the largest harvest of humans in to the family of God. We might ask ourselves as we look at all of the annual festivals and say, what is the core element in every one of God's festivals, including the weekly festival, God's Sabbath? Let's turn and find that over in Genesis 22 and verse 18.

In Genesis 22 and verse 18, God tells Abraham, That is what God's festivals have at their core, beginning with the Passover and the rolling out of opportunities for blessings of those who will join Jesus Christ as first fruits, those first harvested, those to help with the later harvests into God's family. But notice a core element associated with this blessing that Jesus Christ will bring to all people, continuing on, because you have obeyed my voice. Blessings and obedience to God go hand in hand. The world, humanity, it says, shall be blessed. And these feasts then speak to the appointed time of opportunities for all humanity to receive those blessings. Down through time, humanity has rejected God's rule, his authority, his laws, his mindset, and it followed a different ruler, a ruler of this world. And that direction has denied mankind of receiving those great spiritual blessings that God wants to come to all humanity through his Son Jesus Christ. When we think of the term blessed, we can run over it quickly unless we pause and consider what God means by that. When he said, in your seed, Jesus Christ, shall all the nations, the Hebrew word there, also means families, all the families, all the people, they shall be blessed. What does that word blessed mean? The Hebrew word means to kneel, to be adored, and to salute. You know, God is the most humble, serving God, imaginable, who is the great God, two beings who would kneel, in a sense, to create dirt, and then create humans out of dirt, and their own image and likeness, and then say to them, we want to give you everything we have, and we will spend whatever time it takes, whatever heartbreak you give us, we'll give our lives, our thought, we'll maintain the number of hairs on your head throughout, we'll examine your thoughts, we'll guide and direct you if you'll let us, so that we can bless you. We can salute you, say, well done, enter into the joy of the Lord.

In the New Testament, the Greek word translated blessed is a really active word, and it's best translated supremely blessed. That term, whenever it said blessed is this person, it means, oh how supremely blessed is this one? That's what God wants to bring us. And on this last great day, this eighth day, God wants to supremely bless some estimated 60 to 100 billion people. He has not had the opportunity to bless yet. He hasn't been able to convey on them the spiritual blessings through his son Jesus Christ, promised through Abraham. Jesus Christ himself came and he showed that he would follow God. He was an obedient son to his mother and father. He was obedient to the government around him. He was obedient to his father. He kept all of God's laws and precepts, and he kept them perfectly. And then he forgave everyone in a dramatic way.

You and I have the opportunity to look to him as the example of one who is so supremely blessed, and receive the blessing. And what was it? Eternal life, to be glorified, to sit on the throne of God, to be given authority now, to be the one to be the ruler with the laws, and to bless those who are obedient. That's his purpose. God wants to bless all of humanity, past, present, and future. But the ruler of this world rejects all of God's authority, rejects submission and obedience, and encourages humans to do the same. We as humans like to think that we're proud, and we're independent, and we are able to do what we want to do.

And that's not what people who are bought with a price, who are slaves of righteousness, who are sons of God, are called to be. The Sabbath and the festivals herald blessings from God for all generations, all families of this world. And these autumn festivals that we observe portray mushrooming opportunities, mushrooming opportunities. And finally, we come down to this festival, and it is massive. Imagine 80, 100, billion people who missed out on the blessings, now having an opportunity to have spiritual blessings from God. Today, let's examine what are blessings, the core blessings that God offers humanity. And ask the question, is God blessing you and me with those types of blessings? As we celebrate this final phase of God's plan of salvation, let's examine a fundamental question that God would ask mankind, and that is, when will you allow me to bless you? When will you allow me to bless you? The title of the sermon today is, Be Blessed by God. That's what God wants. That is what he has created this entire physical universe for, temporarily. And given their lives, given their focus, their time, they sacrifice for us, they do so much humbly and lovingly for us so that they can bless us. God wanted this message conveyed to people. Let's go back to Numbers 6 in verse 24. Numbers 6 beginning in verse 24.

God told the leaders to say this, The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you. This is what God wants for humans. And be gracious to you. Tell the people this is what God says. Tell them this is what I want to do. Tell them the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

That's what God wants. So shall I put my name on the children of Israel and I will bless them.

They are to be a model, as it were. We're the Israel of God now as models, you know, the light of the world, the disciples of Christ, the salt of the earth. We're to be modeling God. And Israel is called and will have the opportunity during the millennial reign of Christ to model what the God family is. Notice here that this blessing is about relationship. A relationship with God. It's not about physical stuff that he would give them, but it's about a relationship, blessed relationship. If we fast forward and think about what constitutes blessings from God in the new covenant, what are they? Well, in the new covenant we don't find health and wealth and ease of living among the blessings. Let's go to James 1 and verse 9. James 1 and 9. As we prepare to be blessers with Jesus Christ of those who are living during the time we're portraying here, let's notice what these blessings include. James 1 and 9. Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation. We're not finding a health and wealth gospel here, are we? And the rich in his humiliation, because as the flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with the burning heat than it withers the grass, its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich will also fade away in his pursuits. That's not the blessings that God is trying to give us in the new covenant. Verse 12. Blessed. Oh, how supremely blessed is the man or woman who endures temptation to stray away from obedience, to go out from the rule of God. For when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

That's what Jesus Christ is wanting to bless all humans with. That is the great blessing, the spiritual blessings of God, portrayed in all of annual festivals. And what an opportunity for those who have never had the opportunity to be blessed in this way. To have life.

Jesus defined what blessed means in the new covenant, the new covenant of his precious blood, that he gave us this opportunity and he desired it so much he went through everything, including his own death, to make it possible for us to be blessed as was promised to Abraham.

Let's go to Matthew chapter 5 and verse 3. In Matthew the fifth chapter, we find what are called the Beatitudes. And if we just notice here what Jesus says, blessed, again, the Greek word meaning supremely blessed. Are those? What would we say? Supremely blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. That's what God wants for us. That's the whole purpose of the human experience. Supremely blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted, sighing and crying for the abominations, for the lawlessness, for the attitudes that bar people from receiving God's blessings. Blessed are the meek, the teachable, those who say, I don't know how to live and walk myself, but I trust that the ruler does, and I'm going to be directed by him, for they shall inherit the earth.

They're going to reign with Christ. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for doing right in God's eye, for doing what the king says, for doing what our Lord and Master, our husband that we are betrothed to at baptism, says to do, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, those who work and wrestle to make peace in a world that is divided and pulled apart, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing right in God's eyes, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. How supremely blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.

I begin to see what blessings are through Jesus Christ's eyes and what he's blessing you and me with. This is it! Rejoice, verse 12, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

You know, the kingdom, the word kingdom, has two different meanings. If you look it up in Thayer's, it has two elements, I would say, and one element, obviously, is the territory in the kingdom of heaven, and the other is the rain. The primary meaning of the Greek word translated kingdom is the rule, the rain. And we are here celebrating the rule, the rain, of God. When we preach the gospel of the kingdom, we're not preaching the gospel of the territory, we're preaching the coming rain of Jesus Christ, the rule of Jesus Christ. And that rule needs to be in us now so that we can be blessed with eternal life in the territory, and then we can teach them how to be submissive to the rule of Jesus Christ so that they can inherit the territory, which is the gift, the reward, as we see. In chapter 6 and verse 19, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. We often call these things blessings. If you want to know what a blessing is in your mind, in my mind, just listen to ourselves. We'll say, oh, I received this blessing. What'd you get? Ah, treasures on earth. And we'll identify with these things where moth and rust and other elements wear and tear. They destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. How do we do that?

We do that by submitting to God, obeying God, receiving God's blessing of eternal life, and ruling with Jesus Christ to help others be blessed as well.

In verse 29, he says, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all of his glory was not a raid like one of these. I mean, if you want to look at the physical things, those things fade.

In verse 31, therefore do not worry, saying, what shall we eat? Like that's some blessing. Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? Those aren't the blessings. For after all these things, the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows you need that stuff. Take care of that. In verse 33, but seek first the rulership of God in his righteousness. That's what we are here for.

That's this phase. The reward's coming later. Seek the rulership of Jesus Christ in our life. Seek the rulership of God and doing right in their eyes. And the blessings of God will follow. We are called to model the kingdom of God to this world now. In chapter 5 and verse 13, chapter 5 and verse 13, you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how will it be seasoned? We can say we are godly in the body, etc., etc. But if we don't actually obey God and fulfill our calling, then he can't bless us. It is then good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trampled under faith. God cannot bless unrighteousness. God cannot bless rebellion.

We need to learn that so that we can teach that to the upcoming generations, the families that these festivals portray. You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill and cannot be hidden. Verse 16, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. We should be modeling God, Jesus said in Matthew 5.48, be you therefore like your Father in heaven is. And in Ephesians, you can read through Ephesians 4, Ephesians 5, and Ephesians 6. And we find how God is the supreme commander and we are brought up in this covenant to accomplish certain things, becoming godly and growing up to be real children that represent the family of God. And then we want future generations to do that as well. And as we model that, we have to realize we cannot model that which we are not. You and I cannot model that which we are not. And thus, as we can see right here, if we can't model that, if we're really not that, then we can't receive God's blessings, the blessings of salvation. That's why half of the virgins are not wise and don't go into the bridegroom's ceremony. That's why the sheep and the goats who look so similar when they're running together are so different. The wheat and the chak, you see, and so many other things that we read of that Jesus gave us as examples. We are called to mirror the Godhead. What is God's will for all humans? What's the purpose of His coming? He says in John chapter 10 in verse 10, I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.

God just wants to bless. Jesus wants to bless. He came and lived and died so that we can have that eternal life, that abundant spirit life. We might ask, why did God put another covenant? Why did He insert another covenant between the Sinai covenant with Israel and the new covenant that He will make with Israel in the millennium? Why did He wedge this new covenant in that we are part of? Jesus proclaimed it as being at hand to those whom the Father is calling right now. The word kingdom in the Greek is bacilia. Again, Thayer says the meaning is number one, rule.

The rule of God in number two is the territory, or to seek first the rule of God in His righteousness. The Gospel proclaims a new ruler. When we talk about the Gospel, we say, new ruler is coming. The ruler of this world, Jesus said, has been cast out or is being cast out.

And now there's a new rule, so repent of following the old ruler, change, change rulers, change laws, change mindsets, and change cultures. The culture of God is agape love.

We need to change to that culture of agape love.

First fruit, Jesus Christ, fully embraced that when He was here on earth. The first fruits who are resurrected with Him will have fully embraced God's rule in their lives. And they are raised up as with the first fruit, as first fruits, to co-rule with Jesus Christ. Again, Kingdom of God, Rule of God. We are celebrating also the rulership that we will have with Jesus Christ in helping people change kings, change laws, change mindsets, and change cultures into the culture of the family of God.

In Revelation chapter 20 and verse 6, let's notice this. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 6, Blessed and holy, oh how supremely blessed and holy is He who has part in the first resurrection. That is exciting! First fruits standing with God, with Christ on Mount of Olives, find in Revelation chapter 14, 15, and rolling on through 19 as the bride. And then at the end of 19, coming in on horses with Him, and chapter 2 and 3, the blessings and co-ruling with Him with a rod of iron.

This rulership comes to them. It says here in verse 6, Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. That Greek word reign means to rule. It is very similar, actually, to the word translated kingdom. It is basiluo, very, very similar word. Both of them have the primary meaning to rule. So the kingdom, or the rulership of Jesus Christ, includes the saints who will rule with Him. Israel also has spiritual blessings. Their covenant was largely what we might call physical. If you'll obey these things, you'll have a good life with physical blessings.

There was no eternal life as part of the Sinai covenant. But included in the blessings, let's go back to Deuteronomy chapter 28. We'll start in verse 1. This chapter is often called the blessings and cursings chapter, but it reveals something important to us. God didn't just want to bless Israel, and He won't just bless Israel in the future with physical rain and crops and things like that. Notice here, Deuteronomy 28 in 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, which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. Verse 2. And all of these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because, just like with Abraham, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. When you hear of this voice of the Lord and obeying the voice of the Lord and hearing the voice of the Lord, that's the command.

Those are the laws, those are the rules of your ruler, of your king. And you obey what He's telling you to do. Verse 8. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses, and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.

And then all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord. And that's going to happen in these times that the autumn festivals celebrate. Blessings upon blessing, spiritual, physical, all kinds of things rolled into them being children of God. Jesus Christ was sent to bless us. In what way was Jesus Christ sent to bless you and me in the church? And we can stop and think, okay, Jesus Christ, blessing, how was He sent to bless us? Let's let the Bible explain things. Go to Acts 2. Remember on the day of Pentecost when Peter stood up and he talked to the Jews who had come in.

We're going to pass on from chapter 2. We know that pretty well. And go to chapter 3 in verse 25. You are sons of the prophets and the covenant which God made with our Father, saying to Abraham, and in all your seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Blessed. How? Next verse. To you first, God, having raised up His servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you. How? To bless you how? In turning away every one of you from your iniquities. There's the blessing of Jesus Christ. If we turn from our iniquities, if we turn to God in obedience, we receive that blessing through Jesus Christ that was always intended. Eternal life. That is God's great gift. That is His supreme blessing, as we just read in Revelation 20 in verse 6. Obedience brings God's blessings, and sin prevents them. Some 100 billion people, perhaps, have blocked God having the opportunity to bless them. And yet, God wants to bless them desperately. He created them in His image. He created them in His likeness. He sent His Son to bless us in turning us away from our iniquities so that He can give us life and life more abundantly. How will you teach your resurrected 60 to 100 billion, your portion of this great resurrection that we are celebrating today?

You know, what's the fundamental thing? Sometimes you say, oh, I don't know what I do. Sure, you do.

You might ask this question. Will you let God bless you now?

You know, He had that other life, didn't you? Will you let God bless you now?

God blesses the obedient. That's the theme from Genesis to Revelation. How much do you and I believe that? How much do you and I practice that? How much do you and I live that? How much do you and I model that for them? See, that's the question for us today. Blessed in its compounds appear 490-some times in Scripture, filled with it. Guess how many times fortunate appears in Scripture, giving credit to the goddess Fortuna? Zero. How about lucky? You know, it's not in there, is it? Blessed. 490 times. Blessed in its compounds appear 490 times. That is God's will. Let's go to James chapter 1 and verse 25. James 1 and verse 25, as we are forerunners of what this day pictures, we are first fruits. They are the great harvest at the end. Let's see here.

James 1 and verse 25.

He who looks into the perfect law of liberty, liberty from slavery to sin, liberty from curses because of disobedience, he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be supremely blessed in all that he does. See? That's it. God wants to bless us. There's no luck involved in it. There's no chance.

It is God's law. God blesses righteousness. He cannot bless disobedience.

And God wants to bless humans. What do humans consider a blessing? Well, let's go to Luke chapter 11 and verse 13 and contrast what humans consider blessings at times with what God wants to bless us with. Here's what Jesus said. Luke chapter 11 and verse 13. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? The Holy Spirit. It's kind of wanting the car there. Could I trade in the Holy Spirit for what's behind curtain number two by chance? That's kind of where we are as humans. This sort of seems a little out of step sometimes. God's going to bless us with good gifts of the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Hmm. In verse 28. But he said more than that, supremely blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.

This is the core of why we are in the church. This is the core of why humanity exists. This is the core of why Jesus Christ came and lived and died. It's the core of what we celebrate here today for humanity in advance. While they don't even know it, we are preparing to help Jesus Christ bless them.

Why do we always look forward to the Feast of Tabernacles and the eighth day so expectantly, so joyously? We even just call it the feast. It's like there's only one.

Where are you going to the feast this year? We get all excited. Why? Because it is the rollout of opportunities for blessings. That's what these days picture. The blessings that God can give to humanity. It demonstrates how much God wants to bless humanity. And to help illustrate that to you and me, not to them yet, but to you and me, he says, I want you to save a tenth of your income.

And I want you to spend it in about a week just to show how blessed we want to make the people who will live in what these days picture experience. In Malachi chapter 3 and verse 10, we find that it's not about the kingdom of God, the rulership of God, the territory of God isn't about meat and drink, but that helps us express physically and mentally how much God wants to bless in all ways humanity. But let's take that up a notch. Malachi chapter 3 and verse 10, bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.

And try me, test me now in this, says the Lord, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will be not room enough to receive it.

What is the blessing? Eternal life. What is the blessing that is so huge there's just not enough room or arms to receive it? The territory of the kingdom of God, the spirit realm of new heavens and new earth. It is so huge, the family of God, the whole experience.

You and I don't have the arms to receive it if he handed it to us. That's what God wants.

We have an important covenant, a work to be busy about as firstfruits, preparing to bless all of humanity. Let's go to Revelation chapter 19 and verse 7.

Revelation chapter 19 and verse 7, Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come.

You know, gearing up now to start the blessings, the husband now is taking on a wife, a helper. They're of one mind, of one accord. She is being fitted as he is in white. She has been giving judgment and co-rulership with Jesus Christ. She's been making herself ready. Through his washing and care, as we see in Ephesians chapter 5.

And to her it was granted to be a reign in fine linen. Clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Submissive, obedient, following the master, the Lord, the master, the husband. We'll be tested in all this, by the way, during our lives now. God is going to raise us up to be supreme God beings like himself. And there's not going to be a chance involved of a super Satan type coming out of it. Somebody who squeaks in the door and knocks on and says, oh, let me in, let me in. I'm not quite like you, but you know, I'll be good. No, it's not going to happen.

In verse 9, he said, Right, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Oh, how supremely blessed God wants to bless you and me. Jesus Christ wants to bless us so much in that relationship. The question I ask myself is, will I allow God to bless me with the marriage of Jesus Christ? Will he will he allow will I allow him to bless me with entry?

Or will I be like those who see the wise virgins go in and the door shut? You know, we see that from the outside in Scripture. We don't know what goes on inside.

We want to go inside. Supremely blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

We find that in verse 8, remember, it's the righteous acts of the Saint that give us the wedding garment, the fine, clean linen to go in. Together, then, we will help our husband bless obedient humans in the world tomorrow. This is the same theme in every era of God's plan of salvation, in every era of the Bible, in every element of God's festivals from the beginning to the end. Let's begin to wrap this up in Revelation chapter 20 and verse 12. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 12. It's interesting that the greatest in number of those who have the opportunity to be blessed and saved has the smallest amount of Scripture that describes definitively this opportunity. And it really comes down to the definitive description here in one verse for this massive opportunity of the great harvest of humanity. And let's just look here carefully at what is said in Revelation chapter 20 and verse 12. And I saw the dead.

We read in verse 5 that only the firstfruits had been resurrected to this point, and the rest of the dead now are being resurrected. And I saw them small and great standing before God. Now, this God is seated in the previous verse, a great white throne. In other words, He is the ruler. And He has laws, and He has an opportunity now for people to come under His rule and to obey His laws and to embrace and develop His culture, the culture, the agape family mindset. And so we see they are now standing before God. And books were opened. Jesus said, blessed are your eyes for they see, blessed are your ears for they hear. But the eyes and ears have been closed and they haven't been able to be blessed because of the deception of the current ruler. And their eyes are now open to these books, and they can read the biblos. It just means books. We call it a Bible, but it's plural. It means books. The books are open. There may be more for them to read by that day.

And notice, and another book was open to them, the Book of Life. If you're baptized, your name is written in the Book of Life. It's your duty to keep it written there. They have an opportunity now also to have their name written in the Book of Life. And without Satan around, what you and I have to face and wrestle against, hopefully they will have a smoother, more blessed opportunity.

But as we go on, the Book of Life and the dead were judged according to their works by the things that were written in the books. The books, plus whatever may be written in the future.

Just like you and me. Just like Abram. Just like Jesus Christ. Just like the bride of Christ. Just like those living in the millennium, the covenant that God will make with Israel and Judah in those days. They'll have that opportunity as well. And that is followed by an opportunity for the great blessing of eternal life. So in conclusion, blessings in future eras will be based on the same criteria that God's blessings to humans have always been based on. The same ones that you and I have based on at this time. Let's go to James chapter one. James chapter one, again. This time, verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift, these blessings from God, is from above. That's the blessings that God wants you and I to have in this life as we pursue the great blessing eternal life. And it comes down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. We have to understand God never changes. And when he told Israel to carefully observe his laws, carefully keep his commandments, you know, keep his Sabbaths holy. That didn't sort of go away and get generalized. No. God has no shadow of turning. You and I need to be obedient and submissive so that we can receive the blessing of eternal life. We are here to join God's government, God's family. That is God's purpose for calling us now so that we can assist Jesus Christ at his return. Going on now to verse 18. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth. Jesus Christ is the word of God, Revelation 19. Jesus Christ is truth. I am the way, the truth, the life. You and I, by God's will, have been brought forth by him that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. So here we are, the very first harvest, the little harvest, the first fruits, following the first fruit, Jesus Christ, the wave sheep, preparing to shower the obedient future generations with the blessings of God.

God and Jesus Christ desire to bless every human being that has ever lived. So let's live a godly life that is blessed now so that we can help God bless humanity forever.