Our Calling and the Feast of Trumpets

Thank you, Catherine. Thank you, Mary, for the offeratory and the special music. Thank you very much for that. Wow, what a day! What a wonderful day that we're here to celebrate. Wish you a happy Feast of Trumpets to everyone. We got a full house. I like it. I think we need to have it every week, so don't anybody go anywhere. This is what we're going to start having. Just make your plans. You're going to be here in Ann Arbor every single week. Got it? This is wonderful. It's wonderful to be together as God's people. He commands that we be here, but more so than that, we be here because we love Him. He's told us to do it. We're going to do it, but this is a joy for us. He knew that when He created this Holy Day. He knew that when He created all the Holy Days and commanded that they be kept, because they are a joy for each one of us. I hope that this day is one that's still in your heart with a lot of joy and a lot of hope for the day that Christ will return and all that this will portray. As we know from our study and in keeping God's Holy Days, each of these festivals represent an important aspect of God's plan for all of humanity. This Feast of Trumpets pictures two vital steps in that plan. First, the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to put down the kingdoms of this world and to establish the kingdom of God on this earth. And the second, as we heard in the sermon ad, is the resurrection of God's first fruits, those who have committed their lives to God's way and faithfully endured to the end of their lives. Intertwined with the symbolism of this day is a wonderful aspect of the deep relationship that God Himself has with His people. Just as we just mentioned, on the day of Christ's return, God's people who have diligently and enduringly followed Him will be resurrected on the first resurrection. This isn't a resurrection to join Him in the third heaven and to sit on clouds and to play harps for all of eternity. Because if you were like me, I'd get bored kind of quick in that type of an environment. No, we will have jobs and roles given to us to help in the establishment of His kingdom on this earth and to spread God's laws and teachings that have never fully been implemented in this earth. As Revelation 20 states, we will be given roles as kings and priests to serve in teaching those living God's desired way of life. It's always good to start the day off with a review of the Scriptures of why we are here and the ones that are speaking on the Feast of Trumpets. So please turn with me to Leviticus 23.

Leviticus 23, and we'll read about this Feast of Trumpets in verse 23. Leviticus 23 verse 23.

There's another description of this day, and I'll go ahead and read that. Numbers 29 verse 1. The word Trumpets here comes from the Hebrew word teruah. Teruah. And then the other meanings of this word could be a clamor. That is, an acclamation of joy or a battle cry could also mean an alarm. As in an alarm, or as joy or a jubilee, a loud noise, rejoicing, shouting. These are all different meanings of this word in the Hebrew language. In ancient days, a shofar or a trumpet was used to produce a loud piercing type of sound. We've all heard Trumpets, and when one really gets a hold of one and blows strongly, that can be a piercing noise that you can distinguish from a far, and you know from all other instruments that noise. The shofar was a hollow ram's horn that was tapered on one end to be used as a mouthpiece. We've seen illustrations of the shofar. This instrument could produce its own unique sound, similar to the trumpet that could be heard afar off. The metal trumpet, or shofar, was used by Israel for many different things, some of which were a call to war, a call for leaders together together, a call for all of Israel, all of God's people, together together, or a warning of danger as in an alarm, or to cheer, to applaud, to shout in triumph. As a trumpet would be used by Israel to make a call, we have each symbolically received our trumpet call by God. When talking about God opening our minds to the depths of His understanding that exists in His Word, we generally call this God's calling. You and I have received God's calling. This calling is a wonderful event that dramatically impacted each of our lives as we grew in knowledge and came to the realization that we must accept the atoning sacrifice of God's only Son and commit our ways to live in a new way of life with Christ as our core focus. The same calling is being offered to our children as God works with them in each of their lives. When we contemplate the calling of God, there are really no words to accurately describe the death and the magnitude that this calling has had and impacted our life. This calling reached us to the very center of our hearts and our minds. This calling has become part of who we are. So today, as we celebrate this Feast of Trumpets, I'd like us to consider this day and how it relates to our Christian calling. Some of you like titles. Today's title is, Our Calling and the Feast of Trumpets. Our Calling and the Feast of Trumpets. So what is our Christian calling? It's a question that you and I may answer a little bit differently. You may prefer that I give you a few minutes to think about. How would you describe? How would you define our Christian calling? But for me, in its simplest form would be to become children of God. To become children of God. Now, the depth of this answer goes far beyond just these simple words, doesn't it? To be children of God. I mean, we come to every one of his holy days to hear messages on what this means. Just about every single Sabbath, we come here on the day that he commands to hear messages expounded on what does it mean to become children of God? It's easy to read those few words. It's much more difficult to truly understand the magnitude of what does this mean. Wrapped up in the meaning of this Feast of Trumpets is the promise from God that his saints will become spiritual members of his family. Literal children of God. Let's look at a couple of these accounts that references this aspect. The first will be in 2 Corinthians 6.

It's important that we don't just say these words, but we actually see that they ring true from his holy word. Because we can say that we're children of God, and maybe not fully understand what that means. So let's read in his own words that he's inspired what he means when he calls us children of God. This is 2 Corinthians 6, chapter 17, or chapter 17, verse 6. Excuse me, chapter 6, verse 17. Everybody with me now?

Therefore, come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Be separate. Come out from their ways. Come out from the corruption that Satan has brought into this world. Be different. Be holy. And as he says, you shall be my sons and daughters. Let's look now at 1 John, chapter 3. So you can flip forward a little bit. 1 John 3, verse 1. 1 John 3, verse 1. 2 And the third reference. Let's look at 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2. So a couple chapters towards the front of the book again.

1 Thessalonians, chapter 2, and verse 11.

This is Paul speaking here in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 11. And he says, As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and his glory. So as children of God, we will be part of his kingdom, part of his glory that he will share with you and with myself. So let this sink in for a moment. This aspect of being children of God. I've thought about it this week as working through this message, and I sat there and I pondered. I meditated a tiny bit on this, saying, What does that look like? What does that feel like? We heard in the sermonette an aspect of the change that will happen with us. Can you wrap your mind truly around what these words mean? I struggle. It's kind of like saying, well, living with God for eternity. But we are going to be children of God. It's a promise, and it's what it will truly be in your and my life.

This is a promise from God, and ultimately what he desires that each of us become. So with this fact understood, we must each ask and consider, what does our Christian calling require of us? What does our Christian calling require of us? As we consider the question today, I have three points that we'll work through. And the first is, we must actively confess God as our Father and Christ as our Lord. We must actively confess God as our Father and Christ as our Lord. Some will say that sounds Protestant.

But confessing can mean to admit something as in guilt. It can also mean to acknowledge something, to acknowledge the authority that God has over our lives, to acknowledge that we are in agreement with God's standard. Confessing has a strong meaning with acknowledging. The wrong way to look at confession is to say all we need to do, all that we need to do is to confess our sins and acknowledge God as being holy, right, and just, and then we're all good. But that is only part of the picture. Let's look at Daniel 4, because here Daniel uses the word confession, but he goes a little bit further than just saying that that's all we need to do.

This is in Daniel 9, verse 4.

Here in Daniel 9, verse 4, Daniel says, And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and I said, O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and mercy with those who love him, and, here's the key part, with those who keep his commandments. So it's not just confession. It's not only saying my sins are before you, God, and then they're just, that's all we need to do. But there's another part of living with God that, applying his way, his teachings to our lives, that we must do. But you may be thinking of another passage that some like to use, because some will say that Paul's words in Romans, chapter 10, say that we only need to confess, and we only need to believe to be saved. But is that all? Let's look at that. Let's turn to Romans 10. Let's actually read Paul's words.

This is Romans 10, verse 9.

Here Paul says, in Romans 10, verse 9, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Sounds pretty straightforward, doesn't it? But what is missed with this line of thought is that Paul himself, in the same letter to the Romans, speaks to the law being holy, just, and good. We don't have to turn to other chapters. We don't have to turn to other books. We don't have to turn to the Old Testament to read this. Paul's own words here in Romans talks about this. He clarifies. Let's turn back to Romans 14, verse 15. I'm sorry, Romans 4, verse 15. I'm having a hard time seeing some of my notes today. Romans 4, verse 15.

Because here, Paul says the law is what defines sin. Romans 4, verse 15. Because the law brings about wrath for... Yes, because the law brings about wrath for where there is no law, there is no transgression. Without the law, there can be no transgression. He says this again in chapter 5, verse 13.

For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

He then says later in chapter 7, verse 7.

Paul says here in chapter 7, verse 7, What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. So we see that it is the law which defines sin in our lives as light illuminates a dark room. It's not that the law is evil or burdensome, but indeed a blessing to us, because it provides us the freedom. Some people would use the word liberty here, from the penalty of sin when we turn from our sinful ways. Paul adds just one chapter later, actually where we're still at, 7, verse 12. Therefore the law is holy and the commandment holy, and just and good. So Paul himself in the same book of Romans speaks to the law. It's important in that it is holy, and it is just, and good. So we see that when Paul says all these things, he's setting the stage for where he then gets to Romans chapter 10. That confession, that the confession he references here again in chapter 10, verse 9, means to acknowledge that God is God. His ways and His commandments to be part of our worship and part of our calling.

This usage for confess is the same that Christ himself used in Matthew 10, verse 32. Let's look at that, because it's the same in the Greek. And this really rings true what Paul is getting at here, and when he talks about confession. Matthew 10, verse 32.

Here Christ, in His own words, says, So here Christ is saying, So you see the use of the word confess. There are some that say certain words have been taken away from our right to use. Some of them are like, maybe grace. That other religions use grace so strongly that it's not a word that we should use too often. But God speaks to His grace. He speaks to that favor that He gives you and I. I've heard others that say we should take that word back. I agree with them. I think we should take the word confess, confession back. Because it's not simply just saying, All my sins are laid before God, and therefore I am holy and just and good. But that there is a component of living a godly life that we must also do. So I believe we should take this word back as well. It's okay to use the word confess. So this is part of our calling, that we are to profess God the Father's and to acknowledge Him as being our Father, and to express and to acknowledge that His Son is our Lord and our Savior. We do this, and we should do this, every day. We must confess that the Father and the Son are God, and that we have before us a right way and a wrong way to live our lives. We have been chosen personally by God. You have been chosen. I have been chosen. Each one of us has been chosen by God. We know from John 6, verse 44, that no man can come to me, and this is Christ speaking, unless the Father who sent me draws him. We know that this is a calling from God. It's difficult, once again, for us to comprehend that idea of being children of God. How do we wrap our minds around that? How do we wrap our minds around the fact that God has called us individually? He has called us to this way of life. We know ourselves very well, don't we? It's difficult to think that God would desire you and me, but He knows us better than we know ourselves, doesn't He? I don't even truly know Myself as well as God does, and yet He desired me first. In 1 John 4, verse 19, He says, We love Him because He loved us first. Let me quote that exactly the way it should be. We love Him because He first loved us. God even knows our hidden sins, doesn't He? David references in Psalm 19, verse 12, when David says, Who can understand His errors, speaking of Himself, cleanse me from secret faults? From secret faults? Those sins, those faults that you and I have, that we don't even realize we have. Part of that nature of man wants to hide our true identity, wants to try to hide these true aspects of who we are. But God knows them. Yet even with this knowledge, God shows you. He chose me. He chose each of us today to do His work on this earth, to love one another, to reach out to one another, to share His gospel message, to confess Him as our Father and His Son, as our Lord. Being chosen comes from the love that God has for you and for me.

As you and I consider that we have been called by God, how do you and I respond? This is point number two. We are to respond by maintaining a focus of living to please the Father and Jesus Christ. We are to respond by maintaining a focus of living to please the Father and Jesus Christ. Let's turn to 1 Peter 1.

1 Peter 1 and verse 13.

1 Peter 1 and verse 14.

Here the apostle Peter says, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, again, referencing us as children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all of your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. The aspect of being chosen by God is what should motivate us to please Him. Yet we have our nature that resides in our inner parts, don't we? That human nature that rears its ugly head from time to time, normally more often than we wish. We understand this from Romans chapter 7. Let's turn here.

Romans chapter 7 and verse 23.

Here Paul is again speaking about his own nature, the difficulties that he has, when he says in verse 23, But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members, O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death. Who will deliver me from this body of death? Again, the sermon at Titan is so wonderfully here, because this is what we have as physical human beings, a body of death. Previous to this, Paul even goes as far to say we were enemies of God. Just one chapter or two chapters before this. Romans 5 and verse 8. Romans 5 and verse 8. Here Paul says, But God demonstrates his own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, much more than having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, let that ring for a minute. Not just family, not just friends, not just acquaintances, not just a neighbor. Let that ring for a moment. 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.

Our nature calls out for us to ignore God. Just as a child who chooses to ignore their parents, this is the same attitude that we display when we choose to ignore God. And we may say that we lost our focus, or we weren't as attentive as we needed to be. But did that cut it for you when you tried to say that to your mom or to your dad growing up? I wasn't paying attention. I wasn't attentive. I wasn't focused, Mom. That makes it all okay, right? Then cut it in my house.

If I was to say those types of things, we all know where that would have ended up. It probably ended up the same place for you. We've all seen adults that behaved like children in a similar way. Adults who don't get their way so they pout. No, nothing is wrong. I just don't want to talk about it.

Or things in their perfect world is moved around a bit, and you'd think that the world was ending. Why did you move my things? I liked it where it was at. Could see children saying things like that. Or what if someone gets in their way and they lose their mind? Can you believe the way that this person is driving? I mean, come on.

Or I have never seen someone take so long in a grocery store line.

What do we think when we see someone display this behavior?

Do we want to say, grow up?

Grow up? I've had that said to me as an adult. That makes you feel really good.

Especially when it's your mother.

I've heard grow up, Michael. I've heard that a few times. And you know what? When she says those things, I don't have a response. Because it's the truth. She's calling me out on something that I've done, something I've said, an attitude I'm displaying. That is childish. It's not what an adult should be behaving like.

We must mature. We must grow. We can't remain children. And as we respond to God's calling by living a way that pleases the Father and Jesus Christ, it naturally leads to this last point. The third point is sharing the gospel message with others. Part of our calling, our Christian calling, is that we share the gospel message with others. We do have a job that is our responsibility. As a trumpet would signal a warning, we need to also send an alarm to this nation, and ultimately to the world, that continuing the path of turning from God and rejecting His authority over everyone's lives, this will only lead to a time of turmoil that the world has never experienced. And while we can't stop the course of this world, we can't stop people and force people to choose a godly way, our calling requires that we live a life towards righteousness and to share this truth with those around us in the hope that some will turn from their sinful ways and put God first in their lives. And as we do this, we should also share in the hope that is in our hearts why we have committed ourselves to this way of life, that hope that can't be extinguished, that can't be taken from you, that can't be skipped and left on the curb, this hope that is solid part of us, that regardless of what events happen to us in life, that hope is solid, that hope is strong.

We see in 1 Peter 3, verse 15, let's go ahead and turn there. 1 Peter 3, verse 15.

Here Peter says, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and in fear.

Be ready to answer why you do what you do. Why do you love God the way that you love Him? Why have you chosen to be here today instead of at school or at work? How many years have you maintained this diligence? Years. Years. I look out on an audience that has stayed steadfast for years and years and years. You have a hope. You have a joy in your hearts, or you wouldn't be here. So when others come up and say, What makes you different? Why do you do these things? Why were you dressed up in a suit and tie on a Thursday? Be ready to help them understand. Be ready to share your hope with meekness and fear. Not weakness and fear. Meekness. Strength under complete control. Strength is what we have because we have God's Spirit living inside of us. So we can speak boldly of this hope, but also fear knowing that this isn't just ours. God put this hope in our heart. We have a loving understanding, respect for God. So we share this hope with others in meekness and in fear. Part of the gospel message that many do not acknowledge today is that the condition of our world just prior to Christ's return is going to be a horrible place. In this message that Christ gave His disciples in Matthew 24, we're going to go ahead and turn there, Matthew 24 and verse 3, in this message that He gave His disciples, Christ shared with them and in turn with us the difficulties that His saints will have to endure through.

It's in Matthew 24 and verse 3.

These are events that will take place just prior to the event that we are remembering today here on the Feast of Trumpets. Matthew 24 verse 3. Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying, tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no one deceives you. Listen to these warnings as we work through this section. Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. Does that sound mind boggling to you to sit here for a moment and say, Oh, I can't be deceived? I won't be deceived? Yet Christ knows that some will, because He says, many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of sorrows. Not the end of sorrows, but the beginning of sorrows. And then he goes on to say, What will it impact you and I? I think it will. Verse 9, Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets, again, false teachers, false prophets, will rise up and deceive many. And because all thisness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. It's hard to believe in some ways, isn't it? We live in a peaceful nation. We are here gathered on a peaceful day, sunny out. We didn't show up here in fear of something happening negative to us today. We had joy in our hearts. We wanted to be here. Could you imagine the lack of love that's going to be around this world? The lack of empathy, the lack of compassion.

But because of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But here's the hope that you and I have. But He who endures till the end shall be saved. And this Gospel that you and I are to be sharing among ourselves and with the world, with our schoolmates, with our co-workers, as they inquire and say, What is different? Where were you yesterday? This Gospel message that we are to share in verse 14, and this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to the nations. And then the end will come. We are doing a mighty work. It's a joy to go out to our church website to see the publications that we have in print, to see the resources, the Old Testament commentary. There's very few weeks to go by that. I don't pull that up and look through our church's own commentary that we have out there. We are preaching the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. We're preaching that as far as we can. It's gone global, as many would say. It's been global for quite a while. This is a strong aspect that our church handles from the home office. But you know what? You and I have the same Gospel message in our hearts. We have some of the literature that we can share as people ask us questions. But more importantly, than giving a booklet to someone and saying, this is what my minister teaches or this is what my church believes, share with them this Gospel that sits in your heart. You know the reason you're here today. You know the reason you get up every Sabbath and go to church. Share that with them because that leaves a mark. Anybody can point somebody to a reference. Anybody can point and give a booklet, which are helpful. Don't get me wrong. Our booklets are well thought out. They've been... They're a great resource. I go to them quite often still to make sure my messages are in queue with what we teach as a church. But which would make a bigger impact to you? Somebody offering you a booklet and saying this is the way to life? Or somebody telling you the impact that this Word of God has had on their life? And why they changed? Why they gave up past sins? Why they said, my marriage failed, but I figured out why? Or my children have had difficulties? I'm trying to help them and they're starting to see the truth. When people say that to you and people say that to me, I can't help but to be excited, to be on board. That's an opportunity that you and I have to preach this gospel, to share this gospel message with not only the world as we do from us as a church and as we also can participate personally, but as we share this gospel message personally, you and me, to those around us. Again, this symbolized what this Feast of Trumpets represents. We have this calling to not only stand fast against Satan and his influence over the world and around us, but to stand fast preaching and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What about sharing this gospel message right here? Right among ourselves with others who've God's called? Because each one of us hits roadblocks in a physical way at times in our life. Our health fails. Our jobs fail. Man fails on us. It happens sometimes. We each hit roadblocks spiritually. We have downturns in our study. We have trials that come up and then steer us off, take our vision off God. This happens, but God has brought us together as His holy people. His holy people set apart to follow and to serve Him as we live our lives. Because of the commonality that we each share, we know what this other person sitting across from us on the aisle needs, don't we? We know what it's like to be discouraged. We know what it's like to have a bad day. So when we see that in others, that's an opportunity to let the gospel message of Jesus Christ ring for someone else in our lives right here. We need to love each other as God loves us.

We need to know that this is a tall order from God. We know that. To love each other as God loves us. It's another one of those huge mammoth tasks that we've been given. But it has been one that we have been given. It's still part of living and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a goal that we press towards to love others as God loves us.

You can put in your notes John 13, verse 34. It's one that any time we speak about loving one another, we usually go to this verse. John 13, verse 34. A new commandment I give to you that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Imagine people sitting on the outside of our walls seeing the love that we pour out for each one of us. And then they take notice that that group of believers, there's something special there. We've seen solid families that you see at a grocery store or something. We've seen the families also with the poor example. That's why that example of a strong family, of kids being obedient, of families loving each other, is so powerful that you see that in the grocery store and it leaves an imprint. You see it wherever you go. We were at the BMV this week, titling our car. You see that. You see people living God's... living a unified, a loving way as a family. We are to be that same example as we fellowship here, as we help each other, that others on the outside of our walls sees that there's something different in our approach with each other.

Another thing we should do among our brethren here is to remind each other of God's promises. God's promises are rock solid. He does not change, nor does He forget, even if it was thousands of years ago that He said something, that He promised something, thousands of years ago, God doesn't forget. I may struggle with trying to remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, but God doesn't forget, thousands of years later, His promises to you and to me. These promises are part of our hope that what God says is going to happen will happen. Will happen. We need this encouragement, and we need to be reminded, because when we get caught up amid challenges, sometimes those challenges blur our vision. Sometimes we can no longer see and remember God's promises because of the challenge that is sitting right before us.

When others share their hope with us and remind us of His promises, then it brings back to memory ourselves the promises that we need to have at this time. It doesn't make the challenges disappear. It's not gone. It doesn't just evaporate, but it does allow us to view the challenge from a correct mindset, recognizing that God is in charge. He's in control. He's got this. We've got to let Him have it. That and our hope is still intact. Our hope doesn't just fade away, as I mentioned earlier, but our hope is still intact because of God's promises. Sharing the gospel message is part of the way that God allows us to interact with both of those who are called today, children of His today, but also with others that we meet. It's personal, and it reflects the way that you are allowing God to live in your life. We must be willing to reach out and love the way that God loves. We must comfort those without hope because another aspect of this day that we are commemorating and that we are remembering and that we are part of, this aspect has another aspect that real hope is coming to this world. You and I can be part of the process today to help others to realize this hope is concrete. This hope isn't going away. This promise that Christ will return is going to happen. It is going to happen. We must share our hope in the gospel, in thought, and in word, and indeed. This must become part of who we are. We stand in that prophesied time when the church continues its commission of proclaiming the gospel and making and teaching disciples. Being reminded of our calling, let's look a few, if you're still in Matthew with me, let's look at one chapter forward in Matthew 28.

Matthew 28 in verse 18. This is our commission. This is what we are to go and to do as a church and individually. Matthew 28 verse 18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, even to the end of this physical world that this day pictures of Christ returning and putting down the kingdoms.

He says, I will be with you always, even to the end, not one week before or a month before or three and a half years before. I will be with you to the end. This is our continual calling as a church and individually as God's people. Let's remember this as we continue through the remembrance of this day. The Feast of Trumpets points us to the great day when Jesus Christ will return to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

But it also points to that wonderful time when all of God's saints will receive eternal life in the first resurrection. Therefore, we must remember our Christian calling today, acknowledging that God is the source of truth and life. And not only live it in our lives, but share it with others. And when Christ returns, the saints will be resurrected at that moment to eternal life.

And those saints still alive will be immediately changed from a physical existence to a spiritual life. This is one of those promises that we can stand on. God will not waver from this great promise as He seeks to build a family and as He works to make us all children of God. Let's turn again to 1 Corinthians. I thought that Mr. Dunham was going to steal all my thunder from 1 Corinthians 15, but he didn't.

If he did, I had a backup. I was going to go to 1 Thessalonians. But he only referenced a couple of the Scriptures here. But in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 51, Paul again says, Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, that seventh trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruption must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then we shall be brought to pass, saying, then shall be brought to pass, the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. This is our calling. This is what you and I are to be about doing today, because this day of trumpets hasn't arrived.

Christ did not return today. So you and I are to be about doing our Father's work, that great commission that we have received to tell other people about the hope that lies in our heart.

Because our labor, as it says here, is definitely not in vain. We have a hope that is eternal and is steadfast and immovable. Do we endure difficulties and challenges? Every one of us, every single one of us, will endure our difficulties and our challenges. But we endure through physical challenges, and we endure through the spiritual challenges.

But we endure. We endure. Never quitting. Never wavering, because God has not quit or wavered on us. On this Feast of Trumpets, let's remember that Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth. He will return as the conquering king, bringing with him the kingdom of God.

And the saints of God will be resurrected and will accompany him to this earth. We each have a great and awesome calling that we must always remember. And the final scripture today is in 2 Peter 3 verse 1. 2 Peter 3 verse 1.

2 Peter chapter 3 verse 1. Beloved, I now write to you the second epistle in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. In verse 8. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with the great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of person ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Verse 13. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and the new earth, in which righteousness dwells. In verse 18. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen.