WEBVTT 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:04.799 Thanks, man. Appreciate you bringing that word 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:09.859 to us from Vernon Brewer and from the Nandis. 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:18.679 Will you pray with me? Father, let the words 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:23.179 of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts 00:00:23.179 --> 00:00:28.719 be acceptable in your sight as we share in your 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:37.100 word together. Amen. Do you ever wonder why things 00:00:37.100 --> 00:00:41.640 are the way they are? Why we do the things we 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:46.399 do? I'm not talking about things of cosmic significance 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.439 necessarily, but little things. For instance, 00:00:51.140 --> 00:00:55.500 why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways? 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:01.429 I wonder about that. Why do noses run but feet 00:01:01.429 --> 00:01:07.709 smell? Why isn't the word phonetic spelled the 00:01:07.709 --> 00:01:12.609 way it sounds? As long as we're on the subject. 00:01:13.609 --> 00:01:16.489 Chris Thompson, why isn't there a synonym for 00:01:16.489 --> 00:01:23.049 thesaurus? Why can you buy cigarettes in gas 00:01:23.049 --> 00:01:25.290 stations when smoking in gas stations is illegal? 00:01:26.759 --> 00:01:29.459 Why do you need a driver's license to buy alcohol 00:01:29.459 --> 00:01:34.200 when you can't drink and drive? Maybe you don't 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:38.420 wonder about those things. I don't know Have 00:01:38.420 --> 00:01:41.480 you ever wondered why things are the way they 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:47.019 are in the church Why we do things the way we 00:01:47.019 --> 00:01:51.239 do in churches I have I grew up in the United 00:01:51.239 --> 00:01:53.819 Methodist Church in South Carolina and at the 00:01:53.819 --> 00:01:55.489 front of the church there, right in front of 00:01:55.489 --> 00:01:58.170 the pulpit, we had an altar, a small altar, with 00:01:58.170 --> 00:02:01.629 two candles on either side of it. And it was 00:02:01.629 --> 00:02:04.750 very nice, very pleasant effect. And one day 00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:07.150 I asked the senior pastor, I said, Pastor, why 00:02:07.150 --> 00:02:09.909 is it that we have the two candles at the front 00:02:09.909 --> 00:02:11.770 of the altar, at the front of the church there? 00:02:12.210 --> 00:02:15.949 And he said, well, the candle on the right symbolizes 00:02:15.949 --> 00:02:20.409 Christ, who is the light of the world. And I 00:02:20.409 --> 00:02:22.729 said, oh, OK, so maybe the candle on the left? 00:02:22.810 --> 00:02:25.509 symbolizes the power of the Holy Spirit, right? 00:02:25.909 --> 00:02:28.810 And he said, well, no. I said, well, maybe the 00:02:28.810 --> 00:02:31.509 candle on the left symbolizes the glory of God 00:02:31.509 --> 00:02:34.930 the Father, right? And he said, well, no. I said, 00:02:35.430 --> 00:02:37.610 well, if the candle on the right symbolizes Christ, 00:02:37.729 --> 00:02:39.870 then what's the candle on the left for? And he 00:02:39.870 --> 00:02:42.349 said, it's for balance, so that the altar looks 00:02:42.349 --> 00:02:49.789 nice. And I said, oh. OK, I didn't know. But 00:02:49.789 --> 00:02:52.289 I wondered, do you ever wonder why we do things 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:57.120 The way we do here at Grace Church? Well, that's 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:58.699 been an education for me, let me tell you. You 00:02:58.699 --> 00:03:00.340 can tell I still haven't got it quite right. 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:03.840 One of the things I've gotten to do here in the 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:06.840 last year that I've been here is give announcements 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:09.599 on Sunday mornings from time to time, and I enjoy 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:12.780 that and that's fun. One morning before I was 00:03:12.780 --> 00:03:15.219 getting ready to do my first set of announcements, 00:03:15.780 --> 00:03:18.219 I watched Galen call the week before, and you 00:03:18.219 --> 00:03:20.060 know what he does. He sits down here when he's 00:03:20.060 --> 00:03:21.930 in town and he... It's time for the announcements. 00:03:21.990 --> 00:03:24.930 He gets up and he walks to the center here and 00:03:24.930 --> 00:03:26.729 he gives the announcements, maybe offers up a 00:03:26.729 --> 00:03:29.250 prayer, and then he sits back down and we have 00:03:29.250 --> 00:03:30.830 the offering or whatever part of the service 00:03:30.830 --> 00:03:33.729 is up next. And so my first Sunday giving announcements, 00:03:33.849 --> 00:03:35.889 first hour, I got up and I stood right here and 00:03:35.889 --> 00:03:38.289 I gave the announcements and the welcome and 00:03:38.289 --> 00:03:41.090 prayed for the offering. And in between services, 00:03:41.210 --> 00:03:43.930 Rick Thoman came up to me and said, hey, Dave, 00:03:44.069 --> 00:03:45.689 just a suggestion. You might want to get up here 00:03:45.689 --> 00:03:48.030 on the stage on the platform when you give the 00:03:48.030 --> 00:03:49.490 announcements because the people in the back 00:03:49.490 --> 00:03:53.800 can't see you. And I said, well, wait a minute. 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:56.460 I was watching last week, and Galen Call got 00:03:56.460 --> 00:03:58.419 up and stood right here, and he gave the announcements 00:03:58.419 --> 00:04:00.560 when it was time for the announcements. And Rick 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:02.620 said, well, yes, Dave, but Galen Call is six 00:04:02.620 --> 00:04:04.599 foot three, and you're about five eight. Get 00:04:04.599 --> 00:04:06.180 up on the stage so the people in the back can 00:04:06.180 --> 00:04:14.740 see you. So I've been up here ever since. Why 00:04:14.740 --> 00:04:17.360 do we do the things we do the way we do them 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.920 in the church, in Grace Church, Roseville? Do 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:26.060 you ever wonder? Does it make sense to you? Is 00:04:26.060 --> 00:04:31.180 our worship service logical? Let me ask you about 00:04:31.180 --> 00:04:35.639 one particular element that we do about 12 times 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:41.240 a year, and that is the Lord's Supper. Why do 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:44.660 we celebrate the Lord's Supper, and why do we 00:04:44.660 --> 00:04:50.569 do it the way we do it? Why is it important? 00:04:52.110 --> 00:04:53.490 If it's so important, shouldn't we do it every 00:04:53.490 --> 00:04:55.990 week? If it's not really that important, should 00:04:55.990 --> 00:04:59.829 we do it every month? I know if you've grown 00:04:59.829 --> 00:05:02.370 up in the church like I have, you've been celebrating 00:05:02.370 --> 00:05:05.089 the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, probably ever 00:05:05.089 --> 00:05:09.050 since you can remember. But if a non -Christian 00:05:09.050 --> 00:05:11.230 were to come visit with you this morning and 00:05:11.230 --> 00:05:14.589 were to ask you, why is the Lord's Supper, what 00:05:14.589 --> 00:05:17.319 is that? Why is that significant? Why is the 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:20.100 Lord's Supper important to the life of your church? 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:27.839 What would you tell that person? If you're a 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.879 good Roman Catholic, you know why the Lord's 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:33.060 Supper is significant. It's because the elements 00:05:33.060 --> 00:05:36.040 that you partake literally become the body and 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:38.899 blood of Christ. And by partaking of that, it's 00:05:38.899 --> 00:05:42.779 a means of God's grace working out your justification. 00:05:43.470 --> 00:05:45.870 At least some Roman Catholics in circles believe 00:05:45.870 --> 00:05:51.009 that. But we're not Roman Catholics. We're non 00:05:51.009 --> 00:05:53.610 -denominational in the Baptistic tradition. So 00:05:53.610 --> 00:05:56.269 why is the Lord's Supper significant for us? 00:05:58.449 --> 00:06:01.589 And more pointedly, is the Lord's Supper significant 00:06:01.589 --> 00:06:07.949 to you? Is it important in your life, in the 00:06:07.949 --> 00:06:15.689 life of your church? Apparently not in all churches. 00:06:16.209 --> 00:06:18.970 The church that I grew up in would celebrate 00:06:18.970 --> 00:06:21.250 the Lord's Supper probably six times a year, 00:06:21.709 --> 00:06:26.730 about twice a quarter. Morning after morning, 00:06:27.189 --> 00:06:29.790 when we'd be doing this, I would see as a young 00:06:29.790 --> 00:06:32.269 boy, we'd come in, we'd have the altar set up 00:06:32.269 --> 00:06:34.889 in front, and I'd see couples come in the back 00:06:34.889 --> 00:06:37.829 of the church. They'd come in and they'd see 00:06:37.829 --> 00:06:40.339 the altar at the front of the church. They kind 00:06:40.339 --> 00:06:42.300 of give each other these knowing glances like, 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:45.600 are you thinking what I'm thinking? And then 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.459 sure enough, they'd turn around and they'd walk 00:06:47.459 --> 00:06:50.319 back out and go to an early lunch rather than 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:51.759 stay for the service where we celebrated the 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.139 Lord's Supper. And that made an impression on 00:06:54.139 --> 00:06:57.839 me. And I wondered, well, why do we do it if 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:04.759 people don't enjoy it? Why is it important? Well, 00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:06.379 the Lord's Supper is the subject of our passage 00:07:06.379 --> 00:07:08.100 this morning, as you may have guessed by now. 00:07:08.350 --> 00:07:11.509 We're continuing in Paul's letter to the Corinthians, 00:07:11.949 --> 00:07:15.110 and we're in the second half of 1 Corinthians 00:07:15.110 --> 00:07:23.129 chapter 11, starting at verse 17 of chapter 11. 00:07:23.389 --> 00:07:26.990 Could you turn there while I read? Paul writing 00:07:26.990 --> 00:07:30.050 to the Corinthians, in the following directives, 00:07:30.449 --> 00:07:34.329 I have no praise for you, for your readings do 00:07:34.329 --> 00:07:38.329 more harm than good. In the first place, I hear 00:07:38.329 --> 00:07:39.930 that when you come together as a church, there 00:07:39.930 --> 00:07:42.430 are divisions among you. And to some extent, 00:07:42.430 --> 00:07:45.649 I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences 00:07:45.649 --> 00:07:48.170 among you to show which of you have God's approval. 00:07:49.209 --> 00:07:51.610 When you come together, it is not the Lord's 00:07:51.610 --> 00:07:54.250 supper you eat. For as you eat, each of you goes 00:07:54.250 --> 00:07:56.829 ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains 00:07:56.829 --> 00:08:00.569 hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes 00:08:00.569 --> 00:08:04.750 to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the Church 00:08:04.750 --> 00:08:07.029 of God and humiliate those who have nothing? 00:08:08.269 --> 00:08:10.589 What shall I say to you shall I praise you for 00:08:10.589 --> 00:08:14.910 this? certainly not For I received from the Lord 00:08:14.910 --> 00:08:17.509 what I also passed on to you the Lord Jesus on 00:08:17.509 --> 00:08:20.350 the night He was betrayed took bread and when 00:08:20.350 --> 00:08:23.430 he had given thanks He broke it and said this 00:08:23.430 --> 00:08:27.389 is my body which is for you Do this in remembrance 00:08:27.389 --> 00:08:31.250 of me? In the same way after supper he took the 00:08:31.250 --> 00:08:34.669 cup saying this cup is the new covenant in my 00:08:34.669 --> 00:08:38.080 blood Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.799 of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:44.700 this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until 00:08:44.700 --> 00:08:49.480 he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:51.580 drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner 00:08:51.580 --> 00:08:54.379 will be guilty of sinning against the body and 00:08:54.379 --> 00:08:58.500 blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:00.759 before he eats of the bread and drinks of the 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:02.980 cup, for anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing 00:09:02.980 --> 00:09:05.100 the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgments 00:09:05.100 --> 00:09:08.629 on himself. That is why many among you are weak 00:09:08.629 --> 00:09:10.870 and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 00:09:12.110 --> 00:09:14.409 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come 00:09:14.409 --> 00:09:16.970 under judgment. When we were judged by the Lord, 00:09:17.009 --> 00:09:18.830 we were being disciplined, so that we will not 00:09:18.830 --> 00:09:22.389 be condemned with the world. So then, my brothers, 00:09:22.970 --> 00:09:26.029 when you come together to eat, wait for each 00:09:26.029 --> 00:09:29.070 other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at 00:09:29.070 --> 00:09:30.870 home, so that when you meet together, it may 00:09:30.870 --> 00:09:34.769 not result in judgment. And when I come, I'll 00:09:34.769 --> 00:09:40.950 give further directions. The Lord's Supper, instituted 00:09:40.950 --> 00:09:45.870 by Christ, a simple ritual designed to foster 00:09:45.870 --> 00:09:50.490 Christian unity, probably been the subject of 00:09:50.490 --> 00:09:53.710 more division in the Church than anything else 00:09:53.710 --> 00:09:58.789 in history. Think about it. For just about as 00:09:58.789 --> 00:10:00.610 many churches as there are, there are different 00:10:00.610 --> 00:10:03.110 ways to observe the Lord's Supper. There are 00:10:03.110 --> 00:10:05.070 different thoughts on the significance of the 00:10:05.070 --> 00:10:08.690 Lord's Supper. Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, 00:10:09.070 --> 00:10:11.490 Baptists will all tell you different things regarding 00:10:11.490 --> 00:10:14.789 the Lord's Supper's significance and beyond the 00:10:14.789 --> 00:10:17.210 significance of it, how it ought to be observed. 00:10:18.769 --> 00:10:21.149 Who should administer it? Who's eligible to partake 00:10:21.149 --> 00:10:24.409 of it? Should you use one loaf or a bunch of 00:10:24.409 --> 00:10:27.789 loaves of bread? Should you use one cup or a 00:10:27.789 --> 00:10:30.230 bunch of little cups? If you want to get really 00:10:30.230 --> 00:10:34.090 controversial, should you use real wine or is 00:10:34.090 --> 00:10:40.129 grape juice okay? A lot of division, a lot of 00:10:40.129 --> 00:10:44.009 strife in church history about the Lord's Supper. 00:10:44.149 --> 00:10:46.370 And so I ask you the question again, is it worth 00:10:46.370 --> 00:10:51.850 the trouble? Is it important enough that we be 00:10:51.850 --> 00:10:54.409 divided about it? Is it important enough that 00:10:54.409 --> 00:10:59.669 we really need to observe it? Well, Paul certainly 00:10:59.669 --> 00:11:03.649 seemed to think so. And the reason he thinks 00:11:03.649 --> 00:11:08.230 so is back in verses 23 through 26. It's simply 00:11:08.230 --> 00:11:11.129 this. The reason we celebrate the Lord's Supper, 00:11:11.269 --> 00:11:13.110 the reason the Lord's Supper is so important 00:11:13.110 --> 00:11:18.870 to us as a church, is that it focuses us on Christ. 00:11:19.629 --> 00:11:36.649 Read with me again in verse 23. Do this whenever 00:11:36.649 --> 00:11:39.610 you drink it in remembrance of me. Whenever you 00:11:39.610 --> 00:11:42.509 eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim 00:11:42.509 --> 00:11:47.750 the Lord's death until He comes. Whenever we 00:11:47.750 --> 00:11:50.950 celebrate the Lord's Supper together, as we did 00:11:50.950 --> 00:11:53.509 a couple weeks ago and will again in a few weeks, 00:11:53.929 --> 00:11:57.470 we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 00:11:57.769 --> 00:12:02.970 The Lord's Supper focuses us on Christ. It symbolizes 00:12:02.970 --> 00:12:07.200 His atoning work for us. on the cross in the 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:12.320 past. And it looks ahead to his promised return 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:17.820 in the future. The Lord's Supper focuses us on 00:12:17.820 --> 00:12:21.759 Jesus Christ. You know, I had a professor at 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:23.879 Denver Seminary named Bruce Shelley and he pointed 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:28.019 out to me that it's amazing how many Christians 00:12:28.019 --> 00:12:34.850 think of Christianity as a religious ethic. how 00:12:34.850 --> 00:12:39.250 you ought to behave, or a system of doctrines, 00:12:40.690 --> 00:12:47.210 or a high -powered emotional experience, or maybe 00:12:47.210 --> 00:12:53.169 the sacred institution. But total Christianity, 00:12:54.690 --> 00:13:03.299 in a word, is Christ. And if you or I tries to 00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:06.100 reduce it or subconsciously reduces it to one 00:13:06.100 --> 00:13:08.580 of these things I just mentioned, we're missing 00:13:08.580 --> 00:13:12.159 the whole picture. Total Christianity is Christ. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:20.419 He is our truth. He is our law. He is our oneness. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:28.600 He is our life. The Lord's Supper serves to focus 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:33.720 us on Christ. And that is the crux of the matter. 00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:38.659 Okay, so what were the Corinthians doing that 00:13:38.659 --> 00:13:40.600 was so wrong? What were the Corinthians doing 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:44.620 that had Paul so upset? What's going on? What's 00:13:44.620 --> 00:13:48.080 the problem? Well, the problem is back in verses 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:53.100 17 to 22. The following directives, Paul says, 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:55.279 I have no praise for you, for your meetings do 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:57.820 more harm than good. Your church meetings are 00:13:57.820 --> 00:13:59.620 more a part of the problem than they are part 00:13:59.620 --> 00:14:03.019 of the solution. In the first place, I hear that 00:14:03.019 --> 00:14:04.740 when you come together as a church, there are 00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:07.039 divisions among you, and to some extent I believe 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:09.879 it. No doubt there have to be differences among 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:11.519 you to show which of you have God's approval. 00:14:12.100 --> 00:14:14.179 When you come together, it's not the Lord's Supper 00:14:14.179 --> 00:14:17.019 you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:19.460 without waiting for anybody else. That phrase 00:14:19.460 --> 00:14:22.279 goes ahead without waiting for anybody else literally 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:25.559 could be translated, each of you goes ahead with 00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:29.059 his own supper. What Paul is saying is when you 00:14:29.059 --> 00:14:32.039 get together, You're not celebrating the Lord's 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:37.559 Supper, you're celebrating your own Supper. And 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:41.139 Paul was incensed about this. One who remains 00:14:41.139 --> 00:14:46.080 hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:47.620 to eat and drink in, or do you despise the Church 00:14:47.620 --> 00:14:49.639 of God and humiliate those who have nothing? 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:51.259 What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for 00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:54.620 this? Certainly not. For us to understand what 00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:56.679 the problem is exactly, we have to understand 00:14:56.679 --> 00:14:59.639 the context of the early Church in Corinth. The 00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:03.000 Lord's Supper in the early church was celebrated 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:09.740 as part of a full meal called a love feast. Only 00:15:09.740 --> 00:15:11.860 the problem in Corinth is that this love feast 00:15:11.860 --> 00:15:16.720 had not much love in it. You see, the meal would 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:20.220 be celebrated in the home of one of the members 00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:22.620 of the church. They didn't have church buildings, 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.259 so probably a very wealthy patron of the church 00:15:25.259 --> 00:15:27.799 would invite the church over to his house, his 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:33.419 home. open up his home to them. And in the middle 00:15:33.419 --> 00:15:36.740 of the house was his dining room, his living 00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:41.759 area. And what was going on here was that the 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:50.059 rich, the socially powerful, the popular were 00:15:50.059 --> 00:15:53.519 getting to congregate in this living area, whereas 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:59.139 the poor, the less socially adept, of the church 00:15:59.139 --> 00:16:01.720 were being forced into outer rooms or maybe outside 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.720 the house altogether into the courtyard. Maybe 00:16:05.720 --> 00:16:08.179 because they had to bring their own food because 00:16:08.179 --> 00:16:11.620 they didn't have money to bring to eat at the 00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:14.139 church or there wasn't enough to feed them. Maybe 00:16:14.139 --> 00:16:16.799 because they had to work late because they were 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:20.220 poor so they had to come later for the love feast. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:24.019 Regardless of the reason, they were being marginalized. 00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:30.629 They were being excluded. And Paul wasn't happy 00:16:30.629 --> 00:16:37.090 about it. Paul says that these socioeconomic 00:16:37.090 --> 00:16:42.570 differences, these popular people versus the 00:16:42.570 --> 00:16:44.730 less popular people, the rich people versus the 00:16:44.730 --> 00:16:48.490 poor people, have no place at the Lord's table. 00:16:49.629 --> 00:16:52.730 He wasn't saying that it's bad for some people 00:16:52.730 --> 00:16:54.529 in the church to earn more money than other people 00:16:54.529 --> 00:16:56.230 in the church. He's just saying you have to leave 00:16:56.230 --> 00:16:59.799 that outside. Because when you come to the Lord's 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:03.279 table, all must be equal and all must be allowed 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:07.720 to participate. You can't go ahead with your 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:14.579 own supper. You have to share together. Paul 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:17.839 was incensed because he knew that the Lord's 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:24.140 Supper, by focusing us on Christ, keeps the church 00:17:24.140 --> 00:17:29.549 humble and keeps the church unified. The Lord's 00:17:29.549 --> 00:17:31.470 Supper is crucial to the life of the Church, 00:17:32.589 --> 00:17:36.410 because by focusing us on Christ, it keeps us 00:17:36.410 --> 00:17:41.349 humble and it keeps us unified. And the Corinthian 00:17:41.349 --> 00:17:46.130 Church was neither. Look at verse 27. The Lord's 00:17:46.130 --> 00:17:49.309 Supper keeps us humble. Verse 27. Therefore, 00:17:49.369 --> 00:17:51.170 whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the 00:17:51.170 --> 00:17:53.490 Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of 00:17:53.490 --> 00:17:56.329 sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 00:17:56.889 --> 00:17:58.950 A man ought to examine himself before he eats 00:17:58.950 --> 00:18:00.650 the bread and drinks of the cup, for anyone who 00:18:00.650 --> 00:18:02.529 eats and drinks without recognizing the body 00:18:02.529 --> 00:18:05.869 of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself." 00:18:05.869 --> 00:18:10.450 And then he says in verses 30 -31 that some of 00:18:10.450 --> 00:18:13.069 you have gotten sick and died because you're 00:18:13.069 --> 00:18:16.470 eating in an unworthy manner. God's discipline, 00:18:16.529 --> 00:18:22.289 God's judgment. The Lord's Supper keeps us humble, 00:18:23.430 --> 00:18:28.019 and the Lord's Supper keeps us unified. One of 00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:33.039 my favorite war movies is the movie Glory. And 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:37.160 if you've seen the movie Glory, it's about a 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:43.660 northern regiment company of Negro soldiers during 00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:49.740 the Civil War. And these Negro soldiers, some 00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:53.839 of whom are freed slaves or citizens of the Union, 00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:57.819 have been called in the service, they volunteered 00:18:57.819 --> 00:19:00.920 to go fight the Confederate forces in the south. 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:05.079 And as you can imagine, they encountered a lot 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:09.160 of opposition and a lot of persecution. Not only 00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:11.660 from the Confederates, the soldiers they were 00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:13.599 fighting against, but also from within their 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:16.920 own ranks. In fact, at one point in the movie 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:24.910 Glory, the servicemen's paychecks come in. And 00:19:24.910 --> 00:19:28.690 it's been decreed by the powers that be that 00:19:28.690 --> 00:19:33.490 the black soldiers get less money than the white 00:19:33.490 --> 00:19:37.930 soldiers and officers. For no other reason than 00:19:37.930 --> 00:19:42.609 because they're black. And the black soldiers 00:19:42.609 --> 00:19:47.869 get really incensed about this. And Denzel Washington's 00:19:47.869 --> 00:19:52.069 character starts inciting revolt and anger among 00:19:52.069 --> 00:19:55.259 the ranks. Saying we don't want this if we don't 00:19:55.259 --> 00:19:58.079 get equal pay for equal fighting and equal work 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:01.500 We're not gonna take it tear it up tear it up 00:20:01.500 --> 00:20:03.980 and he starts rallying his black brothers tear 00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:06.180 him up tear up the paychecks don't take the money 00:20:06.180 --> 00:20:09.380 and Then the Colonel who's in charge of this 00:20:09.380 --> 00:20:12.140 company pulls out his pistol and fires into the 00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:15.960 air And the crowd becomes silent and they look 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:19.579 at him to see what he's gonna do And he says 00:20:19.579 --> 00:20:25.519 if you men will receive no pay, then none of 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:27.940 us will. And he takes his paycheck and he rips 00:20:27.940 --> 00:20:31.660 it in half. A big cheer goes up from the company. 00:20:33.140 --> 00:20:37.640 Similarly, the Lord's Supper, there's no room 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:42.819 for hierarchy. There's no room for social elite 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:46.740 and social outcast. The Lord's Supper keeps us 00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:50.369 humble, keeps us unified. the ground at the foot 00:20:50.369 --> 00:20:56.750 of the cross is level. And Paul talks about examining 00:20:56.750 --> 00:21:01.150 yourself to see if you're worthy. He's not talking 00:21:01.150 --> 00:21:04.289 about self -examination so much for past sins, 00:21:05.089 --> 00:21:08.890 although repentance is always appropriate. Rather, 00:21:09.329 --> 00:21:13.569 he's saying that Christians should present attitudes 00:21:13.569 --> 00:21:17.529 toward fellow believers that are in keeping with 00:21:17.529 --> 00:21:20.019 the Lord's table. He's not talking about things 00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:22.039 you've done in the past. If you're repentant, 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:24.980 the Lord's table is always open to you, no matter 00:21:24.980 --> 00:21:27.559 how far away you feel from God at the time, or 00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:31.420 have felt from God at any time. But what Paul 00:21:31.420 --> 00:21:33.759 wants you to check, wants me to check, wants 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.519 the church to be aware of, is what is our attitude 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:38.599 toward the other people that we're partaking 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:44.500 of the Lord's table with? And if it's not good, 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:49.509 we risk judgment. sickness or maybe even death. 00:21:50.789 --> 00:21:52.750 So the Lord's Supper keeps us humble. It also 00:21:52.750 --> 00:21:55.690 unites us. Back in the first part of the passage, 00:21:55.750 --> 00:21:57.990 Paul was really upset about the divisions in 00:21:57.990 --> 00:22:02.410 the church. He wanted them to be united around 00:22:02.410 --> 00:22:07.009 the Lord's table. James Stobos said that in our 00:22:07.009 --> 00:22:09.670 diversity, talking about the church, in our diversity, 00:22:10.509 --> 00:22:13.170 we're nothing more than just another social organization. 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:18.960 But in our unity, based in love, we are the body 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:23.960 of Jesus Christ, literally the hope of all creation. 00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:29.140 Eric Hoffer has observed an interesting principle 00:22:29.140 --> 00:22:32.400 about human nature. It's easier to unite people 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:37.019 around hatred than it is love. It's easier to 00:22:37.019 --> 00:22:41.299 unite people around hatred than love. Nazi Germany 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:45.930 is a good example. But we in the church need 00:22:45.930 --> 00:22:50.349 to be careful that we don't follow a little bit 00:22:50.349 --> 00:22:55.809 into that mentality. Anti -abortion efforts. 00:22:56.950 --> 00:23:00.869 Anti -pornography drives. These are all good 00:23:00.869 --> 00:23:04.509 things. Don't get me wrong. Good things. Worthy 00:23:04.509 --> 00:23:06.549 efforts for the church to undertake. But the 00:23:06.549 --> 00:23:10.690 foundation of the church cannot be an anti -something 00:23:10.690 --> 00:23:16.549 crusade. Foundation of the church is the redemptive 00:23:16.549 --> 00:23:21.450 work of Jesus Christ. The time Leonardo da Vinci, 00:23:21.450 --> 00:23:24.730 the great artist, painted his masterpiece The 00:23:24.730 --> 00:23:30.750 Last Supper, he had an enemy. Leonardo's enemy 00:23:30.750 --> 00:23:36.029 was a fellow painter, a man that he had had a 00:23:36.029 --> 00:23:42.089 bitter argument with and whom he despised. In 00:23:42.089 --> 00:23:44.609 fact, he hated this man so much. that when he 00:23:44.609 --> 00:23:49.650 painted the face of Judas Iscariot he put this 00:23:49.650 --> 00:23:55.210 man's face on the painting and he took secret 00:23:55.210 --> 00:23:58.450 perverse delight in knowing that for ages to 00:23:58.450 --> 00:24:03.210 come the face of the man who betrayed Jesus would 00:24:03.210 --> 00:24:06.869 be his personal enemy and that everybody who 00:24:06.869 --> 00:24:11.009 knew him would recognize this man's face on the 00:24:11.009 --> 00:24:13.069 painting of the Last Supper of Judas Iscariot. 00:24:15.100 --> 00:24:18.900 And Leonardo was continuing to work on the Last 00:24:18.900 --> 00:24:21.880 Supper and he'd paint one disciple after another. 00:24:22.059 --> 00:24:24.559 And in the meantime, he would try to work on 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:26.779 the figure of Christ at the center of the painting. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:33.559 But he made no progress. And he became frustrated 00:24:33.559 --> 00:24:39.359 and confused as to why he couldn't paint Jesus. 00:24:42.059 --> 00:24:46.279 After a while, It occurred to Leonardo what the 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:53.440 problem was. His hatred for this other painter 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.480 was preventing him from being able to paint the 00:24:57.480 --> 00:25:01.500 face of Christ. It was only after he went to 00:25:01.500 --> 00:25:05.559 this man and reconciled with him and painted 00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:09.079 another face on Judas Iscariot that he was able 00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:13.480 to paint the figure of Christ. the masterpiece 00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:21.539 to endure. Is there division right now between 00:25:21.539 --> 00:25:24.740 you and another believer in this church body? 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:31.299 I'm not talking about one of you as a Vikings 00:25:31.299 --> 00:25:35.339 fan and one of you as a Packers fan. I mean some 00:25:35.339 --> 00:25:40.319 kind of unreconciliation. Maybe someone you feel 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:44.740 has sinned against you. or someone that you've 00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:48.259 sinned against, maybe without him or her even 00:25:48.259 --> 00:25:56.559 knowing about it. If there is a rift between 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:00.559 you and a brother or sister in this body, I'm 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:03.160 going to ask you to do something a little gutsy. 00:26:04.619 --> 00:26:08.339 Before we take the Lord's Supper in this church 00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:12.299 again, it'll be in a few weeks. Before we observe 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:15.880 the Lord's Supper again, I want you to contact 00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:20.799 that person and make an effort to reconcile with 00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:25.200 him or her. Maybe it'll involve your having to 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:28.400 confess some sin. Maybe it will involve your 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:31.819 having to share some hurt feelings or maybe it's 00:26:31.819 --> 00:26:34.119 just you need to clear the air with somebody 00:26:34.119 --> 00:26:40.579 to make sure you're both okay. But if there is 00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:44.200 division. I'm going to challenge you to make 00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:46.960 an attempt, as far as it depends on you, to be 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:50.680 reconciled to that person. And if you don't do 00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:55.079 it, don't take the elements of the Lord's Supper 00:26:55.079 --> 00:27:02.339 next time we observe it. Because if you're unreconciled 00:27:02.339 --> 00:27:05.359 and unrepentant about being unreconciled, you 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:08.539 risk partaking of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy 00:27:08.539 --> 00:27:14.039 manner. That's what Paul means. And given what 00:27:14.039 --> 00:27:15.359 happened to some of these Corinthians who did 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:20.180 that, I don't want to do it. The Lord's Supper 00:27:20.180 --> 00:27:24.319 is crucial to the life of the Church because 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:27.779 by focusing us on Christ, it keeps us humble 00:27:27.779 --> 00:27:33.940 and it keeps us unified. When Charles V stepped 00:27:33.940 --> 00:27:37.880 down as Holy Roman Emperor over 400 years ago, 00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:41.079 He spent much of his time at his palace in Spain. 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:49.940 And Charles V had six clocks in his palace. And 00:27:49.940 --> 00:27:54.480 try as he might, he could never get his six clocks 00:27:54.480 --> 00:28:00.220 to chime all at the same moments, all in the 00:28:00.220 --> 00:28:05.390 same hour. And he wrote in his memoirs, How is 00:28:05.390 --> 00:28:08.089 it possible for six different clocks to chime 00:28:08.089 --> 00:28:12.589 all at the same time? How is it even more impossible 00:28:12.589 --> 00:28:14.990 for the six nations of the Holy Roman Empire 00:28:14.990 --> 00:28:19.509 to live in harmony? It can't be done. It's impossible 00:28:19.509 --> 00:28:25.930 even if they call themselves Christians. Well 00:28:25.930 --> 00:28:29.190 today, you and I know that it is in fact possible 00:28:29.190 --> 00:28:33.079 to have clocks in perfect harmony. when they're 00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:37.319 powered by the same source and calibrated to 00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:42.119 the same standard, Greenwich Mean Time. Likewise, 00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:49.400 it's possible to have unity in the church, but 00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:52.559 only when we're all calibrated to one standard, 00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:58.819 and that is Christ. Verse 33, so then my brothers, 00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:02.269 when you come together to eat, wait for each 00:29:02.269 --> 00:29:06.829 other. In other words, be unified, be united. 00:29:07.829 --> 00:29:10.289 Verse 34, if anyone is hungry he should eat at 00:29:10.289 --> 00:29:12.230 home so that when you meet together it may not 00:29:12.230 --> 00:29:16.809 result in judgment. Be humble, eat your nice 00:29:16.809 --> 00:29:22.150 meal at home before you come. The Lord's Supper 00:29:22.150 --> 00:29:26.190 is crucial to the life of this church because 00:29:26.190 --> 00:29:28.470 by focusing us on Christ it keeps us humble and 00:29:28.470 --> 00:29:36.230 unified and loving. community. Let's pray. Lord 00:29:36.230 --> 00:29:41.250 Jesus, we thank you for the atoning sacrifice 00:29:41.250 --> 00:29:47.930 that you've made for us on the cross. Lord, a 00:29:47.930 --> 00:29:50.509 supreme example of the greatest love any of us 00:29:50.509 --> 00:29:57.009 can comprehend. And Lord, we know it pains you 00:29:57.009 --> 00:29:59.710 when there are divisions in the church universal 00:29:59.980 --> 00:30:05.539 and in local churches, local church bodies. Lord, 00:30:05.539 --> 00:30:10.740 we have much to celebrate as we look back to 00:30:10.740 --> 00:30:12.559 your work on the cross and look ahead to your 00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:16.720 second coming. Help us to continually focus on 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:26.859 you as we exist in a body and live together seeking 00:30:26.859 --> 00:30:31.200 harmony. It's in your name that we pray these 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:32.839 things. Amen.