God Has Called Us To An Unleavened Way of Life

Hello, everybody! It is good to be able to talk with you, speak with you. I can't see you, but it certainly is good to be able to come into your home and discuss the truths that we hold so dear. Mary and I hope very much that your Passover and Night to Be were deeply meaningful for each and every one of you.

I know it's a different kind of a season we've had this year, but as I was thinking about it, whenever we have God the Father and Jesus Christ fellowshiping with us, we've got a full house. We have got a full house. Now that's not to say we don't like to have more in terms of our flesh and blood brothers and sisters. We certainly would. Some of you were able to do that, others chose not to. But in either case, brethren, we had a deeply moving Passover and Night to Be, I'm sure. Here we are on the first day of Unleavened Bread, and we live in a world that is deeply troubled, troubled at every level of existence that mankind knows, troubled emotionally, troubled mentally, troubled physically, troubled spiritually.

It's always been this way, from Adam and Eve till today. But when we add the fact that we've got this global plague that is crippling the world, that seems to add another dimension to the troubles this world is facing. This disease, the COVID-19 disease, is heightened people's anxieties. Add to this, the people of the world, the great masses have not been called. They don't know the true God.

They don't know the message of the good news that you and I have been asked to proclaim to the whole of the world. They don't know this because it's not their time to know this. We understand that because we do understand the plan of God, and we are so fortunate that we do. We understand that God has a plan of salvation, a plan that gives life—not just physical life, but eternal life. We understand that our God has a destiny for us as human beings, that there is a tremendous potential for each and every one of us that goes far beyond the thoughts or the dreams of mankind.

We know our Father God, our elder brother Jesus Christ, our compassionate God of grace, a God of mercy. We certainly understand that this past overseas, and as we think about and reflect on the sacrifice that both God and Jesus Christ made—God and the plan and what He was willing to give up in terms of His Son, and certainly Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for us.

But you know, we can rejoice. This is the first day of unleavened bread. We can rejoice because each of these Holy Days has very specific and unique meaning. This first day of unleavened bread is a day filled with chock full of meaning for us. Now, we don't need to cower in fear because of what's happening in the world around us. That doesn't mean we put our head in the sand. That doesn't mean that we don't empathize and sympathize for the peoples of the world.

We ourselves, as we go through and live through these various things, have spiritual tools that God has given us to comfort us and to strengthen us. In your notes, you might want to put down 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7.

I'll read that for you. 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. That's one of the great tools God has given us, His Holy Spirit. Also, Romans chapter 15 and verse 4, where it talks about, through the Scriptures, we have comfort, the comfort of the Scriptures. Through the Scriptures, we have hope.

There's another tremendous tool God gives us. He gives us His Word. And certainly, one of the other things that God does to encourage us is the knowledge that He has given to us. Knowledge that you and I couldn't go out and buy. It's something that God had to open our hearts and open our minds so we can appreciate it. In your notes, you might want to jot down Jeremiah chapter 29 and verse 11.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and to give you a hope. So, brethren, this first day of Unleavened Bread, I want to talk about one of the dynamics of this particular day, essential to our understanding, essential to our well-being in every sense of the Word. For those of you who would like to take notes, my theme here is very simple on this first day of Unleavened Bread. The theme is this. God has called us to an unleavened way of life. God has called us to an unleavened way of life.

Now, let's get our spiritual bearings. Let's turn to Leviticus chapter 23, where God has very succinctly written down for us, have written down for us, all of the holy days—his holy days, not the holy days of any particular group of people. These are God's holy days. So Leviticus chapter 23 verses 6 through 8. Leviticus 23 verse 6.

And on the fifteenth day of the same month as the Feast of Tabernacles—I assume Feast of Unleavened Bread—I'm getting ahead of myself there a little bit. On the fifteenth day of the same month as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, to the Lord, to the Lord. Seven days you must eat unleavened bread. Notice the orientation. The orientation is not to some group of people. It's not the Feast to the Jews. It is to the Lord. Verse 7. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. It's a holy convocation. It's a day that has been set apart as a convocation. And a convocation is an official summons to worship. So we have been set apart to gather together—and we're doing that not physically. We're gathering together here electronically. We're gathering together in spirit to worship our great God. Verse 8. By this you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation. You should do no customary work on it. Notice, brethren, here we've got twice it's made mention of that we're doing this to the Lord. Notice twice we've got two holy days during these days of unleavened bread. So here we see God emphasizing the fact that they're to the Lord and they are holy convocations. Two of them. Passover taught us that we have the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of the Lamb, to take away our sins through His shed blood.

We appreciate that. We appreciate the fact that our sins have vanished. As it says in Isaiah, God has taken His sins and thrown them behind His back. But what now? What do we do now? Now we are to go on living in newness of life. How do we do that as God's redeemed people? How are we to live? Well, that's what these days of unleavened bread picture. The days of unleavened bread remind us that with God's help we must remove and avoid all sin symbolized by the leaven and live genuinely by God's commandments in all areas of our life.

These days of unleavened bread picture a way of life that will lead to the kind of existence that God has always desired for His creation. In your notes, you might want to jot down John, chapter 10, verse 10. I'm very fond of this scripture. I quote this a great deal because it has such meaning. But I want to quote just the part of the last part of that verse, John, chapter 10, and verse 10. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly, the abundant life, the abundant unleavened life as a way of life that God has given to us. Now, I believe Mr. Duran quoted this next section. I want to quote it as well. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 6 through 8. We saw in Leviticus 23, God's command. It's not a directive of men. God's command in Leviticus 23 to keep all of the various holy days, weekly Sabbath included. And now here in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, we see in the New Testament in the New Covenant era where we're also asked to keep these days. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 6.

Your glory is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven that you might be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed, Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. How are we unleavened? Well, we are unleavened because Christ has forgiven us of our sins.

Does that mean we can continue to live in sin? Of course not.

That's why we have the days of unleavened bread. The days of unleavened bread teach us what we should be doing. Continue on in verse 8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Let us keep the feast, a command of God, Old Testament, and New, New Testament, New Covenant. It says here, keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. What is truth? John 1717. Your Word is truth. Your Word is truth. God's Word is a way of life to be lived, not just to academically understand, but to be lived.

When it says we are to worship in sincerity and truth, that brings to mind John 4 and verse 24. We're told to worship God in spirit and in truth. In spirit and in truth.

For the New Covenant Christian removing leaven from our homes for seven days reminds us that we as well, through prayer and God's help and understanding, must recognize, expel, and avoid sin. We must get it out of our lives. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is thus a time of personal reflection, and we've done that. We've done that a great deal. We do that every year. We do it all through the year, not just at Passover time. Again, in your notes, you might want to jot down 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. I'll read that very familiar Scripture to you. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5, where it says, examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?

Unless you are disqualified.

Now, brethren, my overall theme today is that God has called us to an unleavened way of life.

Let's take a look at that more closely. Let's look at John chapter 14 and verse 6. You please turn there. John chapter 14 and verse 6.

John 14 verse 6.

Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Christ said, he is the way. We are to embrace all that is Jesus Christ, all he did, all he said, to look at the example we see in the Gospels, to understand the depth of who he was, and to live that way. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. God has called us to an unleavened way of life. Jesus Christ was spiritually sinless. He was unleavened. We are to embrace that.

Perhaps this is the underlying thought when we take a look at John 14.6 as to why the disciples spoke of their faith as the way. We're going to see that in just a couple of moments. But before we look at that, let's take a look at something we read on Passover evening. We read this quite a bit. 1 Peter 2, verse 21-24. Please turn with me to 1 Peter 2, verses 21-24.

Now I say turn with me. Make it a little easier to do these webcasts. I've actually, for the most part, written down all of my scriptures on my paper here. A little easier to juggle this way. 1 Peter 2, verse 21. For to this were you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow His steps. Now explicitly we're talking about His example and suffering. But we realize, brethren, that Christ is our example in all things, not just in suffering. He is the bar. He is the very high bar. He is our example. Verse 22. Who committed no sin. He lived an unleavened way of life. And there was deceit found in His mouth, who when He was reviled, did not revile in return, when He was suffered, did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him. To who? To God.

Committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. On Passover evening, we gather together, electronically and spiritually, to renew our commitment to this way of life. An unleavened way of life. We rededicated ourselves. We wanted to renew our commitment, because we value this way of life so. But committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Verse 24. Who Himself bore our sins and His own body in the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness.

By whose stripes you were healed? We might live for righteousness, being unleavened.

Let's turn our attention now to Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. Here we see a way of life is talked about as a very narrow way.

Matthew chapter 7, verse 13. Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Verse 14. Because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

So once again, Jesus Christ is talking about this, what we have, our faith, as a way that leads to life.

I'm not going to turn there, but in your notes, you might want to jot down Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 3. Isaiah prophesied about the way. Notice Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 3. Let me read this for you. The voice of one crying wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Notice the way of the Lord. Isaiah prophesied about it. John the Baptist based his ministry on this.

Now, as a reference, I'm not going to turn here, but in Acts chapter 11 and verse 26.

Christians were first referred to as Christians in the city of Antioch. Acts chapter 11 verse 26. But how did the Christians of ancient times, those first century Christians, how were they looking upon their faith? When they discussed their faith, how did they look upon it? How was it referenced? Let's take a look. There are a number of verses here. I do want to have you turn to and read. Let's go to Acts chapter 9 verses 1 and 2. To begin with. Acts chapter 9 verses 1 and 2. Acts chapter 9 verse 1 and 2. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogue of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. So even the adversaries of the Christians, of the saints, knew how they referred to themselves. Any who were of the way, an unleavened way of life.

Acts chapter 19 verse 9. Acts chapter 19 verse 9.

But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the way, before the multitude, he departed from them and through the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. Verse 23, same chapter, Acts 19 verse 23.

And about that time, there arose a great commotion about the way. So people were calling it the way who were enemies of the Christians, because that's how the Christians referred to themselves in their faith. It was a way. Acts chapter 22 and verse 4. Acts chapter 22 and verse 4. Again, Paul speaking, I persecuted this way to the death. That's Acts 22 verse 4. I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering to prisons, both men and women.

And lastly, Acts chapter 24.

Acts chapter 24 verses 14 and 22. Acts chapter 14 verses, Acts chapter 24 verse 14 and 22. Acts 24 verse 14. But this I confess you that according to the way which they call the sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.

Verse 22. When Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, when Lysus, the commander, comes down, I will make a decision on your case. So, brethren, why was it that the Christians referred to their faith as the way?

Why did they do that? Let's take a look at 2 Peter chapter 2. There are a number of things here I want to discuss, and this is not going to be an all-inclusive listing as to why the New Testament Christians called their way of life, their faith, the way. But let's take a look at just three examples here. 2 Peter chapter 2 and in verse 21. 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 21.

For what have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. For what have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, the way of righteousness? So, letter A. Why did the Christians refer to their faith as the way? Letter A, because it was a way of righteousness, because it was an unleavened way. What is righteousness?

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines righteousness this way.

Holy and upright living in accordance with God's standard. The word righteous comes from the word root, which means straightness. It refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard.

God's standard, God's standard, the way of righteousness is the way the early Christians lived their lives—an unleavened faith, an unleavened way of life. Let's look at Psalm 119, 172. God gives us standards as Christians, and we celebrate these standards at all times, and we certainly highlight these standards during the days of unleavened bread. Psalm 119, 172, where it says, in part, all your commandments are righteousness.

So we are to be living by all of God's commandments—all of God's—what he asks us to do.

So we've got unleavened spiritual standards.

We see in Romans chapter 7, we look at the Old Testament, and let's look at the New Testament in terms of the unleavened spiritual standards that God has given to us. Romans chapter 7, verse 12.

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. These are unleavened spiritual standards—God's Ten Commandments, God's law.

They are righteousness. They are holy. They are just. They are good. It says in Romans chapter 7, in verse 14, where we know that the law is spiritual. A spiritual law that helps us to stay keeps us, as we obey the laws, unleavened. Unleavened. And of course, these laws, these ways, are unleavened because the source is unleavened. God's character is the definition and source of all righteousness. God's character is the definition and source of all righteousness.

Let's turn over to Deuteronomy chapter 32.

Deuteronomy chapter 32 verses 3 and 4.

Deuteronomy 32 verse 3 and 4. For I proclaim the name of the Lord, ascribe greatness to our God, he is the rock, his work is perfect, for all of his ways are justice, a God of truth, and without injustice, righteous and upright is he. Righteous and upright is he. He is the source of this unleavened way of life. He gives us unleavened spiritual standards through his law that we are to live by, that are holy, just, and good, that are spiritual. So one of the reasons the Christians, I believe, refer to their faith as the way is because it is a way of righteousness. Let us turn to a second of the three ways I would like to discuss with you today. The second way that the reason why I believe the Christians refer to their faith as the way is because it was a way of truth, a way of truth. Go back to 2 Peter chapter 2.

We were just quoting this a little earlier. 2 Peter chapter 2 2 Peter 2 2 2 2. You know, I can't see you, but you can see me, and because of the background we've selected to try to standardize, sometimes when we make movements, half of our body disappears.

I can wish certain parts of my body would disappear, like right around my stomach. But it doesn't quite work that way. Anyway, 2 Peter 2 and verse 2.

And many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth, the way of truth, will be blaspheme. The way of truth will be blaspheme.

We live an unleavened life by living the way of truth. Again, quoting from the Nelson Illustrated Bible Dictionary, truth is conformity to fact or actuality, faithless to an original or to a standard. Now, we talked about the standard just a moment ago. Our standards are God's standards. Our standard is God Himself. Jesus Christ said that to follow His example. We see the example of the Father God. All of these examples are examples of truth. Isaiah chapter 65.

Isaiah chapter 65 and verse 16.

Isaiah chapter 65 and verse 16. We're talking about God as a source, an unleavened source without sin.

Isaiah 65 verse 16.

So that He who blesses Himself in the earth shall bless Himself in the God of truth. And he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth, because the former troubles are forgotten because they are hidden from my eyes. Twice in that verse, God is referred to as the God of truth. We are to keep these days in sincerity and truth. We are to worship in spirit and truth. So truth is a tremendous foundational aspect of the faith of the Christian.

Remember what we saw earlier in John chapter 14 and verse 6. Let me again quote that for you. John 14.6. Jesus said to them, I am the way, the truth, and the life. So God is truth. Jesus is truth. We as Christians are to live by truth as an unleavened way of life.

We've got help along those lines. John chapter 16 and verse 13. Let's take a look at that. John chapter 16 and verse 13. John 16 verse 13. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth.

God's Holy Spirit, God's power, guides us in being unleavened into an unleavened way of life. We've got to be led by God's Spirit to do that, but God's Spirit will do just that.

Psalm 119-142. Psalm 119-142. Notice it says, I'll give you a moment to turn there, Psalm 119-142. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth.

Your law is truth. Notice we've got two things here, back to back. We talked about righteousness and the Christians living the way of righteousness, and now again we're seeing here that the law of God is a law of truth. One thing building on the other or complementing one another.

As we're in Psalm 119, let's look at Psalm 119 verse 160. Psalm 119 verse 160.

Psalm 119 verse 160. Psalm 119 verse 160, where it says, the entirety of your word is truth.

And every one of your righteous judgments endures forever. The entirety of your word is truth. We are to live by every word of God. As ministers, we are to proclaim the whole counsel of God, because it is God's way of righteousness. It is God's way of truth. And as we're going to also see in just now the third area, let her see. One of the reasons I believe that the Christians refer to their faith as the way is because it is a way of peace. A way of peace.

You would turn over to Luke chapter 1 and verse 79. Luke chapter 1 verse 79.

To give light to those who sit in darkness and a shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. To guide our feet into the way of peace. Now, brethren, God alone is the source of peace. We see what's taken place on this planet for the last 6,000 years. This is not a world full and running over with peace. Peace has been elusive. Peace has been hard to find for any stretch of time, because we have somebody ruling over this planet, the God of this age, the God of this world, Satan, who doesn't believe in peace.

Back in a day when his name was Lucifer, and he had perfect government to look up to, God the Father and Jesus Christ. Back in the days when there was perfect environment, back in the days where sin was unheard of, he decided he was going to take peace from the universe in the sense of going to war against God. The adversary, Satan. In the Old Testament, there was a man who was being commissioned by God to deliver Israel from the Midianites. He needed reassurance. I think we can appreciate that. I think you and I can relate to that. As we go through life, there are times where yes, we want to be faithful people. Assurance is something that we all, I think, desire. And it's not wrong to desire that. The man I want to talk about is an abonaima Gideon.

And as God was reassuring him, he found that reassurance in God. And I'm not going to read the whole story about his life and what he did, but there is one verse I want to zero in on. It's Judges 6 and verse 24. Judges 6 and verse 24. Let's turn over there. As God is a source of righteousness, as God is a source of truth, our God is also the source of peace. And again, when you think about peace and all its ramifications, there is a lack of peace on this planet right now. There always has been. And until Christ returns, there, you know, with the exception of his saints, there always will be a lack of peace for the great masses. But now that we've got the COVID-19 coronavirus disease engulfing the planet, there's even less peace of mind, peace of spirit. But notice what it says here in Judges 6 and verse 24. So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called the Lord is peace.

Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is peace. Let us be thankful that God at this time has been merciful to you and to me. That God has expended his grace to you and to me. And we have an understanding about peace. Numbers chapter 6 is a beautiful section of Scripture.

Numbers chapter 6 verses 24 through 26 as we begin to wind down this sermon. Let's be encouraged by this section of Scripture. As we face the unknown, you know, life is uncertain for us. It's unknown for us. We pray for the Spizak family. We pray for all the people in the church to have fallen victim to this virus, this disease. You know, one, by one point I was able to say to you that none of our people, to my knowledge, had succumbed. I can no longer say that. We've got members who have contracted this disease. We've got a few, to my understanding, who have died. And certainly, Father God, certainly we pray to our Father God that he would watch over and keep all of us, you know, every day that is my prayer to you, for you, for your families, for the world. You know, we as Christians are to be people who are concerned about everybody, even our enemies. But notice here this tremendous grouping of verses in Numbers chapter 6 starting here in verse 24. Numbers 6, 24. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his continents upon you and give you peace.

And give you peace. This is one of the great things that we have as Christians, as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, as sons and daughters of the great God. We have peace. John chapter 14 verse 27. John chapter 14 verse 27.

We read this scripture just a couple of nights ago on Passover evening. Jesus Christ, in his farewell discourse as he was heading toward his crucifixion, made these comments. So remember the context of these comments. He was about to go through the worst torture ever endured by a human being. John chapter 14 verse 27. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Jesus Christ was able to talk about peace. Basically just hours before his crucifixion.

So, brethren, as you and I walk through a world engulfed by this plague, let's remember we've got the peace of God. We've got the mind of God. It's not a mind of fear. It's a mind of peace. Isaiah chapter 26. This will be the last scripture I'm going to ask you to turn to. Isaiah chapter 26 and verse 3. Isaiah chapter 26 and verse 3.

Isaiah 26 and verse 3. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on you because he trusts in you.

The Christians referred to their way of living. They've referred to their faith as the way.

It was a way of peace because their minds were stayed on him. And during these difficult times, these dark times, these times were sheltering in place. We're staying at home. We're at social, standing six feet away from one another, social distancing. Our minds need to be stayed on him because we need to trust in him. He is an unleavened father, an unleavened older brother. We are to be unleavened people. And let us remember that. Brethren, today we've taken a look at the way of Christianity, an unleavened way of life. We've documented at least three. And I'm not saying this is the only three. I'm sure there are many more things we could have talked about today. But among the things as to why the Christians refer to themselves as the way of life is because it's a way of righteousness. It's a way of truth. It's a way of peace. In a world filled with uncertainty and fear, we can greatly rejoice on this first day of unleavened breath. Remember, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his continents upon you and give you peace.