Healthy Living in a Sick World (Part 16)

Dr. Michael you send pictures in the land of Egypt was darkness in the middle of the day and yet Israel had light and I believe with all my heart that God is going to protect his own in the middle of that phrase because God wants the light of the gospel to shine brighter and the doctors moment.

If you would like to learn more about Jesus visiting LTW.Borg/Jesus death is leading the way with pastor and author of more than 40 books, including his newest saving Christianity Dr. Michael you sent. You know throughout church history people have participated in the Lord's supper communion also along the way communion has shifted meaning in various denominations, which is why this message is so very important for you to hear today. Here now is Dr. Michael you Seth, my beloved friends.

Review to upgrade with you to the that you comprehend with the Lord's table is all about.

When you come to the Lord's table without self-examination and drudgery of yourself.

Repentance come to the Lord's table out of habit is a ritual just this is the way things the surviving your heading for believers don't know what formula words today from first Corinthians chapter 11 offering three vital insights into what the Lord's supper is all about in the proper way to participate in this powerful worship opportunity right now. Let me encourage you to pause and listen carefully as Dr. Michael you Seth against today's teaching time remembering that is the theme of the Scripture from cover to cover. Remember, from the very beginning of history, God has established that certain dates are significant moments on that important events be celebrated and that is why you see the Freeman, the Scripture over and over and over again. God is saying to his people. Remember, remember, remember, it is the theme of the Scripture. Remember the past faithfulness of God in your life remember the past grace that God has brought in your life.

Remember past mercies that God has brought you through.

Remember the hand of God that supernaturally worked in you and through you in the past. Remember what you were and where you are today. Remember question. Why do you think the God who created us. The God who made us. The God who knows are very DNA of every one of us. The God who knows every cell in each of our bodies as our maker and creator.

Can you what a forgetful creatures will but not only that the reason God says.

Remember, remember, remember, is because the act of remembering fills us with gratitude and with thankfulness in our Lord Jesus Christ knew all about this proclivity to forgetfulness, and that is why he instituted the Lord's supper as means of not forgetting not forgetting the colossal sacrifice that he made on the cross.

Not forgetting the enormous price that he paid for your salvation and for mine. Not forgetting his gracious act of self giving, so that we may be forgiven. Of course, the danger of constantly having these services as a ritual just as a habit. The danger is it becomes your regular ritual limp and you forget the meaning. In fact, the danger of keeping the symbolism and losing the meaning is the very problem of the church in Corinth. Even today this great remembrance of that colossal sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross is Ms. used and abused in some traditions, some have turned it into a somber event. Others have turned it into an institutional requirement. Actually, people believe that they are saved when they take communion. When Bill explained you in a minute.

That communion is for the believers communion cannot save you Jesus save you a new remember his death and resurrection when his participative communion. Others still practice it in a very few occasions here first.

This 11th into it with me if you haven't already, Paul corrects so many of the misunderstandings misunderstandings that need be corrected today.

What the Lord's table is all about. It is a loving celebration. A true spiritual enrichment and not a time for selfish indulgence in the case of the Corinthians that turned it into a time for shaming the poor Christians as a matter of fact, it turned out to be a time of scandal lysing the church of Jesus Christ in front of an unbelieving world and correcting them. The apostle Paul gives them three things.

First of all, Paul is saying stop perverting the Lord's table.

Secondly, he said understand the purpose of this table understand what is really all about the family he is saying there is all right in the wrong way to celebrate the Lord's table is look at them very quickly.

First of all, he said stop perverting it.

How can these Christians will perverting the Lord's table.

If you look at verse 18. These believers in cars very were cantankerous they could not agree on anything. I mean, they absolutely disagree on every issue like a friend of mine was talking about a certain group of people who shall remain nameless, to whom he belongs and he set up tell you something about my people. Whenever you get four of them in a meeting together you get five opinions is right that these Christians could not agree on anything.

They love the divisiveness in the church. These grantors love creating division and fights and arguments of this growth is each of them were in love with their own opinion, and though not listening to anybody else instead of seeking to serve one another. They look for opportunities to stir dissension in the apostle Paul said, I believe this about two Corinthians, and sadly, instead of looking out for the welfare of one another instead of loving one another. They were looking out for number one. Instead of seeking the kingdom of God first and his righteousness first.

They were promoting themselves first instead of honoring the Lord, they sought the honor for themselves instead of being servants of one another. They set themselves as masters instead of being subject to spiritual authority.

They absolutely despised spiritual authority and the reason for all of this dissension is carnality, so my going to see verse 19 to be a very disturbing verse look at it with me please. What Paul is saying here is that God uses these cantankerous Christians. God uses me as carnal and divisive Christians to purify the righteous Christians even this divisive, cantankerous, contentious people, God uses to purify us and to sanctify us, if you see these people as a problem you want to grow through it.

But if you see them as God's way of sanctifying you purifying you is like the fire the fire when the gold is caught on fire. The fire basically to help separate the gold from the gross and that's what they do. So remember to give thanks to God for them and under. This is a hard sell. Listen.

Trust me I know it experientially is a hard sell. But there can be no doubt that apostle Paul is saying that these fractious people, not merely disruptive but they can be destructive and that is why we should not really put up with them for too long. The Bible gives us with clarity what to do with such people.

In Titus chapter 3 verse 10. The Bible said reject a fractious person after a first and a second warning, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinning and is being self condemned in the Corinthian church. These fractious people there were operating even the most stable look at verse 20 Paul said it could no longer be called the Lord's table.

My God forbid ever that happens here.

They had the ceremony but not the celebration. They had the form but not the substance and Christ have no part of the services. Why because in their hearts they had no love for one another. Lord forbid it. Them I have talked about love older probably sang about love and read about love, but their hearts were hard as rocks. Paul is going to say more about love in chapter 13 we get to it. They had so much pride and selfishness in their hearts that the war could not match their talk and that is why. Secondly they needed to comprehend the fresh what the Lord's table is all about good versus 23 all the way to 26 for I received from the Lord what I passed on to you. Paul is saying here. This is not Paul's opinion, this is not Paul's ideas. This is not Paul's thoughts. Paul is merely reinstating God's truth is merely reinstating God's revelation and that's what we all about. What is that that in the midst of betrayal.

God did a magnificent thing that in the midst of the world's malignant evil. God established his good that in the midst of Satan's wickedness God planted holiness that in the midst of ingratitude and greed. God established generosity and self-sacrifice that in the midst of grabbing and taking God established giving of his one and only begotten son.

Even in the midst of the Corinthians, functionalism and division and jealousy, and self-centeredness. The Lord's table stood as a symbol of forgiveness and renewal.

Let me give you a quick background, minute and 1/2 in order to fully comprehend what the Lord's supper is all about. You have to understand the Passover you see the Passover was celebrated by God's people to remember the gracious act of God for delivering them from the slavery of Egypt and that is why you must understand that that Passover meal found its ultimate fulfillment in the Lamb of God who has delivered us from the slavery of sin and Satan can I get an amen. The Passover was an indicator. What's the value of an indicator indicator says go this way. That's what I'm indicator is and beloved. That's what the word sacrament means the word supplements are the sign go this way. There is nothing sacred about the sacrament of baptism is nothing sacred about the sacrament of the Lord said it says go this way. It takes you beyond itself. That's where the sacrament is in the Passover meal found its ultimate fulfillment in the cross of Jesus Christ.

The Passover was an indicator it was pointing to the cross. The Passover was the shadow that reflected the cross of Jesus Christ.

The Passover found its true meaning in the cross of Jesus, can I get an amen in the Old Testament saints who saved there was saved by looking forward to the cross, even as the Bible said that Abraham saw the days of Jesus and he rejoiced 2000 years before Christ, he looked forward to it. Just as we in the New Testament times we look back to the cross and would become saved. The cross is the focus of the cross is the center we have gone away from the shadow when away from the picture. Now we have the cross. It is only the cross of Jesus Christ, that anyone anyone anyone anywhere in the world anyone, regardless of background or ethnic background or wherever they come from in the world.

It is only through the cross of Jesus Christ. Can you escape the condemnation of him and that is why Jesus said do this in remembrance of me is not a church table is its Jesus people do this in remembrance of me remember what I have done for you. Remember the sacrifice and don't just go through the motions remember and relive the moment of agony on the cross when he'd carried your sin and my sin on his sinless body. Remember to relive that moment of indescribable pain of separation from the father, which was for the first time since before eternity because of your sin that carried on his shoulders. Remember to experience what it is like for him. The pure sentence holding some of God that is your sin, your sin by sin on illustrate something about the Lord's table hopefully is gonna explain what Paul is saying here the very first time almost 40 years ago.

Now that we ever visited London the City of London were given three maps we get a map of the city without a map of the underground the tube and then we had a map of the motorways of M1 and M2, and so forth of three maps in all these three maps are true in themselves. Each one of them does not give you a complete picture to get a complete picture. You have to put all those three maps on top of each other but that's really confusing to read bunch of jumbles and you want you want to understand is very confusing and that is why a new believer must understand those three maps in the same way these three words describe the death of Christ on the cross for us redemption to say that with me then re-conciliation and justification. Each of those three words is like the three maps of London that are accurate and correct, by themselves, but for a person to comprehend, especially those who might coming to the Lord in the knowledge of Christ to comprehend this, you have to understand if you try to put all the three maps together three words together can be confusing and that is why the Lord's table helps us separate each of those three words, each of those three constantly released recruiters help to separate them in verse 26 the Lord's table when you come to it.

You proclaimed the death of Christ in the past for your remember the past, you proclaim the death remembering his death on the cross. But secondly, you remember the present, the present promise of empowerment. Jesus promised to empower us to live this life. Whatever your problem might be, and will have them whatever difficulties he going through whatever pain you are experiencing. Remember his promise of strength and power to live for him today at the present but also a remembering of the future. Those are the three things you remember the future.

The day is coming, and maybe even quicker than we think and maybe even sooner than any of us think the day is coming when the Lord will preside over his table at the marriage supper of the Lamb where all the believers are going to be gathered together. Don't pervert the Lord's table. Secondly, he said understand its real meaning and sadly and most importantly is verses 27 to 34. He tells us how to approach the Lord's table.

It is very important.

Beloved, it is very important to know the right way to approach the table of the Lord and I'm ready to tell you, never, never, never, never approach it casually however participates in the Lord's table. Tell me how these verses in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the button above. Lord, what is an unworthy manner. What is it me what's unworthy manner. Now there are several ways in which you can come to the Lord's table and an unworthy manner. Listen carefully. There are several ways of coming to the Lord's table and an unworthy manner. Coming to the table out of a habit participating in the lodestar just out of a habit without engaging your mind without engaging your heart in the process of that participation. Secondly, unworthy manner is when you treat the elements as sacred in themselves, not what they point to what they represent the Fenway, which is I believe relevant for not 99% of us all hundred percent of us, including your pastor.

The third way participating of the Lord's table in an unworthy manner is coming with an unconfessed sin with unconfessed sin.

When you come and participate in the Lord's table in any church carrying bitterness and hatred and anger and living in deliberate disobedience in the come to the most table without confession without repentance. That's unworthy manner. When we come to the Lord's table with anything less than love for God and love for one another where sinning against God. So what is the right way to participate of the Lord's table while glad you asked because the word of God has the answer numb me. Verse 24. Examine yourself before you eat and drink. Sift out the wrong desires.

Sift out the wrong attitudes sift out the wrong motives since that any sin of thought, word, or actions, ask yourself the question have I wronged anyone have I deliberately cheated anyone ever cheated God of his tithes and offerings have our carried on unforgiveness toward anyone in my heart. Do I have bitterness in my heart toward anyone am I faithful to my spouse around my filled with pride in seeking honor for myself, examine yourself. The apostle Paul said, confess, repent before you participate only confession and repentance qualifies us to coming to the Lord's table in a worthy manner, not unworthy manner and that is why the Lord's table is only for believers verse 30 look at it carefully on the line with the new Bible imprinted imprinted in the cortex of your head in your brain and your heart. If a person persistently comes to the Lord's table without confession and repentance. It has not only spiritual repercussions it can have physical repercussion.

Some people actually die as a result of approaching the Lord's table in a number remember what it said here Ananias and Sophia book of acts chapter 5 there were believers, but somehow in their hearts. It chose to live to the Holy Spirit lied to the church of Jesus Christ and there were snuffed out immediately and died. Both of them; being slain in the spirit listen to me if we don't judge ourselves.

Everyone examine ourselves if we don't confess our sins if we don't seek his forgiveness, we open ourselves up to be judged by God and by others, God is not looking for perfection can you say that with me. God is not looking for perfection. He knows that's only going to happen when we are there with him in heaven. David, the Bible said of David that he was a man whose heart of the gods, you know, David was not perfect right, but he knew how to repent whenever they come under conviction he repented of his sin. He didn't try to explain it away, then try to rationalize it just went to my beloved friends. I plead with you today.

I plead with you today that you comprehend what the Lord's table is all about that when you come to the Lord's table without self-examination and judging of yourself and repentance when you come to the Lord's table out of habitant is a ritual just this is just the way things were done at than this the right thing to do your heading for the danger of a believers judgment and I don't know what form that takes. Father I pray as I pray for me personally.

I pray for every one of beloved friends. May you give us a sobering spirit before it might be too late for some follow-up right in the name of Jesus that you wake your people of the time of ignorance God has overlooked, but now it is time he commands everyone everywhere to repent. May we be repentance people for Jesus sake. I pray, amen.

Thank you for listening to leading the way with Dr. Michael yourself had he thought further about talking with someone about your spiritual questions with a place to start is LTW.org/GSS hello friends throughout our nation's history. It has often been in the darkest times that God brought unprecedented revival. However, the means God uses for bringing about revival are almost always the same commitment to prayer and uncompromising preaching of the cross. For this reason this month I am launching rail movement called awake America and I want to challenge you to try for God to bring a spiritual awakening to our nation starting with your city, your compass and your neighborhood to encourage your friends, your family and your church groups do not together in prayer revival starts with you and me. I hope jointly you can stand Dr. you sent when you call 866-626-4356 or LTW.org, call 866-626-4356 and LTW.org.

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