Speaker: Rev. Adri Tuyu
Matthew 26:17-25 is about Passover Celebration.
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 kill it at twilight.
In Old Testament (the Book Exodus), celebrating the Passover was signified with two things as follows:
We are delivered from the binding of the world, the flesh, and the sin through our faithfulness or perseverance in the true teaching Word and Holy Communion, so we can attain to Jesus.
Let us keep eating, appreciating, and holding fast to the true teaching Word whatever condition we face or whoever preaches it.
Do not become unfaithful to the true teaching Word!
If we are unfaithful or do not appreciate the teaching Word, we will give Satan opportunity to make us fall us or we will invite temptations to come to us.
For example:
The Church in Corinthians was in blessings but facing temptations.
II Corinthians 11:2-4
11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
11:4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!
We are often in blessings, both in physical blessings and spiritual ones, such as being in the abundance of the true teaching Word and considering the holiness in our life, but not appreciating the Word.
If we are unfaithful or do not appreciate the true teaching Word, we will fall!
Adam and Eve were actually in God's blessings in Garden Eden but they did not appreciate the true teaching Word. Consequently, they fell in sin and were driven from Garden Eden.
Let us observethat we have to keep appreciating or heeding or making the true teaching Word useful although we are in "little" condition.
There are three examples as follows:
God blesses you.
Matthew 26:17-25 is about Passover Celebration.
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 kill it at twilight.
In Old Testament (the Book Exodus), celebrating the Passover was signified with two things as follows:
- Eating unleavened bread.
- The offering of Passover lamb.
- Eating the true teaching Word.
- Holy Communion.
We are delivered from the binding of the world, the flesh, and the sin through our faithfulness or perseverance in the true teaching Word and Holy Communion, so we can attain to Jesus.
Let us keep eating, appreciating, and holding fast to the true teaching Word whatever condition we face or whoever preaches it.
Do not become unfaithful to the true teaching Word!
If we are unfaithful or do not appreciate the teaching Word, we will give Satan opportunity to make us fall us or we will invite temptations to come to us.
For example:
The Church in Corinthians was in blessings but facing temptations.
II Corinthians 11:2-4
11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
11:4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!
We are often in blessings, both in physical blessings and spiritual ones, such as being in the abundance of the true teaching Word and considering the holiness in our life, but not appreciating the Word.
If we are unfaithful or do not appreciate the true teaching Word, we will fall!
Adam and Eve were actually in God's blessings in Garden Eden but they did not appreciate the true teaching Word. Consequently, they fell in sin and were driven from Garden Eden.
Let us observethat we have to keep appreciating or heeding or making the true teaching Word useful although we are in "little" condition.
There are three examples as follows:
- Revelation 3:7-11
3:7. "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
3:8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
3:9 "Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie--indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
3:10 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
3:11 "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
The Church in Philadelphia is in LITTLE POWER but keeping on appreciating or being faithful in holding fast to the true teaching Word.
The Lord values our faithfulness truly when we have only the little power because it is the real faithfulness.
The power of God is real in us when we are powerless!
If we suppose that we are powerful, the power of the Lord will be little in us.
We serve God when we are healthy because we are able to do that. How is it if we are sick?
Once again, the time we do not appreciate the Word is the time we invite temptations to come, even the greatest temptation hitting over the whole world, namely antichrist or rebellious men ruling over the world.
Heed this carefully, that is to say how we can use the little strengthto keep heeding and practicing the Word of God!
In the original language, "Philadelphia" comes from the word "thereo" which relates to keeping and doing the Word or keeping ourselves not being lost but being shepherded.
Luke 8:18
8:18 "Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."
There are two meanings of "take heed how you hear", that determine whether our faith grows or not;- What do we hear? We have to hold fast one true teaching Word.
- We can hear and eat the Word seriously.
Exodus 14:15-16, 21
14:15. And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
14:16 "But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
Moses' power was only able to lift up the rod, referring to little powerwhile he had to make all Israelites cross over the Red Sea, but he was able to hear and practice the Word or appreciate it.
The result isthe Lord opened the door or way that had been closed as follows:- The Red Sea was divided.
- The Church in Philadelphia had the key of David.
The great power of God is shown to us. - What do we hear? We have to hold fast one true teaching Word.
- Luke 23:41-43
23:41 "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
23:42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
23:43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
The transgressor who was crucified beside Jesus only had LITTLE TIME or LITTLE OPPORTUNITY to hear the Word.
Mark 15:32
15:32 "Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.
In the beginning, two transgressors crucified together with Jesus despised Jesus.
Then one of them could use the little Word he received to use the little time to confess his sin.
Unfortunately, one cannot make the Word of God which is preached abundantly useful because of supposing that there are still many more times and opportunities.
The fact found in it is keeping being in sins although hearing the Word of God many times.
Matthew 15:22
15:22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."
John 8:44
8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The condition of Gentiles is being ruled over by Satan and sins, especially murdering or hatred and lies.
Matthew 15:24-28
15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
15:27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Actually, Jesus only passed without any special purpose but the woman could use the little Word she heard.
Moreover, the Word of God was preached hard to point to the condition of the Gentiles who were as dogs licking vomit or being wrong many times in their saying.
We often become hopeless, but the woman of Canaan confessed her condition, she did not hide her sins.
The woman of Canaan appreciate the little time remained to be able to receive the Word, how hard it is, to confess her sin.
Do not harden your heart receiving the Word of God!
None knows whether it is the last opportunity we have to confess our sins or not.
Do not become as Pharaoh, whose heart was hard and got harder!
Finally, his life was drowned in Red sea as a stone.
Appreciate the Word! Every Word of God comes from God Himself to His congregation, to all of us.
The priest is only the mediator.
The Lord Himself gives His servants burden and leads them, not by their own will.
The result of appreciating the little opportunity isexperiencing the opening of doors by God.- 'the transgressor' could enter paradise together with the Lord.
- The woman of Canaan could enter shepherding, changing from dog to sheep.
When we remember the time of Adam and Eve falling into sin, actually the door of paradise had been closed and guarded, but the transgressor could enter into it together with the Lord.
He would have been dead in vain if he had not used the little time.
Do not delay the time to confess our sin when there is little Word! - 'the transgressor' could enter paradise together with the Lord.
- Matthew 25:14-15
25:14. "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
25:15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
LITTLE ABILITY.
Actually, all talents whether five talents or two talents or one talent are little things before the Lord but the one talent becomes the least in front of physical eye.
Thus, do not measure the ability with flesh mind!
Measuring the ability with flesh mind will make temptations come on our lives, there is envy, and anger, et cetera.
Each worker in vineyard was going to be given one denarii but the workers assuming that they had worked longer supposed that they would get more wage.
Matthew 25:16-23
25:16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
25:17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
25:18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
25:19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
25:20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'
25:21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
25:22 "He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'
25:23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
The facts found in appreciating the little ability are faithfulness and righteousness.
Appreciate every ability God has given to us!
Righteousness equals to being in accordance with the Word.
The result of appreciating the little ability iswe have the opened doors from God.
Matthew 25:24-30
25:24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25:25 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'
25:26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
25:27 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
25:28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
25:29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
25:30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Actually, the Lord placed the servant receiving one talent in the first beginning line as the main priority.
The formula in heavenly kingdom is being from "little" to "much", from nothing to something.
Nevertheless, the servant receiving the one talent dwarfed the ability God had given him.
Consequently, he was in judgment, in the outer darkness.
Let us appreciate the little ability to be delivered from God's judgment.
John 17:17
17:17. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Serve God with faithfulness and righteousness according to the Word!
God blesses you.