Why Are You Here At The Feast

We've arrived, haven't we? Yay! I tell you, sometimes those plane trips, I've talked to several from Chicago, and came in from Chicago, and then, of course, the West Coast, East Coast. So, delightful, delightful, wonderful setting here, brethren, in Hawaii, that God made. Mark Twain, years ago, when he visited the Hawaiian Islands, he wrote very concisely about this area. He said, they are the loveliest fleet of islands anchored in any ocean.

Isn't that a wonderful way of putting it? And we're privileged to be here for God's magnificent Feast of Tabernacle. God is a great artist, isn't he? He made all this out here. The blue, the green. How many of you saw the sunset last night, over the beautiful Pacific? It wasn't a spectacular sunset, but there's no such thing as a bad sunset, right? But one of the people behind me was saying, well, I didn't see that little green ray, and he said sometimes you get a little bit of the green come up, but we didn't see it last night, but it was a wonderful setting.

Being from the West, Boise and Oregon, I should say, howdy, but that doesn't really work here in Hawaii, does it? So, me, I should say, howdy, aloha, but that probably is a bad mixture of things as well. I want to thank all of you who are serving during this wonderful feast, because it does take a lot of work, it does take a lot of preparation, months in advance, and then you come in here and you serve, and you come in early.

Those in special music, ushering, greeting, those of you on the stage area, flowers, sound system, you name it. Those in business office, those helping with activities, there's a lot of activities during the feast. We certainly thank Mr. and Mrs. Jim Tuck for their service. That's quite a job they have as feast coordinator of life, because again, there's a lot of pre-feast work that goes ahead. So we thank all of you for serving and helping a lot. I normally wear contacts when I speak, but I could not read my Bible and my notes up here with the dark, so I took those out, I took my eyes out, and then I can actually read up here, I thought that would help.

I do want to give a little bit of a plug for the seniors luncheon on Sabbath, that's just two days from now. We only have today and tomorrow to actually sign up. So you seniors, if you'd like to attend the luncheon, it's virtually across the street at Long East Restaurant starting at 12.30 for lunch on the Sabbath. Sign up today after services if you haven't, and sign up tomorrow. And then we'll start paying for the luncheon, I think, tomorrow, and then we'll give you a ticket as well.

So sign up today if you'd like, and certainly sign up by tomorrow for that, and pay as well. We look forward to seeing a lot of our seniors there, all of the seniors there on Sabbath at 12.30, following services. Thank you very, very much. Well, brother, this is the best place to be. This is the right place to be, the right time. It's the right season. This is for the Feast of Tabernacles at God's Outline Forest. This is not a spiritual vacation.

This, rather, is a sacred vocation that God has called us to. Not a spiritual vacation, but a sacred vocation. It's very interesting. How do you tell people why you're here in Hawaii, specifically in Maui? How do you explain that to people? We were in Honolulu a couple of days ago, and people say, welcome to the islands, and why are you here?

Most of the time, it's vacation. And I said, well, we're here for a church convention. Oh, that's nice. This morning, my wife said to one of the greeters at the facility where we're staying, the man asked her, where are you going today? She said, to church services.

And that kind of sticks out, doesn't it? To church services. That's exactly what the Feast is. It's, of course, a series of services. The Holy Days involved, the weekly Sabbath involved. This is not a convention. It's not a vacation. It's not a business meeting. It's not interesting. People come to Hawaii to the islands for business, mainly for vacation, to get away from things, to chill out, to hang ten, whatever. But no, we're here, brethren, primarily for God's Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day. Yes, God says, and we'll read that in a little while here, there's certainly much to the Feast, but the focus, of course, is God's Feast and on God and God's way of life.

A lot of you have been through probably a challenging year since the last Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day last fall. A whole year has gone by. Some of us had probably pretty good challenges overall. Some have had maybe a lot of blessings overall.

It's not been a challenging year, but I think for most of us, we could say, yeah, we've had our challenges. We've had our ups and downs. Well, this is the shot in the arm, the spiritual shot in the arm God wants us to have. And He grants us that blessing, that opportunity. And again, we're at the right time, the right place, for the right reason, right here, for God's Feast. I wanted to basically, brethren, set the table for the rest of the Feast, if we made today in the sermon.

I want to review, as Mr. Tuck said, why are we here? Why aren't we somewhere else? And I don't mean another Feast site, but why are we attending these Feasts? What are they about? What are some of your personal goals for this Feast of Tabernacles in 8th day? Do you have any? I guess a lot of us would say, well, I want to get some sun. I was outside for maybe a half an hour, two different times yesterday, and I already got a sunburn. You probably see it up here, unfortunately. That's a hot sun out there. Sure, we're here, brethren, to recreate God's way with family, with God's people. But I've got three basic points for you today on my sermon of why are we here?

Why are we at God's Feast? Number one, brethren, we have come to worship our special God. We have come to worship our special God. Now, we're here. That's a start. That's a good start. We've had to do a lot of preparation. Oh, aren't you glad you're here at the Feast and not packing again? I am so tired of packing.

Being a guy, I don't like to pack. So I assemble a heap on the bed, and I ask my dear wife, would you assemble this in an organized fashion so that somehow I can get to the Feast and look halfway decent? And she does that so well. Turn with me to Leviticus 23, verse 1. Leviticus 23, verse 1.

Leviticus 23, verse 1, by the way, is telling Mr. Tuck, you know, if you want to be a part of the auditorium where you can't read your notes, be on the sides. I could not read. My Bible was earlier for the sermonette, a very good sermonette, but maybe in the middle is a little bit more light, at least earlier.

Leviticus 23, verse 1, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, The feasts of the Lord. Of course, brethren, we know this well. These are God's feasts, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations. These are my feasts. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation.

You shall do no work on it. This is the Sabbath, of course, the weekly Sabbath of the Lord and all your dwellings. In verse 4, these are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. This is the appointed time. You saw a full moon last night. Two weeks ago, the feasts of trumpets, there was a new moon. It's very interesting God has designed part of the counting of the feasts, even around the moon. The feasts of trumpets shows a very dark time for the world, because Satan is blasting the world with a final assault to wipe out human life.

And then Jesus Christ returns. But there is no moonlight during that time on the feasts of trumpets. Two weeks later, we're at the full moon. Jesus Christ has come. The kingdom has come, and setting up God's way of life. So there is light from Jesus Christ. A change, a difference. The word feasts here is moed in Hebrew. It means sacred season. It also means appointed sign or appointed signal, appointed place, or appointed time or meeting. Brethren, this is God's feast right now.

It started last night at sundown. These are sacred to Him. These are God's sacred days, special days. Turn with me over to Deuteronomy 31, verse 10. Deuteronomy 31, verse 10. Deuteronomy 31, verse 10, please. Moses commanded Israel, saying, at the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the feast of tabernacles. This happened, again, every seven years, at the release of debts. And this started then, at the seventh year, at the feast of tabernacles. In verse 11, he goes on, When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God, in the place which he chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

Very interesting as we look through verse 12, rather, and analyze it. Gather the people together. And that's what God has done for all of us. We're gathered together in various areas around the world. Men and women, and yes, are children. There are children here, young adults here, and a stranger who is within your gates, that they may notice the progression. You gather, and then you hear. Then, he says, that you may learn.

So there is a progression, even during the feast of tabernacles. You gather together, you hear, and then you learn. And you learn what? One of the big things God wants us to learn during the feast is to fear Him. Now, that doesn't mean in a negative way. It means in a positive way. Because, brethren, you'll never obey God if you don't fear Him in the proper way. If you don't respect God, you won't fear Him. I mean, you won't obey Him.

You won't do what He tells us for you to do. There has to be that sense of awe, and respect, and admiration, and yes, fear in the overall sense of God. He is our Maker. He is the one that gives us life every day. So you gather the people together, you hear, you learn, and one of the things you learn is to fear, to respect, to be admonished by God, to grow in God, to love Him, to follow Him.

Then He says to carefully observe all the words of His law. Oh, okay, we're going to be taught from God's Word, the Bible, during these feasts. So what a wonderful progression God gives to us. You've got to be together, God says. You've got to listen. You've got to learn. You grow in fear. You grow in instruction, and you observe. What a wonderful thing! That's how you and I grow.

And then, brethren, we ask for God's Spirit. We pray about it. We ask for God to direct us and yield us to Him. So we can put this into action. What are some goals you have, brethren, for the Feast of Tabernacles in the 8th day? Do you have any spiritual goals? Make it up right now. Grab a couple of good spiritual goals. Think about it. Don't leave the Feast without it. Don't leave the Feast without having absorbed something spiritually. For you, what God wants for you. These are very basic principles that are very profound.

And they're very, very important to God that we do that. Then he says in verse 13, we'll conclude here, finish the thought, that your children, or their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as they live in the land, which you cross the river Jordan, to possess it. Well, that's something ancient Israel never comprehended, never did. They didn't have God's Spirit, of course. We do. Huge difference. We can do that, and we have done that, brethren. You have been faithful for many years, some for decades, multiple decades.

Wonderful process. Wonderful obedience. Next, let's turn to Zechariah 14. Zechariah 14. And we'll start in verse 16, please. Zechariah 14 and verse 16. Zechariah 14 verse 16, And it shall come to pass that everyone who has left of all the nations which came up against Jerusalem, shall go up from year to year, so they go from fighting Jesus Christ, and fighting the Holy Days, and fighting the Sabbath, fighting the laws of God, to what?

Obedience. So they come up to Jerusalem from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. That doesn't mean that the other Holy Days are not being observed, but the Fall Feast is mentioned here in particular. So there's representatives of all nations, I would assume, going to Jerusalem every year to worship the King, Jesus Christ.

Not all nations could go to Jerusalem to be there for the Feast of Tabernacles, but a representative undoubtedly, or certain people being appointed to do that. But it shows how all these nations and all these people come into obedience. They go from fighting Jesus Christ to worshiping Him. What a change! Again, that's God's Spirit, just like in us. We did not know the truth one time, and then God changes us.

God calls us. The Father draws us to Him. So that's a delightful picture. And then in verse 17, it shall be that whichever the families of God do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King and the Lord of Hosts, on them there will be no rain. So not everybody learns immediately, and not everybody's going to be perfect.

Now, brethren, are the festivals of God important to Him? Are they suggestions? Are they, well, if you get around to it? No, no. They are commandments. They're a joy. They're a blessing for us. But these folks will have to learn gradually, but they're going to have to also learn somewhat quickly, because Jesus Christ will not put up with an attitude, Oh, I'm just not going to go with peace this year.

It just didn't work for me. I didn't have it on the calendar. My new millennial iPad. It's just not on there this year. It'll be there, because the heart changes. The attitude's softened. But Christ also says, in verse 18, If a family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no reign, and they shall receive the plague, with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

So again, we do see that there is a gradual change, but I don't think this is going to be decades long. I don't think Christ is going to wait decades, do you? For nations to get it. I think it'll be quite quickly. I think that initial feast of tabernacles, or two, or three, into the kingdom of God are really critical. Is Christ mandating feastkeeping, or are they, in fact, personal days? And we can just kind of work that out.

No, Christ is going to say, they're commanded. They're good for you. They're a gift. Something I want here for you. They're a blessing. Verse 19, this shall be the punishment. I think it also says, sin, that may be in the King James, but this is the sin of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that do not come up to keep the feast of tabernacles. It is a sin, isn't it? If we can't physically, that is, keep the feast. We can keep it at home if we're not physically able.

We understand that, but these nations, these people are physically able. They just don't want to do it. So, brother, we're here to worship our special God. What a privilege. What a blessing. It's a wonderful, beautiful area, creation of God, and we can do that here in beautiful Maui, and we can do it the next seven and a half, almost eight days, as we go into the feast.

The second reason, brother, why you have come to this wonderful feast is to fellowship with God's special people, to fellowship with God's special people. What a joy that is! I've met people here just before church, who I hadn't seen in some years, from back in the Midwest, some from Oregon. It's just a delight to see God's people, to be together. God has given us a place of belonging. This is it. Notice in Deuteronomy 16, verse 13. Deuteronomy 16, verse 13.

Deuteronomy 16, verse 13, please. God instructs here about the Feast of Tabernacles. You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress, and you shall rejoice in your feast. Now here, unlike Leviticus 23, where it says these are God's feasts, they're also called your feasts. Isn't that interesting? God says, I see them. They're mine. My handprint, so to speak, are all over these feasts. But I give them to you. This is your feast, brethren.

The next seven plus days, in the eighth day. These are your feasts to observe. It goes on to say here in verse 14, You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter. This is a family feast. A male servant and your female servant in the Levite. The stranger, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates. So it's truly a family feast. It's not just about us, it's about our family as well. God commands us, actually, to use a substantial portion of our yearly income for the feasts.

And most of that will be used during the fall feasts or tabernacles in eighth day. We call it a festival tithe. We set that apart so we can observe God's feasts. And especially, of course, the feasts or tabernacles in last great day. But notice, brethren, we are to give this feast as a family. Our physical family, our children, widows, the fatherless. Now who would be the stranger among us? Well, it certainly could be those we don't know. Correct? People we don't know. Generally, those at the feasts or tabernacles, brethren, are people who understand these days.

They're not going to be just someone who wanders in. Although, way back in the Midwest, I remember a person who wandered in from the street. Because the marquee out in front of the auditorium said, Welcome, United Church of God. And so, occasionally, we'd have people come in, and they would just sit down in the auditorium. And we knew they were new because, basically, they didn't have a Bible. They weren't maybe dressed the way we might dress. And they just kind of looked around and said, What am I in?

Where am I? So, generally, a stranger for us would be someone we don't know. God says, Here's your family. You may have your mate here. You may have children here. Grandchildren. What we all brother in our family. We just haven't met each other yet. But we're God's people, God's family. I remember a person who came in to one of the auditoriums during the feast years ago. And I knew he wasn't with us because it was a Sunday during the Feast of Tabernacles. And he had the Sunday paper with him. You know how Sunday papers are? It's just all that you didn't want to read, but the advertising and everything else.

So he opens up the newspaper, and I'm right behind the man, and the speaker is right in front of him, direct line. But he opens up the newspaper this wide. And he's going through the Sunday newspaper the entire sermon. I kind of knew he was a stranger. But he was reading the thing. Crunch, crunch, noise, noise. So I couldn't see the minister. I could barely hear him. But we do sometimes have people wander in. We can be polite to them. But I'll tell you, it took a little self-control not to ask the gentleman after church, would you not do that?

I can't read the newspaper during church. But anyway, we, brethren, are a family here during the feast. Greet and meet and share. Those are great blessings for us. Again, the family here, all of those within our midst. Let's go on to verse 15, "'Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God, in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce, and all the works of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.'" Now, I don't have this as a sub-point, but you know, brethren, one of the goals of the feast is to rejoice.

Can we do that? Sure we can. Why does God want us to do that? Because, brethren, we're blessed people. That's why. We're a blessed people. We're a blessed group of people. A wonderful God, our giving God who rejoices in us, and we rejoice in Him. Let's turn to Isaiah then, please. Isaiah 25, verse 6. Isaiah 25, verse 6. Isaiah 25, verse 6, please. Now, Isaiah, of course, the book of Isaiah is really so much about the Millennial Rule of Jesus Christ. It's one of those delightful books. It is historical, certainly. One of the major subjects of Isaiah is the Millennial Rule of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God on this earth.

Isaiah 25, verse 6. And this mountain, of course, God talks here of symbolism, a mountain being the Kingdom of God, the Lord of Hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the leaves, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the leaves, and He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all the people and the veil that is spread over all nations. And that's how we are right now. There's war in the Middle East, rumors of war in the Middle East, the veil of not understanding is over all the nations, except those precious few, brethren, that God has called.

In verse 8, He will swallow up death forever.

And the Lord God will wipe away all tears from all faces. He says the rebuke of His people, He will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. In verse 9, it will be said in that day, Behold, this is our God. This is our God. We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord. We have waited for Him. We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. That's talking again about the veil of ignorance and deception being removed, and God saying, I am yours. I am yours. And people absorbing God and saying, you're my God. You're mine. I have a relationship with you. Wonderful chance, brethren, for us to rejoice in that fact. A lot of people are not called right now, we know, but they will be. God will call everyone in their due time when it's best for them. Years ago, this was, I think, my first feast of tabernacles in 1968 in Suwa Valley, California. We had Suwa Valley as a feast site for quite a few years. It was, of course, the host area for the 1960 Olympics.

In 1968, I remember leaving the big arena during the feast, and somebody behind me said, Young man, do you plan to have dinner today? I was at a master's college. I was 19 years old. I was as slender as this little microphone stand. And to me, he said, basically, a teenager, yeah, you couldn't eat enough.

I didn't know him from Adam. He didn't know me from Adam. He said, Young man, are you going to have dinner tonight? So I turned around, and I said, yes. Now, this is toward the middle, toward the end. I don't remember exactly, but I had very little second time. I didn't know about the truth too long before going to a master's college. I probably had, I don't know, $30, $40 in my billfold for the rest of the feast.

Not even that, perhaps. But he said, are you going to have dinner tonight? I said, yeah, I'd like to eat tonight. That sounds good to me. So he hands me, and I honestly don't remember, I think it was a $10 bill. Now, this is 1968. That'd be like, what, $20 today? It's not a bit of money. And of all things, I didn't ask for his name. I just stammered to thank you, Mahalo. And never got his name. He just got me out of the crowd. And that meant a lot. What about us today?

Can we share a little bit? Can we give a little bit? Sure. That's God's Spirit. So, that's God's way. That's a good thing to do, God says. It's a right thing to do. So, brother, we have come to fellowship with God's special people. Share and give. Be family. You know, we can do things like introduce yourself. Hi, I'm so-and-so. I'm from this location. Good to have you. Just saying things helps. Open a door to people. Smile. It'll make people wonder what you're up to. Right? All those wonderful things. You know how to have the best feast yet? By giving the best feast yet.

People say, I didn't have that good a feast. Did you give a good feast? Or did you try to get a good feast? Big difference. So, if you want the best feast yet, you give a good feast. I'll give an example of humorous courtesy years ago at Ambassador College. We had what we called PCs per closets. They looked like a phone booth with no phone. They were insulated. They had a little table where you could kneel. One student was going through some really big challenges because the student was crying out to God in his prayer. Again, this is in a dormitory, a men's dormitory.

You could hear, because these were in the hallways next to the study areas and even bedrooms. The young man was shouting out virtually in this little prayer closet, No one loves me! No one loves me! And so, a couple of students outside thought, Oh, what do we do? No one loves me! No one loves me! So, they said, we've got to say something. So, finally a student overheard all of this, wrapped on the closet door and shouted to him, We love you!

Now shut up! Well, we're not going to do anything like that during the feast, but we are going to be courteous. We're going to love. We're going to share. We're going to befriend each other. Again, we are a spiritual family here for the feast, and always. Let's move on to our last point, brethren, as we ask the question and answer it today. Why have you come to the feast? Number three, we've come to be inspired by God's very special future.

We have come to be inspired by God's very special future. Your future is bright. Your future in the kingdom of God is there. Your name is in the book of life. You are, in fact, a son or daughter of God with God's Holy Spirit. God says, I put your name in that book of life. Jesus Christ, brethren, seized the church as having made herself ready. Do you remember that over here in Revelation?

Let's turn to Revelation 19, verse 5. Revelation 19, verse 5. Then a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you, his servants, and those who fear him, and we mentioned that earlier, fear the proper respect, rather, and admiration, awe, obedience, absolutely vital. So those who fear him, both small and great, and I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude in the sound of many waters, in the sound of many mighty thunderings, saying, Hallelujah, for Lord God, omnipotent reigns, let us be glad and rejoice, and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.

That's one of the most encouraging verses in all the Bible. The church, his wife, has made herself ready, spiritually. Can you imagine any bride going to her wedding? Oh, no! I forgot my gown! I forgot my shoes! I forgot my veil! Oh, no! I haven't combed my hair! What am I to do? And it's time for the wedding! Now, a few brides have been late a little bit for their wedding, but never made the wedding.

Okay, let's not go there. Maybe that's happened, too. You know, you've got one of these reality TV shows, and you think, just when you saw it all, and then you said, that's more than I wanted to know, right there. But, brother, we are right now getting ready to marry Jesus Christ. And he says, my church, my people, have made themselves spiritually ready to marry me. That is awesome!

That is incredible! That's a bright future. That's your future. That's the future for the whole world. Turn with me to Matthew 25, verse 19. So our last point, brother, why have you come to the feast? Well, to be inspired by God's very special future, and your part and role in that as a future teacher, as a king and priest in training today, is to be a part of the government of God under Jesus Christ, under God the Father, forever and ever.

Matthew 25, verse 19. And after a long time, the Lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Matthew 25, now verse 20. And he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to them, or to me five talents. Look, I have gained five more talents besides them. His Lord said to them, well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things, and I will make you rule over many things.

Enter into the joy, into the joy of your Lord. The bread and the kingdom of God is going to be so joy-filled. Absolutely wonderful. Absolutely perfect. No sin in terms of being a member of the family of God. No bad days. No bad health days. Idyllic, perfect relationship with God. Every second. And then, of course, serving God's family on this earth, the flesh and blood family, helping them, serving them, your cities, villages and towns.

You bet. Being the leader, being the servant, being one who cares, being the one who is overcome. Of course, it goes on to say, well, two talents. I've doubled that, and I now, by your privilege and your blessing in your family, God says that to all who have been faithful and true in God's way of life. Incredible truth, incredible future. We're going to hear a lot of sermons about the kingdom of God, as we should, during these next seven and a half to eight days.

How many of you were frightened as a little kid growing up of thunderstorms, lightning storms? Anybody other than me? You know, if you were never frightened by thunderstorms, you must be a different type, because I was on a farm, grew up on a farm, and when lightning would hit and the thunder rolled around, I could see the boogeyman out there. I know they existed out there on the farm and behind the barn and behind the tree. A couple of different times, I run into my parents' room and just freeze and wait, for one of them to wake up.

Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. A little four-year-old girl became frightened during a thunderstorm, and after one very loud clap, she jumped up from her bed, shot down into her parents' room, and she jumped right in the middle of bed with her parents for comfort and assurance. Her dad said, oh, don't worry, honey. God will protect you. And the little girl snuggled closer to her dad and her mom and said, I know, Daddy. I know God will protect me, but Daddy, right now I need somebody with skin on.

And, you know, that's how it is. You know, God, brethren, is really directing us to represent Him, be a manifestation, in a sense, a physical representative of His kingdom of God on this earth right now. People are very curious about the church. Why are we here? What's the truth? What's the plan? What's the doctrines? What are we about? We do represent God, and we are future members of that family in training today.

God's seeking a family of faithful few for that first harvest, the faithful few. It's not going to be a huge harvest. It's going to be a harvest. The big harvest, of course, will be from the time of Jesus' return on. Today, it's a small harvest, but a very special harvest, because they're going to be the foundational members of the family of God. They're going to be the ones training and guiding and the family on this earth, these humans in the kingdom, and they're going to be God's representatives to them.

Turn with me over to Hebrews 11, please, in verse 16. Hebrews 11 and verse 16. Hebrews 11 and verse 16. Well, we call this the faith chapter, and rightly so, because the subject is faith, and God outlines several of His servants, quite a few actually, men and women, who are faithful in their lives and will be in the God's kingdom. Hebrews 11 and verse 16, let's start reading there, for they desire a better that is a heavenly country, in other words, not a country from this earth, but in fact, a heavenly, the word country has been added, therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them, a future for them.

It's called Jerusalem. Later, He's going to rename it. And the name of Jerusalem, during the millennial rule of Jesus Christ, is what? Jerusalem? No. Remember the last few words of Ezekiel? The new name, brethren, of that city of Jerusalem is the Lord is there.

That's how Ezekiel ends the book. The new name is the Lord is there. That's the city. Christ dwells there. He rules from there. He represents His Father from there. He's there to serve. So, in fact, He is preparing a city right now for His family. And then eventually, we know later, as the events move forward in the book of Revelation, the new heavens and a new earth and a new Jerusalem.

More about that. I'll speak about that, actually, on the eighth day in the afternoon. Revelation 21 and 22.

So here we find that vision, brethren. Notice in verse 39, all these, and of course many people have been written here by the author, all of these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. No, because they await that promise in the grave. God, having provided something better for us, that is, He says that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Brethren, you're going to be resurrected with Abraham and Sarah and David.

And you're going to be resurrected with all of these people.

He says that's going to be the firstfruits, those who have been trained and called and chosen and faithful in their life. Some, in fact, lost their lives living the truth. As the verses prior to verses 39 and 40 mention, notice in verse 36, others had trials of mockings and scourgings and, yes, of chains and imprisonment. Well, I don't think any of us have had scourgings. I don't think so. I haven't heard of that. But some have had that kind of trial and testing in their lives. And God glorifies them with that future and that wonderful millennial rule. Plus, all the way into the whole future forever and ever.

Brethren, in Isaiah 40 and verse 5, please turn with me to Isaiah 40 and verse 5.

Of course, we have afternoon services and after the lunch break. So I wish you a very good lunch. And then come back. We'll be together again for this afternoon. In Isaiah 40 and verse 5, The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. So the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints and the mouth of the Lord has spoken. It's going to happen. It's going to be there. Verse 6, the voice said, cry out. And he says, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades because the breath of the Lord blows upon it. Surely the people are grass. And the grass withers, the flower fades, but the will of our Lord stands forever. That's right. Because God is eternal. He's never had a beginning. And of course, He never has an end.

Everything, brethren, on this earth fades away. Everything. Even rocks fade away. And so there is a fading away of the Bible, except God and His plan. And God is sharing that with us and giving us that bright future. How many of you remember singer, country western singer Jim Reeves?

Couple of you? Well, those of you who don't know, he was a very popular country western singer some decades ago, but he sang a song, Welcome to My World. We probably can't play the whole song here because of copyright restrictions. But I wanted to read some of the verses. It's almost like he's rewritten Isaiah, verse 40.

This, by the way, the composers Ray Winkler and John Halfcock composed the song, Welcome to My World. Welcome to my world, won't you come on in? Miracles, I guess, still happen now and then. Step into my heart. Leave your cares behind. Welcome to my world. Built with you in mind. Knock and the door will be opened. Seek and you will find. Ask and you will be given the key to this world of mine. I'll be waiting here with my arms unfurled. Waiting just for you. Welcome to my world. Doesn't that sound like Isaiah 40? I bet a lot of us have heard that song. Well, it's got quite a cheery little beat to it, but those words are quite amazing because they do parallel what Isaiah 40 and other scriptures as well discuss about God's wonderful kingdom.

Well, brethren, God the Father and Jesus Christ are excited that you're here. Does that sound too much over the top? I hope not because it's true. They're excited and happy you're here. So, brethren, you're at the right place, the right time, the right reason. So why have you come to the feast? To worship our special God. You've come to fellowship with God's special people. And we have come to be inspired by God's special plan. Let's enjoy, let's grow, let's develop, and let's rejoice the next eight days.