Gtcotr/ss091723
God has a calendar. And He has marked some special days, made some appointments, and sent out some save the date notices.
God is a God of remembrance and celebration. When He wanted to share His yearly calendar events and anniversaries with His family, God wrote them down and made them available and readily accessible to us by listing them in what has become the most popular and best-selling book ever in the history of the world. Of course I am referring to the Bible.
God’s calendar is important to Him and He lives by it. When He makes an appointment and commits to a date, He never forgets, or sends regrets, or shows up late.
Today is an important day on God’s calendar. It is the day on which God decided to begin things. It’s commonly called Rosh Hashannah, which means The Head of the Year.
Just as the Head turns the body, this day, according to Jewish belief, is the day upon which the rest of the year turns. Jesus would have been taught this and would have observed this day as a special day all during His childhood and adult years. Today, Rosh Hashannah, is also called the Feast of Trumpets. One day, maybe today or on another Feast of Trumpets in a year to come, I and many others believe Jesus will return.
So, from God and from all creation, let me say: Shanna Tova! Happy New Year! 5784 …
Before
we move on from remembrance of this High Holy Day, allow me to share a few
things Christians should know about Rosh Hashannah.
1.
Rosh
Hashannah is also the day on which I and many others believe:
·
God
created Adam and Eve
·
The
actual day on which Jesus was born
·
It
is a new year for people, animals, and legal contracts.
·
No
one can predict the exact day or hour the new year will begin.
·
The
day of the return of the Lord
2. So far, we have only seen the dress rehearsals. The ultimate Feast of Trumpets will usher in the return of Jesus.
10 days after the New Year is the annual Day of Atonement. This is the day each year the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple and sprinkled the sacrificial blood on the mercy seat. 5 days later the Feast of Tabernacles begins with the promise of a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.
So the next 10 days from now are awesome days in the Jewish faith and culture. The days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement Day. They are called the Days of Awe.
Both Jews and Christians believe that a person must repent of their sins and be forgiven by God prior to the Day of Judgment. Jews believe this needs to be done each year during these 10 Days of Awe, while Christians believe repentance is what we offer God when we give our lives to Christ which opens the door to God’s forgiveness which is the result of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Without exception, Jews and Christians alike believe repentance and forgiveness are both necessary elements to avoid judgment. And this is the day, and the season God has set aside on His calendar to remind of these truths.
It has been taught since the days of Adam that every person should examine their life and make the adjustments necessary to align themselves with God’s will. Noah needed it; Abraham needed it; Sarah needed it; Moses needed it; Rahab needed it; David needed it; Bathsheba needed it; Peter; Mary Magdalene; Martha; Paul; Timothy; Lydia; John; Me; and you … we all need it.
Each person should examine their life and make the adjustments necessary to align themselves with God’s will.
A life left unchecked, will be unchallenged, and go unchanged. And nothing changes until something changes. This is the season God has placed on His calendar for us to check, challenge, and change our lives to be more like Jesus. And you can feel it in the air … you know what I mean …
No doubt you are being encouraged in some way to examine yourself and make some necessary adjustments to the way you think, speak, act, or feel.
Our text today gives us a platform to do just that. Turn with me as we read a couple of verses in the book of Romans, chapter 12.
Romans 12 NKJV
1 ¶ I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We understand that the Apostle Paul was living in Corinth when he wrote this letter to the Believers in the Church in Rome. Corinth was the “sin city” of its day. Every vice known to mankind was in full force at Corinth.
The people who were being saved in Corinth were sinners from every nation. Cheats, liars, thieves, prostitutes, murderers, and people addicted to gossip were among the converts led to Christ by Paul. The news of what was happening at Corinth spread throughout the Roman Empire. Paul wanted the Church in Rome to know how they too could experience a personal revival and stay on track with the Gospel of Christ.
(Production Media: Put Romans 12:1 and 12:2 on screen as reference as needed while I expound.)
Simply
put, Paul wrote:
1.
I
beg you, because of what God has done for you …
2.
Offer
your bodies as a living sacrifice to God.
3.
Do
not allow yourselves to act or react like this world.
4.
Be
transformed – Greek: metamorphoo
a. Changed into another
form
b. Transfigured (Matthew
17:2; Mark 9:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18)
5.
By
the renewing of your mind
6.
Prove
a. The Good will of God
for your life
b. The Acceptable will of
God for your life
c. The Perfect will of God for your life
Examine yourself … Happy New Year! These are the days of awe …
Days of reflection, days of change …
Judgement day is coming … Repent and be forgiven.
It will change your life …
1 John 1:9 If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
