Good morning, brethren, and welcome to this Pentecost 2007.  Who would have thought we would ever be saying that, Pentecost 2007!  It is amazing how time has flown by.  Here we do find ourselves on one of God’s holy days and looking forward to keeping this day the way He would like.  First of all I want to start with a brief scriptural historical message about Pentecost and then go on to embellish that, so that we can use the day to its fullest extent.

Pentecost means to count fifty.  We start counting from the day after the Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread.  Let’s turn to the commandment to do so in Leviticus chapter 23. Read verses 9 to 14.  This holy day was instituted to be a holy day forever, to be kept a certain way, and to start counting at a certain time.

CHRIST, THE WAVE SHEAF OFFERING
We understand that Jesus Christ was the first of the firstfruits, and this particular wave sheaf is speaking of Jesus Christ in type.  It is showing what God would eventually do in His plan.  We can turn to John chapter 20 and see when Christ really did ascend to heaven to receive His authority and His power.  Turn to John chapter 20, and we can see when He became the actual wave sheaf offering for all mankind.  This is taking place at the tomb that Christ was buried in.

Read John chapter 20:11-17.  You can imagine Mary probably grabbed Him and hugged Him and was so happy to see Him alive and standing there.  Reading verse 17 again:  “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”’  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.”  He said I am getting ready now to ascend to the Father.  This is the day after He was resurrected, and He was resurrected on a Sabbath.  This was an early Sunday morning experience when He was getting ready to go to the Father and receive His authority and the power to reign.  He had qualified now to replace Satan by beating Satan throughout His life.

Turn to Matthew chapter 28.  That is the episode that shows He did ascend to the Father as a wave sheaf.  Matthew 28 explains what He received there.  This is after Christ’s resurrection, and He appeared to His disciples.  Read Matthew 28:16-20.  He said I will be with those whom the Father draws to the Church and I call.  I will be with you until the end of the age, but you have a job to do now, because I have received all authority in heaven and earth.

Turn back to Daniel 7.  There is a prophecy back in Daniel about Him ascending to heaven, receiving this authority, and what it actually meant to the world to have that happen.  Daniel 7, verse 8:  “‘I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots.  And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.’”  We will not go into the whole thing, because we have done that before, but this sets the stage for what Daniel was seeing.

Verse 9 of Daniel 7:  “‘I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire…’”  This is speaking of the Father.

A MORTAL WOUND FOR SATAN’S SYSTEM
Verse 10:  “‘A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him.  A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.  The court was seated, and the books were opened.  I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.  As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.’”

Notice the system itself receives a deadly wound, but its time to reign is prolonged (its dominion).  Verse 13 comes to the point I want to make:  “‘I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!  He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.’”  This is Jesus Christ after His resurrection and just after He talked to Mary at the tomb.  He ascended to Heaven, and they brought Him before the Father.

Verse 14 of Daniel 7:  “‘Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.’”

It is a very interesting occurrence.  This is actually portraying when Satan was cast to the earth and could no longer have access to heaven because Christ had replaced him.  Christ had taken all authority.  Satan could not go back to heaven and accuse, but he still remains here on the earth as god (with a little “g”) of this earth.  He has the power to get us to accuse one another in the body of Christ.

This was a mortal wound when Jesus Christ lived that perfect life and did not sin.  He had the authority and the dominion given to Him when He ascended to heaven, and that was a mortal wound to Satan’s system (that beast power system).  You can read about that on your own in Revelation 13:1-3.

FIRST OF THE FIRSTFRUITS
Now let’s go to Colossians chapter 1.  When Christ was resurrected, He became first of the firstfruits.  There will be other firstfruits, but Jesus Christ is the first to be resurrected from the dead and to receive His crown to rule (and His authority).

Colossians 1, verse 15:  “He [being Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence.”  Christ will have and deserves all of the pre-eminence, but He is the first of the firstfruits. There are other firstfruits to follow.

SEVEN CHURCH ERAS OF TESTING
We count from Christ’s ascension fifty days, which is seven sets of seven days, 49 days.  The fiftieth day is a picture of the Jubilee, which eventually sets the world free after the testing of the Church for 49 days.  Obviously the Church has been tested for two thousand years now.  These 49 days represent seven testing periods of seven days each.  The week on the calendar that we observe from Sunday to Saturday is just a small type.  We work in the world.  We fight Satan.  We try to overcome and grow in holy righteous character by the sweat of our brow for six days, and on the seventh day we rest.  This is pictured in a larger scale now by period that we are counting off from Christ being the wave sheaf until Pentecost.

Seven times seven is 49 days.  There are seven weeks, each week representing a trial period for that Church era, and there are seven Church eras.  From Jesus Christ until today there are seven Church eras, and we are in the final era.

That fiftieth day, the Jubilee, will represent freedom for all people.  They will be released into the liberty of the sons of God, which are the rest of the firstfruits who follow in Christ’s footsteps.  They will have overcome Satan and received a crown and authority to rule under Christ, because He will have the preeminence.  They will rule this earth and bring peace to it by replacing Satan’s demonic regime.

Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter 8.  This is spoken of here very clearly.  Romans chapter 8, and we will begin in verse 18:  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”  The world waits, and they are groaning, waiting for the firstfruits (the children of God) to be revealed.

Continuing in verse 22:  “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

As we wait, groaning out our existence trying to bear fruit and fight off Satan and all the trials and tribulations we have in life, the world groans not even knowing who we are.  They are waiting for the sons of God to be revealed as the firstfruits who will replace the demonic regime that has plagued mankind for so long.

These firstfruits are pictured by this very day that we are keeping here, the Feast of Pentecost.  This pictures the rest of the firstfruits who will replace Satan’s regime.  Let’s go back to Leviticus chapter 23 and continue with that account of how to keep this holy day.

THE TWO WAVE LOAVES
This time we will start in verse 15, right where we left off in Leviticus 23 before.  “‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering:  seven Sabbaths shall be completed.  Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.  You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah.  They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven.  They are the firstfruits to the Lord.’”  These two loaves represent the firstfruits.  There are two loaves that are waved before God on this very day.

Continue reading Leviticus 23:18-22.  We are being told here that these loaves represent the people who are the firstfruits.  Jesus Christ has taken care of the other sacrifices, and the firstfruits also become living sacrifices, as we can read going back to I and II Peter.

We are living sacrifices.  We give ourselves to God to live in us and perform His work through the Church.  Jesus Christ, of course, took care of these other statutes.  We no longer have to sacrifice animals.  The system of the two loaves represents the two groups of God’s saints.  One came before Christ’s coming.  They are those who existed in what you would call the Old Testament record.  Then the firstfruits after Christ’s coming are represented by the second loaf.  They get waved as an offering to the Father on this very day, just as Jesus Christ was the wave sheaf offering during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

If you recall, this is picturing the replacing of Satan’s regime with these two loaves, and Satan’s regime, as Daniel 7 said, received the mortal wound in Revelation 13 but continues for a time.  It continues for a time, and during that time, the Church (the firstfruits) is tested.  It is tested very rigorously to examine the Church and the fruits that it will bear on an individual basis and as the whole loaf (the whole loaf that represents the Christian dispensation).

The spiritual intent of what these loaves mean is not only fascinating, but it is incredibly important to both the Church and the entire world.  Christ has qualified to replace Satan as King of kings, but the demons are still out there.  That system is still out there.  Satan still runs it.  Christ has qualified to replace Satan, and he has been thrown out of heaven.  He can no longer access heaven, but he is still here plaguing mankind and, of course, the Church.

If you remember, Leviticus 23:17 said the composition of these loaves will be brought from your dwellings.  In other words, from your homes you will bring the grain to make these loaves of bread.  We take our living sacrifices that we give to Jesus Christ from our homes (our physical homes and our bodies) to make a loaf.  There are many grains, as Christ says in the parable of the wheat and the sower that we covered in the sermon “Surviving the Drought.”  Many grains combine to bear fruit thirty, sixty and a hundred fold, and those grains get put into the loaf to be offered up as the firstfruits.  It takes many people working together and letting Christ live in them over this two thousand year period to accomplish this very important task.

These two loaves were leavened, if you recall.  We just read that in Leviticus because we are not without sin.  Leaven represents sin, and we studied that during the Days of Unleavened Bread.  So sinful people who are washed clean by Jesus Christ’s blood and His sacrifice and who go through with their commitment to be used by Him as part of the body of Christ form these loaves.  But we started as sinful people, and we still have sins. We are all working on them, but we still sin.  Therefore, these two loaves are made of leavened bread.  We should be attempting to put the leaven out of our lives, but none of us can do it perfectly.  We keep trying.

We want to identify these firstfruits in some other scriptures to get a more complete picture of who they are and what they are doing.  We just read Romans chapter 8.  It says the firstfruits are the sons of God that the world will be released into the liberty of.  The world will be cared for under their rulership.  That is part of the job of becoming a firstfruit. 

Please turn to Revelation chapter 14.  It tells us again who these firstfruits are.  Read Revelation 14:1-5.  That does not mean we live perfect lives.  We are not at fault if we allow Christ to cleanse us of our sins.  We continue to go to Him and repent of the things that we do, and we strive to overcome.  This is an amazing thing here.  These two loaves are representative of this group of 144,000 firstfruits.

Because ancient Israel had been given these statutes, we can understand this whole thing better.  Without their efforts and God’s word explaining what these holy days meant, we would never have been able to grasp why we are here today on Pentecost and what it all means.  We will not have been able to understand the Days of Unleavened Bread.  But because of their writings and their efforts that God, of course, inspired, we can understand what God is doing in a spiritual way.  It is something we cannot see.  We did not see these wave loaves get offered.  We did not see Christ’s wave sheaf get offered during the Days of Unleavened Bread, but we understand in our mind’s eye spiritually that is what is taking place today and fifty days ago.  It is very fascinating.

The Christian firstfruits represent the second loaf, and it has taken two thousand years to put this loaf together.  It is almost done.  It is not quite done.  It is not quite ready.  This day is picturing the day just in the near future when it will be ready, but it is not quite ready yet. This whole process started for that second loaf at the first Pentecost after Jesus Christ was killed and resurrected.  Go back to Acts chapter 2 and we will review that for just a moment.

Acts chapter 2 is the first Pentecost after Jesus Christ was resurrected.  Read verses 1-4. We could go through and cover all the miracles that happened that day, but we have done that several times in the recent past.  We won’t today.  Suffice it to say, at the beginning of the Christian dispensation, those present on that first day of Pentecost were filled with the Holy Spirit.  Great miracles were done because of the power that infused them because of the breath of life that came into them.  They were able to communicate in a whole new way to those around them.  They had the power to do so.  This is the beginning of the story of that second loaf of firstfruits.

Starting with that episode, we have entered this period of time now where we are counting through seven Church eras, seven times seven (the 49 weeks).  It is seven testing periods before we can finally enter the rest ourselves.  We are all groaning.  It said that in Romans 8 as well.  We are looking forward to Christ’s return.  We are looking forward to the abolition of this horrible Satanic regime that plagues us all and causes the suffering that everybody on earth endures.  We want this to come to a conclusion as well.

144,000 FIRSTFRUITS
Each Church era produces a number of firstfruits.  We do not know how many.  God knows how many, and He keeps track.  They are all registered by number.  God the Father will know when He has reached 144,000 firstfruits.

Turn to Hebrews chapter 12.  We will see that, indeed, there is a list kept in heaven, and God does keep track of this very important group of people that are going to help bring liberty to this poor world who needs help so desperately.  Go to Hebrews 12, verse 18: “For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.  (For they could not endure what was commanded: ‘And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.’  And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.’)”  That is at Mount Sinai when they received the law.  We have not come to Mount Sinai, but we have come to spiritual Mt. Zion.

Continuing in verse 22 of Hebrews 12:  “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels…” Remember the description in Daniel 7 of all of those angels that serve God the Father and now who are at Jesus Christ’s disposal.

Verse 23:  “…to the general assembly and church of the firstborn…”  This is the Church of the firstborn and those who are not born yet.  The word “firstborn” should read “first begotten.”  We will be firstfruits if we can attain to this registered number.

Continuing again in verse 23:  “… who are registered in heaven…”  This is a list that is kept very close track of. 

Continuing in the last half of verse 23:  “…to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”

We have to believe these words.  God inspired this.  There is a registered list in heaven, and we want to aspire to that list.  All who are called have an opportunity to be put on that list, but there is no guarantee that they will be put on that list, as we will see as we go along.

Turn back to I Corinthians chapter 9.  Perhaps we can understand just a little bit better now what it means to be in the race that Paul is talking about here.  I Corinthians 9, verse  24:  “Do you not know that those who run a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”  This is a real race.  Paul is not just filling the Bible with empty words.

Verse 25:  “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”  In other words, if we were running a physical race like the Olympics or the Boston Marathon, we would be temperate in all things.  We would maintain our bodies the best we could.  Spiritually we are to maintain ourselves as best as we possibly can to be fighting fit, as it were, to run this race with vigor.

LOSING OUR CROWN
Continuing in I Corinthians 9:26.  “Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight:  not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

That should teach us something, brethren.  Paul, the apostle who did so much in his day and who endured suffering, actually pens the words that he may be disqualified if he does not run this race with vigor, temperance and effort.  What is he talking about?  He is talking about the crown.  I do not believe he was writing that he would lose his salvation. He is after a crown because he wants to help by being one of the sons of God who relieve this world of the suffering of this demonic system that has brought so much pain and suffering to the earth.  He wants to be a part of the group of the registered saints.  That gives us a standard to look to.  If Paul was not sure at this point in his life, we had better not be so sure ourselves.  We had better run this race with vigor.

We also do not know how many people have striven for a crown and who have fallen short.  They have striven to be a firstfruit and did not make it.  There is a good guess as to what that number would be.  God says the first tenth is His.  The tithe is His.  We can take that as a mathematical formula.  If there are 144,000 and God keeps the first tenth for Himself, it would mean that there are at least 1.44 million people who have been called over the course of time to be a firstfruit.  It is a very large number.

Those who have fallen short do not necessarily lose their salvation, as I will show you in just a moment.  There are others, however, who do miss the boat entirely and lose their salvation.  It is a very small number.  We do not know what that number is.  We do not know the beginning from the end like God does, and He did not want us to know.  But there is a number, and I believe it is small.  It shows us how serious this race is.  We at least want to gain salvation, but we really want to be among those who help set this world at liberty during the Millennium.  Let’s go back a few pages now to I Corinthians chapter 3 to see that this is so.

Read I Corinthians 3:11-15.  If you were to continue, you would see that if some were to attack and destroy the temple of God, they can be destroyed.  But I do believe that is a small number.  Most of the people are going to make an attempt in this race.  Just like any race, when you watch a field of athletes run, only one crosses the finish line first.  Paul was after a crown.  It cannot be Christ’s crown.  Christ received that when He died and was resurrected.  There must be 144,000 separate crowns that these people are running for.

You can picture yourself in a race with a lot of people over this whole Church era that we are in.  We do not even know who all of these people were who were running for the particular crown that God set before us.  But we must run by developing holy righteous character and bringing our body into subjection.  By controlling this physical body, and by doing the physical things in life that are required of a person in such a race, we can build up enough character that God will say this person is of gold, silver and precious jewels.

If you were to make a heap on the floor here of gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw and set it on fire, what would happen?  The fire would consume the consumables.  If it was hot enough, it might melt the gold and silver, but it would not change the gold and silver.  It would actually only make it better.  It would refine it and make it purer.  But the wood, the hay and the straw would vanish and turn into ashes.  That is what God is saying about our character.  In this race we want to build character of gold, silver and precious jewels.  It is a marvelous analogy that God put in the Bible, so that we could understand the race we are in and what He is trying to do through human beings (through living stones).

The resurrection of the firstfruits is not going to be an entirely happy situation, because more than the 144,000 will be resurrected.  We know that, because all who have the Holy Spirit at death will be resurrected.  We will not dwell on this a lot right now, but let’s take a quick look at a scripture that will corroborate what I just said.

Turn to Daniel chapter 12.  The only reason we can believe it is because God wrote this. He had Daniel pen these words.  Daniel 12, beginning in verse 1:  “‘At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people [this is at the very end of the age]; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.  And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.’”  They will be registered as one of those saints or registered as someone who has received the Holy Spirit and has died with that Holy Spirit still within.

Continuing in verse 2:  “‘And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.’”  There we see in the resurrection some are resurrected to shame and everlasting contempt.

Continuing in Daniel 12:3.  “‘Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.’” Now we more fully understand why when the resurrection occurs, it says one is taken and one is left.  In the field that Paul was talking about (we did not read the whole set of scriptures in I Corinthians 3), we are the field that God is working and the building He is building.  During the resurrection, some do not go all the way up.  They do not go to become one of the firstfruits.  They do not become a firstfruit.  They may still have and obtain salvation.  Of course, we want to at least have that.  But let’s all strive to be a firstfruit.  It is a marvelous thing to understand first of all, and it is even a more marvelous thing if we should ever find ourselves in that position.  It is God’s decision.  Only God can measure our character and see who really has the most gold, silver and precious jewels. He says to us if we want to have a reward of rulership, we must become the greatest servant of all.  We will study that a little bit more as we go along.

Let’s go to Revelation chapter 2 and look at this test.  It is the testing of the saints. We are going to look at one particular Church era’s test.  We do not have time to look at all seven Church eras, but they were all tested.  The test was a little different in each case, and the message is a little different, tailored to that Church era.

 Let’s go to Revelation chapter 2:8.  “‘And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, “These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:  ‘I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who says they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.’”’”  He says I can see who the wheat and the tares are.  I know you apart.  I can tell.  But He says I know you have had a rough time, and it is not quite over, as we can see in verse 10.

Verse 10:  “‘Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.  Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.  [We have come to understand this is probably a ten year period when Diocletian was slaughtering Christians right and left in this particular Church era.]  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’”  That is the crown.  Each of those people going through that test had a crown before them.  He said if you are faithful until death, I will give it to you.  It shows you the high standard that these people had to attain to.

Verse 11:  “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’”  At the resurrection of the 144,000 they will have paid the price.  Many have sacrificed until the death.  All must love their lives less than death.  They must be willing to sacrifice themselves for others and give it all up if necessary.  But he who overcomes “shall not be hurt by the second death.”  What is He talking about?

At the resurrection when the entire group of saints is resurrected, and some cannot go all the way up, they still have to work on their character.  The second death still has some power over them.  If they were to fail by still trampling God’s temple and they still are hardhearted, they could lose their entire salvation.  It is very unlikely, and that is why it is such a small number.  God is so merciful and kind.

In our life now, if we reject the truth and the Holy Spirit, it is over.  The second death becomes very real for us.  It is a reality that we must face some day.  God is merciful.  He will not torture forever, but He will render judgment.  We will have made the decision.

We do not have time to read Matthew 25, the parable of the ten virgins, but we can certainly say that we want to be among the five wise.  Remember we were told in Daniel 12:1-3, the wise shall shine forever.  We want to be among the wise and not the foolish who gave up in the race and who let thorns grow up in their garden.  They stopped bearing fruit because of the cares of this world, or whatever the case may be.  We want to be among the small leavened number who wash by overcoming Satan and allowing Christ to live in them.  Wash ourselves clean with the water of the word.  We wash ourselves clean by claiming Christ’s blood.  It is the blood of the Lamb and His sacrifice that will clean us up, but we have to keep working.  We have to keep going to Him and repenting.

DO WE MEASURE UP?
What is God determining during this test period?  How can we look at ourselves in such a way to see if we are measuring up and to see how we are doing in our race?  There is a lot of information in the Bible to help with that, but the one place that seems to pull it all together in a very succinct fashion is Matthew chapter 5.

Let’s read Matthew chapter 5:1-13, the Beatitudes.  If you were to look that up, you would see that to lose your flavor means to be foolish or become foolish, useless as a preservative.

Continue reading verses 14-16. We want our good works to be seen.  There is a place for works.  Salvation is a free gift.  Eventually all mankind is going to be offered that gift, a crown you work for.  You work for it by being humble, meek, kind, gentle, peaceful, merciful and by developing character of gold, silver and precious jewels.

That group of people called the Church (those called, all who are begotten), get the same test, whether you are in the first Church era, the second, third, fourth, right up until the Church era we are in.  To become a firstfruit, it has these requirements.  You cannot get around it.  If you want to partake of the kingdom of God and have a reward, you must try to develop these qualities.  Humility is to be humble.  And to mourn is to mourn like Jesus Christ did. When He saw the multitudes and their suffering, He was moved to tears. 

There are several instances where Christ wept.  For instance, when He saw the pain and the sadness that the family was going through when Lazarus had died, we are told that He wept.  He wept when He looked upon the city of Jerusalem and knew what was going to happen to that city not too long after He died.  He knew that within a few years that city would be surrounded, and millions of people would be killed.  He knew the suffering that they would endure because they rejected Him.  He wept.  Christ was a tender man.  He was a kind man.  He was a peacemaker. Of course, He had the truth, and He wants to see who else hungers for the truth.

The test is also to see who will persevere under persecution and endure all manner of persecution for Christ’s name’s sake and for righteousness’ sake.  We were just told that.

The test is how much love do we have for others?  Do we love the truth, and will we endure until the end?  We are told the merciful will obtain mercy.  Isn’t that what we want?  Isn’t mercy the number one thing we want from God?  Don’t we want forgiveness? The question I ask is what are we willing to do to obtain mercy and forgiveness?  The gift of salvation is free, but to grow in these qualities that we just talked about requires of us mercy and forgiveness in humility (while being humble).

Pentecost is like saying those were the first to receive God’s mercy.  We are counting through 49 weeks, seven test periods, for those who are registered in heaven are the first on earth to receive God’s mercy.  That is a wonderful thing.  So actually the question then becomes do we turn around and extend mercy?  If Christ is in the forgiving business and Christ is merciful and He is looking at the qualities listed in Matthew 5, He wants to see if we extend mercy.  That is why it says those who are merciful will receive mercy.  To pass the test we must extend mercy and forgiveness to all we meet.  We become, in essence, vessels of mercy.  I want to contrast vessels of mercy with vessels of wrath, because we can also find ourselves vessels of wrath if we are not careful.

Turn to Romans chapter 9.  Here is a very interesting explanation that will help us today to measure ourselves.  Verse 14:  “What shall we say then?  Is there unrighteousness with God?  Certainly not!  For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’”

Of course, God is compassionate to everyone.  God will be offering mercy to everyone, so what is He saying here?  I offer firstfruit status to whomever I will.  The first people to receive mercy and compassion are the Father’s choice.  He draws them to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ picks from among them (those who are willing to make a covenant with Him).  God, the Father, says it is My job.  I determine who I will have mercy on and compassion for at this time.  It is not because of anything we did or deserve, that is for sure.

Verse 16 of Romans 9:  “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”  We were put in the race.  Yes, we agreed to it, but God picked us.  By His mercy and grace we are put in the race.

A HARD HEART
Continue reading verse 17 where he compares the situation we find ourselves in with the Pharaoh of Egypt.  “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’  Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.”  We will explain that in a minute.

Verse 19:  “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault?  For who has resisted His will?’  But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?  Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’  Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?  What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory…”

Does that mean that God condemned people before He even called them?  Of course not, God would not do that.  Was Pharaoh a hard man before he had his confrontation with Moses, or was he really a nice guy?  No, he was a hard man.  He was a hard man, so God said I will allow you to dwell in that hardness.  I will allow you to stay that way even though I do signs and wonders before you to prove My power.  But I am not changing you.  This is how you are.

The strongest man, under enough privation, under enough suffering, under enough torture, is going to bend to the will of the person inflicting the punishment.  God knew that.  When Pharaoh could go through all of that stuff and stay hard, God was saying I am going to just leave you as you are (as your heart is) so that I can show My power.  Then all people will understand that I have this power.  I extend mercy.  I can make a soft heart or not by pushing hard enough on you, but I am going to let you stay just as you are.  Your character will show forever.  Of course, we know Pharaoh will be offered salvation at some point in the proper resurrection.

What is God talking about here when we read about vessels for wrath and vessels for honor?  He is saying that when He, as the potter, calls clay, there are some who are very hard people.  They do not want to be merciful.  They do not want to be kind.  They want to hold grudges.  He says to show My power, I am going to allow some people to stay just the way they are.  I am not going to twist your arm until you have to be nice.  I want to see who wants to be nice.  But if God only called people who were kind and gentle (like Mother Theresa types), there would be no vessels of wrath in the Church.

God says I am going to call a number of people, and I am going to allow things to happen so that character can be developed.  It is a cooperative effort to become gold, silver, precious jewels, wood, hay or straw.  It has to be partly of free will.  What do we do with the knowledge that God has given us?  This is what He says.  I will make some vessels to honor and some to dishonor (another scripture says that).  Here He tells us I will even allow some vessels of wrath (as in Pharaoh’s day) to show what happens if we will not soften our hearts.

That word “harden” is interesting.  It is the Greek word skleruno, like sclerosis (hardening of the arteries).  It means to indurate, figuratively to render stubborn.  It is similar to the word skleros, which means warp like spinal scoliosis.  The bones form wrong.  God allows it to form wrong.  Also included in the meaning is winding and perverse, and it is related to the word skolops which means a thorn or a thistle or a tare.  Isn’t that interesting?  God is not going to twist our arm to make us become people of good character.

The definition of indurate, if you were to look it up in the dictionary, means to make hard or unfeeling.  God allows some people in the Church to be hard and unfeeling.  We have to ask ourselves this question.  Just how soft is our heart?  Do we extend mercy?  Do we forgive those who offend us?  Do we share out of our bounteous blessings?  Do we share with others?  Do we let grudges go, or do we hold on?  Do we care about the suffering in the world?  Do we want to help rule because we want the suffering to come to an end, or are we among those who condemn the world while uttering statements of harsh judgment.  Are we willing to watch so many billions of people suffer while we are safe or raptured or protected in some way?  Do we have that kind of a selfish attitude?

There is a cost to not doing these things.  We will call it the cost of counting offenses.  Turn, if you would, to Luke chapter 6.  There is a cost to this, and it can be our crown.  It can actually be worse than that.  Luke chapter 6 very plainly tells us not to judge, for how we judge we shall be judged.

Luke 6, verse 37:  “‘Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.’”

Of course, it goes on to talk about removing the plank in our own eye before we start criticizing others to take the speck out of theirs.  But we are measured back in judgment to the degree that we judge others.  To the measure that we give and share, God will freely give back to us.  It is very plain.  It is a mathematical formula we can count on.

Go back now to Matthew chapter 6.  In the model prayer starting in verse 9 Christ says this all again for us.  Many of us have said this prayer many times in our lives.  Read Mathew 6:9-15.  There is a cost to counting offenses and hanging on to them.  God wants to see how merciful, forgiving, kind, sharing and loving we are.  Or have we sclerosed inside?  Has our heart become like stone and very hard?

Let’s turn to Matthew 18.  Now with these observations we have just made, read the parable of the wicked unforgiving servant.  Matthew 18, verse 21:  “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?’”  He recognized some significance there with the number seven.

Verse 22:  “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’”  The life span of man is seventy in the Bible, up to eighty if you have strength.  So He is saying like up to seven lifetimes, which in the body of Christ is seven Church eras.  The body of Christ lived seven lifetimes since Jesus Christ came.  There were seven testing periods.  Individually up to seventy times seven, but also through the entire duration of the body of Christ you shall forgive.

Verse 23 of Matthew 18:  “‘Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owned him ten thousand talents.  But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.’”  This is someone who did not use their calling very wisely.  At the last minute, we will see what happens here.

Verse 26:  “‘The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, “Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii [this is a very tiny amount]; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, “Pay me what you owe!”  So this fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying “Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”  And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.  So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.  Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, “You wicked servant!  I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.  Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?”  And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.  So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’”

The torturers are representative of Satan and his demons.  Christ said I will turn you over to the wrath of Satan with no protection because you are a vessel of wrath.  Instead of being a vessel of mercy and compassion, you are a vessel of wrath.  As with Pharaoh, we can all learn from this example.  Christ put it in here for a very good reason.  These are His servants, His people, His called-out ones.  If it were not possible to be that hard, it would not be in here.  This is a very, very good warning for us to develop holy righteous character full of mercy, compassion and love.

LOVE COVERS SINS
I Peter chapter 4 is our final scripture.  I Peter 4, verse 7:  “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”  We can certainly say that today.  The end is closer than ever.  Continuing:  “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’”  We all have some shortcomings.  If we want them hidden on judgment day, instead of judging harshly, let’s be full of love for one another.  That will cover a multitude of our shortcomings.

Verse 9:  “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.  As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.  If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”

We need to develop these characteristics for our own protection, brethren:  humility, kindness, mercy, compassion and love, because those will cover a multitude of our shortcomings.  We will all have shortcomings on judgment day, guaranteed, because none of us are perfect.

We can see here, brethren, that the price of mercy is mercy.  The price of forgiveness is forgiveness.  Do not just count the days from Unleavened Bread to Pentecost, count the cost of Pentecost.