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Sermon – Part 1: Blood on Trial
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Note: The content of this
sermon is actually two sermonette texts on two subjects related to the
Passover/Lord’s Supper.
We live in a society where man’s justice and the element of revenge are
chief elements in our television and movie entertainment.
Court dramas, police and detective shows and those countless action
movies where the good guy portions out justice and/or revenge through
the barrel of a machine gun. We are always satisfied when the bad guy
is found guilty in court or dies in a shootout with police. Many cheer
when Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood or Sylvester Stallone
disposes of countless enemies in a blaze of glory.
The problem arises when we allow these elements of revenge and human
justice to spill over into our real lives and into our relationships
with others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Sometimes when we are offended or have an outright sin done against us,
we seek justice. We want God to come in with a fiery hand and put an
end to the great offense and for the person to make things right.
However, is this really God’s way concerning His flock? Let’s see as we
study the subject of Forgiveness.
Let me tell you the story to illustrate…
There was once a woman who came into the church. Like all new
firstfruits being called, she repented of her sins, was baptized and
received the Holy Spirit of God.
The young woman had a very rough past involving alcohol, drugs, and
prostitution. But the change in her was evident. As time went on she
became a faithful member of the church.
It was not very long until this faithful woman had caught the eye and
heart of the pastor’s son. The relationship grew and they began to make
wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one
half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers
was suitable for a pastor’s son. The church began to argue and fight
about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people
made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting
completely out of hand.
The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up
about her past. As she began to cry the pastor’s son stood to speak.
He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to
speak and his statement was this: “My fiancée’s past is not what is on
trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of
Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on
trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?” The whole church began to
weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Too often, even as Christians, we
bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and
sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 that “when anyone becomes a
Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any
more. A new life has begun! All these new things are from God who
brought us back to Himself through what Christ Jesus has done.”
~ The Living Bible
Ephesians 1:7 says, “So overflowing is His kindness towards us that He
took away all our sins through the blood of His Son, by whom we are
saved” ~The Living Bible
Paul continues with this thought in
Ephesians 4:31-32 where he says, “Stop being mean,
bad-tempered and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others
should have no place in your lives. Instead, be kind to each other,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you
because you belong to Christ.” ~ The
Living Bible
One of the scariest things Jesus ever said was, “Your heavenly father
will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you
refuse to forgive them, He will not forgive you.” (Matthew
6:14-15)
~Living Bible
If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then
it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all
in a lot of trouble.
Colossians 1:12-14 records
these words of Paul: “Always thankful to the Father who has made us
qualified to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who
live in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us out of the darkness
and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the kingdom of His dear
Son, who brought our freedom with His blood and forgave us all our
sins.” ~The Living Bible
I now want to look at a key scripture regarding this subject of
forgiveness.
Matthew 18:15-22
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him
his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast
gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more,
that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be
established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if
he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man
and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed
in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my
Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I
in the midst of them.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but,
Until seventy times seven.
Forgiveness ~from the Ungers Bible
Dictionary
One of the most widely
misunderstood doctrines of Scripture. It is not to be confused with
human forgiveness that merely remits a penalty or charge. Divine
forgiveness is one of the most complicated and costly undertakings,
demanding complete satisfaction to meet the demands of God’s outraged
holiness.
For the Believer Who Sins: The great foundational truth respecting the
believer in relationship to his sins is the fact that his salvation
comprehends the forgiveness of all his trespasses past, present, and
future so far as condemnation is concerned (Romans 8:1; Colossians 2:13;
John 3:18, 5:24). Since Christ has vicariously borne all sin and since
the believer’s standing in Christ is complete, he is perfected forever
in Christ. When a believer sins, he is subject to chastisement from the
Father but never to condemnation with the world (1 Corinthians
11:31-32).
1 Corinthians 11:29-32
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.
Continuing in the Bible dictionary…
By confession the Christian is forgiven and restored to fellowship (1
John 1:9). It needs to be remembered that were it not for Christ’s
finished work on the stake and His present intercession in heaven, the
least sin would result in the sinner’s banishment from God’s presence
and eternal ruin. ~Unger’s Bible
Dictionary
Forgiveness ~from Nelson’s Bible Dictionary
God’s forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others, because grace
brings responsibility and obligation (Matthew 18:23-35-parable of the
unmerciful servant, Luke 6:37).
Luke 6:37
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be
condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.
Jesus placed no limits on the extent to which Christians are to forgive
their fellowmen (Matthew 18:22, 35; Luke 17:4).
Matthew 18:35
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your
hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ (Matthew
5:43-48; Mark 11:25).
Matthew 5:43-48
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour,
and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on
the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even
the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do
not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect.
Mark 11:25-26
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any:
that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your
trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven
forgive your trespasses.
Sermon – Part 2: Discerning the Body of Christ
In about 59 AD, Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians. The
church was having many problems. Among them was the fact that they had
forgotten about the Lord’s supper, the same supper you and I will take
shortly.
Let us read about it…
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.
Now, no one here is anything like those Corinthians but the verses have
an important admonition for every Spirit-begotten member of the Body of
Christ.
Discern the body of Jesus Christ.
My purpose today is to encourage each of us to…Discern the body of Jesus
Christ.
Jesus instituted two very important symbols that would help us to
discern His body. These symbols were very carefully chosen. They paint
pictures, they are tangible, they already had deep important meanings to
the people and they even represented certain aspects of prophecy.
Let’s hear Jesus institute those two symbols…
Matthew 26:26-28
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake
it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for
the remission of sins.
The symbols are clear: The bread and the wine. Let’s talk about each.
THE BREAD
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the key to unlocking an understanding
of the reality of God’s love and mercy for His creation.
The pain of the scourging must have been as much mental as physical.
Unleavened bread represents the sinlessness of Christ and the purity of
His word.
The broken bread represents the broken body of Jesus Christ and so
represents His Lordship over all life and over all matters of physical
and mental health.
Matthew 8:16-17
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were
possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and
healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,
saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
He takes our infirmities and bears our sicknesses.
1 Peter 2:24-25
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye
were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
He Himself said in John 6: “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink His blood, you have no life in you. My flesh is food indeed.
He who eats this bread will live forever.” See John 6:53-58.
Thus the bread represents not only physical strength but, much more,
spiritual strength.
That is why Jesus calls Himself, “the bread of life” and, “the living
bread which came down from heaven.”
Turn to John 6 and verse 48.
John 6:48-51
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of
this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
This is why Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our
daily bread (Matthew 6:11). Christ was talking not about just bread but
Himself.
Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. “Beth” means house.
“lehem” means bread. Christ was born in the “House of Bread.” There is
your prophecy.
In Matthew 26:26, Jesus says, “Take, eat; this is My body.” When you
take that bread, remember, in gratitude all that Jesus suffered on your
behalf.
Offer your own silent prayer that His Health and strength be within you
and all Christians everywhere.
THE WINE
The wine, of course is the blood of Jesus Christ. We read this in
Matthew 26 and verse 27.
Matthew 26:27-28
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for
the remission of sins.
The questions someone might ask you is, “What does the blood of Jesus
Christ do for us?”
1] It forces sin into remission. We
just read it.
Matthew 26:28
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for
the remission of sins.
2] The blood bought us.
Acts 20:28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood.
1 Corinthians 6:20 says that we were “bought with a price.”
3] We are justified by His blood
Romans 5:9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him.
4] The blood redeems us.
Ephesians 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace.
5] The blood purges our consciences from dead works.
Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?
6] The blood cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin.
7] The blood lets us enter into the holiest place before the throne of
God.
Hebrews 10:19
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus.
Christ was bold and through His blood, we can be so bold as to come
before the throne of God.
And if we can be that bold, then we can come to the Passover/Lord’s
Supper and boldly take of that bread and that wine.
Let us all do what Christ has commanded and encouraged us to do:
Discern the body of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:28
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and
drink of that cup. |
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