New Year's Message

Valley – January 1, 2006 a.m.

 

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IN THE NEW YEAR?

The message asks the question "What do you expect in the new year?"  It is not often that January first falls on a Sunday.  The introductory material establishes some of the concepts concerning what a year is.  How long is a year?  Most often it is 365 days long.  What kind of a year?  Our year is based on the Gregorian calendar which is founded on a solar year which is 365 ¼ days.  On the other hand, other calendars are lunar in nature.  The Jewish calendar is based on a lunar year which is 354 days long.  In order to correlate the Jewish calendar with the solar calendar (or the Gregorian calendar) it is necessary to add a month every three years and a total of seven months every 19 years.  We are in the Jewish year of 5766.  The Jewish calendar year begins in the seventh month (Tishri).  Our new year begins on January 1st.  Rosh Hashanah on the Jewish calendar is in September or October.  Rosh Hashanah was October 4 & 5 in 2005. 

 

Under the Mosaic Law Israel was required to keep numerous dates on the calendar.  In the Pentateuch the month were identified by number and not by name.  Later Babylonian names were given to these numbered month.  The constraints of the Law required the Jews to keep seven annual festivals on specific dates.  Three of these required journeys to Jerusalem when the temple was there.  Two of these were at least a week long.  Later Israel added two more holidays to the mandated schedule:  Purim and Lights (Hanukkah).  Imagine planning a vacation.  With three mandatory trip to Jerusalem and other restrictions during the feasts and holy days required every year.  There was very little time for vacation.  The Law was truly a yoke of bondage.  The most important holy day on the Israelite calendar was Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).  This day dealt with the unrighteousness of the nation.  Furthermore Israel was required to keep close track of the years because every seventh year was a Sabbatical year in which the Mosaic Law required the land to be left fallow.  Every 50th year was the Year of Jubilee when Israelite debt slaves were released and land was returned to its hereditary owners.  The Law made each new year very important.  Every day and every month sacrifices were required in the tabernacle and in the temple.  Each new year was a year of legalistic restriction.  How important is the new year to a Christian?  Some can make it a year of legalistic practice with laws nearly as rigid as the Mosaic Law.  Others recognize that we are in the Dispensation of Grace and anticipate life in and by the grace of God.  While we may have "Easter" and Christmas, we are not bound by any divine mandate to keep these days as Israel did her feasts and holy days.  The real question is "What do you expect for the new year as a Christian?

 

How would you look at things if you were living under the restrictions of the Law?  There were many calculations necessary for each year and much planning (I.).  Throughout the year there were many requirements for days.  At the temple there were morning and evening sacrifices specifically required by Law.  The seventh day Sabbath was required of every Israelite and stranger in the land when all rested by Law.  Each new moon was marked by more sacrifices.  At the first sighting of the sliver of the moon at the new moon, the month was started and sacrifices offered.  I. B. lists the feasts and major holy days of Israel under Law.  Deut. 16:16 identifies the three pilgrimage festivals.  Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty.  The years are noted in the outline as well.  Imagine budgeting for a family for a new year!  Sacrifices were required by individual Israelites at the pilgrimage festivals.  Tithes were required.  Two tithes were required every year and a third tithe added on the third year.  Then there were the required offerings that were a normal part of Israelite life.  Regular offerings were made for at the regular cyclical need for purification for uncleanness.  If a man or any member of his family sinned, often there were further sacrifices to burden the family budget.  This was the Law.  This was the yoke of bondage. 

 

The day of atonement was central with continued annual sacrifices (II.).  Paul describes this in Hebrews 9:7.  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.  On that day he entered the Holy of Holies twice, once for himself and the tabernacle/temple and once for the nation.  It looked forward to something that could not be seen anticipating the Innocent One bearing the sins of the world in His cross work.  Yom Kippur could never bring any Israelite to maturity.  Moses, Aaron, and other high priests, the great heroes of the Law could not mature.  Which was a figure [lit. parable] for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect [or better, mature], as pertaining to the conscience (Heb. 9:9).  The same routine was repeated year after year because the sacrifices of animals was not sufficient.  A wicked nation was often filled with concern when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies for fear that God would kill him because of the great sins of the people.  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others (Heb. 9:25).

 

Under Law the sacrifices were continued year by year, over and over again (III.).  A law believer could calculate some of the central sacrifices but would have difficulty calculating the number of sacrifices for sin.  Willful sin demanded sacrifice.  Impurity demanded sacrifice.  If one touched an impure thing, another sacrifice was required.  Under Law there were sins of ignorance [not so today for Christians] which when found out also required sacrifices.  The Day of Atonement also covered these.  The required sacrifices were repeated over and over every year. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect [lit. mature] (Heb. 10:1).  They had no inherent power to bring maturity in any way.  The sacrifices themselves made Israelites aware of sins.  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year (Heb. 10:2, 3).  God required these from the presumptuous nation.  Calendar calculation were very necessary to obey the mandates of the Law.  The focus of the Israelite had to be totally upon the daily, weekly, monthly, annual, 7th year and Year of Jubilee in every facet of his or her life.  Legalism and Galatianism makes a new year complicated for Christians. Often these believers say that they do not live under the law but they make a law unto themselves that is as bad as the Mosaic Law.

 

Christians enter the new year which is still a year in the Dispensation of Grace from God.  We enter the year as ones who possess liberty in Christ.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage (Gal. 2:4).  We have the potential to enter in grace rest which is our Sabbatical rest.  There remaineth therefore a rest [only here – sabbatical rest – a rest of cessation] to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour [lit. be eager] therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (Heb. 4:9-11).  We have a heavenly High Priest who has entered into heaven with a permanent sacrifice.  He appears in the very presence of the Father for us always not just once a year.  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us (Heb. 9:23, 24).  He offered one sacrifice once and for all.  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Heb. 9:26-28).

 

The best part of the prospect of the new year is that we will continue to live in the Dispensation of Grace by God's grace and not by Law.  Paul refers to grace and its importance to the Christian compared to the Law in Hebrews.  In the new year we can always be reminded that Christ tasted death for all and thereby have a year of assurance.  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man (Heb. 2:9).  We should be communicating at the throne of grace as spiritual believers throughout the new year.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  We need to avoid failure from the grace of God – that is failing to use the provisions of grace.  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Heb. 12:14, 15).  These verses indicate the ongoing need for spirituality, for sanctification, for using grace and for having victory over our spiritual enemies.  We will have every opportunity to appropriate the grace of God as we serve in the kingdom of priests.  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28).  While we live, by the Spirit we can activate stability of heart with grace in our practice.  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein (Heb. 13:9).  The great statement at the end of Hebrews concerning grace is a great comfort and stabilizer.  Grace is with you all. Amen (Heb. 13:25).  May we be living in and by God's grace.  May we by grace cease from our own labor and let God manifest His grace through us.  Of course, the greatest manifestation of grace in the new year could easily be our gathering together to the Lord in the air in the Rapture.  That event would surely change our calendars!

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IN THE NEW YEAR?

A Year of Grace or of Law?

              

Proposition:  To challenge Christians to the joys of grace anticipated in the coming year rather than the constraints of law.

 

     Introduction

         A.  How Long Is a Year?

 

         B.   What Kind of a Year?

               1.   Solar – 365 ¼ Days [leap year every four years]

 

               2.   Lunar – 354 Days [or 360 Days] (add a month every three years or seven months

                     every 19 years) {Jewish and example}

 

         C.  When Does a Year Begin?

               1.   Our Calendar

 

               2.   Other Calendars

 

         D.  How Important Was Each Year Under Law?

               1.   Annual Festivals

                     a.   Seven Annual

 

                     b.   Three Pilgrimage

 

                     c.   Two Additional:  Purim and Lights

 

               2.   Annual Atonement

 

               3.   Cycles of Years

                     a.   Sabbatical Year

 

                     b.   Year of Jubilee

 

         D.  How Important Is the New Year to a Christian?

 

         E.   What Do You Expect?

 

TRANS:  What would it be like if you had to look at a new year under the bondage of the Law?  The new year would be bound up in plans around the events and practices prescribe by the Law.

   I.    THE CALCULATION OF YEARS NECESSARY UNDER THE LAW – THE RESTRAINTS OF THE LAW CONCERNING THE YEAR – THE PLANS FOR THE NEW YEAT ESSENTIAL FOR THE JEWS UNDER THE LAW

         A.  The Requirements for the Days

         B.   The Requirements for the Feasts

               1.   Seven Annual Feasts

                     a.   Passover – 14th Day of Nissan {Abib} [March-April] – Lev. 23:3; Deut. 16:1-8

                     b.   Unleavened Bread – 15th Day of Nissan {Abib} for Seven Days – Lev. 23:6-8;

                           Deut. 16:3-8

                     c.   Firstfruits – One Day After the Sabbath of Passover Week [March-April] – Lev.

                           23:9-14

                     d.   Pentecost {Harvest or Weeks} – 50 Days After Barley Harvest = 6th of Sivan

                           [May-June] – Lev. 23:15-22; Num. 28:26-31; Deut. 16:9-12

                     e.   Day of Trumpets – Rosh Hoshannah – 1st & 2nd of Seventh Month {Tishri}

                           [September-October] – Num. 29:1-6

                     f.    Day of Atonement {Yom Kippur} – 10th Day of the 7th Month {10th of Tishri}

                           (September/October) – Lev. 16; 23:26-32;

                     g.   Tabernacles {Booths or Ingathering} – 15th – 21st of the 7th Month {15th-22nd of

                           Tishri}  [September/October] – Lev. 23:33-43; Deut. 16:13-19

               2.   The Three Pilgrimage Feasts

Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

 

         C.  The Requirements for the Sabbatical Year

               1.   Every Seventh Year

               2.   Year of Release = Land Fallow – Ex. 23:10; Lev. 25:1-7

         D.  The Requirements of a Year of Jubilee – Lev. 25:8-55; 27:17-24

               1.   Fiftieth Year After Seven Sabbatical Years

               2.   Liberation of Israelite Debt Slaves

               3.   Return of Lands to Hereditary Owners

         E.   The Restraints in Planning for a Year

 

TRANS:  The most important day of the year was the Day of Atonement.  It was here sacrifices were made for the high priest, tabernacle and the people. 

 

 

 

-- 3 --  New Year's Message

Valley – January 1, 2006 a.m.

 

II.  THE CENTRALITY OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT IN THE YEAR FOR THE JEWS – THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HIGH PRIEST FOR THE NATION – THE PROMINENCE OF YOM KIPPUR FOR THE COVERING OF THE SINS OF THE PRIESTS, PEOPLE AND TABERNACLE

         A.  The High Priest Entering with Blood for Himself and the People – Heb. 9:7

         B.   The Prospect of Something Not Made Manifest

         C.  The Parable of That Which Could Not Bring Maturity

         D.  The High Priest Entered Every Year – Heb. 9:25

TRANS:  How would one budget for necessary sacrifice under the Law?  Multitudes of sacrifices were brought and repeated throughout a year.  Some were easy while others were unpredictable.

 

III. THE CONTINUATION OF SACRIFICES YEAR BY YEAR BY ISRAELITES – THE REPETITION OF SACRIFICES THROUGHOUT A YEAR FOR SIN – THE PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE SACRIFICES IN A YEAR

         A.  The Uncertainty of the Number of Sacrifices for Sin

         B.   The Repetition of the Same Sacrifices Every Year – Heb. 10:1

         C.  The Absence of Inherent Power for Maturity

         D.  The Awareness of Sins by Sacrifices – Heb. 10:2, 3

TRANS:  How can a believer living in the Dispensation of Grace relate to a new year that is free from the legal restrictions of the Law?  Let us look at some of the grace concepts that Paul addresses in the book of Hebrews for an idea of what replaced the law.  Better things.

 

IV. THE CONDITION FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN ENTERING THE NEW YEAR – THE REALITY OF THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE GOD OF GRACE – THE PROGRESSION OF THE LIFE OF THE SPIRITUAL BELIEVER EVERY YEAR

         A.  The Liberty Possessed by a Believer in Christ Jesus – Rom. 8:2; Gal. 2:4

         B.   The Sabbatical Rest Potential for the Grace Believer – Heb. 4:9-11

         C.  The Heavenly High Priest Has Made His Entry into Heaven – Heb. 9:23, 24

               1.   Into Heaven

               2.   To Appear in the Presence of God on Our Behalf

         D.  The Offering of One Sacrifice for All – Heb. 9:26-28

               1.   He Put Away Sin Through His Sacrifice

               2.   He Was Once Offered

         E.   The Year in the Dispensation of Grace by God's Grace

               1.   Always Aware That by Grace Christ Tasted Death for All – Heb. 2:9

               2.   Approaching the Throne of Grace – Heb. 4:16

               3.   Avoiding Failure from the Grace of God – Heb. 12:14, 15

                     a.   The Need for Spirituality

                     b.   The Need for Sanctification

                     c.   The Need for Using Grace Rather Than Failing Grace – 15b, 16

                     d.   The Need for Spiritual Victory Over Spiritual Enemies – Heb. 12:14, 15

               4.   Appropriating Grace in the Kingdom of Priests – Heb. 12:28

                     a.   That We May Serve God Well-Pleasingly

                     b.   With Reverence and Awe

               5.   Activating the Stability of the Heart with Grace in Practice – Heb. 13:9

               6.   Being Assured of the Presence of Grace with Believers – Heb. 13:25

         F.   Rapture or No Rapture We Wait in Anticipation of the Meeting in the Air – 1 Thess.

               4:14-18

TRANS:  Will we approach the coming year legalistically trying to please God by works of a law or will we enjoy the freedom of the grace of God to sustain us from hour to hour and day to day to the glory of God?

 

© by David K. Spurbeck

Valley Baptist Church

P.O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119