Sermon:  Final Exam (preparation for the Lord's Supper)      

While in college, I was taking a Health class for 3 college credits.  It was a required class for graduation.  One day, upon arriving to take the class, I was shocked to find out a major exam was being given.  The results of the exam would be considered a major portion of our quarter grade.  I was not ready.  No one had told me about any test.

I had not been prepared.  I had been taken totally by surprise.  I felt helpless; there was nothing I could do.  I felt so bad, being caught unawares, I cancelled the class until the next quarter.

Such was the case with 5 of the 10 virgins we read about in Matthew 25.  Let’s turn there and read.

Matthew 25:1-13
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

So, like myself in that college class, these 5 virgins were caught by surprise.  They knew the bridegroom was coming someday, they just failed in their preparation. 

Maybe if they had just examined themselves along the way, they would have known their lamps were growing empty.

Well, we have an examination coming up on our calendars.  It is called the Passover/Lord's Supper.  Let us read the notice of exam…

Turn to 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
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.

Verses 27 and 29 concern a number of people and some have even refrained from taking the Lord's Supper because of a lack of understanding of these scriptures.  They feel that if they have ANY sin in their lives, they are somehow unworthy to take the bread and wine.  If this were true, none of us could take those symbols, for we all have sin in our lives, we are working to overcome sin and are subject to sin, as long as we are human. 

Verse 28 says that we are to examine ourselves and then (clearly boldly and with confidence) eat that bread and drink that wine.  What we are examining ourselves to find out; to confirm is whether we are in the Salvation Process.  We enter this process when God calls us (John 6:44) to repentance; we are baptized and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands (Hebrews 6).  We stay in this process for the rest of our life till death or the return of Christ.  We can never allow ourselves to leave or fall away from this process if we are to ever be in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 9:62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

The Salvation process has several elements important to each firstfruit Christian:

It is a commitment to a way of Christian life in which one is actively:

1) keeping the Law and commandments. 
2) invoking the Principles of God which the Law points to (Galatians 5:22-23). 
3) overcoming sin...making progress...stopping the sin process before it begins...controlling the mind…being repentant. 
4) becoming more like Jesus Christ. 
5) going on to perfection (Heb. 6) 
6) responding to your specific Godly Calling (God calls each member to a specific place and to specific duties and/or offices). This includes duties pertaining to the first commission of spreading the gospel and the second commission of feeding the flock. 
7)  maintaining this process at the return of Jesus Christ. 
8)   having absolute trust in God and Jesus Christ.

So my purpose today, and I know you are way ahead of me on this, is to

Examine yourself.  Prepare for God’s Final exam.

Before we proceed into just how we examine ourselves, a few more words about the foolish virgins.

Someone contacted me the other day [when I first gave this sermon] upset that  the virgins were not given a second chance; after all they went to buy oil as the wise virgins told them……..or did they?

Turn back to verse 9 of Matthew 25 and notice what is said...

Matthew 25:9 ---(the foolish virgins had asked oil of the others)
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

Is this something they could have actually done?  Look at Verse 6:

Matthew25:6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

It was midnight.  The markets were not open.  Notice now verses 10 and 11…

Matthew 25:10-11
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

There is nothing here indicating they actually bought the oil.  Remember this is a physical parable and the physical part made sense to them.  It had to.  If a parable does not make full sense on the physical side, the audience would be lost and totally miss the spiritual side (speaking here of those with the understanding to see the spiritual side).  In fact, the physical side confirms the things we glean from the spiritual side of the parable.  The wise virgins were showing the foolish virgins the absurdity of their request.

It is also absurd in the Spiritual sense.  If Christ is in the sky and we can see Him, clearly it is too late to seek the Spirit of God.

1 Peter 4: 17-19
17. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18. And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

So, we see the need to be examining ourselves.  Question is:

Just when do we do this examining?                    

Turn to 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5 (Paul concerned that the Corinthians had been deceived)
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?

Paul challenged the Corinthians to “examine themselves as to whether they are in the faith.  He says, “Prove yourselves.”

In doing so, he employs the present tense for the verbs “examine” and “prove” indicating that such examination was to be an on-going activity!

We are to continually examine ourselves.

This naturally raises 3 questions we will discuss throughout the rest of this sermon.

1) Why should we examine ourselves?

2) By what standard should we examine ourselves?

3) What sort of questions should we be asking ourselves?

Let us answer these questions one by one…

…and as we do so please understand this.  No one but you and Christ can judge you on these things. 

These things we are about to discuss are very private things for your prayers and meditations before the throne of God.

1) Why should we examine ourselves?

a)  To determine if Jesus Christ is in us...

John 14:21-23
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

b) To determine if we really know ourselves…

Romans 6:16-22
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

We know ourselves by looking at what we serve, sin or righteousness.

2) By what standard should we examine ourselves?

a) Not by the estimate of self.

1 Corinthians 4:1-4
1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

b) By the standard of Jesus Christ and His Word.

2 Corinthians 10:18
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

John 12:48
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

3) What sort of questions should we be asking ourselves?

a) Am I keeping the commandments?

John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

b) Am I abiding in His word?

John 8:31
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

c)  Do I love my brethren like Christ loved me?

John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

1 John 3:14-19
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

d) Am I bearing fruit—invoking the principles of God? 

John 15:6-8
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

We invoke the power of the Holy Spirit in the form of Godly principles such as love, joy, peace, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, honesty, service, excellence, longsuffering and the like.  When we do these things, we grow in the character of Christ, while at the same time being a light to the World.  People see Christ in us when we manifest one of these principles of God---fruits of the Spirit.

e)  Am I praising God?

Hebrews 13:15-16
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

(“communicate” here means to have fellowship and to give to those in need)

Just as in the days of the animal sacrifices, which represented Christ, God looks today to our sacrifices of praise, as well as doing good (item d above) and in fellowship with the brethren (item c above).

f) Am I zealous to invoke the principles of God?

Titus 2:14 [see Lesson]
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Titus 3:8 and verse 14 [see Lesson]
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

To be zealous is to be focused and always looking for an opportunity to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit in the form of Godly principles as we discussed above.  God clearly brings these opportunities our way and we need to train ourselves to be looking for them.

g)  Am I a doer of the Work?

James 1:25-26
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Looking back at the definition of the Salvation Process above, we can easily see that most of the elements are action elements—things we do with and through the power of the Holy Spirit.  If we are addressing this element, we are “doers” of the Work.

h)  Are my thoughts established?

Proverbs 16:3
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

The more we immerse ourselves into the Word of God (request the two-part sermon on this subject) the more our thoughts are established for as 2 Corinthians 3:18 states, the more we do this, the more we are transformed into the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Notice also how God’s Word and promises are automatic.  Proverbs 16:3 says that if WE commit thy works to the Lord (being a doer of the Work and immersing ourselves into the Word of God) the RESULT is our thoughts being established.  As the Word pours into our brain, the false information and ways are forced out.

 i)  Am I abounding in the Work of God?

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

This is talking about focus and concentration on both our Salvation Process and the Work of God we support.

j) Have I established a gate on my mind? 

See Church site—Bible Class—Specific Studies---Stopping Sin Using the Wisdom of Solomon: http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/bibleclassspecificstudies7.shtml 

In brief, we are to realize that all sin begins with a single thought.  Like elders sitting in the gates of the cities of Israel, we are to integrate and recognize each thought as it comes into our “city” (mind) through its gates (eyes, ears, etc.) and if that thought be one we KNOW will begin the sin process, to rebuke it and destroy it and not allow it into our minds.

k)  Do I have God’s Spirit in me?

1 John 2:20
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1 John 3:24
And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

If you are actively focusing on the elements of your Salvation Process, you will know this to be true.  It is by the Holy Spirit that you understand and have the power to do the elements of the Salvation Process.

l) Am I preparing to meet the Lord of the Passover?

Job 11:13-15
13 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

If you are conducting yourself in the Salvation Process and immersing yourself in the mind of God (the Word of God), your ARE preparing to meet the Lord.

So, here we have discussed just 12 questions we can ask ourselves as we prepare for the Lord's Supper, as we prepare to take that bread and wine and as we proceed through the Days of Unleavened Bread.

But you may be asking, “Why entitle this sermon the ‘Final Exam’?”

That’s easy.  From the day you were called there has only been the One exam and that exam is final.

The Passover/Lord's Supper is a reminder that our exam is final.

Remember the 10 virgins and what it says in Matthew 25:1

Matthew 25:1
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.    (this was their only mission, their only exam)

Let us take our lamps, full of oil and go forth to meet the bridegroom.

---END---  The Checklist follows

 

 Note:  I am not going to provide the entire verses here as I want to encourage you to do this yourself.

PASSOVER/LORD'S SUPPER-DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD CHECKLIST

1)  Am I keeping the commandments?

John 14:21

2)  Am I abiding in His word?

John 8:31

3)  Do I love my brethren like Christ loved me?

John 13:34-35

1 John 3:14-19

4)  Am I bearing fruit—invoking the principles of God? 

John 15:6-8

5)  Am I praising God?

Hebrews 13:15-16

(in verse 16, “communicate” here means to have fellowship and to give to those in need)

6)  Am I zealous to invoke the principles of God?

Titus 2:14 [see Lesson]

Titus 3:8 and verse 14  [see Lesson]

7)  Am I a doer of the Work?

James 1:25-26

8)  Are my thoughts established?

Proverbs 16:3

9)  Am I abounding in the Work of God?

1 Corinthians 15:58

10) Have I established a gate on my mind?  (referring to my article “Stopping Sin Using the Wisdom of Solomon”)

Have we developed a means or model of stopping the offending thought as it enters our consciousness?  Sin begins with a thought and if we 

11)  Do I have God’s Spirit in me?

1 John 2:20

1 John 3:24

12) Am I preparing to meet the Lord of the Passover?

Job 11:13-15

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