JUBILEE! Leviticus 25:8-22
Introduction
Today we celebrate this church’s 50th year of existence in Ouachita parish, Louisiana. Looking through all the pictures and reading the histories that have been compiled lets me know a few things about us.
This church has been blessed with great leadership throughout its history.
This church has had a serving spirit.
This church has had very few preachers in 50 years- 6!
This church has been committed to loving and teaching children.
This church has had a vivid place in the landscape of our city.
We are grateful to the faithful and visionary dreams of those who first thought to place a church on this property and enough energy to make it happen.
This is a Jubilee year for our church. We may not be very familiar with the concept of Jubilee in the Old Testament. It is only mentioned in two books: Numbers and Leviticus. (You know, your favorite books!). Let’s read through our text and make a few brief observations about life in the year of Jubilee. (Leviticus 25:8-22)
1. It’s a Time to Get Right With God! (25:8-10a)
It starts on the Day of Atonement. Reminds us that there must be forgiveness in order for us to be close to God. We can take forgiveness for granted, repentance can
become a practice of the past, we can become dull to the prodding of the Spirit. A season of jubilee begins with a call back to God! We need that more than ever today - our world needs the church to be a people committed to God so we can show them the way.
It continues with consecration. We need forgiveness, but we also need commitment. Is your life consecrated to God- belonging to Him? It’s the hardest thing to die to self, yet we must keep up the effort.
2. It is a Time of Restoration (10, 13)
Restoration is resetting things back in original order. We admire restored cars that are put back together with original parts. The Jubilee returned the Israelites to their family property. Don’t you ever sense the need to just get back to the basics in your Christian walk? Things are complicated these days as our culture plunges into secularism … respect for God is hard to find. Beyond all the arguments and philosophies, Jubilee calls us to restore the basics and truths we’ve always known back into practice.
3. It’s a Time of Faith (11-12, 20-21)
During the Jubilee year they were not to plant crops - and they rightfully wanted to know how they were going to survive? God promised such a blessing that they will have enough for three years to eat. Can you imagine the faith they needed to trust God during this time? It was trust for real life.
It’s time for us to have tremendous faith. We can always be haunted by questions about things naturally, but we serve a Supernatural God! What dreams would we dream if we had the faith that God asked Israel to have? What would we be willing to dream if we didn’t have logic, reason, our own cynicism and ways to explain it all away .. a childlike faith … what kind of dreams could we dream?
Conclusion
Jubilee is a time …
To Get Right With God
To Be Restored to God
To launch out with faith God
Jubilee tells me God is good with our celebrations - it’s a joyful and exciting time - just as we are experiencing here today.
There is no record the Jews ever honored the Jubilee teaching … instead trusting in themselves more than God. What a blessing they missed out on! We can miss out on a blessing that way too…by ignoring God’s teachings and living without faith on our own power.
Let’s experience Jubilee now and forever in Jesus Christ!
