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What We Can Learn from Booths
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod intends for us to learn daily lessons from living in booths during the Feast of Tabernacles, a joyous time after the harvest has been taken in.
Wandering or Pilgrimage?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe are not aimlessly wandering, but are on a God-guided pilgrimage. The circuitous route ensures our safety, just as it did for the ancient Israelites.
A GPS for our Spiritual Pilgrimage
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasSince God's thoughts are higher than ours, we must keep an intimate GPS-like dialogue with our heavenly Father so we can stay on the right path to the Kingdom.
Joshua's Four Miracles (Part One)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughIsrael's conquest of Canaan under Joshua can be a metaphor for the journey from baptism to entering God's kingdom, especially for the second generation.
The Feasts of Tabernacles and Unleavened Bread
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David C. GrabbeIn this message, we learn the divine wisdom and unity within Almighty God's festivals (Leviticus 23) showing how each feast reveals His character, plan, and purpose for humankind. The speaker, using the method of comparison and contrast, exposes a chiastic structure or mirrored design connecting the spring and fall festivals, particularly Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, both centering on deliverance, dwelling, and dependence on God, forming a complete picture of salvation through Christ. The pattern of one day followed by seven (Passover/Unleavened Bread) and seven days followed by one (Tabernacles/Last Great Day) symbolized the perfection and symmetry of His redemptive plan. Unleavened Bread focuses upon cleansing, sincerity, and feeding on Christ, the Bread of Life. Consequently, when we remove food from our dwellings, we purify every sphere of authority under God, thereby building a stable spiritual house upon Christ. Tabernacles, in contrast, emphasizes impermanence and humility, dwelling in temporary booths, reminding us of our dependence on God's daily provision in the wilderness. Together the permanence of houses and the transience of booths teach us that true security lies not in possessions or comfort but in Almighty God's sustaining presence. The physical symbols of food and dwelling illustrate some divine paradoxes. During Unleavened Bread, food lacks leaven—self-sufficiency and sin—but during Tabernacles, housing lacks permanence—worldly security and control. Through abundance and lack, permanence and transience, God's people learn to dwell in His presence, feed on His Word, and trust His timing.
Numbers: The Book of Judgment
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe live daily in uncharted territory, but the sobering account in Numbers provides a roadmap, establishing God's pattern of judging our pilgrimage conduct.
The Appointed Weeks of Pentecost
Sermon by David C. GrabbeEach day in the count is a reminder to consider what we are sowing and what we are cultivating because it will assuredly come to fruition and then evaluation.