Ultimate Authority

Pre-Intro

*(SLIDE- TITLE) Well good morning how are we today? Good.. Good

For those of you that are for the first time, let me say welcome once again, my name is Daniel and I am one of the associate pastors on staff… and it is a privelage for me to be able to share with you this morning.

Let’s jump right into it, shall we. I want to invite you to turn in your Bibles to Mark chapter 7

I hear some pages rustling and that is a good thing… I know some of you are opening up an app in your phone a Bible app to get there and that’s all good today… But

Can I just encourage you in something? and please hear me this is not a rebuke but an encouragement… how many know there is a difference.

Can I encourage you when you come to church on a Sunday morning to carry a Bible with you, like and actual physical Bible.

I have the you version app here in my phone and I use it for reading plans… I know I can mark and highlight and share things. But I also believe each of us should own a Bible.

If you don’t have one you can pick one up in the bookstore today… we have many different options there… If you honestly can’t afford one we have one that we can give to you.

But I think it is good that we hold the word of God and we learn to navigate our way around it… that we mark it up with notes and thoughts and underline passages.

*(SLIDE) “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” -Spurgeon

“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” -Spurgeon

Want to encourage you to get a Bible and get into it. Amen? So again that is an encouragement not a rebuke.

*(SLIDE) This Thursday, October 5th is bring your Bible to school day… So young people… I want to encourage you…. I know it’s on your phone… But if your reading the Bible on your phone at school nobody knows if you are snap chatting or tweeting, or if you are on your insta… But when you open a Bible in school or you set it on your desk people are gonna take notice… who knows what conversation might begin from you carrying the word of God in your school… and adults… in your workplace.

I think it great that we have these days such as bring you Bible to school Day, and See You at the Pole Day of prayer and Back to church Sunday. I understand the purpose of all of these things, but I have to be honest with you, I have to be transparent that I am really somewhat discouraged at the state of the church today that we have to have specific days for all these things.

I just can’t help but wonder what would happen if we began to carry our Bibles into our schools and workplaces on a regular basis, if you set it on your desk and read it at lunch… if we prayed more than once a year at our flagpoles and in our places of employment, if we got back to church… I don't know… every Sunday??

Maybe I’m a bit radical but I don’t think we are gonna see change in our culture and in our region if these things are only annual events in the life of believers and not a lifestyle.

So that’s another encouragement.. not a rebuke… well maybe a bit of a rebuke… If the Holy Spirit is convicting you with those things… go with it.

I just think too many Christians today see Christianity as events rather that a lifestyle rather than it being who they are.

I want our church to be marked as people who are not ashamed of the gospel. People who take it out of this place to a world that so desperately needs it. If you’re with me on that say amen?

Intro

Today we are continuing our series which is focusing on the history of the Reformation and the core truths of the reformation.

Today we are continuing our series which is focusing on the history of the Reformation and the core truths of the reformation.

*(SLIDE)Today we are continuing to focus on the idea of Sola Scripture, Scripture Alone.

Today we are focusing on Sola Scripture, Scripture Alone. The idea holds that the Holy Bible is the sole infallible rule of faith and practice. It is THE AUTHORITY for Christian faith and practice.What pops into your mind when you hear the word “authority?” 

What pops into your mind when you hear the word “authority?” 

This truth holds that the Holy Bible is the sole infallible, meaning it doesn’t err, rule of faith and practice. It is THE AUTHORITY for Christian faith and practice.

What pops into your mind when you hear the word “authority?” 

Authority is one of those words that is kind of frowned upon in our western culture today. 

We live in a culture that emphasizes personal freedom, the ability to choose our own destiny, the right to do things the way we want to do them; and, the concept of authority really doesn’t fit into that particular outlook on life.  “We are free from the constraints of authority,” we think.

But I don’t think that we can talk about even basic Bible truth without getting into the whole idea of the authority of scripture?   

You see, the concept of the authority of God’s word is so clearly articulated in the Bible, and is a principle so clearly taught by Jesus Christ, that we can’t get away from it. 

If God is God and we are not God, then God has the right to exercise his authority over us by the words he has given in the Bible. 

So the Bible is the supreme and only infallible authority that we as Christians have. 

History - Church History

When we think of the reformation we often focus in on one event, when on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses or statements to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany.

But at it’s core the reformation was a conflict over authority.

For Martin Luther, his 95 Theses were really an invitation to debate. He was challenging the church to debate primarily over the issue of indulgences.

Now what are indulgences?

Well most people in the church at this time believed in purgatory, believed in a place of torment to which people went after death so that they could be purged of their sins before moving on to heaven.

So a man by the name of Johann Tetzel, began selling indulgences, which were really promises from the Pope that gave people time off of purgatory. It was the fast-pass to heaven if you will.

If a line at Six Flags is purgatory, that’s often what those lines feel like to me. Then the fast pass to the front of the line would be indulgences.

Tetzel was saying you could buy a way out of purgatory for your loved ones.

He even had a little advertising slogan for these indulgences, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.”

So Luther is hearing this and being the good scholar and theologian that he was, he saw this and he could not leave it alone!

His theses were a protest against the indulgences and really against the churches preoccupation with wealth.

These statements were not particularly radical, at least not by the standards of Luther’s later thoughts.

He wasn’t questioning at this point the existence of purgatory, but he hit the church right where it hurt the most… in the pocket.

So the church called on a man by the name of Johann Eck to debate Luther over the issues he raised

In April 1518, Luther was invited to Heidelberg, Germany for a debate.

During that first debate Luther didn’t really touch the matter of indulgences. Luther's main point in that debate was that religion… teaches exactly the opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He really began to confront the teachings of the church that had made indulgences possible in the first place.

According to the custom of that day, one of his students presented Luther's position.

He stated that the law of God, though it is certainly good and true, cannot make people good.

Even if one could fulfill the law, it would have no effect on the goodness of his nature. All human works are sins, as long as the person performing them is a sinner.

Luther honestly did not think that this was such a novel discovery.

He saw that Jesus in his teaching had frequently said that a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree evil fruit. People cannot make themselves into good trees by decorating themselves with good fruit. Only God can make a tree good....

Luther's point was that religion, in making God into a referee who hands out rewards and penalties based on men's works, teaches exactly the opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He saw clearly that the Gospel teaches that good works cannot make a man good, and only those with a new nature can do genuinely good works.

Now John Eck, was formerly Luther's personal friend, was a professor of theology as well. He was a powerful debater with a great reasoning ability.

Eck, was formerly Luther's personal friend, was a professor of theology as well.

He was a powerful debater with a great reasoning ability.

And as he studied the ninety-five theses, he saw that the principles behind them would justify the teachings of a man by the name of John Huss.

*(SLIDE) Now who was John Huss? My father mentioned John Hus last week John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher. He was burned at the stake for what was considered heresy against the doctrines of the Church.

So Eck saw this connection. He thought if I can connect Luther’s thoughts to one known as a heretic by the church… Then certainly I have him beat.

Well a second debate was arranged to take place in Leipzig, Germany in the summer of 1519.

Andreas Karlstadt, who was a colleague of Luther, a professor at Wittenberg was scheduled to debate with Eck .

So Luther was really attending the debate as a spectator.

So three professors came from Wittenberg, Carlstadt, Luther, and Melanchthon, traveled in two ordinary carts, accompanied by two hundred students from the university who traveled on foot. They came to the debate with a posse, can you picture this? They were rolling deep!

The students went along primarily to show their support. But they also carried with them battle axes in case they needed to defend their professors lives… can you picture that?

Now if you are traveling to a debate with 200 university students all carrying battle axes you know there is a good possibility this could be a heated debate.

Well the debate began and midway into the debate, Luther could not stay a spectator anymore. He was not satisfied with the way things were going and so he jumped into the battle.

Now Luther and Eck stood face to face. The debate raged back and forth.

*(SLIDE) - Picture of Luther and Eck Debating

Eck insisted that the pope is the head of the church on earth.

Luther said that Jesus Christ is the only head the church has and needs.

Then Luther shocked the audience by declaring that not only the pope but even the church councils can err, they can make mistakes.

He mentioned the council of Constance, this was the council that had condemned Jon Huss to death.

Luther declared “Among the articles of Jon Huss, I find many which are plainly Christian and Evangelical which the universal church cannot condemn.”

Under the pressure of the debate, Luther said, “Dear doctor, the Hussite opinions are not all wrong.”

At that point a duke in the audience cried out, “God help us! The pestilence! The Plague!”

It was a dramatic moment and Luther was not above a bit of melodrama.

But it showed the problem that Luther was increasingly facing.

You see Eck was cleaver, he hadn’t taken on Luther in a debate about the meaning of the New Testament. Perhaps he knew he would lose that debate. Instead he argued that Luther was aligning himself with someone the church had already condemned as a heretic.

He made the whole debate about the issue of authority… and this really showed Luther’s dilemma!

Again Luther had started out wanting to reform the church

But in this debate Eck had shown that Luther was advocating a position which the church already condemned.

So here he is looking at this and seeing that the authority of the church and the authority of the Scripture were in direct conflict.

The debate went on with Eck saying that Huss was a heretic and that Luther’s agreement with the statements of Huss made him a heretic as well.

In the midst of the debate Luther cuts to the chase, he says “Let me talk German. I am being misunderstood by the people. I assert that a council has erred and may sometimes err. Nor has a council the authority to establish new articles of faith.”

Eck Replied, “Are you the only one that knows anything? Except for you is all the church in error?”

*(SLIDE) And I love Luther’s reply here, he said, “I answer, that God spoke once through the mouth of an ass. I will tell you straight what I think. I am a Christian theologian, and I am bound, not only to assert, but to defend the truth with my blood and death. I believe freely and will be a slave to the authority of no one, whether council, University or Pope.”

He had to choose between the authority of the church and the authority of the scriptures. He had to chose one over the other… and he chose the Scriptures.

Application

So here is a question for you today: Is the word of God THE authority for your life and practice or is it a authority?… Is it The Authority or one of many.

So here is a question for you today: Is the word of God THE authority for your life and practice or is it a authority?… Is it The Authority or one of many.

You see the reformers focused on the idea of Scripture alone because if the word of God is not THE authority in your life then it is really no authority at all!

I think a lot of people approach the word of God the way a child approaches authorities in his or her life.

I remember when my kids were younger they would often go to my wife with a question. They would ask if they could have a piece of candy for instance… so they recognized my wife’s authority in one sense, they knew generally they better ask.

But if they did not like the answer they got from mom… without her looking they would walk around the corner to me and ask the same question hoping for a different response.

And if they did not get the answer they wanted from me… they would go to grandpa… because certainly grandpa cannot say no.

I think a lot of Christians approach the Scriptures this way. They would say yes scripture is an authority in my life… I look to it to help me make decisions but when push comes to shove if they don’t like what it says I am gonna look elsewhere.

And so they allow, and even look for other authorities, be it the media or the culture, or science, or cultural traditions or their own understanding.

You see for the reformers if scripture was going to be subject to the authority of councils and popes, then it really was to be no authority at all.

Luther saw clearly that the institutional church had condemned Huss to death for views that he now saw clearly in God’s word.

This is the meaning of Sola Scripture…. Scripture alone.

It does not mean that other things cannot inform our lives and our theology. The reformers regularly quoted theologians of the past.

What it does mean is that when push comes to shove and we have to chose, that there is only one choice we can make.

Scripture Alone is our ultimate authority, it is the supreme authority. It is the only authority that does not err.

The church had claimed that it had the right, the authority to interpret scripture as they saw fit and according to their traditions.

It was the scriptures together with the interpretation of the Pope and together with the traditions of the church that carried authority.

But the reformers dropped the gauntlet and said not… It is scripture alone.

The church does not have the right to interpret the scripture as it sees fit according to it’s customs and councils… Scripture ought to interpret the church.

Martin Luther and the reformers WERE NOT the first to question the authority of religious traditions… Do you know that Jesus did the same?

Scripture

Now open up to that passage in Mark chapter 7.  We will be looking at the first 13 verses, which contain the story of the Pharisees confronting Jesus and his disciples with the authority of traditions.

Here’s a question for us… When a principle of scripture comes into conflict with a cultural tradition, which has the final say? 

Let’s examine three things here in this passage:

1)The nature of tradition.  What is tradition? 

2)The conflict between scripture and tradition.  What does Jesus say about traditions taking precedence over scripture itself?

3) The good that comes from adhering to scriptural authority.  Is scriptural authority really meant to oppress?  Or, is it meant for good? 

Let’s read this passage together:

*(SLIDES) Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly,[a] holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.[b] And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.[c]) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,     but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me,     teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)[d]— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

So what is tradition?  I would say that tradition is any thought, action, belief, or practice that has become engrained or customary in a particular society or culture. 

A tradition is any thought, action, belief, or practice that has become engrained or customary in a particular society or culture. 

A tradition is an idea that is so rooted in a persons’ life that it has become accepted as the norm. 

And when a tradition is questioned or challenged in some way, it can become a cause of offense because of how engrained the tradition is in a society. 

If I was to come in here and argue to you that a dictatorship is the best form of government and we ought to have a king here in the United States, some of you might question my sanity and begin arguing for the American form of democracy, or whatever. 

The idea of how we do government has the force of tradition in our society, and so if we try to change that it is viewed as less than moral. 

Today we have traditions all over the place.

Here in the first five verses of , we have this exact situation. 

The Jews at this time had a tradition which said, “Before you eat, you need to wash your hands.”  Not a bad idea

But this concept was so engrained in their culture that failure to wash your hands before you ate would have been viewed on the same level as a violation of the law. 

“You have broken the tradition of hand-washing, therefore you are a violator of the law.” 

That’s what is going on here.  The Pharisees and some of the scribes come from Jerusalem, no doubt to check in on Jesus, he’s gaining popularity.

They were coming to guard their orthodoxy and make sure that Jesus was not violating any of their rules.  They were theological watchdogs. 

Well, they notice that Jesus’ disciples eat their food without washing their hands. 

And, Mark makes a point of showing his audience how big of a deal this is to a Jewish person – verses 3-4, “Jews wash all kinds of things. Washing is a big tradition to the Jews.”  And here are Jesus’ disciples breaking this tradition.

What is the reaction by the Jewish leaders to this violation of their cultural tradition? 

They confront Jesus about it in an accusatory way. 

Now, all that the text says is that they come up to Jesus and say, “Why don’t your disciples follow the tradition of hand-washing?” 

It could be read as though they were merely curious.  Like “tell me Jesus why do they do that?”

But, it becomes clear as the dialogue continues that this question is actually an accusation:  “Jesus, your disciples are breaking the tradition of hand-washing and therefore, your disciples are in violation of the law of God.” 

This cultural tradition was just as important to the Pharisees as some of our traditions are, and they were offended when this tradition was violated. 

Before we run off and start pointing the finger at the Pharisees, we ought to be reminded that we have many traditions that, were they to be violated, we might initially react the same way.   

What if I was to go around and begin asking everybody how much money they made?  There would be some offense.  That question is not an appropriate question in our culture.  It is a cultural tradition that you do not ask somebody how much money they make, unless they are your spouse… then ask away. 

You see, we all have traditions and cultural norms that when violated, we become offended.  That is exactly what is going on here.  Jesus’ disciples are violating a tradition and it has offended these Pharisees and scribes.

Can I just say that when we hold up the word of God in a secular culture that it is going to go against cultural norms. That people are gonna be offended.

But how does Jesus respond to this? 

Here is one of those places in the gospels where the stereotypical “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild” picture gets blown out of the water. 

Jesus’ initial reaction is to call the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites.  V. 6 “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites. . .” 

What exactly is hypocritical about this whole situation? 

When we think of a hypocrite, we tend to think of somebody who is two-faced. 

It’s somebody who says and does one thing in public and does something completely different in private.  Somebody who outwardly looks holy, but inwardly is full of sin. 

What is hypocritical about this whole situation?  Why does Jesus respond to the Pharisees’ accusation of tradition-breaking with an accusation of hypocrisy? 

The reason is this: the Pharisees outwardly claimed to be people who adhered to the ultimate authority of scripture! 

And there was absolutely nothing in the Mosaic law that said a person had to wash their hands before they ate – again a good idea - but there’s nothing in the law of Moses about that. 

Yet, here are these Pharisees claiming that these disciples of Jesus are sinning by not washing their hands. 

The hypocrisy is that the Pharisees portray outwardly that they adhere to the authority of scripture; but actually, in reality their traditions are taking precedence over scripture.

The Scripture is NOT THE authority… tradition is 

And Jesus says, “That’s hypocritical. 

Don’t sit there and insist upon the authority of the Mosaic law and then turn around and start claiming the authority of traditions that are nowhere found in the Mosaic law.”  That’s the hypocrisy.

You can see in this whole interchange, the same tension that Luther dealt with many years later. What is the authority is it scripture or is it tradition. 

And lest you think you can hold up both as equal authorities look at what Jesus says in verse 8,

“You leave the commandment of God (the authority of Scripture) and hold to the tradition of men.” Verse 9 – “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” 

Notice what Jesus is NOT saying.  Jesus is NOT saying that tradition is bad.  There are lots of good traditions out there that are wonderful and that I personally enjoy following. 

Jesus is not saying that tradition in and of itself is bad.  He is condemning the elevation of a tradition to the level of scripture He is condemning the idea of raising tradition as though it had the authority of scripture itself. 

And He is condemning a situation in which a scriptural principle stands in contrast to a cultural tradition, and instead of leaving behind the tradition in favor of scripture, the scripture is left behind in favor of the tradition.

We live in a culture where this is taking place even within churches. There are churches there are whole denominations that are leaving behind the authority scripture for what has now become tradition in our culture.

*(SLIDE) Understand this God has spoken in scripture. 

Man has spoken in traditions. 

When the two are in conflict, God has the authority.

That is what scriptural authority is – it‘s the authority of God himself. 

What is especially interesting here is how Jesus characterizes people who choose tradition over scripture.  They are, verse 6, far from God. 

They may honor God with their lips, but by choosing man-made traditions, by choosing the way of the culture over the words of God, they demonstrate a heart that is nowhere near God. 

They worship God in vain, for by choosing man-made rules over what God says, they show that their hearts are far from God. 

If somebody insists upon the authority of scripture and yet, when push comes to shove, they choose a tradition over what scripture says, the word of God says, they are hypocrites whose hearts are far from God.

There is one more thing I want you to see in this passage in regards to scriptural authority.

You see I believe Jesus shows us here in this passage that scriptural authority is meant for good. 

And, when a tradition takes precedence over a scriptural authority, bad things happen, that what was taking place in the dark ages. It was the traditions of the church that often took precedence over Scripture itself. 

Look at the example Jesus gives here in verses 10-13. 

He attacks the Pharisees’ preference for tradition over scripture by offering an example of their behavior. 

The 5th commandment says what? “Honor your father and mother.” 

And part of honoring your father and mother is taking care of them in their old age, which inevitably means that you are going to have to spend money to take care of them. 

That was the only social security system that existed.  So, part of honoring your father and mother is providing for them in their old age. 

Well, the Pharisees had this tradition that you could take money and set aside to be paid to the temple upon your death – it was dedicated to God.  But, while you were still living, you held on to the money and could use it for some personal reasons.

However, taking care of your parents was not one of the reasons. 

So, the Jews had this tradition that if you had money just sitting there that was Corban, it could not be used to take care of your parents. 

You can see here why Jesus attacks this practice. 

Because of this tradition, the tradition had usurped the authority of scripture. 

And, it was not just that scripture was being violated, but people were being denied care because of this tradition.  This was a social justice issue.

I trust you can see the point about scriptural authority and tradition.  In many, many cases, a failure to follow the Bible instead of a tradition ends up hurting people or excluding people. That was the case in the church during the middle ages. 

There is a still prevelant in many churches today a thinking that says that elevating the traditions and the cultural norms of our society above the authority of Scripture is somehow loving to people.

When in reality the opposite is true the most loving thing that we can do is hold up the authority of scripture and call people to live in accordance with the scripture because we know that living according to the word produces life.

The lie is that elevating the traditions and the cultural norms above the authority of Scripture is somehow loving to people when the opposite is true the most loving thing that we can do is hold up the authority of scripture and call people to live in accordance with the scripture because we know that scripture produces life and who are you to the fullest we've been said oh hi it's from our holding up

People can err, councils can err, cultures can err… But the word of God is inerrent and therefore the only authority that can be trusted.

You can look at the culture around us and say “Oh pastor things have changed, you have to understand the culture we live in now.” We need to look at scripture in the light of the culture we live. You know what happens when the church does that, it says the authority of the culture is more important that the word of God.

I would argue things have not changed, we are still sinners in need of a Savior we are still wretched sinner who need the authority of the word of God to direct our lives. It is for our good and the good of our world that we hold up the word of God as THE Authority for faith and practice.

The lie is that elevating the traditions and the cultural norms above the authority of Scripture is somehow loving to people when the opposite is true the most loving thing that we can do is hold up the authority of scripture and call people to live in accordance with the scripture because we know that scripture produces life and who are you to the fullest we've been said oh hi it's from our holding up

We've been fed ally that we are loving people when we hold up the traditions of man above the authority of the word of God but you are not loving people when you're not giving them the word is the authority for their lives people say oh pastor things have changed those things have not changed we are still sinners in need of a Savior we are still Richard shooters will need the authority of the word of God to direct our lives

One of the Pharisees’ big problems was that they prevented people from entering into the kingdom of God because their traditions would not allow certain people to enter the kingdom. 

Have you ever been given authority to make a decision, and after having made the decision the person who gave you authority changed your decision? What did they just do to you authority? The took it away completely.

In the same way many believers speak about the authority of scripture but at the same time they allow the authority of the culture to take that authority away.

If we hold up any tradition as having the same authority as scripture then we do not hold up the authority of the word of God at all.

Had the Pharisees followed their scriptures, they would have been taking care of their parents in their old age and brought blessing.  Instead, their tradition brought hurt.  Scriptural authority is meant for our good.

Closing

We are going to move toward the communion table this morning and as we do I want you to see the gospel message in all of this.

(*SLIDE COMMUNION)The gospel point in all of this is what strikes me. 

You see besides the fact that the cross itself is an issue of scriptural authority – the whole Bible actually pointing to it – there is also the fact of how binding traditions to the exclusion of what scripture says stands in direct contrast to what happened at the cross. 

The elevation of tradition leads to excluding people who should rightly be included.  The cross includes people who should rightly be excluded. 

If any of us are in the position of placing our traditions as though they were scripture, we are inevitably acting in a way contrary to the cross of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ has come to people who were rightly excluded from fellowship with God, and he himself became excluded so that we could be included. 

And, will we then turn around and exclude others who should rightly be included? 

When we hold up Scripture Alone we cannot forget what the cross has done for us? 

At Gracepoint we believe in a robust, extremely high view of scriptural authority – for that is the view that rightly includes those who would otherwise be excluded by tradition or culture. 

Scriptural authority is not oppressive.  It is liberating because it is tied to the work of Jesus Christ in including us in the great purposes of God.

We are going to take some time to reflect and remember the work of Jesus on the cross today as we come to the communion table. If you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus, if he is your savior, then we invite you to partake with us. You don’t have to be a member of this church to partake. But if you do not believe in what Jesus did on the cross then this is really nothing more than grape juice and a cracker.

But if you have recieved Christ then you are among those who have been included in the family because Christ allowed himself to be excluded on the cross.

As you receive the bread I ask that you hold it till all have recieved and we will take together in just a few moments.

(*SLIDE COMMUNION)

BREAD

As you hold the bread are you thankful for the cross. Are you thankful that Jesus allowed his body to be broken so we could be made whole.

Pray

Pray

Pray

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

CUP

Friday was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The most high Holy day of the Jewish Calendar.

It was a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. This day is, essentially, a last appeal, a last chance to change the judgment, for this next year, to demonstrate true repentance and make amends.

fflict the soul," to

atone for the sins of the past year. Th

is day was, essentia

lly, a last appeal,

a last

chance to change

the judgment,

to demonstrate true repentance and make amends.

We no longer celebrate the Day of Atonement, for Jesus Christ is our Atonement, once and forever.  The former things are passed away.

We are sinners (those wanting points of detail in my case may consult my wife;  she has an extensive list.  Regrettably, it’s accurate).  But that is not how God sees us, looking at us through the lens of Calvary.  When He looks at us, he sees something entirely different.  He sees us, as the Scripture puts it, as if we have “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ()”  Because of the Cross, God sees us in the sinless perfection of His son, Jesus Christ.

Scripture says “under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

But Jesus allowed his blood to be shed to atone for our sins. Though our sins be as scarlet He has made them white as snow!

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.