Acts 13:42-52 "The Response to Paul's Proclamation"

Acts 13:42-52 "The Response to Paul's Proclamation" Marc Transparenti / General Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City! Please turn in your Bibles to Act 13. • We have come as far as V41, and will pick up covering VSS 42-52 today... finishing out the chapter. • Did you read ahead? Both of you. Good! We are in the midst of what many call "Paul's First Missionary Journey." • Last week we saw, Paul, Barnabas, and Saul sail from the Island of Cyprus to the mainland of Asia Minor, where John Mark departed them... causing some hard feelings between Paul and John Mark... at least for now. • Paul and Barnabas alone then travelled North to Antioch in Pisidia. • Where at Sabbath Synagogue Service... a door opened to address the people... both to Jews and God-fearers (Gentiles practicing Judaism). And last week we read Paul's first and longest recorded sermon. • Paul masterfully took his audience through Jewish history... highlighting God's faithfulness, especially that of a promised Messiah. • Then, Paul proclaimed the name of their Messiah... Jesus, the name which is above every name. • Paul explained that Jesus fulfilled the promise made to Israel of a Savior... • And Paul demonstrated that Jesus fulfilled a number of OT Messianic scriptures in His life, trials, death, and resurrection. • And, Paul shared with them really Good News... the best news... the Gospel News...V26 "to you the word of this salvation has been sent." • And, in V38 "through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." • Salvation... forgiveness of sins... justification by faith, not by works... all of this was really good news... and we'll see today that the Gentiles especially embrace this message. • Paul closed his sermon with a warning... anyone who rejected this Gospel message would perish. • Today, we pick up as Paul ends his sermon... we will observe the people who heard Paul's message were divided. The title of our message is, "The Response to Paul's Proclamation" Let's Pray! Acts 13:42-43 "So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." 1. When Paul began his message he addressed the crowd in V16 "Men of Israel, and you who fear God..." and then again in V26 "Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God..." a. There were two groups represented in Paul's audience... b. Jews...the Men of Israel... the sons of the family of Abraham... c. And "you who fear God..." God fearers... Gentiles who were practicing Judaism, but were not full converts to Judaism because they were not circumcised. i. Therefore, they did not have the full privileges of Judaism, like Temple worship. 2. In V42 we see these two groups again. Jews and Gentiles who just heard the same Gospel message from Paul. a. He shared their history, God's faithfulness to bring their Messiah Jesus and salvation, forgiveness of sins... justification... all found in Him. Really really good news. b. And yet, we are starting to see two very different responses. 3. In V42, all that is recorded of the Jews is they exited the synagogue, and for some of them... that's all that happened. Just an exit... not a response. a. They don't respond to the Gospel. We might describe them as... indifferent. b. Today still... many who hear the Gospel respond in indifference. They either don't care or just won't receive the word of God. c. This brings to mind Jesus' teaching of the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. i. This indifferent group is represented in the first of four groups of people in the 'Parable of the Sower': ii. Matt 13:3-4 "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside [a hard-packed pathway]; and the birds came and devoured them." 1. The sower is like a farmer planting seed, and in this parable... "The seed is the word of God." According to Jesus in Luke 8:11 2. Jesus interpreted His meaning of the seed that fell by the wayside in Matt 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." iii. When a person's heart is like a hard packed path... the Gospel does not penetrate. It's not that it can't... they just won't allow it... and God doesn't jack-hammer our hearts. 1. So, the enemy comes along side this person who rejects the gospel and snatches the Gospel away... like a bird devours seeds. 2. And, the seed was indeed snatched from some of the Jews that heard Paul's sharing of the Gospel. 4. These Jews stand in contrast to the Gentiles, who respond passionately and excitedly about the Gospel. V42 states, "the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath." a. Isn't that a beautiful response. They just can't get enough! i. I typically get the opposite reaction... "Is he almost finished?"... especially on a fellowship lunch day! ii. No... I can honestly say that this church is hungry for the word... and this blesses me... as I'm sure Paul and Barnabas were blessed by these Gentiles. iii. What a blessing it is when people beg to hear more of the word of God. This always encourages the preacher. b. These Gentiles also parallel the good soil represented in Jesus' Parable of the Sower... i. Matt 13:8 "But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." ii. Jesus gives the interpretation in Matt 13:23 "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." 1. Jesus said, "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit..." Jn 15:5 5. Paul sowed the same seed... the same message... to both Jew and Gentile alike. a. But, for some of the Jews the word of God and Gospel message fell on hard hearts that would not receive it. b. But, the Gentile's hearts were good soil... and from their lives much spiritual fruit would be the result... fruits of the Spirit in them (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness...even spiritual gifts) and through them... fruits of ministry as they reach the world around them. c. I can preach a message... and the same thing could happen. The word will be the same, but what does the listener do with it? i. Will you allow it in? Or, will you harden your heart? The Holy Spirit only goes where He is welcomed. 6. Now in V43, some Jews follow along... they didn't beg for the word to be preached to them like the Gentiles did... a. But, they were interested... in V43 we read "... many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas..." b. Their interest was peaked, so they follow the preachers to hear more. They are not closed off... they are open-minded. c. The other group that followed were Proselytes- Gk. prŏsēlutŏs, pros-ay´-loo-tos... meaning "one who has arrived." i. In antiquity, this was a term only used of foreigners/Gentiles who had converted to Judaism. They had been circumcised and were full converts, unlike the God-fearers. ii. In the non-inspired Apocryphal writing, the Book of Judith... a proselyte is portrayed. Judith 14:10 "When Achior saw all that the God of Israel had done, he believed firmly in God. So he was circumcised, and joined the house of Israel, remaining so to this day." iii. Today, when we used the word "proselytizing" it means the attempt to convert someone from one religion, or no religion to another. 1. And, often this is often used in a negative connotation against Christians. iv. I once worked with a Jewish man... who was a difficult man... and one day our conversation went from talking about hunting to clean and unclean food. He said he could eat venison... because it was kosher. 1. And, I think I made a comment about how Christians are no longer under dietary rules because we have freedom in Christ. 2. And he harshly responded, "Stop proselytizing me!" 3. What struck me as ironic... was shouldn't he, as a Jew, been the one trying to proselytize me... a Gentile? v. At one point the Jews were the light of the world, but Jesus passed that torch to us Christians today. "You are the light of the world." Matt 5:14 1. So, go and proselytize! d. Well back in Acts 13:43, to these Jews and Proselytes... Paul and Barnabas spoke to them and "...persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." i. They urged or convinced them "to continue in the grace of God." 1. Perhaps they needed persuading to continue in grace... as they were taking their first steps away from the yoke of the law... and their fist steps towards Jesus. a. John 1:17 declares "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." b. The law was a list of do's and don'ts and promised life for obedience and death for disobedience. c. It wasn't purposed to grant salvation, but to bring knowledge of sin... and point the Jews to their need for a Savior... i. Who Paul had just declared to them. JESUS who has the power to forgive sin (V38)... and who is "full of grace and truth." Jn 1:14 d. in V43, Paul is persuading them... to continue in the grace of God... to keep their eyes on Jesus... i. Don't look to the law for salvation... look to Jesus... your Messiah for salvation. ii. As Paul said in V39 "...by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." Continue in that grace. ii. If you look at the star on the map of Paul's Missionary travels, you will see that Pisidian Antioch, the setting of our account today is in Galatia. 1. And, in the Epistle to the Galatians... Paul addresses them as foolish for returning to the law... in Gal 3:2-3 Paul wrote, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?-3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" a. Again in Gal 5:4 "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." 2. It's difficult to continue in God's grace... to walk in it... to abide in grace. a. They, and us too, so often think we must do more... to earn His favor. b. You serve and work unto Him because of His grace. i. You don't have to work to earn His grace. It's a gift. c. Paul wrote in Rom 11:6 "And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace." d. God choose you in grace... not because you earned it... not because you deserve it... but because He graced you with His choosing. i. Your response is 'thank you'... and 'praise be to God.' iii. This word grace (Gk. charis) appears in the entire Bible 151x... and in the Pauline epistles... Paul uses the word "grace" 89x alone. 1. 59% of the time grace is used... it's spoken by Paul. 2. Thus, he has been called "The Apostle of Grace." iv. Luke uses the word "grace" 11x, Peter 10x, John only 7x... Mark doesn't mention grace even once... even Moses wrote of grace 7x in the Law. 1. I would suggest they didn't know grace as intimately as Paul did. 2. When you've sunk as low as Paul... and God lifts you out of the miry clay... you know grace. 3. Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15:9-10 "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 4. Paul's calling was not because of his great resume... he was a persecutor. His calling came by grace... a. And Paul labored hard for the Lord... because of this grace. v. Paul as a Pharisee knew the Law did not bring him to repentance... but it was God's goodness... it was God's grace... 1. Paul reflects God's goodness and grace in Eph 2:4-7... a beautiful passage, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [and I love this promise...] 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." vi. So, it's no wonder that Paul persuades the Gentiles to continue in the grace of God. 1. God is so good and so gracious to us. 2. Continue in the grace of God. 7. Let's continue to V44... Acts 13:44 "On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. [I love this... God, please do that in our city as well.] 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 1. News was spreading, and a week later almost the whole city gathers to hear the word of God. The simple teaching of grace, and announcement of Messiah was making an impact in Antioch. 2. But, there was antagonism. When there is a great move of God... expect opposition. a. Motivated by jealousy of this great gathering... seemingly multitudes did not flock to them... b. So... their hearts were "filled with envy." i. This same jealousy plagued the chief priests during Jesus' ministry. During Jesus' trials, Pilate discerned this... we read in Mark 15:10 "For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy." c. Everyone is filled with something. And, if you're filled with envy... it poisons you. i. In Acts 8, for a long time Simon the Sorcerer "astonished the people of Samaria" with his sorceries... and people praised him. ii. But, when Peter came and began laying hands on people and they received the Holy Spirit... Simon tried to purchase this gift of God. This was a wicked attempt and no doubt fueled by envy. iii. Peter said, in Acts 8:23 "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." 1. Jealousy led to bitterness and bitterness was poisoning his soul. iv. In contrast to Simon... was a city of people being filled with the Holy Spirit... who bears a different kind of fruit in the soul. d. Turn right to Galatians 5. Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians... then Galatians. Galatians 5. i. In light of everything we have been talking about today... the people at Antioch in Galatia... being under law... being encouraged to continue in grace... envy of the Jews which is a work of the flesh... and the fruit of the spirit. 1. With all that in mind Gal 5:16-26...is a perfect cross reference. ii. Paul wrote, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." 1. I appreciate that Paul needed to remind the Galatians not to backslide in these ways of the flesh. a. Paul visited them here in Acts 13 around 48 A.D. and would write the letter to the Galatians between 49-57 A.D., so 1-9 years later... and they needed a reminder to continue in grace. To walk in the Spirit. 2. We are all filled with something... the works of the flesh or the fruits of the Spirit. a. Often both in a single day... 3. Back in Acts 13:45... the Jews were filled with envy and began to oppose the message of the Gospel. V45 states, "...contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul." a. They "contradicted" or "spoke against." b. And "blasphemed" meaning "to defame, revile or slander." c. The Jews were envious of the result of the gospel of grace that drew multitudes... and they come against the messengers, Paul and Barnabas... Yet truly against Jesus Himself. 4. Paul and Barnabas don't take this abuse, but speak boldly... they stand for truth... they don't retaliate, but speak truthfully, saying... a. "It was necessary"... or "we had to speak the word of God to you first." b. First the Gospel would go to the Jews, as Paul would write in Romans, "to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (the Gentile). c. Paul felt an obligation to share the Gospel with the Jews first as... i. the promise of a Messiah was foremost to the Jews,... ii. Messiah would come from Jewish descent,... iii. and the Jews were to be a light to the world... a light to the Gentiles. iv. Plus, Paul loved and deeply wanted salvation for his Jewish brethren. Read Rom 9... "I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren..." d. But, the Jews... the builders who rejected the chief cornerstone... they in turn would be rejected. i. In Matt 21:38 Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it." e. As the Jews pushed aside or "rejected the word of God"... they also "judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life." i. In their choice, they become their own judges condemning themselves as unworthy of eternal life. ii. Eternal life could be broadly interpreted as salvation, the kingdom of God, and resurrection to eternal life. iii. And, by rejecting the message that Jesus is their Savior... by rejecting the promised Messiah... they in turn judge themselves not deserving of eternal life. 1. And, the same is true today. The choice is in our hands. 5. In their rejection, Paul makes another bold statement... "we turn to the Gentiles." a. And this proclamation would further infuriate the Jews as we will see in V50. b. Now, why would Paul and Barnabas turn from the Jews to the Gentiles? c. Just because they opposed Paul's message? Is that why... perhaps in part, but there was a bigger reason. d. The Lord commanded them to do so. e. Oh really? Yes... look at V47... Acts 13:47 "For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' " 1. In V47, Paul cites Isa 49:6 as the backing for this command from God to go to the Gentiles. a. Isaiah wrote this scripture some 700 years prior... it was not new news... and the Jews were failing miserably in this calling. i. Treating the Gentiles like dirty street dogs... ii. Adding to their religious system hedges of protection to NOT come in physical contact with Gentiles... so the Jews didn't become ceremonially defiled... unclean. iii. How is that being a light to the Gentiles? b. And, if you were one of these Gentiles who had fully converted to Judaism... or were a God-fearer... how could you not feel like a second-class citizen? i. I really hope we never become too proud as a church that we would treat anyone poorly. ii. I don't think we do... I've searched my mind for an example...and came up empty. iii. I see a group of people who say 'come as you are'... you are welcome to dine with us... have a seat at the table... talk with us... let us get to know you. iv. But, let us learn from the Jews to NOT become proud. Our testimonies are a story of grace. 1. My accolades are this... I was a mess and Jesus Christ lifted me out of my mess... period. 2. Who am I to be proud? 2. The Gentiles... who may have been feeling like they could never measure up to Judaism... to the law... it's not surprising their response in VSS 48-49... Acts 13:48-49 "Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region." 1. The Gentiles were "glad" or rejoiced at Paul's word that the Gospel... the promise of Salvation to ALL who place their faith in Jesus Christ... that this gospel was available for the Gentiles. a. And, they glorified or praised the word of the Lord. 2. "And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." a. In the second half of V48... the Doctrine of Election is simply stated. b. We read no debate around this matter, they simply accepted it at face value and believed. 3. The Doctrine of Election, simply put... is God chooses those whom He will save. a. Closely related is the Doctrine of Predestination... though Predestination is a broader concept where God predetermines all things... including election. i. And, what a big mystery and debate this is in Christianity. b. The word "appointed" or "ordained" is the key trigger to point us to this teaching. i. Appointed in Gk tassō means "to arrange in an orderly manner." ii. God is a God of order, and throughout the ages... He has known His sheep and He gets them in line. 4. The Bible teaches that God chose certain people before the foundation of the world to be saved. a. Eph 1:4-5 states, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will..." b. God chose certain people because it pleased Him, and it was His Sovereign will. c. And, yet, the Jews in Acts 13 chose to reject the gospel and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life. i. So, often mankind's free will and God's sovereignty are woven closely together in scripture. 5. One way to reconcile the tension between God's sovereign choosing, and man's free-will to choose is 'foreknowledge'... an attribute of God's omniscience... God knows everything. a. Rom 8:29 declares, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son..." b. In God's foreknowing of the beginning to the end... He also knows our very lives... i. "... the very hairs of your head are all numbered." ii. And, He knows if you will accept or reject His Son. iii. And, yet... predestination is not simply based upon foreknowledge. We already read in Eph 1 that God predestined "according to the good pleasure of His will." iv. So, God choose us because it pleased Him... it was His will... and He knew before time began... who would choose Him, so He chose us. c. To further muddy the waters, Jesus makes statements like... i. John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him..." ii. Again in John 6:65 "...no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." iii. So, even in our free-will, God plays a part in drawing us to Him. The Holy Spirit is with unbelievers convicting "the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (Jn 16:8). iv. Sin leads to death... we are only right with God through Jesus Christ... and for the unbeliever... the Great White Throne judgment... where no one will stand. d. As complex as we have made all of this... look back on V48... the Gentiles heard the word... they were glad and glorified God... and many... not all... and as many as had been appointed to eternal life [God's sovereignty] believed [man's free will]. i. It has been said, "the truth is in the tension." ii. I'm ok not being able to fully unravel this mystery of God. iii. The fact that man cannot reconcile the intricacies of salvation... testifies to me... that my God is bigger than mankind's greatest theologians. e. And, the Gentiles in Acts... they didn't debate on these things... simply, in faith, they believed. i. Faith like a child. 6. And, then those blessed words of V49... "And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region." a. However Salvation happens... this IS God's desire... for the Gospel to go out to the ends of the earth as Jesus said in Acts 1:8 b. As Paul said in 1 Tim 2:4 God our Savior "... desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." c. Peter said in 2 Pet 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 7. We serve a really big God... with a really big heart for all people... everywhere... a. He's patient... and desires for all people to NOT perish... but to turn and have faith in Jesus Christ. 8. And, while there was great joy amongst the Gentiles in Acts 13, the Jews were angry... look at V50... Acts 13:50 "But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region." 1. Interesting... the Jews didn't hold women in high regard, yet they don't hesitate to use these women as leverage... seems hypocritical and opportunistic to me. a. In Antioch were "devout women"... devout by definition can mean "God -fearing". b. These were likely Gentile God-fearing women... who were prominent and had husbands who sat in Roman seats of the government. i. Therefore, the persecution would have authority and organization. c. The Jews urge these prominent women and men...to rally around persecuting and expelling Paul and Barnabas from this Galatian Region. 2. Paul would later write of this persecution in 2 Tim 3:11 "...persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra-what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me." a. Paul wrote this to Timothy who we will first encounter in Acts 16. i. Timothy was from Lystra... which is next to Iconium... and he would have been familiar with these persecutions that began in Antioch and continued to Lystra. 3. But, these persecutions don't phase Paul and Barnabas... nor should they phase us... they press on... and we need to press on as well... should we face true persecution. 4. Let's conclude looking at how Paul and Barnabas respond to this persecution... Act 13:51-52 "But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." 1. Let's pull up that map again, Paul and Barnabas were in Pisidian Antioch, but left because of persecution. a. They didn't 'tuck tail and run'... they " shook off the dust from their feet against them" and then went to the next town. i. Today, we might say, "I wash my hands of it." b. Shaking the dust from one's feet was "an act of protest against unbelief." i. I've heard it said that Jews would shake the dust off their feet when leaving Gentile lands, so they didn't track the dust into the Holy Land. c. When Jesus sent His Twelve disciples on their first missionary journey, He instructed in Matt 10:14 "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet." d. And the unbelief that shrouded part of Antioch... Paul and Barnabas didn't want any association with this unbelief... and the consequences that follow. 2. As a point of application... when you're called to share the Gospel, that's you're only responsibility. a. You cannot control the result. Your job may be to plant a seed... not to harvest a soul. b. You be obedient to God and His Great Commission. But, don't carry the burden of the result. c. Many came to the Lord in Antioch, but those who rejected the truth... Paul and Barnabas shook off the dust from their feet and moved on. 3. And yet they return. I love their boldness... they were persecuted and Paul and Barnabas return to these cities. a. In the very next chapter Acts 14:21-22 we read, "... they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith..." 4. Paul and Barnabas indeed faced opposition... but they were not depressed or defeated... they were joyous... they persevere... look at V52 "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." a. And, when you work unto the Lord... when you are obedient to His commands... when you boldly speak the word of truth... b. You too should be "filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Let's Pray! Communion Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-29 "...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." Please distribute the elements... Communion is a time for us to look three directions... 1. We look back remembering Jesus' sacrifice... His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins. a. His new covenant. Salvation by faith and in grace. 2. Look forward in hope of His imminent return... we proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. He is coming. 3. And, looking inward to examine yourself...and take communion in a worthy manner. a. Time to do business with God. Once you have prayed... take the communion elements individually. Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer. ---------------------------------------------- If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord... • ...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option... • ...accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. • Pray to God and tell Him you believe in Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and ask for forgiveness. • ...then take communion. And, be sure to let us know. Salvation is something to celebrate! ------------------------------------------------ Be sure to join us after service as we break bread during our Fellowship lunch. Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:56 PM November 5, 2022.