2023.09.17.Sermon Notes – SOUND THE ALARM - Days of Repentance
William Akehurst, HSWC
Big Idea: Friday began Rosh Hashanah, the day of repentance. This is your wake-up call sounding the alarm. Time is Short, JESUS is Coming! Have you changed? Have you turned your heart to GOD?
There’s no better time than NOW.
SCRIPTURES: Leviticus 23:24-25, Joel 2:1, 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, Revelation 22:12-14, Genesis 4:7, Ezekiel 12:1-2, Matthew 23:27-28, Luke 13:1-5, Lamentations 3:40-41, 2 Corinthians 13:5, 1 Peter 1:13-16, Acts 17:30-31, Micah 7:18-19, Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 20:12-15, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, Acts 3:19-21, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, Acts 3:19-21, Matthew 3:8, Titus 2:11-14, Mark 1:14-15, Acts 2:38-39, Acts 10:43, John 3:16, Romans 10:8-10, Romans 10:13, 1 Peter 1:13-23
Introduction:
ROSH HASHANAH BEGINS…
YOM TERUAH - THE DAY OF THE TRUMPET
As a sliver of the new moon is witnessed by 2 Rabbis, the Trumpet Sounds throughout Israel and the land, this is a holy gathering, and a day of Rest, the Sabbath-Rest.
Remembering Israel’s encounter with GOD at Mt. Sinai
Remembering the Fire, Smoke, Thunder, Lightning, and the Sound of the Ram’s Horn that shook the ground and made the people tremble with fear.
They received the LAW there. This was a new beginning.
Remembering creation, “In the Beginning GOD created” and then on the 7th day (significance of the 7th month), GOD rested.
Wait a minute, this is September, the 9th month, not the 7th. And Rosh Hashanah means Head of the Year, or a New Year. How can that be?
Oh, our Gregorian calendar vs. the Hebrew calendar. Another reminder that the people of Israel are to be different and set apart from the rest of the world. We too as believers are to be different from the rest of the world.
This past Friday I tried to find the moon in the sky and had to revert to my phone app, Stellarium, to find it. At about 7:38pm as the sun set, the moon was too close to the sun from our view to be seen, and both went down together. I wondered…is this how it was in Israel? I don’t ever remember a Rosh Hashanah where I couldn’t see the crescent of the moon.
Was this in GOD’s time table for a specific purpose? A delay for those who haven’t yet come to repentance. GOD is not slack on HIS promises, 2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
SOUND THE SHOFAR
Leviticus 23:24-25 Feast of Trumpets - Yom Teruah
24 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.” 25 You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’ ”
SOUND THE ALARM – A WAKE UP CALL
Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near,
THE LAST TRUMPET – WE WILL BE CHANGED
1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I AM COMING…QUICKLY
Revelation 22:12-14 (NKJV)
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Genesis 4:7
(NKJV) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
(CJB) The Complete Jewish Bible
If you are doing what is good, shouldn't you hold your head high? And if you don't do what is good, sin is crouching at the door - it wants you, but you can rule over it."
(ESV) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
IF I keep my focus on the LORD, it’s a good thing.
But if I lose focus on HIM, sin is waiting, wanting, and desiring for me to do what is contrary to the WORD of GOD.
REPEAT OUT LOUD
I SHOULD rule over sin.
I CAN rule over sin.
I MUST rule over sin.
WARNING – THE REBELLIOUS HOUSE
Ezekiel 12:1-2 1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
SCRIPTURE TELLS US OUR BODIES ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
ALSO, THAT WE LIVE IN TENTS.
OUR BODY IS A TENT. IT’S TEMPORARY. IF WE TOUCH THE INSIDE OF A TENT ROOF, THE RAIN WILL COME IN.
A REBELLIOUS HOUSE IS ONE THAT OPENS UP TO THINGS THAT CAN HARM.
THINK ABOUT THIS…FUEL FOR THOUGHT...
IF OUR BODY IS LIKE A TENT, YET IS TO BE THE TEMPLE, A HOLY PLACE FOR THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO DWELL IN…
WHEN JESUS SAID HE HAS PREPARED A PLACE FOR US, A PLACE WITH MANY MANSIONS. WAS HE REFERRING TO AN ACTUAL A PLACE AND BUILDING, OR WHAT WE WILL BE “CHANGED” INTO?
TEMPORARY – TENT, like the Tabernacle (Temple). “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” 2 Cor. 4:16
PERMANENT – MANSION, “we shall be changed”. 1 Cor. 15:52c
WE ARE NOT TO BE HYPOCRITES, LAWLESS, LOOKING RIGHTEOUS OUTWARDLY WHILE BEING INWARDLY EVIL.
Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
REPENT – CHANGE or Perish
Luke 13:1-5 (NKJV)
3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
SELF EXAMINATION – TURN BACK TO THE LORD (REPENT)
Lamentations 3:40-41 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD; 41 Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.
TEST YOURSELF. IS JESUS IN YOU?
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
COMPARISON. GOD’S HOLINESS TO OURS
1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
GOD’S COMMAND - REPENT
Acts 17:30-31 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
GOD DELIGHTS IN HIS MERCY
Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
JUDGMENT
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…
OVERCOMERS AND THE BOOK OF LIFE
Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Revelation 20:12-15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
REPENTANCE LEADS TO SALVATION
2 Corinthians 7:8-10 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
REPENTANCE BRINGS REFRESHING
Acts 3:19-21 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, …
REPENTANCE SHOWS A DIFFERENCE
Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
DENY THE WORLD – LIVE IN THE BLESSED HOPE OF JESUS
Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
CALL TO REPENTANCE
Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
REPENT
Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
BELIEVE
Acts 10:43 To him (Jesus-Yeshua) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
CONFESS, BELIEVE, CALL
Romans 10:8-10,13 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Let’s Pray,
FATHER GOD,
I confess that I have been in rebellion of YOUR WORD.
I don’t always do what YOU ask or command of me.
I need YOUR forgiveness.
I need to change.
I believe JESUS accomplished all I need to be made right with YOU.
I believe JESUS the Messiah has paid for my life to be set free from sin and death.
I ask YOUR PRESENCE in my life.
I ask YOUR SPIRIT to rule my thoughts, my heart and my actions.
Lead me in YOUR Righteousness for YOUR Name’s sake.
Change me into YOUR Holiness.
Strengthen me to be bold for YOU.
Open my mouth that I may speak of YOUR Salvation to everyone I encounter.
Use me to accomplish YOUR Purpose for my life.
Let me be a Praise to YOU LORD.
Bless me, that I may be a blessing to others.
I believe in FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT to do a work in me. Amen
BENEDICTION 1 Peter 1:13-23 (NLT) A Call to Holy Living
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.
15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”
18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value.
19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
Amen.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
Bill
