Heart Search

Welcome to the radio ministry at Cleveland church in Henderson. Margo is to make Christ visible Clearview is a place of genuine worship with ministries for all age groups and all people. For more information, visit us at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson for visit us online@clearviewb.org now join us for this week's message by Pastor Otto couple years ago we visited the tomb of the unknowns soldier in Washington DC at the Arlington national Cemetery. I'm sure some of you have seen pictures or YouTube videos. We probably been there with your family is considered to be the hallowed ground because interred below are soldiers from the various wars in our history in the past century on the Western panel of the tomb are the words here rests in honor glory, an American soldier known, but to God and the honor guard. If you been there, you've seen them the keep watch over the tomb 24 seven. Even through the bad weather and they march back and forth and they are held to the highest standards. In fact, if they ever mess up or mess around or do something while they are active duty, or even if they were, you know, retire and move away for 20, 30 years, but if they do anything that is considered to be disrespectful to the tomb that bash can be taken away from them, and every year thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people come and they watch especially the changing of the guards in about three years ago. Our team went in the film, therefore, are a Fourth of July program and is very sacred because if you get loud or if you carry on a review, you know, play, or do something or if you sit down when you can very well physically stand at that very moment the guard will immediately step off the mat and he will call you out you say something very sternly and loudly.

It is requested that all visitors maintain an atmosphere of respect and silence him and he will say it loud enough and you want to crawl into a hole. At that point is considered to be very somber and you can see in you can look around people, especially veterans who are there you can see tears in their eyes you can see military families but you can also see just average Americans there moved. It's a time of self reflection because your thinking your thinking as you watching this is not just a look at these men there all spiff in spam and the dead look so perfect you're watching because you you see that someone gave their life for you so you can have the freedom you have. So you're thinking about these things and sometimes moms and dads will lean over and tell the children hey listen, be quiet, this and this is where the unknown soldier or soldiers are buried business very serious. Now the reason I give you that lustration.

We need a similar understanding.

We need a similar sense of sobriety when become to the cross. When we think about the cross, the grave of Jesus Christ.

We need a similar sense of respect and all you can carry on anywhere else when it comes to the cross of Jesus Christ.

This is the place where one who was perfectly pure and holy, gave his life for the sins of every human being. Don't carry on over here.

You gotta walk with respect this morning.

What does that really mean, but understand that if you have your Bibles with you turn to first Corinthians chapter 11 are messages called heart search and this morning I am going to actually read these words from Corinth and directly behind me about. I don't know maybe 20 yards is the site of the oldest church. More than likely more than likely the letter that Paul wrote came to this location directly behind his attorney attention to her scream first Corinthians 11.

Starting in verse 23 I received from the Lord that which also delivered the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said taking this is my body which is due this in remembrance of me. In the same manner he also took the cup after supper, saying this, is the new covenant in my blood. Just as often as you drink it, in remembrance of my New Year's probably churches I've been pastoring for about 18 years. This is the only church same church and every Easter I preach the Easter message this morning I'm doing something different. I'm going to first Corinthians chapter 11 and talking about the Lord's supper, the communion what we typically do is we have our Easter message and to the end we tack on the communion and people take it, drink and eat it and then walk away and nothing has changed this morning were going to have the true understanding of the death the burial and the resurrection of Christ because what we think about this actually changes how we treat people. It changes how a husband treats his wife for changes how a wife treats her husband.

It changes how you treat people outside it changes how you treat people in the body of Christ. You see, you can come here and say oh yeah, we had the Sacramento we had the ordinance so we took the Lord's supper, we had the communion and nothing is changed. Something is wrong with that this morning. The messages called heart search and here's the question for all of us. When did you last search your heart. When was the last time you did a self-examination unit during the communion. The pastor usually says something like this. How would you bow your heads and just if there's anything in your heart that is wrong.

Anything you have that is critical or hateful toward somebody asked God to forgive you before we go into the Lord's supper this morning.

The question again is the same when was the last time you did a heart search.

When was the last time you examined yourself in the question I ask every week is the same. Are you saved but is beginning how and why do we need a heart search. Listen to verse 18 we got a backup from the passage that I just read the traditional passage about the communion we got a backup a few verses starting in verse 18, listen very carefully. Paul says to the Corinthians for first of all, when you come together as a church.

I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it if you were here about a month ago we finished a series through first Corinthians 13 on love and I explained to you how Corinth was a Roman colony and his population was made up of former slaves Army veterans business owners sometimes even prostitutes who gave their heart to Jesus Christ and they came to know him and they came to the church. Most of the people were not original Greeks. There were Roman citizens.

Some of them had Greek lineage, but documentary and archaeological evidence tells us that Corinth was known for its arrogance.

I mean, you could see that on the monuments they made to themselves. Corinth was a place where people had pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. I mean you can teach them anything they knew how they had made their money. They knew how they had climbed the ladder's and and so they were a very arrogant bunch of people, not think about all those people getting saved and getting into the body of Christ. What happened there brought all that mess into the church and now the church body was divided. There was a group over here.

That said, I belong to Paul.

Another group over there said I belong to Apollo's and the really super spiritual battle every church has a super spirit. I belong to Jesus. But guess what, they were divided they were divided even though they were saved they were still carrying on the old habits and the old nature and corrupting the body of Christ can ask you question this morning. Is there a difference between how you lived before Christ and how you live now. Is there a difference in the way you treat people. Is there a difference in the way you forgive instead of holding in bitterness. Is there a way difference in the way you don't gossip about people anymore you don't mistreat people, but you love them and you forgive them because now you belong to Christ. Is there a difference. Is there a change in attitude since you got saved and listen.

There are days when the old nature comes back came in and there are days but I feel conviction, don't you, if you know Christ as your Savior.

When that old nature.

When that anger comes over and that greed when that last when that pride creeps up you can sense that this is not right. This is no longer me I need to repent.

But if you never come to that point where you say I need to repent.

You need to get saved so what was happening in the Corinthian church. I want you to see verse 20 therefore Paul says I know what's going on when you come together in one place is not to eat the Lord's supper in the early church every week, they would have it agape. If fellowship dinner.

I would love to be back there. I love to eat every Sunday you have a big meal and that meal some point they would have the Lords supper.

Paul says to them when you come together. It is not for the Lord's supper for in eating each one takes his own supper ahead of others, and one is hungry and another is drunk then and have big churches like this with steeples and cathedral ceilings and all the rest.

There was still meeting in homes and sometimes they would meet in the larger homes, nine Roman homes. The living room was known as a dry cleaning dry cleaning means three couches and so what would happen this water meeting is at 6 o'clock tonight 5 o'clock people would show up and they would get in the try cleaning them they would find the best seats in there. The banquet was laid out all my goodness that's wonderful.

About 530. The slaves would get off work. The laborers would get off work and they would make it to the charge. Guess what is already full. They had to stand in the atrium the full year and wait on the people to finish eating ever ever been to a restaurant Friday or Saturday night.

I boils a line out the back of the front door and you go and you squeeze and somehow you get to the hostess and you asked the that the famous question how long will it be and she'll tell you well. We got a couple parties of the movie know it might be about 35 minutes used out of the always at 35 minutes and so do you go okay I think they will be all right where is he gonna do dollars down the road. Just like okay we will wait will wait and then what you do is you cannot time to time you look in just to give those people that look that would you please get up and leave.

What would happen is the people in the atrium were looking in and seeing the people in the try cleaning them just taking their time eating solicit what Paul says.

He says, and one is hungry. Another is drunk.

That makes sense now.

Those in the atrium are hungry doors in the try cleaning them are like give me another Lord's supper.

I'm just getting drunk and getting drunk. Listen to what Paul says what do you not have houses to eat and drink in these people. The Corinthian's had no concept of what the Lord's supper really meant they had no understanding, you know, many of them came from old Greek and Roman temples in Greek and Roman temples. There was no sobriety there was no hey wait, you go ahead.

It was more of it to get get get that let me get that sacred food sacred fruit or whatever it is you reach over and grab it because I just you came to the temple and people don't understand what Jesus Christ went through on that cross on that fateful night. That's why they just look at insane just bread and juice. Paul says I guess I need to teach you what it's all about.

So what Paul does over here is he takes them back to the fateful night and he begins to explain to them.

See Paul is a Jew of Jews was a Pharisee by by by his very birth is that I will explain to you what happened that night. What does he say listen to what he says in verse 23 therefore I received from the Lord that which also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread. Now what Paul is explaining here was the first that the last Passover that Jesus celebrated with his disciples a picture with me that night. Jesus knows what is coming. What a Jesus to the first thing you did was what he knelt down he washed the disciples feet. Then what you do is that you know I'm pained to say this, one of you is going to betray me tonight and then began the questioning is in me is admit it was amazing about this. Nobody said to his he's the one with the shifty eyes you look at him him over.

Nobody did that everyone's question was is it me. Is it me how different from the Corinthian's who should be saying do I need to get up do. I'm I the one whose offending. It didn't matter to them. By the way, you have the Passover was a very sacred time for the Jewish people very sacred. In fact, I want to hear these words is coming from the Haggadah.

Listen to what is says in every generation in man must so regard himself as if he came forth himself out of Egypt and they would have to say something like this. What the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt even if you live 100 years or 2000 years since the time when God led his people out of Egypt, you have to say. I came out of Egypt that make sense when you celebrate the Lord's table what you're saying in essence is what the Jewish people have been saying about the Passover I was there on that night when Jesus said one of you will betray me. I saw the look in his eyes.

Did he imagine that evening as he is passing the plate around and you can see the pain in his eyes. And what did he pray in the garden of Gethsemane. What he pray he said that I wish this could go away. I wish to scope would pass. Nonetheless, not my will but yours be done.

You know when you come to the Lord's table. You have to put yourself there where Jesus was in the upper room with his disciples. It amazing how Paul dealt with this if it was up to me. You know what I would've done. Are we having a trouble are we having trouble with with with you know what's the word I'm looking for with getting people in and out with logistics. That's a big word logistics. I would say something like this.

Let's create a Facebook page.

All right, some of the people can sign up at 5 o'clock some concern about six. Some can sign up at seven hate it all works out. Paul did not do that. He said before I can go any further I need to take you back to that night when Jesus went to the cross.

Nothing is more life-changing and behavior altering than the cross. There's something about the cross that brings you to your knees. It puts things in perspective that you are a wretch.

People love amazing grace, but have you read the whole song, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch. The wretch is not him. The wretch is not her. The wretch is made a wretch is not the people who are in the atrium. It's RS pulses I go take you back to that night and you have to put yourself in that room for the master just washed your feet and you see the pain looked in his eyes, and you saw him in the garden of Gethsemane would with sweat drops of blood. Have you forgotten that and what did Jesus say what did he say he said verse 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take you, this is my body which is broken for you.

Jesus gave a radically new understanding to the Passover. This is my body broken for you not listen to what he says do this in remembrance of me. What does that mean it has several layers of meaning. Number one, it means remember in gratitude thankful people cannot be bitter people when Jesus said do this in remembrance of me. Number one.

Remember in gratitude what Christ has done for you.

Number two what it means is, remember that you are identified with the crucified Savior.

This is my body, what happens when you eat, you become part of that that bread becomes part of you do this in remit at that moment those disciples did not understand all these things it's after his resurrection, and after the Penta because they said oh my goodness, we get it.

This is what was happening. Do you know that if you know Jesus as your Savior that you are one with him something else. Jesus meant when he said do this in remembrance of me.

It means return to where it all began for you return to when you first met Jesus. I remember when I met Jesus.

It was a tent revival back home and we had a preacher from New Zealand. He was preaching name was Don Stanton. My dad was a pastor still pastoring.

By the way he preach this morning and he was translating for this man.

I don't know what happened to send invitation song. I was understand. I was down up in the front and Mike had looked at me and said what are you doing here hatting I need to get saved I think you already are saved. I don't think so.

Okay.

I remember that like it was yesterday. Do you remember when you first met Jesus talk about the Jesus who fed the hungry, or walked on the waves I'm talking about Jesus giving his life on the cross and the first time it hit you, my goodness, that man died for me and believing in him.

I can be saved.

Something else it means when Jesus said do this in remembrance of me. It means remember all that I have told you that one day to sit around the bed banquet table in heaven and were going to celebrate celebrate this feast again with something else. Remember how guilty you are in the sight of God.

The Corinthians were like bring some more land bring some more wine bring some more bread. Paul says to them, don't you remember Jesus says do this in remembrance of me means when you are taking part of this, there should be a deep sense of guilt that should come upon you immediately followed by a deeper sense of grace.

If that doesn't happen for you this. Do you know this is just wafers. I promise you don't even give you much is just grape juice. This is not a mean anything for you in the same manner. Listen to verse 25. He also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. See what Jesus did is in the Passover. At the end of the Passover, they would hold up the cup of blessing.

Jesus said hey boys look at this cup right here this cup is the new covenant in my blood. What exactly did Jesus mean he was saying this at this point God is making a New Testament with you he is in making a new covenant with you. What is the covenant God can in a moment utterly consume you and destroy you when you go to restrain his hand and pour all his wrath upon Jesus. Guess what, if you say your saved you belong to this covenant, you say, I got every right I got every right to say what comes to my mind, you don't know how she treated me what he said about me. I got every right to fire back. If you are in this covenant, you have relinquished all your rights. Now you do what Jesus tells you to do this do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Me ask you this morning.

Do you believe that you are part of the new covenant in Christ, then here's another question. Do your actions match the actions of Christ. I cannot do anything other than what resembles Jesus Christ listen to what he says in verse 26 for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim, by the way, the word proclaim really means you demonstrate, you demonstrate the Lord's death till he comes. Have you ever thought about those words, every time you eat and drink are you claim to be a Christian. What you're saying is that you want to see where Jesus died in here because I died with him. I was buried with him and now I have risen to walk with him is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in.

Therefore, verse 27 whoever eats this bread or drinks, this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord means if you take the name of Jesus Christ and you take part of this visa wide and thick part of it doesn't matter if you claim to be a Christian and he lived contrary to Christ. Now you are guilty.

It's called was the word for that was the work that woman when you take someone's identity theft.

You are a fraud. God's as I want to hold you responsible either change your behavior or change your name.

Listen to verse 28 here's where you search your heart but let a man examine Hill himself or a woman examine herself and so let him or her eat of the bread and drink of the cup. I began with the illustration of the tomb of the unknown soldier menu. Come on, that hallowed ground you cannot full around you cannot play around because here is something very sacred folks imagine how much more sacred is the death of life and yet Christians act and behave in ways that you go you doing, how would you add this way.

Why would you say those words.

Why would you go to those pornographic sites.

Why would you lie and cheat and be so arrogant. Why would you do these things examine your hearts, here comes the last verse, for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

But here very, very important. Listen for this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. Sleep is a euphemism for that Paul is telling them because you come and sit on the try clean him and play around knowing that there are people out there, but you do that on purpose.

This is the reason why many of you are weak and sleep and sick and dead as God's judgment is upon. Then he says in verse 31. If you would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. If you deal with your sin. God does not have to step it up. People asked me this does God take the lives of people if they take the communion with sin in their hearts. The answer is no, not anymore. You know if you remember back in the book of acts analyzes the fire line about how much they gave to the Lord and what happened to them one by one day they fell to the ground right away and died and were buried the same day in the book of acts. He said the precedent he said this is how seriously I take lies now nothing to kill you. But remember, this is what I think about so also with the Corinthian church. They became our models. Many of them were weak and sick and dad because they did not understand the depth of what Jesus did on the cross we don't die today folks. But God is still just as serious about that sin. First question, are you say question number two. Have you done a hard check. Have you examined your hearts. If you truly claim to be a Christian at this moment are you harboring some sin in your heart.

Is there lust in your life, is that greed in your heart.

Things that you will not share with anybody but is there an and and playing with that sin.

Thank you so much for joining us today and remember the Scripture judge yourself and you will not be judged. Take the time and asked the Holy Spirit. Examine your hearts to cleanse your heart, and then fill your hearts with the presence of Christ. For more information visit us online@clearviewb.org and for today's sermon notes my blog site@avedonshaw.com