back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 12.3.23
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It is always a joy for us to gather together for worship. 00:04:33.980 |
I'd like to read for us from Psalm 24, verses one through six. 00:05:06.220 |
and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 00:05:09.760 |
This is the generation of those who seek Him, 00:08:50.220 |
is taking place starting next Sunday at six to 2 a.m., 00:08:55.760 |
And so they're taking signups to bring snacks and stuff 00:09:11.660 |
we have a ping pong tournament that's going on at 3 p.m. 00:09:17.020 |
and it will be held in most likely in this room. 00:09:19.860 |
And then at 11 p.m., our New Year's Eve service 00:09:43.380 |
We have maybe about seven to eight week break, 00:09:55.180 |
and home groups to be able to accommodate the people. 00:09:59.060 |
And so please sign up if you haven't done so, 00:10:02.380 |
And then Living Well Pregnancy Center, baby bottle drive. 00:10:07.860 |
they need that returned by next Sunday at the latest. 00:10:10.380 |
So if you have it, please bring that back by next Sunday. 00:10:13.420 |
And then one last thing I wanna remind you of, 00:10:15.820 |
every year we have a Lottie Moon Christmas mission offering 00:10:19.700 |
that we take and then to support the missionaries 00:10:26.660 |
and hopefully on that day on the 24th, you can take that. 00:10:29.980 |
You can give it earlier, but you just have to mark 00:10:38.980 |
And again, that's to support our missionaries 00:10:41.180 |
and also to the other missionaries in the IMB. 00:10:44.660 |
All right, if we don't have any other announcement, 00:11:00.620 |
Thank you for the privilege we have to serve you. 00:11:03.780 |
We pray that your grace truly would be sufficient. 00:11:07.300 |
Help us, Lord God, to give you genuine worship 00:11:19.660 |
that we would honor you and be purposeful in all that we do. 00:13:16.080 |
♪ When the Prince of life our ransom shed for us ♪ 00:17:51.040 |
♪ He is my joy, my righteousness and freedom ♪ 00:17:59.360 |
♪ My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace ♪ 00:18:18.080 |
♪ Oh how strange that from the heart I can sing ♪ 00:18:24.880 |
♪ All is mine and I am blessed through Christ in me ♪ 00:19:07.360 |
♪ To this I hold, my shepherd will defend me ♪ 00:19:14.000 |
♪ Through the deepest valley, He will lead me ♪ 00:19:22.800 |
♪ Though the night has been long and I shall overcome ♪ 00:19:52.360 |
♪ The future sure, the price it has been paid ♪ 00:20:55.760 |
♪ For He has said that He will bring me home ♪ 00:21:29.760 |
♪ When the roses come down, my wings shall remain ♪ 00:21:56.720 |
♪ When the leaves fall, still my lips shall repeat ♪ 00:22:08.240 |
♪ When the leaves fall, still my lips shall repeat ♪ 00:22:55.440 |
We're gonna be taking a break from the Luke's Gospel 00:23:02.160 |
for just for today, so that we can focus our attention 00:23:06.720 |
Wanna make sure that what we're doing in the communion 00:23:21.480 |
that you don't really put much thought into it, 00:23:23.480 |
and the purpose of it just becomes a religious activity. 00:23:31.360 |
that it just becomes a habit that we participate in. 00:23:34.080 |
So if you go to church, this is what happens. 00:23:36.240 |
But we need to make sure that this sacred thing 00:23:38.680 |
that we're doing repeatedly throughout the year, 00:23:42.000 |
that it has the effect that God intended it for us. 00:23:47.320 |
in First Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 23 to 34. 00:23:51.320 |
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered 00:23:58.740 |
When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 00:24:04.280 |
In the same way, he took the cup also after supper, 00:24:06.520 |
saying, "This cup is a new covenant in my blood. 00:24:09.360 |
"Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:24:12.760 |
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 00:24:15.140 |
"you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:24:19.240 |
"or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner 00:24:21.560 |
"shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 00:24:29.920 |
"For he who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment 00:24:32.480 |
"to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 00:24:36.100 |
"For this reason, many among you are weak and sick 00:24:40.080 |
"But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 00:24:43.400 |
"But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord 00:24:46.520 |
"so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 00:24:49.800 |
"So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, 00:24:56.140 |
"so that you will not come together for judgment. 00:24:58.880 |
"The remaining matters I will arrange when I come." 00:25:21.400 |
understand, and practice the things that you've given us. 00:25:29.240 |
where probably most of you guys are busier than normal. 00:25:33.620 |
Some of you guys, you know, if it was in the business world 00:25:41.280 |
And so you have deadlines that you need to meet. 00:25:50.360 |
If you haven't done your Christmas shopping yet, 00:25:51.960 |
you're busy making a list and you gotta go and shop 00:25:55.560 |
In the midst of all of that, you're laboring in the church. 00:26:00.560 |
And so some of you guys have volunteered for so many things 00:26:12.840 |
there's always a danger of getting burned out. 00:26:16.160 |
And that typically happens around this time of the year 00:26:23.420 |
And then when January comes, you say, you know what? 00:26:36.320 |
when that does happen, oftentimes when we take a break 00:26:42.600 |
we automatically think that it may be because we're busy. 00:26:46.400 |
Busyness sometimes just reveals what's happening with us. 00:27:02.720 |
So oftentimes we automatically think that we're burning up 00:27:09.080 |
encourage you, challenge you, you can do a lot more, right? 00:27:13.560 |
Like, and I oftentimes think about when we go to India, 00:27:16.560 |
I mean, it's one of the probably most tiring weeks 00:27:20.760 |
Just the ride itself to get there is like 35, 00:27:24.800 |
And then as soon as we get off, we grab dinner, 00:27:29.500 |
and then we're out there working in the villages, 00:27:34.520 |
come back exhausted, and then we crash at night, 00:27:37.080 |
wake up in the morning, and we do that four or five days. 00:27:45.240 |
and catch a plane back, 35, you know, sometimes 40 hours, 00:27:51.180 |
and then they gotta go to work Monday, you know? 00:27:55.760 |
we don't have a problem recruiting people to come. 00:27:59.460 |
Spending their own money, taking vacation, you know, 00:28:02.360 |
to go and just labor and to be fatigued and tired. 00:28:06.080 |
I guess most people that come in are repeatedly come 00:28:10.620 |
the sense of purpose, we feel fed and refreshed. 00:28:17.960 |
You know, people ask me, like, when do you take breaks? 00:28:20.000 |
And I kinda consider that my break, you know what I mean? 00:28:26.440 |
other than getting plane tickets and that kind of stuff. 00:28:34.920 |
Oftentimes, when we, there's a desire to just step away, 00:28:42.040 |
you go from burnout to being rusted out, right? 00:28:54.200 |
Usually you come back because you feel guilty. 00:28:57.120 |
Like, oh yeah, you know, I can't do this anymore, 00:29:10.280 |
you're kind of like, okay, you know, I gotta get back. 00:29:13.120 |
And then you repeat the cycle over and over again. 00:29:20.160 |
the energy that you needed is exhausted, it's not there. 00:29:26.840 |
So your intake is much less than what is going out. 00:29:44.280 |
And he wanted to make sure that through the communion table, 00:29:49.280 |
would cause us to be strengthened and refreshed. 00:29:53.760 |
was really meant to be refreshed by the communion table. 00:29:58.440 |
without really understanding what it is, it's just bread. 00:30:14.060 |
So I wanna make sure that as we participate in it, 00:30:23.880 |
First and foremost, communion is a replacement 00:30:28.040 |
Now, you guys remember when it was inaugurated 00:30:36.740 |
that God inaugurated with Israel for 1,200 years. 00:30:49.880 |
that how God delivered them, how they began a new nation, 00:30:57.960 |
So for 1,200 years so that they would not forget their God, 00:31:01.600 |
and Jesus says, "Do this in remembrance of me." 00:31:15.160 |
"I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover meal with you 00:31:20.200 |
"When he had taken some bread and given thanks, 00:31:35.120 |
"that we are supposed to do this in remembrance of it." 00:31:41.120 |
they would have understood that Jesus basically was saying 00:31:44.500 |
that for 1,200 years, this Passover meal was given to them 00:32:20.480 |
it would have been cause for them to pick up stone 00:32:41.480 |
how can somebody who is just a Messiah, just a king, 00:32:59.280 |
"saying, 'This cup which is poured out for you 00:33:10.520 |
No, this is something that only God could do. 00:33:19.600 |
So Jesus says not only do this in remembrance of me, 00:33:25.860 |
If the disciples did not believe that he was God, 00:33:30.520 |
they were obligated to stone him right there, 00:33:37.400 |
The Passover meal was replaced 2,000 years ago. 00:33:48.640 |
all the meals, all the festivals that God inaugurated 00:33:51.320 |
to the nation of Israel, and this, above all, 00:33:58.720 |
It wasn't like God was doing one thing with one group, 00:34:03.680 |
He said, no, all of it was being fulfilled in Christ. 00:34:08.200 |
This morning, I don't wanna focus my attention 00:34:14.320 |
We can sit here and talk about what does it mean? 00:34:23.640 |
talking about just the theological aspect of what this is. 00:34:28.320 |
We believe that this is symbolic so that we can remember, 00:34:32.880 |
is because that's exactly how the Passover was practiced. 00:34:36.520 |
Passover, in and of itself, did not have any kind of power 00:34:40.960 |
It was given to them so that they can remember 00:34:45.720 |
If this is a replacement of what they were doing 00:34:48.360 |
at Passover, then the meaning behind the Passover 00:34:56.000 |
What is it that they're supposed to remember? 00:35:05.360 |
So there's three things that I wanna highlight here 00:35:33.160 |
or a specific dynasty, there's a particular date 00:36:04.560 |
"Moses said to the people, 'Remember this day 00:36:33.360 |
of this Passover meal, there was a clear pointing 00:36:36.160 |
to Christ, that Christ was going to fulfill this. 00:36:41.960 |
that the moment that they forgot who they are 00:36:44.960 |
and who God is in their life, what was gonna happen? 00:36:47.880 |
Everything that they do was going to be meaningless. 00:36:51.280 |
The sacrifice that they give, the obeying of the law, 00:36:54.840 |
all of it was an avenue to bring them to him. 00:37:02.880 |
when you get to the prophets, God rebukes them 00:37:26.000 |
Instead of an act of worship, it was their way 00:37:33.360 |
because the whole purpose of the Passover meal, 00:37:44.560 |
Every single one of us, when we talk about burnout 00:38:00.040 |
Maybe your friends are doing it so you signed up 00:38:01.960 |
'cause they're doing it so you're supposed to do it. 00:38:13.680 |
And you're just kind of applying that to your life 00:38:15.360 |
and then after a while, you're not exactly sure 00:38:19.320 |
So if you engage in something that you enjoy doing, 00:38:24.020 |
But if you engage in something that you're not 00:38:28.160 |
even a little bit of it fatigues you, it tires you. 00:38:36.440 |
you put that on your calendar and you're waiting, 00:38:39.600 |
so you're gonna go there and I wanna share this 00:38:49.020 |
And then you meet somebody where you're burdened. 00:38:54.980 |
For whatever the reason and you're already dreading it. 00:39:10.120 |
Even a little bit of time spent with somebody 00:39:13.280 |
that you don't wanna be with versus a lot of time 00:39:15.920 |
with somebody that you really want to be with, 00:39:26.560 |
everything that we do in the church becomes a burden. 00:39:40.240 |
Burnout doesn't simply come because you're doing too much. 00:39:49.040 |
But usually burnout comes because you're not exactly sure 00:40:04.440 |
for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 00:40:06.960 |
you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:40:26.520 |
and that's probably one of the best books I've read 00:40:36.920 |
It affects our worship, it affects our discipleship, 00:40:39.920 |
it affects our evangelism, it affects our prayer life, 00:40:43.800 |
where we are no longer awed by Christ and what he has done. 00:40:49.640 |
That's why the communion table was given to us 00:40:52.640 |
to remind us every time we participate in this communion, 00:41:10.840 |
this is basic, but you've heard it so many times 00:41:17.620 |
You've heard it so many times, it's just part of theology, 00:41:21.240 |
that's part of the gospel, but put yourself back 00:41:41.520 |
He died for you, not because you were a diamond in the rough. 00:41:47.320 |
He said, while we were yet sinners, while we were hostile, 00:41:58.680 |
And this is what we celebrate every single week. 00:42:03.160 |
This is what we sing, this is what we memorize, 00:42:28.920 |
and some of you, maybe it was like a transition, 00:42:33.160 |
but every single one of us, we encountered the living God, 00:42:41.000 |
So let me ask you, what was it that you were freed from? 00:42:49.240 |
You lacked purpose, and now you have purpose? 00:42:56.560 |
where you're gonna go, is that what happened? 00:43:01.880 |
and you say, you know, that sounds about right, 00:43:21.240 |
We got saved because we encountered this living God, 00:43:24.040 |
and as a result of encountering this God, this holy God, 00:43:28.640 |
we recognize our helplessness, our sinful state, 00:43:43.040 |
or you know, like, believing God makes more sense 00:43:47.320 |
instead of over there, that's not what happened. 00:43:51.620 |
People who are utterly helpless, dead in our trespasses, 00:43:59.500 |
while we were yet sinners, Christ came and died for our sins. 00:44:03.280 |
If that doesn't move you, that doesn't cause you to change, 00:44:13.600 |
I don't care if you're doing the right thing, 00:44:20.100 |
if the truth of the gospel no longer moves you 00:44:31.940 |
maybe your thoughts haven't drifted, but you've drifted. 00:44:35.700 |
Because what God wants more than anything else 00:44:37.620 |
is for us to worship him in spirit and in truth. 00:44:50.060 |
as you're doing parking duty, as you're serving the children, 00:44:57.020 |
But the moment we forget who we are and what Christ has done 00:45:01.220 |
it just becomes activity, religious activity. 00:45:05.420 |
Hebrews 2.1, for this reason we must pay much closer 00:45:08.140 |
attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away. 00:45:20.060 |
to want to preach the gospel, it just becomes a job. 00:45:29.820 |
and then just take care of my bills, do visitations. 00:45:37.440 |
And some people do a good job, some people do a bad job, 00:45:44.060 |
When it becomes a job, I can no longer lead this church. 00:45:52.260 |
I have not called so that we can have a larger building 00:45:55.420 |
and everybody feels welcomed and the church is growing 00:45:58.740 |
and our music sounds great and our budget is good. 00:46:15.220 |
If a church forgets why they're doing what they're doing, 00:46:20.220 |
it just becomes a place of gathering, to belong somewhere. 00:46:25.940 |
there's rules and things that you have to do to belong. 00:46:28.500 |
You have to be a member, you have to come to Bible study, 00:46:32.860 |
But it's just a place of belonging when a church forgets. 00:46:48.700 |
Oh, if I'm a college student, what am I supposed to do? 00:46:57.020 |
If you're a BAM, is that retreat, is that mandatory? 00:47:04.820 |
And so when you are shamed or obligated to do something, 00:47:14.260 |
because you're exercising and there's nothing being fed. 00:47:24.260 |
So hopefully, when we open up the communion table, 00:47:26.220 |
we'll give you some time to reflect and think. 00:47:32.700 |
and he sent his only begotten son to die for you, 00:47:36.300 |
when was the last time that actually moved you? 00:47:43.300 |
Secondly, the Passover served to remind Israel 00:47:46.940 |
of God's care and deliverance during a period of hardship. 00:48:00.220 |
"You shall well remember what the Lord your God did 00:48:09.740 |
"and the signs and the wonders and the mighty hand 00:48:11.740 |
"and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God 00:48:16.740 |
"do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid." 00:48:19.740 |
You know, this year, I think we've attended more funerals 00:48:26.580 |
I know that in this room, many of you have gone through 00:48:35.900 |
that you cared for, or maybe it was a job situation, 00:48:50.260 |
there's always a danger to focus our attention 00:48:56.660 |
And God knew that nation of Israel, as they became free, 00:49:04.460 |
different kind of hardship, than when they were in Egypt. 00:49:13.220 |
The moment they forgot of who God is and what God has done, 00:49:28.340 |
And the moment that we forget, and we get squeezed, 00:49:43.340 |
"Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies? 00:49:49.780 |
"that you have forgotten the Lord your maker, 00:50:00.700 |
When hardship comes, your faith always gets tested. 00:50:11.660 |
Do you believe that God just kind of made you 00:50:15.820 |
and wound up the clock and just kind of let you go 00:50:22.620 |
That who is absolutely in control of all things? 00:50:32.220 |
but when hardship and difficulty and trials come, 00:50:37.100 |
When trials come, our natural tendency is to think, 00:50:44.660 |
And then when we get overwhelmed, we say, oh my gosh. 00:50:57.540 |
He didn't go through all that drama of delivering you 00:51:00.660 |
to free you, to bring you out into the desert 00:51:05.540 |
Remember, even as Satan was asking to sift Peter 00:51:11.940 |
and the disciples like wheat, remember what Jesus said? 00:51:23.340 |
And then when hardship comes, you think like, 00:51:29.100 |
Said even in the most harshest, difficult trials, 00:51:37.800 |
And sometimes you don't even know what you're thinking 00:51:40.700 |
until the trials come into your life and it gets revealed. 00:51:44.160 |
And anxiety and depression and all this stuff 00:51:46.880 |
start to creep in because we fix so much of our attention 00:51:51.540 |
But those circumstances are given to us to remind us 00:51:57.900 |
So the Passover meal was given to them to remind them 00:52:01.620 |
that you worship and you serve and you follow 00:52:11.500 |
In Romans 8, 31 to 35, what then shall we say 00:52:20.620 |
And the question really is, do you believe that? 00:52:34.860 |
Is there something that can happen in your life 00:52:40.340 |
Is there anything that can happen in your life, 00:52:45.220 |
to your children's life, to your parents' life? 00:53:10.060 |
to remember in times of trials, God is still in control. 00:53:17.700 |
how will he not, along with him, give us all things? 00:53:19.660 |
It is completely illogical that he was willing 00:53:28.820 |
He was willing to have his son absorb all our sins, 00:53:41.700 |
And yet, we keep falling into that, over and over. 00:53:44.140 |
Every time trials come, every time difficult time comes. 00:53:49.260 |
That even in the harshest, most difficult situation, 00:54:03.660 |
to be reminded that these elements were given to you, 00:54:06.940 |
it was an expression of his love and his care for us. 00:54:09.740 |
Third and finally, the Passover served to remind us 00:54:14.100 |
that God's provision during the time of abundance. 00:54:28.460 |
your children are healthy, you have a decent house. 00:54:31.700 |
There's nothing really bad happening in your life. 00:54:42.940 |
or maybe you worked hard and you have a big bonus 00:54:48.620 |
And so as a result of that, you become complacent, 00:54:56.020 |
And then you made the material things of this world 00:55:02.980 |
You make a bucket list and you gotta go down the list 00:55:22.260 |
But when it comes to God, we made a need into a want. 00:55:34.460 |
that we don't recognize how desperate we are. 00:55:38.180 |
We don't recognize how urgent it is for us to be with God. 00:55:55.380 |
It's like, you know, it's nice if we have it, 00:55:58.780 |
but if we don't have it, there's no huge consequence. 00:56:03.660 |
"Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God 00:56:05.580 |
"by not keeping his commandments and his ordinances 00:56:08.540 |
"and his statutes which I am commanding you today. 00:56:10.700 |
"Otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied." 00:56:17.620 |
and have built good houses and lived in them, 00:56:36.100 |
And so your belly is full, and then your heart become proud, 00:56:46.580 |
You know, the most dangerous place for a Christian to be 00:56:50.660 |
is to find success while you're not doing well with Christ. 00:56:55.580 |
That's the most dangerous place that any Christian can be. 00:57:00.680 |
Your children are doing well, your bills are paid, 00:57:20.900 |
And it causes you to be proud and independent. 00:57:31.340 |
That's a deception that Satan brings to rich people. 00:57:36.500 |
When we have forgotten the urgency of our heart, 00:58:03.660 |
He says, "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 00:58:05.340 |
"my power and strength of my hand made me his wealth, 00:58:16.900 |
"which he swore to your fathers, as it is this day." 00:58:24.060 |
"that we may present to you a heart of wisdom." 00:58:54.060 |
especially in a culture that celebrates life and youth. 00:58:58.240 |
He said, "No, in fact, this is so important." 00:59:00.300 |
He says, "That I may present to you a heart of wisdom." 00:59:48.380 |
the life that you and I lived on this earth is a blip, 00:59:54.620 |
Now, those of you in your 20s, that's a theory. 01:00:00.020 |
because you have most of your life ahead of you, 01:00:07.260 |
But Lord willing, you might get to a bit older. 01:00:10.600 |
Those of you in your 30s, like, "Oh, my back hurts." 01:00:17.780 |
but you're not in your 20s anymore, for sure. 01:00:25.800 |
You're not old yet, but you're getting older. 01:00:28.040 |
In your 40s, nobody calls you young man anymore, right? 01:01:10.220 |
And I was just, as I was preparing for this message, 01:01:53.080 |
"is to recognize our finiteness, our weakness. 01:02:07.340 |
"We don't realize that that tiny little bacteria 01:02:19.560 |
And yet, pride, it's so easy to be filled with pride. 01:02:31.080 |
your eyes a little bit more rounder than other people, 01:03:04.240 |
And you can't handle doing all the things that you're doing. 01:03:17.800 |
there's all kinds of different titles given to this, 01:03:26.000 |
This communion table is called one of two ordinances. 01:03:40.280 |
and there was a period, I forgot why they did that, 01:03:49.840 |
Yeah, I remember, but that's what an ordinance is. 01:03:54.680 |
that is passed in that region that you have to follow. 01:03:57.320 |
So when we say that these are ordinances, right, 01:04:25.160 |
But there's two ordinances that are mandated in scripture 01:04:27.960 |
that every church that claims to be a church must practice. 01:05:01.600 |
And so we wanna make sure that every part of scripture 01:05:10.640 |
it's not about how tradition and you are brought up. 01:05:14.520 |
we test everything that we do according to scripture. 01:05:27.560 |
but you can do whatever you want, however you feel. 01:05:32.720 |
that was given to us, so we try to practice that. 01:05:34.800 |
But today, we're not trying to get into baptism. 01:05:49.480 |
that we're entering into this covenant relationship 01:05:59.880 |
Because infant baptism has nothing to do with the infant. 01:06:08.880 |
Baptism is a union between a sinner, repentant, 01:06:14.480 |
So he must be able to make a public confession 01:06:18.080 |
But the communion is a celebration of that union. 01:06:27.560 |
We're anniversary, and the reason why we have anniversary 01:06:30.920 |
is so that we would remember why we got together. 01:06:40.200 |
and how awesome it is, and how thankful you are 01:06:42.800 |
that they met them, and they're perfect for you. 01:06:47.020 |
during the anniversary, to remember why you got together. 01:07:02.660 |
this ordinance that's commanded for the purpose 01:07:07.600 |
That's why we say that if you've never been baptized, 01:07:11.040 |
we ask you not to come to the communion table, 01:07:13.240 |
because it is a celebration of your union with Christ. 01:07:16.440 |
So if the union never happened, there is no power, 01:07:19.340 |
there's no meaning behind anything that you're doing. 01:07:21.100 |
That's why during communion, we ask you to stay seated. 01:07:26.340 |
In fact, this is only for people who've been baptized. 01:07:29.820 |
The second word that we use is the word sacrament. 01:07:33.040 |
We don't oftentimes call it sacrament in the church, 01:07:36.040 |
but the word sacrament basically means something sacred. 01:07:45.360 |
Earlier in the church, when I was a young pastor, 01:07:48.360 |
I was just kind of repeating what I saw as a youth pastor. 01:08:01.160 |
and dip it into the grape juice, and they would eat it. 01:08:04.960 |
And so that's how we did communion for the first, 01:08:10.280 |
and he said, "Should we be eating that after service?" 01:08:17.120 |
"and so because it was Hawaiian bread, it's delicious, 01:08:19.520 |
"so just bring some salami, and then whatever's left over." 01:08:24.480 |
so people were just breaking it and taking pieces, 01:08:32.680 |
and then that person comes like, "That sounds, 01:08:40.360 |
And it's just sacred, should we be doing that? 01:09:09.600 |
And that's why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, 27 to 30, 01:09:14.100 |
"and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner 01:09:16.760 |
"shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 01:09:30.460 |
"For this reason, many among you are weak and sick 01:09:36.080 |
basically he's saying there was capital punishment. 01:10:07.580 |
The communion table is to force us to deal with our sins. 01:10:15.340 |
"so maybe I shouldn't participate in communion." 01:10:34.940 |
So, communion table is mandated for every Christian. 01:10:43.740 |
it is to force us to deal with unrepentant sin. 01:10:47.820 |
Now, you're not gonna come up here because you're pure. 01:10:51.040 |
You're not gonna come up here because you didn't struggle. 01:10:56.140 |
You don't earn your way into the communion table, 01:10:59.700 |
but you cannot sit there and excuse your sins 01:11:08.240 |
"I'm just gonna hold off on the communion table, 01:11:09.080 |
"and then when I'm ready, I'm gonna come to Christ." 01:11:20.460 |
because you think, "I don't want to do that," 01:11:39.900 |
God is calling people to this table as repentant sinners, 01:12:05.700 |
Have every intention to be made right with God. 01:12:09.040 |
Third and finally, the table is called a communion table, 01:12:12.860 |
and the idea of that word is the body of Christ together, 01:12:19.980 |
And so that's why communion was never meant to be 01:12:30.780 |
This is not that something happens at our church, 01:12:48.420 |
"just as also you were called in one hope of your calling, 01:12:55.660 |
"who is over all and through all and in all." 01:13:24.580 |
that we put in and say, these are acquaintances. 01:13:32.680 |
but I don't like being in their presence much. 01:13:44.180 |
but there's some people that you're secretly hoping 01:13:51.340 |
Bible study, home group, will be so much better 01:13:57.720 |
The people that we have the hardest time with, 01:14:03.820 |
to expose your prejudice, your pride, your difficulty. 01:14:09.860 |
And if you ignore that, if you're not obedient to that, 01:14:14.740 |
Because the areas that is the hardest to sanctify, 01:14:19.460 |
And you know where God forces you to deal with that? 01:14:25.920 |
So before you're married, if you have a habit 01:14:28.240 |
of kind of like picking and choosing people you like 01:14:33.280 |
your husband and your wife is acting like that person 01:14:42.720 |
And all of a sudden, you start having marriage problems 01:14:53.960 |
There's some people you naturally get along with. 01:14:58.300 |
And there's some people that is very difficult. 01:15:02.780 |
if you wanna be identified as a disciple of my disciples, 01:15:17.580 |
determine to love people that you don't want to love. 01:15:28.640 |
And you will see how God uses that to sanctify you 01:15:35.880 |
So the communion table is to remind us that we're one. 01:15:45.880 |
we're gonna sing the song, the communion song. 01:15:49.160 |
And then if I can ask the elders and the pastors to come 01:15:53.900 |
And then when you guys are ready, after we sing, 01:15:56.540 |
just one by one, come up and come down the middle. 01:16:02.940 |
And everybody else, if you can come down the middle 01:25:33.080 |
- Communion table is gonna be closed in a minute, 01:25:53.700 |
so if you're not up, can you come up now, please? 01:28:07.420 |
♪ Firm through the fiercest drought and storm ♪ 01:28:13.840 |
♪ What heights of love, what depths of peace ♪ 01:28:19.160 |
♪ When fears are still, when strivings cease ♪ 01:32:01.480 |
continue to strengthen us, revive us and renew us. 01:32:06.160 |
That all that we do, Lord, will be an overflow 01:32:09.960 |
of the tremendous work that you are doing in us. 01:32:13.160 |
Help us, Lord God, that we would not be distracted 01:32:31.700 |
that there is hope in the name of Jesus Christ. 01:32:34.760 |
We pray, Father God, that your name may be exalted, 01:32:44.120 |
may be honored, glorified and worshiped as a result.