Holy Days Teach us God’s Love Introduction – As we begin a new season of God’s Holy Days, it is fitting that we step back and take an overview of what God is seeking to accomplish in us by means of His Holy Days.

· I like to say that the purpose of our physical life is to prepare us to spend eternity with God and Jesus Christ and the rest of God’s family. · The Holy Days are one way that God is accomplishing this.

· What is the ultimate spiritual goal of our life? NKJ Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…

· God’s righteousness can be summed up in one word…. NRS 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

· So the goal of this life is to develop Godly love.

· We are not born with this kind of love, and we certainly won’t find it out in the world.

· Godly love can only come from God. NRS 1 John 4:19 We love1 because he first loved us.

· No direct object, not just loving God; we can’t love at all with godly love without God. How does God show us His love? Romans 5:8-10 8 … God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. · The death of Christ is an expression of the depth of God’s love for us that begins our relationship with Him and starts the process of building His love in us.

· Passover, which begins the Holy Day season reminds us of this aspect of God’s love. The days of Unleavened Bread remind us of our response and responsibility to love God. NLT 1 John 5:3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

· So the Days of Unleavened bread remind us of the need to “put sin out of our lives” by putting leavening out of our homes.

· Eating unleavened bread emphasizes the need to look to Jesus Christ, the bread of life, to help us accomplish this in our lives. NKJ John 6:48 "I am the bread of life. 49 "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 "This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." NKJ 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus….

NKJ John 14:12 ¶ " Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 ¶ " If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 " A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. · Jesus promises to help us by doing whatever we ask for in His name. · God and Jesus Christ “make their home in” us by means of the Holy Spirit. NLT 1 John 4:16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

NRS 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple1 of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? NLT John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

· What “fruit” is God looking for? NLT Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! · Love heads the list of what God and Jesus Christ produce in us by means of the Holy Spirit. NRS Romans 5:5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. NLT Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

· Pentecost commemorates the beginning of the NT Church by God making the Holy Spirit available to those whom He calls to repentance and conversion. The spring Holy Days emphasize God’s love for us and in us. The fall Holy Days teach us why God has loved us—to be vessels of His love working through us. · The Feast of Trumpets anticipates the return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. · Why is He referred to as King of kings?

· In the opening verses of the book of Revelation, John refers to… Revelation 1:5-6 … Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth … who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

· We must grow in the love of God in this life so that we can be loving leaders to assist Jesus Christ to teach and serve the human citizens of the kingdom and help them to grow in the love of God. · The Day of Atonement portrays ultimately all mankind becoming at one with God (Passover & Days of UB on a worldwide scale). NKJ Isaiah 59:1 ¶ Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. NLT Isaiah 59:1 ¶ Listen! The LORD's arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. 2 It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

· That means that we will have to help them to put sin out of their lives, look to Jesus Christ, and allow Him and the Father to instill the love of God in their hearts by means of the Holy Spirit. · The Feast of Tabernacles offers us a foretaste of this wonderful time of peace and prosperity and health and happiness, all flowing from the love of God to and from His people (Pentecost on a worldwide scale). · A time when we will be assisting King Jesus in this universal project of love and service.

· The Last Great Day looks forward to the time when the vast majority all who have ever lived will have their first real opportunity to learn about, receive and live by the love of God.

· Our responsibilities will be the same as during the millennium, except on a much larger scale. Conclusion – It is no wonder that when Jesus was asked, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?” he replied, Matthew 22:37-39 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the first and great commandment. 39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' He summed it up by saying, as recorded in verse 40, NLT Matthew 22:40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

· So does the plan of God. And so do His Holy Days that help us learn and live by the love of God so that we can assist Him and Jesus Christ in the coming Kingdom of God to extend the love of God to all mankind. Holy Days Teach us God’s Love Introduction – As we begin a new season of God’s Holy Days, it is fitting that we step back and take an overview of what God is seeking to accomplish in us by means of His Holy Days.

· I like to say that the purpose of our physical life is to prepare us to spend eternity with God and Jesus Christ and the rest of God’s family. · The Holy Days are one way that God is accomplishing this.

· What is the ultimate spiritual goal of our life? NKJ Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…

· God’s righteousness can be summed up in one word…. NRS 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. · So the goal of this life is to develop Godly love.

· We are not born with this kind of love, and we certainly won’t find it out in the world. · Godly love can only come from God. NRS 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

· No direct object, not just loving God; we can’t love at all with godly love without God. How does God show us His love? Romans 5:8-10 8 … God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

· The death of Christ is an expression of the depth of God’s love for us that begins our relationship with Him and starts the process of building His love in us.

· Passover, which begins the Holy Day season reminds us of this aspect of God’s love. The days of Unleavened Bread remind us of our response and responsibility to love God. NLT 1 John 5:3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

· So the Days of Unleavened bread remind us of the need to “put sin out of our lives” by putting leavening out of our homes. · Eating unleavened bread emphasizes the need to look to Jesus Christ, the bread of life, to help us accomplish this in our lives.

NKJ John 6:48 "I am the bread of life. 49 "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 "This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."

NKJ 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…. NKJ John 14:12 ¶ " Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 ¶ " If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 " A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

· Jesus promises to help us by doing whatever we ask for in His name.

· God and Jesus Christ “make their home in” us by means of the Holy Spirit. NLT 1 John 4:16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

NRS 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? NLT John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

· What “fruit” is God looking for? NLT Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

· Love heads the list of what God and Jesus Christ produce in us by means of the Holy Spirit. NRS Romans 5:5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. NLT Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

· Pentecost commemorates the beginning of the NT Church by God making the Holy Spirit available to those whom He calls to repentance and conversion. The spring Holy Days emphasize God’s love for us and in us. The fall Holy Days teach us why God has loved us—to be vessels of His love working through us. · The Feast of Trumpets anticipates the return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

· Why is He referred to as King of kings? · In the opening verses of the book of Revelation, John refers to… Revelation 1:5-6 … Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth … who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

· We must grow in the love of God in this life so that we can be loving leaders to assist Jesus Christ to teach and serve the human citizens of the kingdom and help them to grow in the love of God.

· The Day of Atonement portrays ultimately all mankind becoming at one with God (Passover & Days of UB on a worldwide scale). NKJ Isaiah 59:1 ¶ Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. NLT Isaiah 59:1 ¶ Listen! The LORD's arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. 2 It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

· That means that we will have to help them to put sin out of their lives, look to Jesus Christ, and allow Him and the Father to instill the love of God in their hearts by means of the Holy Spirit.

· The Feast of Tabernacles offers us a foretaste of this wonderful time of peace and prosperity and health and happiness, all flowing from the love of God to and from His people (Pentecost on a worldwide scale). · A time when we will be assisting King Jesus in this universal project of love and service.

· The Last Great Day looks forward to the time when the vast majority all who have ever lived will have their first real opportunity to learn about, receive and live by the love of God.

· Our responsibilities will be the same as during the millennium, except on a much larger scale. Conclusion – It is no wonder that when Jesus was asked, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?” he replied, Matthew 22:37-39 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the first and great commandment. 39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' He summed it up by saying, as recorded in verse 40, NLT Matthew 22:40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

· So does the plan of God. · And so do His Holy Days that help us learn and live by the love of God so that we can assist Him and Jesus Christ in the coming Kingdom of God to extend the love of God to all mankind.