Servanthood: Consecration
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Servanthood: Consecration
Servanthood: Consecration
Opening:
God is calling us to a higher level.
God is calling you to a higher level.
God is calling me to a higher level.
That level is “Servanthood”.
Definition: Servanthood
Loving acts performed in the power of the Holy Spirit to meet the temporal and spiritual needs of those around us—and leaving the results to God.
Illustration: What we do for Christ as a group resembles a team. This is a picture of Michelin’s Rugby team in France. American Synthetics A.K.A. “Michelin” is a partner of our outreach programs. A team unities together, works together, fights together, it strategies together for a common goal. It’s very rewarding especially when all of the work you put in produces good results. Family can be a team. We’ve had families who wanted homes, who pulled the family together, strategized, sacrificed to get the goal.
When a team is in the game, in motion, it is working together in order to pull out a win. But there is a crucial element to every game, that without it, the players would simply wear out! It’s called a break! A timeout! Halftime. A time to refresh, recommit, re-calibrate, and when mistakes are found, correct them.
Likewise, we are a team. our goal is to reach as many people for Jesus Christ as possible within our abilities and using our available resources. But every so often, we cannot forget to take some time out and refresh, recommit, re-calibrate, and when mistakes are found, correct them or repent.
God set up timeouts for His people to corporately, collectively, regroup, renew themselves, re-calibrate, and if need be repent! In sports it’s called half-time or time-outs, in the bible these times are times of “CONSECRATION”! it’s a time of re-committal, rededication!
The Raiders gave him a great contract. They tried to meet all of his needs and support him in the transition. But almost within a week, there were reports of him not being satisfied with one thing or another. it went from being upset about not being able to use the helment we wanted to having problems with his feet. Not showing up for practice. Finally, the Radiers organization got fed up and started fining him. Well things went from bad to worst. He finally forced a trade and now he is with the New England Patriots.
God set up timeouts for His people to corporately, collectively, regroup, renew themselves, recalibrate, and if need be repent! In sports it’s called half-time or time-outs, in the bible these times are times of “CONSECRATION”! it’s a time of recommittal, rededication!
Let the church shout, “CONSECRATION”.
PP- (NIV)
7“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
PP- Today’s Topic is, “Consecration What is It?”
God loves us so much, that he set up ancient seasons, whereby we are to re-consecration ourselves unto HIM. To refocus, renew our commitment, re-calibrate our spirituality, reconfirm the spiritual focus for the household. just as a team has to take a break and refocus and recommit to a goal.
It appears that the Radiers were dedicated to him, but he wasn’t dedicated to them!
gives us the primary seasons of biblical consecration that God himself ordered.
PP- (NIV)
Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:
Each one of these Special seasons have spiritual significance.
PP-The Festival of Unleavened Bread/Passover is the Easter Season or the week we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
PP
I though about it and this scripture came to mind...
(NIV)
Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?
actively on IG and turning the NFL into a debate
In most team sports, for instance in football, baseball, soccer, lacross, there is something that is common
PP-The Festival of Weeks is also called Pentecost. It is 50 days after Passover.
PP-The Festival of Tabernacles - This season is kicking off in two weeks! This festival celebrates the completion of the agricultural year. The Jews built booths or tabernacles (temporary shelters) to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt by the hand of God ().
*Have George Blow the Shophar
*Have George Blow the Shophar
*Have George Blow the Shophar
These are seasons of consecration that is earmarked on God’s calendar.
Characteristic of these seasons is corporate prayer, fasting, elevated reverence for God. A heightened conscious of the presence of God, replacing trivial activities with activities that grow us spirituality.
PP- Question: I’ve already given my life to Christ, so why do I need to re-consecrate myself periodically?
(NIV)
You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.
you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Our Initial Consecration Is Once and for All
Our Initial Consecration Is Once and for All
Christ purchased us with His own blood, and now we belong to Him - (Justification). But He does not force us to give ourselves to Him, (consecration or also called santification). He waits for us to do this.
Each of us has to personally make the decision to give ourselves to the Lord Jesus.
PP- Answer: Just because you gave yourself to Christ, doesn’t mean that you are presently giving yourself to Christ!
In our walk with Christ there are so many variables that that we encounter that has the potential of interrupting our relationship with Him, unconsciously!
Answer: Just because you gave yourself to Christ, doesn’t mean that you are presently giving yourself to Christ!
In our walk with Christ there are so many variables that interrupt our relationship with Him, unconsciously!
In our walk with Christ there are so many variables that interrupt our relationship with Him, unconsciously!
Leviticus chapter 20 is one of those passages of scriptures that reminds us that just because you gave yourself to God, doesn’t mean that you are presently giving yourself to God, and that periodically, we must check and challenge our relationship with God.
Leviticus chapter 20 is one of those passages of scriptures that reminds us that just because you gave yourself to God, doesn’t mean that you are presently giving yourself to God, and that periodically, we must check and challenge our relationship with God.
PP- (NIV)
7“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
Have you ever had someone that you cared about, and wanted to make sure that they were alright and going to stay our of trouble. Or, are you the person that others care about and want you to stay our of trouble. Which everone you are, here is the point.
The person who cares for the one who is prone to getting into trouble will often say something like this, “Stick with me. Stay close to me.”
God likes to stick close to you by hanging out with you!
This is What is showing us. it is filled with warning of traps.
PP-The trap of sacrificing your children to the worlds idol.
(NIV)
2“Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him.
Buying tickets to a concert for your teen were your teen is going to hear anti-christian language is putting your teen in the grips of satan.
PP-Witchcraft (mediums, spiritists, palm readers, tarot cards, occult, etc.)
(NIV)
6“ ‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.
PP-Disrespecting Parents
(NIV)
9“ ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.
PP-Sexual Sins (Adultery, Incest, Homosexuality)
(NIV)
10“ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.
Right smack dab in the middle of the “traps” God said...
(NIV)
7“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
Then God says...
(NIV)
23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Then toward the end of this partial list of sinful traps is...
(NIV)
26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. “holy” is a synonym of “consecrate”
When God said,
PP- (NIV)
7“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
What Is A Proper Definition of “Consecrate”? What does it mean?
PP- (NIV)
7“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
What is Consecration?
Servants of God are dedicated workers. They give of their time, energy, money, intellectual properties, artistry, creativity for the building of God’s Kingdom! Yesterday was an example.
PP- It is qā·ḏǎš (kaw·dash). qā·ḏǎš is a Hebrew verb. First I’ll give you a definition, and afterward I’ll show you how it is translated in the OT.
But as servants of Christ, we must be constantly reminded that we must periodically pull ourselves away to be refreshed, recommit, re-calibrate, reassess ourselves and if need be repent.
Yesterday was an example.
What is Consecration?
PP- It is qā·ḏǎš (kaw·dash). qā·ḏǎš is a Hebrew verb. First I’ll give you a definition, and afterward I’ll show you how it is translated in the OT.
PP- be sacred, be consecrated, i.e., dedicate to service and loyalty to God, and so involving proper conduct (as prescribed) of any person or object so dedicated ()
It shows up 169 times in the OT. It is translated:
78 of 169 times Consecrate.
25 out of 169 times Holy.
16 out of 169 Dedicate.
7 out of 169 times Make Holy.
4 our of 169 times Prepare.
3 out of 169 times Made Holy.
2 out of 169 times Keep Holy.
2 out of 169 times Become Holy.
But the challenge in serving is to continue to serve and not allow people, things, challenges and dilemmas to separate you from the heart of the Savior. Their are lots of Christians in name who do not serve the Savior. They have somewhere along their journey gotten off. Perhaps by listening to the wrong voices, or they’ve gotten trapped into a spirit of apathy. The spirit of Jesus warned us of this spirit in , (NIV)
2 out of 169 Set Apart.
2 out of 169 I Solemnly Consecrate.
qā·ḏǎš shows up a host of other times translated as other words only once.
14“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
We shall see over the next few weeks that when God calls His servants to be Consecrated, it often involved, corporate prayer, fasting, and meditation. And there are special seasons where corporate fasting, corporate prayer, meditation on the word is the main feature.
The word qā·ḏǎš- has som unique translations I’d like to bring out.
qā·ḏǎš-
PP- 1 out of 169 times “…uphold my holiness...”
(NIV)
15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.
PP-1 out of 169 times “Celebrate”.
(NIV)
16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
“And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people playing pipes go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel."
PP- 1 out of 169 times “Prepare to wage war”.
(NIV)
This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.
The spirit of apathy is dangerous, because it causes people to be delusional!
ternal challenges and dilemmas to separate you from the heart of the Savior. Their are lots of Christians in name who do not serve the Savior. They have somewhere along their journey gotten off. Perhaps by listening to the wrong voices, or they’ve gotten trapped into a spirit of apathy.
() This term is used to describe fake spiritual leaders who, “… lead my people astray, they proclaim peace if they have something to eat, but (qā·ḏǎš-prepare to wage war) against anyone who refuses to feed them.”
So qā·ḏǎš can be used to describe someone who is dedicated, committed to going to war or fight against someone. So qā·ḏǎš means to separate unto the lord it could also mean to fight against the enemy.
(NIV)
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Their being lukewarm spiritually was evidenced by their being content with their material wealth and their being unaware of their spiritual poverty
This spirit in believing that they are just fine. And that sitting on the sideline and doing nothing n service for the s ok and it doesn’t even convict them.
These people are not convicted and unaware of their spiritual poverty. These strayed away silently.
In order to combat the potential for straying away, and getting trapped into the spirit of apathy, and being swayed by sinful activities, God commands that we take time out of our busy schedule periodically and Consecrate ourselves for His work!
PP- Today, I want to begin talking about Consecration.
Do we realize that we have a “rightful owner”? Our owner is the Lord Himself. He became our owner with full authority over us, at great cost to Himself. Two verses clearly state this:
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price. So then glorify God in your body.” ()
“For whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” ()
Our Initial Consecration Is Once and for All
Our Initial Consecration Is Once and for All
Christ purchased us with His own blood, and now we belong to Him. But He does not force us to give ourselves to Him. He waits for us to do this.
Each of us has to personally make the decision to give ourselves to the Lord Jesus. No one else can do this for us. It is a common misconception, that since you gave yourself to Christ, that you are presentingly giving yourself to Christ!
Just because you gave yourselves to Christ at one time doesn’t mean that you are presently giving yourself to Christ! In our walk with Christ there are so many variables that interrupt our relationship with Him, unconsciously!
Leviticus chapter 20 is one of those passages of scriptures that reminds us that just because you gave yourself to God, doesn’t mean that you are presently giving yourself to God, and that periodically, we must check and challenge our relationship with God.
PP- (NIV)
PP- (NIV)
7“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
Have you ever had someone that you cared about, and wanted to make sure that they were alright and going to stay our of trouble. Or, are you the person that others care about and want you to stay our of trouble. Which everone you are, here is the point.
The person who cares for the one who is prone to getting into trouble will often say something like this, “Stick with me. Stay close to me.”
Likewise, God created on His Holy calendar, special seasons where His people are to undergo spiritual renewal! The renewal includes, repentance, refreshing, re-commitment, and re-calibration.
God likes to stick close to you by hanging out with you!
This is What is showing us. it is filled with warning of traps.
Servants are workers. We serves, we give time, energy, money, intellectual properties for the building of God’s Kingdom!
PP-The trap of sacrificing your children to the worlds idol.
God created on His Holy calendar, special seasons where His people are to undergo seasons and special times of consecration. I’ll talk about this next week.
(NIV)
2“Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him.
Buying tickets to a concert for your teen were your teen is going to hear anti-christian language is putting your teen in the grips of satan.
Passover Season
PP-Witchcraft (mediums, spiritists, palm readers)
(NIV)
6“ ‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.
PP-Disrespteing Parents
(NIV)
9“ ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.
PP-Sexual Sins (Adultery, Incest, Homosexuality)
-21 (NIV)
10“ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.
Right smack dab in the middle of the “traps” God said...
(NIV)
In the middle of this partial list of traps, God says, “stick close to me”
(NIV)
7“ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
Then God says...
(NIV)
23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Then toward the end of this partial list of sinful traps is...
(NIV)
26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. “holy” is a synonym of “consecrate”
Yesterday was an example.
It takes work to serve people. It takes money, energy, time, creativity, artistry, and the like.
Anything that is in service should be periodically serviced. We just had some A/C work done on one of our units. It had been working fine, but after a while it has to be serviced.
Likewise, God created on His Holy calendar, special seasons where His people are to undergo spiritual renewal! The renewal includes, repentance, refreshing, re-commitment, and re-calibration.
All servants work, and workers have to be refreshed, repentant, recommitted, and re-calibrated! These things happen when a believer goes through a time of “Consecration”.
What is Consecration?
PP- It is qā·ḏǎš (kaw·dash). qā·ḏǎš is a Hebrew verb. First I’ll give you a definition, and afterward I’ll show you how it is translated in the OT.
All servantswork, and workers have to be refreshed, recommitted, and re-calibrated!
The act of periodic consecration is a critical element to a Christians life! It is what keeps your mojo going. It builds the spirit man. Consecration is God’s way of keeping us close to Him!
It is qā·ḏǎš (kaw·dash). qā·ḏǎš is a Hebrew verb. First I’ll give you a definition, and afterward I’ll show you how it is translated in the OT.
In our text, God has recently delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt! The stifling heat, arduous brick production, and the endless building projects had worn God’s people out. The first thing God did was bring them to the base of a mountain called Sinai. For the overall purpose of renewing His people for His service.
The people had been worn down by their enemy, Pharoah.
Israel had just been released from Pharaoh's arduous building projects in the hot Egyptian sun. God called them out of misery to a mountain. Mt. Sinai. Sinai became a theological anchor for their faith.
Israel had just been released from Pharoah’s arduous building projects in the hot egyptian sun. God called them out of that work to a mountain called Siani. It was here where God started renewing his people so that they could then become His servants.
The first thing God asked His servants to do was to “Consecrate” themselves. Consecration is a type of spiritual renewal.
It is qā·ḏǎš (kaw·dash). qā·ḏǎš is a Hebrew verb. First I’ll give you a definition, and afterward I’ll show you how it is translated in the OT.
As servants of Christ, we must be aware of seasons of renewal, refreshing, recommitment, recalibration. Anything that has been working, needs periodic tune-ups, recalibration
As servants of Christ, we must be aware of seasons of renewal, refreshing, recommitment, recalibration. Anything that has been working, needs periodic tune-ups, recalibration
We are on the cusp of a holy season where God calls His people to rekindle the fire for him.
There are season when God calls us to come higher in our love for Him. As servants we must periodically do a health check.
There is a trait of Servanthood that cannot be overlooked. It can be argued that this trait is the first command that God places on anyone who is in service for Him!
It is Consecration!
It is qā·ḏǎš (kaw·dash). qā·ḏǎš is a Hebrew verb. First I’ll give you a definition, and afterward I’ll show you how it is translated in the OT.
PP- be sacred, be consecrated, i.e., dedicate to service and loyalty to God, and so involving proper conduct (as prescribed) of any person or object so dedicated ()
It shows up 169 times in the OT. It is translated:
It shows up 169 times in the OT. It is translated:
78 of 169 times Consecrate.
25 out of 169 times Holy.
16 out of 169 Dedicate.
7 out of 169 times Make Holy.
4 our of 169 times Prepare.
3 out of 169 times Made Holy.
2 out of 169 times Keep Holy.
2 out of 169 times Become Holy.
2 out of 169 Set Apart.
2 out of 169 I Solemnly Consecrate.
qā·ḏǎš shows up a host of other times translated as other words only once.
1 out of 169 Call.
1 Out of 169 Things Dedicated.
We shall see over the next few weeks that when God calls His servants to be Consecrated, it often involved, corporate prayer, fasting, and meditation. And there are special seasons where corporate fasting, corporate prayer, meditation on the word is the main feature.
qā·ḏǎš-
PP- 1 out of 169 times “…uphold my holiness...”
(NIV)
This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.
PP-1 out of 169 times Celebrate.
(NIV)
1 out of 169 times Celebrate.
“And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people playing pipes go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel."
PP- 1 out of 169 times “Prepare to wage war”.
(NIV)
This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.
() This term is used to describe fake spiritual leaders who, “… lead my people astray, they proclaim peace if they have something to eat, but (qā·ḏǎš-prepare to wage war) against anyone who refuses to feed them.”
So qā·ḏǎš can be used to describe someone who is dedicated, committed to going to war or fight against someone. So qā·ḏǎš means to separate unto the lord it could also mean to fight against the enemy.
There are biblical festivals also known as feasts or seasons that have been earmarked by God as seasons of celebration and consecration.
(NIV)
5“Gather to me this consecrated people, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
(NIV)
16Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. (The importance of our faith has to be taught early)
Too many are consecrating themselves to other things.
(NIV)
10“When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.
(NIV)
14“Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.
(NIV)
17“Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord.
(NIV)
23Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel.
(NIV)
24I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.
(NIV)
16Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:
(NIV)
25Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.
(NIV)
41Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.
42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.
43After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.
(NIV)
8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
Deuteronomy another biblical Holy Season is upon us. In order to understand these seasons you must
of Consecration is fast approaching. It is time to prepare for the celebrations that occur in the Hebrew month of Tishri. These celebrations remember God's lavish goodness and grace that was poured out on upon His people.
There are four major annual feast also known as, festivals in the bible.
1. Passover-(April-Hebrew Abib) Most of us are quite familiar with the first major festival, Passover. Passover celebrates the final plague ordered by God to kill all first born in Egypt including humans and animals . While the Egyptian's first born were being slain, the Israelite's first born human and animals were not slaughtered , because they, under the direction of God, took the blood of a Lamb and painted the doorpost. (See )
During the New Testament times large crowds gathered in Jerusalem to observe this annual celebration. Jesus was crucified during the Passover event. he and His disciples ate a Passover meal on the eve of his death. During this meal Jesus said, "This is my body," and "this cup is the New Testament in my blood." ()
2. Feast of Weeks-This was celebrated seven complete weeks after Passover (50 days) therefore it was given the name Pentecost. Essentially it was a harvest celebration. it celebrated the period of grain harvest from the barley harvest during passover to the wheat harvest in June.it was also called, "The day of Firstfruits" () because it marked the beginning of the time in which people were to bring offerings of firstfruits. it was a feast of joy and thanksgiving for the completion of the harvest season.
Fifty days after Jesus resurrected, the disciples were in an upper room praying and God sent down his spirit into the disciples. They began to speak in other tongues. This was the birth day of the New Testament church. They were the first fruits of the Spirit-filled NT Church.
3. The Day of Atonement-This occured on the tenth day of the seventh month on the religious calendar (Tishri), the tenth day of the first month on the Jew's sacred calendar. There were four main component to The Day of Repentance:1. it was to be "A Holy Convocation". it was a drawing of God's corporate body to God's altar. 2. they were to humble their souls "afflict your souls"(). This was explained by later tradition that this meant to fast and repentant. "Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people." 3.the bringing of offerings (; ). In addition to these special offering that were to be brought, if the day fell on a sabbath, the regular sabbath offerings were brought also. 4.The fourth and final element involved prohibition of labor ().
the center point of this day was the high priest entering the holy of holies. he would wash his body throughly. washing was symbolic of his desire to be pure. Rather than doning himself with his usual robe and colorful garments, he wore white linen. he would offer a bullock for the sins of the priesthood (). Then he sacrificed a male goat for the nation ().
According to , this ritualis a symbol of the atoning work of Christ, our great high priest.
4. Feast of Tabernacles-(The 15th day of Tishri) Tabernacle is a booth or tent. This was also called the "Feast of the Ingathering "This celebration honored Labor of the field (), fruit of the earth (), produce from the threshing floor and the wine press () and the booths or makeshift dwelling places Israel lived in in the wilderness (; ). The booth in scripture was not a reminder of misery and privation, but of protection, preservation, shelter from the rain, wind storm (; ; )
(NIV)
14Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts.
Question: Is it biblically allowable for a Christian to participate in Old Testament feasts and ceremonies and celebrations?
In the New Testament early days of the faith, we find that the church as a whole had no consistent calendar of or schedule of holidays, Sabbaths, or festival days. This became an element of contention. Every man, every church, rightly and properly established their own memorial days, and some, established no special days at all.
So you had people on one hand, who decided that since Jesus was the fulfilment of the Law and that observing the holy days shouldn't be done. Then you had others would still honor the holy high days and would condemn other for not acknowledging them. And so the battle royal ensued.
Paul so eloquently gave an answer to this contention in :
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. ()
With regard to the propriety of observing special days, such as Christ’s birth, death (Passover) or Pentecost, feast of tabernacles, Paul instructed the Christians of the first church that they were not to subject themselves to the men who forbade the use of holy high days; and not to subject themselves to men who demanded they participate in the holy festival days in with the purpose of establishing their righteousness in God.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (, , , , )
In Christ, we have the freedom from obligation to the Law and freedom in Grace to celebrate any holiday, new moon, feast, or Sabbath as we deem will most honor God, or perhaps, remind our hearts to compliant to God.
It is for that precise reason that the early church stopped worshipping on Saturday and began worshipping on Sunday as their new Sabbath day ()--the day on which Christ was found to have arisen from the dead. Later, John refers to it as "the Lord’s Day" ().
Paul warns, “Do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” [the Law] (). Wouldn’t celebrating the Passover represent this form of entanglement? I don’t think so. Paul explains his concern further: “And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” ().
Paul wasn’t concerned about mere contact with the law, but the “attempt to be justified by law.”3 Honoring these holy seasons doesn’t justify you, it sanctifies you! Such an attempt necessarily compromises one’s faith in Christ and in His more-than-adequate justification (; ).
Some Parts of the Law: "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan" () "Do not accept a bribe..." () "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detest anyone who does." ()
Also see () "therefore let us keep the Festival, not with old yeast..."
" “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;(meaning the authority and principles of the Old Testament) I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Jesus would bring the Law into it's intended goal.
The problem is not really the Law (the authority, rigid rules, and principles of the Old Testament) The problem is us, the sin in us (
Illustration: The Cardinals and Wildcats have players on the team. the are obligated to practice, do drills, eat a certain diet, and abide by certain ethical principles. I reiterate, they are obligated to do this. They are under guidelines and the coach's law.
U of L had a special day where children could, if they chose to, participate in drills. My son did it, because he wanted to. He thinks that he is a Cardinal fan. he was celebrating his team by going onto the field with former players and running drills. The difference between what my son was doing and what the team players did, was based on obligation. The player were obligated to do what they do. My son was not, he celebrated being around the atmosphere.
When we participate in the passover season or Easter, we are stepping onto the field with a grand appreciation for what someone else had to do in order to give us pleasure, peace, joy, strength and salvation. We are not obligated to do this! We do this because we want to celebrate what God did, when he gave his only begotten son!
Question #2
If I participate in a feast from the Mosaic Law, am I not then obligated to keep the whole Law?
That depends upon your heart and motives. If you participate in the feast of the Passover because it is your intent to fulfill (keep) the Law of Moses to establish your righteousness with God, then you have essentially converted to Judaism. So, yes, as a proselyte of the Jewish religion, you may well have obligated yourself to the Law.
For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them." Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "the righteous man shall live by faith." However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "he who practices them shall live by them." ()
It is not permissible for a person to pick and choose specific laws from the Law that he wishes to "obey," because to select one law obligates the person to obey "all things written in the book of the law, to perform them." How is that a "curse"? Because no one is able to keep the Law, and beyond that, "no one is justified by the Law before God."
To elect to practice any part of the old Law as if one were under obligation to do so, whether to keep a feast day under obligation, or to get circumcised under obligation is to bind oneself to learning and adhering to every aspect of the Law of Moses.
And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. ()
No one is justified, made righteous, or saved by keeping the Law. Therefore, to keep one feast day (i.e. Passover) in order to attain salvic favor from God actually results in the opposite. It impels one to a life of Law keeping, or, as states it, places the person under a curse.
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. ()
Yet, we do not keep the feast day as part of Law. We, who choose to do so, celebrate Passover as a true celebration of grace. We keep it not to win saving favor from God, to keep the Law, or as being under any form of obligation by which to keep from sinning, but rather to remember Him. Whether we observe Passover one year, or whether we do not keep it the next, is of no eternal or moral consequence. We do it solely for personal edification.
Part 2
In celebrating these festivals, we have discovered that supernatural power is unleasehed when we do certain things our of freedom in grace! You actually unlock mysterious happenings, favor, blessings.
Fasting, Prayer, Giving, sacrificing, singing
When you do not consecrate yourself unto the LORD, you might be consecrating yourself to something else!
(NIV)
10“When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.
[1] Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
In our text, God has recently delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt! The stifling heat, arduous brick production, and the endless building projects had worn God’s people out. The first thing God did was bring them to the base of a mountain called Sinai. For the overall purpose of renewing His people for His service.
The people had been worn down by their enemy, Pharoah.
Israel had just been released from Pharaoh's arduous building projects in the hot Egyptian sun. God called them out of misery to a mountain. Mt. Sinai. Sinai became a theological anchor for their faith.
The first thing God asked His servants to do was to “Consecrate” themselves. Consecration is a type of spiritual renewal.