The Firstfruits of God’s Abundant Harvest

Today, we have gathered to observe God's holy day, God's holy day, the Feast of Pentecost. In ancient Israel, this feast occurred after the barley and wheat harvest in the late spring. It is the first of the two, we would say, major harvest seasons. Exodus 23, 16, calls this day, quote, the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labors which you have sown.

Exodus 34, 22, also calls it the Feast of Weeks, the first fruits of the wheat harvest.

Richwith meaning, the Feast of Pentecost teaches us that Jesus Christ came to build his church. And on 31 A.D. on this very day, God put his Holy Spirit in Christ's faithful followers and established the church. The first fruits begotten of God's Holy Spirit and later to be spiritually born as children of God at the sounding of the seventh trumpet as pictured by the Feast of Trumpets. The first fruits are those who will be given everlasting life when Jesus Christ returns to establish God's kingdom on earth. The word first fruits also tells us there's more fruit to come. There is more fruit to come. And so Pentecost also looks to a second larger harvest, the salvation of humanity and after Satan is put away as pictured by the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Eighth Day. Pentecost teaches us that God still works miracles. And we know that miracle personally because God gives us his Holy Spirit with the laying on of hands after baptism. And so God still works miracles, granting his Spirit to those called to be the first fruits of his spiritual harvest and empowering them under Christ's leadership to carry out his work in this world. That's part of our calling. Today we will consider the significance of the Feast of Pentecost as revealed by those rich in varied images of seed, and first fruits, and harvest. We're going to look at those images. As we'll see those images at figurative language, that imagery, they help to reveal God's plan of salvation, including Christ's part in it, and ours as well. And so I've entitled today's this morning sermon, The First Fruits of God's Abundant Harvest. The First Fruits of God's Abundant Harvest.

We will begin in Mark chapter 4. If you'd please be turning there, Mark chapter 4.

As we should be well aware of, as we've been reading and studying our Bibles, some of us for many, many years, I know, Jesus often used images, figurative language, using seed and first fruits. We're going to hear a lot about first fruits today, and also harvest. He drew those images from the farming practices of ancient Israel, and even during his own time, Jesus' own time, as he walked on earth. He uses those images from the farming practices of ancient Israel to describe God's kingdom and its coming. We see an example of this in the parable of in Mark chapter 4. Let me get there myself. Mark chapter 4 verse 26 through 29. Now, just a little background here is to help us understand a point of this parable. We should realize and appreciate the fact that farmers in ancient times, even as far back as just a few centuries ago, or perhaps even less, farmers in ancient times did not exactly understand how their grain crops grew. They didn't know, understand all the minutia some of our botanists and some of our modern farmers today understand. The grain crops were these farmers' essential food sources, and to the day, grain crops are still the most important essential food sources for humankind. These grain crops include barley, and wheat, and oats, and millet, and in recent centuries, corn as well. But going back to these ancient times, those farmers who grew barley and wheat, oats, and such, they simply did not know what we know now about germination. They didn't understand the process. They saw what they saw, but what was behind it was a mystery to them. They didn't understand what we do today about photosynthesis. Lavis learned about that back in those earlier years of school. They didn't understand what chlorophyll was, and they didn't understand many, many other aspects of plant biochemistry. Although plant growth was largely a mystery to these farmers, they still fully anticipated this abundant harvest from the seeds they sowed in the ground. And so Jesus likened this predicament to the kingdom of God. Let's read in verse 26 here, Mark 4, verse 26. And he, Jesus said, The kingdom of God is as if man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night, and rise by day, day after day, and the seed should sprout and grow. He himself, Jesus says, he himself at farmer does not know how. I don't know how these things happen, but they do. Verse 28, For the earth yields crops by itself, first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. The harvest has come.

So the faithful farmer sowed his seed, believing and trusting that God would bless him with a harvest. And in those tiny seeds lived both the hope and the expectation of a life-giving harvest. Modern times, we don't understand just how vital it was that they would have that harvest. We have forgotten some of these things in our modern lifetimes and global distribution of foods.

And exactly how those seeds grew was a mystery, but the farmer did his part. He didn't have to understand how necessarily it worked, but he knew what he had to do. He did his part, needed it diligently and patiently. And he trusted God to provide rains and dew season and just the right conditions so those seeds could grow and mature into the harvest. And so growth from seed to stock to harvest was nearly imperceptible. You can stand there and watch a grain of wheat. Try it. Watch your grass. You ever try to watch your grass grow? You know it's growing, but it's imperceptible, right? Until that final moment, you realize, I've got to mow the grass. It's time to harvest the grass. It's time to harvest the crops. That growth is imperceptible, and yet at the same time, it comes a point where it's so obvious it's about to happen. And then it does happen. And so it is with the coming of God's kingdom, since before the foundation of the world, we're told in 1 Peter 1, verse 19 through 20. We're not going to turn there. But since before the foundation of the world, God has planned for the coming of the kingdom through His seed. Through His seed. We do not understand the minutiae of all that God has done and is doing and will do. He gives us a picture. He gives us an outline. As much as we need to know, to know that God's kingdom is coming, and we have our part in it, we know it's coming. And like the farmer, the coming of God's kingdom can seem nearly imperceptible to us, and yet at the same time, we can recognize its signs with the help of God's Word and His Holy Spirit. We, as members of the Church, the Body of Christ, are called to be firstfruits of the kingdom, firstfruits of the salvation that will be made available to every human being. We have received, as we read, we can read in James 1, 21, let's go ahead and look there. It's just a short line, but very important to think about. James 1, 21, yes, James 1, 21.

James writes this, God's implanted Word, is that an interesting way of phrasing that? God's implanted Word, which is able to save your lives. Let me go, that's not entirely what I wanted to read there.

Yeah, the complete verse goes, therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your souls. An implanted Word, that's referring to God's instructions, scriptures. And so we have received the seed of God's Word as we should remember, as it's described in the parable of the sower in the seed. It's a well-known parable. I've referred to it many times in sermons. It's in Matthew 13. We will not be turning there in this message, but it's there. We have received the seed of God's Word as described there in that parable. And so we are called upon to be good ground for God's Word. We're not to be shallow or rocky.

We're to produce the fruit of God's righteousness.

And we do that when we obey God's Word and exercise His Holy Spirit in us to grow spiritually and to become more like Jesus Christ, the promised seed. Spiritually maturing, ripening, preparing for Christ's return, and His immediate harvest of the first fruits of God's kingdom.

Let's consider the promised seed. The word seed occurs throughout scriptures, both Old Testament and New. And in Old Testament, New bears similar meaning. In Hebrew, the word for seed is zirah. And in Greek, it's sperma. Seed has, in the Bible, it's used in three different ways.

Seed can refer to physical seed that is planted in the ground, such as that parable we are reading about. Seed can also mean children or descendants of an individual. And seed can also mean a whole group of descendants, a whole group of people. And those definitions are from Mounts's Expository Dictionary. Now, the earliest prophecy in scripture—let's turn there back to Genesis 3, verses 14 through 15. In Genesis 3, verses 14 through 15, we find reference there, a seed. In Genesis 3, 14 through 15, we find the reference to a seed, a descendant of Eve, who would redeem humanity from death due to sin. It's the earliest prophecy. And so we read there, Genesis 3, verse 14. And so the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this—his deceit to Adam and Eve, the cause of all our griefs or troubles—so the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Enmity or war between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman was prophesied to come. And in that conflict, the seed of the woman, the woman representing humanity, will crush—that seed of the woman will crush—the serpent, although the seed of the serpent will wound—the seed of the woman. That seed of the woman is Jesus Christ. That seed of the woman is Jesus Christ, who defeated and overcame the serpent, Satan, at his first coming. Those serpent, Satan, wounded him at the crucifixion. After Christ's second coming and the resurrection of the firstfruits, Christ will eventually utterly crush Satan and cast him and his demons into the lake of fire, where, as you can read in Revelation 20 verse 10, they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. And such is God's righteous judgment. It is assured this will happen. And so the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, anticipates that yet future time. Let's look now at Genesis 12 verse 1 through 3. Genesis 12 verse 1 through 3.

Scripture tells us how God developed a special covenantal relationship with a brahm or Abraham. God promised to bless all humanity through Abraham. Genesis 12 verse 1. And here we read, Now the Lord had said to Abraham, get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I'll curse him who curses you. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Verse 3, God reveals his purpose, yes, to bless all humanity through Abraham, through his descendants. Now how God would bless all humanity through Abraham becomes a little more clear in Genesis 22. Let's turn to Genesis 22. Here we're told how Abraham obeyed God even to the point of willingly offering his son Isaac, following what God had told him to do. Abraham even offered Isaac, his son of promise, to God as he burnt offering. Just before he is going to plunge that knife, a voice from heaven told him to stop. Stop!

God prevented Abraham from actually sacrificing Isaac. But Abraham's deeds, going up to that point, faithfully obeying God, trusting him, Abraham proved his faithfulness to God. In verses 15 through 18, God expresses his approval of Abraham's faithfulness. And he again promises to bless all humanity through his seed. Genesis 22, verse 15, breaking in the part of this narrative I just summarized, and the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven and said, by myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and if not withheld your son, your only son, that son of promise, blessings I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. Well, what did God mean by in your seed? What does this mean in your seed?

Many people speculate. Scripture tells us. Let's turn to, let's see what this is about. Let's turn to Galatians 4, verse 4 through 5. Galatians 4, 4 through 5. Here Paul reveals that the Father sent his Son, Jesus Christ, born of Mary, as we know from Scripture, and fully human. And he did that to redeem us, to redeem humanity from death, so that we might receive adoption or sonship from God. Galatians 4, verse 4, But when the fullness of the time had come, again God has a plan, but when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, including the penalty of the law, to redeem those who are under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

And hold your place here, or let me read it to you. I always prefer that we turn to Scripture and not just look at it. We need to see it is indeed in the book, God's book. Acts 13, verse 22 through 23, Acts 13, 22-23. Here we also read, breaking into the sermon of Paul, where he's giving a brief history of Israel, God's blessings to Israel. He's talking about Saul, the son of Kish, verse 21, a man of the tribe Benjamin for 40 years. And when he, God, had removed him, King Saul, he raised up for them David as king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart who will do all my will.

Note verse 23, from this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Now, let's go back to Galatians 3, verse 13 through 14.

And so we're seeing from Abraham, David is descendant of Abraham, Jesus Christ, descendant of David. Galatians 3, verse 13 through 14. Paul also tells us here that Jesus Christ is that promised seed of Abraham through whom all the peoples, both Jew and Gentile, are and will be blessed. Galatians 3, 13, Paul writes, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The curse of the law is death, the penalty for sin. Don't believe it when people tell you that God's law is a curse. It's only a curse if you don't keep it, if you reject it.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, as it is written, curses everyone who hangs on a tree, referring to the crucifixion. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Going down to verse 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He does not say, and to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to your seed.

We just read that in Genesis. And to your seed, Paul says, who is Christ? Verse 26. Paul elaborates what we are through Christ. For you are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you, as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There's neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female.

For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Very important connection. Very important connection. We connect those dots on this day of Pentecost. Through faith in Christ's sacrifice, we become, we are, heirs of Abraham, the father of the faithful.

Let's turn to Romans 5, verse 17 through 19. Romans 5, 17 through 19. Paul further declares, further explains God's gift of salvation to all humanity is through Christ, for every human being. Romans 5, 17 through 19. For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, that one man's offense taking us back to Adam, for if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience Jesus Christ many shall be made righteous.

And so that Jesus Christ is the Promised Seed of Abraham, through whom God will bless all humanity. And knowing that, knowing that heightens the meaning of Christ's words now. Let's turn to John 12 verse 23 through 12. John 12 23 through 24. John 12. Understanding that Jesus Christ is that Promised Seed, it does heighten the meaning of John 12 verse 23 through 24. Here Jesus used the image, again the image of a seed to convey the importance of his death.

But Jesus answered them saying, verse 23, The hour has come that the Son of man should be glorified, and most assuredly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. He's referring symbolically to himself. From Christ's death, like a singular grain of wheat planted into the earth, would arise new life and make possible many more lives. Christ's death and his resurrection made possible the resurrection of human beings. Human beings resurrected as immortal spirit beings, like himself. Christ is the first of the first fruits of that first fruit harvest of humanity unto salvation, and a larger harvest of humanity comes later in the plan God has of salvation. Now the symbolism God chose to use in conveying this plan of salvation is rooted, as I've referenced, and as we are called upon to remember as we observe God's holy days, God's plan of salvation is rooted in the three annual harvests in ancient Israel. And let's review that. Exodus 23, Exodus 23, verse 14 through 16. This is not some plan a bunch of human beings have put together. This is inspired of God. These directions were given from God to Moses and to us, and it's preserved for us in Scripture. Exodus 23, verse 14, describes those three annual harvests, those times. Verse 14, three times, you shall keep a feast to me in the year. You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread, and you shall eat unleavened bread seven days. As I commanded you at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. Here's a reference again to need for an offering. None shall appear before me empty. Verse 16, in the feast of harvest, otherwise Pentecost, the first fruits of your labors which you have sown in the field. This between the harvest, the earlier harvest of barley and the wheat harvest, at the end of that first fruit season, the grain season, the wheat harvest is larger. And then the feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field. And so the earlier harvest of barley and then of wheat were together called the first fruits. In the larger ingathering harvest, that was a harvest of grapes and olives, dates, pomegranates, figs, and other summer fruits that occur at the year's end, the harvest year's end. These physical harvests again parallel God's plan for the spiritual harvest of humanity. Now let's turn to Leviticus 23. In Leviticus 23, we learn more, where God has inspired the use of the agricultural terms, the agriculture of that time, to convey his plan of salvation. Leviticus 23, we'll find some vital connections we need to make between the feast of unleavened bread that was timed to the barley harvest and the feast of weeks for Pentecost that was timed to the wheat harvest. Now one vital connection between these two harvests, these two holy days, it does pertain to the wave offering. It's called the wave sheath offering, but it's actually, if you look up the word, it's actually omer, the wave omer offering. I'm not going to go in all the details of this. If you remember, just a little over a year ago, Dr. Ward gave a sermon on the wave sheath offering. He went to many more details, and I listened to it again, and it was very thorough. I did not see a need to review all of that today, but I will point that out to you. It's from April of 2023.

But this wave omer offering was a special offering. It was a measurement of new barley flour, and it was offered on the day after the weekly Sabbath that fell during that week of an leavened bread. So it would have been on a Sunday. Leviticus 23 verse 9, and here we read the directions. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you come into the land which I give you, and reap its harvest, you shall gather a English translator, say sheath, but it's actually omer, a measurement of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. Again, it's not a bundle of barley stocks. Maybe we had once thought, but it's a measurement of grain that's been harvested and ground. It's about two dry quartz. And he shall wave the sheath, the omer, before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf. On the day after the Sabbath, the priest shall wave it. Verse 14, And you shall eat neither bread, nor parts grain, nor fresh grain, until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God. It shall be a statute forever through your generations in all your dwellings.

And so Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of this wave offering. Just as the high priest on behalf of Israel waved the omer offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest to be accepted by God, so did Jesus Christ on behalf of humanity present himself as a first fruits offering of humanity to be accepted by God. Jesus was resurrected late on the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread after being in the grave, tomb, three days, and three nights. The following morning, Sunday, first day of the week, when the wave omer was offering was being made in the temple, Jesus Christ, the true wave omer offering, ascended to the Father and was accepted as the first of the first fruits of humanity to be resurrected from death and unto eternal life. As Paul confirms in 1 Corinthians 1520, reference again 1 Corinthians 1520, but now Christ has risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Christ now serves as our high priest. High priest, you can jot down Hebrews 4 verse 14. That's an important connection between the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Pentecost. A second vital connection between those two holy days is that the offering of the wave omer determines the day for observing Pentecost. It's important that we review this every year as well. Again, back in Leviticus 23 verses 15 through 16, we are commanded, we are instructed by God, that 50 days must be counted. Verse 15, And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, the omer of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. There's a second offering. There's another offering. But first, to emphasize, the observance of the Feast of Weeks of Pentecost on the 50th day, again, is based on counting from the Sunday during the days of Unleavened Bread. That is the teaching and practice of the United Church of God. Some people do it differently. But we follow Scripture, the very best we understand and this we are firm about. And so we do observe Pentecost on Sunday. On that 50th day, Pentecost, verse 16, tells us, as we just read, that the new grain offering to the Lord was made. So on this day, there is a new grain offering made. Verse 17, continuing on, describes that. This offering was of two loaves of leavened bread made from newly harvested wheat. And so we read, you shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two tenths of anifa. That's four quarts. I looked it up. That's four quarts of flour. That would be a lot of bread. They shall be these loaves composed of four quarts of flour, new flour, wheat flour. They shall be a fine flour. They shall be baked with leaven. They are the first fruits to the Lord. And going down to verse 20, and the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits as a wave offering before the Lord with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. In my study, I came across that Jewish tradition, this is according to chabad.org, Jewish tradition holds that no offerings from the new wheat harvest were allowed in the temple before those two loaves were presented, before they were presented. Now, why would these two loaves contain leaven? This is the only offering made to God, which was to contain leaven.

The two loaves would seem to represent the church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, called and chosen to be first fruits of salvation. The leavening would seem to symbolize how those of God's church are yet human. We are yet human. We yet have to deal with sin in the way appropriately, as God and Christ instruct us through faith in Christ, repentance, seeking God's forgiveness and knowing and believing in faith that He gives it to us. We still have sin to contend with. In contrast, the wave Omer offering, during the days of unleavened bread, that wave Omer offering of barley had no leaven.

It would seem to suggest the reason why? Because Jesus Christ was without sin. He was without sin.

And so this connection between the feast of unleavened bread with its wave over offering of the first fruits of barley and Pentecost with its wave loaves of the first fruits of wheat is also important because of what happened on that Pentecost after Jesus Christ's resurrection. Let's look at Acts 2, verses 1-4. We heard this read. We looked at this in the sermonette.

It's appropriate that we read it again. We may read it two more times today. We have another sermonette and sermon this afternoon, but that's okay. Repetition is a powerful way of learning God's truth. Acts 2, verses 1-4. Here we read again, When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. They were following the commandment in Leviticus to gather together on the feast of weeks, in what we call Pentecost. They were in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as if a rushing, mighty wind. We had some storms a few weeks ago. We know what that can sound like.

It sounded like a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, each of the disciples. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. When that Pentecost, God poured out His Holy Spirit and the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ and the Church of God began.

If Jesus Christ had not died without sin, if He had not been resurrected and accepted by the Father, then the Holy Spirit would not have been poured out. The Church would not have been established. We would still be dead in our sins and without hope, and the promise of salvation of humanity would have failed. But it did not. It did not.

As Jesus said again, we read in John 12, 24, Because the one seed died, much new grain has been and is being produced. Through faith in Jesus Christ, our salvation is assured.

And so just as Peter preached in Pentecost on the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit in 31 A.D., as he said in Acts 2, 38, 39, his directions there are what God's first fruits. To be among God's first fruits, we must also do. But through faith in Christ's sacrifice, we confess our sins, repent, and are baptized, symbolizing our commitment to put to death the flesh God forgives us.

And with the laying on of hands, God then gives us His Holy Spirit, that new life and guarantee of eternal life. Romans 8, verse 9 through 11, critical verses here so vital for us to understand and to appreciate and to never forget and to be grateful and thankful for, especially on Pentecost. Romans 8, verse 9 through 11, Paul explains this vital importance of God's gift of the Holy Spirit in us, of God's gift of the Holy Spirit in us. Well, in verse 8, Paul says, So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Verse 9, But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, which dwells in you. That's our hope of the resurrection. continuing on verse 14, verse 14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God, Paul writes. Verse 15, For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. The Revised Standard Version says, Sonship, we have received the Sonship by which we cry out, Abba, Father. We had a wonderful sermon yesterday by Dr. Ward, reminding the significance of fathers and also our heavenly Father. Verse 16, The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

And so, brethren, we are God's children now. We are firstfruits now, if God's Spirit dwells in us. Just as we read earlier in Galatians 3, 26 through 29, Paul wrote there that you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. In verse 29, And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to that promise.

And so through faith in Christ, baptism, the receiving of God's Spirit in us, we now are the firstfruits of salvation, and we must remain faithful until our death or Christ returns, whichever comes first. Christ is the first of the firstfruits. We, God's church, the body of Christ, are firstfruits now if God's Spirit dwells in us. God's Holy Spirit in us makes us sons of God and His family. And just as Jesus Christ was resurrected, so will God's firstfruits be resurrected to eternal life. But we must wait. We must wait to be spiritually born when our change comes and when we put on immortality. In 1 Corinthians 15, let's turn to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 22 through 24. Paul summarizes the order of God's plan of salvation, the stages we might sometimes call it. 1 Corinthians 15, 22 through 24. Paul writes, for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. All are going to be given a chance. They're going to have a fair chance. Verse 23, but then Paul adds, but each one in his own order. Christ the firstfruits. Afterward those who are Christ at His coming. And that's what we're looking forward to, Christ coming. Verse 24, fast forwards to the end time, and all humanity will be resurrected to physical life and have a chance to learn about salvation and make their choice. Verse 24, then comes the end when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, and He puts it into all rule and all authority and power. Only God will reign on high. He does now, but He's allowing us to, human governments and so forth, to learn to trust Him more. And so again, those who bear in them God's Holy Spirit, His life essence, His begettle, His Spirit, His guarantee of eternal life are even now firstfruits. And if we persevere, if we continue to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, if we continue to mature and ripen, spiritually speaking, becoming perfect as Christ is perfect, then we shall be changed through resurrection when Jesus Christ returns as pictured by the Feast of Trumpets.

What will we look like? Have you thought about that? What will we look like? Will the first fruits be resurrected with the same mortal and physical bodies?

Am I still going to have to put up with crooked teeth and poor eyesight?

Okay, I'm going to stop there.

Let's read verses 30, still in the same chapter, 1 Corinthians 15. 15. 35. 1 Corinthians 15, 35. Paul was there. He's heard the same questions. He's heard the same things. Some things don't change. We want to know. Verse 35, but someone will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?

Verse 36, Foolish one, Paul says, What you sow is not made alive unless it dies. In other words, take a lesson from the farmer. What you plant does not look like what comes up.

You can do that with watermelon. That watermelon seed doesn't look very appetizing, does it? But let it grow up and mature into a melon. Okay, now we're in business. We like that. So let's pick up what he says. Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain, perhaps weed or some other grain. But God gives it a body that he pleases, and to each seed its own body. It's a different type of plant, different types of seeds. They appear with the form that God has planted for them. Verse 42, And so also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, and is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. This is so encouraging. It is raised in power.

It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. In verse 49, And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man, that seed, Jesus Christ. In verse 51, 53, Paul, same chapter, verses 51, 53, Paul tells us that the resurrection of firstfruits will coincide with the sounding of the last trumpet. We understand that related to the Feast of Trumpets. Verse 51, Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. Sleep is a symbol image for death. We shall not all be dead. Not all of us. Some will be alive. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. We're not changed yet. Not in the full sense. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. We do not have immortal souls.

When will the last trumpet sound? When will that happen? Will I hear it? Will you hear it? Yes, you will.

Revelation 11.15. That trumpet will sound when Christ returns to establish God's Kingdom on earth. Revelation 11.15. Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever.

Let's also read 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16-17.

1 Thessalonians 4, 16-17.

4 16-17. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. 17 And the dead in Christ shall rise first. And then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 18 And thus we shall always be with the Lord. And where is Christ going to be? Is He going to stay up there in the air? No. He will come down to the Mount of Olives. He will step foot on the Mount of Olives on His return. And He will be establishing God's kingdom on earth. We will be with Christ on earth. We will reign as kingly priests, kings and priests, under Christ.

Verse 18, Therefore comfort one another with these words. And they surely are comforting words as we review them today on the Feast of Pentecost. 1. John 3 Writing many years after Paul, the Apostle John confirms what God's first fruits now are and what they shall be.

Beloved, now we are children of God. And as we've rehearsed today, now we are first fruits. We are now children of God, begotten of His Spirit. And it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed, you get that sense of immediacy, immediately when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself just as He is pure.

This is our hope, and this is also our marching orders, as we might say. And in these words that John writes here, we again hear echoing Christ's words that we read from John 12, 24.

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. The Church is that grain. The body of Christ is the firstfruits.

And so, brethren, God's peace to Pentecost is a day with rich meaning about our hope of salvation and the kingdom and family of God. There's so much more to be said about this day, and we will hear more about this day this afternoon. And we have this real, true, wonderful hope only because of the love and grace of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, the Son. And so, I encourage all of us to consider what we've rehearsed today, what we've reviewed, and let us all continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of God. Let us all continue to exercise God's Holy Spirit in us. Let's continue to mature and ripen spiritually so that we may be like Jesus Christ, the promised seed at His return, glorious and immortal beings, the harvested firstfruits of God's salvation. So, brethren, let us have a meaningful and wonderful feast of Pentecost.