Lord's Supper - I Cor. 11:17-34

My mother is the world’s best cook and I have great memories of family dinners around the table--except when I got in trouble.  How many of you remember being in trouble for something you did earlier in the day; maybe at school, and now you have to sit at the dinner table and eat your dinner?  It didn’t matter how good it was, it didn’t taste good and it didn’t matter how much you didn’t want to eat something, you knew you had better just eat it without saying anything.  You didn’t dare complain about how something tasted.

In 1 Corinthians we see Paul writing to the church at Corinth and like a good parent he is disciplining his kids.  He has some good things to say about them but also points out some areas that need work.  Paul started this church and so has a deep interest in their well-being and in 11th chapter he chastises them for their table manners.

I read somewhere that Teddy Roosevelt was scared to go to church as a child after reading John 2:17.  His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." He was scared of the creature "Zeal" and was afraid he was going to be consumed.  The passage in 1 Corinthians could be rather scary where it talks about the consequences of taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.

Christ Fellowship is not the church at Corinth and I'm glad because they had a lot of problems but there are some things we can learn from Paul's guidance in the Lord’s Supper.

Evidently it was common in the early church to have a meal together every week when they got together to worship.  Agape feast or love feast.  They basically had a potluck dinner.  Problem was, if you didn't bring a pot you were out of luck!  Some were rich and brought lots to eat.  Some were poor and brought little or nothing and some were slaves and not only did they not bring anything, since they had to work late, they got there late and nobody waited for them.  Then they would end the meal by observing the Lord’s Supper.  You can imagine Paul had a few words for them when he heard about this.

Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.  It’s on page 812 in most of the Bibles in the pew. “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 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. ¹⁹ No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. ²⁰ So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, ²¹ for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ 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.” ²⁵ 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.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. ²⁷ So then, 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. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹ But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. ³² Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. ³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. ³⁴ Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.”

The first part of this passage (17-22) is Paul’s criticism of the church in Corinth and the second part (23-34) is more along the lines of instruction.  We have eaten together enough times that I know that Paul's criticism to the Corinthians would not be very necessary for Christ Fellowship so I want to focus more on his instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper in verses 23-34 and in his instructions I want us to see that it is important that we look back in remembrance and also to look forward to what will be.

Paul says in verse 23 he received this from the Lord Himself.  Now I don’t know how he received it-- but he takes us back to the upper room where Jesus and the disciples also celebrated a commemorative meal--celebrating Passover.

Jesus knew the importance of looking back in remembrance of what God had done and as was Jewish custom He celebrated Passover which included, in part, eating unleavened bread and drinking wine from a cup.

In verse 24 it says, "When He had given thanks".  I wonder what He thanked God for.  Provision?  Friends?  Fellowship?  Unity?  He knew what was about to happen.  He knew He was just hours away from the cross and He still gave thanks.  He knew He would be abandoned by the very men He was eating with!

I believe all of this was on His mind when He said, "This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."  I don't believe there is any way the disciples could have fully understood what Jesus was talking about but Jesus knew His body would soon be ravaged to the point of unrecognizability.

Then in verse 25 it says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood..."  Again, Jesus is looking back in reference to the old covenant--with Moses-that involved animal sacrifices to pay for sins.  Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death.  It was true in the Old Testament and it was true in the New Testament and it is still true today.  It is just different sacrifices.

And so because Jesus willingly gave Himself to be our sacrifice for our sins--a sacrifice that led Him to the cross where He died--we celebrate His death by observing the Lord’s Supper; a celebration He commands, by the way.  There would, of course, be no celebration of His death if not for His resurrection 3 days later but we will talk more about that on Easter!

In no other religion or faith do the people celebrate the death of their god like Christians do.  We celebrate the death of Jesus because we know that while He truly died and was buried, He also rose again on the third day and lives today in Heaven and in our hearts when we give our lives to Him to be Lord of our lives.

So, it is important that we look back in remembrance at what Jesus did for us but I also see in v. 26 a wonderful reason for us to look forward as well.  We talk all the time about wanting to be a church that is bold in its witness for Jesus.  That starts right here.  It starts by standing with your church family and publicly saying, "We remember what Jesus has done for us."

We remember it, we believe it and we celebrate it!  And we do so until He comes again!

I heard the story of a young Muslim man—I don't remember his name—who was invited to church by a friend.  The Lord’s Supper was observed in this church and the Muslim man asked questions about it later.  His friend shared the Gospel and the young man was saved and later became a preacher.

In no other religion or belief system does the savior die and is resurrected as a means for people to get to Heaven.  In no other religion is grace freely given to all who believe.

Invitation:  in verse 28 it says that a person should examine themselves before taking the Lord’s Supper.  I want to give you that opportunity right now.  To begin with examine yourself to see if you truly have a relationship with Jesus. I’m not talking about religion or church membership.  I mean have you asked God for forgiveness of your sin and then repented or turned away from that sin?  Have you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life forever?  If not, I want to talk with you right now before we take the cup and the bread because it is only for true believers.

If you do have that relationship, is there anything (any sin) that might be in the way of that relationship?  King David said in Psalm 26, “Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.”  Let God have free reign in your heart and mind right now.   Ask Him to look at your life and to show you where there might be anything displeasing to Him.

Your speech; your habits; your way of doing business or how you treat your neighbor or your spouse?  Is there pride or gossip?  Ask God for forgiveness right now.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  Do that now.

*Pass out juice and bread.*

I live just a block away from a cemetery and I pass by it often.  Many times I see people standing all alone in front of a newly covered grave and often times they are crying or maybe putting more flowers on top of it.  When we take the Lord’s Supper, we symbolically visit the tomb of Jesus, remembering what He did on the cross for us.  We do it reverently and with pure hearts but we also do it, not like most people standing at the grave of a loved one who are crying and mourning, but we do it with celebration, knowing that without His death, burial and resurrection then His birth and His life would not have the life-changing effect that we know it does today.

Thank you Lord for what you have done!

“Our Church” – Submissive - 1 Cor. 11:3-16

Okay, here’s the scenario.  Your friend has invited you to a big party he is throwing so you load up the car and you head towards the place where it will be.  You are following some other friends in their car and some others are following you and it’s going to be a big time.  You have never been to this new place before but every few miles there is a sign pointing the way.

But about half way there you see a little old man walking down the road and so you decide to pick him up.  He’s old and not much to look at but he says he is going to the same party and so you take off again.  But the old man says you are going the wrong way.  He says you need to get off this road and take the cow path that goes across this field.

What do you do?  The man is insistent but you see the signs and all your friends are going this way down this nice, smooth road so you try to ignore him but he continues that the only right way to the party is across this field that has no road.  It’s rocky and rough and it goes against what you think is right and what you see so you don’t know what to do.

Then the man points out that all down the smooth road there are cars piled up on both sides, wrecked and burning but you point out that, while you don’t know what happened to them, that it won’t happen to you.  You have a nice car and you are a good driver so it will be okay.  But the man insists.  What do you do?

Do you kick the man out and go in the way that seems right or do you take the advice of the crazy, old man and 4-wheel it across the rocky field?  Would it help you make the decision if you knew that the old man was none other than the Apostle Paul?  If you knew that he was telling the truth and just wanted to help you, would you listen to him?  I hope you would because that is similar to where we find ourselves today.

We know that God has told us that we can have joy and peace in our lives and we really want that and so we take off in search of it.  The world is full of signs about how to have a good life and that is the way that the vast majority of people go.  They don’t know any better and so they go down the nice, smooth road that looks like it goes where they want to go but for some reason, most people never find that destination.

Are you struggling with peace and joy today?  Is there strife and trouble in your household or even in your church?  Paul tells us the right way to go to avoid crashing and to get to the destination of joy and peace in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 but I guarantee if you have never heard this you will think that Paul is a crazy old man who doesn’t know what he is talking about.

The first half of 1 Corinthians chapter 11 is so divisive and contentious in some circles that lots of preachers just skip it.  I have to admit I was sure tempted to but I am called to preach the whole council of God as Paul himself said in Acts 20 so I studied and prayed and actually look forward to this because it is so needed.  I know if we are obedient to what God says through Paul we will have the peace and joy in our homes and church that God intends for us.

We are continuing our sermon series entitled “Our Church” as we look through the book of 1 Corinthians to see what God wants and what the Bible says about what Christ Fellowship should look like and act like.  I will say again that I don’t care what Baptists think or what Methodists, Catholics, Democrats or Republicans think.  I want to know truth and so I want to know what the Bible says.

I don’t care how we have always done it or what is popular or what the mega churches do.  None of those are my rock that I cling to or the light to my path.  I believe the Bible to be inerrant and every verse is there for a reason so let’s look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and let’s start reading at verse 3 and go through verse 16.

But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. ⁶ For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.⁷ A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; ⁹ neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. ¹⁰ It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. ¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

Well, there you have it - the scariest passage of scripture in all the Bible if you are a preacher or a biblical commentator evidently.  For you here today, some of you are mad.  Speedy is scared (because he has long hair) and everybody is confused.  But you needn’t be.  Do you remember the passage we looked at last week in chapter 8 that talked about sacrificing meat to animals and I told you that chapter was not about sacrificing meat to animals even though it talked about it all through the chapter?

I want you to know that this passage is not about hairdos or head coverings.  It’s not about how long your hair should be and it’s sure not about angels.  (What’s that all about anyway?)  No, this passage is not about any of that.  This passage is about submission.  If our church is going to be a biblical church; a church that is blessed by God then we all have to be able to submit but we have to know who submits to who and when so let’s look closer at this fascinating passage.

I join in a long line of Bible students who wish Paul had stopped after he wrote that 3^rd verse – and he could have.  He could have just said, “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” and just went right on to the next subject because that is what this whole passage is all about.  Paul, though, says that and then goes on to illustrate his point in a way that is confusing to us today because we have a different culture.

That’s all this is.  This passage is about submitting and Paul gives some illustrations that the early Corinthian church would easily understand but it makes it difficult for us because our culture is different.  So, let’s talk first about the main point and then we will get into his illustrations.  It’s the point that Dr. Tony Evans made in the Bible study that some of us men attended a few months ago called “Kingdom Men” at FBC Decatur.  He called it “alignment.”

Have you ever driven a car that was out of alignment?  Not only do the tires wear funny but it can be hard to steer.  The car doesn’t go where you want it to go.  The steering wheel shakes and you have to fight it and it feels like the whole car is about to fall apart.  The same thing can happen in a church or even in your own home.

Are things out of alignment in your home?  Does it feel sometimes like it’s not going like you want it to or even that it’s all going to fall apart?  It’s because God’s plan for the home and for the church calls for alignment.  It calls for order.  Nothing about God’s plan for anything includes chaos.  There is a right way and a wrong way to live and God’s way requires submission and alignment.

This submission started with Jesus Himself.  He says several times that He came to earth to do the will of the Father.  He spoke only what the Father wanted Him to speak and did only what the Father wanted Him to do.  He voluntarily submitted to the Father’s will.  Let me ask you a question.  Are God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit all equal?

Yes, absolutely they are equal.  Do they all have the same jobs?  No.  Each of the Trinity have different jobs but we are told that Jesus willingly submitted to the Father and that idea of submission flows down from there into the church and home.  Paul is saying that the order of things; perfect alignment is attained when the wife submits to the husband, the husband submits to Jesus and Jesus submits to the Father.

So, now we get to all the jokes from the men and all the complaints from the women and I understand that.  As I said to begin with in my illustration about picking up the Apostle Paul in the car, this is not what the world says is the right way.  All the signs in the world point out that men and women should be equal and the same in every way and that anything a man can do a woman can do and should do and should be treated equally in doing it.

But that is not God’s plan.  First and foremost, God is not saying that women are inferior to men.  Not at all.  Just as Jesus and the Father are equal, so are the sexes.  This isn’t saying that women are any less than men or not as important or anything like that.  It is simply the order of things.  Just like the military has different ranks, it doesn’t mean that one is better than the other.  The private may be a better person in every way than the general but without order, there is chaos and you can’t win the battle if there is chaos in the ranks.

Most of you know that this is not the only place that Paul talks about this.  Ephesians 5:22 starts a long passage about how the woman should submit to the husband but the responsibility is the husband’s to make sure he is aligned under Jesus and that he loves his wife as his own body. 

*Illustrate with blocks*

Perfect alignment and submission is Jesus under the Father, the husband under Jesus and the wife under the husband.  If the husband doesn’t fulfill his responsibility then even if the wife does her part then there is still misalignment.  Acts chapter 5 tells about Ananias and Sapphira where the wife followed her husband’s leading and because the husband was not submitted to Jesus, they both wound up dead.

Alright, look.  Don’t worry.  I’m going to get to all the rest of what Paul was talking about in this passage later tonight at 6.  We are going to figure out what in the world he was talking about hair and stuff then and what that has to do with submission but for now if you have a problem with this talk about submission then I have some good news and some bad news for you. 

The good news is for the ladies.  Ladies, if this idea of submission leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth and you don’t think you could ever voluntarily submit to your husband even though this is God’s plan for marriage then I have good news for you.  There is nothing in scripture that says you have to get married.  There is nothing in scripture that says you can’t be the big king kahuna in the workplace.  Outside the home and outside the church you can be the alpha dog and you don’t have to submit to anybody if you climb that corporate ladder high enough.

If the man you are dating is not someone under whom you can willingly submit to; if he is not trustworthy or godly enough then don’t marry him.  It’s that simple.  But in the church and in the home, the woman is to be submissive.  The reason for that is that the church and the home are both symbolic relationships to Jesus Himself.

The church is called the bride of Christ.  Jesus called Himself the Bridegroom in John 3:29. In Isaiah 54, Isaiah says, “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name.”  Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  We are all called to submit to Jesus as a woman submits to her husband and as a church submits to the Bridegroom Jesus.  Outside of those two places, the woman is not called on to submit…except…and here’s the bad news for all of us who have a problem with submission, well let me just read you a few verses.

Obey your leaders and submit to them.  Hebrews 13:17

Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Ephesians 5:21

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. 1 Peter 5:5

And lastly, Philippians 2 that says, “in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

If this church is going to call ourselves disciples then we have to be like Jesus.  Do you remember what the definition of a disciple is?  We have talked about this several times in the past.  Our definition of a disciple is one who learns from Jesus and then teaches and encourages others with what they have learned.  Here we see that Jesus submitted not just to the Father.  He made Himself a servant.

Peter said to the men in 1 Peter 2:13, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men.”  He said to slaves in 2:18, “Submit yourselves to your masters with all respect.”  Then he said to women in chapter 3, “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands…so they will see the purity of your lives.”  He goes on to say to women, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ⁵ For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham.”

It’s not about hairdos.  There’s nothing wrong in our culture for a man to have long hair or a woman to have short hair or to wear gold jewelry.  Submission in marriage is not about being a doormat to be walked on or abused.  One of the most powerful forces on the planet is a married man and woman who, while retaining their individuality, work together as a team toward the same goals as disciples of Christ.  They can’t be beat.

When there is order and alignment of God the Father, then Jesus, then husband and then wife, it is a well-oiled machine with great peace and joy even in the difficult times.  But it starts with both individuals being fully submitted to Jesus.  It won’t work otherwise.

If that is not what your marriage looks like then it’s not too late.  If that’s not what your life looks like then it’s not too late.  If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus then you can expect to have disorder and chaos.  You won’t have peace.    But today if you need to ask God for forgiveness of whatever sins then He is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  Repent – turn away – from those sins and fully rely on Him for not just your peace and joy in this world but for eternal life in Heaven with Him in the next world.  Do it right now as the music plays.

“Our Church” – Sacrificial – 1 Cor. 8

Let’s talk for a minute.  I want your feedback on something.  How would you define “freedom”?  What is freedom?  How do we know when we have it?  Is freedom the right to do anything or from anything?  Where does my freedom stop?  Is it where your freedom begins or can they overlap? Do I have the right to do anything I want regardless of the impact on somebody else?

For what things would you sacrifice your freedoms?  Every time you get on an airplane nowadays you sacrifice your freedom to take what you want on that airplane and you now have to get patted down or go through a scanner just to get on board.  That’s not fair, is it?  None of us did anything to deserve having our freedoms taken away and yet we give up those freedoms in the name of safety and security.

What other issues or occasions might make you give up your right to do something?  What about a mother who gives up her right to go to work because her child is sick?  That’s not fair to her, is it?  She didn’t do anything to deserve to not get a pay check for that day.  But she gladly does it for the sake of one she loves.  She makes the choice to sacrifice her freedom for the sake of somebody else.

The Apostle Paul writes about the importance of this in 1 Corinthians.  We are continuing our sermon series entitled, “Our Church” with a look at what 1 Corinthians says about what our church should look like and how we should act.  That Corinthian church was plenty messed up and Paul was all over the map instructing them about everything from unity, as we saw last week, to sexual immorality and marriage, lawsuits, gifts, and how to take the Lord’s Supper.

Now, each one of those instructions would take anywhere from one verse to one chapter but there is one issue that Paul needed three whole chapters to cover and it is an issue that, on the surface, you are going to think doesn’t apply to us at Christ Fellowship today.  Chapters 8, 9 and 10 are concerning meat sacrificed to idols.  Now, how many here today struggle with this horrible sin?  Probably none.

As we go through chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians you will see that Paul talks a lot about meat sacrificed to idols but I will tell you right now that this chapter is not about meat sacrificed to idols.  Paul also talks a lot about knowledge but this chapter is not about knowledge.  He talks about a strong and weak conscience but it’s not about that.  He talks about freedom but it’s not even about that.

In chapter 8 Paul exhorts the Corinthian church to sacrifice.  That’s what it is about.  In chapter 9, he gives an illustration of it in his own life and in chapter 10, Paul applies it to Israel’s history.  He spends more ink on this one subject than anything else and so we know that is must be of utmost importance for our church today so turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 8.  It’s a short chapter and we are going to read the whole thing keeping in mind that it is not really about meat being sacrificed to idols.

As you turn there, you might be interested to know something about the people that Paul was writing to here.  Corinth was a busy town in Greece and was at a crossroads where people from all over the world would pass through and so they were being influenced by every kind of thinking and religion.  All kinds of people were bringing their goods and talents to sell and with it they brought their philosophies and their world views and so the Corinthians considered themselves to be well-educated and very worldly and knowledgeable – and they were right.

There was a large group of what we call “sophists” there.  To be a sophist meant you had great knowledge and you were clever in how you used it whether it was in philosophy, music, art, or even athletics. It’s the word in which we get the word “sophisticated”. They were well-rounded in their education and were pretty proud of it, as you can imagine.  So, that explains, maybe, why Paul starts out as he does.  Let’s read 1 Corinthians 8.

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. ² Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. ³ But whoever loves God is known by God.

Let’s stop right there for a second.  Notice how many times Paul uses the word “know” or “knowledge” in those three verses.  That Greek word is “gnosis” and Paul acknowledges the fact that these Corinthians were very knowledgeable.  They “knew”.  An agnostic person is unsure if there is a God but gnostics – they know and because these people knew – and they knew they knew, if you know what I mean – they were puffed up about it.

Have you ever known anybody that was puffed up because of how much they knew?  I used to work with a guy who was pretty smart but he could not ever say the words, “I don’t know.”  He would make it up if he didn’t know.  I asked him something one time that I knew there was no way he could know and he just acted like he didn’t hear me.  He would not admit to not knowing something.  That’s who Paul is writing to here and that’s surely not us today, is it?

 ⁴ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶ yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

As Paul here confirms that there is only one God, he starts to answer the question they had about eating food sacrificed to idols.  Again, this seems like an issue that absolutely does not concern us.  We know that anything that we put above the one, true God becomes an idol to us but Paul is talking about those man-made, hand-carved idols with faces and bodies that were meant to look like certain Greek gods.  There were places in Greece that you could find somebody worshipping every kind of false god imaginable at any one time and when they did they would usually sacrifice some kind of animal to that idol.

But not all of the animal was usually sacrificed.  Most of the time it was only a small, symbolic part and the rest would either go to the priest or to the person making the sacrifice so there was a lot of meat left over and it was often sold in the meat market.  Why not?  It’s better than wasting it.  The problem was that many of the people that Paul was writing to had come out of that kind of lifestyle and were now Christians and they had a hard time understanding how somebody could buy that meat at the market and eat it when it had been sacrificed to an idol.

So, Paul is telling them that it’s okay to eat that meat because there is nothing about an idol that is real and it’s not food that makes us close to God but look at what he says in verses 7 and 8.

 ⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Now, let me ask you a question.  How would you have answered the Corinthians about this issue?  If they wrote to you and you gave them just your opinion, what would you say?  I think I would have said that those people are wrong and they’re stupid so they need to be quiet and y’all enjoy your freedom.  Phooey on them.  That’s probably one of many reasons God didn’t use me to write any of the Bible.  Look at how Paul wisely answers in the following verses.

 ⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹² When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

It goes back to verse 1.  Remember how Paul said that knowledge puffs up but love builds up?  This is what he was talking about.  These immature Christians with weak consciences should know better.  It shouldn’t bother them.  BUT IT DOES!  It bothers them to the point that it is hurting their walk with the Lord and so Paul tells the mature Corinthians that they need to sacrifice their freedoms and their rights for the sake of these baby Christians.

We would all like to think that we are strong enough and mature enough to not be like those that Paul is talking about.  We know what the Bible says and so many things are black and white or even red and white and those that are immature need to get over it and just learn the truth.  The problem is that it’s not always that simple.  Not everything is black and white.

Most of you know that Ben is not only a talented worship leader but he has actually re-written quite a few songs that were originally rock songs and he changed the words and made them praise and worship songs.  They sang them a lot at Unchained and they use them a lot in the prisons.  Those prisoners know those old rock songs and can relate to that kind of music and it really gets their attention but Ben has changed the words, though, and made them into something that gives God glory.

Who could possibly have a problem with that?  Me.  Only me.  The problem for me is that a lot of those songs take me back in my mind to a time when I was not living for the Lord and I was rocking out to those songs as I did things that I now regret and bring back bad memories.  So, when I told that to Ben he said, “Fine.  We will never do them here at Christ Fellowship.”  And we haven’t.

Do you know how much I appreciate that?  That’s not fair to Ben.  He wrote those songs and there is nothing wrong with them and Ben knows that.  He could have said that I just need to grow up and quit being immature and come to the same knowledge he and everybody else has about those songs.  It shouldn’t bother me.  But it does.

Knowledge puffs up but love builds up and that is what Ben showed.  He showed me love to build me up and I will never forget that.  He sacrificed his right and his freedom for my sake.  Now, let me ask you the same question I asked earlier.  For what things would you sacrifice your freedoms? 

I remember as a kid playing cards with my sisters and the doorbell would ring and my mother would hurriedly tell us to put the cards away because we didn’t want whoever was at the door to think we were gambling.  Seriously?  I’m 5.  This isn’t 5-Card Stud we have going over here.  It’s not like I’m on my plastic Mattel phone with my bookie asking him what kind of odds he would give me that my sister tells me to “go fish” on this next hand.  Anybody should know that we aren’t gambling.  But what if they didn’t?  What if the person at the door had a gambling problem and saw that the preacher’s kids were playing cards and it made him want to and he didn’t play “Go Fish”?

Does that sound ridiculous?  Then you have never dealt with addiction.  You have never been the person who has struggled with something for years and just the thought of it or the sight of somebody doing something similar will set you off.  It’s not right.  They shouldn’t be that way.  But some people are.

My friend Troy Pittman won’t mind me telling you this about him.  He just got his 31-year chip from AA for being sober that long.  Thank you, Lord!  But he was telling me just the other day that for the first few years, it was a struggle every single day.  Every single day he had to deal with cravings for alcohol and every single day he would find a friend to help him or he would get some ice cream or he would do whatever it took to overcome those cravings. 

He said more than once he would be driving down the road and he would have to pull into a service station and lock himself in the bathroom and get on his knees and pray that God would deliver him one more time and he did that for years.  Now, what kind of person would I be to invite Troy over to my house for dinner and drink a beer or a glass of wine in front of him?  I would be a free person.  I have the right to do that.  I know that.  But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

Now, don’t come up to me afterward and tell me that I should have brought out all the other reasons why people shouldn’t drink alcohol or that I should have included some other topic.  This sermon is not about the dangers of alcohol or why you shouldn’t listen to Ben’s rock music or eat ice cream.  It’s about sacrificing your freedom for the sake of somebody else.

How many of you grew up in a Southern Baptist church?  If you did, you know there is a long list of things we all knew we shouldn’t do but we never really talked about them.  We just knew you didn’t do them.  We knew that drinking and smoking were sins and a good Christian didn’t dance or gamble or go swimming with the opposite sex.  It just wasn’t done.

But Paul is not talking about any of that.  I read a story about a Muslim man who had recently converted to Christianity and he was at a church function of some kind and for lunch they were served sandwiches.  When it came to the Muslim convert, he asked what kind they had and was told that all they had left was BBQ pork.  He quietly declined and went about his business.

A young girl saw him and said, “Surely you know that it’s okay to eat pork now.  God doesn’t forbid it.  It’s not a sin.”  But he explained that he still saw his family in the Middle East ever so often and he knew that the next time he saw them, his father would ask him if the infidels had had persuaded him to eat pork and he wanted to be able to say no.  He knew he would never be invited back home to see his family if they knew he had eaten pork and he knew he would have no way to ever share with them the Good News if that happened.

That’s not fair.  It’s a dumb old sandwich.  He had the knowledge that just eating something didn’t defile him.  Even Jesus said so in Mark 7:15 where He said, “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them."

As a mature believer it is your job to encourage and teach the less mature person but you have to allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives in His own perfect timing.  In the meantime, as Paul says in verse 13, we should never do anything to cause him to fall.

I believe this would be easier for us to embrace if, first, we did as Paul said in the first verse and do it out of love for that person so we could build them up, but also, look at what he says in verse 12.  “When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”  You not only cause them to sin but you also sin and Paul emphasizes that by saying it is a sin against Christ Himself.

Our freedom ends at sin.  Period.  As disciples of Jesus our goal in life is to make other disciples.  That is the main reason for our church being here and for us being here but we can’t do that if we, by our example, lead someone else into sin.  What is God speaking to you about today?  I’m not asking you what have you always done or what did your parents do or what do you think is right or wrong.

Now is the time to go before God and God alone and ask Him what needs to change in your life.  Maybe it’s nothing or maybe it is something that you don’t think is any big deal but God, through His Holy Spirit is leading you to give up that freedom that you have to do something.  If He is leading you in that then you can rest assured that He will give you the strength to do it.

“Our Church” – Unified – 1 Cor. 1:10 and 2:1-2

How many of you grew up watching “The Lone Ranger” when you were kids?  Of course, you did.  I loved that show.  How many of you remember the scene where Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Indian warriors on horses, dressed for battle. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and asked, "What are we going to do?" Tonto replied, "What you mean 'we,' Whiteman?"

You don’t remember that one?  No, you don’t because it never happened.  Tonto and the Lone Ranger were partners.  They may not have always agreed on the best way to do something but they were in it together whatever they did and wherever they went.

If watching The Lone Ranger, Big Valley, Have Gun-Will Travel, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza taught us anything as kids it was that you don’t leave your family or your buddies when the going gets difficult.  Can you imagine Hoss Cartwright or Festus running away just because the men in the black hats came a’gunning?  Can you imagine Marshall Dillon leaving Dodge City because Miss Kitty and he had a difference of opinion?  No!

Now, I’m sorry if some of you are too young to know what good TV was and you don’t know some of these characters so let me put it in a way you might understand.  Can you imagine, I don’t know, Jay-Z and Beyonce breaking up over some little misunderstanding?  Ok, you probably can.  That’s not a good illustration because times have changed and unity is not as valued as it once was.  But it shouldn’t be that way.

Actually, unity has never been easy.  We seem to be hardwired to have difficulty with this for at least two reasons.  First, we know best.  We know what we need and what we like and we know what other people need and like even better than they do and if they disagree then they are just wrong.  That’s just how it is, right?

Secondly, we have to look out for #1 and if we don’t, then who will?  Who is going to make sure that our feelings are protected and our rights are secure?  Who else, besides us, is going to make sure we are not abused or taken for granted?  We have to let the world know that everything revolves around us just as much as the next guy and if we don’t do it, nobody will.

It is not just a recent problem.  It was going on in the New Testament because it is a problem we see Paul address in 1 Corinthians.  In fact, it is the first thing he addresses to a really messed up church in ancient Corinth.  Paul writes this letter to a church that has a whole lot of things that need to be worked on.  In fact, he had to write a second letter to get it all in.

We have the great benefit of being in a church that is not messed up like this church was but we can learn so much about what we are supposed to do and not do by studying this powerful letter so we are going to spend the next seven weeks or so making sure that, as we grow, we are biblical in every aspect.  We want to make sure that we know what we are supposed to do and that we know why we are supposed to do it.

Unity was a problem in the church at Corinth just like it is at some other churches even today.  The sad thing is that so many times in a church, disagreements pop up, not on great theological issues, but on things that are small or even some good things.  The Corinthian church was divided about who was the better minister.  It says that some people liked Paul but some were big fans of Apollos and others just knew that Peter was the best and so everybody else was way wrong.

It would be like some of us who might say that obviously Ben is the best song leader.  Everybody knows that.  But then somebody else would say, no, they like David better and somebody else might say that Morris has the best hairstyle and so he is best and they just know that everybody else is horribly mistaken.  I’m sorry, Morris, but that’s not something to really brag about since Ben doesn’t have any hair and we don’t know if David does or not because he is always wearing a do-rag.

So, what happens when a difference of opinion comes up?  And Heaven forbid a real problem like style of music or song selection come up.  That’s gonna be huge!  What happens then?  Well, it can either be two fists coming together with the pain and breakage that comes with it…or two hands coming together to work together and be united in what really matters.

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus.  "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold."

 "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"

What works best, though, is two hands coming together to work in unity and unison.  Paul tells us how to do that in two passages in the first part of the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians.  Let’s look just at chapter 1, verse 10 and chapter 2, verses 1-2.  It’s on page 807 in most of the Bibles in the pew.  1 Corinthians comes right after Romans.  Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 1:10 and 2:1-2. 

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. –2-And so it was with me, brothers. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. ² For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Now, let me ask you a question.  What makes a family?  How does one become part of a family?  I hear all the time people say they are part of this or that family and they are not talking about husbands and wives and kids and uncles and aunts.  You have firefighters or policemen who talk about being in that family.  Certain jobs or professions are sometimes referred to as a family.  Sports teams refer to themselves as a family.  Even here at Christ Fellowship, we talk all the time about doing things as a family.

Paul, here, comes to the Corinthians and doesn’t try to persuade them because of his great knowledge or his power.  He says, I appeal to you as brothers; as family, but not just any family.  We all know of some families who are anything but united.  Paul says they are his brothers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that even that might be something to argue about.  But, as the family of God, we, of all people ought to be able to come together.

If Paul had just said, “I, Paul, appeal to you people over there in Corinth to be united in mind and thought” then they probably would have just ignored him.  Who is he to tell us what to do or think?  But when he came at them as a brother, a member of their family, and not just any family but the family of God through Jesus Christ, then that changes everything.  He is saying in that little sentence that they – and we – should be like Jesus.  We should, as children of the One True King and our Heavenly Father, want harmony in the family.

The comedian Robert Orben said, “Who can ever forget Winston Churchill's immortal words: ‘We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills.’ It sounds exactly like our family vacation.”

Being in a small church; a small family, has its advantages and disadvantages but there are two important aspects of this I want us to concentrate on.  Paul says there should be no divisions and there should be unity in mind and thought.  If that is going to happen at Christ Fellowship then we absolutely have to do 2 things.  These 2 things are not complicated but sometimes they can be difficult.  I understand that.

I want you to write these two things down.  We all need to pray about what these are going to look like in our lives.  Are you ready?  The two things we absolutely have to do at Christ Fellowship to have no divisions and to have unity are 1) Show up and 2) Forgive.  You have to show up and you have to forgive.

If we don’t show up then we will, by definition, have division.  The problem is that when we do show up, we are going to have disagreements.  We are going to get on each other’s nerves.  We all think we know what is best and we all want the best for ourselves and others and so there is going to be friction.  There is going to be problems.  The answer to that is just to show up and forgive.

How many times have you had some kind of problem and some well-meaning person has told you, “Let me know if there is anything I can do”?  It happens all the time and I think most of the time they are sincere and want to help.  But do you know the best way you can help most of the time is just by being there for them?  It’s the same in this church family.  Every week somebody has some kind of crisis, some kind of great need and do you know what they need most after your prayers?  They need your presence. 

They usually don’t need your physical help in doing something.  They need your physical body present.  They don’t usually need great words of wisdom and they sure don’t need to hear your story of how you went through something.  Most of the time they just need you to be there.

I’m reminded of the story of Job.  You remember that Job lost everything he had; his health, his family, his income, everything he had and then his three friends show up.  In Job chapter 2 it says that Job’s friends heard about his troubles and went to comfort him and when they got there they all sat on the ground with him for seven days mourning and crying with him and it says in verse 13 that no one said a word to him for seven days because they saw how great his suffering was.

Those are the friends I want!  Do you know what kind of friends I don’t want?  Those same 3 guys who for the next 30-something chapters tried to tell him what he did wrong and how he should fix it.  Don’t we all just want some family around us during difficult times?  Don’t we all just want some family who will be there and not try to tell us what to do but just be there?

Let me give you some advice.  Unless you know for sure that God has given you a specific word to that hurting person, the best things you can say are “I’m sorry”, “I love you” and “I’m praying for you.”  Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.  If you don’t mean it then at least you are physically there for them but all you really need to say when you get there is, “I’m sorry”, “I love you” and “I’m praying for you.”  Repeat.

Then, in your heart, make sure that you forgive those who have hurt you because you will be hurt.  But if we are to have unity we have to show up and we have to forgive.  Anytime you get even just two people together, somebody is going to say or do something that is going to offend the other, right?  All the married people just said amen.  So, we have to show up and we have to forgive if we are going to be a biblical church.

Now, I want you to see in what Paul says we can all be unified.  As a church family, we are going to have some differences of opinion about almost everything.  We agree on some things, that’s for sure.  By looking at the fridge in the Fellowship Hall it’s obvious that we all agree that Dr. Pepper is better than Coke but there are going to be some even bigger issues that come up.  Do you know what every family needs to have unity?  Every family needs to be a team with all the members fighting on the same side with one common goal and one common plan.  We can disagree on some things and show forgiveness when needed but we all need to be rowing in the same direction as a family and Paul says in chapter 2 what our common goal is.

Look again at chapter 2, verses 1-2.  When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. ² For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 

Obviously Paul is not saying that all he ever taught or preached were the passages of scripture that talked about Jesus.  He was saying that everything revolved around Jesus.  He wanted that church and he wants this church to have everything they did be about and for Jesus.  The preaching, teaching, music, prayer, meals, fellowship, fun and even grief and mourning to be glorifying to Jesus.

How can you have disunity when every member of the family shows up, comforts, encourages and forgives those who need it, not for their glory but for the glory of our risen Savior?  Disunity is not going to happen.  That’s what Paul says.  That’s what the Holy Spirit told Paul and as such we now know that if there is disunity in the church then there is sin in the church.

If two people or two parties are not unified; if there is uncontrolled or prolonged strife between two groups, then you can be sure that there is sin in there somewhere.  Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  That means you are going to have to forgive people in your family.  That means you are going to have to overlook some things as you keep your eyes on Jesus for the sake of your sanity but mainly for the sake of the family and for the sake of His Kingdom.

Some people might think I am being a little too honest about what I am going to tell you now but I think it’s important for you to know.  Several years ago when this church was in Runaway Bay – you know, on the other side of the Jordan River – I took a written test that Gerry Lewis of Harvest Baptist Association gave to several local pastors.  It was a test to see how much longer your church will survive.

It included all sorts of questions based on factors like age of congregation, amount of debt, how people felt about change, how people felt about unity, submission, giving and sacrifice.  I took that test and then got the results and I was bummed out.  I’ll just tell you I started preparing myself to have to do something else because that church was not going to last much longer by any measure.

But some of you know, some of you were here when God and God alone decided otherwise.  Weren’t you?  It meant moving locations and changing pretty much everything which immediately turned off most of the congregation.  Moving over here, just 5 miles down the road, meant pruning quite a few people and it was painful as some of you remember.  But God provided everything we needed.  He grafted in the Unchained Biker Church, He brought people from the community, He made Bart McDonald forget our phone number (some of you will get that joke) and He completely changed this church into the church that He wanted us to be.

Now, we are a church with great potential; a church that has a passion for people and a passion for others.  We are here to minister to the poor, the addicted and the incarcerated and that gives us great joy to know that God has entrusted those people to our care.  With His protection and provision we will continue to do so for many years to come but it starts with showing up, forgiving those that hurt us and keeping Jesus as the main goal.

We’re not a perfect church.  We’re not for everybody.  I say all the time that being a member of this church isn’t easy.  Becoming a member is easy.  All you have to do is be a disciple of Jesus and walk down here during the invitation in a minute and tell me you want to be a member.  We don’t check your blood type or your bank account.  You don’t have to be a Baptist.  We’ll get you there soon enough.

But being a member of this church is more difficult than being a member at some other churches because we insist on being biblical and being biblical isn’t always easy.  Jesus knew that.  Paul knew that and we know that but it starts with showing up, forgiving and focusing on Jesus.

We focus on Jesus because we know that He died for our sins on the cross.  He paid the debt we couldn’t pay but then He rose again and we can have a relationship with Him even today and He will help us to be biblical.  He will help us to show up and forgive and with so much more.

Do you know Him?