JavaScript

Transcript

Well, good afternoon, everyone.

I don’t need to tell you that the Feast of Tabernacles has remarkable meaning for us, God’s people, and unbeknownst to all mankind, for that matter. What they have ahead of them, they can’t even fathom. There’s elements to God’s plan that we ourselves can’t even fathom. We often look back, during particularly the Feast of Tabernacles, at physical Israel to learn valuable lessons as God’s spiritual Israel. That’s what we do during the Feast of Tabernacles. We certainly can learn throughout the year many spiritual lessons drawn from physical Israel, but in particular during the Feast of Tabernacles.

I want you to stop and think for a moment, just like with ancient Israel, as well with Christ himself and the church eras that have preceded us. Keeping the Feast of Tabernacles requires two physical actions. There’s a lot of things that we do during the Feast, but there are two primary physical actions that we do as God’s people when we come to the Feast of Tabernacles. The first, or actually it would be second in sequence, is the physical act of staying in booths or staying in temporary dwellings. That very act comes with, you would all agree, great spiritual lessons. Dwelling in temporary places speaks of our temporary nature right now, and that we are waiting to put on a different tabernacle that will be permanent and eternal.

The other physical act you will see is also vital, and this physical act accomplishes, I would say, two things. Number one, it proves something to God about yourself, and two, it shows the world something that it desperately needs to see. It proves to God something about yourself, and it shows the world something that they desperately need to see themselves. What’s that physical act? What does it prove to God about yourself, and what does this physical action allow the world to see? Well, those questions we’ll hopefully answer today. Let’s turn to Deuteronomy fourteen. Deuteronomy fourteen.

Verse that we’ve read time and time again. We know it all so well, but I want to focus on several phrases and a word that’s going to hint to that physical action. Deuteronomy fourteen, verse twenty-two, “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your seed that the field produces year after year, and you shall eat before the Lord your God in the place which He shall choose to place His name, that you may always learn to fear the Lord your God,” verse twenty-four, “And if the way is too long for you, that you are unable to carry it, or if the place be too far from you, which the Lord your God shall choose to set His name there, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then shall you turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand, and you shall go to the place which the Lord your God shall choose.”

Now contained in this command, these verses here, about attending the Feast, there are five phrases or words that I want us to look at or see with great clarity. In verse twenty-three, it says, in the place. In verse twenty-four, you can read, the way is too long, the place is too far, and the word there as well. Then, finally, in verse twenty-five, it says, “To the place.” Those are the phrases and words that I want us to focus on, because it hints to that action that you have taken to prove to God something about yourself, and it allows the world to see something they desperately need to see.

one Kings Chapter eight. 1st Kings Chapter eight. Now, in Chapter six, King Solomon begins the construction of the temple, which is completed by the time you get to the end of Chapter seven. We’re going to pick it up in 1st Kings Chapter eight, and we’re going to jump around in this chapter a little bit, but we’ll start in verse one. “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, to himself in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is in Zion.” We have this massive assembly of people gathering together. That’s the scene that’s playing out, it’s being described here.

Verse two, “All the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at the Feast in the mountain Ethanim, which is in the seventh month,” and we know this month by the name of Tishri. Let’s jump down to verse sixty-two. “The king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice or sacrifices before the Lord, and Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord: twenty-two thousand oxen.” Imagine that. That’s equal to, I think, nearly the size of Wadsworth, where Headquarters is. I think Wadsworth’s slightly bigger than that, but “…twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep.

“The king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord. For there he offered burnt offerings and meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the brazen altar that was before the Lord was too small at that moment in time…” Massive undertaking, massive outpouring of giving to God, worshiping Him through offerings. Verse sixty-five, “At that time, Solomon held a Feast and all Israel with him, a great congregation,” it says, “From the entering in of Hamath to the river of Egypt before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.”

What a celebration that was. It was so joyous, the occasion, they did two Feasts. Imagine that? All God has to do is command me. I have no problem with that one. That would be a command I think we’d all be willing to obey.

“On the eighth day,” verse 66, “He sent the people away and they blessed the king and went to their tents,” again, tabernacles, “Joyful and glad of heart.” In other words, they finished the Feast as they were supposed to begin, rejoicing before God and rejoicing after rejoicing with God. There’s a lesson in there in and of itself. Why were they joyful and glad of heart? “For all the goodness that the Lord had done for David, His servant, and for Israel, His people.”

Now, brethren, when we put together verse two and the verses that we just read in sixty-two and sixty-six, the setting is undoubtedly the Feast of Tabernacles. Year after year, God wants us to connect coming to the Feast of Tabernacles with a particular and important physical act for action, one that carries with it profound lessons for all of us. One that God wants us, His people, to learn at the Feast of Tabernacles, but also to apply every day of our lives.

Let’s go back up to verse twenty-two. “Solomon stands before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spreads forth his hands towards heaven.” Then in verse fifty-one. Go back down. I said we’d be jumping up and down in this portion of scripture. He’s speaking of Israel now. “For they are your people and your inheritance.” Think about that. Does God need to inherit anything? What a wonderful title that carries, to be called God’s inheritance, which you brought forth out of Egypt, which is what the Feast of Tabernacles pictures, “From the midst of the furnace of iron.”

Then verse fifty-three, now Solomon says the following when referring to Israel under Moses’s leadership. The same Israel that back in Deuteronomy fourteen was commanded to go to the Feast year after year. Remember those phrases we were talking about, in that word? “For you did separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be your inheritance.” There it is again, “As you spoke by the hand of Moses your servant when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord our God.” Brethren, separation. To be separate. This singular physical act of separating ourselves is one of the most monumental aspects of our calling. Separation. We will see that as we proceed.

God commands us to physically separate ourselves every fall, to remind us to be spiritually separate from all the people of the earth every day of our lives. God wants us to be His inheritance. Billions of people have lived on this planet for the last six-thousand-plus years, and we’re among a privileged few who’ve been called to understand the importance of both physical and spiritual separation.

Leviticus Chapter twenty. Separation, brethren. A simple but powerful word that we’re going to be looking at. What does that separation prove to God? What does that separation allow the world to see? Now in Leviticus twenty, for the previous nineteen chapters, and this is important, we’re not going to dwell on this point, God lays out law after law after law. He gives it to Israel through Moses, the leader, and Chapter one, I think it covers burnt offerings. Just to give you a sprinkling of what the previous nineteen chapters covered.

In Chapter two, grain offerings. Chapter three, peace offerings. Chapter four, sin offerings. Chapter five, guilt offerings. Chapters six to eight, laws regarding the priesthood. Chapter eleven, clean and unclean animals. Thirteen and fourteen, laws about leprosy. Chapter fifteen, bodily discharges. An entire chapter almost dedicated entirely to bodily discharges. Think about the impact that that had on them in terms of health and hygiene. Even that level of detail God gave to them. sixteen. Chapter sixteen is atonement, seventeen, against eating blood. eighteen, God covers sexual relations, how to do it in a godly way. There are rules and laws about that.

Then in Chapter nineteen, God tells Moses to tell the people that the Lord our God is holy. Reinforcing the first four commandments of the ten Commandments. Then God tells Israel in that same Chapter nineteen, the chapter before, the one we’re about to look at, God tells Israel to love their neighbors as themselves. Underlying the last six commandments of the ten Commandments. Which brings us to Chapter twenty, brethren, which lays out the punishments for disobeying God’s laws. Makes sense.

Verse twenty-two, “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and judgments and do them, that the land wherever I bring you to dwell in, will not spew you out or reject you, and you shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you. For they committed all these things, and I abhorred them, but I have said you shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Wonderful promises that God gave, but conditional ones. “I am the Lord your God who has separated you, once again, from other people,” and He did that for forty years. He physically separated the people of Israel from other nations for forty years. Why?

“You shall therefore put difference between clean and unclean beasts, between unclean and clean fowls.” You can put anything in there, brethren. There it is. “You shall therefore put difference between, and you shall not make your souls abominable or contaminate your bodies with unclean beasts or fowls or any manner of living that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.” Brethren, it’s a constant theme throughout the Bible, separation.

Verse twenty-six. “You shall be holy to me. For I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that you should be mine.” God wants us, wants us as an inheritance, and through His magnificent plan and actions that He’s orchestrated in each and every one of our lives, He found a way to sever us from the people of the world. God physically separated Israel from Egypt and walked with them. That’s the only way He could do that, for forty years. Why? If you remember before those forty years, the children of Israel spent hundreds of years in captivity, learning and submersed in the ways of Egypt, which is a type of the world. Think about before you were called, how submerged we were in the ways of the world.

Some of you have grown up in the Church, but many of you have not. God was with them for forty years, trying to get His people to separate themselves, separate their hearts from the ways of the Egyptians, separate their minds from the ways of the Egyptians, to show the difference between clean and unclean. Again, it says beast here, but you could apply that to any aspect of our Christian lives, to show the difference between holy lives and unholy lives. All I have to do is look at my old self and my new self, as the Bible describes. All you have to do is think back to your old self and then your new self.

God gave them chapter after chapter of commandments, statutes, and judgments, God’s laws. That would ensure that that would remain the case, that they would continue to be separate. He commanded them not to walk in the manners of the nations that they were about to go into. God was about to release them back in to the general population, if you will, but He wanted to see a people putting into practice what He was trying to teach them for forty years, which was to remain separate in their hearts and in their minds from unholiness, from the ways of the world. Is it any different for us, brethren, at all?

In fact, the requirement is even greater on us. Think about the reward that lies ahead. We’re not talking about just milk and honey. We’re talking about eternal life. Speaking of separation, think back just to atonement, what did we do for twenty-four hours? We separated ourselves physically from water and food. Why? So that we could be closer to God. Separation again. Likewise, the physical act of separating ourselves for eight days from our homes, our workplaces, our family and friends and colleagues. To be here at the Feast should teach us the importance of remaining separate for the remainder of the years, for the other days of the year.

Acts Chapter seven. We’re going to look at two powerful examples. God asked both individuals, these two individuals to separate themselves, and they both proved the same things that we’re being asked to prove to God. The very same thing that they proved we must prove. Let’s first look at Abraham. Now, coming off the previous chapter, we would read that the Jews were bribing a group of individuals to falsely accuse Stephen of blaspheming Moses and God. Stephen is brought before the high priest who asks here in verse one, “Are these things so? Is it true what these individuals are saying about you? Have you blasphemed Moses? Have you blasphemed God?”

Stephen replied, “Men, brethren, and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia and said to him, ‘Get you out.’ “You just hear the thundering voice of God, those words coming from Him in my ears. “Get you out. Get you out of your country and from your kindred and come into the land which I shall show you.” In other words, separate yourself from your country, your loved ones, and become a stranger.”

My wife and I, we’ve moved a lot over the years. All of our four daughters were born in the Dominican Republic, and I think my oldest daughter was about the age of five or six when I was asked to, or I was hired by a company to work in Washington, D.C. We picked up all of our four girls and we moved them to Washington, D.C. Now our youngest twins were about three years of age. I think that’s about the age they were, and they knew nothing but Spanish.

Our two older daughters were in a bilingual school of English and Spanish. They knew a little bit, but when my wife would speak to them in English, because they had to go to school after that summer, they would say, “No me hables asi.” That means, “Don’t talk to me like that. Don’t talk to me in that language.” They refused to learn from their parents. What we did, being smarter than them, we hired Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to teach them English, and for the next several months, they learned English, taught by Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Apparently, they’re better teachers at English than we are.

Just when they were getting settled in and they grew up, were making friends, we picked them up and took them off to England and dropped them in at that tender age of when hormones start to kick in. If anybody’s raised girls, Mr. Jackson, I believe you have, you get to that age, and it can be rough. They had to learn another language because in England, they don’t speak the same English as we do. Those same twins picked up a Wigner accent. Oh, it was hard to get used to.

Just when they were getting into the age of high school, our oldest daughter was about to be a freshman, picked them up again, and took them to Ohio, not back to Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and we plopped them there. Some of you know what high school can be like nowadays. It’s not fun if you’re a stranger. Time after time, our girls had to be strangers, but Abraham chose to be a stranger. He had a choice. What did his actions of separating himself prove to God? Let’s look closely at another way Abraham separated himself. Let’s go to Genesis twenty-two.

I often like to speak of the verses leading up to it because it gives context. Chapter twenty-one covers the birth of Isaac and God’s protection for Hagar and Ishmael after being cast out at Sarah’s request. We come to verse one here, Chapter twenty-two, “It came to pass after these things that God did tempt or test Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham,’ and Abraham replied, ‘Behold, here I am.’ He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah.’ “Now, there’s obviously purposes for that, but He’s basically saying separate yourself from family, friends, and others who live with you because I don’t think what I’m about to ask you would be supported by any of your families or friends.

In other words, “You’ve got to step away because there’s an important decision you’re going to have to make, and I don’t want family and friends influencing your decision. I want one voice in your life, not a bunch of voices telling you this, that, against what I’m about to tell you.” Here it is, “Offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which I will tell you.” Don’t just thrust a knife into him until he’s dead. I want you to burn him.” Let that sink in. That was Abraham’s single greatest example of a person separating himself to prove something to God.

God was not just asking Abraham to physically separate himself from his home, from his wealth, from his extended family. He’s now asking Abraham to physically separate himself from his only son, the one he loved dearly, Isaac. That’s unimaginable for me. We know the account well. God never let him go through that. It was a test. It was a test of the heart and of the mind. Abraham would have gone through it, because we read later in Hebrews that he knew that he was dealing with the God of resurrection, and that God could raise him up faster than Abraham could kill his own son.

Verse ten, “Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” He certainly acted. It wasn’t that he was thinking about it. He was taking action. “The angel of the Lord,” and we know that to be Christ, “Called out to Abraham from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham,’ and he said, ‘Here I am.’” He said, “Lay not your hand on that lad. Do nothing to him, for now I know you fear God.” Now that’s not the purpose of my message. That’s not what we’re trying to prove to God, but it certainly has a Feast of Tabernacles application. “Seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.”

What God is saying, “I know you’re willing to separate yourself and put your child in my hands, under my care.” Verse fifteen, “The angel of the Lord calls to Abraham out of heaven a second time and said, ‘By myself have I sworn, says the Lord, for because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, I will bless you and multiply your seed.’” Important we focus on that word. “As the stars of the heavens and the sand on the seashore, and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.”

Now, many of you are thinking, that’s Isaac, right? That’s the seed that He’s speaking of. I guess, in part, that’s correct, but before we get to that point, we see this as a test of faith, do we not? Rightfully so, we see it as a test of faith, but was that all that Abraham was proving to God in that moment? Consider, many religions say they see the importance of faith in their lives, like we do, but these same religions fail to understand something that must go hand in hand with faith, something true servants of God need to prove to God. You did it by coming to where God chose to place His name. Even if the way was long, remember? Even if the place was far from home.

God has given us the same and even more wonderful promises that He gave to Abraham, and that greatest promise is eternal life. As a condition to receive this and all his promises, God has not asked any one of us to sacrifice one of our children, not one. He’s still promising us eternal life. Think about that, but He does ask us to prove something more than just faith or eternal life.

What could be as important as faith? The angel of the Lord told him that God swore by Himself that Abraham’s seed, right, Isaac, correct? Or maybe not, would be multiplied. God promised to Abraham, swore by himself that that seed, Isaac, right, would become impossible to count. God promises here that that seed would have victories in battles against enemies, Isaac, right? Brethren, God promises those same promises belong to us because... well, we’re going to read it. Galatians three. Hold your place there. Let’s go to Galatians three. Don’t lose your place there. We’ll come back there in a minute.

If Isaac wasn’t the seed the angel of the Lord was referring to, then to whom was he referring? Verse sixteen, Galatians three. Not Abraham and his seed, there it is, were the promises made. He says not, and to seeds, plural. As of many, plural. As of one, and to your seed... oh, here it is, which is Christ. In essence, although Isaac is included and we’re included, the seed referenced there was Jesus Christ. Verse twenty-six, “For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you be Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs, according to those same promises.”

We know now, according to the scriptures, that those who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed and heirs to these wonderful promises, including eternal life, but then God extends his blessing beyond just Abraham, his descendants, and those who are his seed in Christ. Let’s go back to Genesis twenty-two, where we were. God’s blessings extend beyond Christ, extend beyond us. Let’s read what it says in verse eighteen, “In your seed, we’ve already established,” that’s Christ in us, “Shall all nations on earth be blessed.” Why? Here it is, brethren, “Because you have obeyed my voice.” The act of separation to God, it proves your willingness to obey, to be obedient.

Hebrews Chapter eleven. Faith is one of the most talked-about elements of our lives, and other religions, false versions of Christianity as well. Faith, faith, faith, faith, faith, faith, faith, faith. All you have to do is have faith. Faith, faith, faith, faith. We can even tell ourselves sometimes, “I please God because I have faith. I believe in God. I believe in His promises.” Hear some people talk as if they’re already inducted into the hall of faith. They’re preparing their acceptance speech before the judgment seat of Christ, “Because I had faith.”

Hebrews Chapter eleven, in verse four, it mentions Abel, five, Enoch, seven is Noah, and then in verse eight, by faith, there it is, nothing wrong with that, powerful. Abraham, when he was called to go out, separate himself from one place to go to another, there it is, separation again, to a place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance, he obeyed. Nestled in Chapter eleven of Hebrews is the word obeyed, obedience, and went out, separation, because of obedience to God. Separation in our life must be an act of obedience to God. We can separate ourselves in so many ways, but if it’s not in obedience to God, it’s for nothing.

He didn’t know even where he was going. Think about that. Asked to separate himself from all of those, and he had no idea he was looking for a city that he never encountered, till the very end. Brethren, his example teaches us that leaving our homes, our workplaces, our family, work colleagues, friends, to gather at the Feast of Tabernacles proves to God your willingness to obey, to be obedient, to be separate from people of the earth, as a demonstration that you are his inheritance. It was true for Israel then, it’s true for us now.

Now, this is all wonderful. Separating ourselves from our homes. Some people have left their countries to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, wonderful, wonderful, but verse seventeen, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac shall your seed be called,’ accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.” I mentioned that earlier.

Obeying God’s command to gather for a Feast is powerful. It’s one of our most obvious visible signs to those around us that we have faith, but Abraham’s willingness to obey God and separate himself from his son, as I said earlier, was far greater. That was a far greater test of separation as an act of obedience, far more impressive and pleasing to God than Abraham separating from his country. That impressed God.

Now, how many of you have children, or grandchildren, nieces, nephews? I would imagine most all of you. Now, which would you find it easier, if God told you to separate yourself and go to the Feast of Tabernacles, or separate yourself from one of your nieces or nephews or children, in some way or another, even to the point of sacrifice? Which would be easier? It’s a rhetorical question. “Come to the Feast.” “Oh, piece of cake,” but when the questions and the requests get harder, that’s when our Christianity is really put to the test. This is just a great outward sign of our willingness to obey God, but what about all the other elements of our Christian lives?

God is not asking any one of us to sacrifice any of those lovely children. Remember, He didn’t let Abraham go through with it. God is asking something arguably more difficult from us, even sacrificing, or separating ourselves from family. This one is hard, what I’m about to share with you. We’re going to come to that momentarily. Verse one. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Now, brethren, if faith is a substance of things that we hope for, and how we make invisible things of God evident to those around us, if you just meditate on that, if you follow that, if that’s true, then obedience is the substance and evidence of faith.

You cannot evidence faith without obedience. Faith in God can only be proven by acts of obedience. In fact, faith cannot survive without obedience. James Chapter two. Something we’re all familiar with, James Chapter two. Sometimes it’s just powerful to read the verses off the pages of our Bibles. James Chapter two, because there’s something more difficult in terms of separation as an act of obedience than what we’ve seen so far.

Verse fourteen. “What does it profit, my brethren, though a man says he has faith,” and I’ve heard many people say it, “And have not works, obedience,” what other kind of works would you do? “Acts of obedience. Can faith save him?” That’s salvation. That’s the subject. “God knows my heart,” He sure does, but how did James know if someone had faith? How did he know it? Because we can say everything we want to or anything we want to. Can faith save him?

Verse seventeen, “That even so, faith without works, works of obedience to God, it is dead being alone.” eighteen. “Yes, a man may say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’” Here’s what James says, “Show me. Try showing me your faith without obedience, and I will show you my faith by my works,” I would add “of obedience.” “You believe that there is one God. You do well. The devils also believe and tremble.” How often that’s rolled in my mind, listening to people, even in the world, about their faith, sometimes in the church. You do well.

“They believe and tremble, the devils, but will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, by his obedience, when he had offered Isaac up, his son, upon the altar? Do you see how faith worked or functioned with his works, his obedience? By works was faith made perfect.” Faith inherently comes in perfect. It’s perfected by acts of obedience. There’s no way we can make it on faith alone.

It says here in verse twenty-three, “The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. For this, he was called the friend of God.” The difference between being a son or a daughter of God and being called a friend of God is obedience. You see then how a man is justified by his obedience and not by faith only. Brethren, in other words, if we don’t put our money where our mouth is, it does not count. If we don’t put obedience where we say our faith is, it does not count. Faith is dead without acts of obedience in our lives.

Separating ourselves and coming to the Feast of Tabernacles is an outward sign that we are willing or proving to God that we’re willing to be obedient. We are justified for obedience, not just faith. What does Samuel ask Saul? We know the account. You remember? Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying? Before Saul could say a word, before he could respond and give an excuse, Samuel answered, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.”

When the apostles Peter and John faced the council in Jerusalem for healing a lame beggar, what were they told by the high priest Caiaphas and Alexander? After they conferred privately, they said, “Don’t ever speak of that name again, of Jesus Christ.” Here’s what Peter and John’s answer was, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken or obey, you or obey God, you judge, gentlemen.” Whether it’s better to obey God or obey men, brethren, you judge. Separation as an act of obedience is the greatest example of proving to God that we care, that we are committed to this way of life.

John Chapter one. We’re going to look at even a greater example than what we just covered. By far, the greatest example of separation as an act of obedience. In fact, we cannot reap the benefits of obedience to God without this example, the greatest of all acts of separation. John Chapter one, verses that we’re very familiar with, and verse fourteen ties nicely into the Feast, and we’ll see here shortly why. John one verse fourteen, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, and the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Did you catch it? That all-important word there, Abraham, Moses, Christ’s disciples, us, we could have never benefited unless we understood what we just read.

That word dwelt, probably some of you know what it means. It means to tent. In other words, to pitch a tent, or we could say, to tabernacle. The single greatest act of separation that will ever, ever, ever happen, ever, ever, ever, was that Christ tabernacled among mankind. We could not be sitting here if Christ did not tent or tabernacle amongst mankind. If He didn’t separate Himself far from the Father. Hebrews Chapter ten, Hebrews ten, and verse five, a verse that I often like to come to. I’ve said it time and time again, Hebrews is one of many, but one of my favorite books in the Bible. If you can grasp Hebrews, wow, you’ve grasped a large part of God’s mind relative to us, and His plan for humanity.

Verse five, “Wherefore, when He comes,” speaking of Christ, that’s in the present progressive, when He was coming into the world, He said the following, “Sacrifice an offering you do not want, but a body you have prepared for me, a tabernacle, a tent. Then said He, ‘Lo, I come to do your will.’” “I come to obey you. That’s my life mission, to obey you, O God.” You don’t need sacrifice of oxen, or sheep, or goats. You need someone to come do your will.

Here’s the physical action summed up in one powerful verse, brethren. Abraham obeyed by separating himself from wealth, from stability, from family, and loved ones. What an inspirational example Abraham is, why we refer to him as the father of faith. Abraham obeyed and sacrificed, he raised that knife over his son, but Christ obeyed by separating himself from his home in heaven. Think about that, from his father, to family. I imagine they consider themselves a family in heaven. Would you not? The angels that He created? He tabernacled in a physical body and lived without a place to lay His head. Then, in obedience to God’s will, sacrificed himself.

He separated himself from life and accepted death. None of what we learn today, or throughout the Feast of Tabernacles, or for that matter the rest of the calendar year, would be possible without this greatest act of obedience, of separation. Brethren, our lives are about obedience to God’s will, period. It’s that simple. There’s nothing complicated about it. It’s not easy, but it’s not complicated. Obedience separates us. True Christians must be separate from this world.

Again, I said earlier, God is asking for something arguably more difficult than coming to the Feast, or maybe even sacrificing one of our loved ones, separating ourselves from them. Romans Chapter twelve. Already basically told you what it is, through Christ’s example. Romans twelve, and verse one, “I beseech, I beg you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies,” as what? “As living sacrifices, holy, acceptable, or pleasing to God. This is your reasonable service,” it says. How? Verse two, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. You may prove that what that good, acceptable, and perfect...” what? Will of God is.

Christianity one hundred and one, intellectually, academically, Christianity gazillion and one when you have to put it in practice. It’s like golf. Takes a day to learn and fifteen lifetimes to perfect, and a lot of money to pay the grounds fees. So is Christianity, easy to understand, hard to put in practice. Brethren, the hardest thing that God is going to ask you to do is sacrifice yourself. Not anyone else. I don’t think people entirely grasp how hard that is. We do that through a lifelong series of acts that separate us from the ways of this world. Let’s finish reading here in verse three.

“For I say through the grace given to me to every man among you, not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. We could have everything a carnal-minded person could ever want in this world; family, riches, cars, houses, you name it, family, loved ones. Who wouldn’t want all that? But without obedience toward God, we have nothing. It will amount to nothing. We are nothing. We may be someone or something in this world. We may be able to impress people in this world, but if we’re not separate, if we’re not the special inheritance that God wants us to be, we’re really in essence nothing. The Feast of Tabernacles helps us learn that.

Again, coming to the Feast is a relatively easy act. I’ve enjoyed my tabernacle for the past several days. Wonderful. I said I would not want to live here because I’d weigh about three hundred and fifty pounds. As soon as my wife says, “Oh, I don’t feel like,” “Oh, I’ve got a place, burgers, or pizza.” Coming to the Feast is easy, brethren. It’s easy to separate us in that way. It’s easy to obey God in that way for many of us. Before we look at some more difficult ones, let’s answer that question I asked at the beginning of the second one. What does obedience show the world? I think you’re going to find this interesting. What does obedience show the world?

Separating ourselves proves to God that we’re willing to be obedient, but what does our obedience show the world? What does separation as an act of obedience show the world? What is that something they desperately need to see, must see, and we’re actually charged to show them? James one. James Chapter one. Again, familiar verses, and verse seventeen, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” and comes down from whom? The Father of lights.

How many times have we read that, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning? This is definitely a verse we’re all familiar with. We’ve heard that title, but it’s going to take on, I think, a greater meaning for some of you, at least. We may see this in a different way, in a way that we’ve never considered before.

James refers to God as the Father of lights and tells us that every good and perfect gift comes down from Him. Well, this connects extraordinarily, powerfully to our calling to be separate by obedience. John Chapter one. Let’s go back to John. I want to drive home the point about what separation produces, what it allows the world to see. Even here at the Feast of Tabernacles, John Chapter one, and verse one, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” That’s going to take on greater meaning, “With God.”

Verse four, “In Him was life,” and that life was what? The light of men. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” That was the true light, capital L, which lights every man that comes into the world. We have God the Father called the Father of light, and Christ is referred to by the Apostle John four times as light, capital L. Once in verse seven, I don’t know if you ever noticed it before, twice in verse eight, I believe, and once in verse nine. Four times, He’s referred to as the light. “Those who are in Christ have received life.” We’ve all received life, a deposit of eternal life, a measure of God’s Spirit, but not just any life. It says this life is the light of men. What does light do?

Brethren, does anyone recall the very first words recorded in the Bible that God spoke? Anyone? Genesis Chapter one. These are the very first words that God spoke that was recorded in the Bible. He’s been speaking for all eternity, no beginning and end, but these are the first words that are recorded, Genesis Chapter one. We’re getting to a powerful point here. Starts out the exact same way as John one. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. The earth was without form and void, became dark and destroyed. The same was in the beginning, excuse me, the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water. And God said, these are the first recorded words of Almighty God, “Let there be light.” The very first words that we know that God spoke, and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided. He separated the light from the darkness. That word divide is made up of two separate words in the Hebrew, brethren. I don’t know if you’ve ever looked it up, but the first is bawdal, B-A-W-D-A-L, D-A-L is how you phonetically spell it. It means to divide, to separate, to distinguish, to differ, to make a difference. To separate oneself, to sever utterly.

And yes, it’s the exact same word in Leviticus twenty. It’s the exact same word in First Kings chapter eight that were spoken by King Solomon. The exact same word. I have separated you. I have made you different. The second word that makes up divide is bane, B-A-N-E. That means a distinction, used as a preposition, like between, as a conjugation, among, within. To make a difference among, between, and brethren, that light in us that God has given us separates us, distinguishes us as we walk among others who live in darkness. It’s that simple.

God called us to be lights to the world and wants our lights to shine brightly, being separate from the ways of the world. Obedience is that light. Our ability to obey God is the light that the world desperately needs to see, obedience to God. Obedience to God separates us from darkness. John eight...

verse twelve. John eight and verse twelve. We find Christ addressing the Pharisees who were just caught in their own guile as they tried to trap Christ into condoning them stoning an adulterous woman. Verse twelve, “Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world. I am obedience to God. He that follows, he that imitates me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Jesus declared himself as light of the world. And many people will read that thing, Christ is simply describing a life for those who accept him in their heart. I have Jesus in my heart. Well, show me your obedience to God’s commandments and laws, and I might start to believe you. “He that imitates me,” he says, Christ, you could read it as a command, “shall not, must not walk in darkness.” Some people read it as a benefit. I read it as a command.

If we claim to be God’s people, we must not walk in the ways of this dark world. We must separate ourselves, light from darkness. So as lights we separate, we make a distinction to our family, to our friends, to our co-workers, to each other, between... remember the definition? We make a distinction between God’s ways and the ways of this world, by the way we act, by the way we speak.

And here’s what the act of separating ourselves from family for eight days symbolizes in terms of the other three hundred and fifty-seven days of the year, Second Corinthians six, Second Corinthians chapter six. These are just some now examples of where the rubber begins to hit the road. Where we see separation in our own lives and allow those who are living in darkness to see our light, to see how we shine.

Verse fourteen, Second Corinthians six, fourteen, “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers...” What are you doing hanging out so much with people of the world in those settings? “For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?” Separation. You can read the entire Bible, and it’s about separation. Not just eight days, but every day. “What communion exists between light and darkness?” Separation again. Not just eight days, but every day of the year.

“What agreement has Christ with Belial, and what agreement do the temple of God,” us, we are the temple of God, “with idols, have with each other?” Verse seventeen, “Wherefore come out,” it’s command, “from among them.” Same word in the Greek, if you will, to go back to Genesis or First Kings eight or Deuteronomy fourteen, come out from among them. Make a distinction and be you separate. Brethren, it is worth underlining and double underlining and highlighting and putting arrows to it, be you separate, says the Lord. And I will receive you and be your father, and you my sons and daughters.”

Ephesians chapter five. If you recall Solomon’s prayer as we turn there, Ephesians chapter five, and his reference to Israel, they are your people, your inheritance whom you brought out of Egypt. Ephesians five, remember he said, you’re God’s inheritance. We are God’s inheritance. Verse one, Ephesians five verse one, Paul warns us of what happens if we do not separate from the world and obey God like Christ.

“Be you therefore followers, imitators of God,” not just Christ but God, “as dear children. Walk in love as Christ also has loved us and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. But fornication and uncleanness, covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become saints. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking, jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks.” Light and darkness.

“For this you know, no whoremonger, unclean person, or covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” And I would dare say will not be the inheritance of God. “Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of...” what? “...disobedience.” Separation and obedience go hand in hand.

Verse seven, “Be not you therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Brethren, light repels, rebukes, and it says here, reproves darkness. We are called to be lights to the world. Let our lights shine brightly. How? Obedience by separation. Every day we have a choice. Every day we have a choice, like Lot’s wife. We can either continue distancing ourselves from the world, the ways of Sodom and Gomorrah, or we can turn towards it again. It’s a story of separation. She had to make the choice.

Matthew five says we are light of the world. A city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the house. We sometimes forget that. It gives light to everyone in the house, not only to the world, but to each and every one of us. As our light shines, as we obey God individually, we’re providing light in the house of God. So let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, obedience, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

First John one, one. Separating ourselves from all of those things, brethren, is how we let our light shine. First John one. One of the benefits of being lights to one another. Verse five, “This then is the message which we have heard from him, and declare unto you that God is light, and in him no darkness at all.” If we walk in the light, in obedience to God, as he is in light, we have fellowship one with another.

You know the benefits of being separate through obedience and being light? Is that we’re fellowshipping. When you obey God by sitting here in this room, do you know the mere act of sitting here is fellowshipping with one another? It’s an act of fellowshipping. There are other ways that we fellowship, but coming to Sabbath services every week, holy days, getting together for socials, that’s the important because we’re shining a light, we’re fellowshipping by obeying God.

Obeying God by coming to the Feast, separating ourselves from our families, bonds us as one family. I’ve said that before. I hope you understand that because of obedience, we share a very special bond that no one shares. We have a bond of obedience to God. When one of us disobeys, we’ve weakened that bond because we’re bound by our commitment to obey God.

When I disobey, if I disobey, and when I disobey, because we can all fall into disobedience, I weaken the bond that I have with you. If you disobey God, you weaken the bond that you have with me and with everyone else. We’re not called to be exceptions. We’re called to be one with one another. We must be the same in that regard. Those are bonds that are unbreakable.

One final example, Mark ten, because what I’m about to just share with you, and I’ll go through it very quickly, fairly quickly, applies to every area of our lives. It applies to the areas that are most wonderful to us, areas that we care most about. It isn’t just what I’m going to share with you. It applies to anything that is near and dear to you. Mark ten, verse seventeen, we know this account, and preparing this message weeks before I came here, this struck me as a great example of separation.

Mark ten, seventeen, “And when he was gone forth on his way,” this is Christ coming out from a group that he was teaching, “there came one running and kneeled.” That means “fell to his knees,” and he did it in front of everyone. “And asked him, good master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Now this is a big deal here. This man was deeply concerned about death.

Not even the shame of dropping to his knees in front of everyone for this successful individual was enough to stop him from asking, God, what can I do, or Christ, what can I do to have eternal life inherited? What humility? What reverence and fear? His singular focus was eternal life. Or was it? Jesus is about to peel back the onion. And again, this applies to any area of our lives.

Verse eighteen, “And Jesus asked, why call me good? There’s none good but God. You know the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Defraud not. Honor father and mother. And he answered,” he’s thinking, I got this one. The deal’s done. It is almost mine, a promise from the Son of God of eternal life. “Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding,” fixing his eyes on him, that’s what that means, he fixed his eyes on him, “loved him.”

Now Christ never ever allowed love to get in the way of God’s will because they’re synonymous with one another. They are inseparable. And regrettably, God has loved and loves many people who have fallen short or fall short. God help each and every one of us. We cannot confuse God love with obedience because they’re the same. You can’t divide those. Continuing, so Christ said to him, “One thing you lack, go your way, sell whatsoever you have,” separate yourself from excess, riches, “and give all the poor.”

Not to your father, not to your mother, brothers, and sisters, or children because that’s further down in the verse, remember? This isn’t about money only. It’s about the things that we most care about. It could be our father, could be our mother, could be our brother, could be our sister, could be our niece, our nephew. We can’t confuse the love that we have for those individuals with our role and our responsibility to obey God.

The question is, will he be a child of Abraham? That’s the real question here because the angel of the Lord, Jesus Christ, was standing there watching what his next move was going to be. Do you love your mother, your father, your brother, your sister? Your diplomas? Your resume? Your riches? What do you love most? Will you obey my voice as Abraham did? Because that’s the angel of the Lord speaking there. Ye, a man say he has faith. Prove it. Please, God like Abraham by obeying.

Verse twenty-two, “And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.” For he had great love for his family. He esteemed his job or his reputation. He didn’t give it all up. He didn’t forsake it. What was difficult? Follow me? Nope. Take up his cross? That didn’t cause him a problem. Come? That command didn’t give him a problem. Build treasure in heaven? That didn’t cause a problem for him. No. Give up what you care about most. And he went silent. Not a word. Not a peep. He turned and went away.

You know what? He probably would have spent hours talking to Christ if they were talking about taking up a cross, following him, building treasure in heaven. But as soon as he asked that question about what he cared about most, that’s where it got hard. And he walked away. Brethren, separation is a big part of God’s plan. It has been and will be. And separation, sooner or later, happens. Being here, coming here, and separating ourselves for eight or more days to be at the Feast of Tabernacles helps us understand it.

One more Scripture, Matthew twenty-five. Separation will happen sooner or later. Matthew twenty-five and verse thirty-one. “When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations.” What have we done to help that situation, brethren? What will we do? Are we positioning ourselves so that we can help in this situation? Because we do have a role in that, leading up to that moment.

“And He,” it says, Christ referring to the King Himself, “shall separate them,” what? “one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from goats,” light from darkness. “And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King,” the Light, who came down from the Father of Lights, “shall say to them on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father,” of Lights, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Why? For proving that you are obedient through the good works that you can read through this account. And all the other ways that we’ve discussed, and all the ways that I didn’t discuss today about being separate, about being a light. For letting the world see, this is why you are a sheep. For letting the world see what they desperately needed to see. A distinction between God’s way and the world’s way. But the separation is not complete just with the sheep.

Verse forty-one, “Then shall He also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me,” be separate from Me, “you cursed into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Why? For proving you will not be obedient to God through the good works that are laid out here. And all the ways that we talked about, and all the ways that I didn’t talk about. For not making a clear distinction between God’s ways and the world’s ways. Now the separation is not only complete, but it’s eternal. Both for the sheep and the goats.

Brethren, the Feast of Tabernacles has remarkable meaning for us. By physically separating ourselves from our homes, from our families, from our friends and work, to attend the Feast with each other, we prove to God our willingness to obey Him. It proves we are a light, just like Christ. We show the world what they desperately need to see. I enjoy walking up here in the morning, right around 9:30, and going back right around 12:30, in my suit and tie, as I see the tennis and the T-shirts and the shorts and the people looking at us, not knowing, I don’t do it the whole day. I put on my tennis and my pants and all of that, and I look just like everyone else.

But that window from about 9:30 to about 12:30, and the time before that, and the time that we go back, that’s us shining in our lights and our suits and our ties and our dresses. I feel really comfortable walking up there with my briefcases, saying hello to them, and they’re looking, hmm. Letting our lights, our lives, differentiate God’s ways from Satan’s and the world’s ways.

In the end, separation happens one way or another. Those who refuse to sever themselves... remember the words back there in Genesis? Those who refuse to sever themselves in their lifetimes with God, because with God all things are possible, will be severed from God and His kingdom forever. Ask yourself, because I ask myself as well, when I return home, when I go back to family and friends, will I remain separate and let my light shine? Will I let my light be seen by all?