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Sermon: Let Him Who Glories Glory in This (Part One)
Proclaiming God's Holy Convocations
#1894B
Mark Schindler
Given 19-Sep-26; 32 minutes
2026-09-19
summary: Leviticus 23 reveals that God's Holy Days are not merely appointments to attend but sacred times to be actively proclaimed and observed. The call to "proclaim" and gather in "holy convocations" points to both public worship and personal transformation. Hebrews 10:24-25 emphasizes the importance of assembling with fellow believers, while Isaiah 58 connects proclaiming God's holy time with repentance and delighting in His ways. True observance goes beyond outward religious practice; as Jeremiah 9 and Romans 2-3 emphasize, knowing God and obeying Him must involve the heart. Malachi 4 and Mark 1 likewise connect repentance with preparation for God's Kingdom. God's people are therefore called not simply to attend holy gatherings, but to live transformed lives that reflect His character and proclaim His glory while looking forward to His Kingdom.
transcript:
A couple of weeks ago, as Ronnie Graham began his sermon, he asked a question that was very close to the way I'd already decided to open this sermon on the last weekly Sabbath before atonement. Ronnie asked, why are you keeping the Feast of Tabernacles? But my question to you today is a bit more expansive. Although I think Ronnie's message clearly went beyond just the Feast of Tabernacles and addressed the same question, we will begin with today. Why are you keeping all of God's holy days? Keeping in mind Ronnie's reminder that God is very concerned about specifics. Please turn with me to Leviticus 23, and we are going to pick up right at the beginning of the chapter. We'll start here because I want to pick up one possibly overlooked dynamic component that I think God may have carefully placed here, has repeated twice, is our responsibility when seriously keeping all of God's holy days as God expects. Leviticus 23. And versus 1 through 4. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, The feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocation. These are 5 feasts. 6 days shall work be done, but the 7th day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim. At their appointed times. God commands to Moses to tell all of Israel, these are my feasts, and it is your responsibility to declare them to be holy in the times I have appointed. We clearly know that God has set apart very specific holy times, but in my opinion, I think we miss a very subtle command from Him to those He has called to work with Him as bright lights in a dark world. I think this ties right in pretty well with what Brian had said about how we consider using our second tie. There are 2 issues that we need to address, address here, and I think 1 may be more obvious than the other. They have to do with the words proclaim and convocations. We'll begin with what I think will be the more obvious of the two. All who have been keeping God's holy days over the years should understand this a little bit more clearly. The word convocations. First of all, I want to be clear. God's word clearly establishes that during the whole period of time, God has declared as holy and set apart. We are to have a very specific periods of time. Within those holy days were formal assemblies where we come before God together to worship Him. and for formal instruction and unity. Drop down to Leviticus 23:35. We read, on the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it for 7 days. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the 8th 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. Here within God's holy day instruction chapter, it's pretty obvious that we have been, we are to have a sacred assembly on these holy days. These two verses, of course, They're only a sample of what we find regarding these important assemblies during God's set apart days that we can see through God's word when we add line upon line and precept upon precept. We must not neglect coming together before him in a formal setting for worship and teaching. This is a vital part of keeping God's holy days. God is very specific about the importance of this. It's stated in Hebrews 10:24-25. We need to look at this and you can turn there if you'd like, but I'll be reading those verses as they are written in Doctor Moss's favorite, the Amplified Bible, where it tells us, Hebrews 10:24. And let us consider thoughtfully how we may encourage one another to love in good deeds, not forsaking, meeting together as believers for worship and instructions, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day of Christ approaching. And of course, when we gather together, where God has placed His name for the whole 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles, we can tie this principle of specific daily meetings for worship and instruction as part of our privileged responsibility during those, those days. There is a call to formal assemble. With God's whole within God's wholly appointed time for worship and instruction. If we do, then we are, if we do not, then we are forsaking a very specific responsibility and ultimately polluting God's holy time, muddying the waters by following our own ways. You know, I'd, I'd, I'd like to give a short story here. We were in worldwide at the Feast of Tabernacles, we happened to be in Saint Petersburg that year, and at the same time, During one of the weekly days of the Peace of Tabernacles, there is going to be a space shuttle launch. And I was standing talking to a fellow I know, a very fine man, who's still in the church to this day, but he told me, he said, I'm not going to be at service tomorrow cause I'm going to go the 90 miles across the peninsula of Florida to Cape Canaveral, so I can see the space shuttle launch. Brethren, it really bothered me because I was thinking to myself, you're never going to have the opportunity that God has given you. To that tomorrow to hear his word specifically tailored for you. But he went anyway and it's a decision we all make things like that that are not necessarily good at the time. The interesting thing is that I was working the parking lot crew. At the Bayfront Center, 90 miles away, and when the space shuttle was launched, I saw it clear as day, 90 miles across, lighting up the sky, the trailing smoke behind it. So I still got to be there and do the launch, but perhaps it was not the best decision for that man, but I'm sure he's thought about it over the years. But brother and I'd like for us to consider a very important extension today. What God wants us to see, as stated most clearly in Leviticus 23:3 where we read, 6 days shall work be done, but the 7th day is the Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it. It's the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. Drop down to verse 8. During the Days of Unleavened Bread. On the 14th day of the 1st month, twilight is the Lord's Passover, and the 15th day of the month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And in verse 8 we read, but you shall make an offering made by fire to the Lord. The 7th day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it. Down to verse 24. And the feast of trumpets. We read, Speak to the children of Israel, saying in the 7th month, on the 1st day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Down in verse 27 in the Day of Atonement, coming up the day after tomorrow. Also, the 10th day of the 7th month shall be a Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you. And down in verse 37 We These are the feasts of the Lord. which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations. I think after years of keeping God's holy days, most of us recognize this. But why is it so important in the opening of Leviticus 23 instructions to his elect who are keeping these days that God has made a reference to this and how we should be keeping them? We spent a bit of time considering that holy convocations are most specific, certainly specific times during each of God's appointed feasts when we must come together for worship and instruction. But right here in the opening verses of Leviticus 23, we also must note a vital direction God is giving to his elect in proclaiming the holy convocations as God sees the entirety of the time. He is set apart in this world. Each time we rehearse them in line with what God expects from those who are diligently striving to fulfill our part in His great gift to become holy as He is holy, we change the direction of our lives for the better. Away from the kingdoms of this world to the direction in line with the kingdom of God. This is where the other word proclaim comes in as a major dynamic component of our responsibility that we are made just glossed over. I specifically use the word dynamic because by definition, it means something characterized by much activity and vigor, especially in bringing about change. Brethren, we cannot call anything holy, that God is not sanctified, but here, he gives each of us a dynamic part in working with Him in a way that involves something that needs to be done with great vigor as we proclaim His holy convocations and our growing unity with God and one another for all the world to see. And this requires something from us that distinctly sets us apart from the ways of the world for God's glory. We're going to get into this most important aspect for the God's glory in a few minutes. But God is actually giving us a unique opportunity right now to share in His glory through the way we keep and use His holy convocations to understand and know Him better every time we keep them. Which will be evident through our individual proclamation of his days. As Ryan said, as you mature in life, You begin using your second tithe in a way that proclaims. That use of his tithe for his honor and glory. That word proclaim is kra. It's Q A R A in the Hebrew and it appears over 730 times in the Old Testament and it's variously translated for 30 different words including called, call, call, cried, read, proclaimed, proclaimed, etc. etc. But as one of the word studies I noted, It is a verb meaning to call, to declare, to summon, to invite, to read, to be called, to be invoked, to be named. The verb means to call, summon, or proclaim, depending on the context and the surrounding grammatical setting that determine the various shades. Of the meaning given to the word. Most commentaries note that here in Leviticus 11 through 4, its usage only means calls to a meeting, indicating that on the feast day, our primary responsibility is to call for a physical meeting. But brethren, I think there is a lot more here that God is giving us. Than to have the ministry set up at meeting times within days with our only individual responsibility to be attending in unity, although, as I said, that is an important part of keeping the days God has commanded. But he's actually shown us, showing us we have a very active part right now within the body of Christ to vigorously proclaim His glory before the whole world when we keep His holy days. As he intends, as we come to better understand him, his plan, and his purpose for all mankind as we become holy, as he is holy, looking forward to the kingdom of God on Earth and throughout the universe. With the growing understanding he graciously gives us, we become lights in a dark world and a delight to Him. With that in mind, we keep God's holy days as he intends they actually become a focus for us on repentance. And by repentance, I mean focus on change from what had we had formerly been and believed as part of this world to what God wants each of us to become. With ever growing understanding for his glory. I'd like to give you an example of what I mean. I'm going back to Ronnie Graham's key verse in Isaiah 58 a few weeks ago. Well we can we receive. This proclaiming God's holy convocation in the act. If you'll turn with me please back to Leviticus or to Isaiah. 58 And those Horses that Ronnie used. At the end of Isaiah 58. Verse 13, Isaiah 58 and 13. If you turn away your foot from keep the Sabbath from doing your pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight. The holy day, Lord, honorable. And shall honor him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words. Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth and feed with you. Feed you with the heritage of Jacob, your father. This mouth of the Lord has spoken. Brethren, when we turn That word in Hebrews in Isaiah 58:13, call. Where it says call the Sabbath of delight. It was Cora. QARA, the same word is proclaimed. Brethren, when we turn away our foot as we see our need to repent, to change, as we grow in learning and living God's holy Sabbath time, as God would have it according to the letter and the spirit of the law, we become brighter lights in a dark world. As we work with God to continue to change the direction. For the perfection that is in Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God, for His glory. When we continually move closer to God, vigorously proclaiming his feast as a delight in our changing life, we see verse 14 as translated in the Good News Bible where it reads, Then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honored above all, all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave your ancestors, Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken. God-willing, we are going to spend quite a bit of time in the next sermon at the feast considering that last phrase and how that phrase relates to the kingdom of God and how it applies to our walk toward the kingdom of God right now. We're amid God's fall holy days, one week past the feast of trumpets and just days away from atonement. Both of which are clearly focused on aspects of the incredible work of the word of God to complete the plan to put all things under the Father for His glory. Pieces of this marvelous work, as well as our responsibilities in it, were clearly expounded on by Bill, Martin, Clyde, and Richard. Last week in their meet and do season messages on the feast of trumpets, and if you remember, each of them had to do with repentance. The change that must be going on right now. It is this constant change toward what we must become in perfect alignment with Jesus Christ that is part of our proclaiming God's holy convocation. So it is at this point before we go on, I'd like us to turn to what I hope We will eventually see the as the anchor scripture for the series of sermons, I will be giving, God-willing, today, then on the 2nd and 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Well, remembering it is the Son of God's work to put all things under the Father to His for His glory, please turn with me to Jeremiah 9. Jeremiah 9 Well, we are going to begin in Jeremiah 9:1 with Jeremiah's laments. Followed immediately by God in, in verse 3 by God's own words Himself. Jeremiah 9:1. Oh, that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slaying of the daughter of my people. Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging place for travelers. That I might Leave my people and go from there, for they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. And then God says, And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the Lord. Everyone take heed to his neighbor and do not trust any brother, for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanderers. Everyone will deceive his neighbor and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit. Through deceit they refuse to know me, says the Lord. Behold, I will refine them and try them, for how shall I deal with the daughter of my people? Their tongue is an arrow shot out. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in wait. Shall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord. Shall I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? Down to verse 13, and the Lord said, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voice, nor walked according to it. But they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts after the bells which their fathers have taught them. Brethren, this is the way of the world. That is clearly stuck in the stony hearts of God's physical Israel that refuse to faithfully change direction away from the existing kingdoms of this world. Hold your finger there And let's remind ourselves what God tells us through the apostle Paul of these people, and a warning all of God's elect need to take heart. Please turn with me to Romans 2, for we are going to break into Paul's argument regarding circumcision of the flesh. And circumcision of the heart through Jesus Christ. Romans 2:25. Through chapter 3 verse 4, and I'm going to be reading this from the amplified again. All right, circumcision, the sign of the covenant of Abraham, is indeed of value if you practice the law, but if you habitually break the law, your circumcisions become uncircumcision. It's meaningless in God's sight. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded by God as circumcision? Then who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the spirit of the law will judge you who, even though you have written code and circumcision, break the law, for he is not a real Jew who is only of the outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external or physical. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and true circumcision is circumcision of the heart by the Spirit, not by the fulfillment of the letter of the law. His praise is not from men but from God. Romans 3:1. Then what is the advantage to being a Jew? What is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God, His very words. What then? If some did not believe or were unfaithful to God, their lack of belief will not nullify and make invalid the faithfulness of God in His word, will it? Certainly not. Let God be found true as He will be, though every person be found a liar. I wanted us to read this because this is a distinct warning right here for us. God makes it clear to the apostle Paul that only those who were circumcised in the heart and were working at keeping the letter of the law in the spirit of the law were those who were finding favor. Of God and actually diligently living for his honor and glory. Romans 3 should stand as a warning to any chosen of God, spiritual or physical. We could merely be faithfully going through the motions of the letter of the law and only be keeping God's holy days. Without the vigorous work of change in our lives personally that must be our part in faithfully proclaiming. Before all the world, all of his holy convocations. Now let's go back to Jeremiah 9:23 and 24, and what I said will be the anchor of these next three sermons and what God fervently desires from all of mankind eventually to bridge the gap of sin. Jeremiah 9 And in verse 23. We read thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the Lord. Right here, after God goes through excoriating His chosen people who had forsaken His law, not listening to his voice, walked only according to their ways, God gives a solution to all who will walk in wisdom. In chapter 9, verse 24. They walk in the wisdom of the Lord to know Him. He is doing a work that will extend eventually to all of mankind, but most certainly right now this must be the way we are walking with wisdom, glorying in this, that God is giving us the opportunity to understand and know Him. Because he is exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in all the earth. From the, from the years we have been keeping God's weekly and holy day Sabbaths, we have certainly been given the privilege by God to see that God's whole plan is in these days. This, of course, is something we understand more fully as we keep them and change the direction of our lives in a way that we are evidently proclaiming His holy convocations and headed towards the kingdom of God. Also keeping these days with greater understanding should be giving us a growing and deeper appreciation. For Jesus Christ and the perfect work he is doing to accomplish the incredible plan of the Father and the Word to firmly establish the kingdom of God on this earth and our part in it. We must not be like physical Israel, unfaithfully going through the motions of absorbing times and seasons. We have been called by God and given the privilege to work with Him now. We must be changing through these holy convocations to better know and understand his way throughout the world so we can be like Him. As we draw to the end of the message, I hope you can take this with you throughout the holy days. You have been called to do more than just occupy a seat in services. On God's holy convocations. You have been called. To do as Ryan so eloquently put it in this sermonette. It's immature to proclaim His holy congregations, and you do this by doing as we mature, as we dynamically change the direction to repent of what we thought we knew of God to what He has declared in Jeremiah 9:24, glory in this that we are changing through these days that He has graciously given to us and know Him. And his work exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. In his delight, Is his delight in doing these things. Or in doing these things, or is it also And those that he sees changing as he's doing these things. I hope it's in both of it. We are going to close in Malachi 4 in Mark 1. So if you'll turn with me please to Malachi. The 4th chapter Malachi 4:1. For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wicked wickedly will be stubble, and the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of Hoss. That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear my name, the Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like small fed calves. You shall trample on the wicked, for they shall be ashes under your feet of your souls. On the day that I do this, the Lord says the Lord of hosts, Remember the law of Moses, my servant. Which I commanded him in Horeb for all of Israel with the statutes and the judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he will, he will turn their hearts of the children, their fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. Brethren curse here is not the normal word for curse. The word refers to the the practice of devoting things or persons irrevocably to God, often by total destruction. Its use here suggests that God would make a whole burnt offering of the earth if there was not a repentant remnant. We are to be through Jesus Christ in the vanguard of that truly repentant remnant. Now, as we proclaim God's holy convocations in our lives of change, headed toward the kingdom of God. Now for a final scripture, please turn with me to Mark. The first chapter Mark one We're going to be picking up. Malachi left off. Mark 1:1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as is written in the prophets. Behold, I will send my messenger before your face who will prepare your, prepare your way before you. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His path straight. Verse 4. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And then down in verse 14. As we draw this message to a conclusion, we read in Mark 1 and verse 14. Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. Brethren, we need to be changing, believing the gospel of the kingdom of God as we go forward. Proclaiming his holy convocation.
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