Remaining Unleavened

Brethren, every year, God takes us through a series of seven festivals to remind His people of His plan for salvation, for you, and ultimately for all of mankind. Each of the festivals has important lessons that God is trying to teach us as we begin to go along this journey to becoming a part of His family, to begin to be transformed into a new man and a new creation. Some of us have gone through this rehearsal of God's plan dozens of times. Some of us may be less than that. But even those of us that have been doing it for years often learn something new. It's like peeling back an onion. There's a little bit of additional information that God shares with us as we go along and rehearse these days. Even back years ago, when Herbert Armstrong and his wife began to keep the festivals, they didn't even know when they began to keep them even what they meant. And how they fitted into a plan of salvation. But the more they began to observe, the more they began to understand. And of course, ultimately, a lot of that was shared with other people along the way.

The Passover season, which includes not only Passover, but also the days of Unleavened Bread, is especially meaningful. It's one of the most solemn occasions of the year. We commemorate, we remember the death of a Savior, our Savior, a sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. In His own body, He bore our sins, making possible forgiveness, making possible justification in order for us to be right with God, and ultimately making possible the ability to be in a family, eternally, eternal life. And because of this, coming before God at this time, as we came before God at Passover in the days of Unleavened Bread, it was a very, very important time. And it's very significant to us. You know, we talk about Passover being the most significant, the most important, the most solemn occasion of the year. Very significant to us. And prior to each Passover, we prepare, or prior before each festival, we prepare a little bit differently. Like, for instance, we're already beginning to prepare, aren't we, for the Feast of Tabernacles? You know, we're making physical arrangements, talking about housing, talking about lodging, talking about, you know, airline flights or travel arrangements, some of those things. That may change over time. Prior to atonement, we often think about preparing for that, for the fast, and all of that, that pictures.

But when it comes to the Passover season, it seems like that is a very significant time where we often prepare weeks in advance. And we do a self-examination that God talks to us about in 1 Corinthians 11. We take it very seriously. We're renewing our covenant with God in the sense that we told Him that God, whatever it is that you want us to do, we're willing to do. We examine ourselves. We examine our spiritual condition. We examine our spiritual progress and where we stand with our Maker.

And we're commanded to do that in 1 Corinthians 11, prior to partaking the symbols. During this season, it seems, we concentrate on examining ourselves. Not only looking at our homes to see what leaven that we might find in nooks and crannies, but we also look at our own dwelling, our own lives, what houses this body and our mind and our character. And we look to see what sin that we can find or what sin that God will show us when we ask Him.

You know, we've been taught that physical leaven symbolizes sin. And so the spiritual application is we search our lives spiritually, just as we search our homes. We search our lives and our character to see where the obvious sins are and also maybe to find where the not so obvious sins are. And so God gives us this Days of Unleavened Bread to help us to understand some of these things. Often in our self-examination, prior to partaking the Passover, we're humbled with what we find.

We're sobered. We're moved, in a sense, with humility. And as we come to Passover, we realize that maybe we've been tolerating some shortcomings. We've been tolerating some sins. And so we repent before God. We examine ourselves. We see things that are either obvious or not so obvious. And we repent before we come and partake of the bread and before we partake of the wine and, of course, of the foot washing. You know, in this life, we can never be totally blameless on our own.

We do have a part to play. But we can never be totally blameless on our own. But it's important for God to see that we're trying. It's important, I think it signifies to God, our desire to be diligent, to do the right thing. To follow the example that He and Jesus Christ have sent. To be pure and righteous before Him. Because I think the Spring Holy Day season makes us acutely aware of how we're living.

And sometimes we don't like what we see. And we want to be right with God in every way at that time of the year. The Days of Unleavened Bread emphasize this. They emphasize it. For seven days, we eat unleavened bread. And many of us resolve, then, to do better going forward after we go through this experience. We've also been taught that Israel left Egypt on that night, which begins the first day of unleavened bread, also known as the night to be much observed. That they left on that particular night, they were children of Israel that had not been in their homeland for 430 years.

And they found themselves in slavery. They found themselves in difficult bondage. And then God freed them. It took God to free them. They had been slaves. And now they were completely free. You know, there are some commentators that believe that on the seventh day of Unleavened Bread is when they got through the Red Sea, when the waters parted and they got through.

And then, of course, if you remember, Pharaoh's armies followed them in. The children of Israel got safely on the other side. And then the waters closed in. And it was like a baptism, in a sense, when the children of Israel went through. But it closed in and it crushed and destroyed, really, the armies of Egypt. Egypt really was pretty much destroyed. I mean, not only their economy, not only all of their financial centers, but now even their military.

Pretty much gone. And the children of Israel then, when these waters crashed in, they were safely on the other side of the sea. And they were free. They were free. But as you've heard, maybe the phrase, and it's important for us to know, because it's a part of the meaning of this day, is that you could take the Israelites out of Egypt, but you couldn't always take Egypt out of the Israelites.

They were free. The Egyptians were pretty much destroyed. And yet some of that way of thinking, some of that way of being, was still in them. And they even later still wanted to return. They wanted to return to Egypt. So these are all lessons, really, for us. Because as it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, these things happened as examples for us. And so we, as Christians, even though these days picture something very important for us, they symbolize us coming out of the bondage and the slavery of sin, of spiritual Egypt, if you will, that still Egypt can still be in you and in me.

It can still be there. And so just as it took Moses, in a sense, to bring God, use Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, God uses Jesus Christ to bring you and I out of the slavery of sin. And now, brethren, here we are on the seventh day of Unleavened Bread. Where did the time go? I've discussed this with several of you here already. Where did it go? It's already here at the end of the seven days of Unleavened Bread.

God has a reason for us keeping seven days. And I touched on this in the sermon when I was here the last time, is that God utilizes that number seven as completeness. Just as there's seven days in a complete week and there's seven days that God utilized in recreation, in a sense, it's completeness. And so as it represents completeness, God is creating in you and in me a spiritually complete creation. Spiritually complete. And the Feast of Unleavened Bread is very important in showing how God is accomplishing this in you and in me. But now, maybe some of us are starting to think about the next Holy Day, Pentecost. We can leave the Passover. We can leave the days of Unleavened Bread. And in one sense, that's true. That's correct. We must leave the physical days behind. But we should not leave behind the significance of the lessons that we have learned during this season. Most of us tend to forget the most recent festival and begin to focus then on the coming festival. But as time progresses towards the return of Jesus Christ, God expects more of us than that. Certainly, we take the Passover and eat the Unleavened Bread for seven days annually. But instead of forgetting the message of the points, the lessons of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we need to take the meaning of the lessons of the days of Unleavened Bread with us. We need to take them with us as we go forward from here, as a foundation of our lives for the rest of our lives. Instead of forgetting those, brethren, we need to remember. In other words, we must continue to work hard to remain Unleavened all year long. Just like we begin to focus very much on ourselves prior to Passover and then the lessons of the days of Unleavened Bread, we need to remain Unleavened spiritually all year long. So the title of the message that I have for you today is Remaining Unleavened. Remaining Unleavened. For the holy days are far more than holy convocations that we just physically are commanded to come here and sit and to learn.

God doesn't want us to have a sigh of relief at their past, and then we simply slip back into old ways and old habits that we've had. God never does anything without a purpose, and the purpose of the holy days is to teach us lessons that we will learn and we will keep and that we will internalize forever, going forward in our lives forever. The days of Unleavened Bread this year may be over, but the spiritual lessons go on for eternity. And so what I'd like to do specifically today, brethren, is review some lessons of the days of Unleavened Bread that we can apply to our lives as we go forward to remain unleavened, that we take the lessons of these days with us as we go forward. Now this is not an all-exhaustive list. You may have your own things on your own list of things that are meaningful to you, that you need to apply in your life, but these are just some things to get us to maybe think a little bit here. So what's the first lesson? Striving to go forward in remaining unleavened? Number one is to examine yourself. To examine yourself. Now I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this because we had a whole sermon prior to Passover on examining ourselves. And we talked about 1 Corinthians chapter 11 where God tells us that is what we need to do before we partake of the Passover. But let's go over to 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse number 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. And we'll see we know that 1 Corinthians was written prior to the Passover in Days of Unleavened Bread. That's the context in which it was written. But 2 Corinthians was not. That was a later time. But it talks here in 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse number 5. God inspires Paul to tell you and me to examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith and to test yourself. So he's talking about that not just prior to the Passover. That's not the context now. He's talking about examining yourself. We do this continually going forward in our lives. There's times when we take stock, not just at Passover time, but at other times throughout the year. It says to examine yourself and test yourself.

We mentioned last time that it's a human tendency not to do that. It's a human tendency to look at others, to examine them, to test them, to look at their faults and not necessarily look at our own.

But what God is telling us is that it is a godly tendency to look at yourself. That's what a son or daughter of God does. To humble themselves in self-examination for significant change. And God says that this is something that we must do. And so I tried to encourage you in that message about examining ourselves prior to Passover, that we look at ourselves and maybe put down two or three things that we really needed to change in our lives. Either our spouse let us know, or we took it to God and He revealed us through the Scriptures, or we know it's an obvious sin, we know it in ourselves. And then not only to put down those goals of things to change, but also that specific plan of action of how am I going to do that? You know, if I need to pray more, specifically what am I going to do? Am I going to wake up a half hour earlier? Or if I'm going to pray so many times per day, how am I going to do that? Some specific plans of action. And so, brethren, that is going to have to happen throughout the year for us to change. It's just not a one-time event. It's something that we grow into throughout the year.

And so, I won't spend too much time, but let's look at one other Scripture, Lamentations, which is right after the book of Jeremiah. Lamentations 3 and verse 40. Lamentations 3 and verse number 40. Again, it's a Scripture that is referring to God's people and that they were not walking according to the truth. They had been called. They had entered into a covenant relationship, and they began to walk astray. And so, God, in a sense through Jeremiah, speaks to them in Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 40. He says, let us search out and examine our ways and turn back to the Lord. So, the indication is when we do that, when we search out and examine our ways, we're going to find out that we have strayed in some way, in some capacity, in some form that we have strayed. And we need a course correction. Jesus Christ, of course, tells us that we need to walk the straight and narrow path because what broad is the way that is going to lead to death and destruction. But narrow and difficult is the way that leads to life. So, when we examine our ways and search them out, we find that we have a certain distance to go, to become a son or daughter of God. And so, there's an indication also if we fail to examine and search out our ways, that we will lose an opportunity. And we may be farther away from God even than what we realize.

So, the prophet Jeremiah is urging the people in verse 40 to search out their faults and then to amend them, to change them is what that means. And turn back to the Lord. The preposition to in Hebrew implies not halfway, but all the way. We talked about that too, is that you just don't go halfway there, but you come all the way with the whole heart. And so, brethren, without regular and consistent examination as to whether we are in the faith, we can begin to find that we can begin to stray. And so, we have to take personal responsibility where God expects us to throughout the year. Let's cover a second point here. Let's ask ourselves the question, who am I serving?

Who am I serving? And you may think, how does that tie into the Days of Eleven Bread?

Well, examining ourselves as to whom we are serving is really a lesson of the Days of Eleven Bread. We will see from Scripture here in a moment that we cannot serve two masters. It is impossible to serve two masters. And eventually, we will only serve one. And so, ultimately, what master will we ultimately serve? Whom will it be? Let's go to Exodus chapter 1 in verse 8.

Exodus chapter 1 and verse 8. Whom will it be? And what does whom we serve have to do with the lessons of the Days of Eleven Bread? Exodus chapter 1, verse 8. We're going to see that the children of Israel were serving a master. See who it was here. Exodus chapter 1, verse 8. Now, there arose a new king over Egypt. So, we're talking about Pharaoh here. There arose a new leader over this land of Egypt who did not know Joseph. And he said to the people, Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come and let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply. And it happened in the event of war that they join our enemies and fight against us. And they go up out of the land. So, they set taskmasters over them. So, they had masters over them, taskmasters. And we'll see here that these taskmasters over them, they afflicted them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh cities. They built supply cities, Python, Ramesses. But the more they afflicted the children of Israel, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread. They feared these people. And so, they afflicted them, harshly, with great difficulty. And the more they afflicted them, it says, the more they grew. Verse 12. Verse 13. So, the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve. So, they were serving a master. In this sense, a taskmaster. What type of person or master do they have? It says, they served, verse 13, they made the children of Israel serve with rigor. It's not a word we use a lot in English, but rigor means harshly. It means severe. It means they were cruel in how they were treated. This master was harsh, was cruel, and was severe. And verse 14, it says, made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and brick. You know the story. In all manner of service and their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

Brother, who were they serving? Well, they were serving Pharaoh. This was the type of leader that he was. And we know that, of course, Egypt typifies sin, and we know that Pharaoh typifies an evil ruler. It typifies Satan himself. And so, what were the consequences of serving? Whom they were serving? The people, the leader here, that they were forced to serve. What were the consequences? What kind of master did they have? Did they serve? Was it one that cared for them?

Was it one that loved them? Was it one that was concerned for them?

Let's go to Exodus 4. Let's jump ahead here just a little bit. Exodus 4, verse 22, and see another master and how he planned on dealing with the Israelites. Exodus 4, verse 22.

Exodus 4, verse 22, there's a new master, in a sense, that begins to deal with these people.

There's been a present one who's been dealing with the Israelites in a very harsh and cruel manner.

Let's see what this says here. Exodus 4, verse 22, then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD, Israel is my son, my firstborn. Now, we're talking about something different here. We're talking about a family relationship. Israel is my son, my firstborn. And for those of us that are parents, when you have a firstborn child, you know that they are very important to you.

And you love them, and you care for them. And verse 23, so I say to you, Pharaoh, let my son go, that he may serve me. So now we're talking about a family dynamic, aren't we? We're talking about the son is going to serve the father as a son serves his father, a family relationship, not as a slave serves Pharaoh, but as a son serves a father. Brethren, you are sons of God. You're his sons and you're his daughters. We're talking about a family. We are not, nor have we ever been, sons of Satan, sons of Pharaoh. We never have been. There is no family relationship there at all. But he wants you to serve him. He wants you to serve him. And we know what kind of ruler and taskmaster that he is. He wants you to serve him and he wants you to serve him with hard bondage, with rigor. Let's notice Deuteronomy 10, verse 12. Deuteronomy 10, and verse 12. A little bit more here about a different master. Whom are we going to serve? We can't serve both. We can only serve one. Which master do you want to serve? Deuteronomy 10, verse 12. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?

So God is telling his son what he requires of him. But to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all of his ways, and to love him. So love is involved. To serve the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul. And why? Verse 13. And to keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes which I command you today, because it's for your good. That's where he's coming from. That's why he asked us to obey. That's why he asked us to live a certain way of life. It's because it's going to be good. And when God does something and it's good, it's really good. We haven't yet seen the reality of how good it can be. We've had a taste of it. Let's jump to verse 15. And the Lord delighted only in your fathers to love them.

And so not only does he says, love me, but he says, I love you. I love you. It's a family relationship.

The Lord delighted only in your fathers to love them, and he chose their descendants after them. That's you, above all peoples as it is this day. Brother, let's turn over to Joshua chapter 24, verse 14. Joshua chapter 24, verse 14. Again, touching on the fact that who are we going to serve as part of the lessons of the Days of the Eleven Bread? Because we cannot serve two masters.

Joshua chapter 24 and verse number 14. It's been 40 years since the children of Israel have left Egypt. And of course, we touched on the fact that maybe Egypt hadn't totally left them. But it's been 40 years come into the Promised Land. Joshua brought them in. It wasn't Moses, but it was Joshua. And Joshua has something to share here from God through Joshua here in Joshua 24, verse 14.

Now therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him. Serve Him with sincerity and truth. And we touched on that in the first Day of the Eleven Bread. And put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt and served the Lord. So here it's 40 years later and still some of those gods they still have in their possession. He says, put them away and serve the Lord. Verse 15, and if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, well then you choose yourselves. This day whom you will serve. Whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, talking about Egypt, or possibly the nations around them, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But Joshua says that for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

And so he set an example for the people then and for us today that you know what? You're going to have to choose. You can't serve two masters, so you're going to have to choose which one.

You have to choose. Whom are we serving? Can we have one foot on one side of the fence and one foot on the other? Can we have one foot in the world and have one foot in the church, so to speak?

Let's notice Matthew 6, verse 24. Matthew 6, verse 24.

Our Savior, our Passover Lamb and our elder brother, gave us this guidance here in Scripture. Matthew chapter 6 and verse number 24. Really part of the Sermon on the Mount, in a sense, that He gave to those that were there. One of the most powerful messages I think that anyone has ever given.

Matthew chapter 6 and verse 24. Jesus Christ tells you in me this, no one can serve two masters.

Can't be done. Because eventually He's going to hate the one and He's going to love the other. Can eventually migrate all the way to one or the other. Or else He will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. So God tells us this is the way that it works. This is the way that it works. You can't have one foot on each side of the fence. Eventually, you evolve one way or the other. Eventually, you will serve one or the other. Eventually, you will be loyal one or to the other. When we ask the question, whom are we serving? Sometimes we serve ourselves. Let's notice Romans chapter 16 and verse 17. Well, I'm going to do my own thing. I'm going to do what I want and we'll serve themselves. Romans chapter 16 and verse number 17. This is talking to people even in the church that had decided that they were going to serve God.

And notice what it says here in this context. Romans chapter 16 and verse 17. Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses that are contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. Because notice in verse 18, for those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but they are serving their own belly. They're in it for some other reason. They're not serving Christ, they're serving themselves. And by smooth words and by flattering speech, deceive the hearts of the simple.

For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore, I am glad on your behalf. But I want you to be wise in what is good. I want you to understand. And simple concerning evil.

And notice verse 20. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. It's quite a phrase there, isn't it? The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. So symbolically, Satan or Pharaoh is eventually going to be dealt with. And part of the lessons of the days of 11 bread are choosing whom you and I will serve. Choose this day whom you will serve.

Some will choose to serve sin. Let's notice Romans 6. This is a very good section of Scripture here.

Romans 6, talking about sin and slavery. It's typified by Egypt and slavery and coming out of Egypt, spiritual Egypt.

Romans 6, verse 6. Some will serve sin. It says, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Or as the old King James says, serve sin. We should no longer serve sin. Or be slaves to sin.

It holds on to us just as tightly as it can. It keeps us in bondage. It keeps us in slavery, is what it is. And God knows that. And He wants us to be free. He wants us to be blessed. He wants what's good for us. Verse 7, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with Him. He says, therefore, and let's jump to verse number 12. Therefore, don't let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it. You know, whoever you obey is the one who is your master. Whoever you decide to obey, that becomes your master. Let's notice that in verse number 16. Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves to whom you obey. So whoever we're yielding ourselves to, whoever we're obeying, that becomes our master.

So who is, who are we serving?

So, verse 16, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin, which leads to death, or obeying obedience, or which leads to righteousness. But God be thanked that you were slaves of sin, yet you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which you were delivered.

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. So we're going to serve somebody, aren't we? Are we either going to be a slave to sin, or we're going to be a slave to righteousness? Shumpe to verse 22, but now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life. So that's where this master takes us. That's where God takes us. We're going to serve someone. But you know, God never forces his servants to serve him. He doesn't twist our arms. He doesn't make you obey. He leaves that to us to choose. We have to choose, because ultimately we're only going to serve one master.

Let's look at a third point. In serving, serve with humility. Serve with humility.

Third point here, third lesson. You know, as we examine ourselves prior to Passover, we humbled ourselves before God. We began to see ourselves. And you know, humility really does serve us well. Not just before Passover, but all throughout the year. It serves us very, very well. God, it says He resists the proud. And I don't know if we want to be resisted by God.

You know, that's going up against a pretty formidable fall. To have God resist you or me.

It says He resists the proud, but He's gracious. He gives grace to the humble. And that's the type of character that He has. As we begin to feed on Jesus Christ, which is pictured by the Passover in the seven days of 11 bread, we're to learn from Him and from His example, to feed on Me. Remember, we talked about that. To eat Jesus Christ, that bread of life. Let's go to Matthew 11, verse 29. Better get my watch off here because I can't see the clock there on the wall. Let's get my watch out here. Matthew 11, verse 29.

Jesus Christ is trying to teach us. By His example, one of the main reasons that He came was to help us to see how to live, to imitate Him. He says, I want you to take My yoke upon you. He said, hook yourself up with Me.

So we'll be together as we pull this wagon and we're going in a certain direction. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. And what does He want us to learn from Him? That I am gentle and I am lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. Wow, there's a lot here in verse 29. There's a lot in this verse. Phrase by phrase, Jesus Christ is talking about undertaking an obligation here. The yoke, if you will, of a discipleship. Hooking up next to Christ and walking with Him.

Together. Pulling together, in a sense. You know? Being yoked together with Christ and being a servant as He is a servant. You know, it's just not that I'm a servant and I'll work for you during the daytime. You know, the eight hours I'll put in and then I won't work in the evenings and I'm not going to work on the weekends. You know, it's not that kind of relationship when you hook yourself up to the yoke with Christ. It's a discipline of discipleship that's 24-7.

It's a way of living. All the time. It's an obligation. He speaks of learning from His example of meekness and lowliness. And ultimately, then, finding rest.

Which I think is a hunger that all of us have inside. Finding rest for our souls.

Let's turn over to Philippians 2. Philippians 2, again, under this same point here of humility. Humility. Not just before the days of 11 bread or during the feast or before Passover, before the days of 11 bread, but a way of living throughout the year. Philippians 2 and verse 1, an incredible part of Scripture here. Just amazing Scripture. Philippians 2 and verse 1, it says, therefore, if any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, fellowship we're talking about this oneness, this partnership, this unity, if there's any fellowship of the Spirit, if there's any affection, so it involves affection, if there's any mercy, it involves mercy. All of the characteristics that God has. Verse 2, then, fulfill my joy by being like this, by having a mind like this.

Having that same love, having that same accord and being of one mind, and let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. So that is definitely a humble approach to dealing with other people, isn't it? To esteem them better. Verse 4, let each of you look out not only for your own interests, and it's not wrong to look out for your own interests, but it says to go further than that. But also for the interests of others, and let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Feed on me is what He told us, that we might abide together, you and me, and I and you, and then we may be yoked together. This oneness that He talks about, let's jump to verse 7. Christ Himself made Himself of no reputation, and He took the form of a bond servant. And so He was a slave, in a sense, and He came in the likeness of men. And being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself, and He became obedient. He became obedient to the ultimate sense, to an extreme, to death. You know, how far will I go to be obedient? You know, until I'm uncomfortable, until I don't like this anymore, it's hard, it's not easy, I didn't know it was going to be this hard. God is taking His sons and daughters a little further along the way, He helps us, He encourages us, and He puts a little pressure on us now, and then to grow. And that's part of the meaning of these spring holy days, these festivals, the Passover, the days of the Red Red, to take these lessons with us as we go forward from here. Let's go over to Matthew 20 in verse 20. Matthew 20 in verse 20. There's three recorded instances, separate instances, where Jesus Christ addresses the same issue. And it must be something that we have a problem with, because some feel this is a parallel account, but it's not. There's three different instances here where Christ addresses the same issue. Matthew 20 in verse 20. You may recall the story when we get there. Matthew 20 and verse 20. Remember the mother of Zebedee? The mother of Zebedee's sons that came to Jesus Christ? What was it? James and John? And verse 20, the three of them came before Christ, and she's got something to ask Him. And He says in verse 21, He says to the mother, well, what do you wish? And she says to Him, to Jesus, grant that these two sons may be able to sit, one on your right hand and one on your left hand, in your kingdom.

Now, I've just got a simple request here.

That my two sons may sit on either side of you when you come into your kingdom.

And Jesus answered verse 22, well, you don't know what you're asking. Can you partake of the cup that I'm going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I'm going to be baptized with? And of course, He's probably referring to His death and all the suffering and all the difficulties it's going to go through. And they probably didn't understand what He was saying. He said, well, yeah, we can do that. We're able. Verse 23, so He said, well, you will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with. But sit on my right hand and on my left hand isn't mine to give, but for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father. So God the Father has something in mind specifically, most likely, and how that's all going to work. Not Jesus Christ Himself, but God the Father. And notice in verse 24, it says, and when the ten heard it, that was okay with them.

No, it doesn't say that, does it? When the other ten disciples heard what these two had done with their mother, it says they were greatly displeased with the other two. They were greatly displeased and it didn't produce harmony, didn't produce peace. And so Jesus had to call them together, verse 25, to Himself, you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over? So then I'm going to have to teach my disciples. There's something they don't know. There's something they have to understand. He said, you know how the Gentiles lorded over them, verse 25, and those who are great exercise authority over them. But it's not to be like that among you. For whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. So the great whoever is going to be the greatest is the one that serves. Verse 27, and whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. Wow, he takes it from being a servant now. Now that's painted normally. Now he says slave, which often you just got your place to live and your food and your clothing. Let him be your slave.

Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. So there's the example again. So he's trying to teach them and us as we read the story. Let's go over to Mark 9, verse 33. Mark 9, verse 33. This is going to be the second now of three recorded instances of teaching humility.

Mark 9, verse 33. Not a parallel account here. This is another time. It's not the mother bringing her two sons to Jesus in a private conversation, but this is something that's happening another time. Mark 9, verse 33. Then he came to Capernaum, referring to Christ. And when he was in the house, he asked them, what was it that you were talking about along the road? Of course, he uses it more specifically. What was it that you were disputing among yourselves on the road? Amazing. Christ probably wasn't even there, but of course, God were invisible to him. We can hear that he can hear things that we can't.

He knew what they were talking about. So he asked them, what was it that you were disputing about on the road? He already knew. And they were silent. And there's a reason why they were silent, because they felt they'd done something wrong. They were silent. For on the road, they had disputed among themselves who'd be the greatest. And again, he sits them down. He calls the twelve together. He says, if anyone desires to be the first, he shall be last of all.

Just the opposite of what the whole culture of the time says. God turns things really right side up, but to us it seems upside down. He says to them that you have to be, if you want to be first, you have to be last of all and servant of all. And I think that describes Jesus Christ. He served all of us.

And that's why he's first. Verse 36, then he took a little child and he set them in the midst of them. And when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them, whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me. And whoever receives me receives not me, but the Father, the one who sent me. You know, when we serve others, we're serving not only Christ, but we're serving the Father when we serve others, even if it's a little child.

And so God is beginning to help us to understand that that's what a son or daughter of God does. They serve. They serve even the smallest of people. Let's look at the third instance now. This is shortly before Christ's death. Let's go over to Luke chapter 22. Again, not a parallel account, but a separate instance. And this will be the third time that Jesus Christ has to sit down with his disciples and to talk about humility.

This third instance is just before his final Passover, before his crucifixion. Luke chapter 22 and verse number 13. So they went and they found it just as he said to them. So remember the story, you know, you're going to go to the city, you see a man with a pitcher of water, you follow him into the house, and that's where you're going to prepare for the Passover. So we understand the concept of the time frame that we're in here. It's shortly before Passover in Days of 11 Bread. Verse 14, when the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles with him, and then he said to them, with fervent desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. So he's sitting with his disciples, keeping this last Passover with them. So we understand the context here. Let's jump to verse 24. Notice, now there was also a dispute among them as to which should be considered the greatest. Here we're on Passover night, just before the Passover, right, at the Passover, and before the Days of 11 Bread.

And he's got to talk to them again. This is the third time that he has to talk with them, and he's probably thinking, what do I have to do? What do I have? I've got to do something, because they're not getting this, and I don't have much time left, at least in the flesh, to communicate this lesson. And so, in verse 25, he said to them the same thing he said to them before. He said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercised lordship. That's what you're trying to do. You want to see who's going to exercise lordship. The Gentiles, the kings of the Gentiles, exercised lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are often called benefactors. But not you! Not so among you. On the contrary, just the opposite, in other words. He who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as one who serves.

For who is greater? He who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? And yet I am the one who's serving you, is what he's saying. Let's go over to John 13.

John 13. Again, under this same point here.

You know, I don't know, we're going to talk about the foot washing here, and I don't know if Christ had that in mind, you know, for a long time. I don't know whether he had that in mind, that this was something even maybe before the foundation of the world, that this was something he was going to implement along with the symbols of the bread and the wine, and he was going to do foot washing. Or is it possible because they weren't getting it as far as the humility?

That he thought of it right there and then. It's only speculative. The scriptures don't really say one way or the other. But I wonder if he felt, I have got to do something right here at Passover. They're still not getting it, and they're still talking about who's going to be the greatest and disputing among themselves. So let's pick it up in John 13 and verse 1.

John 13 and verse 1. Now before the Feast of the Passover, so again we know the context. When Jesus knew that his hour had come, that he should depart from the world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand and that he come from God and was going to God, he rose from supper. We rehearsed this on the Passover. He took off his garments, he laid them aside, girded himself with the towel. Verse 6 or verse 5, and he poured water into the basin and he began to wash the disciples' feet. And of course, they were just astounded, which Christ has a way of doing that. Just opposite of what we think. Just opposite of what we think. He starts to wash their feet, and they're probably wondering what is going on. They've never seen anything like this. And of course, Peter, the outspoken one, is going to say something. And we've rehearsed this before. He said, you're going to wash my feet?

You're not going to wash my feet. Jesus said, well, you know, if I don't wash you, you have no place with me. And also helping us to understand that we need Jesus Christ to wash us, to really be clean. We have a role in putting out leaven, but God has a role in making us clean.

If I don't wash you, you have no part with me. And of course, then Peter goes to the other side of the dish. Well, then, okay, then my hands and my head wash me all over. And Christ said, you know, I don't have to do that. He's that's washed is already clean except those feet.

But you're not all clean. And he talks about Judas a little bit, because I know there's one here that's going to betray me. He was referring to Judas in that way, kind of a double meaning there.

Verse 12. And when he had washed their feet, he took his garments, he sat down again. And he said, do you know what I've done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you say, well, for I am.

If I then your Lord and your teacher, in other words, your master, the one you're serving, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. Brethren, God is a servant to us.

He provides us with so many blessings. He gives us so many things. He's given us life.

He's given us air to breathe. He's given us food to eat. He's given us homes. He's given us His words so that we can eat of it and learn of it and digest it and make it a part of us. It's a living word that changes us. He's given us all of these things. All of these gifts, every good gift has come from God. He serves us. He wants us to serve Him. He says in verse 15, I have given you an example. Quite a good thing He did. What an example that you should do as I have done to you. There it is. I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. I tell you, verse 16, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. And if you know these things, blessed, blessed. There's a peace that comes over that. When you're humble and you're just there to serve. There's a peace. There's no fighting. There's no bickering. There's no disputing. There's just a peace. There's a blessing that comes with that. There's a oneness that comes with that. Let's go to the fourth lesson. I'm running out of time here. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

You know, Natalie, why do you think that God chose leaven to represent sin? What is it about leaven that represents sin so well? Why did God choose, of all the commodities that God could have chosen, why did he choose leaven? Well, there's a reason. Because leaven of anything that's ever been created, it pictures sin better than anything else. Let's talk about leaven for a moment. How does it work?

Okay, well, first of all, leaven starts small. Starts really small with yeast spores that are floating around the air right now. You can't even see them. That's how small that leavening, the process of leavening starts. It starts small. Just one little microscopic yeast spore on a loaf, on unleavened loaf of bread, this dough that's sitting there, it can begin to leaven the entire lump. So it starts small, but once it's introduced, it begins to multiply and grow. And this yeast then begins to eat up all the different ingredients around it. It just engulfs it and makes it a part of itself. Eats it up and makes it a part of itself. I've used the example of cancer and how cancer works. People get cancer, and maybe some of you have had it, or somebody that does, and they live with fear. They live with the C word, you know, oh no, I've got cancer. And how serious that that is, because it can take our physical lives. And yet, leaven, or sin, typifying sin works very much the same way. Only it's an eternal consequence. Rather than a physical death, we're talking about a spiritual death. We often don't think about the S-word, but that's exactly what it is, and God's trying to help us to understand that. That leaven is serious, that sin is serious. So it starts small, begins to multiply and grow, mixing itself with the ingredients around it, consuming it, making it a part of itself. Like rust on metal, you start off with a solid piece of metal, you end up with dust that glows away in the wind. Leprosy, that type of thing. It's powerful. It's powerful. And then once that whole process goes full circle and is totally complete, it ends up with totally changing the nature of the loaf to which it was mixed. It's no longer the same. It's different.

And sin is very much the same with us. And so sin, in a sense, like leaven, it starts small.

2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 5. Sin starts small with the first wrong thought. That's where it began. It began, the first sinner was Lucifer. And it began in his mind. It was the first wrong thought. You know, maybe God can't be trusted. I'm not sure if his plan is as good as it could be. I don't know if I like exactly where he's headed.

And of course, he began to plant those seeds then with at least a third of the angelic realm.

Which went along with that. Let's note 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 5. It says, Now, God gives us the Spirit, gives us the help that we need. And we have power, maybe, that we haven't thought about. That we can put those thoughts out. That's wrong.

That's a wrong thought. I need to bring that into captivity and bring it to the obedience of Christ. Let's notice Genesis chapter 4 and verse number 3. Genesis chapter 4 and verse 3.

If sin is allowed to remain, that first wrong thought is allowed to go unchecked and unrepented, not nipped in the bud, but it begins to multiply and begins to grow. Let's see the process of sin here in Cain. Genesis chapter 4 and verse number 3. Genesis chapter 4.

Remember the story that both he and his brothers came to bring his sacrifice. Genesis chapter 4, beginning in verse 3.

So Abel brought a lamb, something from the flock, and Cain brought fruit, in a sense.

And verse number 5. And he did not respect Cain in his offering, and Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So now the process of sin has started. He's angry. Something's going on in his mind, and his countenance has fallen. His facial expression has changed, and God perceives there's something that's beginning to work in Cain. The process of sin is beginning to start. He hasn't sinned yet, but it started. Verse number 7. And God says, oh, if you do well, won't you be accepted? So apparently he didn't do well. He didn't follow the guidance that God had given him with this particular sacrifice, this offering, that Cain must have decided to do it his own way. But God said, if you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you do not, well, sin lies at the door. It means it's not here yet, but it's really close. It's knocking on the door, so to speak. And notice what he goes on to say, and its desire is for you. It wants to enslave. It wants us to serve it, in a sense. Its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

God rules over sin. So does Jesus Christ. And He says, I'm teaching you as well that you should rule over it. Now, you're going to need my help. No question about that. I'm trying to give you as much as I can, and I'll be there for you. I won't leave you, I'll forsake you. But you can rule over it. You can bring every thought into captivity. You have the ability to do that with my help and my spirit. And that's what we do. That's what sons and daughters of God do. Now, of course, we fall short from time to time. I understand that. Matthew 5, verse 30. Matthew 5, verse 30.

Like cancer, it's good to catch it early. Maybe some of you have been diagnosed with that.

They say the earlier that you catch it, the better. It's better to cut it out, to get rid of it, because it has the ability to corrupt the rest of the cells of your body, to spread, to fuse throughout your entire body, eating up the healthy cells, and changing those healthy cells into itself, what its corrupted cells are. And Jesus Christ has this to say in Matthew, chapter 5, and verse 30. You may recall this Scripture as well. Again, part of the Sermon on the Mount here. Matthew, chapter 5, and verse number, let's pick it up here in verse 28. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So, it starts in the mind, doesn't it? And in our hearts. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Cut it out, in other words. Jesus Christ says, get rid of it. Because it's more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, whether it be an arm, whether it be a hand, whether it be an eye, in a sense. Something about us that's dangerous. It's more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than that your whole body be cast into hellfire. Verse 30, and if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off. Not literally. We know that and understand he's talking symbolically here. But get rid of it before it spreads to the rest of our body, before it corrupts the entire character, the entire life of a person. Cut it out. Nip it in the bud.

Don't let it go too far. Even if sin has conceived and it's been given birth, cut it out as quickly as possible. Try not to let it go that far, but Jesus Christ says if it does, cut it off.

For it's more profitable for you, verse 30, that one of your members should perish than for the whole body to be cast into hellfire. And so we see here. Let's go to the last point here.

Number five is to keep your heart. To guard your heart. Rather than the Scriptures I talk about, I don't have time because I'm running out of it. In the Proverbs, it's about keeping your heart because out of it come the issues of life. Psalm chapter 17.

And verse number 10. The heart is so important. God needs to know our hearts.

He says He searches the hearts here. I search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. So God looks carefully at our hearts and our minds and He wants us. David talked about, and I'll just refer to this Scripture.

You can write it down in your notes. You can turn there if you'd like to. Psalm chapter 26 in verse 2. Psalm 26 in verse 2, where David says, examine me, O Lord. Remember that Scripture? We talked about that. That David went beyond examining himself, but he asked God to examine him. But he says, examine my heart. Not just me looking at my heart. I want you to look at my heart and my mind. And so the heart's really, really very important. And it can be corrupted. It can be changed. Sin can be introduced to be changed. Let's look at an example that I think will... Let's go to 1 Kings 11 in verse 1. I think this will tie in a little bit to points 4 and 5. I can have one example maybe to cover both points here. We'll see how 11 worked in the life of Solomon.

King Solomon. 1 Kings 11 in verse 1. This is quite a story. I don't have time to turn to these Scriptures, but there's a Scripture that says Solomon loved the Lord. That he loved Him.

And there's another Scripture that says that the Lord loved Solomon. So they had a special relationship. And this is early on in Solomon's career when he has the dream and God says, what do you want me to give you? And Solomon asked for wisdom because he said, these are such a great people. I'm asking for wisdom. And God was pleased with that. So there was a relationship between God and Solomon of love. It's in 2 Samuel 12 verse 24 where it says that the Lord loved Solomon.

He loved him. And the other Scripture is 1 Kings 3 verse 3 that says Solomon loved the Lord.

That's 1 Kings 3 verse 3. But let's take a look at what happened. 1 Kings 11 verse 1. This is later on now in his tenure as king of the Israelites leadership over God's people. 1 Kings 11 verse 1 it says that King Solomon loved many foreign women as well as the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the Sidonians, and the Hittites. From the nations from whom God had said to the children of Israel, don't intermarry with them. Don't do that. Why? Because surely they will turn away your heart from me. They'll turn your heart away from me into other gods.

Solomon it says in the latter part of verse 2, clung to these in love. We're in 1 Kings 11 too.

He clung to them in love and he had 700 wives and princesses and 300 concubines and notice and his wives turned away his heart. And it was so when Solomon was old, this corruption in a sense was complete. It started small. You know, it's amazing with all of the wisdom that God gave to Solomon and there were times in the early part of his tenure of his reign that he kept God's commandments.

He was close to God, but it says this process took time and when he was old, verse 4, his wives turned his heart to other gods and his heart was not loyal to his God as the heart of his father David. Solomon went after Astorath, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil. God just calls it plain and simple. He did evil. And sometimes it's hard for me to wrap my mind around. He had all of this wisdom. He knew God's commandments. And you know, he was probably right on in 99 things out of 100, but one area that's all we need is one weakness where that one little leaven starts, that one sin starts. You know, if he did understand the meaning of the days of 11 bread, either he ignored it.

Because if he knew how leaven works and he knew how sin works, he would have realized what was happening to him. It's hard to say. Verse 17, he built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab on the hill that is east of Jerusalem. He's making all of these false gods in a sense of having a place to worship them. And for Molech, the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all of his wives who burned incense and sacrificed other gods. So God became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Rather, we have to watch our hearts. We have to watch our hearts. Let's notice Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12 and verse number 35. Let's go over there. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 35. God tells us our hearts are indicative. He could really tell what's in our hearts by the things that we say. Let's notice here, Jesus Christ is talking about that this is not something external, but something that's happening inside. Internal. Matthew 12 verse 33. It says, either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. Fruit of vipers. So Jesus is quite strong here with some of these Pharisees. How can you, being evil, speak good things? He says you can't do it. You cannot speak good things if there's an evil heart. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart will bring forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings evil things. But I say to you that every idle word that men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

So they tried to be good, outwardly, but inwardly they were evil. So the mouth speaks what's on the inside. It's the mouth doesn't form its own words, but they're a reflection of what's going on in here. And so it's a condition of the heart. We can appear to be good, but ultimately the things that we say will ultimately come out. The things that we are, the things that are in our heart will ultimately come out of our mouths, and it will be reflected in the words that we use.

I'll just refer for time to Proverbs 4 and verse 23 that says, Keep your heart with diligence. Be careful. And, brethren, it's not just at the spring holy days, it's not just at Passover, the days of the 11 bread. God wants us to keep our heart throughout the rest of our lives to build on these lessons that He has given to us.

Brother, we give special emphasis, don't we, to each feast and their seasons. It would be ideal, really, to carry the lessons with us throughout the year. And, boy, if we were able to do this, boy, would we ever grow. The understanding of God's way is cumulative.

It's a process over many years of effort. A holy, righteous character is not something that God can create instantly. It takes time. And through the lessons of these festivals that He's teaching us this, but He doesn't want us to forget those lessons when they're over. He wants us to bring them along, to remain unleavened going forward. One last scripture here, let's turn over to Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6 and verse 9.

Brother, it's possible for us to drift. If we don't examine ourselves throughout the year, we can begin to drift throughout the year. It's possible for us to drift. And like the Hebrews, Paul had to speak with them. They had to be, almost in a sense, re-taught the first principles of God because they had drifted away. God knows the effort it requires for us to change, and He's faithful to reward us for our labors. As he says this in Hebrews 6 and verse 9.

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you. Yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work. He's not. The labor that you're doing, that you're trying to follow His ways to amplify His Son, He says, For God is not unjust to forget your work and your labor of love, which you have shown towards His name, in that you have ministered to the saints. You're ministering to others in the church, the body of Christ, the called out ones. That you have ministered to the saints and are doing that now. And we desire that each one of you show that same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Keep on keeping on, as Wayne says, until we breathe our last. Until the end. And that you don't become sluggish or slothful, as it can also, I think it is in the old King James version, don't become slothful or sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Brethren, God's not going to fail to reward us for our efforts of love towards Him and love towards the saints. He won't fail us. And one of the ways we do this is by bringing ourselves under control that we can properly serve others, which is showing love to God and to our fellow man. So, brethren, just because the days of unleavened bread are over, doesn't mean that we should become leavened again. Because our task, going forward from here to the rest of our lives, is to remain unleavened.