TRUMPETING THE NEW YEAR
SERMON STARTER
I received my first trumpet when I was 10 years old. It was an ancient silver trumpet that had seen its better days. To me, however, it was beautiful and amazing. Before I developed a lip to play songs on it, I blasted it as loud as I could. I don't know how my poor family stood up with it. To my delight it was at first a new way to make annoying noises.
Gradually, I learned diaphragm breathing and how to change the tones by tightening the buzz of my lips. (Think, blowing razz berries into the mouthpiece.) I learned at first to play simple songs and as time went on the songs I played were more and more complex.
Eight years and many practice hours later, I'm sure I drove my family and neighbors crazy. In High School I blew the Call to Colors at the morning flag raising services. I played Taps more than once for a fallen friend. I played in marching bands. The most memorable time I played the trumpet was at churches Lois and served both in our courtship and in marriage.
I played solos as Lois accompanied on the piano. My greatest compliment I ever received was from an elderly lady at Lois' church she grew up in. "You just SING with the trumpet."
As good as all that was nothing will compare to when you hear God's Heavenly Shofar's in the Eastern skies heralding His Second Coming. This morning we will be looking at one of the seven Holy Feasts of Israel, The Feast of Trumpets.
Pastor Phil <><<
September 9, 2018
Sheepfold Ministries - Pastor Phil Roland
TRUMPETING THE NEW YEAR
Rosh Hashana - The Jewish New Year 5779
Psalm 47:1-9 - Leviticus 23:23-37
"The blowing of the shofar is a call to deep reflection about our treatment of others, and repairing these relationships, conviction, repentance, healing and permanent, personal change." Pastor Phil Roland <><<
There are seven Holy Feasts in Ancient Israel:
1. Feast of Passover 4. Pentecost (Feast of Weeks)
2. Feast of Unleavened Bread 5. Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana)
3. Feast of Firstfruits 6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippor)
7. Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) (Sukkot)
DAYS OF AWE, Fall 2018
Rosh Hashana Sep 10-11, 2018 M-Tu The Jewish New Year
Yom Kippur Sep 19, 2018 W Day of Atonement
Sukkot Sep 24-25, 2018 M-Tu
Feast of Tabernacles - Sep 26-30, 2018 W-Su
SOUNDS OF THE SHOFAR
When the Shofar is blown on Rosh Hashana, three different types of noises are sounded.
The 1st is a “teki’ah.” This sound is one long continuous burst.
The 2nd sound is called a “shevarim.” It consists of three shorter blasts.
The 3rd sound is the “teruah.” The teruah is a set of nine short bursts of sound, a staccato blast.
I. THE SHOFAR IS BOTH THE END AND THE BEGINNING
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." Revelation 1:10-11
A. Shofar sounding marks the end of the Hebrew year , 5778
1. Last of the Year
2. Trumpets / Shofars are linked to the End of the Age
B. Shofars usher in the Day's of Awe
1. Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana)
2. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippor)
3. Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) (Sukkot)
C. Is God tuning up His Heavenly Shofars for His Soon Coming?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XaPOpYhK_o
TRUMPETING THE NEW YEAR, cont. p.2
II. THE SHOFAR IS GOD'S CALL TO REPENTANCE - Acts 3:19
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,
A. God's Call to Repentance is always the same
1. Self-Examination
2. Open Confession
B. The Lord's Table is an Open Table - 1 Corinthians 11:28
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1. Have You Invited Christ into Your Life?
2. Are You Walking Daily in the Light of His Teachings?
C. To be ready for Jesus Coming we must be a Holy People
17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." 2 Corinthians 6:17
1. Piety is putting on holiness like a garment
2. Piety is External Religion
3. God is calling His People to a Piety of the Heart
4. Piety of the Heart is Internal
D. Listen to the Shofar's Call to Repentance and DO IT!
1. Repentance in Judaism was once Annually
2. Repentance in Christianity is frequent at the point of sin
III. THE SHOFAR IS GOD'S WARNING - Joel 2:1,12,13
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand: 12 "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
A. Danger is approaching as Society plunges into more Sin
1. Church leaders: Pastors and Priests fallen into debauchery
2. Jesus warned about the defilement of children
3. Murder of babies / Abortion
4. More than 60 Million since Roe vs Wade in 1962
B. Israel was judged for ignoring the prophets' warnings
1. They tortured and killed their prophets
2. Their crime: Mixing worship of the Most High God w/Baal
V. THE SHOFAR IS THE BATTLE CRY OF ALARM - Psalm 47:5
5 God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
A. Shofars were used in Battlefield Communication
1. They were God's "Walkie-Talkies"
TRUMPETING THE NEW YEAR, cont. p.3
2. The Shofar cried out, "Get Ready! Threats are coming!"
3. Secure your cities, barricade your walls, lock your doors!
B. War is Imminent, Put on your Spiritual Armament! - Eph. 6:11
1. Put on the Whole Armor of God
2. Belt of Truth
3. Breastplate of Righteousness
4. Feet shod w/the Gospel of Peace
5. Shield of Faith
6. Helmet of Salvation
7. Sword of the Spirit / Word of God
VI. THE SHOFAR IS THE CALL TO WAR - Zephaniah 1:14-16
14 The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers.
A. Messiah will Return and fight with us in a Great Final Battle
1. Battle of Armageddon
2. We will overcome
B. Watch and be Ready - Matthew 24:42
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
C. That's the Christian Message of the Shofar
https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2016/01/29/sound-of-the-shofar/
TRUMPETING THE NEW YEAR
PSALM 47:1-9 (To be read 7X in Jewish Households)
1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2 For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet.
4 He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.
TRUMPETING THE NEW YEAR
LEVITICUS 23:23-37
23 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of 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.' "
26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
27 "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.
28 And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29 For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.
30 And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
31 You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."
33 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
34 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.
35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it.
36 For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.
37 These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QueCP4a8F9k
Jonathan Kahn - The Mystery of the Shofar
Leviticus 11:44 (NKJV)
44 For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
Leviticus 19:1-2 (NKJV)
1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
Leviticus 20:7 (NKJV)
7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.
JEWISH NEW YEAR 5779
Rosh Hashana begins the Fall High Holy Days of Israel
Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
SOUNDS OF THE SHOFAR
When the Shofar is blown on Rosh HaShana, three different types of noises are sounded.
The first is a “teki’ah.” This sound is one long continuous burst.
The second sound is called a “shevarim.” It consists of three shorter blasts.
The third sound is the “teruah.” The teruah is a set of nine short bursts of sound, a staccato blast.
Tekiah
Teruah
The Gemora in Rosh HaShana tells us that these later two sounds are meant to sound like crying: “. . . drawing a long sigh. . . uttering short piercing cries.” The Ben Ish Chai writes that these sounds are meant to contrast with the tekiah. The tekiah, he explains, is a sound of triumph and joy, while the shevarim and teruah are sounds of pain and suffering. Because of the opposing feelings they represent, when one blows the shofar, he is not to connect the tekiah with the others, by blowing the sounds with the same breath.
Why do we have both sounds of joy and sounds of sorrow emitted from the Shofar? The Ben Ish Chai explains by means of a story. A man had a ring specially made for him. Upon this ring, he had engraved the words “This, too, will pass.” If he were troubled and in pain, he would look at his ring and remember that the suffering would eventually end. This thought comforted him. During times of happiness and comfort, he would gaze at the ring as well. He would realize that his wealth and good fortune could change for the worst in an instant. Good times are not forever. He would recognize that there was no reason to become conceited and haughty over circumstances which were beyond his control and could turn adverse without any warning. This ring reminded the man that all in his life had to be put in perspective, and that one should live his life neither complacent nor despondent.
The tekiah, the first sound, is a sound of joy and happiness. Immediately after we hear the long exultant blast, we hear the shevarim and teruah. These are both sounds of sadness, pain and suffering. The stark contrast between these sounds is intentional. We are supposed to remember while listening to the shofar that we cannot forget G-d during times of contentment, and we cannot let our egos swell from our achievements. Success can quickly turn into failure. Only with G-d’s help did we prosper, and only with G-d’s help will we continue to do so. However, upon hearing the sorrowful sound of the Shofar, we should not think that in times of suffering G-d has forsaken us. We should not become depressed and despondent. Right after these blasts, we sound a tekiah again, to signify that G-d is there, and in His mercy will help us return to a state of jubilation again.
Rosh Hashanah 2014: 9 Facts To Know About The Jewish New Year
Sundown Wednesday marks the first night of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish religion’s official New Year. Rosh Hashanah, meaning “head of the year” or “first of the year,” is one of the religion’s holiest holidays. Ahead of the holiday Wednesday night, here are nine need-to-know facts:
History
Rosh Hashanah occurs in either September or October, always on the first day of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, according to History.com. The holiday is a commemoration of God’s creation of the world.
Days of Awe
Similar to the way individuals celebrate New Years Eve on Jan. 1, those observing Rosh Hashanah also use the holiday to reflect and plan for changes in the coming year. This occurs during the Days of Awe or Days of Repentance and comes from the concept God has a “book of life” in which one is inscribed for either a good or bad year. Followers believe actions during the days of repentance can alter God’s verdicts.
Casting off
So how does one repent for wrongdoing? One of the holiday's most popular traditions is tashlikh, an act also known as casting off. Using a creek, river or any flowing body of water, individuals are invited to “empty their pockets” by throwing bread into the water on the first afternoon of the holiday.
Torah name differs
Despite Rosh Hashanah being considered one of the Jewish religion's most important holidays, the name “Rosh Hashanah” is not used in the Torah. The holiday is instead referred to as Yom Ha-Zikkaron, which means the Day of Remembrance, or Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar.
The Schofar
The shofar, made from the horn of a ram, is a trumpet originally used to summon troops to battle. The sounding of the instrument is said to be a call to repent and a musical reminder that “God is King.” During Rosh Hashanah, the shofar blower is required to play four sets of notes: tekiah, the shevarim, teruah and tekiah gedolah.
No work allowed
As with most religious high holidays, Judiasm expresses the importance of observing Rosh Hashanah with contemplation and does not permit working. Devout members of the Jewish religion spend a large portion of the holiday in synagogue.
Festive meal
Judiasm observers participate in seudat yom tov, also known as a festive meal. The meal, celebrated with friends and family, begins with a customary lighting of the candles and usually includes eating challah, an egg bread, dipped in honey. Another symbolic food is apples dipped in, you guessed it, honey. The use of honey reportedly signifies the year ahead will be sweet.
Symbolic sayings
Instead of wishing Judiasm observers a "Happy New Year," consider uttering the appropriate phrase “L’shana tovah” which roughly translates to the same meaning. If you want to expand on your greeting, say, “L’shana tovah u’metukah” which means have a “good and sweet year.” Another usable phrase is “L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem,” which translates to “may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”
End with Yom Kippur
The Days of Awe ends with the beginning of another Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur. The holiday, known as the Day of Antonement, begins on the evening of Friday, Oct 3, this year. It ends the following night, Oct. 4, following a 26-hour fast.
http://www.ibtimes.com/rosh-hashanah-2014-9-facts-know-about-jewish-new-year-1693745
L'shana Tova or 'a good year'
EIGHT THINGS YOU WON’T SEE IN HEAVEN
Heaven is so heavenly that it’s often hard for earthly creatures to understand what it will really be like. That’s why the Bible often describes heaven in terms of what will not be there. For example, the last two chapters of the Bible tell us eight things that will not be there:
1. No Sea (Rev. 21:1): Does not necessarily mean that there will literally be no sea. Rather “sea” is a common biblical metaphor for the storms of life, the mysteries of life, and the barriers and distances that separate us in life.
2. No Tears (21:4): Why? Verse four tells us, there will be no more pain or death. Imagine, we will never cry or hear a cry ever again.
3. No Temple (21:22): “Yes! No churches!!” says an unbeliever. But it’s no churches because everything is church; everything and everywhere is worship. Here we often experience churches without God. There we will experience God without churches. How? Because “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
4. No Sun or Moon (21:23): Again, not necessarily literal but a biblical symbol for time. No more time pressure, no more stress of having too much to do and too little time to do it. No sun and no moon also means no shadows, no fluctuations in life, no ups and downs. How can this be? “For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”
5. No Locked Gates (21:25): Because no threats and no thieves. All is at peace and all is at rest. Perfect and total security.
6. No Night (21:25): Meaning, no ignorance. The smallest child in heaven knows more about God than the greatest theologian on earth. No night also means no spiritual drowsiness and sleepiness.
7. No Sin (21:27): All the causes, acts, and effects of sin will be abolished. Impossible to even think a sinful thought.
8. No Curse (22:3): Not just no curses from men and women. Also, no evidence or experience of any curse of God on us or the environment. Because Christ became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13), not one atom in us or our new world will have any trace of the divine curse.
These eight things will not be there.
The question is, will you be there?
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