The Weak, Sick, & Sleeping

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:30 7 June 20, MH, AM

Series: Those Less Mentioned

Sermon #5

The Weak, Sick, & Sleeping

I. The Critiquing Of Paul

A. Paul’s Tone Toward The Corinthians (vs.17)

1. A Tone of Disappointment

(I do not praise you)

2. A Tone of Disbelief

(you come together for the wrong reason)

B. Paul’s Trouble With The Corinthians

1. The Root Of The Trouble (vs. 18-19)

(Divisions among the people) (the Lord’s Supper is more than just a private act of spirituality. They don’t call it commUNION without reason!)

2. The Reason For The Trouble (20-22)

(It is important to keep in mind that many early Christian communities observed the Lord’s Supper in the context of “love feasts” rather than a worship service. They would have a meal before the Lord’s supper. Since birds of a feather flock together, the wealthy would eat their food and so would the poor {if they had any} and then try and come together as one.). (This also lead to them taking the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner)

ILL: Former Convict and Judge Together at Communion

II. The Correcting By Paul

A. Paul Delivered Exhortation

1. Communion Is A Proclamation (vs. 23-25)

(we are the Church because we have been redeemed by the broken body and shed blood of Christ) (Christians should take the meal thoughtfully, recalling that Christ died for our sins)

2. Communion Is A Promise (vs. 26)

Christ will return!

B. Paul Decreed Examination (vs. 27-30)

1. Concerning Worthiness (vs. 27-30)

“unworthily” means “to eat the Lord’s Supper in a manner that violates its purpose to proclaim the Lord’s death.” Robertson and Plummer (argue that there is even a fuller meaning to the phrase “unworthy manner,” arguing that it includes “all that is incompatible with the intention of Christ in instituting the rite,” including both internal attitude and external behavior. (how’s your heart toward God?)

2. Concerning Willingness (vs. 33-34).

Willingness to be an equal member within the church and sharing in our salvation together.

Close: Some things we need not forget.

Early Saturday morning, November 12, 1986, Jamie Estep was traveling from her home in Stillwater, Oklahoma to work the morning shift at the restaurant by the interstate. As she rounded the last curve before she would turn onto the frontage road, a car in her lane speeding at over 90 miles per hour came toward her. Jamie swerved her car but could not avoid the oncoming vehicle. She was struck on the driver's side. The young, vivacious teenager, with bright blue eyes and even a brighter future, was killed instantly. The driver of the speeding vehicle, Lukas Jones, was going home from an all-night party with his friends. He was drunk. While thrown from his car at the point of impact, he walked away from the accident with only scrapes, bruises, and a broken arm.

Lukas was not a bad 17-year-old. In fact, he was an honor-roll student and a member of the band. He, on this night, simply had too many beers and should not have been driving a car. He made a tragic mistake.

At his trial, witnesses testified of Lukas's achievements in the classroom, his service to the community, his kind heart, his church involvement. The prosecuting attorney reminded the court that while all of these facts about Lukas may be true, he, nevertheless, drove a car that exceeded the speed limit while intoxicated and took the life of an innocent victim. Punishment was needed.

The court waited in anticipation for the judge's verdict in the case. When the judge spoke from his bench, he said to a remorseful Lukas Jones, "Lukas, as the witnesses have testified, you are a decent young man. And from your own statement, I realize that you are truly sorry for the crime you have committed. I want to believe that, as you say, you will never touch alcohol again.

"But," and there was a long pause, "a young, innocent girl is dead because of your irresponsibility. And nothing you can do will bring her back. Her friends and family mourn her loss. I, therefore, sentence you to two years in the juvenile center. Since you have already spent sixteen months, the balance of your time will be eight months." A gasp came over the courtroom from Jamie's family thinking the sentence was not severe enough. "And," the judge went on, "for the rest of your natural life, every year on November 12, you are to go to the scene where you plowed into Jamie's car and think about your actions. Son, I don't want you to ever forget what you have done. I want you to recall your poor judgment, the life that was taken, and your part in that."

I think there is nothing more tragic and horrible than an innocent victim killed by a drunken driver. But, my dear friends, we are no different than Lukas Jones. We took the life of Jesus Christ. It was our sin that nailed him to the cross. He was an innocent victim. He did not deserve to die. We did. But he took our place. And so that we will never forget, we gather at the table, to remember him. We taste the bread and sip from the cup to recall the life that was taken, the sacrifice that was made, and our part in the tragedy.

Some things we need not forget.