The Night to be Much Observed

The speaker is discussing the importance of observing a special night to the Lord, which refers to the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 15. They emphasize that God keeps every word He says He will do and that the night is to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations. They compare the calling to come out of Egypt with the calling to come out of spiritual Egypt, which is referred to as Babylon the Great in Revelation 18. They stress the significance of the calling and explain that it is part of God's purpose and grace, given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time. The speaker emphasizes the importance of living a godly life, keeping God's commandments, and being separate from the world. They also mention the importance of the Sabbath and Holy Days and the fact that keeping them sets us apart. They conclude by referencing Jesus' prayer in John 17, where he discusses being given men out of the world and the importance of keeping God's word. Greetings, brethren, welcome to the night to be much observed unto the Lord. Why do we keep this night? Now, things come around in circles, and people even within the church are beginning to say, well, we don't need to keep the days in the Old Testament. But they still keep the Sabbath. Now, you figure that one. This day is a special day because we know that it refers to the covenant that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 15. And God is a God who keeps every word that He says He's going to do. Now, I've already explained in detail how Genesis 15 figures into this and how we get the 430 years. So, I'm not going to go into a detailed explanation of that. But let's read it here in Exodus 12 and verse 40. Exodus 12 and verse 40. Now, the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt was 430 years. This ended the 430 years, which began with Genesis 15, verse 39. And they could not stay neither had they prepared any food for themselves for the journey. Now, verse 41. And it came to pass at the end of 430 years. There it is right there. It was even on the very same day. On that very same day. Well, 430 years refers back to when the covenant was made with Abraham. And on that day that God made the pledge that they would come out. That's when He gave the promise. So, here it is being fulfilled literally. All the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed to the Lord. Now, there's some people who said, well, this is done because one of the apostles of one of the churches of God said that we're to keep it. But we don't have to keep it. How do you answer that? What did Jesus say? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Correct? And if there are any changes in anything, only God can make those changes. So, you take on that. Now then, what does this say? It is a night to be much observed to the Lord. It's to God. In bringing them out from the land of Egypt, this is that night of the Lord to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations. Well, now, guess what? The church is spiritual Israel, and all of those who are Christ and have been baptized into Christ, they are the ones who are also the spiritual seed of Abraham. Now, referring to taking the children out of the land of Egypt, let's turn back a few pages here to Exodus the sixth chapter, and we will see that God always remembers his covenant. Now, the ones who forget it are people. Verse two, Exodus six. And the Lord spoke to Moses and said, I am the Lord. And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty. But I was not known to them by my name Jehovah, or Y-H-B-H in the Hebrew. And I have established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. He's remembered them. And I've also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians are keeping in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. So that whole ceremony there that we have in Genesis 15 is a covenant. Now, we've already explained what a covenant is, so let's do this. Let's look at what it is for us today in keeping the night to be much observed. And this is something that we need to understand. Today, we don't have Egypt like it was back then, but we have Babylon. Okay? So, let's come to Revelation 18. Revelation 18. So we go from one end of the Bible to the other end of the Bible, okay? Revelation 18. Now, here's where we are today. And God tells us to do something. Very similar to coming out of Egypt, we're to come out of spiritual Egypt, which is also called Babylon the Great. And the city of Jerusalem in Revelation 11 is called Sodom and Egypt. So you see it all connects together. Let's pick it up here in verse 1, Revelation 18. And after these things I saw an angel descending from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. Now then, you look at what God has said of Egypt, okay? Compare the two. So just as God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, so his calling for us to come out of the world is also based upon the covenant that God made with Abraham in Genesis 15, which is the stars of heaven. Meaning, the spiritual sons and daughters of God. So God calls us out of this world. We know how it starts, right? God is the one who draws us. God is the one who brings us to Christ. God is the one who brings us to repentance, okay? Now, let's look at this and see how important that our calling is. Let's come to 1 Corinthians 7. And let's see what it is called. Very important. Part of eternal life. And always remember this. Every word of God is true. Every word of God will be fulfilled and carried out completely. 1 Corinthians 7 and verse 17. Let each one walk only as God has appointed to him according as the Lord has called him. And this is what I commanded in all the churches. So we have all been called. A holy calling. Now let's look and see when God planned this fantastic calling for us. Okay? Let's come to 2 Timothy, the first chapter. Now brethren, this is always important to remember. Because this is tremendous. Because God has called us to the most important thing that's going on in the world. The conversion and preparation of the people of God to rule the world under Christ when he returns. And this plan of God was started way before. Way before there was, as we will see, the ages of time. But I want to emphasize saving us and calling us. Because when we answer the call, then we repent and we're baptized and now we grow in grace and knowledge and understanding of the Lord. That's all this preparation for the return of Jesus Christ. All in preparation so that we can be prepared to help rule the world under Jesus Christ. And you look at the world the way that it is and see what a fantastic calling that God's calling is. Verse 8. Therefore, you should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. But jointly suffer with me for the sake of the gospel according to the power of God. Now notice that. God's power is right there with us. Now notice how he explains it in verse 9. Who has saved us. We're saved from Satan the devil. We're saved from the world and we are saved from death by the power of the first resurrection. And called us with a holy calling. Holy. From God. Himself. God the Father. Jesus Christ. With the Spirit of God. And see, they are teaching us as we come out of this world, how we need to be to help Him rule. That's what's important. But according to His own purpose and grace. Now think on that. We're a part of God the Father and Jesus Christ's personal purpose and grace. And when you think of all the billions of human beings that there have been down through history. That's quite a thing to understand. And God hasn't chosen the rich. He hasn't chosen the important. He hasn't chosen the wise. To the rest of the world we're foolishness. But to God we have been called to be His sons and daughters. But according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time. See, so God had it all planned out and worked out. And He calls us that we come out of the world. How do we come out of the world? Okay. And first of all, let's come back here and just turn a couple of pages over to Titus the first chapter. And we will see what this calling is for. Now this is amazing. And isn't it interesting that the phrase before the ages of time are in the last two epistles that Paul wrote. We don't find it in the early epistles. We find some of it in Ephesians the third chapter and in Colossians the first chapter. But not expressly like this. Okay. Let's pick it up in verse one, Titus one. Call a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect. Now think on that. And that means selected. Think on that. How important are you to God? So important that He selected you. And the knowledge of the truth. And that's what it has to be for all of us and everything. The truth always. That is according to godliness in the hope of eternal life. There it is right there. To be in the family and kingdom of God. Which God who cannot lie promised before the ages of time. Now that's something to think of. Okay. So God has called us out. He wants us to change and grow. So it's expressed in this way by Jesus himself. We are in the world, but not of the world. And what separates us from the world? Number one, the Spirit of God. Number two, the Sabbath and Holy Days of God. And the fact that we keep them. And that's what sets us apart. Now let's come back here to 1 Thessalonians, the second chapter. Okay. Verse 12, 1 Thessalonians 2. Verse 12, and earnestly testifying that you may walk worthily of God. Now how do you walk worthily of God? Number one, keeping His commandments. Number two, having His Spirit and using His Spirit to change, to grow, to overcome. And to be studying and praying and living our lives worthily of God. Who is calling you to His own kingdom and glory. Think of that. God Himself. Now let's come to John 17 and let's see what Jesus said about our calling and about the world. In verse 5, and this was Jesus' prayer on the Passover night before He was arrested. Verse 5, and now Father, glorify me with your own self, with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I've manifested your name to the men you have given me out of the world. Notice, out of the world. They were yours and you have given them to me and they have kept your word. Now think about that. Everything that comes from God initiates with God the Father. Okay. And now they have known that all things that you have given me are from you. For I have given them the words that you gave to me. And they have received them and truly have known that I came from you and they have believed that you did send me. I'm praying for them. I'm not praying for the world. But for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. Now think about that with your calling and way of keeping the night. Much to be observed to the Lord is important. Because it shows we belong to God the Father through Jesus Christ. Now continuing, Jesus says, all mine are yours and all yours are mine and I have been glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world. So we're still here in the world, right? And I'm coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name. How are we kept in the Father's name by God? By loving God, by keeping His commandments, by observing the Sabbath, by observing the holy days. And the night much to be observed is part of a holy day. The 15th day of the first month. So that they may be one even as we are one. When I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. I protected those whom you have given me and not one of them has perished except the son of perdition in order that the scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I'm coming to you and these things I am speaking while yet in the world. That they may have my joy fulfilled in them. I've given them your words and the world has hated them because they're not of the world just as I am not of the world. Yes, we're in the world, but we're not of the world because we don't do things the way the world does. I do not pray that you would take them out of the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. That's something, it says in Colossians, the first chapter, that God the Father rescues us from Satan the devil. Now you think on that. You look back on your life and everything you've gone through and when you were called and baptized and up to this point. And think on that. God the Father is right there with you all the way. Sanctify them. Make them holy. Here is how we're not part of the world. Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is the truth. That's how we're not part of this world. So just as God called the children of Israel and brought them out of the land of Egypt from that evil satanic place, from the oppression and sin that they were suffering under there, and brought them out to fulfill his promise to Abraham. On that very night that he gave the promise, 430 years later it happened. Now then, God's promise coming to us comes on an individual basis as he calls us. So we are to not be part of this world as we started. Come out of the world my people. This Babylon the Great. And in Revelation 17 we are called by John in a message that was given to him by Jesus. The world is going to fight Christ and us and it says of us, we are the called, the chosen, and the faithful. And so that's why this night, to be much observed unto the Lord, is mightily important for us to remember and do. Have a wonderful night, a great meal, and see you tomorrow on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.