The Reservoir Within

I. Understanding the Feast/Festival of Tabernacles/Shelters <ol type='a'> <li>One of seven festivals given by God to Israel <li>Lasted Seven Days <li>Required a pilgrimage from all the nations of Israel to Jerusalem <li>Was a time of tremendous joy and celebration </ol> II. Purpose of the Feast of Tabernacles <ol type='a'> <li>Represented the end of the Jewish agricultural year and fall ingathering <li>Commemorates the Exodus <li>Commemorates the time when the Children of Israel lived in tents <li>Commemorates the time when the Tabernacle of God was a Tent <li>Represented God's protection and promise. </ol> III. Comparing Scripture to History <ol type='a'> <li>Birth of Jesus occured during the Feast of Tabernacles <li>Tents represented temporary dwelling palces for Israel. Likewise the messiah at his birth inhabited the temporary dwelling place called a body. <li>The feast represents a time of agricultural ingathering of God's abundance. Spiritually, it represents the great ingathering of believers after the return of Christ. <li>The Feast represents a time of great celebration, rejoicing and worship when jews gather from all over the Nation of Israel in the temple in Jerusalem. Spiritually, the feast looks toward the time when believers shall gather from every nation and tongue to rejoice, celebrate and worship God in His Holy Temple in the New Jerusalem. </ol> IV. Jesus Teaches in the Temple. <ol type='a'> <li>Travels to Jerusalem in secret <li>Arrives in the middle of the feast days <li>Enters the temple to teach </ol> V. The Crowd is divided into three groups <ol type='a'> <li>The Pharisees <li>The travelers from out of town who are ignorant of the plot to kill him <li>Some who believe that he might be the Messiah </ol> VI. The Acid test of knowing God <ol type='a'> <li>Pharisees were accused of not knowing God because they didn't accept Jesus as coming from God <li>All who claim to know God must demonstrate it through a personal relationship with God <li>Pluralism of our society denies that there is only one way to God <li>As God's Son, Jesus has ultimate control </ol> VII. Jesus Promises Living Water <ol type='a'> <li>Criteria for receiving the Living Water is belief in God that measures with scripture <li>Living Water represents the Holy Spirit <li>Will flow from your belly <li>Operates like a mighty torrent <li>Cleanses from within <li>Results in the receipt of power that affects the way we live <li>Results in the receipt of power to do miracles </ol>