TH130530/How to Find Eternal Life

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners receive free email daily devotions were to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org Bible tonight okay I thought so grab your Bible and second Kings chapter 5 second Kings chapter 5 in the title of my message is how to find eternal life.

This is from our theories that were calling the greatest stories ever told. When we start with the word prayer father. We have snow as we open your word that you would speak to us and help us to understand that there is no man or woman out there right now the deep down inside does not have the same need that we have were all the same in our heart of hearts and the answer is the same for all of our needs so we ask for your blessing on this time of Bible study. In Jesus name we ask it a met while I was born in the generation that is called the baby boom generation were kind of getting on in years and now our children.

They were called the millennial and they were also dubbed the me generation will now our children are having children and you know what they're calling them the me me generation.

I consider these statistics that I read not recent article from Time magazine quote the incidence of narcissistic personality as a disorder is nearly 3 times in five people in their 20s. As for the generation that smelled 65 or older. 58% were college students scored higher on the narcissism scale in 2009.

The 1982 see what has happened is back in the 70s.

My stupid generation thought that the problem in the world was low self-esteem and people needed to learn to love themselves more, by the way, that was never the problem. It's never been a problem learning to love ourselves and I've never believe the idea that we all need the love ourselves a little bit more. The problem is we love ourselves enough as it is if you look at a photograph of the bunch of people and you were in that photo. Would you look for first euro look for someone else to look for you because you love you and I love me right. That's why the Bible says love your wife is you love yourself because it's its obvious thing. It's already a fact will anywhere there was all this emphasis on all this money spent on this whole movement and it didn't turn out so well.

One expert said the problem is when people tried to boost self-esteem they boosted narcissism instead. All that self-esteem leads people to be disappointed when the world refuses to affirm how great they know they are coming back to the me me generation. They got so many participation trophies growing up her recent study showed that 40% believe they should be promoted every two years, regardless of performance is called a sense of entitlement and it's a big problem in our country right now. Why don't the guy have to work hard or be resourceful. Everything should be given unto to me on a silver platter because I'm just so wonderful if you don't believe me watch auditions for the X Factor or American Idol. Here are people with no abilities whatsoever and they are completely oblivious to it when a judge has the audacity to say I don't think this was what you want to do with your life. And of course get upset and throw things at the judges and so forth. It is just a problem with the whole culture right now. Paul was done of 18 to 25-year-olds and they were as what is your goal in life. You know the number one goal was getting rich at the generation's most important life goal, 51% said their goal was to be famous. 30% of their goal was to help people needed help 22% said their goal was to be leaders in their community and 10% said their goal was to be more spiritual lesson. These are people what their priorities out of whack are your number one goal should be. Obviously, to know God and then define his plan and purpose for your life and if you chase after fame and fortune you're going to just end up like all the others you've done that, and if you don't ask me you can ask a well-known biblical character who goes by the name of Naaman.

He was rich and famous and powerful, but he had a problem for life that threatening problem that all of his power could not fix his story is introduced to us in second Kings file so let's look at it together. Astarte verse one, the king of around had high admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army because through him. The Lord given Amram great victories, but though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy that groups of Armenian readers at unbeatable individual and among their captors was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife is a main one day the young girl said to her mistress. I wish my master would go see the prophet in Samaria he would heal them of his leprosy.

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house. But I like to send a messenger out to them with this message go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River and your skin will be restored and you'll be healed of leprosy. Naaman became angry and stalked away. I thought it would surely have come out to meet me in. I expected them to waive the sin over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord is God and heal me are not the R Bonner River and far part River of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel put together why should my watch in them and be healed. So Naaman turned and one away and arrange. There are no verse one introduces us to Naaman. He was a great general in the Army in the Army are the Army of Syria. If you're a general in the army of Syria your army of that's it, but we hear a lot about Syria these days course are in the news. With all of their internal conflicts.

But this was another time in Syria was a great world power, and even back then there were an enemy of Israel, but here in the Syrian army was this great man Naaman he would be like up five-star general like Gen. Eisenhower or Gen. MacArthur or Gen. Omar Bradley all five-star general and so this was a powerful, influential men get everything the world says you want to have. To make you happy. He had power in high military rank, and he also had been. He was a legend in his own time and he had great wealth in keeping with this position. Interestingly, verse one tells us the Lord has given him great victories now at this point Naaman wasn't really a believer but yet God had blessed him in many ways.

Verse 1007 king of a ram at a high admiration for Naaman.

See he has the trust and friendship of the king himself the King of Syria been and he was loved by his people and and everything a person would dream about one day Naaman and I'm just imagining up for a moment might've saw a little spot on his hand that it never seen before.

You probably thought nothing of it. 10. The next day he saw or five more spots and now there were others that were spreading on his arms and his legs and he thought what is happening to me. So he goes to his doctor and he gets a check up in the ass looks wrong and he was given use that no man of this century ever wanted to hear.

The doctor would've said general Naaman. I regret to inform you that you have leprosy, that would be like being told not only are you going to die, but you gonna die a painful death because leprosy at this time was incurable.

So here was Naaman with all of his power and his fame and fortune, but he found out he was a leper he would become one of the walking dead men. He walked out of the beautiful balcony of his home overlooking Syria. He thought of all of his accomplishments. All of his victories on the battlefield and now what he's going to die for certain.

It's as though God was capping the shoulder of the great general. We all know people.

This is happened to you know everything's going well. Your health is great. You have a lot of money in the bank and then you get the call from the doctor who said I were a little concerned about some of these tests that we recently did on you and we want you to come in and want to talk to.

Or maybe there was an accident that happened unexpectedly present new ache or pain that you'd never had before and it's a good thing to say God are you trying to get my attention back in this culture, if you were a Hebrew and a leper. You would be cut off from everybody else. Once you found out you were a leper you could have no interaction with other people.

You are to separate yourself from them. In fact, if you're walking on the street is a leper in Jewish culture and understand Naaman is in Syrian culture.

But if you were in Jewish culture, you would have to announce unclean unclean so people would steer clear of you and that's a great way to have no friends. Imagine walking into room everyone unclean unclean.

They don't clear the room because leprosy was highly contagious. What was leprosy will today.

It is another name. It's called Hansen's disease and it is treatable. It was once thought that if you have leprosy, your limbs would basically just rot and fall. But in recent years. A lot of research is been done on leprosy or Hansen's disease by Dr. Paul Brand and others, and they proven that the disfigurement associated with Hansen's disease come solely because the body's warning system obtain is destroy. In other words, you could watch her face was scalding water a few of leprosy and not know it. You could cut off your finger or severely burn your foot and not be aware of it because you don't feel pain in Third World countries, vermin would sometimes chew on sleeping lepers without them knowing.

Thus, lepers would be missing fingers and toes and so forth. Because the pain mechanism completely shut down, but I doubt anybody knew Naaman was a leper because he kept of all covered up. He rolled. He wore royal roles, or perhaps a uniform of some kind, and of course he had his armor and he hit everything beneath it… Reminds us that there is no life without its share of problems. You know, if you don't have much. You're always thinking about how to get more if you have a lot you're always going to find someone that is more than you and a few of the most you're worried about how you're going to keep it and you know well is a pretty relative term, anyway. It's been said, if you have money in the bank.

Bring your wallet and spare change in the dish somewhere you're among the top 8% of the world's wealthy seem and that's true. See, we would still I'm not very wealthy because you know I don't have whatever is a great car. I don't live in Newport Coast are II don't whatever it is you want to think is is a wealthy thing within. Similarly, this is what yeah but I don't have the wealth of Bill Gates you know who was sitting ON the notices will I don't have the wealth of that person.

Look, if you have money in the bacon in your wallet and spare change your among the 8% of the world's wealthy from my point is simply this, you can have it all and still have a missing part of your life there sort of like a hole in your life. And yet this is what so many people as they pointed out aspire to. We want to be like those people like the rich people the famous people. The successful people but they have their troubles to. There's an old legend about people who lived in a certain village constantly complained about the troubles so each one was invited to throw all of their burdens and problems in the one big keep in the middle of town. They were given the privilege of choosing another trouble to replace their after careful deliberation and consideration.

Each selected the same problems that cast aside feeling that their own problem was less difficult than the problems of others. That's on a true story. That's a favorite right, but it gives you an idea and our people are put up a front and you think all men that the person doesn't need the gospel thereto beautiful thereto handset. They got it all together. I mean, oh yeah, let's go to skid Row talk to those people listen and care it if you live on rodeo driver skid row of the problems of mankind are effectively the same. Years ago, telegram was speaking to itinerant evangelists who gathered for a great Congress in Amsterdam and I he said these are things that he is found true of every person he said and I quote when I go to proclaim the gospel whether it's on a street corner in Nairobi for a meeting in Seoul Korea. I know there are certain things that are true in the hearts and minds of all people. So these things are true of every person you will meet no matter whether out a lot. Men, women, higher low on the social economic ladder doesn't matter.

There is an essential emptiness in every life without Christ number one. There's an essential emptiness in every life without Christ. The Bible teaches in Romans 820.

The creation was made subject to emptiness, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it in a whole and it's an emptiness that cannot be filled with anyone or anything.

Everybody has that number two, we can assume that in our hearers. There's a loneliness you may have a lot of friends you may have no friends. You may be extremely popular, you may be unknown but we all know that feeling where you can be with a bunch of friends in a room and suddenly this loneliness just sweeps over you and really it's a loneliness for God. You might have a big family and you can still event loneliness because there's a part of your life. It can't be filled by even a husband or a wife or children or parents or friends. It's a loneliness for God. Thirdly, were speaking to people that have a sense of guilt, deep down inside people are guilty now, some may be able to suppress that guilt to some degree, but it's there if the conscience is working it's there. In fact, I think if you don't feel guilty, you should be concerned if you feel guilt when you do something wrong. Congratulations your conscience is in working order vegan is something wrong and feel no guilt or no remorse. You should be very concerned about that. Romans 215 says, you demonstrate when you feel guilt the God's laws written within you, because your conscience accuses you or tells you what you're doing is not right. Why do we feel this skill very simple answer your guilty and what we guilty of sinning and we all said so we all have that as well. And then there is a universal fear of death on our people try to act all tough like they're not concerned about it. Trust me there is a fear of death.

Deep down inside, it frightens us.

The Bible speaks in Hebrews 215 of those that are held in slavery by the fear of death.

That's whether so many books right now that you can buy on the afterlife is experienced by different people written up from people ranging from little children that say they read visions of heaven. The people who die in accidents in late talk about leaving their body and we read these books with great fascination and sometimes quote from these books, but there's only one book I think is reliable on the topic of the afterlife and that's a book on molding my hand and all these other books that I would look at.

I would compared to what the Scripture teaches, but we want to know about it were afraid of it. So here's the reason I bring all this up. Everyone is empty. Everyone is lonely everyone is guilty.

Everyone's afraid to die because you might see a person in think they would never listen to what I have to say. Trust me deep down inside these things are true. So start praying for that. So here's name it. I'm in the sky is God altogether and you would think no one can ever reach him so who does the Lord handpick to reach the great Syrian war general God takes a young girl. We don't even know the Nema who was strong in her faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Verse three says one day the girl said to her mistress.

I wish my master would go see the prophet in Samaria he would heal him of his leprosy who did God use this unknown girl and by the way of footnote this girl was taken captive from Israel. This girl was kidnapped how easily she could have been bitter against God for allowing this to happen and certainly angry at the people she now works for secret is that you know what that name and he deserves it and I'm glad he is leprosy and I'm glad he's gonna die know that's not the way she felt at all. She was concerned for him and she sees the opportunity to tell Naaman about a prophet in Israel they could pray for now who is this prophet was Elisha remember last time we looked at Elijah short of passing from the scene.

He was caught up to meet the Lord there in that chariot of fire and then his calling, his anointing fell on his successor. What a name similar to his, Elisha, and God was already working through the prophet Elisha affected raise someone from the dead. So he two of this miracle working power with this girl and some alert about Elisha.

I don't know.

Peace in our tweets or had a Facebook page it out. It but you know she heard the stories of the prophet and here she is in a foreign land working for these people in your heart goes out to Neiman and she says men I wish you could go meet that prophet in Israel because is such a great testimony is the wonderful thing when you live such a godly life that when you speak to someone they listen when you say you know I wanted tell you something that you need to hear and they listen to you because they respect you because you're a hard worker. You're a man or a woman of integrity, your person that is shown love and compassion to them in the past and so when you speak, they listen know it's been said a preach the gospel and when necessary use words that you know, kind of an interesting thing that can be misunderstood because certainly to proclaim the gospel requires verbiage but I'll tell you what you can be the most eloquent communicator. But if you contradicted by your life.

Your words won't matter all that much, so she earned the right to bring the message because she was such a great person and a hard worker when she spoke to her master.

He paid attention.

He goes to the king of Syria, king of Syria. Contact the king of Israel and seeing who is this Elisha guy I can help this man with this woman held fast to her faith in him.

Here she is in a foreign land reminds us of Shadrach me shack in a Bendigo who were taken captive in the Babylon and by the way, those with their given names. Those with her pagan names given to them by the king. But though he can change their names. He could not change their hearts.

They work closely with God, as did this young woman so she tells Naaman about Elisha and so what happens verse nine Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of a license also. Naaman went to the king of Syria, king of Syria, contacted the king of Israel.

They set it up down there were Elisha live in. Along comes the grades Naaman. Now picture the scene if you will, is a great man and he's expecting a great healing something dramatic, something immediate and by the way he's willing to pay for it because in his possession is $1 million in calling is going to drop a million bucks on the prophet if he can heal him of his leprosy. I bet his chariots were fabulous, no gilded in silver and gold, pulled by the finest Arabian stallions chomping at their bids and the others big burly bodyguards surrounding him and there uniforms other gleaming swords in their armor and they pull up in a cloud of dust and dirt.

Elisha's house.

Probably a crackpot. Sit not in front you know his name, hanging at an angle because the nail came loose. Elisha and though they pound on the door. You know there's a great man here Naaman who wants to see you and I love this story because Elisha does Neiman come out and meet Naaman. He has a servant name behaves like this is gotten tell him to go dunk himself in the Jordan River seven times in a be healed so the door opens now lucky he's either serving of elected hello how are you and I see guys listen the provinces good arm of the Jordan River merger sub seven times you'll be healed.

God was seven I say goodbye door shut. There's Naaman in his chariot. All of the men looking like it is he serious it has Naaman said he, like you would come out. It wave his hand in the leprosy would be gone in there be a big party and Elisha would take the money. Nona Noah was coming up in that way it doesn't make a lot of sense in some ways Naaman is outraged. Does he know who he's dealing with this. He realized who I have it almost appears from the story. Elisha was deliberately trying to humiliate Naaman but I think that God designed this healing if you will have to really be appropriate for who Naaman was. See, the Bible says. Humble yourself on the side of the Lord. He will lift you up and sometimes we need to swallow our pride in just a man I need God's help and maintenance.

Pride was wounded and done initially, as leprosy was the enemy of his personal happiness and now is trying with the greater enemy and that he had a million bucks. Prophet wasn't even interested in.

So he's thinking what am I going to do on the go dunk myself of that crummy River we have better rivers back in Syria, the cleaner the waters bluer that River the Jordan's Almighty. Why would I do that he was hiding behind his armor and I want we all have armor that we effectively hide behind an anomaly. Remember that old song by Simon and Garfunkel called. I am a rock, but it's a pretty insightful song. I'm not going to sing it for you. Or maybe I will not just give you the lyrics. A winter's day in a deep and dark December. I'm alone gazing from my window to the streets below on a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow. I am a rock. I am an island.

I build walls of fortress deep and mighty that none may penetrate. I have no need of friendship. Friendship causes pain, its laughter and its loving I disdain I am a rock.

I'm an island. I have my books in my poetry to protect I'm shielded by my armor hiding in my room safe within my womb, high snow one and no one touches the there's a subject by a motor rod that stops outside faith. I am a runtime and I let you know you are thinking of what I've been reading and a rod feels no pain in an island never crossed is very well written and is the idea of not. I've isolated myself by my books are my poetry of my life, but I tend to know what no one touches me its laughter and loving I disdain I have no need of friendship.

Why would a person and that this way because they've been hurt. Have you been hurt in life.

Let me tell you some. I used to be this way. I had my armor. I hid behind and I'll tell you why, because the way I was raised in my crazy childhood and never had a dad and my mother.

It's as though she wasn't there.

She never told me she loved me. I'm not saying that to elicit sympathy understating the fact I never heard my mom say to me she loved me she never hugged me she never affirmed me I was the opposite of the kid that was in tolls like kids today and so I grew up having to fend for myself. Take care of myself and I grew up feeling that I could never open my heart to anyone because I've been hurt by so many people and there's a lot of people like that out there in the you develop this sort of a defense mechanism and you're a survivor. So when I became a Christian and all these Christians are targeting a loving brother and sister Emily and this is a little icky to me. I don't know I don't really want to hug you.

I don't even know you and much less say I love you.

I don't know if I love you are not. It took me a long time to be able to say to someone I love you to be a long time to accept love and then to give love because I was afraid all get hurt again. But in I'm not saying I have been hurt since I've been a Christian. But what I am saying this, you can open your heart up and you can take the armor off and you can let God in and then you can let others and is well and so I understand the armor that Naaman hid behind and so here he is now in he's he's not going to go down to that Jordan River and I think there's a reason and it's not just because the river was muddy is because he didn't want to peel that armor off because a brewer to peel the armor off everyone would know the truth, the great Naaman underneath is uniform was a leper.

One of his officers reason with them. Look at a chapter 5 verse 13 is officer tried to reason with them and said Sir is a probably told you to do some great thing what you have done it, so you should certainly obey him when he says simply go wash and be cure Naaman.you know what I got to lose other find out eventually anyway, so the gone down there by the Jordan River and the great general steps down from his chariot and probably for the first time. Perhaps he takes off that helmet and the people see the disfiguring of leprosy in this space. He takes off his breastplate.

He takes off his belt to sheath his sword and he takes office role in strips down and they see this man has leprosy.

They see this man is in a horrible state and he goes down to that. Jordan River. This is so humiliating because he's a man's man in Italy wants to make an impression on his other amenities on the growth of these steps in in the Providence immerse herself. Once he said seven talking so he goes down the first thing comes up. Leprosy goes down again comes up. Still, leprosy third time for time for time leprosy. It is even partially gone is as leprous as it was from the beginning goes on that sick time and always get ready for number seven and I bet he stayed down a little bit longer and he comes up. He closes his eyes open. Simon is afraid to look, and he looks in. There's no leprosy it's gone. In fact, the Bible says his skin was like that of a little baby. Have you ever look to the baby's skin.

It's so perfect, and I look at my grandchildren skin, especially little Christopher in you know. If you put glasses on and look in the magnifying glass and look at your own skin, frightening forget the magnifying glass to slug it is. Can you and I look at is skin is just so clean and there's no blemishes on it.

Then that's what is skin look like it was like the skin of a little baby and his men break out in cheers that did not a girl that worked for, but when she heard how God answered her prayer. I wouldn't ever thought that God review someone like Kurt to reach someone a significant is Naaman ill a lot of times we don't hear about those people that work behind the scenes we hear about men and women that God raises up and uses in a singular way, but we don't hear the story of the unknown people that played a key role in helping them to get to the place that they are in the God use this woman just as he used daily little shepherd boy watching over as she handpicked by the Lord to succeed the paranoid and wicked King Saul and be the next king over Israel, and in fact he was the greatest king Israel ever had or how God shows Mary a peasant girl living in a town that was renowned for its corruption and sinfulness and immorality.

She was an unknown person living in an unknown town in the middle of nowhere and God says that's my girl.

That's the one will fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah and she will be the Virgin that will conceive and bring forth a very son of God until Naaman's note he so excited he seal and at this point he is not only healed, but he believes in the Lord, not the false gods of Syria with the true and living God of Israel, and now he wants to go back and think Elisha for this so sick and think 550 Naaman in this entire party went back to find the man of God. They said the foreman. Naaman said I know unless there's a God and all of the world to the I know it love that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. No, please accept my gifts again. Remember is offering them $1 million cash. Elisha replies as surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept your gifts and although Naaman urgent addict gives Elisha refused then Naaman said all right please allow me to load two of my meals with Earth from this place and I'll take it back home with me from now on I'll never offer any burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other God except the Lord is such a great that's why we have it as a part of our series, the greatest stories ever told this whole story is a classic picture of a man without God or a woman they're searching for everything this world has to offer. And it doesn't satisfy and the problem is that every man and every woman has a problem like leprosy and it's called sin affect are some interesting parallels between leprosy and sin number one leprosy was an incurable disease. Now this is a miracle that caused it to be removed, but under normal circumstances.

If you were a leper you would have it for life and it would result in your premature death and an interesting thing about leprosy. It would have an insignificant beginning, often starting with the small bright red scare little do people think of the long-term consequences of sin. You know that little sin, or so you think that isn't that big of a deal that becomes bigger with the passing of time. You know that little indiscretion of the moment with that guy or that girl in the media find out you're pregnant I think of all the young girls today they go out and don't even think twice about getting an abortion.

And, according to one study, women who have had abortions are nine times more likely to attempt suicide than women in the general population know sometimes the full effect of what you've done doesn't hit you until later in life and you kind of rationalize it in the moment, but since start small and always gets bid. That's all. Leprosy was as well.

Secondly, leprosy was inherited it poison the blood and can be passed on from mother to child. So if a mom was a leper and give birth to a child, the child would be born leprous and in the same way were all born as sinners listen we don't become sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners and repeat that we don't become sinners because we sin we sin because we are sinners. It's natural.

I never register my two boys down at the boys over the teacher.

You know how to be selfish. Repeat this word out for me. My know it came naturally to that, just like you came to me. I watched two of my grandchildren fight over a toy earlier today. You know that since natural world that way. It comes into our life were born with it and then once contacted leprosy spreads quickly and that justice sin does and it causes a state of living – there is a loss of sensation and discoloration of the skin.

Your vision is impaired. The Bible tells us that were living in sin would dead in trespasses.

Paul said she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lived sin deadens you and that's exactly what leprosy did. But here's the good news is, no matter what sin we committed. God can forgive us if we will turn from that sin.

The solution for Naaman was to go down of the Jordan River peel off his armor and immerse himself seven times and he would be healed and the solution for us is to realize that we need God's forgiveness. You know if Elisha would've told Naaman to jump around on 1 foot for an hour and cluck like a chicken. It probably would've preferred that and it's funny how people today. You know they they want eternal life, that the title of my message. How to find eternal life if you were to tell them I'll tell you what if you wanted receive eternal life you have to shave your head or a limegreen robe and go down to LAX and scream and yell for hours on it.

Okay I'll do that.

Let's go you know where we get the roads any its own any crazy thing we say no. If you want to be forgiven of your sin if you want to find eternal life. You need to admit to God jurist center turn from your sin, to put your faith in Jesus Christ was not all well yeah that's all.

But just because it's a free gift doesn't mean it comes she God had to send his son to die in our place so we could be forgiven of this sin. So how do you find eternal life by believing than the one the godsend of this earth for us, Jesus Christ, and they prove that love for us at the cross when he died for our sins that we must believe in him that brings us to the communion of the communion table. Why do we do this because Jesus told us to is that I want you to do this in remembrance of me. We read the words of the apostle Paul and first Corinthians 11, about how we are to approach this table. Paul writes in first Corinthians 11 verse 23 I received from the Lord that which I delivered to you at the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take any. This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me the same manner he also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This due and as often as you drink it you do it, in remembrance of me as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup to proclaim the Lord's death until he comes the listener.

This therefore whoever eats his bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. So let a man examine himself and then let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup, for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Now whatever you read the word therefore the Bible find a what it's therefore very important thing Paul is saying, I will know that Jesus told us were to do this in remembrance of him. We all get that with impulses.

Therefore, if you eat the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in it on worthy manner. What is that me that means that you take of the bread you drink of the cup without knowing the wanted represent C communion is for believers only. A non-Christian should never receive the elements of communion, you might say why I think it's a good ritual. Maybe it will get me closer to God. Know because Paul says if you receive these elements without believing than the one they represent, you can actually eat and drink judgment to yourself.

Quite frankly, it's almost as though you're making a mockery of God to receive the elements and not believe in the one they represent no we don't believe in transubstantiation and that is the belief that the bread becomes the flesh of Christ of the body, and that the wind of the Jews. We use juice here becomes his blood. We don't believe this is still bread and still grape juice from the supermarket. Hope that doesn't mess it up for you, but it's not about the bread of the cup.

In particular, it's about what they represent.

Using they represent the Lord himself. So when I received this element is that this is some holy thing of holding my hand, but it represents the one who is holy, who hopefully is living in my heart so I want to do without believing the number two I don't want to receive these elements in a flippant cavalier or overly casual way like this is get this thing over with whatever nano note. Think about it because the Bible says let a man examine himself so I've test myself the question. You know, am I a true follower of Jesus Christ. If I am the by all means receive communion.

You might table Greg I I'm I'm a sinner stolen. I've sin this week will back to Kate by all means receive communion. It doesn't say you have to be perfect. It doesn't even say you need to be worthy as is don't receive it in an unworthy manner. See, the fact is the communion table is a great place to confess our sin. A great place to come to God and say Lord I have fallen short this week or even the day I've said things I shouldn't of said I've held grudges.

I have those impure thoughts I've done nothing I shouldn't of done and I turn from it to an turn to you now.

I'm sorry for that sin. This is the place to deal with that supper perfect people.

It's for forgiven people that need more forgiveness, which is all of us but I only just close and saying that if you joined us tonight in most of you have and thank you for coming. But if you join us here tonight as a visitor or maybe you're not a believer. While I would tell you if you have no intention of believing in Jesus, just let these elements pass right on by as we distribute them, but better yet, I would urge you to believe in Jesus right now and ask him to forgive you of your sin and then have your first communion with us. As a follower of Christ were going to pray and I'm in to give you an opportunity to ask Christ to come in your life and if you fallen away from the Lord an opportunity to come back to him again before we receive communion together. So let's pray the father we thank you for your word to us.

We think you for what Jesus did at the cross, how he laid his life down and shed his blood bore our sins and rose again from the dead novel turn from that sin and asked him to come in his Savior and Lord. He will do just that and he will forgive us, because he says he stands at the door and he knocks and up will hear his voice and open the door he will come in so Lord I pray for any hearing or those that are watching or listening who may not know you yet.

Would you help them become due right now and be forgiven of their sin, Larry has her dog.

Her eyes are closed and praying. Maybe you would say tonight Greg I want Jesus Christ to come in my life. I want him to forgive me of my sin. I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven. I'm ready to say yes to Christ right now.

Pray for me. I want Jesus in my life that that's your desire. If you want Jesus Christ to come into your heart if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die, would you lift your hand up right now or ever, your sitting and let me pray for you if you want Christ to come in your life just lift your hand up in a pray for you right now.

Review sitting slip your hand me pray for you. God bless you accomplish anybody else. One is forgiveness tonight. Want to know that you'll be ready for the Lord's return.

You want your guilt taken away.

You want your sins forgiven. Lift your hand upon me.

Pray for you tonight.

God bless you accomplish, you lifted up or I can see it please anybody else but your hand up if you would blush there in the back when I had just about maybe some of you would say you know I've fallen away from the Lord. I haven't been walking with them as they ought to what I want to return to him tonight. Pray for me that your desire. If you want to return to Jesus Christ come back to the Lord, would you raise your hand up and let me pray for you want to come back to the Lord to publish accomplish Ellis and God bless all of you calling me that a raise your hand if you would please I want to the stand your feet, lead you in a prayer right here right now before we receive communion so all of you that raise your hand if you would please stand your feet to stand up. That's right, bless you guys stand up wherever you are, stand publishes this more view the richer handstand now running a pray together the money all stand up lead you in this prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ publish you stand up might be a few more. View the want to do this stand now looking to pray together. You won't regret this will be embarrassed or among family and friends here tonight. Stand your feet. Let me pray with you on final moment of forgive the stand stand now and what else publish it stand anybody else then right about you guys know you that are sending a want you to pray this prayer out loud after me again as I pray pray this out loud after me right where you stand. Pray the stuff you would Lord Jesus I know in the center.

But you died on the cross for my sin.

I turned from that sin. Now I choose to follow you from this moment forward be my Savior and Lord be my Ghana my friend. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray. They met