1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,960 Well, it is certainly my privilege. 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,560 Rachel and I are privileged to be with you today. 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,880 It's wonderful to be here with our whole family. 4 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,360 It's wonderful to be here with so many from Oakdale and other 5 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:15,360 congregations that have been travelling through. 6 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,200 I hope you're not disappointed. You've got to hear me again, 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,800 some of you. But it is our honor to be here 8 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,080 today. And to those of you that make up 9 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,360 this is home here in Bakersfield, thank you. 10 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,040 Thank you for everything you've done for Kendra, for everything 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,920 you've sacrificed as she sought to make her way through nursing 12 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,520 school here. You've been a great blessing to 13 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:46,200 her, by extension to us. And I cannot thank you enough 14 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,840 this morning. I'd like to draw your attention 15 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,680 to Matthew 26 and verse 26 where it says and as they were eating, 16 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:01,760 Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to the 17 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:06,680 disciples and said take, eat. This is my body. 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,960 Our goal this morning for this study is to better understand 19 00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:16,280 the disciples perspective when this scripture happened, when 20 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:17,840 this happened, what was going on? 21 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,320 What would have been the disciples perspective in the 22 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:22,440 midst of this? I want a better understanding 23 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,760 what they were doing when Jesus instituted his memorial. 24 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,360 They were in the midst of something and I cats out of the 25 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:32,480 bag. They were in the midst of 26 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,920 another memorial and I was to. I want us to better understand 27 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,040 what they were doing when Jesus instituted his memorial, and by 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,000 doing so, better understand how what they were doing impacts the 29 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,400 Lord's Supper. What they were doing, what they 30 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:53,280 had committed themselves to for a week already impacted what 31 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,680 they were doing when Jesus instituted his memorial. 32 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,560 And when we do that, I want to better understand what we can 33 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,280 learn and apply today from all of this. 34 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,040 This really started out in my brain as what would it have been 35 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:11,000 like to be a disciple when all this started? 36 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,720 Before Jesus has died, before everything, What was their 37 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,200 perspective? What, what would I have thought? 38 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,160 What if I had been one of them and he did what he did on this 39 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,760 occasion my wheels would have been turning. 40 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,080 I would have been going over to John and Saint John. 41 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:30,800 You got to go find out what this is all about. 42 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,480 What was the disciples perspective in the midst of this 43 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,480 study and in the midst of presenting this sermon in a few 44 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,720 places this year I have learned there's another. 45 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:44,840 I don't know if it's a tract, a book, or if it was somebody's 46 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,240 sermon, but just you'll get it as soon as I tell you the title, 47 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:56,320 Mary's First Communion. Can we imagine the perspective 48 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,960 of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the first time she partook of 49 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,720 this communion? That's next level. 50 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,720 You're now coming to remember your son, his memorial with all 51 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,920 of that fresh in your mind, with all the affection and the 52 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:17,760 passion a mother can have for a child. 53 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,520 This is where this started in my brain is trying to understand 54 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,720 this the communion. So I want to back up to Matthew 55 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,240 26 and verse 17. It says no, on the first day of 56 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,400 the Feast of unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus 57 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,080 saying to him, where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the 58 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,760 Passover? So now you know what this is the 59 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,560 meal they're eating. They're eating the Passover. 60 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,320 Where do you want us to pair it? He said, go into the city to a 61 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,320 certain man and say to him, the teacher says my time is at hand. 62 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,560 I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples. 63 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,200 So the disciples did that. Jesus had directed them and they 64 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,560 prepared the Passover and when evening had come, he sat down 65 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,000 with the 12 What was the Passover and what did they 66 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,520 prepare? We just got through a 67 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,560 Thanksgiving and most families have a traditional Thanksgiving 68 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,080 dinner. It's not always Turkey. 69 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:14,360 I've come to find out, some people don't like it, but you 70 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,160 know what to expect when you go to grandma's or when you go to 71 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,680 whoever's house, There's been something for it. 72 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:21,720 What had they been? What did they prepare? 73 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,600 To understand that we have to go back to Exodus chapter 12. 74 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,280 We're not going to spend a lot of time here, but we are going 75 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:30,440 to try to understand what the disciples had prepared. 76 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:33,920 So he's told them in Exodus chapter 12, God said, speak to 77 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,520 the congregation of Israel, saying on the 10th of this 78 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,760 month, every man shall take for himself a lamb according to the 79 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,000 House of his father, a lamb for a household. 80 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,240 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and 81 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,920 his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number 82 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,200 of the persons, according to each man's needs. 83 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:53,800 You shall make your account for the lamb. 84 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,520 Your lamb shall be without blemish a male of the first 85 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,560 year. This phrase here, according to 86 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,840 the House of his father, they shall take a lamb for a 87 00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:12,600 household. How many people does it take to 88 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,720 consume a lamb? I don't know the answer to that, 89 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,200 so I had to Google it. Those of you that may have 90 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,360 experience with lambs may be able to tell whether this is 91 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,160 right or not, but I understand one whole lamb will feed between 92 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:30,040 40 and 50 people. That all depends on how many 93 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:34,280 sides you have to go with it. We know on this occasion they 94 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:37,400 had some unleavened bread. Oh, cats out. 95 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:38,920 I didn't. I told that advance. 96 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:40,680 You didn't know that, but you'll see. 97 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:45,280 I'll prove it in a second. So let's just say it's on the 98 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:47,120 low end. They're going to feed 40 people. 99 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,200 Fast forward a little bit to story and say the mass of the 100 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:56,400 exodus from Egypt of Israel. Then the slaves could have been 101 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:01,880 upwards of 2 million people. If 2,000,000 is the number, 102 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,160 there will be 50,000 lambs killed this night. 103 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,960 If each household had 40 people that was going to be fed by that 104 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:15,400 lamb. 10s of thousands of lambs, perhaps far more. 105 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,640 You're like, yeah. But look, there's more to more 106 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,520 than 40 in our family. My mom came from a family of 15 107 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,080 kids. I had like over 41st cousins. 108 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,960 We needed two lambs. Nope, can't do that. 109 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,960 Says for each man's house, you shall take out for lamb, but it 110 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:38,560 can only be in one house, one assembly, if you will. 111 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,160 This lamb should be taken in one house. 112 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:42,960 That shall be eaten. You shall not carry any of the 113 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,080 flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its 114 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,080 bones. Perhaps this is like Rachel and 115 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:48,360 I. We're empty nesters now. 116 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,560 And if we're at the Passover, look, we can't even this. 117 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:53,360 That'll feed 40. What are we going to do with all 118 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:54,960 that? So we go to our neighbors, the 119 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,000 Cosby's. Anthony Cosby lives just down 120 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,320 the street. We say, look, we need to combine 121 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,760 some households. Let's share a lamb, OK, we're 122 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,320 going to share this lamb, but you know, race and I'd really 123 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,640 rather take it back to our house because this is going to be kind 124 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:08,880 of a dramatic night and we're comfortable at home. 125 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,760 Can't do that. It's all got to be in one house 126 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,920 eaten wherever this has been to gather together. 127 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,120 You read through this, You're going to take the blood of this 128 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:18,200 lamb. You're going to put it over the 129 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:19,560 lentil of the doors. You're going to put it on the 130 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,440 doorposts and when the Lord passes by that night that when 131 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,960 the first born of every house that doesn't have the blood of 132 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:32,400 the lamb is going to lose the first born, it's going to be a 133 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:37,120 horrible night. When the disciples came together 134 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,400 with Jesus, they had prepared a lamb, 1 lamb for that assembly. 135 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:46,720 I know it because of this verse. They were going to consume that 136 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,920 and whatever they couldn't consume would wind up being 137 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,080 burned, would they? They couldn't just like keep it 138 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,320 for leftovers. No such thing as that. 139 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,320 They would take care of this one lamb, and they would stay within 140 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:02,280 one house for seven days. During this time no leaven 141 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,800 should be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is 142 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,000 leaven, that same person should be cut off from the congregation 143 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,280 of Israel, whether he's a stranger or a native in the 144 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,200 land. I don't care if they knew better 145 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,360 or not. They're cut off if for seven 146 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,520 days they don't get all the leaven out of their house. 147 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,000 So here's what I know. When these disciples prepared in 148 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,400 this upper room whatever they were going to eat with with the 149 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,320 Lord, they had prepared 1 lamb, and they if they had any bread, 150 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:31,240 it was not leavened. In fact, there couldn't even be 151 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,360 any leaven within the house as they prepared this. 152 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,720 No matter what they were. You shall eat nothing leaven, 153 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:39,600 and all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread. 154 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:45,160 If they could not have leaven, could they have seasoning like 155 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:51,840 say salt in their dwellings? Now I found out through giving 156 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,040 this sermon this year. This is actually a greater 157 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,160 question than I ever really thought it would be. 158 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,160 I didn't realize there was disagreement about that even 159 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,400 amongst those of us who love one another and and are brothers and 160 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,320 sisters. So what does the Scripture say 161 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,680 about it? God's law concerning salt and 162 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:08,520 leaven. We're we're about to to detour 163 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,520 for just a second. This is not about the Passover. 164 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,160 This is in number or Leviticus chapters 2, but it is about 165 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:17,680 unleavened offerings. So we can understand what God 166 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:19,240 considered leavening and unlevened. 167 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:22,200 Leviticus 2 and verse 11. No grain offering. 168 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,880 What you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven. 169 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,880 None of these offerings can have leaven in them, for you shall 170 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,720 burn no leaven or any honey in any offering to the Lord made by 171 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:33,840 fire. And every offering of your grain 172 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,720 offering you shall season with salt. 173 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,280 You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be 174 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,600 lacking from your grain offering. 175 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,520 With all your offerings you shall offer salt. 176 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,720 Now real quick point here, I conclude, yes, they would have 177 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,160 had salt in the dwelling. If they had salt in their 178 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:58,400 dwelling before this I am not about to tell you. 179 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:00,760 And if you made the loaf this morning, don't get all nervous 180 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:01,800 and say, Oh no, what's he going to say? 181 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:03,840 They do it wrong. That's not my point to say 182 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,600 there's a certain recipe. But here's what I am trying to 183 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,720 say. We cannot take a position 184 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,840 against salt. That would not be consistent 185 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:19,120 with Leviticus chapter 2. If anything, if you had to take 186 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:20,960 a position, you'd have to have salt. 187 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,560 They definitely would have had salt in the house and these 188 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,880 offerings they could not offer without salt when it was the 189 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,360 grain offerings to the Lord continuing back then. 190 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,360 Now, salt is not a leavening agent in God's eyes. 191 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:40,400 No matter what you read when you Google it, salt will have a 192 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:44,280 prop, an impact on the leavening process as I understand it, but 193 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:46,840 in and of itself it is not yet. They could have had some 194 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,440 seasoning, they could have had salt. 195 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,920 In Leviticus chapter 12, verses 21 through 24, more specifics 196 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,920 are given about the blood of the Lamb and how it's to continue 197 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,800 through the generations. Picking up In verse 26 it says, 198 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,080 and it shall be. When your children say to you, 199 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:03,880 what do you mean by this service? 200 00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:08,680 Oh, all these little kids run around the branch family houses 201 00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:10,440 right now, probably a lot like yours. 202 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,160 They start having a lot of questions around two or three 203 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:16,200 why, why, why? And it's all about the same 204 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,600 subject and it's all about the answer you just gave. 205 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:23,000 They got lots of questions. God said, Israel. 206 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,320 When your kids ask you about this, when they say, what do you 207 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,120 mean by this? You tell them it is the Passover 208 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,400 sacrifice of the Lord who passed over the houses of the children 209 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,160 of Israel in Egypt. When he struck the Egyptians and 210 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,240 delivered our households. So the people bowed their heads 211 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,120 and worshipped, why did was it important for him to tell? 212 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:43,440 When your kids ask, explain it to him. 213 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,680 Why was that important? Because every one of us who have 214 00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:50,120 raised our kids and they're now moved out, no, there comes a 215 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,440 time in their life they stop asking you questions. 216 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,080 While they are asking us questions, let us give them 217 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,160 answers that God has given us. Let us take the time. 218 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,360 It may not be convenient in the midst of whatever we're doing, 219 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,200 but do it. Then He gives us answers. 220 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,520 Let's give it to them because they're going to get at a point 221 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:11,680 in their life they're not going to ask us anymore. 222 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,240 They're asking somebody, but they may not be asking us. 223 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,000 We have our chance now. While they're asking, give them 224 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,360 the scriptural answer. The people bowed their heads and 225 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:26,480 they worship in light of this and the lamb that they were told 226 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,880 about in the Passover. I just have to pause for a 227 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:32,320 second consider John 129. John saw Jesus coming toward him 228 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:36,680 and said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the 229 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:43,770 world. What went through their mind 230 00:12:43,770 --> 00:12:45,570 when he said that's the Lamb of God. 231 00:12:47,850 --> 00:12:50,930 Did any of this flashback? Who knows interesting facts in 232 00:12:50,930 --> 00:12:55,240 Exodus 12 before we get back to as they were eating in Exodus 233 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:58,680 chapter 12, we find it's a night of solemn observance to the Lord 234 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:00,680 for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 235 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,320 This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observant for all the 236 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,240 children of Israel throughout their generations. 237 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,240 So I know that these disciples as they prepared in this upper 238 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,640 room, they have now we've had one lamb, we have if there's 239 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:19,520 bread there, unleavened bread and I'm convinced it wasn't 240 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,080 sweetened. They weren't supposed to have 241 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:26,800 honey in those unleavened offerings, and now we find out 242 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:32,520 that they're solemn. This first Lord's Supper as it 243 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:38,000 was instituted was not like a party for delivery from slavery. 244 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,320 Why not? That seems like something would 245 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,720 be good to party over to celebrate. 246 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,040 But this was a solemn observance. 247 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,600 We can come up with all the reasons we might think it could 248 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,280 be, but I am convinced this first one, when it was 249 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,080 instituted, was, as he says, a very solemn 1. 250 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,000 And it would be that way throughout their generation. 251 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:01,920 So it surely was on this occasion. 252 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,360 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, This is the observance of 253 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,520 the fat Passover. No foreigner shall eat it, but 254 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,640 every manservant who's bought with money, when you circumcised 255 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:12,800 him, then he may eat it. If you have a servant, somebody 256 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,080 that's come over your household, can they eat it? 257 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,120 Only if they're circumcised. In fact, when a stranger dwells 258 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,960 with you and wants to keep the Passover, the Lord somebody is 259 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:22,920 is coming through and you're housing them. 260 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,760 They want to partake of it. Let all his males be 261 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,160 circumcised, then let him come near and keep it, and he should 262 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,880 be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person, 263 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:35,680 she'll eat it. This wasn't just for anybody. 264 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,720 This was for Israel or somebody who was willing to take on 265 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,840 circumcision amongst their males. 266 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:45,160 It was a big deal for an adult to be willing to do that, but it 267 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,440 had to be done if they would partake of this. 268 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,480 Now let's go back to Matthew 26. A little short, brief look at 269 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,920 what was going on there and we're going to back up as they 270 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,320 were eating. Just something that happened 271 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,520 before our original reading. As they reading, he said, Surely 272 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,640 I say unto you, one of you will betray me. 273 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:07,040 You know what the next verse says. 274 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,720 And they were exceedingly sorrowful. 275 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:21,560 And each one of them began to say to him, Lord, said I, my 276 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,080 brain immediately goes to the one who's like the center of 277 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:29,440 attention here, every one of them all 12. 278 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,760 This is the cream of the crop, the apostles. 279 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:36,560 I said, Lord did I? Am I? 280 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,680 Is it me? And they were sorrowful about 281 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,080 it. They were serious. 282 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,000 It wasn't that, you know, You ever been there? 283 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,440 It's like what? You don't think I did it, did 284 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:47,680 you? Me. 285 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,640 It wasn't like that. It was like they were sorrowful. 286 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:56,040 Lord, did I do it? You know, as I contemplate that, 287 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,080 actually, it makes me relaxed a little bit. 288 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,320 We can put people on a pedestal till they're not even human 289 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,160 anymore and think, oh, they were like, perfect. 290 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,560 I wish I could be that way. And nobody's that way. 291 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:12,560 Jesus was the only one that way. All 12 of them realize there was 292 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,840 something in their life that they could have been convicted, 293 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,960 that they were the ones who betrayed Jesus. 294 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,360 I know you guys have heard Wade's sermon on the guilt 295 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,200 gauge. Many of us have some. 296 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,080 Some of us, you know, have a personality that no matter what 297 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:30,960 happens when somebody's in trouble, we think, what did I 298 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,080 do? Even when we did nothing but all 299 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,680 11 of the others? This tells me they were 300 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,880 introspective people and they weren't perfect, but they were 301 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,360 trying and it sorrowed them to think they might have done 302 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,200 something that would cause them to be betraying Jesus. 303 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:48,800 But Jesus didn't leave him with that. 304 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,040 He answered and said he who dipped his hand with me in the 305 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,920 dish would betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes as 306 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,240 just as written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of 307 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,680 Man is betrayed. It would have been good for that 308 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,840 man if he had not been born. Not the subject of this lesson, 309 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:09,560 but there is an afterlife even for people who are condemned. 310 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,400 Do not allow anybody in any relationship, religious 311 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,839 institution or in our brotherhood that wants to say I, 312 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:22,520 you know, I don't believe God can punish people all that the 313 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:27,680 one that this has talked about be better if he had not been 314 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:34,560 born then Judas who was betraying him answered and said, 315 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,440 Rabbi, is it I? And he said to him, you have 316 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:43,840 said it. And as they were eating, this is 317 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,120 all going on, why they eat. You ever had those conversations 318 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:48,080 while you're eating when you just lose your appetite? 319 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,240 I feel like I would have lost my appetite, but we'd still be at 320 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:57,360 the table picking around at things as they were eating. 321 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,480 Jesus took bread. So now we know they have bread. 322 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,480 What kind of bread is it? Unleavened bread. 323 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,040 You're right. Time out real quick. 324 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:12,360 Do you know how difficult it is to get to unleavened bread 325 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,280 needing to be on this table? You better know your Old 326 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:20,680 Testament. And yet there is only one 327 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,560 institute, religious institution in the world that I'm aware of 328 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:27,560 today that does not use unleavened bread in their 329 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,440 observance of what they call the Lord's Supper. 330 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:33,680 As I understand it, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day 331 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,120 Saints will use, They don't care if it's leavened or not. 332 00:18:36,120 --> 00:18:42,280 They'll use leavened bread, raise bread, puppy bread, before 333 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,840 you line up too close with that. They don't care if it's root of 334 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:46,360 the vine. They'll use water. 335 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,200 Every other religious institution uses some type of 336 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,080 unleavened wafer or cracker or bread. 337 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,840 You kind of go pretty back into the annals of history to figure 338 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:04,120 this out, but they took the time to do it and they hold to it. 339 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,560 But the fact that over and over in scriptures when it says Jesus 340 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,800 took the bread and they all protect of it and it's all 341 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,800 singular and 1st Corinthians 10 like blows it all out of the 342 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,800 water and says we being many are partakers of that one bread. 343 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:21,720 And they were like, oh, you're just being legalistic. 344 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,160 We all agree it's unleavened and you got to go back in the annals 345 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,960 of history to agree with that. But he says they took one and 346 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:30,680 we're legalistic for saying there's one. 347 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,000 They'll say, well, if there's one, then if you think this has 348 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,080 to be one right here, there's got to be one for the whole 349 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,200 world. I'll time out. 350 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:42,760 Our little history lesson taught me something about that. 351 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:48,080 Do you realize in Exodus chapter 12, there were, what did we say 352 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,520 could have been 50,000 lambs killed that night? 353 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:56,480 Yet the Scriptures always refer to it as it The whole nation of 354 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:01,600 Israel rose and killed it. Now how can God say 50,000 Is it 355 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:03,720 because he had one per household? 356 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,840 It meant something. And dare I say He had one per 357 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,400 assembly of people? And this morning as we meet 358 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,240 around this table, there will be one loaf, because Jesus took one 359 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:17,080 loaf when he instituted it. And in case you think, well, 360 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,120 that's not good enough for me, hang with me, we're not done 361 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:24,520 yet. We can take one. 362 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,160 That's what He did. And when God looks at that, I 363 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,920 don't think there are 50,000 congregations that we know of in 364 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:34,280 the world today. If God could see 50,000 lambs 365 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,920 and say they killed it, it represents this lamb, the Son of 366 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,680 God, the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. 367 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:45,080 Then he can look at however many are being offered today and see 368 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,880 it the exact same way. He says take, eat, this is my 369 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:50,240 body. Then he took the cup. 370 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,040 If he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink from 371 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:57,200 it all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which 372 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,360 is shed for many for the remission of sin. 373 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:03,200 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the front 374 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,920 and vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you 375 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:11,800 and my Father's Kingdom. He is instituting his memorial, 376 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,520 a memorial that would have been one loaf for his body, 377 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,840 unleavened bread. And this drink offering that we 378 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:22,560 will find is the fruit of the vine. 379 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:30,200 He took a grape juice. He says, I'm not going to do 380 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,520 this from now on. When you when I say I'm not 381 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,400 doing this anymore, what does that mean? 382 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:39,080 I just did it. He partook with them. 383 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,480 In Corinthians it says when he had sucked. 384 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,280 It's a verb. The action that he did. 385 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,840 This was a solemn assembly. I believe it was a solemn 386 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,760 assembly because it started as a solemn assembly, because that's 387 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:57,240 the way it was supposed to be done through all their 388 00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,360 generations. And now they're doing something 389 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:03,240 they've never seen before. And whatever I'm like, trying to 390 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:05,800 take in something I've never seen before, it's just as solemn 391 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:09,240 because it doesn't make sense and we're still trying to make 392 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,600 sense out of it. And when they had sung hymn, 393 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:13,240 they went out to the Mount of Olives. 394 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,120 Can you imagine what they were thinking walking out of that 395 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:19,160 room? What did we just do? 396 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,920 What's going on? Can you imagine the first Lord's 397 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:33,960 Day Communion service after Jesus has died, after they have 398 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:39,040 seen him mercilessly beaten, after they have seen him shed 399 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:44,720 his blood, and then now to know he's risen from the dead? 400 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:52,400 What did this mean? After all that, you know, we 401 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,560 know it wasn't very long until some brethren digressed changed 402 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:58,640 what he had done. You can read about that in First 403 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:03,840 Corinthians 11/17 through 22. Instead of being something that 404 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:06,160 was a joint participation, it became something very 405 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,200 individualistic and even just like Mills, common things. 406 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,120 And so Paul had to write to the church at Corinth about this to 407 00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:17,880 get it corrected. He reinstructed the church at 408 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,000 Corinth on the proper memorial observance. 409 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:26,360 Now, here's a note. If it was OK to change this in 410 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:28,440 any way, wouldn't now be the time? 411 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,640 You're like, well, sure, the first one, there's like 12 of 412 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,640 them. I mean, they can eat and drink 413 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,080 after each other. It's not going to take that 414 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,560 long. And besides, you know, it's not 415 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:37,080 that many people. They probably shared stuff 416 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,360 before, but now the church has grown. 417 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:42,680 On the day of Pentecost, thousands obeyed the gospel. 418 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,120 I mean, how many people are in the church? 419 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:47,080 How big are these congregations? If there was ever a chance to 420 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,520 say, OK, you know, you guys got off here, we need to reinstate 421 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,960 how it should be done. But because there's so many of 422 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,440 you, we're going to relax on some of this. 423 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,120 What happened? Remember, Paul was not at the 424 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:00,880 Passover feast when he was instituted. 425 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,840 Remember, Judas was there. Judas died. 426 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:06,800 Matthias replaced him. They have 12. 427 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,240 Paul is even one born out of due time. 428 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:15,120 He wasn't there to know what Jesus said, but in verse 23 of 429 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:17,960 first Corinthians 11 he clarifies all this. 430 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:23,760 He says, For I received from the Lord Paul, though he wasn't 431 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,120 there on the night he was instituted, Jesus had talk to 432 00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:28,800 him. And he received from the Lord 433 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,800 that which I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same 434 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,000 night which he's betrayed, took bread. 435 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:37,240 And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take, eat. 436 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:39,320 This is my body which is broken for you. 437 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,360 Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner also he took 438 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:45,760 the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in 439 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,120 my blood. This do as often as you drink it 440 00:24:48,120 --> 00:24:52,520 in remembrance of me real quick timeout that word after supper. 441 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,720 It kind of comes out as a noun in most translations. 442 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:56,840 Yet in the Greek it's a verb. There's only one translation 443 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,600 that actually keeps it in verb form says when he had sucked. 444 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,320 That's an important. This was an action that took 445 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,360 place that Jesus is talking about when he instructed Paul. 446 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:08,400 We can talk about more of that later. 447 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:09,920 I don't want to get bogged down in it. 448 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,440 Do you notice a striking similarity to what Jesus did 449 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:15,880 what were found in Matthew and Mark and Luke's accounts? 450 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:19,960 It's like word for word, he still took one. 451 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:22,360 He didn't say you guys have grown now the churches are 452 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:23,640 bigger. Here's what you can do. 453 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,520 You can change this so it makes it either more sanitary or more 454 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,840 quick or more whatever you want it more of. 455 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:34,200 No, he backs up and he says you do it just like this. 456 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,520 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you 457 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,040 proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. 458 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,400 He went back reinstituted, exactly like Jesus had 459 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,560 instituted it. And he says, you know what 460 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,240 you're doing as often as you do this, you are proclaiming the 461 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,160 Lord's death till he comes. Do you ever ask yourself in this 462 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,120 congregation what? I don't know what my role is 463 00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,720 here in Bakersfield. And if you're not from 464 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,400 Bakersfield, apply it to your congregation. 465 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,360 I don't know what my role is. I don't know what I do. 466 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:06,120 I mean, I'm not a teacher. I'm not a song leader. 467 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,720 I'm really not not that outgoing to tell you the truth. 468 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:15,560 Wait, have that many friends. You know one thing you do for 469 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:20,840 the church when you commune this morning, you proclaim the Lord's 470 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:26,240 death till he comes again. Can you imagine if that was just 471 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,800 the teachers that did that, Just the song leaders? 472 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,400 Oh, it wouldn't be as powerful as having the whole congregation 473 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:38,320 come together and proclaim the Lord's death till he comes again 474 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,000 another time out. I'm going to give you a little 475 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,120 insight into Greg's brain and maybe why Wade is some of the 476 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:50,040 ways he is. I read this verse and if it 477 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,360 weren't for some other passages in the Bible, you know what my 478 00:26:53,360 --> 00:26:57,160 brain would start doing Every time I sinned, every time I was 479 00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:59,760 disappointed with myself, I would need this break and stop 480 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:03,600 and commune. A matter of fact, once I did 481 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,760 that, I'd be thinking, you know, there's a, we had this 2nd 482 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,440 birthday for Charlie and, and of all the things we're excited 483 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,560 about was we should commune too, because none of this would be 484 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,000 important without Christ. And then if we had a wedding, 485 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,880 we'd do it at our weddings and, and then at funerals because you 486 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:18,640 know, it's the last thing you're doing before you put somebody 487 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:19,880 away. And we'd have a communion. 488 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,800 You know what, there's a religious institution on the 489 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:22,920 face of this earth that does that. 490 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:29,800 Should we do that? Acts 20 and seven to some people 491 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,200 is a passage that just binds them because it says on the 492 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,440 first day of the week, the disciples came together to break 493 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:37,840 bread. And some people say, you mean 494 00:27:38,120 --> 00:27:39,920 every week. Really? 495 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,240 Do we have to do it every week? And Greg Branch reads that. 496 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:47,760 And I'm like, thank you because I do do all the time. 497 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:54,160 I gave this sermon about a month ago and literally the Tuesday 498 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,160 following I got a text from somebody that we've been working 499 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:02,800 on trying to work with and get them to Grandma is pretty sick. 500 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,520 She's been sick for a long time and they've tried everything. 501 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:12,360 They got a book that was written by some famous money making 502 00:28:12,360 --> 00:28:19,680 preacher and he said what people needed to do is if you've had a 503 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,160 disease for a long time, you need first thing you get up in 504 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,800 the morning on Monday morning before you eat, before you do 505 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,480 anything else, you commute and then you can have your breakfast 506 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:32,320 and at lunchtime before you eat lunch, you commute and then you 507 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,360 go back the rest of your day. And at night before you eat 508 00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:37,840 dinner, you commune. And then before you go to bed 509 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:42,400 that night, you commune. And you do that telling people 510 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:43,680 they need to commune more and more. 511 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:45,920 And so this text was, is this right? 512 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,520 I've been trying to get a study with these people for a while. 513 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,160 I'm like, how about I come over Wednesday and we start studying 514 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,080 this and I'll let you read it in the Bible. 515 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:58,920 We've had a study going for two months now. 516 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,560 No, communing by yourself is not communing. 517 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:08,040 It's a joint participation. It's something the congregation 518 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:11,560 does. This isn't something I do alone 519 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,960 and this isn't something I just add and do more times because he 520 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:19,320 says as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, well 521 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,880 then I should do it more often. But that's really not the point. 522 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,200 The frequency is that we've come together on the first day of the 523 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,520 week to do this. And as long as we keep this up 524 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,040 and do not forsake this assembling of ourselves together 525 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:35,600 as the matter of some is but exhort one another, and so much 526 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,280 the more as we see the day approaching, then we're 527 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,200 proclaiming the Lord's death until he comes. 528 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:43,400 But you know, he didn't stop there. 529 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,880 He says, therefore, in light of what I just told you, whoever 530 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,160 eats this bread or drink this cup of the Lord in an unworthy 531 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,040 manner will be guilty to the body and blood of the Lord. 532 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,560 But let him out, examine himself, whatever This unworthy 533 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,520 manner is something that Greg Branch needs to worry about this 534 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,200 morning. And you insert your name there. 535 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:06,080 Because when we start communing, we need to examine ourself. 536 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:08,200 I am done working on you as an audience. 537 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:12,720 Or mice, anybody else? And I'm examining myself. 538 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:14,760 Let a man examine himself. And so let him eat of the 539 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:16,200 bedroom bread and drink of the cup. 540 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:22,200 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks 541 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:25,480 judgement to himself, what's the unworthy manner? 542 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:30,400 Not discerning the Lord's body. That word discern means to 543 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,760 investigate or determine the excellence or defects of the 544 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:36,440 person or thing. In this context, we are to 545 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:41,360 examine the Lord and our self and discern the Lord's body in 546 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,200 that way. For this reason, what reason 547 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:49,200 that some are not doing this? Many are weak and sick among you 548 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:52,680 and many sleep. This book, this article I was 549 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,120 telling you these people had read he had flipped to this one 550 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,000 and applied it to anybody with a disease. 551 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,280 It was a long time and they needed to do it more often. 552 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,760 I believe what's being taught here is the reason many are 553 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:08,360 weak, many are sick and many sleep. 554 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:16,160 Whether you take this spiritual or physical is because they've 555 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,280 we failed to examine the Lord's body and our self. 556 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,440 Do you find yourself spiritually wondering is this really worth 557 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:27,960 it? I mean, I'm coming, but I don't 558 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:33,240 know you know what's happening when I get to that point. 559 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:41,440 When any of us get to that point, we need to be back up and 560 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:46,360 remember where this started. The Lord is good. 561 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,760 Lord has given everything he possibly can, including the very 562 00:31:52,760 --> 00:32:00,440 blood out of his veins, to show us that our faith can get us 563 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,400 through whatever it is that we're fighting. 564 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,680 Little quick advertisement this morning at or this afternoon at 565 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:10,040 2:00 we're going to study a sermon entitled Faith Through 566 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:14,560 Life Seasons From childhood till the end is coming. 567 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,040 Faith is where it's at. It doesn't matter if you're 568 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,440 talking about God or if you're talking about atheism. 569 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,560 Everybody on the face of this earth has put their faith in 570 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:32,880 something for this reason. Many are weak and many are sick 571 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,920 and sleep among you. Contextually, it is clear to me 572 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,640 that the unworthy manner receiving judgment is directed 573 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,080 at the Crispin Christians disposition in this. 574 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,080 But there's a question that comes up and some of you may 575 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,240 have wondered why I didn't cover it back when we read it. 576 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,480 What about a non Christian partaking in communion? 577 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,080 Can they do that? I mean, or is that are they 578 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:58,120 condemning themselves? Well, what you mean double 579 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:00,720 condemnation? Now I think what he's been 580 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,000 talking about in First Corinthians 11 is to the 581 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,840 Christian and how we partake, how the church should view this. 582 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,080 But what about the non church? What about the visitor? 583 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:11,960 You're here today. Perhaps I don't know everybody 584 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:13,440 here. I know there's faces I don't 585 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,160 remember from before. Maybe you're not a member of the 586 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,320 church and and you're like, I don't know, when this comes 587 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:23,840 around, am I supposed to eat you do my best to answer that 588 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:25,840 question. You remember Exodus 12. 589 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,240 This was a solemn observant throughout all generations. 590 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,160 No foreigner was to eat it. But every manservant who's 591 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,120 bought with money, when you circumcised him, then he may eat 592 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:36,800 it. The stranger that came in all 593 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,240 his males that had to be circumcised, then he could eat. 594 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:41,920 You're like, yeah, but Craig, that's like the old law. 595 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:43,800 We don't have circumcision in the New Testament. 596 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:45,640 Really. Are you sure? 597 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,360 Colossians 2. Beware lest anyone cheat you 598 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:54,200 through philosophy and empty deceit, according to traditions 599 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,000 of men, according to basic principles of the world, and not 600 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,800 according to Christ. For in Him dwells the fullness 601 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,520 of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him who is the 602 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,400 head of all principality and power. 603 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,960 You know I have heard this verse used against us as a church 604 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:15,560 because we require baptism. You know the biggest problem 605 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:23,080 with that is they literally stopped 2 verses too soon in 606 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,000 Him. You were also circumcised with 607 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,880 the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of 608 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,320 sins of flesh by the circumcision of Christ. 609 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,800 So there is a circumcision under the new covenant, but it's not 610 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,199 made with hands. The old one had to be done 611 00:34:39,199 --> 00:34:41,320 physically. This one is made without hands. 612 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:46,040 What is this buried with him in baptism in which you also were 613 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,520 raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised 614 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:54,159 him from the dead Today. If I were to answer your 615 00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:59,120 question whether someone who's not baptized should they partake 616 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:00,920 of the communion, I'd say why would they want to? 617 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:07,720 But if you do want to partake of because you want to part in 618 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:11,720 this, then you should submit to the circumcision that's made 619 00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:14,320 without hands. It's so much easier than the old 620 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,360 all circumcision that cutting in the way of the flesh on an adult 621 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,400 man. People say, I don't know that's 622 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:23,840 just too much to ask people to be baptized and say no, it's too 623 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:28,440 much. That's maybe circumcised, but 624 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:29,880 not the circumcision without hands. 625 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:33,360 It's not just for men, it's for women, it's for all people. 626 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:35,880 Now you see how all are brought together in one blood. 627 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:42,120 The cutting of the way of the flesh replaced by the cutting 628 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:45,120 away of sin. I'll take that trade on every 629 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:46,840 level. Will you accept Jesus Christ? 630 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:50,360 Circumcision through faith? That's the question for us 631 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:51,960 today. Hebrews 11 and 6. 632 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,400 Without faith it's impossible to please him. 633 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:58,080 For he that comes to God, let's believe that He is. 634 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:01,200 He's a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 635 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:03,000 Today. If you have that kind of faith, 636 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:04,840 I ask you, are you willing to change your life? 637 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:07,120 That's repentance. Luke 13 and three, Jesus said, 638 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:08,880 unless you repent, you'll all perish. 639 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,200 Of course we want to repent. Would we confess Him before men 640 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,160 with the heart, man believes unto righteous with the mouth. 641 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,760 Confession is made unto salvation. 642 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:23,640 Galatians 327 as many of you have been baptized into Christ, 643 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:28,560 have put on Christ today. It's as simple as I can make it. 644 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:32,880 As we prepare to meet around the Lord's table. 645 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:35,600 If you're here and you're not a Christian, you desire to be 1 646 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:37,120 today, then we'd love to assist you. 647 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:40,360 If you're like Greg, nothing against you, but I really don't 648 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,040 even know you. I've been studying with somebody 649 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,680 else here. Praise God, I'll let them do it. 650 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,360 The key is that you do it because this is the working of 651 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,200 Christ, the circumcision made without hands. 652 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:55,840 If you're a Christian today, you don't have to be re baptized 653 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:58,080 just because you've sinned. You can confess your faults one 654 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,200 to another, pray one for another that you may be healed. 655 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:03,200 The effective fervor prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 656 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:06,680 If I understand Acts chapter 8 right, you can pray to your for 657 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:08,560 your own sins first. John 18 and 9. 658 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:10,760 He is faithful and just forgive us and cleanse us of all 659 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:14,120 unrighteousness. But maybe like Psalm in the 660 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,000 sorcerer in Acts chapter 8 you said would you pray with me too? 661 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,760 This family of believers here today will pray with you. 662 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:23,800 Want to be their class? Won't you come as we stand the 663 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:23,960 same?