BY STEVE BUCHANAN
To begin as I usually do, I would like to ask if you would turn to John chapter 13, John chapter 13.
As has already been mentioned a couple of times, we are within just a little more than four weeks of this coming Passover. Now what I have to discuss today is going to be tailored pretty much to those who are taking Passover. But for those who are not baptized, these principles still apply to what you understand and what you’re able to see.
In John 13, begin reading here with verse 12. We’re going to break into the thought. Jesus has laid aside His garments and He has washed the disciples’ feet. Verse 12, He says,
John 13:12. So when He had
washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do
you know what I have done to you? 13)
“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14) “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your
feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15) “For I have given you an example, that
you should do as I have done to you.
As we know, the physical act of washing the disciples’ feet was a symbol. It symbolized something. And as He said to His disciples there that He asked the question: “Do you know what I have done to you?” There’s no way they could have understood the significance of this event.
Verse 16.
John 13:16. “Most assuredly,
I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent
greater than he who sent him. 17) “If
you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
If we understand that deeply, we’re blessed.
Thinking back for those of us who are baptized, who have experienced Passover, thinking back to my first Passover. And I think about the question that Jesus Christ asked. There’s no way I understood the significance of this service. There’s no way that I saw the responsibility that Jesus Christ was giving to His Family with this service.
But fulfilling it as Christ intended, we understand it takes time. It takes circumstance. It takes experience. It takes God at the head, Jesus Christ Himself through His Spirit to teach us how to do this, what it symbolizes. Even today, no matter how many Passovers that we have been through, can any of us say that we keep it as He did? That we follow His example in every case?
If you turn to Luke chapter 22, Luke chapter 22 and I’ll begin reading here with verse 14. It said
Luke 22:14. When the hour
had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15) Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat
this Passover with you before I suffer:
16) “For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled
in the
And again for this moment keep in mind that this body was given for you. It was given for me. Keep this in mind. As we get toward the end of this message, I hope that this will bring greater significance than what it does even at first reading.
Luke 22:19b. “This is My
body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Verse 20.
Luke 20:22. Likewise He also
took the cup after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in My
blood, which is shed for you.
As Christ states, the symbols of the bread and the wine were given for you and for me. Eventually when that sacrifice is applied to all mankind, this one sacrifice, this broken body, this shed blood will be for all. Specifically as Luke is inspired to write here, it is commanded that the bread be taken in remembrance of Christ. The emphasis of the symbols that we have seen so far, Christ specifically places the emphasis on Himself. Many times throughout Christ’s ministry He will deflect attention back to the Father, but for this service, He intentionally focuses our attention on Him and the significance of what He did.
I’d like to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 11, 1 Corinthians
chapter 11. This is a section of
Scripture that’s read often prior to Passover.
Beginning with verse 23, Paul is here to correct a situation that’s
present in the
1 Corinthians 11:23. 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;
So he is repeating what Jesus Christ said to him directly. This is instructions from Him.
Verse 24.
1 Corinthians 11:24. And when
He had given thanks, He broke it and
said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you;
Again the emphasis “for you!”
1 Corinthians 11:24b. do
this in remembrance of Me.”
Paul goes on in verse 25 to say,
1 Corinthians 11:25. In the
same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This
cup is the new covenant in My blood.
This do, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of Me.”
Same instruction!
1 Corinthians 11:26. For as
often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death
till He comes.
Again verse 26, keep in mind what this is. In times past I have read this verse and
thought that as the
Because of the seriousness of this service, because of the focus Jesus Christ Himself placed on it and Paul conveys here, Paul now begins in verse 27 to give us instruction on how to prepare for this. Verse 27.
1 Corinthians 11:27. Therefore
whoever eats this bread or drinks this
cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner
If you have The Authorized Version, it will say,
“unworthily.”
I just want to pause. I think we all understand this. There’s absolutely not one of us that can appear before God “worthy” on this night. I am not worthy. I am not worthy to walk through these doors and sit in His presence on His Sabbath day. It is the shed blood of Christ that has reconciled and made possible a relationship.
But what he is talking about and as it’s correctly translated here in The New King James “in an unworthy manner.” You approach this service in an attitude and in a frame of mind that is not respectful. It’s not reverent of what these symbols symbolize. It’s not in remembrance of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:27. Therefore
whoever eats this bread or drinks this
cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord. 28) But let a man examine
himself,
And this word has the meaning to try, to put to the test, or to discern.
And isn’t our whole lives once we were baptized, once we begin this process, doesn’t this describe our entire conversion process? That we take our lives apart and we analyze based on what God reveals as what is right compared to who we are and what we are as far as what is wrong and what needs to change?
But on this night, considering the manner in which we come before God is what’s being spoken of.
1 Corinthians 11:28. But let
a man examine himself, [then] let him eat of [that] bread and drink of the
cup. 29) For he who eats and drinks in
an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself,
The Authorized Version has a little stronger language
here. It can mean “judgment.” It can mean “condemnation.” It can mean “damnation.” It is a serious thing to appear before God at
this service in an irreverent manner.
1 Corinthians 11:29. For he
who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself,
Not to anyone else. This is an individual thing.
1 Corinthians 11:29b. not
discerning the Lord’s body.
This particular word “discerning” has the meaning to separate thoroughly.
I want to think about that for a moment. The Bible that we have, we’ve heard it spoken and described this way so many times that this is the Word of God. This is Jesus Christ Himself in print. Again during our conversion process, we take this Bible and we section it in part. It’s here a little. It’s there a little. We try to put it together. And we come to conclusions as far as from God’s perspective what is right, what we have to change, and what we follow.
In a sense in discerning the Lord’s body, in discerning what He has done, it involves that. It’s separating thoroughly. It’s understanding everything that took place and applying it back to us.
1 Corinthians 11:29. For he
who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself,
Why? Because he did not discern the Lord’s body! Again we have done this for our continual conversion process, but for preparation of this night the time was not taken to consider it. The preparation wasn’t done.
Verse 30.
1 Corinthians 11:30. For
this reason many are weak and sick
among you, and many sleep.
Verse 31.
1 Corinthians 11:31. For if
we would judge ourselves,
The same Greek word that is defined as “discerning” in verse 29! If we would take ourselves apart, if we would separate it thoroughly and examine it, we would not be judged—krino, the Greek word. That word that we talk about so often. This is God’s judgment of us as an individual. If we would have discerned the body of Christ, if we would have discerned ourselves in preparation for this service, God would not have to judge us and chastise us in the way that Paul is referring to here.
Verse 32.
1 Corinthians 11:32. But
when we are judged [by God], we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be
condemned with the world.
It’s obvious for us to examine ourselves as Christ intended. By the instructions that we’ve been given so far, we can’t do on our own. It requires God to reveal to us what is truth. It requires God to show us where we are wrong. And the only way that can happen is for Him to show us what is right. And then He has to cause situations and circumstances in our lives to where we desire change. We desire to get it out. That’s what They do for us even in this preparation.
If left only to ourselves to test ourselves, if I was to rely on myself to test myself for this Passover, I guarantee you I would find a way to justify my actions. I would find a way to justify who I am. There is a reason for every mistake I make. This person did that. This situation occurred and it required me to act this way.
We are quickly approaching Passover this year, as was mentioned, four weeks from this coming Tuesday evening.
I’m going to ask several questions as we go through. How important is it to us individually to prepare for this evening? How important is it to do it in the way Christ expects of us? That God expects from us? How well do we examine ourselves? Or maybe better yet said how deep are we willing to go? Is it possible that we can take this service for granted? Especially if it’s our twentieth, our thirtieth, our fortieth Passover! I don’t think there’s anybody here with forty. But is it possible to just consider this another Passover without considering the seriousness of the service?
In looking back at my life at every single Passover, I try to prepare myself. But I have to be honest as I stand before you. There were times I could have done so much more to honor what Christ did in remembrance of Him. I will not accept that anyone with God’s Spirit would ever do this intentionally. I don’t believe that. I won’t believe that! I believe everyone will do what they can with what they’re given to understand.
But the question always will come back to us as individuals for this evening: How do we examine ourselves? What process do we go through? Is it something well just whatever I have up here? That I just a quick gloss over of who I am and what I am? How much time do we invest in this? Do we really want to see what’s in us? No matter how ugly it might get? Do we really want to come face to face with who we are?
Perhaps our preparation would be to start with the Ten Commandments, the statutes, the judgments to grasp, to understand where we might slip up, what needs to change. Perhaps we would focus in on John 13:34. That new commandment that Christ gave that “you are to love one another as I have loved you.” Perhaps we would go to Galatians 5 and we would talk about the fruits of the Spirit. That one who has God’s Spirit, if they’re following the lead of it, if they are truly putting into practice what’s revealed as truth, then there are effects that should be seen, positive effects from God’s perspective. In the same chapter there are works of the flesh that we can read through that perhaps surface in our lives that we need to get rid of. Perhaps what we focus on is what we’ve learned since last Passover. All of these areas are good. There’s nothing wrong with any of them. But for me this year, all of these areas are good areas to begin.
But again, I ask, “How deep are we willing to go? How much do we really want to see? Do we really want to see what God can show? Do we really want to change to make our lives the mirror example of Jesus Christ? Or will we come up with reasons to skirt issues? How will all of these questions prepare us to take the Passover this year? I thought about, in my own life, thinking about what’s in me. And do I really want to see what God can show?
And there are several men in the audience here that I know that—I’ll call them “comrades in battle”—that went through a situation. If any of you have been involved in a ball team, you go through that as a team. You train. You get in shape. You do that together. You look at one another as a common ally, a teammate, one who’s willing to put in the work to make it possible to be part of the team. So you have something in common you understand. You can talk about.
There was a situation in Church that several of us went through and believe me as I pulled this book out, floods of memories began to come back. It’s amazing to me that I can forget what happened last week, but there are some things that happened so many years ago you remember it like it was yesterday.
And I thought I would just bring this. For those of you who have ever been part of this, you know what this is. This is fear [laughter] in print! I don’t know anybody—and I’m sorry for those who maybe just have the tape and don’t have the video, I’m holding up a Spokesman’s Club Manual.
I can remember in Church whenever I was younger the announcement going out trying to drum up membership, “Please join.” And Mr. Smith was in the area at the time. And, of course, he made me feel guilty. And I would go back and I signed the list. And as the time got closer for the year to begin, I found a reason and I didn’t go. And the second year, the same thing! I need to go sign my name. And as the year started, I didn’t go. Again I found a reason not to go. The third year—and many of you here know Mr. Smith very well. You know how he is. The third year, same thing! I signed the list. After services one day here he comes with a piece of paper. He said, “Steve, you signed the list. You’re coming this year.” So I didn’t have a choice. Did I want to go? No.
But those men who have gone through that I have to say I haven’t met very many who wanted to go. I haven’t met anybody who enjoyed getting up and giving a speech or handing Topics or Toastmaster or fulfilling a responsibility. It’s meant to make an individual more well-rounded, more confident, fellowship amongst the people that attend.
But again, the memories that I have, especially as far as speeches, I just remember saying to God, “Please, help me to get the flu [laughter]. I don’t want to go. I don’t want this!” I cannot tell you how much I hated the thought of this. And that wasn’t the end of it because once you gave the speech one of your fellow spokesmen in the ears for everybody to hear was going to evaluate you. And they are told, “Do not whitewash. Do not get up there and just say what a great guy he is and let it go.” But you had to come up with a constructive criticism. You had to come up with something to work on. So after you give your speech, well now here they come. They’re going to let you know where you’re wrong. It’s for everybody to hear. And if that’s not enough, after the speeches and evaluations are over, the director gets up and he’s going to evaluate you.
Needless to say, as I look back and especially while I was going, I wanted my evaluator to stand up and say, “What a great job! Super!” Pat me on the back. Make me feel good about myself. I did not want to hear what was wrong. I did not want to go. I wanted no part of this.
The reason why I bring this up is why do we study Scripture? What’s God’s purpose? His purpose is to show us what’s wrong. And perhaps it’s not spoken amongst all our peers, all our brothers and sisters there in the Church. But it’s said to me, my faults, coming face to face with who I am. And this is life. This is God’s purpose for me drawing breath is coming to see what is wrong in me. But it does not stop there. That’s just a beginning.
Did I go to club for right reasons? No. I went because I had to. And I had to bring this because once Spokesman’s Club was over, Graduate Club begins [laughter.] And the bad thing about this is you give twelve speeches, you start over again. You never graduate from this one.
But I think the point I’m trying to make is clear. We learned public speaking. None of us wanted to do it. We learned to have an introduction, an SPS, a body, and a conclusion. I still write out my notes from what I learned, introduction, SPS, body, conclusion. I still do that. That’s what I’ve learned. Each speech had their individual lessons. We tried to do what was required. But was my desire to be a good public speaker? No. It wasn’t. My job, what I wanted to do was to pass it and get out because I never wanted this.
My point in examining ourselves for Passover is: Are we examining ourselves for the right reason? Is it truly to see who we are? Or are we looking for ways to pat ourselves on the back? I did great this year. Do we want people to come up to us and say, “What a great person you are”? We feed on that.
What does this examination have to do with taking the
symbols in remembrance of Christ? They
asked me earlier what my title was and I think I told them Prepare For Passover. And
there I have Our Passover Preparation. Same thing.
But the title that I have is Our
Passover Preparation.
I’d like to go to Luke chapter 9, Luke chapter 9 and start here with verse 43. This is after Christ had healed a boy that the disciples were not able to do anything with. Christ was able to do it. In verse 43,
Luke 9:43. And they were all
amazed at the majesty of God. But while
everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples.
Now if Christ were to be here and He would say these words to you, I think all of our reaction would be to be sitting on the edge of our seat and listen to what is going to happen. He said,
Luke 9:44. “Let these words
sink down into your ears,
“You better take note of what I’m about to say.”
Luke 9:44b. for the Son of
Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45) But they did not understand this saying,
and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were
afraid to ask Him about this saying.
And immediately, verse 46,
Luke 9:46. Then a dispute
arose among them as to which of them would be the greatest.
How many times in our life where something important is said, something important that we grasp from the Word of God that all of a sudden we turn around and we forget? Maybe we just didn’t get the significance. Maybe we didn’t really try to get the significance. Perhaps God has chosen not to reveal it yet.
But the reason I read this is this is the tendency of human nature. It’s the tendency to turn away, to do what we’ve always done, what we’ve proved is right before. We don’t want to change. We want to believe we’re right.
Turn to John chapter 16. John chapter 16, I’ll begin reading here with verse 5. A process began with a great gift after Christ died and was resurrected. In verse 5,
John 16:5. “But now I go
away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6) “But because I have said these things to
you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7)
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It
is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will
not come to you; but if I depart, I will send [it] to you. 8) “And when [it] has come, [it] will convict
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
I want to stop because as we read through this it’s almost as if the Spirit is doing this separate from God. That it’s an entity. It works on its own. The Spirit is the power that emanates from God. God gives command. The Spirit does the command. So any teaching that happens comes from God. He directs something to happen and the Spirit does the work. You can read back in Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 the Spirit hovered over the waters. God said, “Let there be light.” The Spirit was what it was that restored light.
Verse 9.
John 16:9. “Of sin, because
they do not believe Me;
And as we read through these scriptures, apply it to yourself. What has the Spirit done for you? It convicts us of sin by what it reveals as what is right.
Verse 10.
John 16:10. “Of
righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11) “Of
judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12) “I still have many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now. 13) “However, when [it], the Spirit of truth,
has come, [it] will guide you into all truth;
And that’s according to God’s purpose, the timing, the specific truth, everything in an order from God, His plan for us as individuals.
John 16:13b. [it] will guide
you into all truth; for [it] will not speak on [its] own authority, but whatever [it] hears [under God’s direction] [it]
will speak; and [it] will tell you things to come. 14) “[It] will glorify Me, for [it] will take
of what is Mine and declare it to
you. 15) “All things that the Father has
are Mine. Therefore I said that [it]
will take of Mine and declare it to
you.
Perhaps as we began this way of life, we first learned things like the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Perhaps it was tithing, the Ten Commandments. When you think back about first learning those things, what were the things that we focused on? What are we allowed to do on the Sabbath? What are we not allowed to do on the Sabbath? When do the Holy Days begin? When do they end? It’s pretty much surface effect and action. What resulted was more of a letter of the law obedience. Over time, by God’s direction and through His Spirit, a deeper understanding has been revealed to us.
Please turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses we’re very familiar with beginning in verse 16.
2 Timothy 3:16. All
Scripture is given by inspiration of
God,
It’s God breathed. This is Jesus Christ in print. This is words that we can bank on that we can believe in.
2 Timothy 3:16b. and [this
word, this teaching] is profitable
for doctrine,
I’ve given definitions of these words before, but I want to add a little emphasis this time. The word for “doctrine” refers not only to that which is taught but also from whom it is given, our Teacher.
The problem that we have that we will always face from here till Christ return in the Church—and this is an example that has been given before—is that we have individuals that were once of our attendance that now believe that Jesus Christ is a created being. And we are here and we say that Jesus Christ was not a created being. This is the Word of the Old Testament.
But both sides believe that it’s God inspired truth and you cannot change it. You can talk with them. You can explain things to them, but if they believe it came from God, what are you going to do?
So this “doctrine” that is talked of here is what comes directly from God as far as what is right.
2 Timothy
This word has the meaning to convict one of sin by making the truth clear, also coming from God’s direction. He is pointing out the truth we need at this moment. He is making evident the sin that He wants us to take note of at that moment.
2 Timothy
This word has the meaning to restore to an upright position or a right state by God. We cannot restore ourselves. It is God that does this.
2 Timothy
And this word the training and discipline to apply what we learn from our Teacher in changing our lives.
Verse 17, all of this so
2 Timothy 3:17. That the man
of God may be complete [or mature], thoroughly equipped for every good work.
“Thoroughly equipped,” able to meet all demands is what that Greek word means. But it’s all the demands that God expects from us. It’s not about the demands that I think is expected from me. It’s the demands that God expects from us.
This is what Scripture is to accomplish continuously through our lives. It is by that Christ’s examples was provided through His Spirit under God’s direction and His timing that guide us in our individual examination and preparation for Passover as well as our conversion process. Through each of these steps God requires us. It’s not that He couldn’t do this all on His own, but He requires choices from us and actions to respond to what He reveals.
If you’ll turn back to Mark chapter 1, Mark 1. We’ll begin reading in verse 14. It says,
Mark
Almost the first words out of His mouth,
Mark
The direction is:
Mark 1:15b. Repent,
and believe in the gospel.”
Easy words to say! Mr. Armstrong said, “I remember many times that perhaps the hardest thing for any human being to do is to truly repent.” And it’s deep. It’s not just the surface things that we can see that we can do that’s wrong that we’re eventually going to get to.
Please turn to Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3 following Peter’s sermon when the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost in verse 17,
Acts
He understood they had no idea what they were doing.
Acts
You are going to have to choose to turn from the ways you believed, that you will justify. You’re going to have to turn from them and you are going to return to God. You’re going to have to return to the way He thinks. These are so simple for us to think about and talk about. But to do these things! Number one: to be willing to see what is really wrong the way God sees it. And then to want to change! These are dramatic things in an individual’s life.
In Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12, I’ll just read verse 21. It says,
Romans 12:21. Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
So we’ve seen repent, believe, be converted, overcome. We can turn to so many other Scriptures with instructions like this. But it’s not just about like the Protestant world will tell you that “Accept Christ and you’re saved. You don’t have to worry about the law; don’t have to worry about the change. Christ has done it for you.”
Stop for a moment! When we consider everything that’s expected of us, when we consider isolating here preparation for this year’s Passover and we talk about reading these words, when we talk about looking at who we are and what we are and seeing it as God sees it, everything that we’re talking about requires God to make it possible. Every aspect! Every step!
When we learn, when truth is revealed, do we just see actions and words and attitudes that need to change? Because if that’s all that we see, I don’t think that we’re getting to the purpose that God has in mind. Again, the same question: How deep are we willing to go? And do we really want to see what’s there?
The example that Paul gives in Romans 7 is where I want to go now. Paul’s example begins to get to a very deep heartfelt truth that every individual has to come to see as their reality, their struggle, their battle and become so much of a reality that they absolutely yield the entirety of their lives to Christ and to God the Father. Because there’s no other answer! In Romans 7 beginning with verse 13,
Romans 7:13. Has then what
is good become death to me? Certainly
not! But sin,
What God gives to him and reveals to him is good. It’s truth. But what it does it makes evidence of sin that’s in Paul’s life.
Romans 7:13b. sin, that it
might appear sin,
So no longer is it a truth that I believe in but now I recognize it as sin.
Romans
Verse 14, Paul begins a transition here. You might say in reading this first verse that he’s talking about actions and words, his dealings with people, surface things that need to change. Verse 14,
Romans 7:14. For we know
that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Notice he is not isolating an action. He’s not isolating a thought. This is getting into his very being!
Romans 7:15. For what I am
doing, I do not understand. For what I
will to do, that I do not practice;
God has revealed truth to him he knows he’s supposed to follow. But for whatever reason whether it’s an anger, whether it’s something in him it’s a reaction to things that results in a word or an action or an attitude that’s wrong.
Romans 7:15b. but what I
hate, that I do.
What I hate is what God has revealed as sin to me, but somehow someway I’m still practicing it!
Romans 7:16. If, then, I do
what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
Even though I still have these recurring weaknesses and problems and they still happen, I agree that the law is good. I have to change. And doesn’t that speak to all of us? Or we do not have all of these recurring problems that for whatever reason we know it’s not right, but we can still react with things that are wrong.
Romans 7:17. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin
that dwells in me.
He’s beginning to get to what’s behind all of the letter of the law infractions that we can see in our lives and that he certainly saw in his.
Verse 18.
Romans 7:18. For I know that
in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells;
Have we come to that point? Have I come to the point that every single thing in me is wrong? That I hate it? I could say that that’s true, but I don’t think it is. There are still so many things I see that I have to change and I see it by surface areas. But there’s something in me that’s bringing these to the surface. It’s me that’s the problem! It’s not this person that made me do that. It’s not this situation that caused this to rise out of me. The problem is in me. It’s my problem. And Paul is beginning to see this. No matter the decades of service Paul had, this is still his battle.
Romans 7:18b. for to will is
present with me,
I want to do what’s right.
Romans
Again, everything that we talk about requires God to supply, God to guide, God to correct, God to restore, God to continue to have mercy and to guide and direct. We are at His mercy. What Paul is coming to in verse 18, “to perform what is good I do not find.” It’s not in me. I can’t do that.
Verse 19.
Romans 7:19. For the good
that I will to do, I do not do; but
the evil I will not to do, that I
practice.
Is life today still about like it was for me in club and I just want people to tell me what a great guy I am? That I want the pat on the back? That I don’t want somebody to stand up and say that there’s anything wrong with me? Is there not still a desire for that in us? Don’t’ we want to know and be satisfied that we’re doing something that’s good? But do we have the same perspective that Paul is reaching down deep to gather here in himself?
Romans 7:20. Now if I do
what I will not to do, it is no
longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21) I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills
to do good. 22) For I delight in the law
of God according to the inward man. 23)
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
[at times] bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Again do we want to see this? Do we want to come face to face with who we are? There is not one of us that can’t put our name here! There’s not one of us better than another. We all today come into God’s presence in need of salvation. We need to be saved. We need to be salvaged. And somehow, someway to try to get through this saying, “I’m okay,” or “I’m better than this person,” or “We’re better than those people.” It doesn’t get that. That’s not where God’s leading.
Verse 24.
Romans 7:24. O wretched man
that I am!
Paul is coming face to face with the reality for him where God had led him.
Romans 7:24b. Who will
deliver me from this body of death?
And if we just focus on what we see, what God reveals is inside of us, it’s so easy to throw our hands up and say, “What’s the use? I can’t do this?” But again by what Christ provides, what we feel through this Spirit, verse 25,
Romans 7:25. I thank God—through
Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the
mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Paul was led to see the cause of all of those surface sins was in him. It could not be blamed anywhere else. This paints the picture of all of our reality. This is speaking of you. It’s speaking of me. I can’t run from this. I can’t hide from this. If God shows this, there’s a purpose in it. And what does He require? Repent! Believe! Be converted! Overcome! Put forth every bit of effort I can but relying on God to guide and lead and provide the strength that I don’t have. He requires us to desire this, to see the need for it.
Please turn to Matthew chapter 5. These are some of the first instructions that Christ gave and was termed as “The Sermon on the Mount.” And I want to see what point He drives home. Verse 21.
Matthew 5:21. “You have
heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,
Surface sin—it’s obvious we shouldn’t do it. There’s no doubt about that.
Matthew 5:21b. and whoever
murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
22) “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
He gets down to what’s inside of an individual!
What is it that generates murder? One of the very first examples in dealing with sins—go back to Genesis chapter 4. We can say that most all of the people that are listed in the Old Testament were not given the opportunity to have God’s Spirit. That’s true. But I want to notice the Word’s instruction to Cain. And I want to see again where He immediately goes to address Cain’s problem. In Genesis chapter 4 beginning in verse 3,
Genesis 4:3. And in the
process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of
the ground to the Lord.
Now if you want to go through the sacrifices, this is going to be termed what is called “a meal sacrifice.” This is “a meal” to be shared. There’s no shed blood. This is not a sin offering. So Cain is coming with an attitude before God. “I’m okay. We’re okay,” sort of thing. He may be very thankful, very sincere.
Genesis 4:4. Abel also
brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
He came with a blood offering. It was going to require the life. He saw himself as needing that. He saw sin that he needed to get past.
Both of these two individuals approaching God in completely different attitudes!
Verse 5.
Genesis 4:5. But He [being
the Word] did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance
fell. 6) So the Lord said to Cain,
He didn’t say, “All you got to do is just bring an animal and kill it. Do the surface stuff and everything will be okay.” That wasn’t the correction. He went to the core. He said,
Genesis 4:6b. “Why are you
angry?
“What is it in you that’s generating this?” He wanted to bring it to Cain’s attention that Cain could see it and that Cain would respond to it and react like God desired him to.
Genesis 4:6 cont. And why
has your countenance fallen?
Ponder the questions. When we think of our lives and we react in anger, do we just say, “I got to stop that? If I say something I shouldn’t, if I do something I shouldn’t, I got to stop that,” instead of asking the question: Where is it coming from? Why do I get angry? Why does that word used that shouldn’t be? Why does the action act out that shouldn’t be?
Verse 7.
Genesis 4:7. “If you do
well, will you not be accepted? And if
you do not do well, sin lies at the door.
And its desire is for you, but
you should rule over it.”
He even told Cain, “You should rule over this.” Cain was someone who was given the opportunity to see, to change, but he chose not to. And God did not stop him. Sometimes in our lives God makes evident what needs to change. He reveals the deepness in us that causes the problem and He gives us time to think about it. And He says, “Repent! Change! Be converted! Come back to Me.” But sometimes He lets us go on with what comes out of us and we suffer the penalty and the consequence for it. Again not focusing just on the surface but what runs deep.
If you turn back to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. The apostle Paul with the instructions he
gave, the proper instructions that he received from Christ, he brought this to
the Church at
1 Corinthians 11:17. Now in
giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.
They were told this was the day to keep Passover. This is the day we need to be there. This is what we need to do. But they didn’t come prepared to take Passover.
Verse 18.
1 Corinthians 11:18. For
first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are
divisions among you, and in part I believe it.
19) For there must also be factions among you, that those who are
approved [might] be recognized among you.
20) Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to
eat the Lord’s Supper. 21) For in
eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
It’s just another Passover. It’s one like we kept last year and the year before.
Verse 22.
1 Corinthians 11:22. What!
Paul is just—he’s probably beside himself. “With all the instruction and all the teaching that you guys received, the Spirit from God, you’re kidding me! You’re still fighting these problems?”
1 Corinthians 11:22b. Do you
not have houses to eat and drink in? Or
do you despise the
My point in reading this is we don’t come together to eat a meal. We don’t get drunk. But can we come in the same attitude? Can we come again “just another Passover”? The one like we’ve been observing for twenty-thirty years. Can we come before God in a wrong way? Not thinking deeply about everything that we owe to God and to Jesus Christ just focusing on surface sins without truly who we are?
I don’t have the time to go there, but the preceding
chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 10; you could read verses 1 through 15. But there are five major sins that Paul cites
in Old Testament examples. They are
lust, idolatry, sexual immorality, tempting Christ, and murmuring. Now as we go down each of those—and again I
ask you—I don’t have the time. But go
back to the Old Testament examples and look at the details of what ancient
If you’ll turn to Romans chapter 7, Romans chapter 7. Once again what Paul said.
Romans 7:24. O wretched man
that I am! Who will deliver me from this
body of death?
It will come down to what is inside us, what we want to believe ahead of what God teaches. It will come down to—believe it or not—placing ourselves above God. I do not believe, again I will not believe there is anyone who has the Spirit of God who will ever knowingly do that. I will never believe that.
But can it happen? If we take for granted, once again, coming before Christ, coming to accept these symbols and what they represent. How will we prepare for Passover this year? How deep will we discern our Lord’s body? How deep will we discern ourselves to thoroughly take it apart and to get to the core of the problem?
To sit in church today in this day and time when we look around and we see so many Churches of God and it was several years ago, many years ago, that I saw how many splinter groups had arisen out of the Worldwide Church of God. And at that point it was up to seven hundred and something. And today, like I said, many years later more splinter groups.
And I say this from my heart. This is me talking. I can’t see God looking down and being happy with us as His people. Because all of this happened because of what’s inside of us. There are spiritual powers at work. There are spiritual beings in high places that’s involved and allowed to come in with false teachings that God allows as tests that we are supposed to go through. But I can’t see—again me speaking—I can’t see God looking down and smiling and saying, “Well this group’s okay, but this group’s not.”
Turn to Matthew chapter 22. (I’m sorry I got off on that. It’s my own thinking there.) When it comes down to it, to see what is really inside of us, it comes to—believe it or not—breaking the greatest commandment that there is. Verse 36.
Matthew 22:36. “Teacher,
which is the [greatest] commandment
in the law?” 37) Jesus said to him, “‘You
shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
What Paul described in Romans 7 and what we can see in ourselves is us not doing that. It’s still us that rises above God and tells God where He is wrong. The greatest commandment! Sometimes without us even realizing that we’re doing it, we could be guilty of breaking it.
Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 10. Instruction not only in the New Testament but in the Old. Verse 12.
Deuteronomy 10:12. “And now,
Only capable here of observing the letter of the law for the most part.
Deuteronomy 10:12. “And now,
Not part of them! But
Deuteronomy 10:12b. all His
ways and to love Him,
And how did Jesus phrase that “this is how I know that they will love Me”? “That they will follow My commands.”
Deuteronomy
Again I’m not one that can stand in front of you and say that I do this. I don’t. I wish I could say that there was one complete day, just one day, where twenty-four hours I served the Lord with all my heart! But there’s still things inside of me that get in the way. The reactions, what I truly believe that has not been changed yet.
Luke chapter 18.
What we have read so far from God’s Word for me it’s brought into light a little bit more of the reality for me. It’s not just about that I have to change this word or I have to change this action. But it’s coming to the reality that my problem is in me. I can’t blame it on someone else. It’s mine. It’s me.
And I’ve come to the reality that I can’t change it. Much like Paul said—what am I supposed to do—“Oh wretched man that I am! How shall I escape this body of death?” How can I do this? Hopefully—this has happened to me, but hopefully as we prepare for Passover that this can happen to all of us.
In verse 14 at again the end of this parable,
Luke 18:14. “I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
And this is God speaking. This is God’s purpose. This is God’s plan. It’s His direction.
Luke 18:14b. [whoever]
exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Let’s go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. This is where we began. Toward the beginning of the sermon, not the first verse that we turned to. But emphasis for this Passover and based on what we have covered, I want to emphasize certain things. Beginning here with verse 23, Paul’s instruction.
1 Corinthians 11:23. 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; 24)
And when He had given thanks, He broke it
and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you;
As much as we come to see in ourselves that’s ugly that we don’t want to be made public, God’s aware of it. He was aware of it when He called us. He was aware of everything. There’s nothing hidden.
Christ gave His body to be broken for me with all that I see. He’s given it to you broken for you with no matter what you see.
His command:
1 Corinthians 11:24b. do
this in remembrance of Me.
Think about what He has done for us.
Verse 25.
1 Corinthians 11:25. In the
same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This
cup is the new covenant in My blood.
This do, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of Me.”
He gave His life for you knowing who you were. He gave it for me knowing what I am. No matter what we see, we still only see a part. He gave Himself for the totality that is wrong in us that we haven’t had revealed to us yet.
In verse 26.
1 Corinthians 11:26. For as
often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,
[Crying.] Never know when these things are going to happen!
1 Corinthians 11:26b. you
proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
No matter what I see in me, He gave Himself for me. He kneeled down and He washed my feet. He gave His body to be broken. He spilled His blood.
As He can see everything that is in us, how will we appear at Passover this year? How will we prepare? What are we willing to see? Will it just be another Passover? Or will this be as special to us as it is to Him?
Transcribed by kb