Spiritual Preparation for the Festival Season

We really appreciate that. Dear brethren, would you believe that we are about six weeks to pass over an 11 bread? You blink your eyes and it will be gone. In last week's sermon, we saw some spiritual lessons that are derived from the physical. For instance, in first place, we looked at sacrifices and how they pointed to Christ's sacrifice, which is so profoundly enormous.

We saw how the very Word, through whom God made the universe, voluntarily emptied Himself of His glory to be flesh and die for us. And therefore, we saw the importance of understanding in what was discerning the Lord's body. Because that's the Lord that created us under the instruction of the Father and He gave His life for us. In addition, if you want to turn with me, please, to 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians 11. This is Paul talking about the Passover.

He says here in verse 29, Therefore, whether he eats the bread or drinks the scum of the Lord in an unworthy manner, will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And then he continues this, But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, that's the second time it mentions the two words, unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. So, if we apply that with verse 27, which is talking about the body and blood of the Lord, clearly, in one way, is talking about Christ's own body.

And we need to discern that sacrifice. But the Bible also gives an analogy, a very significant understanding that the body of Christ, the Lord's body, is the Church. And he's the head of the Church. And so, how we treat one another, how we discern one another, is equally important in a spiritual way. How we treat the brethren in the Church is equally important.

Therefore, the meaning of verse 30, because now it takes that physical comparison to the spiritual comparison of the body of Christ, which is or are the members of the Church, and which Christ is the head of the Church, of the body. And therefore, he says, for this reason, in a word, therefore, for this reason, many are weak and speak among you, and many sleep. For this reason, many are ill, have different challenges, because there's been hurt.

And then, verse 31, for if we judge ourselves, therefore, if we analyze ourselves, examine ourselves, or being careful ourselves, how we treat others, then God does not need to judge us, because we've evaluated ourselves, we've corrected it, and we've taken corrective action. Then God does not need to take corrective action on us. And so, we saw that, in a summary, that last week, how Christ's sacrifice is represented by the physical sacrifices of old Israel, pointed to Christ, and the value, the importance, the extreme significance of that sacrifice, both physically of his body and what it means, and of the spiritual body, what it means as well.

Then, also last week, we looked at the second example by referring to the Israelites leaving Egypt. And we saw, very briefly, that they were in slavery, and we know they were in slavery. They were enslaved. And it required God's strong hand to release them from slavery. Ten plagues culminating in the very death of the firstborn, and third, the strong hand of opening the Red Sea. This was done with a strong hand. The Israelites could not leave slavery by themselves. They couldn't. It required God's intervention through the word that was acting as an agent representative of God doing that act. And so, this new liberty that the Israelites had by coming out of slavery out of Egypt was symbolized in Old Testament by the days of Unleavened Bread.

And it says, when you keep these days of Unleavened Bread, remember, you were in Egypt, and you were removed from slavery, likewise. Spiritually speaking, brethren, you and I are slaves of sin. And we're going to get out of that, or we are getting out of that, or we got out of it. Depends on what situation we are in. But look at Romans 6, verse 16. Romans 6, verse 16. Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey?

Whether of sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness, you are. You are the servants to whom you obey.

And we were in sin. And very possibly, some of us are still enslaved to certain sins that we're struggling to overcome. If any of us says that I have no sin, he's a liar. He says that, doesn't he? But the point is, the point he is, there is no way. And the line, there is no way you and I can get out of slavery by our own strength. Just like there was no way the Israelites could get out of Egypt by their own strength. Look at Romans chapter 7, verse 23 and 24. He says, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind. With my mind, in other words, bringing me to captivity, bringing me to slavery, to the law of sin which is in my members. Because he says, if my mind I want to do one thing, but I keep calling, I'm a slave.

Oh, rich man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death. I'm enslaved. I cannot get out of it. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord because of his death, the Lamb of God. Just like the Lamb that freed the Israelites out of Egypt, out of slavery. That Pharaoh said, get out now. And then he still persecuted them and God still had to do further miracles with opening up the Red Sea. But the point is, he says, thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So then, with the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. I'm still struggling. You see, the only hope you and I have of getting out of slavery, of sin, of whatever you and I are struggling with. And you and I need to be honest. There are things that we are struggling with. Only hope is God's intervention through his strong hand. Like he did to the Israelites coming out of Egypt, required a strong hand from God. You and I need a strong hand. And that's from hand. The Israelites were reminded, that's why you're taking a live on bread, to remind you how you came out of Egypt. And that is the physical analogy and its spiritual intent for us as well. And so, in a way, we went through that last week, showing that these two physical shadows, the Passover and the live on bread, pointed to such large, significant spiritual shadows of the Lamb of God and of us coming out of the slavery of sin, symbolized by the days of the live on bread.

In other words, brethren, God's gracious and miraculous intervention is required with a strong hand. And that strong hand was through Jesus Christ our Lord, that God did for us. And brethren, that strong hand could not be any stronger, because it required the very death of the Word of God, who turned and became flesh and became the Son of God. The one through whom everything was created required the very death of the being of the God Kingdom that created us under the authority of the Father. And that He did in complete submission to the Father's will, because indeed, Christ always dies, the Father's will, not my will, but your will, Father. Therefore, you and I keep the days of the live on bread and obviously the Passover, the two together, with a need to comprehend this profound meaning. And this week, brethren, in my sermon, I want to take it further into the matter of preparing ourselves spiritually for the Passover and the days of the live on bread. Yes, indeed, there is physical preparation. But I want to focus, brethren, on spiritual preparation, which I believe is far more important, and you and I need to spend more time in the physical, or, pardon, the spiritual preparation than in the physical. So, I mean it. You and I need to spend more time in the spiritual preparation, because that's more important. So why? So that you and I may be prepared and ready to partake of the Passover in a worthy manner for our spiritual growth. It's not that you and I are worthy, as we read in 1 Corinthians 11, in a worthy manner. It's not that you and I are worthy. None of us is worthy. I'm not worthy. You're not worthy. So don't walk out of it. This is, well, I'm not worthy, still therefore I'm not going to take the Passover. That's not the point, because none of us is worthy. But take the time to consider the profound depth and meaning of that Passover, which is taken at the anniversary of the Lord's death. At the anniversary of the Lord's death. It's not every week and whatever it is, because if you're doing that every week, it kind of becomes like a dais or whatever it is that, well, you know, I'm going to take this, whatever I put something in a mouth and then you lose the value. You and I need to take it seriously in a worthy manner. And so the very first thing that I believe, and there are many things that you and I can do for the spiritual preparation, I'm just going to address a few. But to me, one important thing that you and I need to have is an attitude of deep gratitude. Deep gratitude for what God has done for us. That He sent His only beloved Son to die for us. And His only beloved Son was willingly, willingly prepared and submissive to do it, to empty Himself. And what God, the Father and the Son of God, prepare to do for us. Are we indeed deeply grateful for that? Because they did us, because of their grace towards us, the grace of God towards you and I.

His loving kindness, His loving compassion, His desire to have us in His Kingdom, which is family, royal family. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9. For by grace, by grace, brethren, it's this grace from God, this gracious act that you and I need to be grateful for. Grateful is part of the word grace. Think about it. Gratitude is part of grace, is showing gratitude for the grace that God has shown to us. By giving His own life to us, that is a strong hand, number one, to wash our sins away, and two, to free us from the slavery of sin. Those two meanings. Passover and 11 bread. And it says, for by grace, you have been saved through faith. You and I have been saved, saved of this death penalty, and ultimately will have received eternal life. By faith, through faith. It's important to understand it's not my faith. My faith is useless. My faith is useless because it says that not of yourself.

It's the faith of Christ. It's Christ trusted in the Father that the Father would resurrect Him. And the faith of the Father that He trusted that Christ will do and would never sin.

And so you and I are saved by this act of faith of Christ. And that not of ourselves. It is the gift of God. The act of grace and faith is the gift of God to you and I. There is nothing, nothing I can do to free ourselves from slavery. It's a gift. Graz. Do you know the word grátas means grace? It comes from grace. In other words, free means grátas, which actually means from grace. It's an act. It's a gift. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 4. We're going to dig in a little bit into this because this is quite a powerful section of Scripture here on 2 Corinthians 4. Therefore, this one, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy... Wow, wait, wait, wait, wait. Therefore, because of what God has done, we have this mercy. What mercy? Mercy which is God's grace of dying for us, of freeing us from sin. And deserving. And deserving. None of us deserve it. None of us is worthy. But it's a mercy. As we receive this mercy, don't lose heart. Don't be discouraged. Don't give up. Do not give up. Fight the good fight. But, verse 2, we have renounced the hidden things of shame. We have stopped, we have renounced, we have stopped the things of shame. What are those? Sin. Sin. Not walking in the craftiness, nor, in other words, in being crafty, kind of subtle and innuendous and all little things that hurt people. Nor handling the word of God deceitfully. Oh, how many people handle the Bible deceitfully? So, let's renounce these hidden things of shame. But, by manifestation of the truth, God's truth, which is eternal, command ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

That even if our gospel is failed, our gospel, our good news, the good news that it's actually motivating us and encouraging us, Paul and the apostles. What was the good news that motivated them? What was it that became a switch that stirred them up and says, I'm going to give them a life as they did? The apostles gave their lives for it. What was it? What was it that they realized? The profound meaning of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and that He was the one and that He died and He was resurrected and is now at the right hand, at the very throne of God with the Father.

There's nothing wrong with Jesus Christ sitting on the Father's throne with Him. Nothing wrong with that, that's what the Scripture says. But once they saw Christ and they touched Christ, resurrected Christ, and once they realized what this meant, this energized them like nothing before.

This is the gospel of Christ. Am I doing away with the gospel of the kingdom? No, because Christ is away to the kingdom for us to be in the kingdom. So please don't start saying, oh well, I'm washing away all the other things. No, I'm just saying that the gospel of Christ is a key component of the gospel of the kingdom.

One is part of the other. And this good news that was not understood by the Jewish community and the people around, it says, even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. Not saying that they will die forever, but they're in the way of their life, that they're going downhill, perishing, unless God at one time and God will at one time show them the truth and they'll come to see it. Whose minds the God of the sight, you know, was Satan, has blinded, who do not believe, do not believe, do not believe in God, but don't believe in this amazing gospel, that the apostles, started seeing and proclaiming so powerfully, they motivated them.

This good news. And it says, Lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Wait. Pause on this phrase. Pause. Lest the gospel. It would less the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. In other words, so that the light, the understanding, the enlightenment, the vision that you see of this good news, of the glory of Christ, of what he did so graciously, so gloriously, it's just amazing.

That we just have to get on our knees and say, thank God for it. Thank God. The glory of Christ, who is the image of God, he's the image of the Father. Unless that light should shine on us. What do you mean by that?

That light shine on us, that means I'm like a mirror, like I'm reflecting. I am shining that light. I am now becoming like Christ. I'm imitating Christ and I am producing the same light, the same fruits, not by myself, but as a reflection of Christ living in us. Brethren, verse 5, for we do not preach of ourselves. Paul is saying, I'm not preaching about me, myself and why. It's not me, but Christ! It was Messiah, but the Messiah, Jesus, the Lord! Very powerful meaning, the very Lord. And ourselves, your God-born servants, in other words, as ministers of God, servants of you, God's brethren, for Jesus' sake.

For this, big part of verse 6, for it is the God, it is the Father, who commanded light to shine out of darkness. And the eye is an amazing parallelism. Again, physical and spiritual. Physically, God commanded. The Father gave the command, the instruction. Jesus Christ was the Word that spoke the instruction. It comes from the Father, and Jesus Christ, the Word was the one that did it. And He spoke. God commanded. God gave the instruction. The Word executed that instruction and spoke. After all, it's the Word. And points to the physical creation when light shined physically. But that, again, is only an analogy of the spiritual, only a shadow of the exact image.

Because when He's talking about the light, you've got to look at verse 4, when He's talking about the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. And it was the Father who commanded the light, which is the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, to shine! That is the spiritual meaning. And he has an analogy of physical and spiritual, again. He commanded the light to shine out of darkness, and the darkness in this world, and the light is this wonderful Gospel of the glory of Christ, who has shone in our hearts.

It's this light, spiritual light, which is the Gospel of the glory of Christ that's shining in our hearts. That's what it's talking about. Yes, there is a subtle little analogy to the physical, but what it really is talking about is the spiritual light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, shining in our hearts.

To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. Well, they just finished saying it's the glory of Christ. It's the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. But it actually is the glory of God, because it says in verse 4, who is the image of God is exactly the image of God. And so, that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, through Jesus Christ.

Brethren, this is so powerful! And sometimes we just read through it, and we don't see the beauty and the profound meaning of what you and I need to become. Now, continuing verse 7, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels. You and I have this treasure in our physical bodies, which are earthen vessels. That the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

It's God's power that works through a strong hand in us, and does this miracle in us, not our own hand. In verse 8, we are heart-pressed, Paul is saying, I go through difficult trials. All God's ministers and a lot of us as brethren go through really difficult trials. And particularly before 11 bread and Passover. Particularly before 11 bread and Passover, it seems as to be that we are more heart-pressed.

Verse 8, we are heart-pressed on every side. I mean, it comes from this side, from that side, from top, from the bottom, from everywhere. Yet, not crushed. Yet, not crushed.

We are perplexed, but not in despair. We are persecuted, but not forsaken. We are struck down, but not destroyed. You see, that's why it said at the beginning in verse 1, do not lose heart.

Always caring about in the body, you and I always caring in our body, in our earth and vessels, the dying of the Lord Jesus. Through our persecutions that we go through, through our, as it says, as being heart-pressed on every side, for us being perplexed. All the trials we go through, we are caring about the body, in our body, the dying of Christ, because we spiritually part of the body of Christ. That's the life of Jesus. Just like we are caring these sufferings and sharing in sufferings like Christ. And you read that in Romans, if we suffer with Him, we'll be glorified with Him, remember? So it says, so that, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. You see, so when we see what God has done for us, the gracious and the kindness of what He's done for us, and when we realize that, our gratitude should, in response to that, be prepared to go through these trials, but not crushed.

Our attitude should be that we are dying, carrying around in us, in our bodies, the dying of the Lord Jesus. But we are imitating His behavior, His conduct, His reflecting His glory in our lives, letting that light shine in our hearts. That the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. In other words, so that we may replicate, copy, albeit so poorly, but let's try our best to do that. For we do not live, for we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake. That the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh is actually repeating what He said in the previous verse for emphasis' sake. He's underlining it. He's underlining it. In other words, our old man must die, although we're not crushed.

In Jesus' life, His grace, His kindness must be manifested in us. The grace of God must be manifested in us. The grace of Christ must be manifested in us. In other words, we are, in a sense, duplicating Christ's grace by our actions, because we're grateful. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believe, and therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He will raise up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sake, that grace, that grace, so that grace, so that actions of grace, having spread through the manning, in other words, may be multiplied in us, spread through the manning of us, may cause thanksgiving, gratitude to abound to the glory. Of God.

Therefore, therefore, remember He started verse 1, saying, do not lose heart. Therefore, verse 16, we do not lose heart.

Even though our outward man is perishing. Yes, you and I are one day older every day. But inwardly, we may be one day younger every day. We are renewed day by day, and becoming a little bit more like Christ. For our light affliction, yes, the end result, our light affliction, our trials, our difficuses, it's our light affliction. Which is best for a moment. Oh, you and I may think it's not light, but in the big thing of eternity and what's to come, it's pinas, it's light. It's for a moment because in the point of looking at eternity, what is 50 or 70 years or 100 years? It's a moment.

For our light affliction, which is best for a moment, is working for us. That's why elsewhere it says, rejoice in the trials you go through, because it's working for us, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are physical, you see, the things that are physical are just a shadow of the spiritual, which is the exact image of the reality. You see, while we do not look at the things which are seen, which are physical, but at the things which are not seen, which are spiritual. For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal. The physical is only a shadow of the spiritual. And that's the lesson, yeah? I think it's a wonderful bit of scripture, yeah, chapter, that warrants us to meditate on it and to think about it. Can we see, brethren, what God's grace through Jesus Christ's gracious sacrifice has done for us and will do for us?

Number one, pray for our sins, the Lamb of God. Number two, deliver us from slavery of sin coming out of Egypt.

And yes, we now should be without sin, unspotted from the world, because sins have been removed by Jesus Christ. But this is only possible if when Jesus Christ's life is manifested in us, as we read in verse 11 and verse 10. 10 and 11. When Jesus Christ's life is manifested in our body.

And therefore, we need to be so grateful. So grateful.

And because we're so grateful, we want to be like Him and strive to be like Him. Therefore, we thank God for His grace through Jesus Christ, so that actions of grace may be multiplied in us. And we thank God that He then gives us the helper, because we can't do it by ourselves, which is the Holy Spirit, which is then the next Holy Day coming, representing Pentecost.

To make that strength available for us to get out of slavery with the help of the Spirit, with the helper.

2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

Are you a new creation? Am I a new creation?

You see, God the Father, through Christ, and always through Christ, is creating sons of God.

The physical is only a shadow of the new, the exact image of the Eternal, which is Christ. And that, in the end, as putting that to practice, to become like Christ, to come imitate Christ, to imitate God, is true religion. Look at Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13. Until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, it was to we until we come to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Stadium. That is the goal!

To a perfect man, that is the goal of perfection, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

That's the end result. Isn't that encouraging?

Because God does not start something that He can't finish.

In other words, think about it. God has also got faith in you and I, because He called us and He's given His Spirit, and He'll never leave us or forsake us. So He wants you and I there, and it's up to you and I to be there. He trusts you that you will be there. Are you going to let Him down? Are we going to let Him down?

That's why you read in Psalms, test me, Lord. Test me, Lord. Show me. Show me my sins. Why? You read those structures. For instance, Psalm 19, verses 7 and 9 through 11, and it says, the judgment of God, in other words, God's judgment is sweeter than honey. Why? Because God's grace and kindness and love is sweeter than honey. It's so good. And you and I need to be grateful for that. God is so loving that He in His loving care shows us what? You read that in Psalm 19, verse 12 through 14. He shows us as our secret faults. Our sacred sins, our secret faults. Why? So that we can change, so that our words become acceptable to Him, so that our words become gracious like His.

So that we change, that we repent, so we become like Him.

And that's why it says, He shows us our heathen faults, our presumptuous sins. Why our presumptuous sins? What is presumption? Presumption is being arrogant, being proud. And that leads to the second point that you and I need to have. You and I need to strive to develop the mind of Christ.

So first, by looking at what Christ and God have done for us, and their grace for us, we are so grateful that we want to, in a sense, turn it back to them.

And as we heard in the sermonette, it's not just a question of saying, I'll just coast along because I've been saved by grace, then that's it. No! We've got to go over and beyond our duty because we're so grateful. We've got to take it beyond. And to grow that way, we need to have Christ's mentality.

We need to have the mind of Christ. Well, I've had people criticize me and say, well, when you say the mind of Christ, you're talking about God being a blob because how can you have the same mind as that? I'm not talking about having the same brain. I'm still talking about you being a personality, individual personality. But what I mean is that you have the mentality, the mindset, the way of thinking of Christ.

Philippians 2.5 Philippians 2.5 Philippians 2.5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. We need to have the mind of Christ. What was the mind of Christ?

Absolute submission to the Father. Absolute, complete humility.

Who? Being in the form of God. Being of the God Kingdom. Being the Word. In the beginning, the Word was God and was with God. That's what it says, John 1, verse 1. So, He was in the form of God. Even the Father Himself says in Hebrews 1, verse 8 and 9, says, the Father says to the Son, God, your God has anointed you. The Father called Jesus God and said, God, your God, referring the Father to Himself, says, has anointed you. So, Christ was the Word, was in the form of God, did not consider it to be robbery, did not consider it to be identity theft, putting it in modern language. Did not consider it to be identity theft, to be equal with God, to write down, put it this way, God. Because He was equal with God. He's co-eternal. But He submitted Himself to the Father. They talked about it, they discussed, and the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. Right from the beginning, He decided, they decided, He agreed, I will submit, and I will put my life on that line. That's what He did, in complete trust and submission to the Father. And that is humility. He says, do not consider Robin and Meekle of God, but made Himself of no reputation. I mean, it came as a man, they didn't even know who He was. That's why they killed Him. Had they known that He was God of the God-kind, of the God-kingdom, the one through whom everything was created, they would have not killed Him. They said, oh yes, sir, yes, sir. That's what people are. Once you know, you're very sweet and very kind. But when they don't know who you are, they treat you like a man or behind your back. And that's why He made Himself of no reputation, so they could die for us. Otherwise, they wouldn't have killed Him. They would have not killed Him. He says, taking the form of a bond servant, in other words, He took the form of a man, in the likeness of man, and verse 8, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself even further and became obedient to the very point of death, even the death on the cross. This is the mind of Christ. This is the mind that it says, let this mind be in you and I.

Absolute submission.

You know, in the instruction about ordaining ministers, in 1 Timothy 3, it says, don't ordain a novice. Why? Look at... Turn with me to 1 Timothy 3, and in verse 6, it says, not a novice. And these are instructions about an overseer, a bishop in that section, which basically is a minister, he's an elder, and he says, not a novice. Lest it goes to his head! That's what it says! Lest he gets puffed up! Oh, yeah, I'm... I'm a minister of God, and you're all going to listen to me. Hot wash, as Paul said earlier, we are your servants, to serve you for your joy, helpers of your joy. That's our job. That's our job.

As he says there, not a novice. Lest he being puffed up with pride, you'll fall into the same condemnation as the devil. What was the devil's problem? Pride! He wanted to go to heaven and take over God's throne! You read that in Isaiah and Ezekiel, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, if I'm not mistaken, off the top of my mind. So, so there you are! That was Satan's problem! Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 2 and 3. In whom you walk, according to the cost of this wall, according to the prince of the power of the air, according to Satan's way, that's what we walk. The vibes that are going around in this wall, and this wall runs against us and affects us. The spirit will now work in the sense of disobedience. Among whom also we, among whom also we, all once conducted ourselves in the last of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and where by nature the children of wrath, justice, are cast.

You see, Brezian, that was the problem of Satan.

He trusted in his own power, in his own resources.

He shamefully violated and despised God's instructions. And then, converted in the world, the whole world, basically. That's how the whole world goes today. Its approach, its philosophy, its governments, its attitude. Brezian, governments, please don't get involved in the dirty politics of the world, please. Satan works on people. He and his says, yeah, and he says, yeah, that conducted himself in the last of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Don't be of this world! Look at 1 John 2. 1 John 2. 1 John 2. 2 John 2. 2 John 2. 2 John 2. verse 15 and 16.

Do not let the world or the things of the world, if anyone loves the world, let of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the last of the flesh, the last of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. And the world is passing away, and the last thereof. These are the things of the world. Satan trusted in himself in the things of the world.

And Brezian begins in the mind, and he begins with humility for us to put on the mind of Christ. We need to have Christ's mind in us with the help of God's Holy Spirit. And then, with that mind of humility, with that gratitude for what we have, we need to strive. And this is the third point I want to mention today. We need to strive to develop the character of God. You and I need to strive to develop the character of God. Or put it in other words, resist and overcome temptation 24-7. Resist and overcome temptation 24-7. Turn to me to 2 Timothy 2-3. 2 Timothy 2-3. 2 Timothy 2-3. He says, You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

We are a soldier. We are to fight as a soldier. We're not a pacifist, quote-unquote, in that way, that we're just coasting along because we saved by grace. So we just will be saved. Once saved, always saved. So I don't have to do anything. Like we are in the semanet, I can just go along. No. No. We've got to arm ourselves. We've got to fight the good fight of faith. We've got to wage the good warfare. Faith will be challenged.

And we're to trust in God, not in ourselves. And that's why Paul says in Romans chapter 8, says, Therefore there is no condemnation. Romans chapter 8.

Starting in verse 1, There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Yes, brethren, God's grace is so great. We are so grateful for God's grace.

But it doesn't end there. Because of that, we need to be grateful. We need to now put on the mind of Christ, and we need to strive and develop the character of God.

And he says, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin. Yes. And he condemns sin in the flesh. Yes. Verse 4, That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. In other words, God's grace of forgiving us, of delivering, being a part of delivering us from slavery. Why? So that the righteous requirement of the law, requirement of the law, the law is not done away. The righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. We do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Brethren, Piyoko Chiyya, Christ said, I have overcome the world.

Our minds need to be set on the things of God, says. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Our minds need to be on the things of God.

Have you given a thought about how temptation progresses to sin? Have you given thought to that progression? There is basically three important progressive elements. Think about your fishing. If you're fishing, you want to catch a fish. What do you do? You put a bite, right? Then the bite's got a little layer and attracts, and then the fish becomes, whoa, attracted. It's got a desire of getting that. So first bite, second is a desire, and then that desire becomes so intense that he wants to go for it. Lust. So, bite, desire, and lust. And lust is already sin. The tenth command.

Bite is just something to grab your attention. The desire is that the bite has nurtured that desire, and you and I have allowed that bite to dwell in our minds and to think about it, then now it becomes a desire. And when that desire becomes so big, in other words, inordinate, it becomes a lust, and then it becomes sin. And when sin is actually executed, it produces death.

You see, there are lawful desires, and there are unlawful desires. There are lawful things, and there are unlawful things. There are lawful positions in power, and there is unlawful position in power.

You think about Genesis chapter 3. When the serpent attracted Eve, and put a bite, didn't God say that you could eat from all the fruit, from all the trees? Ever so subtle. And then there was a desire. The fruit looked great, looked good! Desire to make one wise!

And then that desire became so large that you're going to be like God.

Well, it's partly true. You're going to be the sons of God and the daughters of God, but God's way, not Satan's way, not through a shortcut. There's a right way of getting there. But see, that last became an unlawful, in order that desire, and that was sin. And then there was the action that leads to death.

Look at James chapter 1. James chapter 1, verse 13 through 15. James chapter 1.

Let no one say, when he's tempted, I am tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted by evil.

Number one, tests, tests and trials. It's like you go to school and you do an exam or a test. That's a test. It's not a temptation to sin. It's just a test for you to pass the grade to go to the next level. So God, yes, allows tests, trials, so you pass the grade because he wants you to pass the grade so you can actually pass the grade to get to maturity.

But God does not tempt because temptation is of an intent to make you fall. Temptation is of the intent to make you sin. And it says, God cannot be tempted by evil. That is the character of God. That is the character of God. That you and I need to emulate. Are we going to grow to the point that you and I, that God can stay to the point, put your name in there, cannot be tempted by evil?

Put your name, cannot be tempted by evil. Wow! Because God cannot be tempted by evil. That is the character of God that you and I need to develop.

Nor does he himself tempt anyone, at the end of verse 13 of James 1. But each one is tempted, we are tempted when we are drawn away. In other words, we are enticed when we are drawn away by a bait, and that bait becomes a desire, and that bait is enticed, and when that desire now becomes a last, so it's that bait, it's a glaring attraction, then it becomes a desire, and then that desire becomes a last, when it's conceived, and therefore it gives birth to sin, because that desire is now a last, conceives, desire is now sin, and sin, when it's full-grown, brings forth death. It's important to recognize this progression, brethren, so that we know what we are up against.

So that's why it says, set your mind on the things above. You read that in Colossians chapter 3, set your mind on the things above. What are you doing? You're not allowing that bait to be glaring at you because you're now putting your mind on other things.

As we already disseminate, meditate on God's law and principles and goodness and grace and things. Set your mind, change your thought pattern to something positive. And that is key to resist temptation. Put the correct thoughts in our minds. Don't allow the minds to dwell on the wrong thoughts, or negative thoughts. How many of us allow the mind to think negatively? Oh, this is going to happen, and that's going to happen. All negative, negative, negative. And you know, it says, whatever is good, whatever is positive, think on these things. We've got to start in the mind. Oh, some people say, oh well, you know, I've just got anxiety and I've got to take a drug. Well, maybe it is a problem, and I'm not going to get into the medical field, but I understand, spiritually speaking, we need to control our thoughts.

We need to put our mind on positive things. Because how easy it is to just think about negative, negative, negative, negative, negative.

We need God's Holy Spirit, brethren, in striving for Jesus Christ's mind of humility, of way of thinking, and God's character through the help of God's Holy Spirit to put the mind on positive things. So brethren, when we do that, we are walking with God and with Christ.

When we do that, we walk with God and with Christ. So, in our spiritual preparation, on our spiritual growth, our preparation for Unleavened Bread and Passover, or should I say Passover and Unleavened Bread, be very grateful for what God has given us. Really, His grace is so big. Think about what He's done for us. But it's so wonderful. And let's be so grateful for it. And let that gratitude turn around into us going over and beyond the call of duty.

And then, let's put a mind of absolute humility, because that's where Satan started going wrong. The mind of Christ. Absolutely humility. And let's put on the character of God, which is resisting and overcoming all the little bites that come our way 24-7. Indeed, God is kind and understanding towards my weaknesses and towards your weaknesses. But He loves a grateful attitude, which basically is represented by the peace offering. Think about it. He wants us to have Christ's mind. He wants you and I to imitate Him. In other words, to allow Him to rule us through His Spirit, through the lead of His Spirit, so that you and I walk hand in hand and are developing His character in our lives. Please, brethren, keep these principles in mind, amongst others. Surely there are other things that you and I can look as you analyze and you search and you search the heart to prepare for Passover. But these things will help you prepare better for this festival season ahead, so that you can partake of the Passover in a worthy manner. Not because you are worthy, because I'm not worthy. None of us is worthy. And then, as you meditate on these things, these will help you and I to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.