This Do in Remembrance of Me — 1 Corinthians 10-11

0:02 I'll go first. That way, I don't have to worry about doing it for

0:05 the rest of the time.

0:10 Don had mentioned that there were some marriage studies going on.

0:15 I was... I'm

0:16 I'm facilitating the one over at the Markovich's. And between that and my wife and I are participating in some biblical marital counseling, And, also, we are meeting with a young couple anticipating marriage and going over some of the biblical principles with them. So although I may not be up to it now, in about twelve weeks, I'm gonna know everything there is to know about marriage. So I should be an expert on it. You you can you can check with my wife, see if she agrees.

0:50 Oh, I did have... Oh, try this one. One of the, tenants of the study, or I would say the main tenant is, I think Denzel shared it with us last week, is what if marriage is... Was designed to make us holy instead of happy? And I like the, comment someone had made at our meeting.

1:14 Well, I'm not happy, so I must be holy. But it really begs the question, are we asking more of our spouses and our marriages than we were designed to give? I mean, if we're looking for fulfillment, if we're looking for provision, if we're looking for these types of things, I mean... And and I... And we have to speak from a biblical paradigm that are these not things that the Lord has promised us to provide?

1:48 And to expect those things from someone here might might be a a bit more than we can ask. Now one of the things that I read, this morning, said that maturity in the Lord is a prerequisite for maturity in marriage. Now, unfortunately, it's not a prerequisite for marriage, so most of us start out as immature Christians with immature marriages making making lots of assumptions and mistakes, a lot of which come from society. And and what they think a marriage should be. This one came to mind.

2:26 I wasn't really comfortable sharing it, but I will anyway. Feminism. It says that we are all equal, and that is that is a wonderful thought. And I... We are equal in value.

2:41 I think we're we're we're we're equal in in in many things, but we're not equal in purpose. I mean, god distinctly designed two people coming together as one, one of whom was supposed to be the head, one of whom was supposed to have authority. And not because they deserved it and... Or or earned it. If that were the case, I I think that that we would fall short.

3:10 The... I think the best illustration I could think of that is you're respecting what God has set in place. I mean, I... We can talk about, what what are they, indicatives and imperatives. I mean, it doesn't say that a God, that a man is created as a leader, but he is given the authority to lead.

3:35 And whether he chooses to accept that authority or relinquish it, whether a woman decides to honor it or usurp it, are all things that that will affect our our marriages. God has put us together as tools for his use, and I like tool analogies because, I use tools in my work. But the one that I liked, someone had said, well, if you you have a nail and you wanna pound it in, it's best to use a hammer. You can use a crescent wrench, and honestly, I have. I have a nice big heavy one.

4:42 And and one of the things that were put forth in the study, what if it was to make us holy? What if it was not to put us with a person who was exactly like us so we could go through life life thinking that's how everyone should be and we'd be, you know, wonderful and happy together. What if the lord put us with something... With someone, sorry, that could... Would shine a light on those areas that need work, that, I've heard someone put it to kind of rub off the rough edges, to show what actually is with...

5:16 Within us and how that can come out. And I think most of you will agree, there's things that come out in the privacy of your marriage that don't come out in public to reveal to us who and what we are and what it is that that needs to be worked on. And I think one of the transitions that Joanne and I are undergoing is for years, the strife in our marriage was striving against each other. And we have, over the... Some point in the last twenty seven years, learned to strive with each other.

5:50 And that we do have a common and united purpose to have a marriage that glorifies God. Now the nuts and bolts of that as it plays out through time takes a lot of effort, and it can be and it can be difficult, and there can be hardships, and there will be hardships. And if we take a look at Romans eight twenty eight and twenty nine, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who were called according to his purpose. So that is it possible that even in these difficulties and strifes that we might have, not in the first year, but maybe a little bit later on in our marriages, some of the struggles that we do have, that there might be a purpose behind them. And I think if we continue on in that verse, for whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

6:44 So could that possibly be part of the function that the Lord had called us together to be with this one person to help us actually conform to the image of his son? And the other verse, and I'll just close with this to give some other people some time. James one two through four. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that tested... Produces your faith...

7:12 I'm sorry. Knowing that testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. That, you know, in the world, it's just so easy to say we got married, and now I'm not happy and I'm married, so I must not have picked the right person. I mean... And we we we won't even question the paradigm that marriage was something that another person would...

7:39 The vehicle God used to make me happy for another person. But maybe what we should be questioning is is, you know, what was God's purpose or design in marriage? And that I would just encourage all of us to keep our focus on the Lord. And then when there... When those things flare up that that we may find struggling or difficult, to put God first, to ask him, you know, where where are you in this?

8:06 What do I have to learn through this? And I think on our best days, we can. And as long as we keep our focus on him, that he can carry us through whatever he's promised to carry us through whatever strifes or struggles that we... That we're facing. Thank you.

8:24 I realize I'm a visitor, but I'm been here many times and I'm a friend of several of the families. And actually, when Brenda told me ten days ago that there was going to be an open service, I had something laid on my heart that I thought might be good to share if I happen to be here. And last night, I had a dream and I don't know if God still speaks in dreams, but I saw Bob Markovich and I thought, I think I'm supposed to go, you know. So anyway, I haven't seen Bob in a long time and I thought I'd catch him here today, but I get to see Brenda and Don and those other of you who I... I've got my neighbor here that lives a couple blocks from me in.

9:47 And then in the next verse, look at that next verse. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. If you wonder today why so many people can't see the gospel, a lot of times I think it's because they're not humble. They don't they can't hear. They don't have a humble heart.

10:10 And if you look at Ephesians four Take a look at the fourth chapter of Ephesians Paul has just finished this this passage on the ministry of the church and the different callings we have, and he says, now... This is verse 17, chapter four of Ephesians. Now I say and testify in the lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds. We are in a period where unlike any in history, nations and people walk in the futilities of their mind. We think science and the mind is the answer to everything.

11:15 And I heard in an earlier service this morning that the twentieth century was the bloodiest of all the previous centuries in one century. We obviously, with our minds, have not solved the problem of the human heart. Verse 18, they are darkened in

11:35 their

11:35 understanding alienated from the life of god because of the ignorances that is in them due to their hardness of heart. Years ago, when I first studied this passage, I was a soldier and I got to that and I realized you can be... You can stay ignorant if you have a hard heart. You will remain ignorant, and because you are ignorant, you will be darkened in your understanding, and then you'll walk in the futility of your mind. And so I I think it's very important to remember as we walk to keep a soft heart toward God, to remember that a spirit of gratefulness will always help your attitude.

12:34 If I'm having a problem with communication, I try to start with praise and thankfulness and I suddenly become more humble because if you really count your blessings, you realize to an extent that we are so so small and yet at the same time, we are sinful. God loved us and died for us and and this is a juxtaposition of of hard to imagine condition where while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. It it doesn't make sense that we could be evil and be worthy of his blood at the same time but that's the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank

13:29 you.

13:31 This is an old, old book. I think... Oh, I had this in college. That's a long time ago. Right, Carl?

13:41 That's a long time ago. I can't remember. But the book is written by Paul Little. Know what you believe. Let me just give you...

14:09 Here it is. Going up. And this is gonna take you right into this book. You're not gonna go separate, and it's a great study. And for me, see that?

14:21 It's thin. You can do it. There's no pictures, but I like pictures too. But let me read the chapter headings. There's a good introduction from Paul Little, but chapter one, the bible two, god.

14:43 When you finish this book, know what you believe, know more about god, knowledge of the holy, by a w Tozer. Again, right into the book. Third chapter, Jesus Christ. Christ's death. Man and sin.

15:08 The Holy Spirit, the church, there's a lot of stuff that comes up in the next one. Angels, Satan, and demons. Salvation. And prophecy, things to come. It's only that thick.

15:25 But you don't have to be a dumb Christian. You can you can get into that conversation and have answers from the Lord. Now Paul wrote another book which I sort of recommend is Know Why You Believe. And I think for here, we offer a lot of things that help you understand why to believe. Out on the front desk, the Institute for Creation Research, a lot of articles in there.

16:00 This one has the article on, if you like astronomy, solar system, Pluto. Get that into your head. But this will give you the background on some of these questions that people come up with. Is Christianity rational? Is there a god?

16:20 Check out the movie. Really? God's not dead. Actually, take somebody with you and go see it because the the arguments that are presented stop atheism. There is nothing but but faith to be an atheist.

16:41 So I recommend that. Is Christ God? Did Christ rise from the dead? Is the Bible God's word? Are the documents reliable?

16:55 This is just, you know, just a starting place. Does archaeology help? Are miracles possible? Do science and scripture conflict? Why does god allow suffering and evil?

17:09 Does Christianity differ from other world religions? I think so. We'll have in a week we'll know why we do that. And is the Christian experience valid? What is the Christian experience?

17:25 Well, I just finished this book. Not a fan. And it's very readable and it goes to the same place we're recommending... I didn't grab one of the books, but True Discipleship by Bill McDonald. This is an easier read.

17:42 And and he does this with some humor and some testimonies that are really touching. And what's the title about? Well, to come here and sit is being a fan. You don't wanna be a fan of the Lord Jesus Christ. You wanna be a participant.

18:09 You wanna be in the whole purpose of the gospel. So I highly recommend this book. It's very readable and effective. So if you wanna share it with somebody else, that's also on the on the out looking. Now the evidence from this to this book, this is the book that Roger shared with us.

18:37 But here's... The title is the secret thoughts of an unlikely convert. Secret thoughts of an unlikely convert. I was gonna... I'm not gonna take the time to read the quotes that we were gonna do, but speaking of marriage, there's the whole marriage statement in here from their wedding.

19:03 She was converted from being a professor at Syracuse University of Women's Studies. She was a lesbian, living a lesbian lifestyle into her thirties, if I'm right. My wife's reading it. I don't... Haven't got the chance to pick it up yet.

19:23 All I do is hear this stuff here. Oh, listen to this. I'm trying to go to sleep and it'll be... She'll be reading it and say, oh, you gotta hear this. So I recommend this just from what I've heard myself.

19:35 But it's the effect it's the effect of somebody looking at the Lord Jesus Christ wholly and honestly. What will come from this is how... What attitude do we have for people who need Christ no matter where they're coming from? And that's a that's a... The first part of the impact of this book is how do we look at people, and how is she treated?

20:08 And that made all the difference because I can tell you there's a very strong Christian in this English professor's journey into the Christian faith. If you go to the to the movie, you'll see what kind of thing she actually proclaimed before. Now, just for fun, and I found out, my daughter recommended this book, The Harbinger, and that's by Jonathan Kahn. And when I first started reading this, she didn't say tell me much about it. She actually gave it to me at Christmas.

20:49 I just finished it. But the first... Well, you have to go three, maybe four chapters into this. I thought, oh, this is some weird Jewish guy who's got a conspiracy theory. Things are gonna happen.

21:05 He's drawing a parallel between the judgment of Israel and their godless behavior and The United States and nine eleven. So when you get once you get past the four chapters, you think, oh, this is a wacko. Then, I got drawn into it and there's a chapter called eternity that gives the gospel so clear you can't... You could just just say, give this to somebody. I wanna give this to people in the tea party that I go meet with because all the first part will grab them because of what nine eleven means and all that, you know, that's involved with that.

21:51 And then the gospel is right there in chapter 18, 19. So, those I recommend. I haven't looked up this guy's website yet. Kinda wanna check that out but you might have a Jewish friend that would pick it up too and take it. Thank you, lord.

22:19 By the way, the scripture all through this, you end up... You have to look for it, and you also have to look at the at the footnotes, because in the footnotes, five... This is crazy. Two American politicians after 09/11 referred to the same verse. Now that's...

22:42 They're on the website. I don't know if it's still up. This was back in 2011, I think it

22:47 was. Check

23:24 Start with Matthew 26 verse verse 26. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and break it, and gave to the disciples and said, take eat. This is my body. Then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. And then turn with me to first Corinthians 11.

24:03 We'll get the the, shall we say, the the divine summary of it. First Corinthians 11. There was some disorder going on in the in the Corinthian church, and they were they were not honoring the the breaking of bread in... With a holiness. Some even were getting drunk at the breaking of bread, and and the the the apostle rebuked them.

24:38 And then he summarized it starting with the twenty third verse what he had received from the lord. For I received from the lord that which I also delivered to you that the lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and he gave thanks and broke it saying, take eat. This is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. In the same manner also, he took the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

25:12 This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you you proclaim the lord's death until he comes. So thank the lord that he's that he instituted this this breaking of bread, this this remembrance that that we do weekly and take the the emblems and pass them from one another in remembrance of his death. So so it starts out saying, I'll go with with Paul's summary here in in first Corinthians 11, that when when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take eat. This is my body, which is broken for you.

26:08 This do in remembrance of me. Now I I believe we're clear in the in the doctrine that when he says this is my body, he means, like, I might... My my wife is in Denver right now, but I might say pull a picture out and show it to you and say, this is my wife. And and you wouldn't say, well, that picture is my wife. We'd say, no.

26:30 That's a picture of my wife. So the lord Jesus was presenting, to them at the last supper was prevent... Presenting to them a picture, something that when they would do it, we believe weekly. When they would do it weekly, this would this would picture for them this this time when the lord Jesus Christ was taken and nailed on a cross and and his body was broken for us and so and so the Lord Jesus, he he gives thanks, and and we're we're to follow that pattern. We we we take the bread, and and we give thanks for it.

27:17 It's it's something that that... It's this remembrance ceremony is something that's going to generate thankfulness in us, and and we're we're going to be lifted up in our hearts to give thanks to the lord because we're stopping and taking a moment to just remember what he did for us as he... As his body was broken there on the cross. And so we... So the lord Jesus gave thanks, and then he broke it.

27:44 Now this this act of breaking it, the... This is something you can't... You couldn't partake of this loaf unless it were broken. And and understanding that the the loaf is is is not the reality, it's the picture of the reality. So so as as the bro...

28:05 As the bread is broken, we're reminded that that he was broken for us in the cross. So we... In our minds picture, and and I I like to do this when when I'm at... When we're actually going through the the remembrance of the lord Jesus to actually, in my mind, picture him up there on the cross and the agony and the brokenness. Being actually physically nailed to a cross, to be physically nailed to a cross, and and to realize that he was broken for us.

28:37 He was broken. But we have to understand that we had to break the bread. We have to break that bread in order that we could eat it. So, in order for us to feast spiritually upon the savior, he had to be broken. We had read in the in the remembrance meeting.

28:55 We we had read this this verse where the lord Jesus said, if if it's... If it'd be possible, let this cup pass from me as as though to say, is is there some way is there some way possible that this this... That that this wouldn't have to happen? And and the answer is was was a a grand silence. No.

29:18 There was no other way for for us to be able to feed on the bread except that the bread be broken. And so we take the bread and we get this picture of of the bed... Bread being broken, a picture of Christ suffering for us physically upon the cross. And and then we're we're told we're told this. It said, the lord Jesus said, this do in remembrance of me.

29:47 So so the the lord Jesus is giving an instruction. We're to take this bread, and and there's to be a purpose in in taking it and breaking it. The purpose is remembrance. Somehow, by taking that loaf and breaking it, somehow, we bring back to our minds on a regular basis. We we we take it once a week.

30:09 On a regular basis, bringing back to mind that he was broken for us. And so we do this as a remembrance. And I might I might kind of counsel and and warn the the young people that are here to to not to take the emblems and without without carefully considering what they mean. So so don't don't don't lightly take the emblems and partake without pausing in your mind and thinking this this is my reminder of what Jesus did for me, so that we honor him in the in the process of of remembering him. Then we're told that after after supper, that the Lord Jesus, in this manner also, took the cup after supper in the same manner.

31:22 The first emblem reminds us of the terribleness of what he endured for us. But the second emblem the second emblem is is a reminder of of the redemptive work of Christ. So so not only did Christ suffer just because he loved me and and did this wonderful and and was willing to suffer there on the cross, but but there's an aspect to his suffering that that has to do with my sins being forgiven. And and because Jesus Christ shed his blood there for my sins, I am forever forever forgiven, and and and that's what we're going to remember as we take that cup. Okay.

32:07 So this cup was to be the blood, which was... Which is the the emblem of his death. Now it's interesting that that when the children of Israel killed the Passover in in Exodus 12 that were told that they caught the blood in the basin, and then they they they took hyssop, which is just a little weed, and made a brush out of it. It... It's in itself a sort of a picture of humility.

32:35 My brother was speaking of humility earlier. And and the... They were to take this this hyssop and dip dip it into the basin, and they were to paint the blood as an emblem outside, on the doorpost, and on the lintel outside. And and it it it stated that it was a symbol. It was something that was out there on the door.

33:01 And I I know it's it's been suggested before. I thought it was a kind of a neat idea that that supposing that that inside this house, you had a little boy who who was the eldest in the family, and and there was this prophecy that was about to be fulfilled in which in which the destroyer was to come through the land and was to destroy the eldest in each household. And and the little boy said, but father, god's gonna come through, and he's gonna destroy the the firstborn. That's me. You know?

33:34 And so so he did the personalization of it. But the father, so to speak, this is this is not an actual story of the bible, just just a visualization of what might have happened. So the father, so to speak, would take the little boy and say, son, come with me a second. And he would he would step out the door, and he'd point up to the blood that's on the door. And he would say to his son, son, the blood's on the pillar.

34:01 You're safe. You're safe inside this house. The blood is on the door. And so, the the emblem that we have of the cup is more or less like the blood that was on the door. It's it's an emblem that that we take and we weekly, we take this and we pass it between each other.

34:24 It's a reminder, so we're we're joining together in this reminder of each other that that the blood, so to speak, is on the door, that the blood was shed. And because the blood was shed, we're safe for all eternity. We're covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. We... In Ephesians, it says we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

34:52 I wanna turn to one verse in Leviticus 11, which I think captures the idea. And I I think it's kinda neat that this was that this was known. This idea was well known in the Old Testament. I believe it's from Leviticus eight eleven. Now I have the wrong reference.

35:13 Let's see. Leviticus seventeen eleven. I don't know where I got eight. Leviticus seventeen eleven. Speaking of the sacrifice, so in the eleventh verse, the lie...

35:34 The life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for souls. It is the blood that makes atonement for the souls. And so if in your imagination, you could you could turn back to that moment probably a few months before this verse was written when, when the children of Israel were there in the land of Egypt. And and the little lamb was killed, the blood was sprinkled on the door.

36:08 And and the result was that they were sheltered from the judgment that was pronounced against the land of Egypt. And and when we've when we preached out in the city mission, we've tried to say it kind of like this to make it... To personalize it. You know, you know, that judgment was pronounced against the land of Egypt and the children of Israel with the... Were in the land of Egypt.

36:36 So in one sense, that judgment was just as much pronounced upon the children of Israel as it was to the rest of the Egyptians. In other words, if the blood hadn't put on the door... Been put on the door, they were just as subject to that judgment as the as the rest of the Egyptians. But god told them there was a way that they could be sheltered by the blood. And so they were...

37:05 It was described how they would take the lamb and kill it and put the blood on the door. And so that that having... That that having been said, the children of Israel went and put the blood on the door, and and so there... Say say there's two houses side by side. And in one house, it's an Egyptian home, and they they may, probably some of them did, hear about putting the blood on the door.

37:30 But why should they put the blood on the door? What does that have to do with it? You know? But in the next house is a... There's an Israel family, and they said this is what god said to do.

37:44 And so they put the blood on the door, but shortly after midnight, there was a great cry in the land of Egypt, and only those that had the blood on the door were delivered from the judgment that had been pronounced. And so, brethren and so friends here today, judgment has been pronounced in this world, but the blood covers us. Well, what are we remembering in this communion service? We're remembering that the bloods that applied and that we are sheltered by the blood of the lord Jesus Christ and and we we we ponder it, and we praise the lord. Now the lord has given us this remembrance service.

38:54 I want you on a regular basis to stop. I want you to sit down together. You'll be an encouragement to one another. You're gonna sit down together. You're going to put the emblems in in the midst of you, and you're

39:07 going to

39:07 stop. And you're going to spend an amount of time. We spend approximately an hour. We're gonna spend an amount of time. We're gonna set it aside on a regular basis.

39:35 We're gonna remember that before god, the blood of Jesus Christ stands as as our security, the token of our safety, our forgiveness for sins. We're gonna stop, and we're gonna remember it. I I thought it was interesting in in the tenth chapter of Corinthians, the one before this, that that the Bible tells... It it speaks there, speaking more of the Lord's the Lord's table, but it's... That's akin to the Lord's Supper.

40:10 But but it starts off that chapter, and it and it and it goes through about 10 verses that are that are very serious verses. Talks about about... I'm gonna turn to a verse or two just to catch the catch the sense of of what it says. I know my time is up here, so I'm just going to do it quickly. It it talks about it, and says, now all these things happened.

40:42 It's talked about some of the terrible things that happened to the children of Israel in in the wilderness scene. Now all these happened to to them as examples and were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world have come. Therefore, let him that thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall. Our brother talked to us about humility. It was an appropriate message about humility.

41:05 Let's have the humility to realize, brother, and that that so quickly our minds turn away from the remembrance of our Lord. Then he says, there's no temptation that is over... Temptation has overtaken you except what is common to men. But God is faithful who will allow you to be... Who will not allow you to be tempted above what you're able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear.

41:37 And I'm sure humility fits into that. And then he gives two two points here. The first one is, and I would say this is part of the process of escaping the temptation. The first one is, therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry. And I believe it's speaking of idolatry in a more general sense, that is what what what is an idol to my soul, and how can I how can I escape being caught by it?

42:04 And so so he he said, the first thing is flee idolatry. Don't let anything take the place that God deserves in my life. Covetousness is idolatry, it says in one place. And then after that, it jumps immediately into the idea of the Lord's table, the cup of blessing, and and the communion of the blood of Christ. And I believe that it's it's implying this thought that that when when when you and I weekly and regularly sit down to the communion of the lord and remember him in his death, we're doing something in our minds.

42:46 We're putting something on a regular basis back into our minds that's preservative in nature that that that helps us to remember, to recall, to keep it before ourselves that that he did that for us. And the result is is very... Is preservative. It's preserves us spiritually. Thank the lord for that.

43:10 Let's pray. Father god, we do thank you for this time when we could open your word, and and we're we're thank... We're thankful to you that you've also put before us the remembrance of the Lord Jesus, the bread and the cup. And and we... We're thankful for this, father.

43:28 This is something that you've given us that that we might be redirected regularly back to remember whose we are and whom we serve and what he endured on the cross for us. We thank you and we praise you, Lord. Pray that we would be consistent, faithful followers of you, true disciples. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.