BY HAROLD LEE
For those of you that are counting, six weeks from last night God’s people will be gathered together to take the Passover. And, of course, we know, we that are participating in that, know the deep meaning of that, the symbols of Jesus Christ’s broken body and His blood. And by participating in that event that is commanded, we are reconfirming that covenant that we have made with God at baptism. Six weeks from tonight we will be coming together for the Night to be Much Observed and ushering in the first Holy Day of the new year. Six weeks, I don’t know where time goes.
But, Brethren, those that God has drawn to Himself and entered into that covenant that’s binding on both sides know that our lives do truly revolve around the Holy Days, even our physical lives revolve around it. If you consider that, we plan our year based on them. We, all that are employed, have to turn in our vacation schedules for the year so that the managers can make sure that there’s coverage. And we, usually at the first of the year, we have already planned that time and have already made them aware of what our needs are. And we center that around those commanded assemblies.
Many of us have already started making preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles and have even made the reservations for the Feast. I think it was mentioned last week in the announcements that our room occupancy commitment in obtaining so that we can obtain the meeting space is already half filled. So many people have already made their Feast reservations.
I believe that all of the meeting spaces for all the Holy
Days that we keep locally for this year have already been planned and the
contracts have been entered into with all of the establishments throughout the
year. The reason I bring that up is
there’s perhaps a question as why do we countdown the Spring Holy Days and not
the others? And traditionally, I think
it was perhaps first mentioned last week about the seven weeks, but
traditionally we even start even maybe three months before and not a formal
countdown but just a reminder countdown.
But there might be a question, well, why do we do that? We don’t do that for Pentecost. We don’t do that for the Feast of
Tabernacles. But if you consider in a
physical sense the physical preparation of the Feast of Tabernacles and the
other Holy Days take preparation, they take travel. I think there’s already been two trips made
to
I’ll just give you just a little glimpse behind the
scenes. The music for the Feast and the
choir starts in the spring. Music has to
be selected. Tapes are made in all of
the different voices for the choir.
Those have to be made. They’re
mailed out along with the music to all the prospective members. There are a couple of trips. I know because Mrs. Buchanan does the
piano. She makes one or two trips to
All of us are commanded to appear before God on those designated days which have already been marked out and arrangements made. And we are commanded not to appear before God empty, empty handed. I would be willing to say the majority of us have already started preparing for that part of our worship of God and the Holy Day offerings that are commanded that we traditionally take up on those times. And some, perhaps, even budget that out throughout the year and divide it by the Holy Days.
So again, you say, “Well, why do we just do it for this one?” And yet if you really think, we countdown in different ways to all of the Holy Days depending on our participation in it and the level of that or what we’re participating in that we start a year or perhaps even two years in advance. I know we’ve already started discussing—and there’s no formal part—but we’ve already started discussing the Feast in 2009. I think Mr. Buchanan mentioned that at the Feast last year. Well, 2008 is going to be later but perhaps in 2009 there’s going to be other options. So again, these are things that we prepare for very far in advance.
The Spring Holy Day Season, however, is very unique of the three seasons for all individuals and specifically the Passover because it requires all of us to directly participate in it. In other words, there are parts of the Holy Days that we’re maybe—and I don’t want to use this in the wrong way—we’re observers in that we go and we participate in, that we are present but perhaps not functioning in that in a role say whether it be music or whatever and those probably would not be as affected by that. But Passover requires every one of us to participate. Again, it is a covenant that was entered into, that we entered into with God and Jesus Christ and He requires us to commemorate that and participate in it year after year.
Look over in 1 Corinthians 11.
Today is going to just be sort of—I want to just some concepts in our minds of how to start on this countdown, ways that we can prepare ourselves. Now this is not going to be a here’s how to unleaven your house. We’ve been around most of us for many, many, many years and probably everyone knows how to do that. This is not going to be different aspects to look at in your spiritual life but I want to give just an overview approach. Where would we start and when we do start what should be on our mind? What should we be thinking? So it’s at a very high level. But this is nothing that you have not heard before.
1 Corinthians 11 and verse 23, Paul writes
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; do this in remembrance of Me.”
And again, we’re going to read this I know. I’m sure, I should say, on Passover night as one of the traditional Scriptures.
Continuing on in 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
And The New Living Translation says “every time.”
1 Corinthians 11:25b. you
drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26) For as often as you eat this bread and
drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Brethren, very sadly there’s going to be some that will not be together commemorating the Passover on the night that He was betrayed but some other time. There’s been some that have been seduced by very clever arguments perhaps. And I can’t judge but due to intellectual vanity, they’ve erred and convinced themselves that this, in my mind, unambiguous Scripture doesn’t mean what it clearly says. One of the human reasoning arguments that is used is “Well, Jesus wanted them to keep the Passover the next afternoon at the same time the lamb was to be killed but since He was going to be crucified, He was unable to do that. So He had to do it the night before.” The only problem with that is He didn’t mention it to the disciples that night after He was resurrected.
As I mentioned, Paul and Paul is clearly the writer of this epistle. He identifies himself in chapter 1 verse 1 of it. And he says he also received this directly from Christ Himself. Now remember Paul wasn’t there as a personal, I’m going to say real time witness of that night. And there’s two possible ways that he could have known what happened that evening. One is he heard about it from the other apostles. And if it had happened, he would have said, “I heard this from John,” or “I heard this from Peter who was there.” And the other one is is he heard it directly from Jesus Christ who was there that night. And this is what he states. He very accurately recounted the events of the offering of and the taking of the symbols of the bread representing Christ’s broken body and the cup that was passed representing His blood.
Now this all happened while Paul, who was still named Saul, was persecuting the Church and taking the followers and throwing them into prison. He was vehement against what the Church stood for. Don’t turn there but Acts 9. If you will remember when Paul was struck, he was on his way to Damascus with letters from the high priest to arrest and bring back with him to Jerusalem those that were following the teachings of this upstart Jesus who claimed to be the Christ. And, according to the scholars, that was five years after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection and ascension.
If Jesus had intended for the time to have been changed, surely He would have told Paul who was not a witness. In other words, as He was delivering this five, six, seven years after it happened directly one on one, don’t you think He would have said to Paul, “Now we did it that night but we really wanted to do it the next day”? But Paul clearly was inspired to say, “On the night He was betrayed,” and he recounted the events. And again, if that was what He intended, He had many opportunities. Christ had many opportunities to convey that to them. And again, Brethren, we’re just children. We are just—and I hope I don’t offend anyone—we’re just unsophisticated children. And if that was what He wanted to do, He would have had to have made that clear to us. And yet, some by applying reasoning and stuff come to that, clearly in my mind, ignoring those overriding, as again unambiguous statements. Paul said it was on the night He betrayed. And he stated that he got that from Christ not only there. Skip forward to 1 Corinthians 15 just a couple of chapters. Because again, he not only said this once but notice what he says here. 1 Corinthians 15 and starting in verse 3, he says
1 Corinthians 15:3. For I
delivered to you first of all that which I also received:
So again, he states it again that, “Look, what I’m giving you was what was given to me.”
1 Corinthians 15:3b. that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4) And that He was buried, and that He rose
again the third day according to the Scriptures,
Now consider this. The Scriptures he’s referring to were not the gospel accounts. This was not what he was talking about which had not been published and in some cases had not even been written. He was talking about the prophetic pronouncements of the Old Testament that had been fulfilled. And he received directly from Christ that those prophecies had been fulfilled exactly as they had been written many years before. His statement here is really a support of the prophetic accuracy of the Old Testament Scriptures rather than the historical accuracy of the New Testament Scriptures which were still in the process of being written. But it was inspired to say He did this according to the Scriptures.
Okay back to 1 Corinthians 11. We’ll pick it up in verse 27. He says
1 Corinthians 11:27. Therefore
After he gives the symbols, he said, “Therefore.” And that Greek word “therefore” is the Greek
word—and I’m going to try to pronounce it—hoste. And what it means is wherefore, or insomuch
as or based—and these are my words now—based on the previous facts that we just
read, the following conclusion may be reached.
Again, that’s many words for that.
As a result of the previous, the following statement can be made.
1 Corinthians 11:27. Therefore
whoever eats this bread or drinks this
cup of the Lord
And obviously talking about the Passover symbols that he had just reiterated in the verse before.
1 Corinthians 11:27b. in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and [the] blood of the Lord.
Have you ever considered that every person that’s ever lived or ever will live, in fact, is guilty of the body and the blood of Jesus Christ? We are just by the fact that we sin. Just by the fact that we ask for that.
Look over in Isaiah chapter 53, another very familiar Scripture that we spend time in leading up to the Passover. Isaiah 53 and starting in verse 3, it says
Isaiah 53:3. He is despised
and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we heard about that in the sermonette, the things that He very up close and personal that He saw, that He experienced.
Isaiah 53:3b. And we hid, as
it were, our faces from Him;
We could do a whole sermon on just those words, “We hid our faces from Him.” There is something in human nature that when someone starts to see that they’re wrong that there is guilt associated with that and that guilt causes us to hide. You go back to Adam and Eve and what did they do because of that guilt? They hid themselves from God. I will tell you and if your experience is different than my personal, let me know but when there is something that you are dealing with and you’ve sinned, it’s difficult to go to God. It’s difficult. Even though we know that we can boldly go before that, it’s difficult to go before God and to acknowledge that. That’s still perhaps the carnal part of me but I think that’s a human trait that anytime we miss the mark, anytime we sin, we tend to hide. We tend to try to get away. It’s not pleasant to have to face up to that and admit that. Again, a very common trait to all of us.
Isaiah 53:3b. And we hid, as
it were, our faces from Him; He was
despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4)
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him
stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
In other words, He bore our griefs. He bore our sorrows. Yet we said, “Well, He was smitten by God.”
Notice verse 5.
Isaiah 53:5. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement for our peace was upon
Him, and by His stripes we [were] healed.
And, Brethren, we’ve come to an understanding this is referring not only to a physical but to a much greater need for a sacrifice given for the spiritual healing of that great breach that is between man and God that we are responsible for. Not God but we are responsible for. And that sacrifice has the ability to heal that gulf that our sins and our wrong choices have created.
Just hold you finger there. Just go forward to Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59 verse 1, it says
Isaiah 59:1. Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it
cannot save; [neither] is His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
Verse 2.
Isaiah 59:2. But your
iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not
hear.
It’s what we have done that causes that separation, that causes that breach. It’s our sins. It’s our iniquities that separate us because remember God is perfect and He can’t and will not be in the presence of those.
Okay back to Isaiah 53.
But it’s a very personal one on one between God and me and God and you.
53 and verse 6, Isaiah 53 verse 6, it says
Isaiah 53:6. All we like
sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him [talking about
Jesus Christ] the iniquity of us all. 7)
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led
as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He
opened not His mouth. 8) He was taken
from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the
living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
“For the transgression of My people,” Brethren, that’s us! See we are guilty of the blood and the body of Christ and God did that. Due to our sins, our transgressions, our selfish acts and actions that are not only to satisfy our desires, our goals, our lust, we have required the body and the blood of the very Creator to be killed to pay the penalty for those. Again, I want to say it again. We are, in fact, guilty of requiring the blood and the body. And our only recourse is for God not to charge that to us because if He does, we’re going to be destroyed. If that repayment is demanded by God due to our lack of appreciation for what was done in our stead, we are all guilty. It’s not impugned to us because God accepts that sacrifice. Brethren, it’s a terrible, terribly high debt that we owe for that.
Last year—and I want to go through this again—I think it was year before last that Steve Buchanan in a sermon mentioned a parable. Be turning over to Matthew 18. I would like to rehearse it as I think it’s a very applicable parable to this subject. And this is pointing to the points that I want to make about our relationships with one another and how we treat one another and perhaps a very good template that we can use as we start that examination process. Matthew 18 verse 21, it says
Matthew 18:21. Then Peter
came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Of course, remember, I think seven has always been a special number. It even was not lost on them. And seven times was the number of perfection and completeness. So, you could count it up to seven and after you forgive him seven times, you’ve done your job. You’ve reached the perfect number. And perhaps that was in his mind was you can’t get any better than doing it seven times. And
Matthew 18:22. Jesus said
unto him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times
seven.
So He made the statement and then He wanted to put their forgiveness of their brother in a perspective that they could understand and that’s what He continued on.
Matthew 18:23. “Therefore
the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with
his servants. 24) “And when he had begun
to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
The magnitude of this was mentioned but I want to go through this. This is from a book Weights and Measures in the Bible. And I just want to read. It says
A talent is not a coin but a unit
of high value.
In other words, it’s a weight. There wasn’t a talent coin. It’s just as one of our people say, “It’s a googon of money.” It’s a lot.
And continuing on
Though the amount varied from time to time. A talent would have been worth about seventeen years of wages.
One talent. Now based on the debt—remember ten thousand talents—it would have taken him a hundred and seventy thousand years to pay the debt off, a hundred and seventy thousand years! Again, if that’s a year’s wages and he owed ten thousand. Now let’s bring it into today’s terms. Let’s just assume—and I just picked a number—fifty thousand. Let’s just assume that’s what you make, fifty thousand a year. That would represent eight and a half billion dollars. So based on today, if the king brought you before him and said, “Here’s what you owe,” it would be eight and a half billion.
Now I looked this up and I could be wrong but I think there’s only five people in the world today that have that kind of wealth. There’s four Americans and a German that could say, “Well, let me write you a check.” But five people in the whole world of what? Five billion people. That have that kind of wealth. That could actually pay that up. The rest of us, we would have to work a hundred and seventy thousand years. And that’s giving, forget what you need to live off of. That just signing your paycheck over to them every month a hundred and seventy thousand years. So you thought your thirty year mortgage was bad, huh? But that puts it in perspective.
Continuing on verse 25.
Matthew 18:25. “But as he
was not able to pay [Obviously.], his master commanded that he be sold with his
wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
So he foreclosed on the guy. And, of course, there’s many in this country right now that are going through that pain with their houses and they just get foreclosed. And they lose all of the equity that they have. His debts were called in. And he didn’t have the assets to pay it and everything including his family was to be sold to satisfy this debt.
Verse 26.
Matthew 18:26. “The servant
therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I
will pay you all.’
Notice the servant wasn’t asking for a release from the debt. He was asking for a chance to repay it. He was trying to keep his family intact. And consider this: he was trying to keep himself under the thumb of that master because that master was going to—in other words, he said, “Let me stay here. Let me work for you. Let me pay this off.” He was extremely desperate. He was going to lose his family even and who knows what would happen. They were going to be sold off apparently to perhaps different owners.
Verse 27.
Matthew 18:27. “Then the
master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him,
In other words, said, “Look, you’re free to go.”
Matthew 18:27b. and forgave
him the debt.
Now consider us. Consider what we do when we realize the debt that we’ve run up. And we go to God and we ask to be forgiven. And He does. He releases us. And He forgives that debt that was run up.
Now he said, “Look, let me try to pay this off. Let me stay with you. Let me keep my family. I’ll work for you the rest of my life and I will pay you off as well as I can.” That’s what he was asking. But the master said, “Look, I’m going to give you a second chance. I’m going to give you a chance. You’re free to go and the debt is just taken off the books. You no longer owe it. There’s no requirement to pay it off. I’m going to erase it and you have a clean slate.”
Verse 28.
Matthew 18:28. “But that
servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred
denarii;
I’ll read Weights and Measure from the Bible.
The most common silver coin in
circulation was the Roman denarius. In
some Bible versions it’s called a penny although its value was the equivalent
of a day’s wage for a laborer.
So a denarii was a day’s wages. So this person owed him a little over three month’s wages. Now again, let’s project that in today’s terms. If you were making fifty thousand a year, that debt’s about thirteen thousand six hundred and ninety-eight dollars. The debt was less than the cost of a new car. Those of you that go out and buy a new car, the debt that was owed to him was less than the cost of—let’s really get conservative. Let’s say it’s only twenty-five thousand dollars. So the debt would be about six or seven. You can’t even buy a Yaris for that. So again, we’re not talking about something that’s impossible. We’re just talking about—and I’m not making fun of Yarises. They just I think are inexpensive. Just try to put this in perspective. But the debt was sixteen thousand, six hundred ninety-eight dollars that was owed. Now he was just forgiven a debt of eight and half billion dollars and he is demanding that this guy pay him the thirteen thousand six hundred and ninety-eight dollars.
Now let me just quote. This is from the MSN Money article about How Does Your Debt Compare? And here’s what they say.
American consumers owed a grand total of one trillion, nine hundred and seventy-three million [on and on and on] in October of 2003.
Now this is not the federal debt. This is personal debt that Americans carry. It says
According to the latest statistics on consumer credit from the Federal Reserve, that is about $18,654 per household.
And that does not include your mortgage debt. That’s your other debt. That’s credit cards and stuff, $18,000.
Now that’s less than what was owed here. In other words, the debt that was owed to this person, the hundred denarii, was less than the debt that the average consumer today carries. And, of course, is expected to pay it off. So again, it’s not—it’s a doable amount. It is compared to the other ones fairly insignificant. Now remember the servant was forgiven a hundred and seventy thousand years of wages and he refused to forgive a hundred days of wages.
Let’s go back and complete it. And I’ll just start over in verse 28.
Matthew 18:28. “But that
servant went out [after being released from this 8.5 billion debt] and found
one of his fellow servants who owed him [Notice!] a hundred denarii, and he
laid hands on him and took him by the
throat,
He physically assaulted this guy. He didn’t go out and say, “Let’s talk. You owe me some money. And let’s discuss how we can do this.” He grabbed the guy by the throat, pulled him up I assume, got up in his face and said
Matthew 18:28b. ‘Pay me what
you owe!’
And I’m quoting out of the Bible. So he’s got him by the throat, pulled up into his face and said, “I want that $13,000 you owe me.”
Matthew 18:29. “So his
fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience
with me, and I will pay you the debt.’
30) “And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should
pay the debt. 31) “So when his fellow
servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came [back] and
told their master all that had been done.
32) “Then the master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked
servant! I forgave you all that debt
because you begged me. 33) ‘Should you
not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on
you?’ 34) “And his master was angry, and
delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
Of course, we know that was impossible.
Then He goes on and says
Matthew 18:35. “So My
heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does
not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
I’ve got to tell you, Brethren, that’s pretty heavy words. That’s a very difficult thing to do. When we wrong someone, it hurts. But most of the time, that pain and suffering is felt against those that we have sinned against. It’s relatively easy to go and ask forgiveness for those sins and transgressions. But when someone wrongs us and we feel the pain and we are the ones that are suffered, how easy is it to truly forgive those people?
Go to Matthew chapter 6 and verse 12. Again, you’re very familiar with this. This is the template for our prayer. Matthew 6:12.
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us
our debts,
This is part of the prayer.
Matthew 6:12b. as
And that word that’s the Greek word hoste. And it means wherefore or insomuch as. It’s the same word that we read while ago that was therefore. It’s the same word.
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us
our debts, [So in other words] as we forgive our debtors.
If you want a title for today’s sermon, it is Forgive Us Our Debts. Because, Brethren, that’s where, I think, we can start when we start to look at ourselves and we go through that process that we must do. And this is a good time to put very special focus on that because as we are going through that, we obviously are going to uncover sins, things that we have done. And we are going to have to go to God and repent and ask forgiveness. And, Brethren, that forgiveness that’s given to us is conditional. And that condition is
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us
our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Brethren, that is a difficult.
Verse 14.
Matthew 6:14. “For if you
forgive men their trespasses,
Again, it’s conditional. It says “if.”
Matthew 6:14. “For if you
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15) “But if you do not forgive men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
That debt that we have all incurred will still be hanging over our head. And that debt, Brethren, is a debt that none of us can pay. It’s impossible. It’s totally out of our reach. The only way forward is to have that debt forgiven. And the only way forward from that is to be able to forgive those that have wronged us. And I think all of you have been wronged. And I think at one time or another, every one of us sitting here, you know how difficult that is to be able to say, “That’s wiped off. It’s gone.”
My observation is this is at the root of some of the most
prevalent issues in the greater
And, Brethren, that causes a twofold problem. That tension, that inability to move on, that inability to truly forgive, to truly see the other person as even you are unlike the publican and the tax collector that thanked God that he was better than him. Again, it causes a twofold problem because it’s destructive to both parties. It hurts both parties.
Turn over to Matthew 24.
As you’re turning, I’ll just kind of fill in a little bit. Remember the disciples came to Christ
privately and asked Him, “What would be the signs of the coming and the end of
the ages”? And He described events like
war and famine that we know. Now looking
back through the lens of history, we know was even going on in their day, wars
and famines. Remember what brought the
Israelites to
Verse 6 talks about the wars. Verse 7 talks about famines and pestilence. Let’s pick it up in verse 10. And again, this is talking about us.
Matthew 24:10. “And then
many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11) “Then many false prophets [not just a
single one but many] will rise up and deceive many.
What’s the prevalent characteristic of the end time Church? Poor and blind and naked. And the Church in general, Brethren, doesn’t know, doesn’t admit that it is poor, blind, and naked. It has become deceived. We have become deceived and we do not see ourselves. And our spiritual condition, we’re blinded to that. Thinking that the light’s shining on you and when you’re blind, remember when you’re blind, you don’t see light. You’re in darkness. And that’s the prevalent—if you go over. We won’t do it for the sake of time. We’ve read it many times. The end time era of the Church is to be blind. It’s not in the light. In fact, the Light is knocking to come in. The result of this deception has lulled the Church into a very dangerous position and it has a spreading effect.
Continuing on in verse 12.
Matthew 24:12. “And because
lawlessness will abound,
And that word “abound” is plethuno. And it means to
increase, to multiply. This lawlessness
will become the dominant characteristic, Brethren, within the very
Verse 12.
Matthew 24:12. “And because
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
And that word if you look it up—and you know this—is agape love. It is that love that can only be referring to one that God is working with.
There’s a double sided issue that we have to consider. And that is: Have we been guilty of abusing others with our words and actions and if that’s happened to us? So we can be the perpetrator. We can also be the recipient. And if that happens to us as the recipient, are we in danger of allowing a root of bitterness to spring up and take us out as well? Satan really doesn’t care. He’s going to create these. God is allowing him to do that for our good, for our training, for our perfection. But either way, Satan really doesn’t care. If he can get you to bite and backbite and belittle and everything and you go off this way, it’s fine. And if you are the recipient of that and you become very bitter over that and you go off this way, the end result is the same. It doesn’t make any difference. In that way, consider the narrow path that we tread down the middle of that.
Brethren, salvation requires that we through that spiritual sacrifice become part of the spiritual body we call the Church. And in that sense, salvation comes through the Church by Jesus Christ. Have you considered that eternal death also comes through the Church? I know this sounds like heresy to say eternal death comes through it but first consider this: God’s plan for mankind is every one that’s ever drawn a breath will be given a chance to receive eternal life. And that chance to us as firstfruits means we’re called. And we accept the calling and we repent and we receive the Holy Spirit and start a new life and we are in that spiritual body of Christ. Now at this point, if for any reason we reject this, we’ll ultimately receive not just physical but spiritual death. And our lives will be snuffed out forever.
In the letters to the seven Churches, all of which have
relevance to us today, Jesus Christ said in the letter to
Eternal life comes by being a part of the spiritual body of
Christ and prevailing. And eternal death
comes by being part of the spiritual body of Christ and giving up and letting
it slip through our fingers due to neglect, due to a root of bitterness. But in both cases, you’re in the
Let’s go over in 1 Timothy chapter 1.
I recently gave a sermon called Lessons From The Titanic trying to draw the spiritual analogies from that disaster to what we can face today.
1 Timothy 1 verse 16, it says
1 Timothy 1:16. Howbeit for
this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all
longsuffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to
life everlasting. 17) Now unto the King
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Going on he says
1 Timothy 1:18. This charge
I commit unto [you], son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before
on [you], that [you] by them [might] war a good warfare; 19) Holding
And what is he supposed to hold?
1 Timothy 1:19b. faith, and
a good conscience;
In other words, he had faith. He had good conscience. And Paul is saying, “Hold that.”
1 Timothy
In other words, they’ve abandoned it.
1 Timothy
Just like that ship that went down taking those with them. It says, “They made shipwreck.”
1 Timothy 1:20. Of whom is
Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn
not to blaspheme.
They were part of the Church. These were not just people that just kind of passed up against the Church. They were part of it. Because of their sins, they were expelled.
I’d like to add a PS to that sermon that I gave. Just bear with me for a few minutes. If you will remember, I said there were three
ships in the Olympic Class. And, of
course, the Olympic was first. It was
smaller. It was the prototype. And then the two larger ships, the Titanic
and the Gigantic which were being built.
The Gigantic was being built as the Titanic made the maiden voyage and
sunk in the
The water tight doors which were in the engine room were jammed either by the buckling—and they don’t really know—of the explosion or there was equipment that was left in the doorways. Some think there was a wheel barrow that was left in there. But the water tight doors didn’t work. But they had raised the water tight compartments up all the way up to way above the water line. And the ship could have still floated but the nurses had left all the portholes on the lower decks open for ventilation. And as those went under water, they started taking in water into the ship and it took on more.
The rudder of the Titanic was inoperative and the captain—now he was only four miles off of the coast at that time—he couldn’t steer the ship but he tried to use the engines in a differential. In other words, to take one to flank speed and he was going to try to beach the Britannic. It just had four miles to go and so he was heading it in to beach it. Now the water was only four hundred feet deep, relatively shallow. In fact, the depth was only half the length of the ship to kind of put that in perspective. But anyway, he turned the ship and was trying to beach the ship by taking one of the engines to flank speed.
Now there was some people that panicked and they jumped in the lifeboats. Now the order had not been given because to launch lifeboats when a ship is moving is certain death. But there were some that launched. They launched two of them—and there’s a longer story but I’ll just give it—without the knowledge or the permission of the captain and crew. So in other words, the captain had his plan and that was to bring the ship to the beach. There were two lifeboats that launched. Both of those lifeboats carrying those people, thirty people, were sucked into the propellers and literally chopped up because of what the captain. And as soon as the captain found out, he had the engine shut down. Of course, dooming the Britannic but there was another lifeboat that had just, was about to be chopped up. And again, at that point because he couldn’t take it in, they had to abandon ship. So they did put the lifeboats in.
Let me just read this. And again, the thing I want to get out of this is there’s people on the Britannic. The captain was very much in charge, knew what he did, had a plan. They didn’t see it. They took the matters in their own hands and it cost them their lives. It says
Simultaneously on the boat deck, the crew members were preparing the lifeboats. Some of the boats were immediately rushed by a group of stewards and some sailors who had started to panic. An unknown officer kept his nerve and persuaded the sailors to get out and stand by their positions near the boat stations. He decided to leave the stewards on the lifeboats as they were responsible for starting the panic and he did not want them in the way during the evacuation. However, he left one of the crew with them in order to take charge of the lifeboat after leaving the ship. After this episode all the sailors under his command remained at their posts until the last moment as no RAMC [That’s the medical corps, Royal Medical Corps.] personnel were near the boat station at this time. The officer started to lower the boats but when he saw the ship’s engines were still running, he stopped them within six feet from the water and waited for orders from the bridge. The occupants of the lifeboats did not take this decision very well and started cursing. Shortly after this orders finally arrived. No lifeboats would be launched as the captain had decided to beach the Britannic.
Assistant Commander William Harry Dike was making the arrangements for the lowering of the lifeboats from the aft deck [It’s on the starboard deck.] when he spotted a group of firemen who had taken a lifeboat from the poop deck without authority and had not filled it to maximum capacity. Dike ordered them to pick up some men who had already jumped into the water.
At
Those that died in the disaster took things on themselves and it cost them their lives.
Those that followed the captain and his orders all survived and all were rescued. There were thirty people that died in that of the—and I don’t remember—some thirteen hundred people on board. There were thirty that died but it was because they took the matters into their own hands. They decided they knew what to do and it cost them their lives.
I have felt for a number of years and I stated it. That I believe if one thing, God allows what’s going on to the Church. And I think one of the things God is wanting to see is how we treat one another. I’ve said for probably ten years, perhaps God knows what we know. What He wants to see is how are we going to treat one another. How are we going to interact with one another?
I’ve seen people try to use the Bible as a club to pummel others down with it, to put down. Hebrews 4, go ahead and be turning there to Hebrews 4. God shows that His Word is compared to a sharp two-edged sword. When Jesus returns, He’s pictured three times in Revelation as having a sharp two-edged sword. You could look these up later if you want to, Revelation 1:16 giving a description of Him, Revelation 2:12 in His description to the Church at Pergamos, and Revelation 19:15 where He’s pictured as returning with the firstfruits and He’s wielding out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword. And, Brethren, God’s Word is indeed that and if we aren’t careful, we can use it as an offensive weapon to hurt and to wound others when, in fact, I believe we should be using it as a surgical tool on ourselves. Hebrews 4 verse 11, it says
Hebrews 4:11. Let us
therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the
same example of disobedience.
And I’m breaking into a thought.
Hebrews 4:12. For the word
of God is living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword, [And notice this!] piercing even to the
division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.
I can’t find any place in the Bible—again I’m open to being shown—where we’re to take this sword in an offensive move against other of God’s people, especially the flock. And I think, if we understand what we just read, it’s impossible to use it to attack another. No matter how much we try, Brethren, we can’t know another person’s heart. We can’t know a person’s intents. I believe the sword is something that we allow God to use as a surgical instrument to remove those spiritually cancerous growths that are in our body. That are blights on our lives and God is using that, His Word, to surgically remove that. And only God can use that that way because, again, how do we know someone else’s hearts? How do we know someone else’s intents? We are called to a very personal relationship with God, first and foremost that relationship with God. And we have to rely on our Father and on Jesus Christ, our elder Brother to change in us what needs to be changed. And the Bible is not something that we have knowledge that no one else has and let’s go out and let’s pound somebody for it because they don’t see it. Brethren, that I believe, my personal opinion is that is a misuse of God’s Word and we’re going to have to answer for that.
It says
Hebrews 4:12. For the word
of God is living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and
spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart. 13) And there is
no creature hidden from His sight,
The Young’s Living Translation says, “There is not a
created thing that is not manifest before Him.”
The NIV says, “Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God’s sight.”
So there is nothing hidden from His sight.
Hebrews 4:13b. but all
things are naked
The New Revised Standard says, “Laid bare.”
Hebrews
Brethren, it’s incumbent on us and I believe it has a great deal of impact on our future how we treat one another. And I personally feel, and I’m including myself, this is an area every one of us can improve on.
Go over to 1 Corinthians 13. Paul was inspired to write God’s mind to the Corinthians and to us today. We humans like to prioritize things according to our views. I’ve jokingly said, “Have you ever noticed how much God thinks just like you do?” I think sometime we want to create God in our image rather than allowing ourselves to be created in God’s image because we tend to approach everything from our way is right and oh, by the way, that’s the way God is. That’s the way God thinks. We like to set what’s important but note what God says. Note His priorities. 1 Corinthians 13 verse 1, it says
1 Corinthians 13:1. Though I
command languages, both human
And I’m reading this out of The New Jerusalem Bible.
1 Corinthians 13:1. Though I
command languages, both human and angelic, if I speak without love, I am no
more than a gong booming or a cymbal clashing.
Now how would you like to be able to not only speak all the languages in the world but even the languages that the angels speak? And that’s what he’s talking about. If I had that ability, I think there would be no one we would hold in higher regard that would have that ability. But he says, “If I speak without love,” it’s worthless.
Verse 2 and I’ll read this out.
1 Corinthians 13:2. Though I
have the power of prophecy to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge,
Again, what would we do if someone could come along that was truly a prophet that could prognosticate all of the things? That actually had that power to understand. “Oh. Well, this over here, this means this.” Now I have to tell you I’ve run into a whole bunch that think they can do that. I’ve run into those, just like all of us, that we kind of pick our way through it. But let’s put it in priority. He says
1 Corinthians 13:2. Though I
have the power of prophecy to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge, and though
I have [And notice this!] faith necessary to move mountains
Brethren, there’s not a person I think alive that could do that. So what he’s talking about is if you had those things that are not even possible to obtain. He says
1 Corinthians 13:2b. if I am
without love, I am nothing. 3) And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the
poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits
me nothing.
Paul sums up the greatest gift that even we today would like to possess. Languages of both man and angels, complete prophetic understanding in all areas, faith that surpasses every one that’s ever lived, and he says all of that is inferior to our love for one another.
It’s interesting how attracted we are to those that seem to have those attributes. There are entire groups that are somewhat smug in their knowledge of what’s going to happen and what the time table and when to flee and where to flee and all those things—that I’m going to use my word—related to physical salvation. Groups’ leaders are pronouncing that they alone have the answer, that they alone are God’s chosen prophet and they alone will determine the outcome of things.
How many of us are drawn to a person because of their love for another? How many of us really hold that in high esteem? I’ve even heard leaders condemn others for having and displaying this love for others. Sometime it’s perhaps taken as a weakness.
If we understand what is important to God and what He is
telling us, the most important thing has nothing to do with a person’s
position, wealth, abilities, intelligence.
In fact, my opinion is the ones that in the greater
Well let me not tell you. Continue on verse 4.
1 Corinthians 13:4. Love
suffers long and is kind; love does
not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
In other words, what it’s saying is is those qualities that are the most important to God are love and here’s what they’re not.
1 Corinthians 13:5. [Love]
Does not behave rudely, [love] does not seek its own, [it’s] not provoked,
thinks no evil; 6) Does not rejoice in
iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
And then it says these are the other side.
1 Corinthians 13:7. [It]
Bears all things, [it] believes all things, [it] hope all things, [it] endures
all things.
Notice, Brethren, it is a small gentle, quiet voice. And it’s almost an unseen and expressed in those acts that Brethren have for one another.
Paul then continues with a direct comparison with those areas that seem so great. Verse 8.
1 Corinthians 13:8. Love
never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail;
whether there are tongues, they will
cease;
In other words, he’s saying all of this is temporary. It’s transitory. There’s only one thing that’s going to live through all of this time and that is this love.
1 Corinthians 13:8b. whether
there is knowledge, it will vanish
away. 9) For we know in part and we
prophesy in part. 10) But when that
which is perfect has come, than that which is in part will be done away.
He’s saying, “We don’t have all the answers.”
Now where did Paul place himself on this continuum? Did Paul think he was the smartest, the one with the most knowledge? Verse 12, he says
1 Corinthians 13:12. For now
we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.
And what does he say?
1 Corinthians 13:12b. Now I
know in part,
He’s now looking at it himself.
1 Corinthians
So he doesn’t put himself up there with any of those. He just says, “I have very limited skills in these things. I am looking through a mirror very dimly but there’ll come a time. But right now, I just know in part.” What he’s saying is is his understanding of these areas is imperfect and it’s incomplete.
But here’s what is important, he says, verse 13.
1 Corinthians 13:13. And now
abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Brethren, I would encourage all of us to spend some time in consideration of what’s said in 1 Corinthians 13. In fact, perhaps a template that we can use for this self-reflection, that we know we must do as we prepare for the Passover. That’s a good place to start is to go back through that and start to look at yourselves in the privacy of your own self because that’s what we have to do. It’s a very personal, it’s a very private thing. And I think that’s a good place to start.
Let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 11 where we started for the final Scripture. 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 27, he says
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.
In other words, if we haven’t gone through that, if we are like that servant that went out and took the one that owed him by the throat and said, “You pay up now,” if we abuse one another, if we cause others to fall and to stumble, then we’re going to be in an unworthy manner because we haven’t forgiven others as we’ve asked God to forgive us. And that guilt will be impugned to us.
What is the path forward? How do we approach taking the symbols? Just continuing on.
1 Corinthians 11:28. But let
a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
Remember, Brethren, this is something we apply to ourselves. This is a self-examination. In the privacy of ourselves, with God, with Jesus Christ, we’re evaluating ourselves and changing and asking God to use that double-edged sword as a surgical instrument to help remove those cancers, those spiritual cancers, that are eating us all up. And with His strength and His mercy, we will not be condemned.
Verse 31.
1 Corinthians 11:31. For if
we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
And remember, Brethren, the judgment we do is not for our destruction or discouragement. It is for our teaching and for our perfecting.
1 Corinthians 11:32. But
when we are judged [Notice!], we are chastened by the Lord,
And again, we’ve talked about that word “chastened.” It means the same word to train up a child. It’s a learning process.
1 Corinthians 11:32b. that
we may not be condemned with the world.
One of the great blessings that God expresses His love for us is shown that we have chances to get it right. Perfection, Brethren, is a very elusive goal. And I think as long as we’re in the flesh, we’re going to fall short of that but that doesn’t mean we don’t try. God’s ongoing extension of mercy to us is dependent on our constant struggle and it’s incumbent that we move toward perfection. And that’s accomplished in part by our self-examination and our reflection of ourselves leading to repentance and change. Brethren, let’s use the time remaining between now and the Passover to judge ourselves, and if we do, we will be in a proper state of mind and with that we can all come to the Passover and we can eat of that bread and drink of that cup and know that God and Jesus Christ love us and accept what we do.
Transcribed by kb