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The Birth Day of the Church
Leviticus 23: 15- 22;
Acts 2:1- 12
June 4, 2006
The Rev. Kong Namkung
I. Three major festivals of the Israelites - Instituted by God to remember what God had done for God’s chosen people. In our society we want to remember what we have done for ourselves. But the Bible constantly reminds us of what God had done. So, The major festivals are related to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The major festivals are related to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1.
It is Jewish celebration of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt
10th plague that is 1st born child’s death if blood were not on doorposts when death angel passed by. If blood were on the doorposts, the angel would “pass over” the house without killing the first child.
The most important connection between the Passover and Jesus Christ are
The blood of Jesus, which gives us salvation when we believe in Him. Acts 4:12, “There is no salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” I was a Buddhist before I became a Christian. I fasted many days, sat down in front of a little circle to put myself into the circle so that I cleaned my mind and heart. But I never reached to the point where I am convinced that I had salvation with my own works. But Jesus’ blood gave me salvation beyond what I had done wrong.
Jesus gives us freedom from sin and death. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Jesus’ blood liberates us from all. Mt 26:17-20 During the Passover meal Jesus said, “Take and eat this is my body, Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” If you are an alcoholic, or drug addicted person and you know that you are slave of anything, you ask Jesus and Jesus will help you and set you free from your slavery. If you have emotional instability, if you have physical infirmity, and if you have any oppression, come to Jesus and he will give you liberation.
When Jesus died on the cross, the feast of Passover was completed. So, we Christians do not need to celebrate Passover anymore because Passover was just a symbol or token of what was about to come and we have the reality of the future right now.
I have been keeping my ring for 18 years. 18 years ago I said to God, the people, my wife, and myself, “I DO!” I never take it off except a few occasions when I had some skin problems because of the weather. Does this ring say about our marriage, happy and joyful, help us to understand each other better? No! My wife and I have to work together in Christ, through Christ, and with Christ. This ring is a symbol that I will live my life faithfully before God and my wife.
1 Corinthians 5:7 says, “even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”
1 Peter 1:19 says, “But with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and with spot.”
1. Tabernacle ((Booth, Ingathering) Neh 8:13-18, John 7:2
a. It is the celebration of harvest.
b. “You shall rejoice before the Lord.” (Lev 23:40)
c. It symbolizes Jesus’ second coming (1 The 4:13- 18)
2. Pentecost : (the feast of harvest, Weeks) Deut 16:9-12
a. Pentecost means “50 days.” It was celebrated 50 days after the feast of first fruits. Days after Jesus’ resurrection.
b. Every year Jews would take grain and grind it to find flour and mixed in oil and made dough, symbolizes individuals that were separated before Pentecost, but ground and made 1 by the Holy Spirit.
c. divided into 2 loaves of bread, the church will have both Jews and Gentiles.
d. used yeast, symbolizes our sins even though we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we are not sinless.
e. They sacrificed ten animals. 7 lambs, 1 young bull, and 2 rams, which symbolizes even though we Christians are living in the Holy Spirit, we need to keep the law. We cannot nullify the 10 commandments.
Exodus 32: 26 talks about 3,000 people who were killed. Again Peter, who was full of the Holy Spirit, preached. Do you know how many people were saved when the Holy Spirit came, at the feast of Pentecost? 3,000 people. In the Law people were dead and in the Holy Spirit people were saved.
III. What happened on the day of Pentecost?
1. Sound- rushing mighty wind (Acts 2:2) “and suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind.”
2. Sight – tongues of fire. Acts 2:3, “Divided tongues as of fire.”
3. Speech – other tongues. Acts 2:9- 11
15 "'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave
offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day
after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the
LORD. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah
of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD.
18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect,
one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together
with their grain offerings and drink offerings — an offering made by fire, an
aroma pleasing to the LORD. 19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering
and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. 20 The priest is to
wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread
of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. 21 On
that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This
is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
22 "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of
your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and
the alien. I am the LORD your God.'" NIV
2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled
the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of
fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled
them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under
heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment,
because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they
asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that
each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and
Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from
Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs — we hear them
declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12 Amazed and perplexed, they
asked one another, "What does this mean?" NIV
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