Tag Archives: Lord

1 Corinthians, John, New Testament, Sermons

Communion-The Lord’s Table

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Communion-The Lord’s Table
March 07, 2004 Sermon by DRW Passage 1 Corinthians 11.23-26 and John 13

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

If you were to attend all of the Good Friday and Easter Sunday services in all of the churches in this area and witness the celebration of our Savior’s sacrifice, you would probably be surprised at the variety of practices, beliefs, and names associated with the service.

You may attend one church where people gather in an informal meeting and practice an earnest exhortation and self-examination before they ate of the bread and drank of the cup. They may use a single loaf and single cup, or they may use small pieces of bread and small individual cups. The people may come forward to an altar where they receive the bread and the cup, or they may have it brought to them in the seats.

You may attend another church where you would witness a priest with attendants dressed in colorful vestments. The priest alone would drink from the chalice of wine and the people would receive only the little white wafers. After the priest utters the words of consecration, “This is My body” — hoc est corpus meum in Latin, the elements are believed to actually become the flesh and blood of Jesus.

No doubt you would find many other practices as well. And you would also find many names by which these services are designated. Some, from a Greek tradition would refer to it as a “mystery,” from the Greek word mysterion. Other Christians with a Latin background may call it the “mass.” This is taken from the words of dismissal (missa = mass) which are used by the priest. You may also hear it referred to as a “sacrament,” which comes from sacramentum, a Latin word meaning “pledge of allegiance” which itself is a translation of the Greek word mysterion. Congregations influenced by the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century usually call the service the Lord’s Supper, or Lord’s Table. Some refer to it as the Eucharist, from the Greek eucharistia which means thanksgiving. Others refer to it as Communion, from the Greek koinonia which means fellowship or communion. As you can see, practices and beliefs vary.

Some attach an almost magical significance to the Lord’s Table. There are those who believe it is in itself a grace imparting act. Some churches teach that partaking in this meal is a literal receiving of Christ’s body and blood and guarantees salvation. To them, it is essential.

On the other hand, there are others who ascribe almost no significance to this memorial meal. While they rightly reject the mistaken positions of those churches which make the meal more than it is, they, in doing so to such an extreme, make it less than it is. To some, this memorial meal is not as significant as it should be.

From the Bible, we understand that the Lord’s Table is not a magical rite which itself imparts grace, but neither is it simply a nice ceremony filled with nostalgic memories. Rather, it is an ordinance of the church, which, if properly understood can bring us into the presence of God, help us deal with our sin, restore fellowship with God and one another, give testimony of the significance of Christ’s sacrificial death, and point to the Second Coming of our Lord.

I would like for us to look at Easter by looking at the Lord’s Table today. By way of reminder, the last meal that Jesus had with His disciples in the Upper Room had as part of it this ordinance we are looking at today. We will examine the meaning of communion through an understanding of the two elements we partake, the bread and the cup.

1.  Christ’s Body Broken

In this memorial meal, we partake first of the bread. The bread is symbolic of Christ’s body broken for us.

When we behold the bread, we see a dual truth. The bread speaks to us both of Christ’s suffering and His sufficiency. He is both the Savior who suffered for us and who Himself is sufficient to meet our every need.

When you think of and hold the bread, see Christ’s suffering. This, of course, is a central message of this memorial meal. The Lord’s Table speaks to us of the death of Christ. It was a painful death. It was a death full of the suffering which paid for our sins.

[show clip of Passion?]

What does that suffering reveal?

a.  For one thing, it reveals the gravity of sin.

God must consider sin to be so serious if Jesus had to die for God to forgive sin? The fact that Jesus had to die for our sins to be forgiven indicates that God hates sin. The psalmist says as much. In Psalm 5:5 we read, “Thou dost hate all who do iniquity.” The prophet Habakkuk says of God in Habakkuk 1:13, “Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, and Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor.” Our God is a holy God. He is too pure to condone sin. Indeed, He hates sin because sin destroys His work. But more than that, sin is a moral plight which nothing less than the suffering of Christ could cure. The sacrifice of Christ speaks loudly of the gravity of our sin.

Have you thanked Him? Let’s take time to do that right now.

Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank You for forgiveness. Thank You for making us stand pure before You through Jesus. Bring to our minds, Father, those areas of our lives that we are consistently sinning in. We pray Your Holy Spirit show us these things. In Jesus name, Amen.

b. But the suffering of Christ also reveals the love of God.

We are all familiar with the passage in John 3:16 which reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” It was because of the love of God that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross. This is why He came. This is why He died. Charles Wesley expressed it this way:

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?

We sing of amazing grace — we should also sing of amazing love! When Jesus died on that Cross, it was the greatest expression of God’s love that could ever be given.

[see if the music set has a song that would fit here; if so, have them play it here instead of in the order given]

c.  Finally, His suffering reveals the provision of God. It reveals that Christ’s death is sufficient for our every need.

Romans 8:32 says,

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

The God who gave Jesus for us will not withhold anything that we need.

When Jesus allowed His body to be broken, He was doing so for our sake. We are told in Isaiah 53:5,

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”

Because Christ’s body was broken for us, we can now experience the provision of God. Our needs can be met through the Lord Jesus. Paul tells us in Philippians 4.13:

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

So, today as you partake of this broken bread, understand that it symbolizes both the suffering and the sufficiency of Christ. Do you need His sufficiency? Do you need more than you can provide for yourself? Jesus is what you need. He called Himself “the Bread of Life.” He is the Living Bread which meets the deepest needs of our spiritual hunger. Feed upon Him. Feast upon His sufficiency. Don’t partake today if you do not need His sufficiency. But if you do, then in sweet surrender to Him, partake of this bread, and by faith receive the Living Bread.

If you have been baptized, we ask you to please come forward, take a portion of the bread, return to your seat. Before we partake of the bread, consider the areas of your life where you have sinned, failed God. Confess those before we partake. I am going to lead us in a prayer. When I am finished, I ask Ben to pray over the bread.

Father, we have asked Your Holy Spirit to show us those areas where we have sinned. We ask that You now forgive us of those sins and strengthen us not to do them again. Confess your sin before God today. Tell Him, that you have [tell Him your sin] and that you need Him to strengthen you to overcome it. Thank Him for forgiveness and restoration. Thank You for the work You have done in our lives and the work You are doing now. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ben prays

Let us partake in remembrance of Him.

2.  Christ’s Blood Poured Out

The second element of the Lord’s Table of which we partake is the cup. The cup is filled with the fruit of the vine which symbolizes the blood of Christ. The blood itself is symbolic of life. So when we speak of Christ’s blood poured out, we are speaking of His life being poured out. And when His life was poured out, it was poured out as a payment for our sins.

We see the truth of this in Leviticus 17:11,

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”

A life had to be given, blood had to be shed for there to be forgiveness.

What we see in the Old Testament, we also see in the New. In Hebrews 9:22 we read,

“And according the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

This is why a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins had to be made. In the Old Testament it was the sacrifice of an animal. But this was not sufficient. What was needed was not the sacrifice of a lamb, but the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Jesus is the Lamb of God! It was at the celebration of the feast of Passover when Jesus instituted this Lord’s Table. The Passover feast commemorated the time when God spared Israel from the Angel of Death during their captivity in Egypt. A lamb was slain and the blood was placed on the doorposts and lintel of each house. When the Angel of Death saw the blood, he passed over each house.

Jesus is called “Our Passover” in 1 Corinthians 5:7. Christ, the Lamb of God, has been sacrificed as our Passover. His blood was shed for us.

a.  Christ’s blood poured out speaks of the forgiveness for sins.

Because of His shed blood, we can now be fully and freely forgiven by God. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says,

“. . . you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

b. Christ’s blood poured out speaks also of a New Covenant of grace.

The Old Covenant was not sufficient for salvation. To be saved under the Old Covenant, we had to keep the Law perfectly. We could not err in any one point. Our righteousness had to be absolutely flawless. But that was our problem, we could not keep the Law.

Now, under this New Covenant of grace, our salvation does not depend upon our works. Our salvation depends upon Another’s work. It depends upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. He did what we could not do. He died so that we would not have to die. He paid the penalty for our sins by His blood poured out on Calvary’s Cross. Now we can enter into a New Covenant with God, based not upon our own works, but based upon His grace offered to us because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

In this New Covenant, we now live for Christ by letting Christ live in us. It is what some have called “the exchanged life.” When we receive Jesus, He gives us His life in exchange for ours. Now we live on the basis of His life being lived in and through us. This is what salvation is all about.

We are saved through Christ’s blood poured out. We are forgiven through Christ’s blood poured out. We are kept through Christ’s blood poured out. So, when you partake of the cup today, understand that Christ’s blood poured out has purchased your salvation. If you do not need His salvation today, do not partake. Unless you are willing to trust Christ alone for your salvation, do not partake. But if you are, then receive the cup with gladness! When you receive the cup, by faith drink deeply of His Spirit as well. By an act of surrender, commit yourself fully to Christ. Confess your sins to Him. Receive His grace.

If you have been baptized, we ask you to please come forward, take a cup, return to your seat. Before we partake of the cup, thank Him for paying a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay.

Tell Jesus out loud, “Thank You, Jesus!” Let’s say that together. “Thank You, Jesus!”

I ask Mike to pray over the cup.

Let’s tell Him again: “Thank You, Jesus!”

Let’s us partake of the cup.

The Lord’s Table is rich in meaning. It pictures for us the sacrificial death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are told to do it in remembrance of Christ. As we partake, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” The Lord’s Table is not only a look back, it is a look ahead. The same Lord who died to save us is coming again to receive us to Himself. Until He comes, let’s commit ourselves to live for Him.

Father, thank You for commanding us to set aside time to remember what Your Son, Jesus Christ, did for us on the cross. Thank You for freeing us from the power of sin, thank You for changing our lives, and thank You for what You have promised to those who love You. Amen.

©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Used by Permission.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Teach for God Ministries.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By David R Williamson. ©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Website: www.teach4god.com

1 Corinthians, New Testament, Sermons

Communion March 2001

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Communion
March 03, 2001 Sermon by DRW Passage 1 Corinthians 11.17-29

Teddy Roosevelt, the man who would become the 26th President of the United States, was afraid to go to church when he was a child because of a creature he called “The Zeal.” His mother eventually realized the reason for Teddy’s fear was a Scripture verse he had heard the pastor read, John 2:17, “It is written, ’’The zeal of thine house has eaten me up.’’” Teddy did not really know what that verse of Scripture meant. There are other parts of the Bible, however, which can cause some fear even when we do understand what they mean. One frightening Bible passage is our text today, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. I remember reading this portion of Scripture when I was a teenager and getting a little nervous. What disturbed me was verse 11:27

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. And also verse 11:30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

I understood that this passage is about sharing in the Lord’s Supper. I also knew that “a number of you have fallen asleep” was really just a nice way of saying that “some of you have died.” I got concerned that every time I took communion, I might be risking my life. What would happen if I ate the bread or drank the cup in an “unworthy manner”? And how was I supposed to know what an “unworthy manner” was? Well, eventually my fears subsided, but it was not until quite a few years later that I really started to understand what the Lord is saying to us through this text. As that has happened, I have also grown to realize what a wonderful privilege we as Christians have in coming to the Lord’s Table together. So, let’s pause and pray that God would use His Word to help us grow in our understanding and appreciation of this important part of our Christian life.

We start with the Lord’s Supper in 1st Century Corinth.

11:17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.

Throughout the book, Paul has been addressing problems in this church and now he turns his attention to some more.

11:18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. He’s mentioned various divisions in the congregation a couple of times already in this letter. 11:19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.

That is a God-inspired use of sarcasm on Paul’s part and then he makes a point.

11:20-22 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

Christian congregations in the 1st Century liked to eat together. That is one tradition we’ve kept up real well. Apparently they would gather regularly, maybe once a week, for what they called an Agape Feast, or a Love Feast. To close their meal together, they would share the bread and the wine, the elements of the Lord’s Supper. But, it was not working out in Corinth. I don’t know what type of picture came to your mind as we read these verses, but it sounds pretty chaotic. They are all trying to grab food and drink for themselves, afraid there will not be enough for everybody to get what they want. The result in Corinth is that some gorge themselves on food and get drunk, while others get nothing to eat. Paul finds the whole thing totally disgusting. And so does God.

In verses 23-26, Paul reminds the Corinthians what the Lord’s Supper is really about, and we will come back to that later.

11:27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

Now, what is the “unworthy manner” of which Paul speaks? That is an important question. The word, “therefore” probably gives us a big clue. Does “therefore” refer back to something Paul said in verses 23-26 where Jesus’ words at the Last Supper are recorded? I don’t think so. I think “therefore” refers back to verses 20-22, where Paul is talking about the conflict and division in Corinth. Thus, I am convinced Paul is saying that those who take part in the Lord’s Supper after they have been grabbing everything they can at the meal; who mistreat others in the fellowship; whose lives are characterized by total selfishness and lack of concern for others, those folks are eating and drinking in a manner which is unworthy of the Lord.

Paul then says,

11:28,29 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. Participating in the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner is not a good thing to do.

So, he says, before you eat…examine yourself. Make sure you are qualified to participate. What should we look for in a spiritual self-exam? Should we look for sin? Some folks say, “Examine yourself to make sure there is no sin in your life.” No sin in my life?? Remember, 1 John 1:8 says,

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves…”

Or, we are lying. Others say, “Make sure you don’t have any known sin or any serious sin.” Really? Are there types of sin which are not serious to God?

Whenever I examine my heart, I find some sin, either something I have done, said or thought that I should not have, or something I have not done, said or thought that I should have. I guess I would think I was a pretty rotten, creepy person if I didn’t know that almost all the Christian leaders I admire—Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Spurgeon, Billy Graham—all say the same thing. We are sinners saved by grace. So, if the prerequisite for coming to the Lord’s Table is that we need to have stopped sinning before we come, I don’t think anyone would be worthy to partake.

Others say, “Yes, we all sin, but the way to prepare for taking communion is to confess those sins. When we confess our sin, God cleanses us, and makes us worthy to come into His presence.” Now, that is essentially true, but is that what Paul has in mind here? Or do we need to look at our relationships with other Christians? I believe a key phrase in understanding this passage is in verse 29,

“without recognizing the body of the Lord.”

What does that mean? Maybe you have heard that it has something to do with thinking about Jesus’ physical body as we share in the Lord’s Supper, but I don’t think that fits the context. Rather, I would suggest “the body of the Lord” is the body of Christ, the church, people who are believers in Jesus. I think the person who participates in the Lord’s Supper without recognizing the relationship he has with other Christians, who is interested not in serving people but in using them, is the individual who is participating in an unworthy manner and may face God’s judgment. Thus, I would say that when we examine our lives before we eat at the Lord’s Table, the focus should not be so much on our vertical relationship with God, but on our horizontal relationships with other Christians. Obviously the two are connected. In many ways the vertical relationship is more important, but in this passage, I believe Paul is saying we should make sure we are treating those within the body of Christ in the right way, make sure we don’t have bitter or hateful attitudes toward a Christian brother or sister before we eat and drink the Lord’s Supper.

I suspect a number of you are thinking that my explanation of these verses seems a little different. Let me give you some reasons why I think what I have said makes sense. The first reason is Matthew 5:23,24

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Now, certainly Jesus is not talking about the Lord’s Supper here. But it makes sense that God might want us to follow the same procedure when we do come to the Lord’s Table. “First, go and be reconciled with your brother, then come to eat and drink.”

The second reason is the context of 1 Corinthians 11 and really the whole letter. Divisions, factions, conflicts were ripping apart the church in Corinth. Certainly Paul saw those as urgent problems with which to deal.

Thirdly, the New Testament teaches that bad attitudes toward other Christians is a very serious spiritual problem. Ephesians 4:27 says that to be continually angry with someone gives the devil a foothold in our lives. That is why Paul says, Ephesians 4:31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

What better time to do that than before we eat together at the Lord’s Table.

The fourth reason is: I believe that part of the purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to remind us of the unity we ought to have as believers in Christ. Yes, we come together to remember the Lord’s death, but I think we also come together to remember that through His death, Jesus has taken down the walls that divided us from each other and made us members of one family. Observing the Lord’s Supper is not something we do individually at our kitchen table or something like that. It is something we do together as a congregation, as a group of Christians. Roger Williams, the fellow who started the first Baptist church in North America in Providence, Rhode Island, separated himself from so many folks that he was only willing to take communion with his wife, and eventually he was not sure about her either. It is not supposed to be that way. Sharing in the Lord’s Supper is intended to be a corporate activity, something we do together, and that is why it makes sense that Paul would tell us to examine our relationships with other Christians before we eat.

Well, what will happen if we participate in communion in an unworthy manner? In Corinth, this was a sin which God dealt with rather severely. 11:29,30

For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

Is Paul saying what he seems to be saying? Yes, “fallen asleep” is a 1st Century euphemism for death. Some of the people at Corinth had gotten sick and even died because of their abusive attitudes they exhibited at the Lord’s Table. That certainly seems like a harsh punishment. Maybe you are thinking, “But, Pastor Dan, God is a loving God; He would never do anything like that.” Yes, God is a loving God, and out of love He sometimes disciplines very harshly, as we see in other parts of the Bible, including Acts 5 where the Lord strikes Ananias and Sapphira dead for lying. But, remember, 11:32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. This is our Heavenly Father disciplining His children. The pain that is experienced by those who receive it is intended to keep them from experiencing greater pain in the future.

Now, it is a mistake to think that God always disciplines those who abuse the Lord’s Supper in this way, or to think that He would never do something like that. There may be people here today who have brought some terrible, hateful attitudes to the Lord’s Table, and who are in perfect physical health. I am certain there are plenty of Christians whose sickness or death had nothing to do with punishment for this or any other sin. It would be foolish for someone to think, “I bet the reason Jim got the stomach flu last month was because he did not have the right attitude when he took communion.” But at the same time, it would be foolish for us to try to take out of God’s hand the right to discipline very directly a sinner whom He loves. If I have a cold, there is nothing wrong with just making sure and asking, “Are my attitudes toward my brothers and sisters in Christ what they should be?” If they are great, the cold will be gone in seven days or one week, whichever comes first. If my attitudes are not what they should be, it is time to get them straight, whether I am sick or not. 11:33,34

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

Paul is very practical. Instead of fighting with each other over food at the Agape Feast so that you are bringing bad attitudes to the Lord’s Table, eat at home before you come. Make sure your hearts are full, not of jealousy or bitterness, but of love for those who, like you, have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ.

OK, that is what our text says. What does this mean for us?

1)  Remember, the Lord’s Supper is meant for those who are Christians, believers in Christ. Being a church member, or a religious person, or a nice guy doesn’t qualify one to participate in this event. How does one become a Christian? By trusting in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you have never done that, I encourage you to do so today. As God’s Spirit enables, you need to turn away from your sin and pride, stop pretending you are good enough the way you are and instead, by believing in your heart, receive the marvelous salvation that the Lord offers. If you do that, if you have done that, then the Lord’s Supper is for you. In our church we require Christians to be baptized before they participate in the Lord’s Supper.

2)  We need to make sure we have good relationships with other Christians. If there is any hatred, bitterness, jealousy or, as Paul said, “any form of malice,” we need to get rid of it. It doesn’t matter what the other person has done to us, what they have said about us, or what they are like. If I am hateful, bitter or jealous, I have a problem. These are destructive attitudes. When a rattlesnake is cornered, it can become so frenzied that it accidentally bites itself with its deadly fangs. In the same way, a Christian who harbors hatred and resentment poisons his own soul. As we have seen today, bitterness makes us unfit for the Lord’s Table. Paul’s specific concern is our relationships within a local congregation. It is not good to have bad attitudes toward someone who attends another church, but bad attitudes toward someone else here at EFC Cerritos is especially destructive. Now, this doesn’t mean we need to be great friends with everyone else in the church. We are all different personalities, and we will naturally get along better with some folks than with others. We are called to love every fellow Christian. We need to keep working on that, but the first concern is to get rid of bad attitudes that so easily seep into our souls. Michelangelo and Raphael, the painters, were commissioned to paint the inside of a cathedral at the same time. They were so jealous of each other that they never spoke, even though they were both supposedly working for the glory of God.

Is there someone in this room that, if you see them somewhere, you turn around and go the other way? It is not supposed to be that way. If there is any form of malice toward a Christian brother or sister, I encourage you to confess this to the Lord, ask for His help and then, if necessary, go to that person and seek reconciliation. Even if the other person hates you, you need to do your part in getting rid of every form of malice.

3)  We should not participate in the Lord’s Supper if we have a wrong attitude toward a Christian brother or sister. If there is bitterness, jealousy or hatred in your heart toward someone else in this room, it is best that you don’t eat and drink with us today. If you do, I am afraid you might be eating and drinking in an unworthy manner and would be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Jesus. Now, whether or not you choose to participate is really up to you. Paul says, “A man ought to examine himself.” It is up to each individual to determine whether or not they can partake in a manner worthy of the Lord.

4)  We should approach the Lord’s Table with joy. Taking part in communion should not be a fearful experience. If we have examined ourselves and don’t see any obvious bad attitudes, we can approach the Lord’s Table with confidence knowing that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. As we do, we are reminded in our minds and hearts of the most magnificent reality in the world, God’s love and grace, given to us through the death and resurrection of His own Son, and experienced by all who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Let us enjoy a joyous communion with each other today.

 

  1. What is the _______________ _______________ ?
  2. What does it mean to “eat in an ______________ manner?”
  3. How do I _______________ my heart?
    1. _______________ 5:23,24
    2. 1 _______________ 11
    3. _______________ 4:27, 31
    4. The _______________ of the Lord’s Supper
  4. What does this _______________ for us?
    1. The Lord’s Supper is meant for those who are _______________ .
    2. We need to make sure we have _______________ _______________ with other Christians.
    3. We should not participate in the Lord’s Supper if we have a wrong _______________ toward a Christian brother or sister.
    4. We should approach the Lord’s Table with _______.
      1. What is the _______________ _______________ ?
      2. What does it mean to “eat in an ______________ manner?”
      3. How do I _______________ my heart?
        1. _______________ 5:23,24
        2. 1 _______________ 11
        3. _______________ 4:27, 31
        4. The _______________ of the Lord’s Supper
      4. What does this _______________ for us?
        1. The Lord’s Supper is meant for those who are _______________ .
        2. We need to make sure we have _______________ _______________ with other Christians.
        3. We should not participate in the Lord’s Supper if we have a wrong _______________ toward a Christian brother or sister.
        4. We should approach the Lord’s Table with _______.

©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Used by Permission.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Teach for God Ministries.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By David R Williamson. ©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Website: www.teach4god.com

Old Testament, Proverbs, Sermons

Trust the Lord with Your Family

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Trust the Lord with Your Family
June 18, 2000 Sermon by DRW Passage Proverbs 3.5-6

Some of you may not know, but Karen and I had our first child in January. He is a joy to the both of us. This can’t and doesn’t qualify me to speak to you today about raising a family. I have been in the ministry with youth for two decades and have been teaching middle school children for 6 years. This may add some credence to what I have to say. All I ask of you is not to be like John Guzman. On our second to last day of school, the 8th graders were allowed to visit classes and sit in to talk with the other students who weren’t graduating. In my classes, I don’t allow the students to visit. If you come into my room any day of the year, we are learning something. John popped his head into my room, looked around, and said: “Let’s don’t go in there. They are learning.” Today let’s learn what the Bible tells to us fathers about raising a family for Him.

1.       You must be saved (Trust in the Lord with all your heart)

Before we can expect our children to follow the ways of the Lord , we need to follow Him. This begins with our own salvation. We need to accept Christ as our Savior and follow after Him before we can truly expect our children to. What does becoming a Christian involve?

a.       believing that you have sinned, done wrong

b.       believing that this sin keeps you from being the person God intended and created you to be.

c.        believing that God has done something to change your situation.

d.       believing that Jesus Christ is God and that He died to pay the penalty for your sins.

e.       accepting His payment as your own by praying to Him and accepting the truth of the Gospel.

There is a true story about a man who needed a heart transplant in order for him to live. He felt that it was wrong for anybody to have to die in order for him to live, so he wouldn’t take the transplant. He was 51 years old at the time and had resigned to the fact that people in his family died young from heart disease. His own mother died at 57. Although his daughter kept prodding him to get the transplant, he always refused. And always told her that he thought it was wrong for someone to die so that he could live. This is the way many of us were when we heard the story about Jesus dying so we could live. We refuse to believe that it is an option for us. We believe that we are destined to die and that is the end of the story, after all everybody else dies. So we live thinking that salvation, a real heart transplant, isn’t for us.

That man’s story doesn’t end there, it would be tragic if it did. For years the family and friends and doctors prodded him to get on the waiting list for the heart transplant. He always refused. Then one morning when the daughter wasn’t present the father decided to get the transplant. That afternoon he received the heart he so badly needed. What changed his mind? His daughter was killed in an automobile accident, he received her heart. Each one of us, before we can truly raise our children the way God had created them and intended them to grow, we need to accept His heart transplant of salvation.

 

Many of us in this room have already accepted God’s salvation, for us we need to daily choose to follow Him by following His Word. When we do this we will not trust nor follow the world’s way of raising a child.

 

2.       You must not trust the world’s way of doing things (lean not on you own understanding)

Someone once wrote an inventory of what can be done to ensure that your child will not grow up to be the person you want him/her to be. He entitled it: How to Bring Down a Son

1.       Provide him with plenty of free spending money.

This way he thinks money is the answer to all the problems and questions in life. He will spend his life pursuing this and, in the process, leave morals and family far behind.

2.       Permit him to choose his own companions without restraint or direction.

Paul tells us that we shouldn’t be fooled. He says that bad company does corrupts good morals. As parents, we need to guard our children from the corruption this world and the people in it have to offer. This means you have to get to know your children’s friends. My sister does this because she is really concerned for her children. We all need to do this.

3.       Give him a latchkey and allow him to return home at any hour of the night.

This lets him know that you don’t really care too much about him. Where he goes, how long he is there, or when and if he gets back.

4.       Make no inquiry as to where and with whom he spends his leisure hours.

When we don’t talk to our children we lead them to believe that we don’t care about them. When we don’t ask them questions they feel they aren’t accountable to us. Talk to your children, even if they don’t want to answer back. Over time, if you show them that you care enough about them to be rejected when asking a simple question but you continually ask that question, they will return to you for the hard ones. I remember my step father, Joe, before he was my step-father, he was my Sunday School teacher. He would continually asked me to come to church with him, I always said yes. However, after he drove the many miles to our house to pick me up, I would tell him that I didn’t want to go. He did this countless times, because he was persistent even in rejection I stand before you today as a pastor. If you want your children to follow God, talk to them; if you don’t want them to grow up godly, don’t talk with them.

5.       Allow him to believe that manners make a good substitute for morals.

The world today expects manners without morals. They want us to act good and not be good. This is taught in the schools, in business, and sadly in the home. God tells us that our manners come from our morals. To act like we have manners and disregard the morals is to set ourselves up for failure when the times get tough where morals really count. We need to seek inward conformity to God’s Word which will produce actions that are godly.

6.       Let him expect to be paid for every act of helpfulness he offers.

Far to often today, I see it in the school settings, children expect to be rewarded financially or materially for doing what is right. I have students who expect a “treat” every time they turn their homework in on time. Others won’t get good grades unless they are paid to get them.

7.       Let him spend his church-time hours on the street or in bed instead of in church.

When we spend our time at home when we should be at church, our children learn this and model it as-well. If we truly want our children to be brought down in life, don’t let them go to church and don’t let them see you go to church.

8.       Be careful never to let him hear you pray.

Sad truth these days, men think it is a sign of weakness to pray. Our greatest strength as fathers is our prayer life. Don’t neglect it.

The world tells us that the child should be allowed to choose freely what he or she will do and the parent should accept whatever they choose. There is an interesting verse in Proverbs that can be seen two totally different ways: Train up a child in the way he should go and when he gets older he will not depart from it. The normal way to look at this verse is to say that when we train a child in the ways of the Lord, when he gets older he will not leave it. For a moment he might depart from the path of the Lord but in the end, he will return to the training in the Lord that he received as a youth. The other way of looking at this verse is to say: If I train my child in the way that he wants to grow, when he gets older he will stay in that path. If I let the child do what he wants, when he wants, he will remain that way for the rest of his life. We need to train them in the ways of the Lord.

There is another myth out there that tells us we must control all that our children do. This might be true for those that are younger and can’t make wise choices. But at the age of accountability, around 12 in Jewish terms, they should be allowed to do things and have responsibilities. If we have trained them in the ways of the Lord, we can trust them with responsibility and the privileges that go with them. If they have studied and done homework, they should be allowed to have leisure time. If they have fulfilled their responsibilities, we need to allow them the privileges that go with it. As parents we have the responsibility to raise the children to make wise choices and not to control them into doing what we think is right or best.

Another way the world says you should raise your children is to work so hard that you neglect the spiritual and emotional and social development of your children. The logic behind this is natural. I need to make enough money to buy what my child needs to succeed. The problem is we don’t truly understand what a child needs or what we as fathers need. A recent study showed that professionals are saying that their lives are empty. 4,126 male business executives, in 1996, revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the corporate experience. Forty-eight percent of all middle managers said that despite years spent striving to achieve their professional goals, their lives seemed “empty and meaningless.” 68% of senior executives said that they had neglected their family lives to pursue professional goals, and half said they would spend less time working and more time with their wives and children if they could start over again. The question that men are asking today is: “What am I doing all this for?” The answer to that question is found in our family. Socrates once said: “Could I climb the highest place in Athens, I would lift my voice and proclaim: ‘Fellow citizens, why do you turn and scrape every stone to gather wealth, and take so little care of your children, to whom one day you must relinquish it all?’” Most people find out to late that spending time with the family is what is needed the most in our lives. A few years ago Harry Chapin wrote a song called “Cats in the Cradle”. One of the points the song makes is the most important thing we can give our children, and ultimately ourselves, and that is our time. We are finding more and more that it isn’t mere “quality” time that is important it is also the quantity of time.

It is said of James Boswell, the famous writer, that he often referred to a special day in his childhood when his father took him fishing. The day was fixed in his adult mind, and he often reflected upon many of the things his father had taught him in the course of their fishing experience together. After having heard of that particular excursion so often, it occurred to someone much later to check the journal that Boswell’s father kept and determine what had been said about the fishing trip from the parental perspective. Turning to that date, the reader found only one sentence entered: “Gone fishing today with my son — a day wasted.”

Few have ever heard of Boswell’s father; many have heard of Boswell. But in spite of his relative obscurity, he must have managed to set a place in his son’s life which lasted for a lifetime and beyond. On one day alone he inlaid along the grain of his son’s life ideas that would mark him long into his adulthood. What he did, not only touched a boy’s life, but it set in motion certain benefits that would affect the world of classical literature. Too bad that Boswell’s father couldn’t appreciate the significance of a fishing trip and the pacesetting that was going on even while worms were being squeezed on to hooks.

I don’t know about you, but when Joshua is old enough to participate in sports and events at school and church, I will be there to embarrass him (that is a parent’s prerogative isn’t it?). I will be their to help him and teach him the things of life that we all so desperately need as children. We need to be actively involved in our children’s life. As fathers, we should never place money or career over the gift God has given us in our children.

About 15 years ago I was playing volleyball. One of the players whom I never had met before, started a conversation with me. After a few minutes it turned to her college major. She was in her fourth year as a child psychology major. She was a few months away from graduating. She started to ask my opinion on children and to formulate some ideas on children for her research. I started to talk with her. After four hours of talking she stopped and asked me where I received my degree. I told her that I hadn’t. She wondered where I learned so much about child psychology. We were discussing things that her teachers were just starting to discuss and this was her graduating year. I told her the only material I had ever read on child psychology was the Bible. That blew her mind. I hope it makes you think. You want to know how to raise a child and raise him/her well? Base it on this book. This is our third point.

3.       You must follow His Word in Raising your children (acknowledge the Lord in all your ways)

With that in mind, here are ten truths to understand:

1.       Acknowledge that your child is a gift from God (see Ps 127:3, GNB). Children are on loan to us by God and we need to take care of them.

2.       Dedicate your child to the Lord to be used in his service (see 1 Sam. 1:11, RSV). Have a place for him at home and at church to serve God on a weekly, if not daily basis.

3.       Make a personal commitment to God to grow as a Christian parent. The only imitate what we do.

4.       Identify your values and convey these values consistently in your behavior. It isn’t words that will win an argument, it is a life that lives those words.

5.       Express to your children love and acceptance. They need to know that you love them no matter what they do. If they don’t know this, they will never feel comfortable coming to you when they do something wrong.

6.       View discipline as an ongoing process of helping your children ultimately to become self-controlled and self-disciplined. Discipline should be used to teach morality and safety. It should never be done merely to punish.

7.       Pray daily for each member of your family. Pray with them, too.

8.       Maintain family worship and Bible study in your home. A daily Bible study between you and your wife is important. A daily devotion and praise of God is important too. The dinner table is a good way to do this. Don’t eat until you have prayed and praised together.

9.       Involve all family members in church activities. Have something for each person in the family to do at church, no matter how small or how big.

Sociologist and historian Carle Zimmerman, in his 1947 book Family and Civilization, tells of some interesting insights as he compared the disintegration of various cultures with the parallel decline of family life in those cultures. Eight specific patterns of domestic behavior typified the downward spiral of each culture Zimmerman studied.

∙         Marriage loses its sacredness; is frequently broken by divorce.

∙         Traditional meaning of the marriage ceremony is lost.

∙         Feminist movements abound.

∙         Increased public disrespect for parents and authority in general.

∙         Acceleration of juvenile delinquency, promiscuity, and rebellion.

∙         Refusal of people with traditional marriages to accept family responsibilities.

∙         Growing desire for and acceptance of adultery.

∙         Increasing interest in and spread of sexual perversions and sex- related crimes.

We have to keep the family involved in church and with each other.

 

10.     Participate in events your church will offer to help you grow as a Christian parent. There are times we have Saturday or Sunday seminars on child rearing, attend these.

That same person who wrote an inventory of what can be done to ensure that your child will not grow up to be the person you want him/her to be, also wrote one on How to Bring Up a Son

1.       Make home the brightest and most attractive place on earth. Your children need to see home as the best place they could possibly be.

2.       Make him responsible for the performance of a limited number of daily duties. Have them develop character by taking out the trash, washing the dishes, vacuuming.

3.       Never punish him in anger.

4.       Do not ridicule his conceits, but rather talk frankly on matters in which he is interested.

5.       Let him invite his friends to your home and table.

6.       Be careful to impress upon his mind that making character is more important than making money.

7.       Live uprightly before him at all times; then you will be able to talk to him with power.

8.       Be much in prayer for his spiritual salvation and growth, pray with him daily as well as praying for him in private.

So, what does the Bible say about being a good father, about raising your children in His ways?

a.       teach them Deuteronomy 6.1-9

A recent study of prison inmates in Southern Florida related these startling facts:

99% of prisoners are male.

86% claim to have had no relationship with their father.

Of the thousands studied only 7 of those men are Jewish. Why only seven? I think the answer lies in the traditional manner in which the father is involved with the children in the Jewish home. The more time spent with our children as fathers, the less likely they will stray from our values. This means our values and morals must be godly. You are to know that God is God and to have a passion for Him that will be evident to your children. In your everyday activities they should see that God is real to you and that He is an important part of your life. The English group learned about praising God last week in our service. Fathers, this is an important part of your life that your children need to experience with you, outside of church.

b.       Greatest commandment (Mark 12.28-31).

You need to teach your children about caring for others as much as God cares for you. They need to know and see this in your life. They need to see this great example of God’s love for the people around you as it is manifested in your life. This is next week’s message for the English group.

c.        Great commission (Matthew 28.19-20)

You need to show them how important God is to you by telling others about Jesus as-well. Your children’s faith and maturity will increase as you make the decision to show them that you are fulfilling God’s Word by telling others. This is an important part of your life that they need to see. This is what the English group will learn in a message in July.

d.       Trust the Lord to lead them

After you have done all that you can, after you have accepted Christ as Saviour, after you have forsaken the world’s method of raising children, after you have shown them the importance of God’s Word in your life and for them; then you need to trust the Lord for the results.

 

I pray the verses we started with make more sense to you and provide you with insights on how to trust the Lord with your family:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

don’t depend on your own understanding.

Remember the Lord in all that you do

and He will give you success!

Trust the Lord with your family!

©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Used by Permission.

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By David R Williamson. ©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Website: www.teach4god.com

Luke, New Testament, Sermons

What Stands in Your Way?

Gallery
What Stands in Your Way?
August 10, 1997 Sermon by DRW Passage Luke 14.25-35

Luke 14.25        Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:

Luke 14.26        “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14.27        And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14.28        “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

Luke 14.29        For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,

Luke 14.30        saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

Luke 14.31        “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

Luke 14.32        If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.

Luke 14.33        In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14.34        “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

Luke 14.35        It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Introduction

While the Lord Jesus was on this earth, many people desired to be identified with Him. In fact, in the height of His popularity, it was difficult for Him to travel without great crowds following Him.

People came from everywhere to see Him perform the miracles that He did, such as heal the sick, cast out demons, multiply food, and so forth. They marveled at His stand against the established religion of the day; they were attracted to Him by His love; and some followed just to be part of the crowd. And Jesus knew that many of these people, if not most, were hoping that He could do what others had failed to do: liberate them from their oppressors, and establish a new kingdom, here and now, of which they could be part.

Many people follow Jesus today for the same reasons that people 2000 years ago followed Him. They want to see the miracles; they want to rule in a kingdom; they want to get what they can from Christianity.

Our churches are full of those who were eager to make professions of faith. They are full of those who desire to get something from the church because they are members of it. And it is sad that some people join the church for social reasons or loneliness.

What I want to ask you this morning is the same thing that Jesus asked a crowd 2000 years ago: Have you counted the cost of discipleship, of following Him?

In verses 28-30 Jesus uses the story of building a tower to illustrate the need to carefully analyze all that is involved in being a disciple of Christ. When a person goes about the task of building a structure, he first needs a plan. He then analyzes his plan, and divides up the different tasks that must be performed in order to complete the building. Next, a list is made up of all the materials that will be required to build the structure, and then this list is priced. The decision is then made whether to go ahead and attempt to build the structure or not. [House on Calle Mayor]

We have His plan-the Bible. We must analyze the plan by reading all of the different things that are required of us by the Lord in order to be His disciples. Here Jesus is telling us to count the cost. The Lord Jesus has given us a list of materials, and we must determine if we are willing to pay the price. We must determine whether it is worth it or not to follow Him.

We must consider, what stands in our way of being His disciples?

Pastor Hui has told me that your church has been going through the concept of discipleship this year. It is to be commended. I will not bore you with the details of a definition of being a disciple, except to give you my definition:

Someone who follows the teachings of another through adhering to the teaching and imitating the teacher. For us the Teacher is Jesus and the teaching is the Bible.

Today I will take you through Luke 14.25-35 to show you what is demanded of each one of us in becoming a disciple and then I want you to leave here answering the question: What Stands in the Way of my becoming a Disciple?

Let us pray:

“Father, teach us through Your Word today what You would have us know about being Your disciple. Speak to us today. In Jesus name, amen.”

I.    Total Commitment (26)

Our text reads:       “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.

Jesus stood before a rather large crowd and didn’t ask them to come and follow. He asked them to count the cost of following so they may be sure later when times get tough that they made the right decision. He wanted total commitment from them. Jesus wasn’t asking for a promise of following or believing what He said. It isn’t enough just to give our word in order to become totally committed to Him. What He is telling us is that we must LOVE Him more than anything else in our lives. If we do this, total commitment will naturally follow.

Each person here today needs to ask him or herself this question: Is there anything in this world that I love more than the Lord Jesus? You see, Jesus cannot be our Master if there is another to whom we have a stronger allegiance.

Our love towards Him must be stronger than the love for our mothers, or our fathers, or our sisters and brothers. It must be stronger than our love for our husband or wife. It must be stronger than our love for our children. Finally, it must be stronger than our love for our own lives.

You cannot follow Christ without learning to despise your old ambitions. Jesus wants you to learn to love every member of your family. But He’s realistic. Family members have ambitions for your life, what it should look like, what you should bring them. Hate those competing desires. Give up expecting the approval of family members for your decision to follow Jesus.

You also have competing desires. Jesus says, “Hate … even your own life.” When your soul’s deepest longings — who you want to be, how you want others to see you, what you want to do with your life — conflict with Christ’s, you must hate them.

Every self-centered agenda and every ambition that competes with God’s ambition for your life must be challenged.

We must put Jesus above everything else that we love in life. It is that position Christ desires to occupy in our lives.

That’s asking a lot, isn’t it? How much do you love your mother? You must love Him more! How must do you love your husband? You must love Him more! How much do you love your children? You MUST love Him even more! How much do you love yourself? You MUST love Him more!!!

Jesus demands total commitment to Him know or when the times get tough, we will want out. This is the truth of

Revelation 2.4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

They didn’t count the cost of total commitment. [swimming pool story???] And when difficult times came, they walked.

II.   Taking your Cross (27)

Our text reads:        And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Have you ever thought what it means to bear your own cross? Some think it means putting up with all the aches and pains of living: getting old, getting sick, turning gray, working for a living.

But I think the meaning becomes very clear when we stop and realize that the cross is an instrument of death. It is designed to kill. It is designed to put an end to your character before Christ. It is meant to put aside the lust of the flesh and produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5).

And Jesus says if we don’t carry our own cross, like He did, then we can’t be His disciples. Our Lord carried His cross to His death, and then was crucified on it. In the same way, we are expected to put ourselves upon our cross, and allow ourselves to be crucified and with the Apostle Paul say: “I die daily.” But Jesus also needed help carrying His cross. We will need the fellowship of other believers to help us as well.

What about you? What have you crucified on your cross lately? Maybe your ego? Maybe your dignity? Maybe a habit, a sin or your reputation?

When we crucify ourselves, we allow the Lord to live through us and to use us. We become the instruments that glorify Him!

Let your light so shine before men that they glorify your Father in Heaven.

Is that what you want? Then you must take up your cross daily and die to self!

To some, bearing the cross means their very life. In some countries, it is death to be known as a Christian.

2 Timothy 3.12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

How fortunate we are that we have it so easy in this country to be a Christian as compared to some. Our cross must seem very light to one who has lost his home, family, and is fleeing for his life because of his love for Christ.

You cannot follow Christ without expecting to experience alienation and rejection from others. Are you willing?

Serious rebellion against the Roman state was punished on the cross. It was very public, very humiliating — the whole focus was to deter others from treason. This is why it is so important to understand was is means to become a Christian, a disciple demanded all of the person. It was a high cost to count-it could mean your very life. The decision to follow Christ, to devote yourself to His purpose, will be viewed by the rest of the world as treason against their standards and lifestyle. Expect a very public humiliation and rejection. Take up a life that is unacceptable and expect to pay a price.

Therefore, count the cost.

The two illustrations that follow ask, “Do I have what it takes to see this through to the end?”

III.  Take Into Account the Cost (33)

Our Text Reads             In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

How attached are you to your home? Your car? You toys? How about your job or career? What about your dreams for your future? Or, your money?

If the Lord said to you, “Follow me, but take nothing with you except the clothes on your back,” could you do it?

If the Lord said to you, “Give all that you have to the poor,” could you do it?

If the Lord said to you, “Give your children to My service,” could you do it?

The apostle Paul had a godly perspective concerning worldly possessions: we can read about it in Phil.3:7-8.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Paul’s chief object in life was to possess the Lord Jesus. His relationship with Christ was the most prized treasure that he could possibly have. He was willing to give up a place to call home in order to have that relationship. He was willing to give up all material possessions, his freedom, and his very life rather than lose his treasure.

Paul estimated the cost of being a disciple of Christ. And he calculated that it wouldn’t cost him 20 per cent of what he owned, not 50 per cent, but 100 per cent. You cannot follow Christ without losing control over your finances. Following Christ will cost your material possessions — i.e., your money, your means of getting it — your stuff! The disciple has a new life orientation and for him it doesn’t matter. Things in this world are resources to be used up in order to draw people into Christ’s kingdom.
The word “give up” does not mean “get rid of” — that’s easy. The word means “arrange or set aside, make ready for use.” That is harder. It implies marking something — making it available for use as the need arises. The disciple creates an inventory of money, things, and the means of getting them — each with a tag that reads “AVAILABLE FOR HIS USE.”

My question to you this morning is this: Do you consider your relationship with Jesus to be worth giving up everything that you have? Does He mean that much to you?

The cost may seem high, but the rewards are eternal!

IV.  The Gain (34-35)

Our Text Reads             “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus does promise us a worthwhile life if we become His disciples.

If you follow Jesus Christ…

1.   He will change your understanding of God. He is God. His perfect obedience to the Father shows us how to relate to God. Godliness means becoming more like Christ. To be a disciple, again, is to be one who learns and adheres to the teachings of Jesus and imitates Jesus in life. 1 John 1.1-4 promises us joy as we get to know Him and make Him known. Only disciples have this.

2.   He will expose your sinful nature. Jesus is the light: If your heart is open you will want to be around Him. If your heart is closed you will hate who He is and what He stands for. As we learn of His teaching, we begin to see how far we are from Him and will want to rid ourselves of things to be closer to Him. We will be willing to lose all for the sake of gaining Christ.

3.   He will provide for your continued growth. He died and rose from the dead for you. He constantly prays for you. He gives every resource you need to be productive in your pursuit of God’s purposes. We must keep this in mind: the cross was never the goal but only the means to the goal. Death was not God’s goal but the Resurrection that all might have life was the goal (Hebrews 12.1-2). When we follow Him we may feel bad or that it is too hard, but seen in the light of the life that we gain (after time) we will count it all as worth it [sin is almost always easy, it is only in struggle we can gain].

4.   He will call you to make disciples. This is God’s clear, authoritative purpose for your life. You are not following Christ if you are not joining with Him. He wants you to give your life so that others might grow in their relationship with Him. One of the great benefits of following Him is that He uses us to reproduce in others the same desire to follow. We become the salt of the earth.

What is standing in the way of your being totally sold out to Him?

Are you willing to count the cost of being His disciple and forsaking that which stands in the way?

If you are, speak with Pastor Hui or myself after service that he may guide and direct you into a better understanding of what should be done.

Let us pray:

“Father, we ask that Your Holy Spirit search our heart and show us what stands in the way of us being totally committed to You. As we leave, Father, I pray Your Spirit does His work in our lives. To the end that Jesus be raised and You be glorified. Amen.”

©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Used by Permission.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Teach for God Ministries.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By David R Williamson. ©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Website:www.teach4god.com

Old Testament, Psalms, Sermons

Psalm 51-Snap! Crackle! Pop!

Gallery
Dancing with Broken Bones-A Series on Psalm 51-Snap! Crackle! Pop!
February 13, 1994 Sermon by DRW Passage Psalm 51.6-9

Psalm 51.6-9

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Could you hear David’s remorse in these words. He couldn’t even hear joy or gladness anymore. It was far removed from him. He couldn’t hear the sound of song that belonged to the dance he once did. His longing was to be able to dance, even with broken bones, to the music that resounded with God’s joy and gladness.

We already know what happened with David. He sinned, like we do. He lived a time with the knowledge of that unconfessed sin, like we do. He felt totally demoralized by that sin, like we do. He knew that God was his answer, like we do. Yet, God had to break him to bring him back home, like he has done to some of us here and will do as long as we continue in our sin.

Today I want to look briefly at the how and why of broken bones and how we can dance again with them.

Father, this room has now become our place of worship of You as Your local body. We ask that You would cleanse us from our sins, to break our bones if You must, and to allow us to have a closer intimacy with You today; closer than we have ever had. Cause us to come. Amen.

OUTLINE

I.  Breaking of Bones (8)

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have broken dance.

A. Why?

1.  We miss the little ways the Holy Spirit prods us

2.  If we are not willing to turn from our sin and allow God to heal the cause, then He will get our attention

*   David reminds us of this in his other account in Psalm 32.3-5

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”–and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

B. How?

1.  Through confrontation

a.  Nathan (2 Samuel 12.1-24)

The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.” After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His servants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah (Jedidiah means loved by the Lord).

We desperately need people like Nathan to keep us in line with God’s Word and will; to tell us the truth even when it hurts. Today we believe that if we love someone we will not tell them things that might hurt their feelings. But the testimonies of Jesus dealing with the Pharisees tells us that their is something more important than hurt feelings at stake, and that is the purity of the church!

2.  Present life

1.  I had a pastor who was confronted in his earlier ministry by his senior pastor

1.  “when will you quit playing and except the Lord?”

2.  Ouch

2.  The young preacher in the south

1.  Was you called or did you just run?

2.  Ouch

3.  The one who confronts must be broken on the wheel of many fears before he confronts:

1.  he or she must ask

1.  Is this the only way of dealing with the situation?

2.  Am I the right person to confront them?

3.  Who am I to do this?

4.  Are my hands clean in this?

5.  Can I handle it if he doesn’t listen?

2.  the feelings happening

1.  look for any other alternatives

2.  don’t look away

*   too many people do

3.  only option: confront

2.  In regret over past opportunities not taken

1.  Illustration of Elvis Presley who continually returned to Gospel out of guilt or frustration

2.  What of us?

1.  Avoidance, dropping out to only come back periodically as Presley did

2.  Pseudo-endurance,

1.  regular attenders who have given up

2.  actual worship is gone

1.  they mumble the words

2.  they are constantly reminder by the Holy Spirit of where they went wrong (or that they went wrong)

3.  Repentance heals

3.  leaders

*   lead to lead not to minister

3.  The way back?

1.  Go back to the point of disobedience

2.  confess your sin

3.  confess why you did it (the motivation)

1.  selfish

2.  pride

4.  The result of confrontation?

1.  peace with God

2.  the joy of His salvation returned

2.  Broken Bones (6)

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

1.  What causes this?

1.  Temptation, the striptease of sin seduces and we follow, like a pied piper, what began as a striptease becomes spiritual rape.

1.  it calls from a shallow grave with separation from God in mind

1.  it is gradual

2.  it is draining

3.  it is debilitating

4.  it cheats us of qualities of soul and character

2.  it can only be regained through repentance

2.  Compartmentalization of living

Look, it’s my life. As long as it doesn’t overflow into other areas of my life I will follow Him

1.  compromise of integrity

1.  the end never justifies the means

1.  God may not be necessarily be pleased with visible results

*   He looks on the heart

2.  I’m as good as anyone else

The standard for our principles should not be the world, nor even the Christian community.

It must be the Word of God.

When God’s Word is abandoned

our sense of His will is numbed and we succumb to what may be called a sin binge.

3.  loss of spiritual zeal and integrity

1.  John 8

1.  Jesus professes the truth

2.  He basis the entire authenticity of His ministry not on the results of His ministry, but on the integrity of His character.

2.  When our integrity is shot, the message of the Gospel is strangely muted.

Integrity means being willing to stand straight when standing straight isn’t popular.

It holds to the truth even when crowds are not around,

and delights in the playing to the audience of God alone.

2.  judging ourselves against the wrong standard

1.  others

2.  not God

3.  producing

1.  loss of zeal

2.  loss of integrity

3.  loss of joy

2.  Temptation is a dangerous thing

1.  illustration of the rattlesnake with the head chopped

2.  we may be dead to sin, but its bite is still powerful and deadly

3.  Dancing with Broken Bones (7-9)

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have broken dance.

Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

1.  Intense

1.  not an emotional icebreaker

1.  it’s not wanting to feel good

1.  too many of us have settled for emotions that leave and come as quickly as the moment that carried it

2.  to be honest, it does feel good and does make me feel better, but it is not right

3.  to be honest, we all need something to cling to, to look forward to, something to hang our hat on but it shouldn’t be emotions it should be:

2.  wanting Jesus more than the emotions

1.  it is the willingness to allow Him to be Lord at all times

1.  in the light

2.  in the dark (Isaiah 59.10-12)

2.  it is telling Him that the joy of His salvation is what we desire

1.  that which lasts

2.  that which is not fleeting

2.  the pounding of dirty socks continually against a jagged rock to cleanse it

1.  it works fine on socks

2.  but is hard on the human soul

3.  it asks us to be whiter than snow (snow has a tiny speck of dirt at its center)

1.  a leper is white, we must be whiter

Leviticus 13.3    The priest is to examine the sore on his skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is an infectious skin disease. When the priest examines him, he shall pronounce him ceremonially unclean.

2 Kings 5.27  Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.

2.  snow is white, we must be whiter, pure but we must be purer

Isaiah 1.18         “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

2.  Intimate

1.  The Holy Spirit and Broken Bones

1.  He convicts of sin (He is the bone breaker) [John 16.8]

1.  The book of Micah has an interesting phrase for the Lord as He comes to take His people to Himself.

*   He is called the Breaker, that is, one who comes forth destroying all that doesn’t belong.

2.  The Holy Spirit is the One who indwells us (John 14.16-17)

1.  He is also the One who reveals and testifies Christ to us and through us.

2.  None of these are options. They come in the package we call salvation.

2.  He can never peacefully co-exist with sin

1.  He will break our bones to bring us back into fellowship with God (1 John 1)

2.  He will drive us back to Him

3.  A note on guilt

1.  the Holy Spirit’s guilt

1.  the pain of His breaking is specific and sharp

2.  drawing us to the Great Physician

1.  reconciliation

2.  confession

2.  Satan’s guilt

1.  the pain of his breaking is ambiguous and mocking

1.  tempts

2.  accuses

2.  drawing us away from God

2.  The Joy of God amidst Suffering

1.  Joy is not tied to circumstances but to God

1.  we will never be able to freely experience joy until we have willingly let go of what the world has to offer and come to Jesus (Matthew 6.33)

2.  Joy is the natural overflow of a life in communion with God

3.  It can never be shaken, except in the disruption of fellowship with God (that is, the presence of sin)

2.  Abba! Father!

1.  Most of us know this verse just well enough to take it for granted.

1.  We think the world of God as He gets to know us

2.  We miss the remarkable truth of it: He wants us to get to know Him

2.  God tells us to call Him Abba! Father! because He is and He wants us to truly become intimate with Him

We can call Him Abba and Father because He is. We can rejoice in Him, even in pain and suffering, because He cares and shares those pains with us. Satan doesn’t like the words expressed today because they throw light on his work of accusation and throws light on God’s work of mending the very bones He chooses to break.

As a closing today, I want us to shout to God that we love Him and why we love Him.

Hebrews 13.20-21

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Now, sit with the person next to you and pray for God’s work to be done in you this week. Let this be a week that is purely for Him, where He is glorified by all we do. Where we confess when we sin; where we lean on Him in our temptations; where we purposefully choose to tell another about the amazing God we serve. After this, you are dismissed.

©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Used by Permission.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Teach for God Ministries.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By David R Williamson. ©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Website: www.teach4god.com