Speaker: Rev. Youpri Ardiantoro
Matthew 26:17-19
26:17. Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
26:18. And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"
26:19. So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
PASSOVER PREPARATION
Exodus 12:14-15, 3, 6
12:14. 'So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
12:15. 'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
12:3. "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.
12:6. 'Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall killit at twilight.
In the Old Testament, Passover was signified by 2 things as follows:
The true teaching Wordand Holy Communion are able torelease us from all destroying bond(bond of flesh, world, and sin).
If we are not released from these three bonds, we will perish forever.
There are three times of Passover that resultsin freedom fromdestroying bond:
Exodus 12:50-51
12:50. Thus all the children of Israel did; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
12:51. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egyptaccording to their armies.
After Israel celebrated right Passover, the result was Israel went out of the land of Egypt.
Freedom of Israel from Egypt equals to freedom from the world with all its influences that make us unfaithful.
James 4:4
4:4. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
The proof that we are released from the bond of the world is weare FAITHFUL in ministry.
Who should be faithful in ministry?
Whole family.
Starting from husband, wife, children, even cattle for sacrifice, must go out of Egypt.
Pharaoh's (satan's) attempts to impede ministryareb as follows:
Matthew 26:17-19
26:17. Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
26:18. And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"
26:19. So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
PASSOVER PREPARATION
Exodus 12:14-15, 3, 6
12:14. 'So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
12:15. 'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
12:3. "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.
12:6. 'Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall killit at twilight.
In the Old Testament, Passover was signified by 2 things as follows:
- Eating unleavened bread.
- Killing a lamb of Passover.
- True teaching Word.
- Sacrifice of Christ (Holy Communion).
The true teaching Wordand Holy Communion are able torelease us from all destroying bond(bond of flesh, world, and sin).
If we are not released from these three bonds, we will perish forever.
There are three times of Passover that resultsin freedom fromdestroying bond:
- Passover when Israel went out of Egypt.
- Passover when Jesus held the last supper with His disciples.
- The last Passover, which means the freedom of the church of God from the world to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Exodus 12:50-51
12:50. Thus all the children of Israel did; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
12:51. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egyptaccording to their armies.
After Israel celebrated right Passover, the result was Israel went out of the land of Egypt.
Freedom of Israel from Egypt equals to freedom from the world with all its influences that make us unfaithful.
James 4:4
4:4. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
The proof that we are released from the bond of the world is weare FAITHFUL in ministry.
Who should be faithful in ministry?
Whole family.
Starting from husband, wife, children, even cattle for sacrifice, must go out of Egypt.
Pharaoh's (satan's) attempts to impede ministryareb as follows:
- Allowing to worship, but in Egypt only= worship, but still under the influence of the world.
Exodus 8:25-26
8:25. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land."
8:26. And Moses said, "It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us?
Practices of ministry under the influence of the worldare as follows:- It is allowed to minister, but one may not be faithful.
Example: in 1 year, it is enough to minister once, or twice (on Christmas or Easter). - Ministering, but being obstructed easilyby disease, weather, etc.
The consequence: one still becomes same with the world that will be perished forever although s/he ministers. - Ministering, but not being shepherded.
Verse 26: Israel's sacrificing was abomination to the Egyptians.
In the book of Genesis: shepherding was abomination to the Egyptians.
Shepherding= perseverance in 3 main services.
Satan attempts to make us not shepherded. If we are not shepherded, we will receive God's punishment.
That's why we must be SHEPHERDED and be FAITHFUL in worship to God. - It is allowed to minister, but one may not be faithful.
- Allowing to worship, but not going very far away= self-imposed religion, using human's rules.
Exodus 8:28
8:28. And Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me."
Actually, people of Israel had to go three days' journey into the wilderness.
"you shall not go very far away" = Pharaoh tried to arrange the ministry of the children of God= ministry according to human's rule (self-imposed religion).
Satan attempts to enter self-imposed religion in us.
Mark 7:7-13
7:7. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
7:8. "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."
7:9. He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
7:10. "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother';and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
7:11. "But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" --'(that is, a gift to God),
7:12. "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
7:13. "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."
Practices of ministry according to human's rule (self-imposed religion)are as follows:- Teaching commandments of men, which mean commandmends that are not written in the Bible.
It seems neat and nice, but useless!
Verse that is not explained by another verse, but explained by knowledge, philosophy, or personal experience which do not have spiritual value, etc.
It seems the Word, but if the verse is explained by knowledge and philosophy, it is not the Word!
God says: In vain they worship Me!
That's why itis important for us to read Bible's verses when preaching. - Not holding fast to the Head= not holding fast to one true teaching Word.
The consequence: one is always tossed by false teaching.
Colossians 2:19
2:19. and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
The consequence:
Worship according to the commandments of men is vain("in vain theyworship Me", Mark 7:7).
This kind of ministry do not have power to sanctify and change, congregation is still in sin and goes to perdition.
Why did Pharaoh really restrain the ministry of the people of Israel?
That we are not united to become the one perfect body of Christ.
If we HOLD FAST to ONE TRUE TEACHING WORD, all of us will be united to become the one perfect body of Christ, and someday we can greet when Jesus comes on second time.
Matthew 23:37-39
23:37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
23:38. "See! Your house is left to you desolate;
23:39. "for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'
God's complaint about Jerusalem was about lives who havereceived Bride Tidings, but do not want to be united in one true teaching Word.
Why can they not be one?- Because the one holds to the true teaching Word (a verse explains another verse), while the others hold to 'the commandments of men'(a verse is explained by philosophy, knowledge, joke, etc).
- Colossian 2:18
2:18. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
For keeping fleshly mind= worshipingjust to look for physical blessing(money, position, etc).
The consequence:- They do not want to be united= will never experience hen's wings= do not accept preservation and protection from God.
For servant of God: he will not receive the revelation of the Word.
For congregation: they can not understand the revelation of the Word. - Being left alone= God is not with them, until they are allowed to go into the persecution of antichrist.
Now, they may be able to hope in human, money, etc, but everything will be useless on antichrist's era.
- Teaching commandments of men, which mean commandmends that are not written in the Bible.
- Allowing to woship, but only for men.
Exodus 10:11
10:11. "Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desired." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
The purpose and plan of satan are that the whole family may not be saved.
STRUGGLE for our marriage and family!
At this time, if only wife/husband/son/daughter ministers, we have to struggle and ask God that the whole family can be saved.
Do we have the heart if someday one is lifted up and the others are left behind? - Allowing all Israel's family to worship, but flocks and herds must be kept back= worshipwithout any sacrifice.
Exodus 10:24
10:24. Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you."
Flocks and herds= animal for sacrifice.
The RIGHT MINISTRYIS ministry which is signified by SACRIFICING.
Romans 12:1
12:1. 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.
The peak of our offering/sacrifice is we can present living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
How come?
Starting from sacrificing the smallest thing, namelytithes and special offering.
If we keep sin, how can we present our whole life?
Jesus struggles for the ministry of Israel by punishing Egypt.
Jesus struggles for the ministry of gentiles by being willing to be hung, dead three days and be raised.
Do not play in worship!
Our ministry is as valuable as the sacrifice of Christ.
Not worshiping = not appreciatingthe sacrifice of Christ!
The results of true worship:
I Timothy 6:6
6:6. Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
We receive great gain, those are:- Preservation and protection of God.
Our business is how we can worship correctly and then:- There is no obstruction can impede.
- There is no problem that God cannot finish.
- There is no obstruction can impede.
- two wings of a great eagle:
- To fly us into the wilderness when antichrist reigns in the world for 3.5 years.
- For lifting us up to gorgeous clouds , to greet when Jesus comes on second time.
- To fly us into the wilderness when antichrist reigns in the world for 3.5 years.
- Preservation and protection of God.