Come and Celebrate!!!

Intro:

The Invitation

The Poll

I conducted an unscientific Twitter poll recently to see what church leaders and church members thought of this trend, My specific question was: “Why do you think many churches aren’t as evangelistic as they once were?”

The responses arrived quickly and in great numbers, both in public tweets and in direct messages to me. Indeed, I was still receiving responses four days after I sent my Twitter question.

The Results

The response was highly informative for me. Here are the top fifteen responses listed in order of frequency:

Christians have no sense of urgency to reach lost people.

Many Christians and church members do not befriend and spend time with lost persons.

Many Christians and church members are lazy and apathetic.

We are more known for what we are against than what we are for.

Our churches have an ineffective evangelistic strategy of “you come” rather than “we go.”

Many church members think that evangelism is the role of the pastor and paid staff.

Church membership today is more about getting my needs met rather than reaching the lost.

Church members are in a retreat mode as culture becomes more worldly and unbiblical.

Many church members don’t really believe that Christ is the only way of salvation.

Our churches are no longer houses of prayer equipped to reach the lost.

Churches have lost their focus on making disciples who will thus be equipped and motivated to reach the lost.

Christians do not want to share the truth of the gospel for fear they will offend others. Political correctness is too commonplace even among Christians.

Most churches have unregenerate members who have not received Christ themselves.

Some churches have theological systems that do not encourage evangelism.

Our churches have too many activities; they are too busy to do the things that really matter.

Summation:

I started off this lesson with some things to think about. The Altar Call in the church is a debated issues. The issues are not sinful in nature but they could be put under that category of wisdom. Here is the dilemma:

What is the best way to make a Gospel Appeal in service that will promote authentic decisions from the listeners?

One irrefutable fact unrelated to whether you have an altar call for salvation during the services or not is that the Pastor/Speaker should always Call & Command listener’s to make a decision.

We want to look at this once again Systematically what does the testimony of Scripture say related to this Call!!!!

Noah

2 Peter 2:5 CSB

5 and if he didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when he brought the flood on the world of the ungodly;

(v.5) last time we talked about Noah vocation as a preacher, but this time let’s take a look at this message. He was called a preacher of Righteousness.

Preacher-Herald-A herald by nature is informing or making a persuasive speech to cause an action by the hearers!!!

Deuteronomy 6:4–6 CSB

4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.

Righteousness-dikaiosuna-This is righteousness not attained by works or merit.

Before the crucifixion & resurrection the means of salvation was simple to put your trust in God in hope of a future rescuer of your soul

Hebrews 11:7 CSB

7 By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

(v.7) Noah was in the Hero’s of the faith section of Hebrews. Notice what motivated the external work. It was the internal faith, which God accounted as righteousness.

So Noah essential message to his family, extended family and to the people was “Trust God or you will perish when the rain comes”

Summary: Noah was calling for a decision, which starts in the heart/will and thens to an external change in behavior.

Moses:

Deuteronomy 30:15–20 CSB

15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow in worship to other gods and serve them, 18 I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not prolong your days in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

(v.15) Notice the text Moses tells them “I have set(put) before you two options. Life and Prosperity, or Death and Adversity.

(v.16) His message is an imperative command to “Love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands”

(v.17-18) His warning “If you turn to idols the Lord will leave you to your own devices and continue to wander about in the wilderness”

(v.19) Notice the strong words in this verse. Moses says “As God is my witness(meaning heaven’ is notice that I have done my job as the preacher in making the choice very clear) he says “Choose life”

Summary: Moses final message to the children of Israel was a call to a decision. These are the children of all those that died in the wilderness. None of them saw the plagues of Israel but they heard about them. Moses is calling for them to make a decision.

Joshua

Joshua 24:14–15 CSB

14 “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

(v.14) You remember the group Moses just told to choose. Moses succesor Joshua ran into the same problem with the same grouping of people older now with more children. Look at his message: “Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshipped”

(v.15) “But if worshipping the Lord is distasteful to you” “CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES TODAY”

What is Joshua calling the people to choose between?

God or something lesser

Elijah

1 Kings 18:20–21 CSB

20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.

(v.20) The idolatrous King Ahab the Husband of Jezebel and all the people of Israel came to see a competition between the pagan prophets/priest brought in the kingdom by Jezebel(450) and little ole Elijah

(v.21) Before performing any miracles and putting the priest of Israel to shame. He called the children of Israel to a decision:

How long will you waver between two opinions?

If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.

What is Elijah calling for?

NT Examples

John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1–3 CSB

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” 3 For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!

Tell me what you see in this text? What was John’s Message?

(v.2) Repent(Turn) Why? Because the Kingdom of Heaven has come near!”

Summary:

John’s preaching called for a decision!!!

Jesus

Matthew 4:18–22 CSB

18 As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

(v.18) Jesus went to go and pick his disciples He preached a one sentence message “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people!”

I don’t want to forget our premise. Our premise is that the Worship of God should always have an appeal to make a life decision.

Peter

Acts 2:37–38 CSB

37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

(v.37) Peter preached a powerful message that started in (v.14) by the time he got done the spirit of God was moving mightily on the hearts of the people.

How do we know that?

(v.37) “they were pierced to the heart” Only the spirit can pricked that heart

Peter’s sermon was so persuasive the spirit was leading them to do something

(v.38) Notice Peter’s response “Repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”

Summary: Peter’s message was interwoven with this open ended decision or action that needed to be taken by the listeners. Look at (v.41)

Acts 2:41 CSB

41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

(v.41) Peter’s invitation lead to 3000 souls saved. Our worship services should always integrated and interwoven theme of “Choose!”

Let’s take a look at our Lord one more time:

Matthew 11:28–30 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(v.28) “Come to me” we can stop right here. We are not going to exegete this whole passage. I am only bringing this out as it helps us more deeply understand the necessity to call for decisions in church.

Tell me what Jesus is doing right?

In concert with all the other Prophets in the OT we studied he is asking the same things they asked.

Jesus is saying dear people turn away from the man-made, idolatrous religion of the religious leaders and “Choose Me” and then he tells why?

I will give you rest

I will teach you

My burden on your back will easy, because I will help you carry the load.

Transition: Come-You need to make a decision then we Celebrate.

Jesus gave us two ordinances we are to do in the NT church:

baptism

Communion

What are ordinances?

An ordinance is a religious ritual whose intent is to demonstrate an adherent's faith.

In the NT Jesus commands Baptism! Peter says Repent and Be Baptized! Essentially Baptism is your first test of faith.

But that’s not the only thing Jesus unequivocal said Do! He said Do this! Now let’s take a look at some principles of the OT to see if God was foreshadowing this celebration in the OT.

God’s principle of setting up Memorials

Genesis 35:11–15 CSB

11 God also said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you, and kings will descend from you. 12 I will give to you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac. And I will give the land to your future descendants.” 13 Then God withdrew from him at the place where he had spoken to him. 14 Jacob set up a marker at the place where he had spoken to him—a stone marker. He poured a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Deuteronomy 27:2–3 CSB

2 When you cross the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

Joshua 4:19–24 CSB

19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho. 20 Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan, 21 and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ 22 you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over. 24 This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is strong, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.”

What do you see in these scriptures? What kind of things can we infer about God’s character?

In the Ancient world setting up memorials was a reminder to the people of the encounter with God

Memory of past goodness served to solidify future hope

God loves to see and hear praises from his people which comes through the telling of oral traditions told when they saw the memorials setup throughout the kingdom.

Feasts of Israel

Leviticus 23:6–8 CSB

6 The Festival of Unleavened Bread to the Lord is on the fifteenth day of the same month. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work. 8 You are to present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a sacred assembly; do not do any daily work.”

(v.6-8) The Festival or Feast of the Unleavened Bread. This was a sacred assembly. The Feast of the Unleavened Bread was a time of remembrance and celebration. When they left Egypt they were to not put yeast in their bread which took time to rise, they were to just cook the bread without yeast and grab their stuff and leave. It was a feast to celebrate the immediacy of their departure from Egypt.

Leviticus 23:9–14 CSB

9 The Lord spoke to Moses: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest, you are to bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest. 11 He will present the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted; the priest is to present it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you present the sheaf, you are to offer a year-old male lamb without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 Its grain offering is to be four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a food offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, and its drink offering will be one quart of wine. 14 You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or any new grain until this very day, and until you have brought the offering to your God. This is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live.

(v.9-14) The Festival of the First-fruits. This was a command of God that when they entered the promise land and gleaned the beautiful fruit that was already present they were to give to God. Notice (v.14b) “This is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live”

Esther 9:20–23 CSB

20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all of King Ahasuerus’s provinces, both near and far. 21 He ordered them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year 22 because during those days the Jews gained relief from their enemies. That was the month when their sorrow was turned into rejoicing and their mourning into a holiday. They were to be days of feasting, rejoicing, and of sending gifts to one another and to the poor. 23 So the Jews agreed to continue the practice they had begun, as Mordecai had written them to do.

(v.20-23) this is the feast of Purim. You will see this feast was instituted as a celebration of the nation of Israel being saved from total annihilation from the Persia empire. It was a feast of memory!

Lets take a look now at the Feast that most closely resemble’s Communion

Exodus 12:1–14 CSB

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their fathers’ families, one animal per family. 4 If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each will eat. 5 You must have an unblemished animal, a year-old male; you may take it from either the sheep or the goats. 6 You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight. 7 They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. 8 They are to eat the meat that night; they should eat it, roasted over the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over fire—its head as well as its legs and inner organs. 10 You must not leave any of it until morning; any part of it left until morning you must burn. 11 Here is how you must eat it: You must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover. 12 “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. 13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.

(v.1-13) God is detailed and he gets to determined how he wants to be honored and worshipped!!!

What does passover mean?

It was a feast to celebrate the protection he gave to Israel while pouring out his wrath on the Egyptians. Hence the name “Passover”

Now there was judgement in the house of Israel as well but it fell on the Lamb, not the people.

Transition Statement: Now let’s look at Communion in the Gospel and Draw some inferences in relationship to the festivals from the OT.

Luke 22:7 CSB

7 Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

Luke 7:14–20 CSB

14 Then he came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And he said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Then fear came over everyone, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people.” 17 This report about him went throughout Judea and all the vicinity. 18 Then John’s disciples told him about all these things. So John summoned two of his disciples 19 and sent them to the Lord, asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 20 When the men reached him, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ”

What similarities can you draw between Passover and Communion?

The Lord Supper was celebrated on the same day they were eating the Passover Lamb

There are theological similarities between Jesus and the Passover Lamb

His blood must be applied to each house which is symbolic in the NT for each individual.

Judas left the dinner putting himself outside the covering of the blood on the doorpost. He is symbolic of unbelievers who refuse to stay in the house and be protected from judgement.

John 13:27–30 CSB

27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.” 28 None of those reclining at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left. And it was night.

5. During the passover the Lamb was roasted which was God’s portion the smell of roasting flesh satisfied God because the animal was standing in the Gap for those that truly deserved judgement, but the benefit was given to the people in that they were to eat the animal after God was satisfied. God passed on the benefit of the sacrifice the people. The People in the house were able to freely eat the Lamb.

6. Communion represents the eating of the lamb after it’s roasting. The Elements are symbolic of the violent nature in which the lamb was slain and the mediatorial role he played on behalf of the people.

7. Exodus says this is both a memorial and a celebration. in all the accounts after taking communion Jesus and disciples sang a hymn.

Luke 22:14–20 CSB

14 When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

(v.15-16) This is a fascinating portion of scripture. I have not done a through exegesis of this passage but it seems as if Jesus is saying “I am not going to enjoy any wine or bread until the Eschaton or the Marriage Supper of the Lamb” when all the church has our inaugural banquet in heaven. Jesus is saying “I love yall so much that I don’t not want to experience this banquet in heaven without yall” Jesus says I will wait for yall so that the next time we have this meal it will be in heaven with all the saints of God.

(v.19b) “Do this in remembrance of me” This “Do” is a present(daily) active(something we do) Imperative(command)

So why do we once a month take a portion of our Sunday Worship time to share a common meal or communion meal together?

Our Lord delights to be praised

Our Lord recognizes that a short memory leads to fear & lack of gratitude

Our Lord detest rituals but loves try authentic worship.

The Elements tell a story that points to the Sacrificial Death of Christ

Jesus physical absence from our Communion services points to his resurrection and second coming.

6. Spiritual Reflection in the Nature & Character of God is an essential Spiritual Discipline.