A Time for Reflection- The Lord's Supper

A Time for Reflection

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:28–32 (KJV 1900)

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Introduction:

* New Year’s Day, and the weeks following are a time that we should set aside to examine ourselves.

* The days and weeks surrounding New Year’s Day should be a time of reflection in which we look back over the past year and evaluate our lives and how we have lived them.

* The Scriptures teach us that we should be in the habit of examining our lives. This season is a time of self-evaluation.

* the Bible teaches that if we would “Judge,” or “evaluate” ourselves then God would not have to ‘punish,” or “chastise” us for living outside the will of God for our lives. Listen to the words of I Corinthians 11:28-32:

1 Corinthians 11:28–32 (KJV 1900)

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. * The Lord intends for every Christian to examine him or herself in order to determine if we are obedient to God’s will in our lives.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,

* The person that “eateth unworthily” is the Christian that is living outside the will of God.

eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

* Many of these Christians in the church at Corinth were living in a manner that did not please God, and because of this they were being chastised, or punished by God.

* Yes, contrary to popular opinion, God does punish sin in the life of a Christian.

* But here is the thing I want you to see- God is gracious to us for a short time and allows us the opportunity to Judge, or evaluate ourselves, before He brings punishment into our lives.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

* There were people in the church at Corinth that refused to evaluate their own lives, and make sure they were living in such a way that they pleased God. Because of this the apostle Paul said some were suffering the judgment of God in the form of sickness, and some had even died because of the Chastening hand of God.

* This self-evaluation is a very serious thing this morning.

* So what is it that we are supposed to evaluate during this season of the New Year?

* Well Paul started with the Corinthians, by addressing their motives for what they do for the Lord.

* And this is where we should start this morning as well.

* Look with me at I Corinthians chapter 3 verses 1-3:

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 (KJV 1900)

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

* One of the indications that these people were not living in God’s will is that they refused to grow as Christians. Have you ignored the things of God this past year? If you have, then you are in danger of chastisement of God in your life, just like these Corinthian believers were.

* It is the will of God for every Christian to grow in the things of God and the Word of God. * If you have refused to learn the meatier things from God’s Word this past year you are living outside the will of God for your life, and are in danger of being judged by God.

* This is why God has ordained that a pastor stand in every church and teach the Word of God to His people.

* If you have refused to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word, you my friend are out of the will of God for your life.

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

* The evidence that these people were living outside the will of God is found in the fact that there was trouble in the church.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

* Mark my words, God will judge everyone who causes trouble in His church.

* Now let’s take a look what the Apostle Paul had to say about our motives in the Christ life.

1 Corinthians 3:9–17 (KJV 1900)

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. * Now here is where the Apostle Paul reveals that we are to examine our motives as we live this Christian life:

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. * When we allow tings into our lives that are contrary to the will of God,- hay wood and stubble, we will be tried by fire verse 13 says.

* The Lord is continuously working in the lives of His believers perfecting and purifying his body, the Church, the bride of Christ.

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

* If you allow things in your life that are contrary to the will of God, and contrary to the Word of God in your life, it will corrupt you, and if it corrupts your, you are corrupting the church, the body of Christ.

* In the next verse the Bible says that God will Judge that person who brings corruption into God’s temple- God’s temple being each and every Christian in the church.

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

* So then every believer must examine himself periodically to make sure He, or She, is living according to the will and Word of God. No exceptions.

2 Corinthians 13:4–5 (KJV 1900)

4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

* So what is it that we should be looking at?

- Are your motives for service pure?

- Are your relationships pure?

- Are you truly following Jesus?

Matthew 10:37–39 (KJV 1900)

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Luke 14:26–27 (KJV 1900)

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:32–33 (KJV 1900)

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

* Are you truly following Jesus- or are you claiming we have taken up our cross and follow Him, but in reality you are living your own life any way you choose?

- Is our relationship to this world pure?

* We as Christians are to hold on to the things that we possess with a very loose grip. If we do this then it is no problem to turn down that job that will keep us from God’s house on Sunday’s.

1 Peter 2:11 (KJV 1900)

11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1 Timothy 6:6–12 (KJV 1900)

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

* Now I would like to take a little time to share my own self-evaluation with you.

* I have looked out over the past two years as you pastor and I must judge myself and my own ministry.

* I must take the time to reflect back on these past two years and honesty look back and evaluate both our church and my leadership as well.

* I must now ask myself, “Have I faithfully performed the duties of a Shepard to protect, feed and lead this church?”

* I believe I have done the best of my ability to feed this church with the deeper things of the Word of God. I have tried to move our congregation from sucking the baby bottle, to eating the meat of the Word of God. Sometimes folks don’t like it, but it is what God had called a pastor to do. * Just like miss. Susan knows this preacher needs to eat green beans and other green vegetables, a church must learn to desire the meat of God’s Word if it is to be a healthy church that pleases God.

* Otherwise this church will become nothing more than a handful of people who have used the name of God to have a club house where we meet on Sundays and for an occasional outing or activity.

* Unless we continually examine ourselves we will become like the church at Corinth, filled with divisions and fighting among ourselves. A church displeasing to God, like the church of Laodicea, whom God is ready to spit out, a church who is ready to have its candlestick removed forever by God.

* I believe that I have done my best as a pastor to protect this church from the outside influences of sin and false doctrine.

* I have stood in this pulpit for two years and pleaded with you to keep sin out of your lives for your own protection so that God would not have to judge you. * I have also stood faithfully and pleaded that we love one another and keep fighting and arguing from destroying the reputation of this church. * I have equally stood firm against the evils of modernism, humanism, and all the other subtle attempts of the Devil to undermine this church by false doctrine.

* I have also strove to keep each of you lifted up before the throne of God in prayer that you might be protected from the Devil and he World and that you might grow in the Lord and be pleasing to Him.

* Now as I examine myself as your pastor, I come to the area in which I am less confident that I have fulfilled my role as your pastor.

* As I have considered the past two years I have seen growth in the Camp ministry, and am confident that God has been blessing our efforts in that ministry.

* But when It comes to the growth of the church I must look at this with an honest and open heart toward you the church and the Lord.

* When we came to Blue Springs Baptist Church two years ago, there were, besides my wife and I, two faithful families, one of which has ceased to attend our services. There were also a few folks who attended occasionally.

* After two years of ministry, to my knowledge there has been one person saved and one family had joined the church in two years.

* Now I have to be honest with you. The odds were against me being a pastor in the eyes of many people, and I have been depending on the Lord to reveal that it is His will for me to pastor this church.

* Here is what I said two years ago. If this is God’s will, He will bless it and all the world will know that God approves. If God is not in this, then it will also be evident.

* I must be honest with you as a church and my friends. I have become discouraged.

* As I examine my leadership as your pastor, with only one person saved, and one new family joining the church, I must take a real look at my leadership.

* I must as myself is there evidence that shows that I am in God’s will as your pastor. I must take full responsibility if this church is not growing, because a church rises and falls upon its leadership. As the leadership goes, so goes the church.

* In the coming weeks please pray for me as I reflect on the past two years and examine the future. I don’t want to be the reason this church is not growing. I don’t want to be guilty of standing in the way, while maybe another pastor could lead this church into growth.

* In the same manner, this New Year’s season is the time for all of us to evaluate our lives to make sure we in in God’s will for our lives.

* I feel like that I have preached to some in this congregation who have ignored my warnings about the deception and slipperiness of sin from this pulpit, but you still insist that God will bless you in that questionable thing that you are involved in. I don’t have to call out your name- you know who you are. The Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart right now.

* I have preached and pleaded with some in the congregation from this pulpit that you need to step out and become a real follower of Christ. * I have begged you to make a commitment to serve Christ with all your heart, but you have refused. You know how you are- The Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now.

* I cannot believe that God’s Word can be proclaimed from the pulpit for two years and the Holy Spirit never move one single person to come to this alter and get right with God.

* Even if a completely inadequate layman was just standing and reading the Bible, the Spirit of God should speak to someone! I refuse to believe that the Word of God has no power!

* If the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit of God, has no more power than this, then I have been deceived and must question everything that I have believed in.

* But I do believe the Word of God is able to speak to God’s people through the Holy Spirit!

Hebrews 4:12–13 (KJV 1900)

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

* Has the Holy Spirit of God placed something upon your heart this morning that you must examine and Judge before God has to judge you this morning?

* How is your spiritual condition this morning? Do you feel spiritually empty this morning?

* In summary of the things I have discussed with you this morning I encourage you to sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and prayerfully reflect on this past year.

* The Holy Spirit will begin to reveal those things that are in your life that are not the will of God, and are threatening to bring the judgment of God upon your life.

* Then prayerfully consider what you should have done, but did not do. The Holy Spirit will also reveal this things to you as well.

* After prayerfully examining your life, You now have a list of things first of all that you need to stop doing, and you now have a list of things that you need to start doing.

* These tow lists are now your goals for the coming year. You must keep this list and look at it every morning when you wake up, and make a clear and definite decision that you will strive to meet these goals in the coming year.

* I hope the Lord’ pours out His blessings upon each and every one of you in the coming year and God conforms you to his will for your life.

* I would also ask you to pray for me as I evaluate myself as your pastor as well.