Honoring Our Freedom In Jesus

Introduction

We have just witnessed the instituting of the Passover by God. This was a time when the children of Israel must ready themselves for the tenth and final plague of judgement from God. This final plague would consist of the death angel passing through the land and bringing to death all first born of every creature.

God told Moses to give His people specific instruction on means by which that would receive protection from the death plague. They were to take the blood of a blemish-less lamb and apply it to the door opening of their home. It would only be the dwelling in that home only would they be protected. They would take the body of that lamb roast it and eat it. The shedding of blood and the eating of it’s flesh was both symbolic of salvation, conformation, fellowship, and

We now see God calling for a special memorial of that passover; called “The Feast of Unleavened Bread.” What I want to propose to you today, is like they had their feast of memorial, we too have a feast of which

1) The Unleavened Feast

A. The people of the feast

These were God’s chosen people.

Those whom God placed His love on.

We learn later that no stranger, hired servant or one who had not received the circumcision of the flesh could participate.

(v16) “holy convocation” = assembly (religious) n. — a group of people who are gathered together for a common purpose; often religious.

B. The pattern of the feast

Seven days were set aside for this feast.

Beginning on the first day until the seventh day, the man of the home was to lead their family in the purging of ALL leaven from their home.

Eating unleavened bread would remind the Israelites of their rapid departure from Egypt that did not allow time for a leavening agent to make the bread rise (v. 39).

Those who ate leavened bread showed disdain for what the Lord had done in founding Israel as a nation and were subject to either banishment (Nm 19:13) or the death penalty, which was meted out to intentionally defiant lawbreakers in Nm 15:22–31 and carried out by human or divine agency (Ex 31:14; Lv 20:1–24). [Coover-Cox, D. G. (2017). Exodus. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (pp. 106–107). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.]

2) The Unleavened Life

A. It is a specific purge

Like the OT feast, our spiritual unleavened life can only be lived by those who are in Christ.

Salvation is birth into God’s family - no strangers are there.

It is by grace - no one can earn it.

The Christian life BEGINS AFTER the blood is applied.

Blood applied ABOVE the threshold.

This is someone who has a personal faith that is made public without shame.

“Leaven” in the Bible always speaks to sin in one’s life.

Why is leaven a problem?

Like yeast in bread causes what you see to become puffed up, so does sin within the heart cause one’s life to be lived with arrogance and pride.

B. It is a personal purge

“Purge” - to clean out (ritually) v. — to remove something ritually impure from one’s environment or presence.

One might like to take the stand that, “I DON’T NEED TO PURGE ANYTHING OUT OF MY LIFE!”

Turn to: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

The “Feast of Unleavened Bread” typifies the authentic Christian life.

What does that look like?

It is time spent delighting in the Lord (His greatness, His treatment of you, His sufficiency…)

It is NOT spending time re-defining sin.

A sin filled pastor and church is one of the greatest detriments to a community.

One might say, “Well, I just tell it like it is” or “I don’t sugar coat anything.” (you are simply trying to give yourself a free pass with your arrogance and pride)

“Well, my sin is not like heroine or dope”

The positive aspect of the UNLEAVENED LIFE is this:

Not being content with how you yelled at your spouse or child.

“Little” - small adj. — limited or below average in number, quantity, magnitude, or extent.

C. It is a perpetual purge (v14)

Notice how far reaching this life is to extend; GENERATIONS!

How do we know if we are failing in this mandate?

If you are not hearing questions like:

Why do we read our Bible together?

Why do we take time to pray?

Why were you nice to that person even though they were not?

Why do you always go to church every Sunday?

Conclusion

If you currently have the “leaven” of unbelief in your heart, turn to Jesus, confess your unbelief and place your faith in Him alone.

If you currently are turning a blind eye toward “leaven” in your life as God’s child, the Bible says REPENT and re-center your life again on the purity of the Spirit’s fruit.