Anthony Whitehorn - Class 6: And In Conclusion

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   This is day six of the 2008 Idaho Bible School. Our second period teacher is Brother Anthony Whitehorn. His general topic is, A Life Worth Living. Today's topic is, And in Conclusion. Brother Anthony.

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   Well, good morning everybody. Good morning. Great. Well, that's it then, isn't it? The cards have gone back in the box. The whistle's blown. Idlewild Bible School has finished. That's it. And it's, you know, it's very much like our lives, as I said on the very first day. All made up of little bits, but they all come to an end.

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   And it's disappointing. We can't relive it. It's happened. I said at the very beginning that it was going to be quite difficult to follow some of the things that I said. Because the reason being is that I'm working on a process.

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   Unlike, I know that Jim is looking at a book itself and working through. I know he's got to about the third verse of chapter one by now. But he's working through a book. And it's easier to follow that. And it's easier to follow, perhaps, the life of somebody as you go through all the things that happen.

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   But I said it's going to be hard because I'm following a process. What I didn't realise was going to be difficult was you don't understand English. That's made it really, really hard here. Nonetheless, at least you'll go away and if you remember nothing else, you'll know that catching a crab is actually a rowing expression.

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   And you might forget everything else, but you'll remember some of the English expressions. So, hey, there you go. So, what are we going to think then? Let's just think about that process. Because I believe that's how God works. God works in a plan. He doesn't work in isolation. I'm going to use that as perhaps a strange example.

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   This is a summary of the feasts. There are in total seven feasts. And when you start to have a look at them, they're really quite interesting. As you can see there, there's a cluster. There's a cluster at the beginning, which is around March time, of unleavened bread, Passover and first fruits. Then there's that one in the middle, which is the Feast of Pentecost or weeks.

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   And then there's those clusters at the ends of the year, which is Feast of Atonement, of tabernacles and of trumpets. And those are the seven.

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   But I'll just have a little look at them in a little bit more detail. Let's just start off by having a look at the Feast of Passover. What happens at the Feast of Passover? At the Feast of Passover, they take the firstborn lamb and they kill it. They eat parsley and lettuce, symbolising hyssop, which of course is daubed on the doorpost, but was also handed across to Jesus on the cross.

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    There are three loaves which are taken and when we think of three, we think of the crucifixion. Interestingly enough, it is always the middle loaf which is taken first.

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    They use bitter herbs, which is the bitterness of persecution. And there are four cups, which go through the whole idea of sacrifice. I put to you that the Feast of Passover is not just retrospective, but actually it looked forward. It looked forward to the time of Christ's sacrifice. The next feast is the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

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    The Feast of Unleavened Bread went on for seven days. Seven, of course, symbolising perfection, completeness. Unleavened, well unleavened of course, as we know, means separate, taking away from corruption. I put to you that actually the Feast of Unleavened Bread also had a forward-looking symbolic action as well. It was looking forward to Christ's life.

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    And the third feast around that period of time is the Feast of Firstfruits. Now the Feast of Firstfruits celebrated the time of harvest, of harvesting the barley. The priest would go out and put three rings out in the field and they would then take those three areas and use whatever was in those three rings and celebrate the firstfruits of the harvest of the barley.

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    And of course, we know in the scripture that the Lord Jesus Christ, from his resurrection, is the firstfruits from the dead. So I therefore put to you that this has symbology as well. So what we've got here is those first three feasts symbolising Christ's life, Christ's death and Christ's resurrection. So if you move on then and have a look at that feast that stands alone, that Feast of Pentecost or that Feast of Weeks, what happens is that this was at the time of the completion of the harvest.

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    And during this feast, two loaves were used of leavened bread. How strange. Leaven, of course, symbolising sin. So here we have a situation of two loaves. And I put it to you there were two because one symbolised the Jews and one symbolised the Gentiles. So what you have here is you have a situation of the completion of the harvest, the leavened bread symbolising sin of both the Jews and the Gentiles.

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    I put to you now, very briefly, that this is about you and me. Christ's chosen ones. That's what the symbology is of this feast. This is all about you and me. And that is between and following the Passover, firstfruits and unleavened bread. The time of Christ's life, death and resurrection. And then it's you.

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    It's you and me. It's Christ's own. And so we move on to the time of October. And the first feast that we have there is the Feast of Trumpets. The harvest is now completed. Absolutely finished. The trumpets are blown. And those trumpets which are blown in Jerusalem are two ram's horns. And they are made from the silver that was taken from the atonement money.

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    And it heralds redemption. And then we think about that passage in Thessalonians. When there is the trumpet call of God. Why? Because the Lord Jesus Christ is returning. And I would suggest that the Feast of Trumpets has that other symbology of Christ's return. And then of course we have what most would say was the most important feast of the year.

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    Which was the Day of Atonement. And that Day of Atonement is of course all about the covering. And all about the high priest who actually went into the holy place on five separate occasions. He changed his clothes five different times. And all of that of course as you read in Hebrews has now been annulled.

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    It's gone. It's finished. Why? Because the ultimate Day of Covering is now upon us. When corruptible puts on incorruptible. That's the ultimate Day of Atonement. Of Christ's covering for you and for me. And then the final feast. The final feast is the Feast of Tabernacles. Of booths. And that was the time when originally the children of Israel would take pines.

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    They would take olives. They would take palms, willows and myrtle. And they would build these little booths. And they would live in them for a whole week.

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    And this is seven days. Perfection. Completion. And this is a time of a perfect dwelling place. This is the time of Christ's Kingdom. So what's the point of me telling you all that? What was the purpose of me going through all that? How many times have I looked at each of these feasts individually?

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    So many. How many times do we understand and appreciate that this is part of a process? Of a plan? Of a big picture? And I would suggest that that's how it fits in. The feasts actually are just like our lives. The past. The past. Which was Christ's life. Today. Which is our life.

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    And the future. Which is our future life in the Kingdom. It's a process. And that's what I've tried to be going through this week. But all of this fits in. Our lives on their own. In isolation. Actually are a bit meaningless. They have greater meaning when we understand the process. The plan. Just like it is with the feasts.

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    It gives a greater breadth. A greater understanding to it. You see. Jonah. Sorry. Job. Wrote these words. He said this. My days are swifter. Than a weaver's shuttle. And they come to an end. Without hope. I despise my life. I would not live forever. Let me alone. My days have no meaning. A situation in isolation.

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    Is meaningless. Why? Because the cards go back in the box. That's it. It's finished. But when it's part of the process. When it's part of the whole plan. Our life all of a sudden becomes dynamic. Becomes completely meaningful. Our lives are the Feast of Pentecost. There it is in the middle. We look back at Christ's life.

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    His death and his resurrection. And it is because of that. That it gives meaning to our lives today. And enables us to look forward to those feasts. Of trumpets. Of atonement. And of booths. The time of the kingdom. And so that's why our lives have significance. So. Brothers and sisters. When we leave here today.

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    I'm going to ask you that question. How has this week changed your life? Has it been good fun? Yeah. It's been great fun. But is that all? Has it just been a holiday? Because I'll tell you what. You could have gone to Las Vegas. But you didn't. You came here. So.

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    What's the difference? You know. G.K. Chesterton. Whom you might know. G.K. Chesterton. Was a Christian. And he was interviewed. On Desert Island Discs. Now Desert Island Discs. You may have heard of. It's basically. You're put on Desert Island. And you're asked. What music would you like to take with you? And then they go through and say.

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    I'd like this song. Or this song. And you're also asked. What piece of luxury item. Would you like to take with you? Oh I'd like to take this. And you're also asked. Which book. Would you like. To have with you? Now when G.K. Chesterton. Was actually interviewed. And they said. So. You know.

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    What would you like to. What book would you like to have with you? It was obvious. The guy was a Christian. So obviously. He was obviously. Going to choose this. Wasn't he? They said. So. Mr. Chesterton. What book would you like to take with you? As you are on this Desert Island?

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    And he thought for a while. And he said. I would like to take with me. Thomas' Practical Shipbuilding. He said. Why do you want to do that? He said. I don't want to be informed. I don't want to be entertained. I want to be saved. And that's the same for you and me.

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    You just want to be informed and entertained. You could read any book you like. But if you want to be saved. Then we take this. And we put it into our lives. Into action. If we've just come here to be entertained and informed. I tell you what. It's pointless. But if we want to be saved.

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    We're going to take this and use it. And that's the challenge for you. And for me. The thing is. Is that. We are stewards. That's what we've recognised this week. But we are stewards of time. When I was with the teenage group. We talked about recreation. And using recreation. And I said to them.

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    Actually. You know. You've been given a gift. And the gift is time. And I went round. And I said. What God has done. Is he's actually put a sticker on your head. And only he can read the sticker. And on your head here. I said to this kid. You've got 70. Because that's the number of years.

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    That you've got on this earth. God knows that. You don't. And I went round. There's 70. And 69. And 73. And I came to this kid. And you've got 35.

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    He was like. He hated me. All week he hasn't talked to me. And he's been like. Really upset about it. And that's it. We've all been given. That allocation. Of time. That gift of time. And that. We have to be stewards of. And as we said. Our responsibility. Is to. Redeem it. It's one of those situations.

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    Isn't it? That it is gone. We can't. We can't get it back. It's happened. It's a perishable commodity. We have to use it. So. As we leave here. What are we going to do? How are we going to use. What we've discovered from Morrie. What we've discovered from Jim. What I've talked about.

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    What we've discovered from our brothers and sisters. Because if we don't use it. It is pointless. You know. I was watching. Some of the little kiddies. Coming. Coming out of their class. A couple of days ago. And. What they had. Had done. Is. I think. It was Jonah and the whale. Because they bought this thing.

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    Out. With them. Which was a. It looked like a blue shoe box. With. A. Piece of paper. Coming out the top of it. I assumed that was the whale. And I watched one of the parents. This little kid. He came up really happy about it. And said. Look what I've done mummy. And mummy took it.

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    And said. That's lovely. What is it? And little kid. He said. Well it's a whale. From Jonah and the whale. And mummy said. Of course it is. Darling. It's fantastic. Do you know what? That's just how it is. With God. With you and me. What we do. Is we make this. Crummy looking.

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    Whale. And God doesn't ever say. What have you done? He doesn't expect us to make this. Wonderful sculptured looking whale. Just like the mother. Didn't expect. A beautiful looking whale. From her child.

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    And she never said. That's useless. You as parents. When your child gives you something. When they're little like that. You don't say. That is absolutely rubbish. You don't say that. You take it. And you say. That's fantastic. You give them lots of encouragement. That's what parenthood is about. And God looks at our completely.

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    Feeble efforts. When we leave here. And he says. Hey. That's great. That's really. Really good. And so. He encourages us. And from here today. Therefore. We should not be put off by thinking. Goodness me. I don't think it's going to be good enough. What I'm going to do. It won't be. We're going to make a crummy looking whale.

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    Whale. But God loves it. He loves the look of that whale. And so. From here. We should be motivated. To take some steps. Or else it's pointless. Us being here. Do you know what? Peter really understood that. And that's why. The first letter of Peter. Is so significant. Because what he's done. As I.

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    As I. As I. As I. As I. As I. As I. What he did. Is he at the very beginning. It's. It's. It's. It's got five chapters. There's a very little bit. Talking about. Our situation. Strangers and aliens in the land. Our status. We have been saved by grace. Our response. And our attitude.

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    And then. For about. Almost four chapters. He talks about. Our responsibilities. The things that we should do. Peter had lived with Christ he realised that actually we have lots of responsibilities we have to go out and do certain things how did he learn that? let's have a look let's have a look from Matthew chapter 14 you know it's a great blessing that we have the letter of Peter which reflects his experiences in life with the Lord Jesus Christ Matthew chapter 14 and it's verse 22 immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowd and after he dismissed them he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray when evening came he was there alone for the boat was already a considerable distance from land buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it during the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them walking on the lake and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified it's a ghost they said and cried out in fear but Jesus immediately said to them take courage it is I don't be afraid Lord if it's you Peter replied tell me to come to you on the water come he said then Peter got down out of the boat walked on the water and came towards Jesus but when he saw the wind he was afraid and beginning to sink cried out Lord save me and immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him you of little faith he said why did you doubt

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    it's evening started off with being evening for those of you who have been to Israel you know how long evening lasts it's about three minutes you can actually see the sun you watch it and the sun goes down like you can actually watch it it's amazing evening is a very short period of time it's from about quarter past six to about twenty past six that's it it's very quick so we know exactly what the time was when Jesus dismissed them and he went up to the mountain to pray when he was alone and then he comes to them when?

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    he comes to them during the fourth watch that's about three a.m. in the morning you're talking here around about nine hours they'd been working for nine hours across Lake Galilee and Jesus comes to them now the thing is is that when we read this passage here we we constantly refer it and I do to Peter's failure absolutely look at him the thing is is what does he do Peter sees Jesus and says Lord if it's you tell me to come to you on the water so that impulsive individual has learnt a little bit here he checks with Jesus and Jesus says yeah come and off he goes and hey it's Peter's failure isn't it yep there he goes and he drops I put it to you this is not about Peter's failure it's about eleven other people who avoided failure what are you and me are we those people who stay in the boat so I can absolutely guarantee you this one thing you can't walk on water unless you get out of the boat and that's the motivation hopefully that this week has actually provided for you and me that we actually do something it's really interesting you know at Newbury Ecclesia we were talking we had a big discussion and we were talking about this very passage and they were saving up to build their hall and they needed two hundred thousand pounds and they had collected a hundred and thirty thousand pounds and they're saying oh you know we can't go ahead with it because we still need another seventy thousand pounds and at the end of this discussion they turned around

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    and they said you know what we're never going to have two hundred thousand pounds enough to build this hall if we don't get out and start building it within eight months after they started building it and they got out of the boat and started walking on the water they'd got two hundred thousand pounds and that's how God works he can't do anything with you and me unless we actually get out of that boat and I love that last bit there where it says in the end there you of little faith in verse thirty one you of little faith he said why on earth did you try and get out the boat no he doesn't say that he says you of little faith why did you doubt Jesus didn't tell him off for having a go Jesus told him off for actually doubting it's not going to be good enough it's not going to be a beautifully sculptured whale but you're not going to walk on water unless you and I get out of the boat so what happens then well when he starts to sink and when he saw the wind in verse thirty he was afraid and beginning to sink cried out Lord save me I always wonder how far he got let's say the boat was over there where that wall is sorry where Jesus is where that wall is and here he is he gets out the boat I don't know how far he got let's say he gets about here and then he starts looking down and he realises goodness me what would you do would you start going I'm off

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    going back to that boat no he didn't he turned and he looked to Jesus and he said Jesus you saved me and isn't it great in verse thirty one where it says immediately right there Jesus didn't say I'll wait until you get up to your neck and then I'm going to save you no he didn't say that it says and immediately Jesus was there but he knew Jesus was going to be there because he turned to him and that's the issue do you know what the Lord is a whole lot closer than you and I think I don't know how many of you have ever been to the Vatican in Rome if ever you are in Rome go there it's really interesting when you go inside the Vatican there's a big big queue unless you are like some of you here have told me you can actually jump the queue but you can get in there when you get in there into the Sistine Chapel go into the Sistine Chapel and look up and you will see the phrase the ceiling do you call it phrase ok the ceiling painting done by Michelangelo and have a look at the one in the middle the one in the middle is the very famous one it's actually much smaller than you think it's the one of creation of God reaching a man almost nonchalantly sitting there and look Adam supposedly just being created just have a look at it and even if you don't ever go to the Vatican and into the Sistine Chapel have a look at a picture of it and you will see actually

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    there's a gap it's a very very very slight gap of God when he's stretching it's almost like God is stretching every sinew and there's man nonchalantly leaning back with his hand like that and you can see that if man just lifted his finger he would touch God but there's a gap it's a very small gap and it's as if the Lord is closer than you think and all you've got to do is just lift that finger and he's there and what does Jesus say he says I will never leave you I will never ever forsake you he is always there for us for you and me so when we're trying something it isn't going to go right we're going to be sinking but immediately Jesus will be there the thing is is that we forget that I'll now tell you about another picture this picture is actually a book it's a book of pictures it's a great book I love it it's called Where's Wally now I love Where's Wally I love Where's Wally because there are no words in it and that suits me just fine so it's a really interesting book because what you do and some of you are thinking never heard of it what is he talking about let me explain what you have to do is it's like a crowd of people and somewhere in there is Wally Waldo Waldo oh dear you've got it wrong okay where's Waldo it doesn't sound good alright where's Waldo am I right it says Waldo Waldo okay where's Waldo you have to find Waldo and does he look the same he has glasses

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    he's got black and red who red and white hoops you're right you've got to go and find him now we're on the same page right so what you do is you open this big crowd you look for Waldo and you try and find him and it takes hours it's great fun let me tell you I was actually in Turkey last year and I saw it didn't say either Waldo or Wally because it was written in Turkish but I knew what it was and actually I started to read it why because there was no words you can do it in any language it's a great book the thing is however is that if Waldo had just appeared on every page just there on his own it would not have been a very popular book it required the reader to go and find him to look a little bit and that's what we do in life we have to just look for Jesus because he's always there it just requires you and me to go looking for him the trouble is is that we expect Jesus to appear on the road to Damascus actually he appears on the road to Emmaus he's there we just sometimes don't recognise him and Peter did Peter when he says to you and me hey husbands do this wives do this slaves do this masters do this when he's telling us to do all those things he's saying you're not on your own the Lord is there with you turn if you would then to to John chapter 21 because this is Peter realising how great it is to be close to the Lord

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    John chapter 21 you know the situation where Jesus now is appearing to his other disciples and in verse 3 I'm going out to fish Simon Peter told them and they said well we'll go with you so the eight of them off they went they went out and got into the boat but that night they caught nothing oh that's happened before hasn't it early in the morning Jesus stood on the shore but the disciples didn't realise that it was Jesus he called out to them friends haven't you any fish how interesting because Jesus already got fish no they answered he said throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some when they did they were unable to haul the net in because the large number of fish and then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter it is the Lord and as soon as Simon Peter heard him say it is the Lord he wrapped his outer garment around him for he'd taken it off and jumped into the water I always wonder why on earth would you wrap the outer garment on you perhaps it's because he actually walked on the water I don't know the other disciples followed in the boat towing the net full of fish for they were not far from shore about a hundred yards and when they landed they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread and Jesus said to them bring some of the fish you have just caught and Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore it was full of large fish

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    153 but even with so many the net was not torn I always find that a really interesting passage why? let's just think about it here it is they caught all these fish and there's eight of them in this boat and what does it say? it was so full that they couldn't actually haul the net in and then actually what it then says is that they had to drag the net behind them as they got closer and closer to the shore however when Jesus says bring the fish you've just caught it says Simon Peter on his own climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore wow you know what it's like when you've got fish which are in a net and they are aided by the buoyancy of the water it is a whole lot easier to drag that net in the buoyancy of the water but here is Simon Peter on his own pulling that net and actually he takes it out of the water and drags it over to Jesus how did he do that?

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    I don't know but perhaps it's a little bit of a case of a lesson for you and me that the closer you are to Jesus the greater things are possible and that's what Peter realised that with Jesus great things are possible have a look at Philippians chapter 2 Philippians chapter 2 and verse 12 therefore my dear friends as you have always obeyed not only in my presence but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling ah there you go we should be working out our salvation with fear and trembling good actually what it says is it says working out it doesn't say working for it doesn't say work towards it says working out which means completing the salvation that has been given to us by grace we should now be completing and how should we do that?

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    we should be working it out we should be doing things why? because in verse 13 it says for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose that's it brothers and sisters it's God working in us this is dynamic in terms of this life but what he requires us to do is to step out to the boat first of all Naaman washed in the Jordan seven times and after he'd done that then God healed him and when God wasn't it wonderful when God healed him he didn't give him back skin like mine he gave him back skin which was like that of a new baby that's how God works a remarkable miracle so when we take the first step God works remarkable miracles with us why because it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose so brethren and sisters this week what have we thought about we thought about our situation our situation where the cars go back in the box and it all seems very depressing but if you look at that in isolation it is the thing is it is part of a process our situation is just part of God's big plan because he says absolutely you're down here you're hopeless down here you haven't made it but I've already prepared for you because what I've already done with Jesus in those three feasts for you the process now is to make a step and just believe just trust trust that my grace is sufficient for you that's what we sang last night that's all

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    you've got to trust and now we are in here we are in a paradigm of grace a new scenario that is our new status and our response our response is well what's our attitude our attitude should be like that piece of clay moldable our attitude should be I want to go off and do things because of what has already been done for you and for me God's given me that opportunity he saved me by grace and as we leave here so we should be motivated to do certain things you know I've loved this week it's been really great for me it's been great for me because it's really refocused me not just because of what has been taught by Jim although I haven't heard much of Jim although Sally has been telling me all the things that Jim has been saying what Maury's been saying what I've learned for myself but from you I gave the exhortation last Sunday and I said that this is what it's about this is a unique relationship that we have it's koinonia it's fellowship we are fellows and a ship together and that's wonderful and it's been absolutely fantastic for me but you know we have a responsibility to help each other with the teens what I did with them on one session is I got them outside and I got some of them just to lie down and just lie down on their back and I got them to fold their arms and I said right what I want you to do is I want you to get up you're not allowed to put your legs underneath you

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    just try and get up none of them could get up they tried as hard as they could until one of them shuffled his way backwards as he was laying flat on the ground shuffled his way backwards and met up with somebody else who was also shuffling backwards and then they got back to back and started to walk towards each other and that way they got up and when other people saw it that's what everybody else did they shuffled back to back and they all got up and now they could actually get on and do something that's what this week's been about for me it's about on my own I just lie there and wriggle around I need you to actually push up against so I can stand up and I can get on and do things because when I'm doing things that's when God works and when God is working let me tell you brothers and sisters that really makes this life worth living because what Thank you.