Judge - 1 Cor 11:31-32

The New Revised Standard Version Partaking of the Supper Unworthily

But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Judging ourselves - 1 Cor. 11:31-32

Introduction

The most important sacrament of the church: The Lord’s Supper.

Christian self-examination: I. Surrender to the Standard - Rom. 2:17-18. II. Suss the Suffering - Acts. 14:22. III. Supplicate for a more and abounding love - Phil. 1:9.

1 Cor. 11:31 - Judge. Is this different than self-examination?

For many years people who have studied the word of God thought that the main thing to be done in the church is preaching. But lately, the true theologians and the true people who have studied the Bible have come to the conclusion that the main thing to be done in church is the Holy Communion. That is what the majority of them believes it was at the heart of the congregational meetings at the beginning of the church.

We have been talking about analyzing, testing ourselves. We saw that the christian self-examination is not simply made by asking ‘am I good enough for the Holy Communion?’. Testing is much more than a mere, of world, question. [I. Surrender to the Standard. II. Suss/understand the role of the suffering (1 Thess. 3:3). III. Supplicate for a more and more abounding love. Then only we will be able to test ourselves).

NOW JUDGE yourself. Is this something else?

Clarification of terms

Drink and eat with the purpose Jesus gave: proclaiming His death.

Examine myself so I won’t eat in an unworthy manner (which will make me guilty)

Eating and drinking without discerning (diakrinon) the body leads to eating and drinking judgment (krima) on myself

This eating and drinking judgment on ourselves leads to have many weak and ill people and even some dead people

If I discern (diakrinomen - krino - v. 29) myself, I will not be judged (ekrinometha - krino).

If I don’t judge myself, God will judge me (krinomenoi - krino).

When God judges me He disciplines (paideuometha - pais (slave, child) - Heb. 12:6, Rv. 3:19), so that He won’t condemn (katakrithomen - krino) me along with this world.

Judge

The word was already introduced, meanwhile. The failure of examining myself will lead me to drink and eat judgment against myself.

The judgment upon myself is made when I am examining myself. I have judged myself when I have reached a proper answer to my examination. Examination + verdict = judgment.

Isn’t analyzing myself enough? Why do I need to judge myself? Apostle Paul wanted to make sure the readers understand the huge importance of the proper self-examination: the examination at the Holy Communion must be as serious, as careful, as deep, as powerful as a judgment!

I thought is all about love, grace. What’s this judgement all about? 1 Cor. 13. Tit. 2:11

Love is tougher than giving my body to be burned! Grace teaches me to deny ungodliness!

Why so much analysis ? Because the way I treat the Holy Communion is the way I treat the death and the resurrection of Christ! At the core of Christianity is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, offered Himself - sacrificed Himself - to God! The way we consider this, is the way we consider the Holy Communion!

The way we consider the Lord’s Supper is the way we consider the Great (C )Ommission! And the baptism in the Holy Spirit! And the ministry in the body of Jesus! And everything else!

The Holy COmmunion: the most complex spiritual reality that the church could ever embody. It points us the greatest moments of History (Creation, Falling, Exodus, Incarnation, Death and Resurrection but also the Judgment Day)

If we judged ourselves…

Is. 44:19 – niciunul nu intră în sine însuși (NASB: no one returns to his heart)

I. Judging myself - obedient to the word of God without the help of others.

We do not have a committee of people for judgment before the Holy Communion. Of course, there is the spiritual authority that must tell someone, in case if needed, that he must do a better self-examination.

In the normal life of a mature disciple, self-examination comes naturally.

Judge myself: present the accused, the accusation, the accuser, the standard and the judge.

1 Sam. 15:13 - Saul’s own judgement upon himself: I have kept the word of God!

Est. 6:4 - who is worthy if not me?

ØLuke 18:4 - A true self-judgment is not necessarily biblical. The biblical true is not just about having all the facts together, but also put them together in the way Jesus wanted. Jesus is not just the truth. He is the way as well! The only manner to achieve His life is to have His Truth in His Way!

Worst case scenario: thinking we are just fine and then telling God our conclusion – Luk. 18:11

II. Judging myself - helped by others

If sometimes I find it hard to judge myself by simply obeying the Scriptures, sometimes I still have the chance to judge myself with the help of others. They ask open questions or say nice stories.

2 Sam 12:1-7 - God sent Nathan to help Nathan.

Acts 5:8 - God is giving you another chance, to say the truth!

Gen. 4:9 - Am I my brother’s keeper (Gen. 2:15; Gen. 3:24)

Where is your brother/sister/wife?

That brother/sister you killed a while ago with your very unwise tongue.

Your wife who can’t partake in the Holy Communion. She knows that you stayed the whole night watching movies or spending time on your phone and you have no regret or no change about that.

Where is the person you were supposed to serve but instead you have harmed?

III. Judged by God

Matt. 7

Have we ever judged others? What was the meter we used?

Matt. 7:2: The METER we used to MEASURE the MINISTRY of our MATES will be the METER our MASTER will use to MEASURE our own MINISTRY.

We can judge (analyze) the ministry of others. But when we condemn our comrades, then we will face the same condemnation from our Creator and Christ Jesus.

We measure others by results, but we measure ourselves by intentions!

With the measure (meter!) you measure it will be measured to you.

Speck of sawdust compared with a log.

We must measure with mercy, but let us not be more merciful than God, which means to trample under our feet the Holy Scripture of God and His standards! The mercy of God is shown graciously to those who repent and change, not to those who arrogantly remain the same, or get worse…

God shows mercy to those who humbly ask it, not to those who proudly demand it! Sometimes we want to show mercy to others because we know we did the same and when our turn to be judged comes, we can tell others: I was merciful, so treat me the same! A man who is not asking for forgiveness is not worthy of it! We can offer it, to free ourselves, but if he doesn’t ask for it and doesn’t value it properly will be forever GUILTY!

Don’t show mercy just to be treated with mercy when you can’t confess your sins you loved and you still cherish when reminded of them!

Verse 32 - Judged by the Lord

There are many people who judge other people. But their judgement doesn’t escape us from the Lord’s judgement.

God’s judgment is punishing so we get better. The purpose of the punishment is not to make me PAY for my sins. I cannot ever pay my sins! The PUNISHMENT is meant to PROMPT ME towards God’s PERFECT PLAN.

FINAL

The best is to judge myself without the aid of the people.! Of course that some people, even when faced with their own mess, they say: I didn’t do aynthing wrong.

The way of whoredom that haunts the churches: Prov. 30:20

Attention:

1. When I accept the fact I am guilty, that doesn’t wipe out the Biblical way of fixing it. Sometimes asking forgiveness in prayer is everything I must do. Other times I must leave the building and go ask for forgiveness because God said so! Matt. 5:23