Introduction: Joseph was in the royal line of King David but he was a simple carpenter from Nazareth. Herod was king in Judea. Caesar Augustus was the emperor of Rome. Israel was under Roman occupation. God had seemingly abandoned his people. The voices of the prophets were silent. No king from David’s line seemed likely to ascend the throne. But God stepped in as Matthew 1:18-25 shows. God remembered his people and honored his promises to David. God cares and has his own way of doing things. God loves you and me and wants to give us the opportunity to receive his gift of love today. God’s gift gives us his presence, his person and his provision.
 
GOD GIVES US THE GIFT OF HIS PRESENCE.
 
*The birth of Jesus fulfilled prophecy. “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means “God with us”)” (Matthew 1:22-23).
 
*Matthew quotes Isaiah and uses the term Immanuel to describe the newborn king. Immanuel means “God with us.”  “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
 
*Psalm 46 clearly shows the Hebrew understanding of the term.  Immanuel is used as a refrain of hope for Israel in a crisis situation. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress (Psalm 46:7, 11).
 
The Psalmist describes God presence “with us”:

• Verses 1-3, God is with us as our protection.
• Verses 4-6, God is with us as our peace.
• Verses 8-10, God is with us as our providence.

 
The birth of Jesus Christ shows us that God is present with us!
 
GOD GIVES US THE GIFT OF HIS PERSON.
 
*God is with us in human form. He knows what we are going through. The apostle John says it this way: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Matthew writes: This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit… But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth
to a son…” (Matthew 1:18-21).
 
*The term used to describe this new child is “Jesus” or “Savior.”  God is with us and he will help us.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (Matt. 1:21).
 
Jesus’ birth reminds us that God has visited his people to set them free.
 
GOD GIVES US THE GIFT OF HIS PROVISION.
 
*The angel makes it clear that Jesus comes as a spiritual redeemer and not a political or military deliverer. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (1:21).

• “he’ – emphatic “he and no other” – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6).
• “will save” – preserve and deliver, rescue – Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
• “from their sins” – Jesus mission is personal not political. “Sins” means “missing the mark.” “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). “From” means that Jesus will remove us out of the situation. He will rescue us and give us a new life.
• “his people” – anyone the Father has chosen for himself. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

 
Jesus Christ came to save you from your sins. He paid the penalty for your sin on the cross and he rose again to give you eternal life.
 
Are you willing to receive the gift of God’s presence, person and provision today?

 
Introduction: The birth of Jesus reminds us that God always does things that we do not expect.  We would expect the Savior to be born in a palace to parents of wealth and fame. Yet he was born in a stable to parents who had little recognition. We would expect an elaborate state function with parades and parties to announce the birth of a king. Yet only the shepherds and a few wise men knew of the birth of the baby Jesus.  God often uses the ordinary to bring about the extraordinary. The good news is that God can use you in his kingdom work and eternal purposes. He is looking for people of faith.
 
GOD USES UNLIKELY MEANS TO BRING ABOUT HIS PLANS.
 
*God used ordinary pregnancies to accomplish his divine goals. Yet  Elizabeth was old and Mary was a virgin when they became pregnant.  At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:39-40).
 
Look for God to act in unexpected ways. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. (Is. 55:8).
 
GOD CHOOSES UNLIKELY PEOPLE TO BRING ABOUT HIS PURPOSES.
 
*God chose to use ordinary women to advance his kingdom.  In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:42-45).
 
God uses the humble people the world thinks are useless and unimportant to bring about great things. “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).
 
GOD USES ORDINARY FAITH TO BRING ABOUT EXTRAORDINARY PROMISES.
*Mary recognizes that the Lord is fulfilling all his promises to Israel through her simple act of faith. “And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name’” (Luke 1:46-49).
 
*Mary’s Song shows the greatness of God’s mercy and the severity of his judgment:
 
“His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:50-53).
 
*Mary’s Song rejoices in the God who keeps his covenant with Abraham and protects his faithful people Israel:
 
“He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors” (Luke 1:54-55).
 
God is always faithful to his word. He is looking for people of faith to believe his promises and do his will. Mary believed and God worked:
 
The angel answered [to Mary], “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
 
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her (Luke 1:35-38).
 
Are you willing to let God use your ordinary life to do extraordinary things?

   
Introduction: Our church has provided funds to provide water wells for thirsty families in Africa. The video today reminds us that thirsty people around the globe need the Living Water too. God wants us to give from the wellspring of our hearts to provide the water of life to thirsty people. The question is, “What’s in your well?” When we drop the bucket into the well, what comes up in support of the kingdom of God, in support of the missionaries around the globe? Is your well deep and pure or shallow and dirty? Is the well a refreshing spring of joy or clogged by stones of self? The annual Christmas offering for missions gives us an opportunity to bring up buckets of blessings that overflow into generosity for God’s work.
 
GENEROSITY BEGINS WITH COMMITMENT.
 
*Generosity does not happen by accident.  Generous people make a conscious choice to support God’s work. “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability” (2 Cor. 8:2-3).
 
COMMITMENT LEADS TO COOPERATION.
 
*Generous people work together to advance global missions. “Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Cor. 8:3-5).
 
COOPERATION FULFILLS THE GREAT COMMISSION.
 
*“God’s work done in God’s way never lacks God’s supplies” (Hudson Taylor). Cooperation is the best way to obey the Great Commission. We must either give or go to help carry the Good News around the world. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
 
What’s in your well? What will you give to support missions this year?
 

 
Introduction: Everyone needs a purpose for living. Everyone is dying for meaning in their lives. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes was no different. He looked at life and said, “Meaningless! Meaningless...Everything is meaningless” (Eccl. 1:2). Solomon asked God for wisdom and God granted him wisdom, wealth, riches and honor (2 Chronicles 1). Solomon had over 1,000 wives and built great palaces of gold and silver including God’s Temple. He became an expert in agriculture, botany, military conquest, and literature. He indulged every desire – physical, intellectual and spiritual. He soon drifted into idolatry and became a ruthless despot. If anyone knew the good and bad of life, it was Solomon. He writes Ecclesiastes as one who has experienced and observed the best and worst life has to offer. The book describes his quest for meaning and the good life. We can find purpose for our lives through Solomon’s discoveries.
 
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WILL NOT SATISFY (1-2).
 
*Wisdom and folly are equally meaningless. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief (1:18).
 
*Pleasure, art, agriculture and possessions do not give lasting meaning.          I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind (2:10-11).
 
*Conclusions: wisdom is better than folly and “a person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil” (2:24).
 
THE WORLD’S PROMISES WILL LET YOU DOWN (3-5).
 
*The world seems fated but God has put eternal longings in our hearts. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (3:11).
 
*Oppression, toil, loneliness, and injustice are the downside of society (4:1-12).  Religion and riches will disappoint us as well (5:1-17).
“Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands” (5:15).
*Conclusion: “This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot” (5:18).
 
 MORALITY IS ALMOST BETTER THAN MATERIALISM (6-8).
 
*Material things cannot bring fulfillment. “God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil” (6:1).
 
*Morals provide a good way for living but sometimes life is not fair. “In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness… Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,  no one who does what is right and never sins”(7:15-20).
 
*Conclusion: “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun” (8:15).
 
ONLY ONE WAY TRULY SATISFIES (9-12).
 
*Death is the final resting place for all of us – good or evil. “All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean…” (9:2).
 
*Pleasure, possessions, morality and wisdom will ultimately end so let’s enjoy them while we can. “However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless” (11:8).
 
*We need to put our faith in God while we are young and continue to trust him when we are old.  “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’” (12:1).
 
*Conclusion: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (12:13-14).
 

 
INTRODUCTION:  Paul was in Troas speaking to the disciples before his journey to Jerusalem.  He would not see them again.  He had a lot to say in a short time so he met with the believers on a Sunday night to worship and fellowship around the Lord’s Table. Here we see the development of a condition that has infected every group of believers since: the Eutychus Syndrome.  This disease affects every believer from time to time and we need to take precautions against it.  You can avoid the Eutychus Syndrome.  Let’s look at areas the syndrome affects and the remedy for it.
 
WHAT IS THE EUTYCHUS SYNDROME?
 
*The Eutychus Syndrome is a state of sleep, slumber or unawareness while spiritual power and activity are at work around you. 
 
*Eutychus showed these symptoms in Acts 20:8-9:  There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.
 
AREAS WHERE WE DRIFT AWAY:
 
*The Eutychus Syndrome surfaces in worship.  On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight (7).
 
*The Eutychus Syndrome disrupts fellowship.  We came together to break bread (7).
 
*The Eutychus Syndrome devalues teaching and preaching. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on (9).
 
THE REMEDY FOR THE SYNDROME IS RESURRECTION.
 
*Eutychus had to wake up from the dead.  Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted (10-12).

 
INTRODUCTION: Philemon is a prison letter from Paul to Philemon, the wealthy and Christian leader of the church at Colossae. Paul appeals to Philemon to receive Onesimus, the runaway slave, “as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord” (v. 16).  The letter is an appeal to treat Onesimus gently but Paul begins the letter with kind words about Philemon’s faith and love. Paul’s words reveal Philemon’s strategy in building relationships and sharing his faith. We can use Philemon’s strategy to lead people to follow Jesus.
 
WE CAN OPEN OUR HOMES.
 
*The church at Colossae met in Philemon’s home. To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home (1-2).
 
*The first church at Jerusalem had a cell-celebration model where people met in homes and then gathered for a large event together at the temple.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:46-47).
 
*When Christianity scattered to other cultures and lands, believers gathered in a variety of places to worship and pray including homes.

• Paul met with fellow Jews at the river: On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there (Acts 16:13).
• Believers met in public places. Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months…But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus (Acts 19:8-9).
• Aquila and Priscilla had a house church: Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus…Greet also the church that meets at their house (Romans 16:3-4).

 
*We can share our faith anywhere we can gather people together but the best place is in our home.
 
WE CAN SHARE OUR FAITH.
 
*Philemon’s Christian life was marked by faith and love.  I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus (4-5).
 
*As we share our faith we deepen our relationship with Christ. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ (6).
 
The Amplified Bible says it this way: [And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory].
 
*A follower of Christ tells others about Jesus and shows it in her actions.
 
WE CAN PRACTICE HOSPITALITY.
 
*God’s people can encourage others through warm and generous acts of kindness. Paul told Philemon: Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people (7).
 
*Hospitality is a quality required of pastors and should be a character trait of all Christians. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach (1 Tim. 3:2).
 
*We can show hospitality best when we open our homes and share our faith and love in Christ.
 
My Hope America provides a unique opportunity to open our homes to our neighbors and friends. We also have several neutral sites where you can invite your Matthew List friends to hear the message of salvation.
 
 
 

 
INTRODUCTION: Deuteronomy 16-18 teaches that the new nation of Israel would be led by judges, kings, priests and prophets. The prophets were outside the everyday operations of the nation and temple religion. The prophets would speak God’s word to keep the people focused on God’s purposes. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you” (Deut. 18:15). A tradition developed that God would send a Prophet in the future like Moses who would deliver the people of Israel. When Jesus fed the five thousand, the people said, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself (John 6:14-15). Later when Jesus cried out at the Feast of the Tabernacles, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink,” some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah” (John 7:37-41). Was Jesus the Prophet that Moses promised in Deuteronomy? Let’s see what the Scripture teaches.
 
JESUS CONFIRMS MOSES’ PROMISE OF A PROPHET.
 
*Moses said that God would send prophets who would give the people a word from the Lord. He gave strict guidelines to distinguish true prophets from false prophets.

• The people were to reject divination and sorcery (Deut. 18:14).
• The Lord would send a prophet like Moses that the people were to listen to (Deut. 18:15).
• The prophet was to speak the word of God to the people and the people would be expected to heed God’s word (Deut. 18:17-19).
• False prophets who claim to speak for God should be put to death (Deut. 18:20).
• If a prophet’s words come true, then he is a true prophet (18:21-22).

 
*Peter told the crowd at Jerusalem Jesus was the Prophet:  “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see…For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people’” (Acts 3:15-22).
* Was Jesus like Moses? Were there similarities?
 
            Moses                                                  Jesus
Pharoah vs. Moses as a baby               Herod vs. Jesus as a baby
Rejected as a leader by authorities       Rejected as a leader by authorities
Mediated a new covenant                    Mediated a new covenant
A deliverer (Exodus)                           A deliverer (Calvary/Empty Tomb)
Introduced the Law                              Fulfilled the Law
 
*Jesus was the foretold prophet who would mediate God’s word for all.
 
JESUS COMPLETES MOSES’ PURPOSE AS A PROPHET.
 
*Moses was a prophet who introduced God’s Law. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you…You must listen to him” (Deut. 18:15).
 
*Jesus said he came to fulfill the Law of Moses: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
 
*On the Mount of Transfiguration, three disciples saw Jesus glorified in the presence of Moses and Elijah. God then spoke words that echo Moses’ words. “Jesus… took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem…A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone” (Luke 9:28-35).
 
*God confirmed Jesus as the Prophet in the presence of the representatives of the Law and Prophets.
 
JESUS IS CROWNED OVER MOSES’ POSITION AS A PROPHET.
 
*Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King. Follow Jesus. He alone is worthy of our life and loyalty. “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself” (Hebrews 3:1-3).
 

   
INTRODUCTION: Deuteronomy expands the Sabbath teaching in the Old Testament. Sabbath-living included annual festivals that reminded the people of Israel of their history.  We have festivals in the church calendar today that remind us of important events in the Christian life. The Old Testament feasts prepared God’s people for the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled the meaning of the Jewish festivals. We can celebrate the feasts by accepting Jesus as our Savior. Let’s look at the feasts and see how Jesus fulfills them.
 
THE FEASTS CELEBRATE GOD AS OUR DELIVERER.
 
*The Passover feast remembered God’s salvation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd…Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt (Deut.16:1-3).
 
*Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb and his blood covers our sins. He delivers us from the bondage of sin and death. Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
 
*We remember our deliverance from sin whenever we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and Good Friday in the Easter season. On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” …While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:17-28).
 
THE FEASTS CELEBRATE GOD AS OUR PROVIDER.
 
*Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks commemorated the harvest of the first
grain crop. The day was a day of thanksgiving and a day to share gifts with the less fortunate. The day became recognized as the day of the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai and the birth of the covenant nation of Israel. Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name…Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees (Deut. 16:9-12).
 
*Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to his followers. They would be his witnesses (Acts 1:4-8). On the Day of Pentecost the Spirit was poured out on all who believed and the church was established.  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together  in one place…All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues  as the Spirit enabled them…Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:1-39).
 
*We celebrate God’s blessings on Thanksgiving and Pentecost Sunday but we receive the Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). 
 
THE FEASTS CELEBRATE GOD AS OUR HOPE AND JOY.
 
*The Feast of Tabernacles was a Harvest celebration commemorated with booths and rejoicing. The booths remembered God’s faithfulness on their 40 year journey to the Promised Land. After the Exile water became its symbol.
Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival (Deut. 16:13-14).
 
*We look forward with hope to this unfulfilled feast. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands (2 Corinthians 5:1).
 
 Meanwhile we have Jesus: On the last and greatest day of the festival [of Tabernacles], Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38).

   
INTRODUCTION: When we think of the Sabbath we usually think of it terms of a day of rest based upon Genesis 2:3:  “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”  Sabbath is a day of rest for Christians and Jews but also has implications for the way we are to live our lives. Sabbath is not only a day of the week, it is also a way of living. Deuteronomy expands the Sabbath teaching in the Old Testament and Jesus raises the Sabbath from a ritual to a way of living life abundantly. Let’s examine what the Scriptures say about the Sabbath way of living.
 
THE SABBATH WAS DESIGNED FOR OUR WELL-BEING.
 
*Sabbath remembers God’s creative acts and invites us to rest. “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God” (Deut. 5:12-14).
 
*Sabbath identifies us as the holy and unique people of God.  “Observe the *Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (5:12).
 
*Sabbath disrupts the power structures of society and creates an alternative community. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant…nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do” (14).
 
*Sabbath resists the pressures of society and the economy to always be at work. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…” (5:13-14).
 
*Sabbath protects the environment and shows care for God’s creation. “On it you shall not do any work, neither you…nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals” (5:14).
 
*Sabbath remembers God’s deliverance of us from slavery. “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (5:15).
 
*Sabbath observance hopes for the day of eternal rest.  “Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day” (5:15).
“There remains…a Sabbath-rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9).

The Sabbath vision is freedom for all under God.
 
SABBATH CREATES A COMMUNITY OF NEIGHBORLINESS.
 
*God’s community sets people free from debt and economic hardship. “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.  This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.  You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you” (Deut. 15:1-3).
 
*God’s community generously cares for the poor in the community. If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need… There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land” (Deut. 15:10-11).
 
*God’s deliverance of us from bondage requires that we free others from their poverty and chains. “If any of your people…sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free. And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. Supply them liberally…Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today” (Deut. 15:12-15).
 
In God’s kingdom, community is more important than the economy.
 
JESUS EXEMPLIFIES THE SABBATH WAY OF LIVING.
 
*Jesus practiced mercy rather than inflexible rules. Jesus responded to the criticism of his disciples by saying, If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:7-8).
 
*Jesus cared for people more than man-made regulations. He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:11-12).
 
Sabbath living disrupts a society built on power and production.

 

   
INTRODUCTION: Jesus said that all the Law and Prophets hinged on the commands to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:40).  Yet, Jesus was accused of breaking the Law of Moses (Luke 6:7-11). Paul was accused of encouraging sin against the Law so God’s grace could increase (Rom. 6:1). Paul said that the teachers of the Law were in error: “Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:3-4). What is the Law and why is it important for us today? Did Jesus do away with the Law? Jesus and Moses would respond that the Law of God requires a covenant of obedience with God. God’s Word provides boundaries for abundant living today. The Law reveals God’s will. God’s grace provides the power to obey. Let’s see how Jesus and Moses understood God’s Law.
 
BOUNDARIES ARE NECESSARY FOR LIFE AND HEALTH.
 
*The Law is good and brings life. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law… The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous… if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”(Deut. 29:29-30:10).
 
*Jesus kept the Law and fulfilled its every requirement. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
 
*Boundaries are like guardrails to keep us from going into the ditch.
 
BREAKING BOUNDARIES HAS CONSEQUENCES.
 
*Obedience to the Law brings blessings but disobedience brings curses.
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn
 away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day
 that you will certainly be destroyed (Deut. 30:15-17).
 
*Breaking the Law just one time makes us lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker (James 2:10-11).  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4).
 
*The Law reveals our inability to keep God’s law because of the law of sin within us. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law, rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin… There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:20-23).
 
*If you break the speed limit, you can expect to be pulled over and fined.
 
BOUNDARIES OPERATE BEST WHEN THEY ARE INTERNALIZED BY FAITH.
 
*God’s Law is available,  accessible, and possible to obey. “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it” (Deut. 30:11-14).
 
*God will enable you to obey from the heart through the faith and power he provides. “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deut. 30:6).
 
*Faith comes through the Lord Jesus who alone fulfilled the Law for us and took the penalty for our sins. But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”(that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says…“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”(Romans 10:5-10).