220313 Communion Service

Matthew 16:21–23 (NASB95) — 21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Revelation must come prior to the Sacrifice. Jesus had been speaking to His disciples what was was to take place so that when it happened and the outcome of the Resurrection did occur that there would be validation to the power of the word of the Lord. Though the disciples could not grasp the fact that their Messiah, the anointed one to be king was going to die. This was unimaginable. It was Peter that could not take much more of what Jesus was saying and took Jesus aside and rebuked him for such talk.

The gift of Salvation is free to us, but there would be a cost involved to the one who purchased our freedom from the Slave market of sin. Jesus Gave his all not only in death where he gives up his own life that we might be saved. but Jesus Gave up his life to provide a way by which we are to follow.

Jesus rebuke to Peter extended into the next verses that not only is there a cross to bear for Jesus but their is a cross that each of us bears to become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:24 (NASB95) — 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

The disciples were very much aware was picking up one’s cross is all about. It would not and could not be mistaken that it meant something that they would not want for themselves. To give the ultimate without question, and to bear a burden that the mind and body would not want for itself none not at all.

I not only have a cross inferred Jesus, but you all as well have a cross to bear. A giving up of your souls for the purposes of the Lord.

The denying of one’s self is an aorist middle imperative of command. It means right now. it means right now right this moment not tomorrow or next year or a process which we can leisurely come to, but right now determine either to follow me or not. there is no half way measures.

It was every step of the way Jesus blazed the trail. from the point where we meet him at the baptism Jesus was not balancing his spiritual life with his secular life, Jesus was all in to accomplish the will of the Father.

There are no yeah buts like the men who stood by the boat

Matthew 8:18–23 (NASB95) — 18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.” 23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.

A half way resolve also is seen in the Rich young ruler.

Matthew 19:16–30 (NASB95) — 16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. 23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

Have any of us in the sound of my voice including myself as am asking myself have I earned the right of discipleship where I switched my value system from selfish worldly ambitions and catering to my own life to follow the Lord. I may have stuff. even things that bring me temporal pleasures in the world. But am I willing to give away all to follow Jesus? Have I in my heart removed these things to follow my Lord?

Most of us are not even willing to make a non selfish sacrifice for our own wives and children let alone doing it to follow Jesus. We are tied up with the SELF program.

Eternal life may be a free gift, not of works lest any man should boast. but what is following after the Lord onward.

How many a born again believer have aknowledge thier own salvation to the point where we return to give glory to God?

Luke 17:12–20 (NASB95) — 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

Being in and abiding in Christ is living out the pattern of life which is seen in the record of God’s word.

Orientation to the word of God from his youth. Isaiah 50

Orientation to authority humbling himself under the Parent authority in the home Luke

growing in wisdom and in statue of man

and then coming into our ministry which Jesus began at this baptism.

There are the trials that we must face the testing as Jesus was tested in the wilderness.

Listen, Satan will not only throw adversity and stumbling blocks in your way to give in light of giving you a different path to follow. did he not do so with Jesus?

Matthew 4:8–11 (NASB95) — 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

How many of us would have snatched up the offer in a heart beat and claim that the kingdoms were God’s doing that God blessed me?

Matthew 16:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it.

Correct translation

the world that the NASB translates as life is Not Zoe but ψυχή [psuche /psoo·khay/] n = Soul

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 4982 ἐκσῴζω, σῴζω

σῴζω [sozo /sode·zo/] v. From a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saoz, “safe”); TDNT 7:965; TDNTA 1132; GK 1751 and 5392; 110 occurrences; AV translates as “save” 93 times, “make whole” nine times, “heal” three times, “be whole” twice, and translated miscellaneously three times. 1 to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. 1A one (from injury or peril). 1A1 to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health. 1B1 to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue. 1B to save in the technical biblical sense. 1B1 negatively. 1B1A to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment. 1B1B to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance.

What is the Soul. That which stands greater than the physical life itself. for it is the physical life that is temporal. it is the soul that stands forever.

it is the soul of the person that is the Person itself that is housed in a tent that is our bodies.

the soul is that which contains

personality

emotions

mentality

self awareness

conscience

esteem

The sarx (flesh) declares that his soul is his own. His own ego his own ambitions his own exaltation of self seeking comfort security happiness all that is important to all the person is wrapped up in the flesh. He is his own man. She is her own woman. the wants and the desires and ambitions are all that is important. and Satan and his minions will offer the world (kosmos) to keep the soul in slaved to such ambitions.

Have you been noticing the billboard signs along the highway between spartanburg and greenville. I wished that I knew what today’s topic was going to be, then I would have went out of my way to take a picture of them.

It is for birth control pills I think and the caption is “Love yourself first.”

Advertisement on TV and radio are designed to lure you into having the best. Don’t worry, your credit is good.

Popular music books movies and even religion seeks to bring

George Benson and Later Whitney Houston could really bring us to our feet when they sang

“the greatest Love is easy to achieve loving yourself is the greatest Love of all”

And why is the prosperity gospel the health wealth gospel so appealing? the live your best life now doctrine? because it appeals to the sarx

Salvation is the deliverance from the chains and the shackles the stumbling blocks and the abstractions that is place before the soul to keep that soul from reaching the place of fullness in Christ. from competing the journey. to see to it that one leaves this world as a casualty rather than a victor in Christ.

God’s will for our souls is Sanctification. that is consecration for holy worship. A place of completeness perfection holiness before him. that we come to the place where our lives are maximized for the glory of the Lord. that way is a narrow way and only a few find it. those few who do find it had found it but following in the path of Jesus himself.

The desire

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 2309 θέλω

2309 θέλω [thelo, ethelo, tenses, theleo, etheleo /thel·o/] v. Apparently strengthened from the alternate form of 138; TDNT 3:44; TDNTA 318; GK 2527; 210 occurrences; AV translates as “will/would” 159 times, “will/would have” 16 times, “desire” 13 times, “desirous” three times, “list” three times, “to will” twice, and translated miscellaneously four times. 1 to will, have in mind, intend. 1A to be resolved or determined, to purpose. 1B to desire, to wish. 1C to love. 1C1 to like to do a thing, be fond of doing. 1D to take delight in, have pleasure.

Is to that our lives which is but a vapor is brought to a purpose defined by our Lord for what it was created to be. A productive life. a tree that bears fruit in its season to be pleasurable and accepting to God to His glorification.

there are those examples of those who were of God but yet whose lives were characterized as one’s who while saved in regards of redemption and justificaiton whose lives are remembered only by personal failure and highlighting the grace of God

Lot was a righteous man as Peter discribed. he was one who was righteous and brought out of Sodom. But how does Lot finish off his life? by drunkeness and incest.

Jacob who was God’s man but lived his life pursuing his own advancement and advantages and in the end given his testimony to the Pharoah of Egypt

Genesis 47:7–9 (NASB95) — 7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?” 9 So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.”

Jacob did not really figure it out until the end so it seems.

Then there are those who are victors in the faith

Each of the apostles gave all. I mean their all. they held nothing back

even Peter when he said

Matthew 19 27 Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”

did not realize then that there was something more to give and he did give and they were victorious. all of their lively hoods and the life came to a violent death. to what ends? were they saved?

Matthew 19:28–30 (NASB95) — 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

How bout Stephen what did it cost him? as the jagged stones struck and tore apart his body. was he saved as he breathed his last.

what would we give to see the heavens open up and Jesus standing up to receive us into heaven. Is such a standard to the death of every saint or is standing reserved only for those who gave everything?

and then the apostle Paul whose testimony is quite different than that of Jacob

2 Timothy 4:7–8 (NASB95) — 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul’s life was cut short, can we say that he was saved.

What would have been Paul’s victories if indeed he carried his ambitions and climbed the highest level that his career as a pharisee would bring him? What would his life meant in the service and glory of the Lord. The end would have been the same. He would die. and what would have all of his fulfilled ambitions bring to HIm? what would have been his reward. would he himself been saved?

What would David’s life meant even to any of us if he would have continued on the track that he was on even as a king, living for his own. David died in either case. was he saved from the power of Sin in his life.

Was Saul saved in the fact that his life was pleasing and acceptable to God and stands as man of faith and of God to this day? No.

but when David though a sinner recovers and his life is held up as a man after God’s own heart was he saved though he died? Absolutely.

Salvation is the deliverance from the schemes of the devil to anchor one into his system of slavery. it is defeating the evils to be able to advance forward to the place where even our physical death is a victory for christ and our Resurrection with crowns and a uniform of Glory and the rulership of nations and all the rewards and decorations shouts victory having forsaken all that kept us shackled in this life.

Matthew 16:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for My sake will find it.

It is coming to the reality that our souls belong not to the flesh, not to our own ambitions, our own lusts this world, not to our own comfort and security, but we have lost our souls to those things that the flesh so desires and we commit our thinking our lives our or direction our everything, our very souls to the Lord.

Jesus, went first. He shows us the way each step of the way. to be christ followers we commit our souls to the Lord, not in death where we have no choice to do so. we commit our souls now to the Lord abandoning the S E L F program and giving our souls to the Lord in our thoughts motives decisions and actions, coming into a sactified life holy consecrated to God for worship honoring and acceptable to Him.

We come to the communion table, and as we do we remember the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 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.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament ἀνάμνησις, ὑπόμνησις

ἀνάμνησις means “remembrance” or “recollection.

it means to recall to mind

noun recollection Save Word

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion | \ ˌre-kə-ˈlek-shən \ Definition of recollection 1a: tranquility of mind b: religious contemplation 2a: the action or power of recalling to mind b: something recalled to the mind

Communion service is about our meditation upon the one who brings us to the table. it is in that meditation that we, LIke Nataniel who after meditating on the world of God under the fig tree says to Jesus “you are the son of God”

The bread is the Physical body that was prepared for the Last Adam the Lamb of God in order that there would be a man substitute one without spot or blemish to accomplish the real and visible work on our behalf.

Hebrews 10:5–9 (NASB95) — 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. 7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ” 8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.

1 Corinthians 15:22 (NASB95) — 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

The cup is the sacrificial life. portayed from the very beginning after the fall that man and woman were clothed with skins of the sacrifice. the message is that the fig leaves are not what is going to save you but it is the life of the innocent animal that is going to die for the guilty.

hebrews says

Leviticus 17:11 (NASB95) — 11 ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’

Hebrews 9:22 (NASB95) — 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

this is the very foundation of our faith Christ died for the remission of sin. taking the bread and the cup is taking that which has been freely offered to us and freely given in order to open up our option that we might give our souls to God and not the flesh. recollecting is our rededicating each and every time to the committing our all to the one who gave us HIs all.

Matthew 26:26–30 (NASB95) — 26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” 30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.