Sunday Morning, October 20, 2013
scriptures: 1 Corinthians 11, Romans 8, Acts 20, 1 Corinthians 10
audio file: click to open in a new window or right-click to download
NOTES
Communion is about us considering God’s love for us.
A lot of the things that God says we should do, people take for granted. For example, He said we ought to always pray, yet there are many people who don’t pray.
People also don’t look at the word and direction that God gives in His word. He told us to consider the sign of His love through His sacrifice for us.
Don’t let go of the large things of God due to squabbling over the little things of mankind.
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
The same night that someone betrayed Christ, He set up this remembrance. This is done for us to remember His sacrifice and love for us.
Do you remember what God has done? Or do you forget?
You have to focus on what’s important at the time it is important to do. When you are in communion you have to be fully focused on Christ.
Things to think about.
1) I want others to be focused – I don’t want to do things that are distracting or look like I don’t care about the communion. People have gotten too light about God and don’t take communion for what it is. He deserves more respect than we give to man and their roles of authority.
People make the assumption that there is no penalty for disrespecting God. It might be the case that you have no faith and trust in God.
Be fully present. God is not going to ask you what other things you have going on.
vs 27 – Many people are superstitious, but don’t realize that God is real enough to have consequences. Treat the holy things of God as holy.
Some people are sick because of playing games with church and communion.
The responsibility for a person’s focus and being right is on the man.
We are responsible for examining ourselves. If something is amiss, we are not excused from serving God, we are responsible for getting it right. Diligence is about getting things right with haste.
If you do not believe health, sickness, and death are under the control of God, you don’t believe God.
vs 29 – If you participate like it is not worth it and what He’s done is not worthy of your best, there is serious response. We need to teach people to respect God.
vs 30 – This is not a small phenomenon. It says many among you. Many times people don’t take communion seriously, so it is reasonable that many have consequences in their health (and death).
We don’t always know what the cause of death is. God is the only one that really knows what it is.
God has a process for repentance in response to knowing that you have sinned. The world tells you to pretend like it didn’t happen and start doing the right things. God says your sin is a big problem that He had to die for. You have to acknowledge your sin, the sacrifice God made to pay for our sins and repent from sins.
vs 31 – If you are spiritually minded and wanting to be spiritually right, you judge yourself. You don’t wait and only do things of Christ when someone else tells you.
If you know and trust God, you don’t let someone else’s doubt of you make you doubt God’s love.
When corrected, you have to take it and respond versus delaying and get the condemnation to come.
1 John 4:16 Know and believe
LESSON
Romans 8:18
Being able to hold up in suffering. People assume that all people will always respond based on emotion and will collapse emotionally under stress.
Having Christ makes a difference in you having joy and strength. If nothing helps you during situations, if your reactions are not distinguishably different than the world, then what difference does it make in your life to be called a Christian?
How can a person depressed, with no hope and with worldly additions, be an ambassador for Christ?
People like to glorify weakness. God doesn’t. Remember Paul’s example.
Acts 20:19-24
Paul knew that he was about to face hard, life-threatening things. He didn’t fear that he would; he knew from God that it would. But he was determined to have joy in His relationship and experience in Christ. How often do people speak of their unhappiness in a situation versus their joy from a commitment to Christ?
1 Corinthians 10:1-11
Don’t forget that all of the people that God brought out of Egypt had the same experiences. Don’t think your experiences justify a bad attitude. Many of the things that people try to use as an excuse are the same things that other people deal with with joy and a grateful attitude.
The reason that some people are not happy is because they still have worldly lusts that want satisfied. The worldliness is in them. It is hard to please a person with evil lusts with the things of God. You will not be right in your dealings and relationships.
Are you one of those people who want to eat, but don’t want to help prepare, cook, clean up or express gratitude for food.
vs 9 – Don’t live trying to push the edge.
vs 10 – Murmuring is what you do under your breath, in your heart as well as what you say with your mouth. There are those that don’t complain in church, but they do it when they are at home or in their comfort zones.
Realize that God sees your murmuring and complaining regardless of whether you are using your mouth, attitudes or actions.
Psalms 106:23-26
Do you approach God with thankfulness? With commitment to Him? With singleness of heart, eye, and mind?