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Spring Holy Days 2007

Sermon #2

First Day of Unleavened Bread

Fred R. Coulter – April 3, 2007

And greetings brethren! Welcome to the Feast of Unleavened Bread-2007. So time marches on and here we are again with the spring feast and everything that that means. I hope you had a wonderful Night to Be Much Observed last night and a wonderful Passover the night before. And every year, when we come to these, we need to understand the meaning of it. We need to learn of the things that God wants us to learn, and to understand His plan and to be perfected even more as we go on in our Christian walk and doing the things that we need to do.

Now, let’s come to Leviticus 23, and here, as you know, in this place in the Bible, God has put every one of the Holy Days—the Sabbath and the Passover and everything all combined right in this one chapter. And this has been done as one of the ways that God has hid the meaning of it from those who are in the world—because they don’t like the commandments of God. They don’t like the laws of God. They don’t like the Sabbath and Passover and Holy Days of God. And in rejecting them, they reject the knowledge of God, the knowledge of His plan.

But here, we understand them. What it is, it gives us knowledge and understanding because we love God and keep His commandments. Just like it was said of Abraham: That the promise was passed on to Isaac because Abraham "obeyed My voice, kept My charge, My statutes, My commandments and My laws." And Abraham is "the father of the faithful."

And as we know, the Holy Days, given here in Leviticus 23 are just the foundation and the letter of the law. However, it goes beyond that, it goes beyond that. Because then now we have the whole Bible and God gives us the understanding and builds upon that the superstructure of the understanding of the Holy Days and so forth.

So today, let’s just begin right here in verse four: "These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons…. [And of course, God built the Holy Days right into the very creation of heaven and earth.] … In the fourteenth day of the first month at even… [that is between the two evenings] … is the Lord’s Passover…. [We’ve already had that; and then we had the Night Much to Be Observed last night, which then commemorates coming out of, out of, beginning coming out of Egypt—which beings the fifteenth day of the first month. Verse 6:] … And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread" (Lev. 23:4-6, KJV).

Now, the command for that is very simple: We just eat unleavened bread the way that God has said. Now, that’s our physical thing to do: to put leaven out of our homes and to eat unleavened bread. Now, again, that’s just in, that’s just a beginning, that’s just a foundational thing. But what this shows us is very simple: That sin, which we have to overcome, which we’ll talk about today, is so easy. It is so commonplace. It is there all the time. It’s almost like the air that’s around us. And that’s why, with the Feast of Unleavened Bread—and we concentrate on getting out the leaven, when leaven is a type of sin during this Feast—that it shows we have to get sin out of our lives. But we cannot do that without the help and power and Spirit of God.

Just like the children of Israel could not be released from the bondage of their Egyptian slavery unless God led them out of it, neither can we be relieved of our slavery to sin because we’re all slaves to sin. And our human nature and our carnal nature and everything that there is about human beings.

So, he says, "You must eat unleavened bread seven days. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: [that’s today] ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein" (vs. 6-8).

So we’ll focus in on this first Holy Day. We know that God says we’re to bring an offering before Him (Deut. 16) "according to the blessing which the Lord has given us." Now, it’s not just to look at the blessing of the physical things alone, but look at the spiritual blessings; look at the understanding that God has given you; look at how God has dealt with your life. And just count it this way: how God has called you and dealt with you and is giving to you eternal life. And that’s what’s the important thing about it, you see.

And also with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we follow on from the Passover, don’t we? And Jesus said the Passover, in eating His flesh and drinking His blood was to show that even as He lived by the Father, so those who eat His flesh and drink His blood shall live by Him. And so, keep that in mind.

And also keep in mind what the Apostle Paul said: "He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly." And if you want to reap bountifully, you sow bountifully. That is, physically and spiritually in attitude toward God in everything that you do.

So, at this time we will take a pause and we will take up the offering.

(Break for Offering)

Now let’s see what it means to be "leavened." Let’s come back to Genesis, the sixth chapter. Let’s understand the evil that human nature can get itself involved in. And let’s understand the age in which we live. And realize that, as Jesus said, that "as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of man." So there’s some parallels here for us.

And we’re going to take a look at human nature because human nature and the world and Satan the devil, all combined together, has had a powerful impact upon our lives.

And God wants us to change. That’s what the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread is about. God wants us converted. God wants us to be spiritually-minded. But, in order to understand that, we have to realize the, the depths of human nature and to which it will go—because we’re living in an age now where we are just inundated with sin in everything that there is.

Now, Genesis 6:5, KJV: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth… [And it’s multiplied over and over and over again today—far beyond what we ever thought of, because of everything that we have technologically. Because everything that, that we have at our disposal and how Satan uses those. And how he controls various things in the world to lead people into sin. To bring them into sin. To derogate them. To bring them down. And that’s what he did here.] … and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

And that’s what human nature is. Even the good thoughts that people have from time-to- time is sin because it rejects God. Yeah, there are a lot of do-gooders out there trying to do good, but they know nothing of God. Or they reject God. And that is still sinful. So, God proposes to take the sinful nature and change it and convert it.

And that’s a tremendous spiritual project. And that’s why it takes time. That’s why it’s a lifetime we go through. That’s why every year we keep the Passover, the Night to Be Much Observed, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and then all of the rest of the Holy Days, right on down through—to keep us mindful of the goal of what God has called us to. To keep us mindful of the plan that God has for us, so that we can go forward. So that we can change. That we can have our hearts and minds literally changed and converted.

Now, verse 12—no, verse 11: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." And that’s what we have today, and it comes right in, right into our own homes, doesn’t it? Through television, through radio and this world is absolutely captured by Satan the devil who’s deceiving it constantly, every day, continually. Reinforcing that deception. And God calls us out of it.

Yet, the world is affected our minds, hasn’t it? Yes, it has!

The world has affected how we think, hasn’t it? Yes!

And so, how do we overcome that?

Now, verse 12: "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them… [That’s exactly what we have today. And then He said:] …and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."

Now, let’s look at some other things concerning human nature. Because, you see, we have to fight and overcome it, but God gives us the power to do so. But in order to understand what we are fighting, we need to understand about our own human nature and how, how it really, really is.

Let’s come here to the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 10. And here’s what we have to admit before God in everything that we understand and do. That’s why we have to have daily prayer. That’s why we need to overcome the way that God wants us to overcome.

Now here’s the first point of conversion. And that you continually understand what God is doing—right here. Verse 23, Jeremiah 10—quite a scripture, isn’t it? Yes, indeed!

Jeremiah 10:23, KJV: "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." That is, properly.

Man of himself does not know how to live, what to do. Oh, there are few basic, rudiment things that people can do, that’s true. But that’s all out there in the world. But to understand about God, to come to God, there’s no way it can be done unless you come to God His way, on His terms and through Jesus Christ.

So, Jeremiah said, "O LORD, correct me… [Now, he was talking about himself. Here’s a very prophet of God who says, ‘I don’t know the way to go, Lord. Correct me.’] … but with judgment… [we can also add in there, ‘mercy.’] … not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing" (v 24).

Now, let’s come her to Jeremiah 17, and let’s come here to verse one. Let’s see what happens when people give themselves to evil. And people give themselves over to it many, many different ways. And how it comes so ingrained that it’s almost impossible to change.

Jeremiah 17:1, KJV: "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars…"

Amazing, isn’t it? You come down here to verse 5, it says: "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."

So, God has called us out of this, hasn’t He? Now, if you don’t change, here’s what’s going to happen to those in the world—God guarantees it!

"For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited" (v 6).

But, then it says, verse 7: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters… [You see, there’s the contrast. And what God wants to see during the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the contrast between His people and the world. See, here’s the contrast.] … and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (vs 7-8).

And that’s what we are to do—day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month, year-by-year—yield fruit, grow, overcome, change, become converted more and more. And we’re going to see how God is going to do that, and the way that He does it.

Now, verse 9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

So that’s where we begin, isn’t it? This is describing and wholly, leavened individual given over to sin.

• And that’s where we were out in the world, right?

• Where were you?

• I want you to think about where were you?

• What were you doing?

• How was your life?

And today, the world is affected by drugs, by sex, by lying and cheating and stealing and violence and murder and death.

• Where were you in the world?

• And what were you doing?

• And how much of that is still in your mind?

• And how much of that have you carried into your Christian walk?

• And how much of that is still an inner sin that is there pulling you down? Regardless of what the sin or obsession may be.

Now there are millions hooked on gambling,

hooked on drugs,

addicted to sex,

addicted to porn,

addicted to lying.

• What was your life?

• Were you addicted to any of these things?

• Do you still go back to them?

• Or are you overcoming them?

And if you’re overcoming them, what is the way to overcome? We’ll cover that today.

Now, verse 10: "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways [work], and according to the fruit of his doings."

Now, the thing we need to understand with the Feast of Unleavened Bread is this: God knows! Now, you can fool some people. You can even fool yourself. But you can never fool God because God knows! He made you. He created you. He called you.

And we also have to admit something else. We’ve all been Laodiceans from day one! And in counseling with people in their sins and their marriage problems and their difficulties that they have in their lives, there are too many scars left in your minds and hearts that you have carried into your walk with God. And now’s the time you’re going to have to work in getting rid of them. God is there to help you. And we’ll cover that and we’ll see how that, that is done.

Now, let’s see something else concerning human kind. You know, I remember talking to a person one time that was even kind of, kind of proud of his sin. And I mentioned to that person, "Well, you know, it seems like your just totally obsessed with it. And you really haven’t repented of it—because you don’t abhor it. Why do sit there and talk to me with a smirk on your face in describing all the past history of your life and the lewdness that you have been in."

So you see, it’s very important that we understand this. We can’t let these things of the past become something in the present. And when we do and we don’t repent of them, and we kind of hold on and, and cling to them, and say, "Well, you know, it’s not really like the full-fledged sin used to be, so I’ll kind of snuggle up to it." Whatever it may be. Whether it be drugs, whether it be gambling. Whether it be fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lying, whatever it may be.

All of those things are the vanity of the human flesh. And that has be why there’s repentance—and we’re going to talk about repentance and being cleansed because that’s the spiritual unleavening that comes from Christ. And that’s why we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As the Apostle Paul said—1 Corinthians 5:7, paraphrased: "Therefore let us keep the Feast because our Passover was sacrificed for us."

See, because God wants us to get rid of the evil in our lives—that’s why we keep the Feast.

Now, let’s come here to, let’s come here to Psalm 39, Psalm 39:4, KJV—This is what God wants us to come to: "LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am." Now, God does that by giving us trials and difficulties. And that’s why when they come along, we need to yield to God. We need to yield to His way and take in of His Spirit, and take in of His righteousness.

We need to ask God to help get these things out of our lives. That’s the whole point of conversion. Because you see, these things destroy your life. They destroy your relationship with other people. They destroy your relationship as husbands and wives. And, I’m just telling you, if you’ve been divorced and remarried, you have a whole heap, lot of stuff to overcome. That’s just a fact! And a lot of it is up here, that you need removed and erased and changed and converted.

Verse 5—David began to understand. He said: "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity." That’s why God doesn’t want us to drag it in to our way of life with Him. That’s why the Apostle John wrote: "Love not the world. Nor the things in the world." You see, and Laodiceans love it, cause they’re "rich and increased in goods." And that’s blinded their eyes to see the reality of human nature and their behavior, and how much they have drug into their walk with Christ.

And Christ is there, knocking on the door wanting to come in, wanting the conversion, wanting to help you change.

Now notice, verse 6: "Surely every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain…" And that’s what happens.

Look at all the lives of all the people out there in the world. What are they doing? Where are they going? What is happening? Watch television, look at all the news, look at all the crime. And when you’re watching television, you need to be, you know, mindful of what you’re watching, because more and more of it’s becoming pornography—pornographic.

Even just on the evening news. And Satan has got his tenacles right out there reaching into the hearts and minds and lives and the very being of human beings—to deceive them, to lead them astray.

Now notice, verse 8: "Deliver me from all my transgressions… [and yes, let’s have them erased from our minds] … make me not the reproach of the foolish.

Now let’s continue on. Let’s see how God does this. Let’s see something that Jesus said on the Passover night. Let’s come to John 15—let’s see what Jesus said to His disciples. Now here in John 15, let’s pick it up in verse one. Now the great thing that we need to always understand and keep in mind, which is this: God the Father and Jesus Christ are for us. They are with us. They love us. They care for us. And that’s why the correction comes. And that’s why during the Feast of Unleavened Bread we put out the leaven. But that tells us we are to put out the sin from our lives.

Now verse 1: [Jesus said]: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. He takes away every branch in Me that does not bear fruit; but He cleanses each one that bears fruit, in order that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:1-2, FV).

But "He cleanses"—interesting, isn’t it. Cleanses—and that comes from the Greek kathairo, which is "to purge." So "He cleanses" each one that bears fruit. And so, the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are the Feasts to remind us that God alone can cleanse us from sins— "…in order that it may bear more fruit." So here we have an ongoing, ongoing process that God the Father is doing through Christ.

Now then, notice what Jesus said in verse 3: "You are already clean through the word that I have spoken to you." Isn’t that interesting? We are clean "through the word that He has spoken to us."

Let’s see how that works. Now we know that also in relationship to footwashing. If you wash the feet, renew the covenant, you are clean. Then you’re also clean through the operation of the words that He has spoken. So, let’s see how this, let’s see how this comes together.

Let’s come back here to Ephesians, the fifth chapter. Ephesians 5—and let’s see how—no, let’s go to Romans 3, let’s go there first then we’ll go to Ephesians 5. Here’s how God does it: It’s through Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23, FV—It begins with Christ—verse 23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God… [and here’s the thing that’s important:] … But are being justified freely by His grace… [God forgives us our sins when we repent. And we’re going to see there are levels of repentance that takes place.] …through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… [That’s why Christ came. Now this is talking abut the Passover.] … Whom God has openly manifested to be a propitiation through faith in His blood… [so, whenever you say, "Lord forgive me" the blood of Jesus Christ has covered that. And ‘the propitiation’ means that it is a continuing source of—how shall we say—forgiveness through the grace and mercy of God] … in order to demonstrate His righteousness… [and that means you have been justified, put in right standing with God.] … in respect to the remission of sins that are past, Through the forbearance of God; yes, to publicly declare His righteousness in the present time, that He might be just, and the one Who justifies the one who is of the faith of Jesus" (vs 23-25).

Now, we’re going to see something here very interesting. Why! Then Paul goes ahead and makes it clear that it’s not of ourselves, but it’s through Christ, through the faith in Christ. And that’s what’s so important.

• You have to continually have this faith in Christ.

• Faith in the sacrifice.

• Faith in the blood.

• Faith in the operation of God

Now, let’s continue on, verse 27: "Therefore, where is boasting?… [Because there’s nothing you can do, it’s all on God’s part, right? Oh, we have our part, but our part surely is not the most powerful of it, is it? No! It’s God’s part.] … It is excluded. Through what law? The law of works? By no means! Rather, it is through a law of faith."

• Now, what is this law of faith?

• How does that operate?

• How is that possible?

• What does God do for us in the law of faith?

Now, let’s come over here to Romans eight and let’s see something else. That’s connected with this. Romans, the eighth chapter—Romans eight, and let’s pick it up here in verse two. Now, I want you to think about this:

"Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus… [now, think about that] … the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus… [so this means the operation of the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of life in us, is how He cleanses us. Now, notice what it says:] … has delivered me [or that is, ‘justified me’] from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2, FV).

Now, God has justified us. God has made it possible. Now, let’s see how this comes about, because there has to be repentance. That’s why, as we went through the series on the Keys to Answered Prayer, that in the model prayer is: "forgive us our sins," and there is repentance. We’ve covered part of that, but now let’s go into some other things concerning repentance, to see how God then responds and how the application of the sacrifice of Christ is applied to us.

Now, let’s come to 2 Corinthians the seventh chapter and let’s talk about repentance here. There is a Godly repentance and there is a sorrow of the world.

Now, verse 10, it says: "For sorrow unto repentance before God works out salvation not to be repented of… [You’re not going to go back on it. Now, we’ll talk about that a little bit later.] …but the sorrow of the world works out death" (2 Cor. 7:10, FV).

So let’s look at the "sorrow of the world." Let’s see how the world does. I think a good example is: just watch what’s going on in Washington, D.C. or any government in the world—you see. Look at any religion in the world and see what they do. Oh, they’ve got their works, that they do this, and do that and do the other thing. But that’s not the "sorrow of God."

Let’s come here to Luke 11, Luke 11—and let’s understand the "sorrow of the world" that doesn’t do any good. And, and let’s ask ourselves the question as we’re going to Luke 11—no, that was a mis-quote, let’s go on from there.

Let’s come to Matthew 23, and let’s see the wrong kind of repentance. And let’s see the "sorrow of the world," which Jesus likens to cleansing the outside. Now, let’s see what He says here:

Verse 24: "Blind guides, who filter out a gnat, but swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish…" (Matt. 23:24-25, FV). You look good outside—and isn’t that what people do? Yes!

• Look at Hollywood.

• Look at this world.

• Look at the rock stars, the rap stars.

• Look at all of the personas of the world.

• They make the outside clean, but when you really investigate their lives, what are they?

Ø They are miserable.

Ø They are empty.

Ø They are vain.

Ø They are filled with sin.

Ø They are driven by lust.

Ø They are driven by every evil thing under the sun.

How about a criminal who portrays himself as upright, and yet, at night he’s a pedophile, and stalks little children. And everyone’s so surprised. "Why, he was an upstanding man."

Or how about the murderer who escapes and re-establishes a new life and becomes a model citizen, on the job and attends church every Sunday—yes, just like the scribes and Pharisees.

"… you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but within you are full of extortion and excess" (v 25).

That’s the "sorrow of this world". That’s the repentance of this world.

Then He says here, continuing, verse 26: "Blind Pharisees! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may also become clean."

Now, how do you cleanse the inside, first? That’s where God wants it to be. And God is there to help you. But you must have your part in it. And part of the thing of God’s Holy Spirit, of having you go through trials, is for you to see and examine your own heart and your own mind. And that’s what we are to do before the Passover, isn’t it? We are to examine ourselves. And this is what it means.

Now, let’s see what kind of repentance is required. And it’s a repentance, that we might say, comes in degree. And as we will see—let’s come to Psalm 19, let’s come to Psalm 19—and let’s see part of what laws and commandments of God are to do for us. And we’ll talk about this a little bit later and how that is to help clean us up and give us right thinking.

Now let’s pick it up here in verse seven. Here’s part of it. Here’s how you start cleaning the inside so that your mind and your heart and your thoughts—instead of being continually evil all the time, you see. You can’t go out there and live in the world, think like the world, act like the world, be like the world, talk like the world, live like the world. Sundown Friday come, whoop, it’s the Sabbath—and now you’re righteous on the Sabbath.

Are you really?

Let’s pick it up here in Psalm 19:7, KJV: "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul… [We’re going to see that’s part of the cleansing that comes from God. There is a cleansing that comes with repentance. And the laws of God is what tells us what sin is. That’s why we have to have them written in our hearts and our minds. Which is part of the cleansing as we will see.] … the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes…. [Now, that you have that in perspective, then he says:] … The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever…" (vs 7-9).

• Do you fear to sin?

• Or do you just let it come to you?

• What is it?

• What is it that we do?

• How are our lives?

It’s why we need to love God, and fear God, and not transgress. Because we have to come from the point of continually evil all the time. And every thought and every imagination of the heart, to where we come to the point of loving God and serving God and having God’s Spirit, you see. And to strengthen us and to help us overcome. And it is a battle.

Now, let’s go on here: "… the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold…" (v 10).

Is that how you approach overcoming, like you’re looking for gold?

I just bet if someone told you there was a million dollars worth of gold under the floor of your house and all you had to do is get a jackhammer and dig out in this spot, get rid of the slab, dig down there twenty feet, and you’d find it. I bet you’d have a jackhammer in no time. I’d bet you’d pull the carpet up and start hammering down there and digging down there because that’s what you want.

Is that how much you want God’s way? Think of it, you see. This is all a part. Do we really want to be cleansed? Or do we want to be cleansed a little bit here, and little bit here, and "oh, well, this sin is not so bad, so I’ll keep it."

All right, let’s go on. Verse 11: "Moreover by them is thy servant warned…" That’s why we need to study, so that we get the warnings from the Word of God. That we get the hope and the inspiration from the Word of God.

Now, notice: "… and in keeping of them there is great reward" (v 11).

Now, the Protestants, they don’t know anything. They really don’t know anything! And the little that they know is now being taken away from them, true to the words of Jesus. They say, you don’t have to keep them. So what are they automatically doing by saying that. They’re depriving people of "great rewards," aren’t they? Great blessings, aren’t they? Yes!

Verse 12—here’s where you need to begin: "Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults."

• Now, what are your "secret faults"?

• What are your secret sins?

• Have you confessed those to God?

• Have you gone before God the Father and asked forgiveness for it and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ applied to you?

"Cleanse me from my secret faults." That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

"Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me…" (v 13).

See, that’s what it says there in Romans, the sixth chapter. "Sin shall not rule over you"—if you are Christ’s. But if you drag in the sin again, and if you haven’t been cleansed from within, and if you haven’t had these things forgiven because you haven’t repented, then you are in deep trouble!

And you’re always going to find that it’s going to be most difficult to make progress and overcome because you’re clinging to those sins. You haven’t repented of those sins. You haven’t asked God to cleanse you from your sins. Rather, you hold onto them. Rather, you snuggle up to them. Rather you think, "Well, these are not quite so bad.

Well, you need to take another look.