Our Spiritual Preparation For This Festival Season

Well, Passover and the Days of 11 Bread are going to be yah before you and I know it. They are really going to be yah very quickly. And they are two distinct festivals. We know that. We know in Leviticus 23, it says the Passover is on the 14th, and the Days of 11 Bread is for seven days, starting from the 15th of the month of Nisan, which is according to the way God counts months. That's the festival. So we are keeping it this coming week. We know that very clearly.

We went through last week in a message that we need to examine ourselves. We need to examine ourselves and we take the Passover in a worthy manner. So that was discussed on the message sermon last week. But the question I have is, how do we examine ourselves? And what should we do to examine ourselves? And so today, I want to draw some spiritual lessons from the physical examples of this festival season to help us in our spiritual preparation. So what? Well, because we need to focus on the spiritual preparation first and foremost. And now we do a physical preparation. Good. We should do. But are we neglecting the spiritual preparation, which is even more important? And that is what I want to focus on the spiritual preparation. So I'm going to mention a few points to examine ourselves in spiritual preparation based on the instructions of Exodus 12 regarding the Passover and the days of 11 bread. So if we just turn to Exodus 12, and you may want to put a marker there to go in and out. Exodus 12, we're going to read starting from Exodus 12. Verse 5.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. So yeah, we have a Passover lamb that you ought to take out. By the way, brethren, do you know, do you remember that Passover lamb was to be selected on the 10th? You see, the 10th on the year that Christ died was a Sabbath. The 10th was also a Sabbath on the year that the Israelites left Egypt.

That was the day where Christ went on a mule into Jerusalem. That was the 10th. And it was a Sabbath. Anyway, just between brackets is a point of little interest there. But anyway, continue. And you shall keep it, verse 6, you shall keep it until the 14th day of the same month.

So you keep it until the 14th day arrives. The 14th day arrives, as you know, the way God looks at days, at sunset. So as soon as the 14th day arrives at sunset, which today in this year would be like Tuesday night, or Tuesday evening after sunset as an anniversary, He says, you shall keep it until the 14th day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. That is after sunset, but before it gets pitch dark. So it's that kind of...

there's still a bit of light, but it's not night yet. And you know, at sunset, then it takes a little while for the it to become dark. So, and it says, you shall kill it at twilight. So yeah, in these two verses, I mentioned two points. Number one, the pass of a lamb, and two will be killed and they are to kill it in their homes.

You see? And then you can proof check that by reading verse seven, and it says, they and then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. So they'll kill it right there, and they take the blood and they put it around the doors. So it is at their home. That's where you put the the blood. And then in verse eight, and then they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs.

They shall eat it. So they ought to eat it on that night, and note that it's roasted with fire, or in the fire. So it's like a barbecue, you know, you think about it, it's not boiled or something, it's roasted in the fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs. So there's meaning with that. Why roasted? Why with unleavened bread? Why with bitter herbs? Because understand, the day of unleavened bread is only the following night, but the possible lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread.

So that's another point to examine ourselves there. Then, also in verse eight, it says, they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire, with unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs. They shall eat it. And then in verse 11, it says, and you shall eat it with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. The word for haste in Hebrew is 2649, cripazan, which means with trepidation, could be in haste, but also could be of trepidation, with certain respect and fear.

Because understand, while they probably are eating it at night, that, look at it from a point of time, they're going to kill the lamb at sunset. They're going to take the blood. They're going to skin it and whatever. They got then to cook it, to roast it. By what time do you think they would probably start eating it? Could be very well towards, like, 11 or midnight, which is exactly the time when the Lord will pass over their house, because they had the blood on their doorposts.

But at the same time, the firstborn of the Egyptians would be killed. And so they're going to be eating that with a certain amount of deep respect and trepidation, yes, in haste, knowing that they're going to have to leave soon, in fact, the next day. But there's also a meaning in there as far as that. So continuing, and then in verse 23, jumping a little ahead to verse 23. And it says, And the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lentil and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.

So the Lord, which we know it's Christ, He will then pass over that house and will then not allow the destroyer to come into that house to strike you. So it means the firstborn of the Israelites are not killed, but the firstborn of the other nations are killed. So yeah, there are five points that I want to emphasize. The Passover killed at home with the blood on the doorposts, roasted with unleavened bread, with in the fire with unleavened bread, and eaten with unleavened bread and buttered herbs.

And then eaten with trepidation and the firstborn are not killed. Well, the Passover we know, the Lamb, our true Lamb, is Christ. We read that from 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7. 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7. At the end of verse 7 says, for indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. So the first point for us to consider and to examine is to understand that our Passover Lamb is the very being that created us, became a human being, and died for us. That we are talking about a very serious event, and it is a gift to you and I. It is a gift. You and I have done nothing to deserve it.

That the very Creator, under the instruction of the Father, came to earth and died for you and I. I've done nothing to deserve it, and I'm sure you, feel the same. So it is a wonderful gift. Secondly, we need to, or still talking about that, just look at Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 10. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 10, he says, by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. The Jews were offering the sacrifices of the Lamb, of the Passover Lamb, every year.

Destruction is for them to do it at home. And some faithful Jews were doing it at home, even at the time of Christ. That's why, you know, when they kept the Passover, Christ did it in a home. But Christ offered his body once for all. One offering, once for all. We don't need continuous offerings. It's just one, once. And we have been set aside. We have been sanctified. He says, by that will, that's God's will, we have been sanctified. We have been set apart through the offering of the body of Christ once for all.

Look at verse 12 of Hebrews 10. But this man, that's Christ, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. It's just one sacrifice. And it's good enough, he has that one sacrifice, as we read in verse 14, for by one offering, he has perfected forever. Well, this is a powerful statement. By that one offering, Christ has perfected you and I forever.

That's mind-boggling, because you don't need a second sacrifice. So that one sacrifice has perfected us forever. But we've got to continue reading the centers, those who are being sanctified. On the condition, that one sacrifice has done it, all that is needed. But on the condition that you and I are being sanctified, that you and I, using God's Holy Spirit, you know, God's Holy Spirit is the spirit of sanctification, that we make our part and we change. And we keep changing until the end. That we persevere until the end. You see, so we're still being perfected, but the sacrifice is enough to perfect us.

And so, when we think about that sacrifice, we need to examine, are we willing to make similar sacrifices? Look at Philippians chapter 2, verse 5 through 8. Philippians chapter 2, verse 5 through 8. When it says, have the same mind as Christ has. Let's get to Philippians here. Chapter 2, verse 5 through 8. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. What was Christ's mind? That he gave up not just physical life, he gave up eternal life to be a human being. And then you even, as it says, yeah, we're being in the form of God, do not consider it robbery to be equal with God, with the Father. No, that was not an identity theft. And then he goes on. But made himself of no repetition, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of man. He came without people knowing who he was.

And then he humbled himself, became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. In other words, Christ, our creator, was prepared to take every degree of humiliation for you and I, and even die.

In verse 5 says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Do we have the same mindset of sacrifice for others like Christ, sacrificed for us?

And so, this one sacrifice, which is the Lamb, Christ, He has put the blood around our lives to forgive us, and we need to have the same sort of willingness to help others to forgive others. We have to, brethren. We have to. There's no other option. We have to be willing to forgive. Some of you might be listening to this series of videos, Six Steps to Passover, and you will hear in there that, as part of reconciliation, you gotta do your part. You gotta do your part. God expects you to do. And then we get to the third point about being roasted in a fire. Look at Romans 12, verse 1. Romans 12, verse 1. Romans 12, verse 1.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

In a sense, Christ, symbolized by the lamb being roasted, he was roasted. He was put under a lot of trials and difficulties and pressures.

We need to be a living sacrifice. Christ was a sacrifice, and he gave his life. He is asking you and I that our reasonable service is to be a living sacrifice for others. Are we? It's a point of self-examination. It's a point of self-examination. In James, chapter 1, verse 2 through 4, James, chapter 1, verse 2 through 4, we read, My brethren, counteth all joy when you're going through various trials, showing that the testing of your faith produces patience, perseverance, patience, or character, and let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect. Again, that word perfect, remember? Christ's sacrifice has perfected us so that we may be perfect, provided we're being sanctified until the end. Remember that? That we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. You know, we all go through various trials, and many of these trials can be rather bitter.

Many of these trials can be rather bitter.

Could that not be the meaning of the bitter herbs? That we go through this with going through trials and difficulties, and we've got to eat and take that Passover prepared to go through difficulties and trials, which may be bitter, that requires a living sacrifice so that we may be perfect. Remember that unleavened bread, that the Israelites ate at Passover, because they were to eat it, roasted in the fire with unleavened bread, because it pointed to Christ, which has no sin. See, it was not yet the days of unleavened bread. You can still eat leaven on the 14th, because the day of unleavened bread only starts on the 15th. But on the 14th, you eat unleavened bread at the Passover because it points to Christ, that bread symbolizes Christ, which has no sin. And that's what we've got to become in the days of unleavened bread. So, there's a lot of things to examine ourselves, yeah, in that section. And speaking about Christ having no sin, look at John chapter 6 verse 48. I am the bread of life. And so, when we take the Passover and we take that unleavened bread during the Passover, it symbolizes Christ, and He is the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are dead, but this is the bread which comes down from heaven, the one that you may eat and not die. In other words, have eternal life. You see, if you eat symbolically, in other words, you become like Christ.

As we become like Christ, we will then be given eternal life. That's the bread of life. 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. And so, again, we have a situation that we have to imitate Christ. And also in verse 58, it says, this is the bread which came down from heaven, not as your father ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever. And yeah, we can take another lesson of when they were eating it, they were eating it with some trepidation. When we take the Passover, which symbolizes Christ, we're going to eat it with a lot of deep respect and trepidation because it's not to be taken lightly.

You see, because then he says if you had that Passover and the blood around the door, then the death, that the Lord will Passover and the destroyer would not come and destroy you. You see, that shows that you would not die if you're doing this properly. And that's why we read in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 29. I didn't read it today, but you read, it was covered on the sermon last week. But let's just look at 1 Corinthians 11, verse 29. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 29, says, who eats the spread, who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. And so today we've gone through looking at the Passover. We looked at the section of looking at the sacrifice of Christ, and we have to discern that physical body, what is done for us.

It's one sacrifice that perfects us. We need to have the same mind, the same living sacrifice. We'll go through trials which are better. We need to imitate Christ, and this is not to be taken lightly. So we need to discern the Lord's body. But, but, you know that the Lord's body, the body of Christ, is the Church. It's you and I. It's the members.

And so there is a duality in here because we need to discern the brethren and treat one another in a loving care way. We have to. Again, we don't have an option. Because if we don't, look at verse 30. For this reason many are weak and seek among you, and many have died of slept or slept.

Many in the Church have gone through, let's call it, physical health issues because of the way that some of us have treated one another, not discerning the Lord's body. And some have died.

And that's why it says, verse 31, for if we would judge or discern ourselves, we would not be judged. Because if we don't do it, if you and I don't, for instance, forgive and reconcile, then God will have to do it for you. I'd rather do it than just hide it under the sand and leave it for the day when God's going to do it.

And we know if forgive others, we'll be forgiven.

And so that ties in with James chapter 4. James chapter 4, because in James chapter 4 says, why are there challenges and difficulties amongst you brethren in the Church? Oh, well, he puts it in the way that says, why are there wars and fightings among you? But among you, that means brethren in the Church. Why are there little arguments and little issues which sometimes are pretty big? Why are they there?

Because in the end, you can read that in verse 5, we have a spirit of man in man in us, which thinks about self first. He's jealous, wants me, myself, and I to be first. In other words, because we have a carnal mind, and we have to change. And to grow through that, we've got to humble ourselves. That's why it says, God resists the proud in James chapter 4 verse 6, and God gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God, says in verse 7, and when you do that, Satan will leave you alone, because Satan's desire is to get you proud, and therefore not willing to submit.

If you are humble, why shouldn't we just say, I'm sorry and make peace?

So what holds us back? So draw near to God, verse 8, and He'll draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts. You're double-minded. Why? Because one day you say, yeah, the other day, no, the other, nah, I'm going to do it now. I'm not going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm not going to do it. And you progress the night. That's why it says lament, mourn and weep. That means fast about it and change. It's a good thing to fast before the Passover.

And so I said that I wanted to draw some examples of examining ourselves from both the Passover and the days of 11 bread. Let's now move on to the second festival, the days of 11 bread. And let's go back to Exodus 12, Exodus 12, verse 15. Seven days shall eat 11 bread. On the first day shall remove 11 from your houses. For whoever eats 11 bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

And then look at verse 18. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening. So when the fourteenth day comes to an end at evening, in other words, at sunset at the end of the fourteenth day, which is basically the beginning of the fifteenth. Right? You shall eat 11 bread until the twenty-first of the month at evening. So from the fifteenth till the twenty-first, it's actually exactly seven days. Verse 19. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses since whoever eats what is leaven, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel whether he is a stranger or a native in the land. So he says, for seven days you shall not have leaven in the houses. So that means you've got to take it out of the houses beforehand. And yes, I know we've been faithful in de-leavening our houses. And if we haven't finished, I know you're busy with that. So that's the first lesson which we'll come to looking at it spiritually. Second, you are to eat it for seven days. We're going to look at that as an example. Third is, as we read in verse 19, if you eat leavened bread, you will be cut off. And fourth, look at Exodus 14 verse 8. Exodus 14 verse 8 that says, when they left finally Egypt at the end of those seven days, they went out with boldness, with a high hand. So let's look at these four examples and look at some spiritual meanings from these four examples. The first one, no leaven in your house. Now we know that leaven symbolizes sin. And you know leaven spreads out quickly and it hides and puffs up the bread.

Now, take for instance a piece of leavened bread. Can you go through that piece of leavened bread and take out the leaven out of it? You can't, because it's all over it. It hides, it's in there, it's in there. You can't take it out and it puffs up the bread. And that's what Paul is referring to in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, when there was a great sin in the church in 1 Corinthians chapter 5. And he said, you know, there's a sin of immorality. You read that in verse 1. And then in verse 6 through 8, he says, your glory is not good. In other words, you're saying, hey, I'm allowing this person here with sin in the church. But you know, we're just so merciful. We're just such a nice group of people. We're allowing, we're just forgiving. Well, you cannot allow leaven to be in there. You've got to remove the leaven. And then he says, therefore purge out the whole leaven. In other words, take out that old leaven, what it is, that carnal mind. Purge out that carnal mind that you may be a new lump. In other words, a new man. Purge out the old man and become a new man. Since you truly are unleavened. Why? Because they were doing this letter was sent during the days of unleavened bread. So physically, they were unleavened. But spiritually, they had to take out the old leaven, which is the carnal mind, and put on a new lump, which is the new man, the new person. For indeed Christ our apostle was sacrificed for us. That's why Christ was sacrificed for us, so that we change. That's what we got to do. Therefore, let us keep the feast. What feast? It was the feast of unleavened bread, because he was writing during this period. Not of the old leaven of carnal mindness, for with the leaven, or nor with the leaven of malice, which is sinking evil, or wickedness, which is doing evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. You see, brethren, sin hides.

There is a very powerful scripture that highlights how sin hides. That's Jeremiah 17 verse 9. Jeremiah 17 verse 9.

Jeremiah 17 verse 9.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? You and I don't see it in ourselves, because it's hiding.

We need to come to God and ask Him in mercy to help us to change, to put out that old leaven.

Look at Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 23. Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 23. Oh, Lord, I know the way of man is not himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. I know I don't really know how to do things. Please, Lord, correct me with justice in your mercy. Not everything at one time, otherwise I give up. Hey, it's too much to change, but a little bit at a time in your mercy. Help me. And so, are we examining ourselves to ask God, and as we fast before Passover, which we should, are we analyzing ourselves and asking God, show me where I need to change and give me the courage to change. We need to change. In Colossians chapter 1, in Colossians chapter 1, it is a very good example of what we're going to do. It says you got to start in verse 8 and 9, but now you yourselves are to put off all these. Yeah, in verse 5 says, yeah, you've put off the other things, but now you are in the church, you are baptized, now you in the church, which includes me as in the church, says yeah, yeah, or to put off these things. We in the church are to put off anger. Do we have anger? We in the church are to put off wrath. We in the church are to put off malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of our mouths, not to lie, since you put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge according to the image of him. What do you mean in the knowledge? In the knowledge of Christ? You know what it says in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18, growing the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are to grow in the knowledge, so we are to analyze and see how Christ is so that we become like him and become gracious like he is and merciful like he is. And that's why it says, put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him.

So in the knowledge of God, specifically Christ, who created us, we have to put this new man. And then it says verse 12, put on 10 immerses, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another. If there is a complaint against another, as Christ forgave, you must also do. You must also do. And then, above all, put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. That's what we're going to do, brethren. That's part of examining ourselves. You see, and that's why we need to eat unleavened bread for seven days. Seven means complete. We need to completely change. How do we treat others? Are we treating others the right way?

And look at Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Because another example about the days of unleavened bread is that if you eat leavened bread, you'll be cut off. By the way, it does say, heat unleavened bread for seven days. It says, eat unleavened bread for seven days. Okay, it's not just that you don't have leavened bread at all, but eat unleavened bread for seven days. That means we've got to completely be focused in living like Christ all the days of our lives. But continuing here, if we eat leavened bread, it says we die. We read that in Exodus. So in Hebrews 10 verse 24, Hebrews 10 verse 24, it says, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. You see, we've got to have this unleavened bread continually. And then it says, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is.

Oh yeah, we can do it on Zoom. Look, if you cannot be present, at least we can do it on Zoom. But if you can, we should be together. Why? Because that's when we can interact with the brethren, and when we can see the different needs of different brethren, we can pray for them, and we can really demonstrate love. And even if we can't do that, at least contact them, found them, or something like that, and re-entire with them, write to them. So look at verse 26. For if, it was because if, if we don't consider one another with love, we are sinning willfully. You need to connect those verses 24 and 25 with 26, because the four is relating to what was just said, which is because if we sin willfully, and what is that willful sin in this case, in this instance, where obviously sin is any other sin too, but in this instance, in the context, it's talking about not considering one another to stir up love with the brethren.

And if we do that, you read the rest, we'll have eternal death. And so that is the most critical examination that we can do about discerning the body of Christ before Passover. Oh yeah, we can go really super fussy about taking 11 of our houses. But you know, brethren, if we don't take the spiritual 11 of our houses by loving one another, all the physical stuff which only points to the spiritual is in vain. This is the most critical self-examination during the days of before Passover and 11 bread. And so brethren, I hope I've highlighted to you a number of spiritual lessons that we can derive from the physical examples of the Passover and of the days of 11 bread. And that way, we need to discern the body of Christ both physically and spiritually and apply those lessons to our spiritual lives.