Preparing for the Day of Atonement

We have very much allowed mankind to go ahead and make his own choices and decisions, develop his own governments, his own societies, and his own religion. God is going to step in, and he's not going to allow this to happen anymore. Things are going to be different. People today can worship whatever day they want. Friday, Sunday. But then they will all worship on the Sabbath day. If anybody wants to worship on Sunday, they will then be persuaded to do otherwise. If anybody wants to keep Christmas or Easter, they also will have to change and begin to keep God's Holy Days, or else they'll get no rain if they don't keep the Feast of Tabernacles and make that change. So this day of trumpets represents the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to begin to turn things around on this earth. Well, today here we are. Let's get a bearing on where we are. This is the Sabbath following the Feast of Trumpets and before the Day of Atonement, which will be next Sabbath, one week from today. So here we are at that Sabbath in between. I'd like for the sermon today to especially look forward now to the next Holy Day, to the Day of Atonement. It will not be just a Day of Atonement sermon, but it will help us to prepare for the Day of Atonement just ahead. I'd like to have us turn to Leviticus chapter 23, which has all of the seven Holy Days, the only chapter in the Bible that has all seven of them.

And of course, it also in the first three verses mentions about the weekly Sabbath also being God's Holy Day. But you find instruction here about the Passover early in the chapter, Leviticus 23, also about the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and about Pentecost, and then also about the Feast of Trumpets, which we just observed. But then coming to verse 26, we have the Day of Atonement. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Also, on the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you. So we will, of course, have a meeting. It will be the weekly Sabbath, but also the annual Holy Day as well. You shall afflict your souls. And they offered in ancient Israel this offering made by fire. You shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement to make Atonement for you before the Lord your God. If any person who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. And to be afflicted means fasting. I might just quickly add that we believe today there are those who have health issues that they'll have to make their own decision as to what they are safely able to do. Any medication or things of that type. Some people take a little bit of water or juice. I remember one situation where a lady just passed out because of a low blood sugar. She was diabetic and she just fainted. We had to try to get some juice into her and were able to eventually get her conscious again. But those who do have health issues have to know their limitations and what they are able to do. And we encourage them to make a personal choice on that, what they feel they can handle. Before God, they should conscientiously make that decision for themselves. Verse 30, if any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations and all your dwellings.

It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth day of the month at evening. That would be as the ninth day of the month is ending then and the tenth day beginning from evening to evening. You shall celebrate your Sabbath. So we will be observing the Day of Atonement then one week away, and we probably may read some of this again.

And also the verse in the book of Acts that shows support for keeping the Day of Atonement. We'll probably read from Leviticus 16 about the two goats and the symbolism of the two goats which were sacrificed. Well, one was sacrificed, and the other one was led off into the wilderness. Each had sins confessed over their heads. One, though, was slain, representing Christ, and one was led away into the wilderness. And that one that was led away and let go, the live goat that was let go in the wilderness, represents something very important. Let's go to Revelation 19 and 20 and just briefly bring that out. We may cover some of these things a little bit more thoroughly next week, but at least we'll briefly touch on them this afternoon. We know that in Revelation chapter 19 it symbolizes things that are represented by the Feast of Trumpets. It symbolizes the powerful Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 19 and 15, out of His mouth, here is the returning Jesus Christ. Here is what is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets. Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should strike the nations, and He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He's going to strike the nations at His return. He treads the winepress of the fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. God, a God of love, can get angry. I'll tell you why, because mankind is about ready to destroy human life on this planet. He's about to destroy this beautiful creation. I mean, you just look at how marvelous it is. Everything about God's creation is marvelous. The trees, the flowers, the sunshine outside right now.

And just everything. The stars at night, the moon. But then animal life and human life. And mankind able to think and able to reason. Mankind made different than the animals, even though he has a physical type of existence similar to the animals. He breathes in air. He has food and drink like the animals. Mankind has the ability to think and to reason. There's something very different about man. Very, very different. But it's all very marvelous. And human beings are coming to the point. We can see now how that could very easily happen. That human life would be destroyed on this planet. That's what Jesus said in the Olivet prophecy. There'd be no flesh left alive. All human life would be wiped off of the planet. I'm going to tell you, God's going to be angry about that. We can see today with the thinking of some of the extremists on the earth. If they got their hands on nuclear weapons, they would happily detonate them over every city they could. In the United States, and in Britain, and in maybe Europe, and other countries. They would happily, even if it led to the destruction of all life, they would think they were doing their God's service, and that they were going to end up in the afterlife in good standing because of doing this. How warped and how twisted the thinking is. And I'll tell you, with even just this lady that was beheaded yesterday, shows the danger in our own country of extremists who are right here among us, who are American, may very well be American citizens, and were very likely to see more of this sort of thing happening in the days ahead. Brethren, we're just seeing the beginning of sorrows, I do believe. And I'll stay close to God and just pray fervently for His kingdom. That's the answer. That's the only answer, but it's a powerful answer. And it's going to really be a real answer to the problems of mankind. Well, here Jesus Christ is going to come back angry. You can see why. And He is going to face these nations. Verse 19, I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Well, they will have gathered first at Armageddon, as we'll hear in the TV program tomorrow, and then they will have come on down to Jerusalem, and that is where the battle itself will take place. And the beast will be captured, verse 20, and the false prophet, they'll be cast alive into the lake of fire, and the rest will be killed, verse 21. But then what? Well, what is represented by the day of atonement, verse 1, chapter 20. I saw an angel coming down from heaven, laying the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in His hand. Here's somebody that is ready to apprehend someone. Who is he going to apprehend? Verse 2, he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. Satan is going to be put out of commission during the millennium, the one thousand years. He cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him and he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. You can see what Satan is busy doing, deceiving the nations, but no more during the thousand years. Then he is released a short time at the end. But the day of atonement pictures that time when Satan will be bound and no longer able to deceive mankind. Then what happens? The millennium, the one thousand years. Look at verse 4.

He rained with Christ for a thousand years. Verse 6, blessed and holy is he that has part in this first resurrection. The second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and Christ and reign with him a thousand years. Well, the Feast of Tabernacles, what the Feast of Tabernacles pictures happens next.

You see how chapter 19 and 20 of Revelation picture the fall holy days, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles. What about the last great day? The eighth day. Well, verse 5, the rest of the dead. And that will be the vast majority, billions and billions of people, just the masses of people today and ones who have lived down through the ages. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. You know, most people in the world think that when Christ returns, most Protestants, that they believe that everybody is going to be resurrected.

And then the goats they're sent off here, you know, to burn forever. And then the sheep, they're on the right hand, and they go back up to heaven with Christ. And of course, that is totally false. No, when Christ returns, only the righteous dead are going to be resurrected. They're called the elect. They're the saints of God. They're the few that God has been working with during this age. But verse 5 makes it very clear the rest of the dead do not live again until the thousand years are finished.

And we see them in verse 12 coming back to life after the thousand years. I saw the dead. That's the rest of the dead, small and great, standing before God. I tell you, when dead people stand, that's a resurrection, right? They're standing before God. They're resurrected. And they're resurrected to human life. They're not resurrected as immortal. Now, those in the first resurrection will be immortal. The second death has no power. But those in the second resurrection will be mortal.

And little babies, small and great, giants and adults will stand before God. And the books will be opened, and the book of life will be opened to them. You know, we have a number of people that disagree with our teaching on this. Well, our teaching, God's teaching on this, the second resurrection. And they say, well, you believe in a second chance.

No, we believe in a first chance. These people have never had a chance. How can you say a little baby, a small little infant or a baby, who never grew up, who lived in this 6,000 year period, this present evil world, how can you say they've ever had the first chance? They haven't. And then also Satan has deceived all the adults and the rest of the world. God's allowed it. But they have not had their opportunity either. So, brethren, we have the Holy Days of God very well laid out here in what the Holy Days picture in Revelation 19 and 20.

This message I would like for us to especially go back, and here we are the Sabbath between trumpets and atonement. The Sabbath between. There's always a Sabbath between because there's a 9 or 10 day period between trumpets and atonement. On this Sabbath, then, I would like to focus on a key aspect of the message that we preach and the message of the Gospel. And let's turn to Mark 1 to see what that is.

I'd like for us to focus on something that is central to the message that Jesus preached. And it's also central to the message that we preach. I tell you, we preach it powerfully, and I'd like... I think we're going to see it preached even more powerfully at the end of this age as conditions worsen. I believe we are going to cry out more than ever. And by the time we get to the two witnesses, they're going to be crying out so loud with this aspect of the Gospel message.

Let's notice in Mark 1 and verse 14, then, the message that Christ came preaching. Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. That's the message Jesus came preaching, the good news about God's Kingdom. And he said that... or in saying, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. You know, for the ones that God would call and draw, the time certainly is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.

It's available. It's open to certain ones that God purposed to call at this time. Jesus didn't mean that it's available to everyone, though, but there will be at His Second Coming, just not quite yet. But He said the time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand. And He said, repent and believe in the Gospel. And so repentance has been a vital part of the preaching of the Gospel. And that's what I would like for us to focus on. This was a central part of the message that Jesus Christ brought. Rather than the Gospel requires action, we just can't sit on it. If you sit on it, you're rejecting it.

You've got to act on it. You've got to change your... we've got to have to change our lives and devote ourselves utterly to it, to God's Kingdom, and to the purpose for which we are here. Not only did Jesus have that as the central part of His message, but He also instructed the Church. Let's go to Luke 24, that a central part of the message that the Church of God would preach would be repentance.

In Luke chapter 24, and in verse 44, Jesus, after His resurrection and before His ascension to heaven, He met with His disciples and He opened their minds to the Scriptures, to what was written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning Him. In verse 45, He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures. In verse 46, He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary, for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day.

He must have read to them Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 and other Scriptures about His first coming, and that He would suffer and die. He must have read to them these Scriptures and helped them to understand. But notice it goes on to say that, and that repentance and remission of sins, that people would come to the sacrifice of Christ and be forgiven, that they would see their sins and that they would turn from them and seek forgiveness, that that would be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And so, brethren, the disciples were instructed then to go forward with a message of repentance. How do you think Peter was able on the day of Pentecost to know what he should advise the people to do?

Turn to Acts 2. It's because Jesus had already instructed them what they would tell the people. So on this day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the people saw all the miraculous things that were happening, speaking with other languages, and they saw this rushing, mighty wind, and they heard this inspired message by Peter that moved them to want to do something. And they said in verse 37, men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter said he knew right away without hesitation what to tell them to do.

Repent. Repent. And seek remission of your sins, every one of you, to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. For remission of sins. He'd already been instructed what to tell the people, and you'll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And so the church preached the message of repentance from the very beginning. Brethren, we continue to preach that message today. We urge people to repent. If you notice at the end of our articles in the Good News magazine, we do encourage people, many of the articles end with an appeal for action. It's saying, hey, act on this information. Act on this knowledge. Don't just sit on it. In Acts chapter 3, verse 19, Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. So certainly repentance, then, is a very important aspect of the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The true Gospel, then, actually requires that we believe and that we repent. What did you have us to notice that repentance was also a central part of the message of the prophets? We many times may think that the prophets, oh, they're always looking off into the future. They're giving these prophecies about God's kingdom, and they are. But you know, along with that, they saw the sins of the people back in ancient Israel and Judah. They saw the sins of the people, and they addressed those sins, and they urged the people to repent. But guess what? Those prophecies have been recorded in the Bible, and there is an application of the message of repentance for our modern nations today. God did not just inspire Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the minor prophets for that time back then. He inspired it to be in the Bible for our time today. And a vital part of that message is addressing the sins of our nation, of modern-day Israel, and urging that our people would repent. And as I mentioned, I think that our urging is going to get more powerful, more intense in the days ahead. Why? As we see things developing and happening, look at all that is—world conditions have worsened so much this very year. And we need then to up our urging and urgency as far as people repenting and changing from the direction that we're going. Let's turn to Isaiah and just read a few of these prophecies that show that the prophets were urging people to repent. Change your ways. Your sins are going to do you in. And certainly ancient Israel did not repent, and their sins did do them in, and ancient Judah as well. And today, can it be any different? Can our nation go the way we're going? Our top two leaders—first of all, our vice president a few years ago, saying that he thought that gay marriage should be legal. And of course, it's gone that way. More and more states are accepting that. And then our president followed right behind before too long our top leaders, but then our congressional leaders as well. So can we get away with that? Can our nation go this direction? No, we can't.

In Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 4—well, let's begin verse 2. Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 2, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. He says, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. How would you feel as a parent? You've brought up children. You've given them a home, a place to stay, where they can sleep, where they can eat, clothes to wear.

You've nourished and brought them up. And then lo and behold, they get to be 16, 18 years of age, and they rebel against you. Well, that does happen. And God says He's done that. In verse 3, as far as Israel and Judah, in verse 3, The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib. But Israel does not know, my people do not consider. Ah, or alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corruptors. They forsaken the Lord. They provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel. They have turned away backward. And we see that in our country more and more. Why should you be stricken again? Maybe God considers allowing a 9-11. There was a temporary remorse after 9-11, if you remember. But before too long, we were right back to our sins and even worse in what we were accepting and approving. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there's no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They've not been closed or bound up or soothed with ointment. And so more and more, you know, this happened in ancient Israel and Judah, and it certainly is happening to our country. What should we do? The prophets have the answer. Repent! We should change our ways. Right here, beginning in verse 16.

Wash yourselves. In other words, repent. Clean up your way of life. Make yourselves clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Reprove the oppressor. Defend the fatherless. Plea for the widow. Change your ways. Come now. Let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, and this applies to our country right now. It applies to any individual, too. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.

Totally wiped out. Totally forgiven. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Wool, of course, is a white color. Cleaned up. God will clean us up if we will repent. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Brethren, that is the message of repentance that went forth from the prophets. They saw the sins of the nation, and they urged repentance.

Let's also read from Isaiah 5, beginning in verse 20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. We have a lot of that going on today. Who put darkness for light and light for darkness. Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight. We do think we are so smart. Many of our leaders in social and educational and religious circles are kind of wise in their own conceits.

They think that this broad way is the right to go, just any way that people want to do it. As long as you don't hurt anybody, it's okay. So we are kind of wise in our own eyes. When Russia stood up and showed some concern about people that were gay coming over to the Winter Olympic Games, then we thought, well, they're pretty backward, aren't they?

They're still stuck in the past. They don't know the world has moved on. Isn't that something to think about? That a country like Russia stands up for the biblical approach more than the way that we are going and doing it. But what are those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight? They think they're right and they're so wrong.

What are men mighty at drinking wine? What are men valiant at mixing intoxicating drink? Who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away justice from the righteous man? A lot of that goes on. Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root will be as rottenness and their blossom will ascend like dust. And why? Because they've rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.

We cannot reject the laws of God and despise God's Word and get away with it. We're proving that point powerfully at this very time. You know, Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah, urged also people in his time, which was roughly about a hundred years later than Isaiah. Let's go to Jeremiah 7 and beginning about verse 3. Jeremiah 7 and verse 3. So Jeremiah was warning the Jews before their captivity to change their ways, to repent. Jeremiah 7 and verse 3.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. This is from God then. Amend your ways. Change your ways in your doings. And I'll cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these. So, you know, the Jews felt nothing could happen to them.

We've got the temple of the Lord here. They didn't know that just a few years down the road because they wouldn't change their ways. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians would destroy that temple utterly. And that happened. They felt safety, the temple of the Lord. Well, verse 5, if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, and thus have to be thoroughly then, right down to the bottom of our hearts, if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place and walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

But, behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, turn incense, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know? And then come and stand before me in this house, which is called in my name, by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations. That's kind of like what we're doing today. We're delivered to do all of these abominations. So, Brother Jeremiah also had a message of repentance as a prophet of God. And so did Ezekiel. Ezekiel as well urged people.

Let's go to Ezekiel 18. So we find so many prophecies urging people to turn away from sin and turn to God in His laws and His ways. In Ezekiel 18, verse 30, Therefore I will judge you, O health of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent. You see, it comes down to the individual level, too, doesn't it? I will judge you every one according to his ways, says the Lord God.

Repent and turn from your transgressions so that iniquity will not be your ruin. You know, iniquity is going to ruin a person or a nation. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, which certainly God will provide. For why should you die, O house of Israel? I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore turn, that word turn means repent.

Turn and live. So, repentance is a matter of life or death. That's what it comes down to. If we don't turn, if we don't repent, we die. That's the end result. Let's read just a couple of verses over in the minor prophets in Joel, Joel 2 and in verse 12. Joel 2 and verse 12. Therefore, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart. In other words, repent. Repent with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.

We will be turning to God on the Day of Atonement with fasting. As our booklet on the Holy Day says about the Day of Atonement, if I can find it real quickly here, I'll read that for you. It says on page 37, We should always fast on the Day of Atonement in a repentant frame of mind.

So that's what the sermon is about this afternoon, having a repentant frame of mind. We should always fast on the Day of Atonement in a repentant frame of mind. Let me just say that whenever we fast, we ought to have that repentant frame of mind.

Actually, we should strive to have that frame of mind all the time, shouldn't we? We should always strive to have a repentant frame of mind. Always seeking to change, always seeking to have the right approach, and the right spirit, and the right attitude. Always teaching to be taught or shown, if there's anything where we're coming up short.

Again, verse 12, He returned to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and with mourning. So rend your heart and not your garments. That rend means to tear. They would often tear their garments, you know, in ancient times, but you should tear your heart. That's what really is important in God's sight.

And return to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and He relents from doing harm. He doesn't want to do harm. Just like a parent. You think a parent likes to spank his children? A loving parent would much rather not have to spank his children. But sometimes when the child just won't be obedient, then the child should be spanked. Now, that's smaller children. When they get larger into the teen years, maybe other ways can be found for discipline. But there should be discipline by the parents when the child is not behaving properly or acceptably.

There should be proper discipline, loving discipline. Let's go to the book of Amos, chapter 5 and verse 4. Amos chapter 5 and verse 4. In my Bible, it even has a call to repentance right above this verse, the New King James Version. For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, Seek me and live. That's what it comes down to. Seek God. Turn totally to Him and live. But do not seek Bethel, these places of false worship back at that time, Gilgal, nor past of Beersheba. For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

Bethel was one of the leading centers of false worship. In verse 6, Seek the Lord and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour it. And skipping on down to verse 12, For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins, You afflict the just and take bribes, You divert the poor from justice at the gate.

Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time. There's a time that it could be dangerous to speak up. You have to use judgment, then. Verse 14, Seek good and not evil, That you may live. So the Lord of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken, hate evil, Love good, establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. You know that would be true for us even today. If our nation would turn to God And from some of the wicked ways, I think we begin to see a turning in the other direction As terrorism and the fear and the threat That we're coming to be under.

Even weather, storms, floods, and things of that type. We'd begin to see a difference if we'd turn to God. The further we've turned from God, The more problems we have seen in storms, weather, other things, As well as in the fear of terrorism. If our nation will not turn to God, We individually, of course, should. And it has to be true repentance from the heart. It has to be with a heartfelt repentance. And that's a vital part of the message Jesus preached. And that's a vital part of the message the prophets preached.

And that's a vital part of the message we preach today. Let's turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 7. And we see here a people that were being praised. Being praised by the Apostle Paul. 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Guess what? In the first book, this is 2 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians, Paul raped this church over the coals.

Because they needed to be. There was one in their congregation that was committing sexual immorality with his mother. Well, his stepmother, we are quite sure. Not his own blood mother, but with his father's wife, it says. So with his stepmother, he was committing immorality. Go into bed with his father's wife, his stepmother. And guess what? The congregation had not grieved. Read the fifth chapter of 1 Corinthians. They had not grieved. In fact, they were kind of gloating over it, apparently. Hear about whatever his name has done.

And so Paul really raped them over the coals. You can read it in 1 Corinthians. But guess what? They repented. And let's pick up the story right here beginning in verse 8. Paul says, even if I made you sorry with my letter, 1 Corinthians, if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it. That means he felt bad about having to write that letter, but it was out of love for them. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry.

I tell you what, if correction makes someone sorry, where they will begin to change, it is good. Though only for a while. You know, it's like a child doesn't keep on crying. It's just a while when you discipline him. Verse 9, Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. That's wonderful when someone becomes sorry and it leads to repentance.

For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might receive loss from us in nothing. No harm was intended at all from the apostle. For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation. Godly sorrow, then, is a wonderful thing. It produces repentance deep in the heart and mind that leads to salvation. Not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death. And that kind of sorrow is just momentary, temporary, and does not lead to the real changes that need to be made. And notice in verse 11 that these people were praised for their repentant frame of mind. They really did repent deep down, at a deep down level.

And that is the only way that, of course, is an acceptable repentance anyway with God. Verse 11, for observe this very thing that you sorrowed in a godly manner. What diligence it produced in you. The people got busy acting and doing something. What diligence? What clearing of yourselves? They began to clear up. They did put this individual out of their congregation that had committed the immorality. What indignation? They were even then angry. What fear? What vehement desire?

What zeal? What vindication? I tell you what, this church then got busy doing the right thing. Getting this person out and cleaning up having their own right heart and mind of repentance. In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this manner. So brethren, they set a good example of the repentance that God seeks. Psalm 51, let's turn to Psalm 51 and read David's heartfelt repentance after he had gone into Bathsheba. And after he had Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, put to death, and David came to see it.

He repented, and these are the words he wrote down. In Psalm 51, it even says the heading in my Bible, a prayer of repentance. Notice the small print to the chief musician, a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone into Bathsheba. You know, in a way you wonder how could the man after God's own heart do something like that and not even himself pick up on it.

Somehow that shows how deceitful the human heart and mind can be. David had gone into Bathsheba. Then he connived to have Uriah brought in, and when he found out that Bathsheba was expecting, have Uriah brought in to try to have him to go to bed with his wife and then palm the baby off on him that way. But that didn't work, and Uriah would not go into his wife while all of the men were out fighting.

What a man of principle he was. David sent him back with a note to Joab, the commander-in-chief of the army, to put this man at the front of the battle. This man took his own death note back, and he died in that battle. Then David took Bathsheba. But why could David, the man after God's own heart, have not picked up himself? It took Nathan the prophet coming in. The baby was born. Nathan the prophet came in and told this little tale of the man who, the rich man, took the poor man's lamb, and David said, put him to death.

And Nathan said, you're the man. And when David really saw that he had sinned, he really got it. He said six very beautiful words. He didn't try to defend himself. He took the correction from God's prophet, and he said, I have sinned against the Lord. I have sinned against the Lord. God struck the baby. David fasted. Seven days, the baby died. David had food. When did he write this? Maybe during the time he fasted. Maybe. Or maybe right after. Verse 1, have mercy upon me, O God. There must have been a lump in David's throat, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies.

You know, I think David was probably a changed man the rest of his life. Just humbled him. He must have meditated about it. God let him continue living. Let him continue to be the king of Israel. Let him have Bathcheever to wife. Let Solomon to be born of that union and be the next king.

It's amazing to think of, you know, God allowed that. So we learned something from that. But David was never, no doubt, never the same quite to think of what he had done. And by the way, there was never a second Bathsheba. David learned some vital lessons. He said, Blot out my transgression, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, clean me, clean me up from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only have I sinned. Ultimately, all sin is against God and done this evil. And in verse 6, behold, you desire truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop. Get some strong cleansing agent on me and I will be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones you've broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. And he begged to God, do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, which he realized he had lost, that close relationship with God, and uphold me with your generous spirit. And he recognized that in verses 16 and 17, you desire not sacrifice or I give it. I go sacrifice animals. That's not what God wants. Verse 17, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise. Brethren, thus the repentant heart and attitude that God wants in us.

What is a broken contrite spirit? David mentions it here, a broken and contrite heart. What is that? Contrite, the word contrite means ground to pieces. It's just like taking something and grinding it, putting it in a grinder, grinding it to pieces. It means crushed. And this says that a broken and contrite, a crushed heart, God will not despise.

That's the kind of heart we should want. One that's broken to do the will of God. A broken heart seeks to do God's will. It's not fighting against God. It's not arguing. It's teachable. It's correctable. You can go right up to someone with a broken heart, correct them. They're not going to be offended by it.

In fact, when they see they're wrong, they're going to say, thank you. I remember Mr. Herbert Armstrong saying, men, if you see that we're wrong in something, let us know. He said, we don't want to be wrong. And we'll thank you for it. We'll publish it to the whole church if we're doing something wrong. So a broken heart is humble and meek and lowly. It's empty of self. It's not full of ego and self. It's not full of self-importance. It doesn't have pride and vanity. It's broken. A broken heart. You know, the Day of Atonement, then, is a day that we need to have that type of heart, a repentant heart. And as we seek a woman with God ourselves, it takes a broken, contrite heart. It takes a heart that is seeking to obey God and to do His will and keep His commandments. The Day of Atonement pictures a time when all the world is going to be humble and meek before God. Guess what? Pride is not going to be around in the millennium. Self and ego and everybody popping. People exalt, self-exaltation will simply not be there. There's a beautiful scripture in Zephaniah. This quickly turned to Zephaniah chapter 3 in the Minor Prophets. A beautiful scripture about Israel. And this is going to be true of all nations. What a different world it's going to be when everybody has a broken heart and a contrite spirit. That world is coming. In Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 11, In that day you shall not be ashamed, in that day you shall not be ashamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against me. Why is that? For then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride and you shall no longer be haughty in my mountain. That would be wonderful. God will take away pride and haughtiness. You'll no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. I will leave in your midst, and here's describing then the way people will be in the millennium, I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth.

For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid. So, you know, that's what the Day of Atonement pictures. It pictures a time when the world is going to have a repentant heart. And it's going to be wonderful. And everybody is striving to walk with God and do God's will. Today is our Day of Atonement, isn't it, in God's Church? And we want to make sure that we have that repentant frame of mind, that repentant heart. That means we've responded to the Gospel. We follow what Jesus said, repent and believe the Gospel. We must constantly then walk with God and seek to do His will and do His work. We must maintain a humble and meek and lowly heart, never high and exalted. We must have a heart that is seeking change, seeking to grow, seeking repentance, willing to be taught and to be corrected.

For the scanning week, as we study about and prepare for the Day of Atonement, be sure to think about a repentant heart, which is a central part of the Day of Atonement. And think of also the good things that result from a repentant heart. For us in the Church today, many blessings, physical and spiritual. And when the whole world keeps the Day of Atonement and has this kind of repentant heart, what will happen? The wonderful world tomorrow, blessing after blessing after blessing.

But today I think we enjoy those blessings because we're striving to keep that Day of Atonement in our lives now.

So brethren, let's prepare for the Day of Atonement. This has been a forward-looking sermon to the next Holy Day. And it's a very important Holy Day. We can never have the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles fulfilled without the meaning of the Day of Atonement to be fulfilled.