The Cup of Blessing: Reflections on 1 Corinthians 10

[0:00] 1 Corinthians 10, it reads, The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?! The cup of blessing, some thoughts about that.

[0:13] ! We think of his great grace, we think of his blood poured out, we think of the overflowing of all of his blessings. And note firstly the source of blessing is the blood of Christ shed, isn't it?

[0:27] The source of blessing, it all began in a garden where the first Adam was there, in the first garden, and our first parents' sin brought curse and shame to the planet, and we're still living with it.

[0:44] We're under the judgment of Almighty God. And before it was our cup of blessing, it was his cup of bitterness, his cup.

[0:56] As we read in another garden, Gethsemane, where our Lord prayed, the second Adam prayed, and he prayed about a cup.

[1:09] And it was the wrath of God against the first Adam that he was praying about. And Matthew 26, 39, it reads, Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

[1:24] Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. And our Lord drank dry that bitter cup, the cup of God's wrath against our sin, so that we can drink deeply of his grace today, to know the saving wonder of his grace.

[1:45] And at the cross, our Lord bore that heavy load of our own sin, our shame and sorrow. And it was nailed there, in his body, on the tree.

[2:01] Think about our Lord today, of how he has abounded towards us. From the cross, we think, there flow so many blessings. We could enumerate some of them here, of the blessings that flow from Calvary.

[2:17] We think of his forgiveness. Ephesians 1, 7, it tells us, In whom we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

[2:31] The forgiveness of our sins. How do you count that? The wonder of that? The extent of that? The extremity of that? And then we think of the blessings of fellowship.

[2:43] We have peace with God because of the cross, don't we? And we've got the blessing of being God's family. As it reads that we're adopted as his own children.

[2:55] We're made sons of God. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. That's a blessing, isn't it?

[3:07] Then we think of the blessings of the forever life, that we can have everlasting life. Life more abundant and free. And it tells us in 2 Corinthians 9, 8, that God is able to make all grace abound toward you.

[3:24] Think of that. Really, every spiritual blessing, it flows from Calvary, doesn't it? Blessings, spiritual blessings, they stream down from Calvary's fountain.

[3:36] It's held as a fountain open for sin and uncleanness. And that's the Calvary fountain. It's still flowing, isn't it? It's still flowing today. The grace is still flowing from that fountain.

[3:47] And we think then also not only of the source of the blessing, but the sharing of it. It reads, The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?

[4:01] It's talking about a sharing there. This word communion, it means sharing in common. And when you think, well, we all share the curse of Adam. Yet in Christ, we share the blessing of the second Adam, don't we?

[4:18] At the table, we remember we're not just saved from sin. We're saved into family. And we gather as one body. There's a sharing. There's a communion that happens.

[4:29] The cup of blessing talks about the communion. It talks about a common bond that we have. Brothers and sisters together. We made one family of the faith. A fellowship of his grace.

[4:40] And we know a shared blessing, don't we? That we can be brothers and sisters from all walks of life, from many cultures and countries and languages even. That we can be one people.

[4:51] The people of God. Praise him. There's a communion. A shared blessing. And here we can exhort one another. Yeah, do that. That's good. I need some exhorting most of the time.

[5:03] We can encourage one another. That's a good thing. And we can edify one another. All of those. Encourage, exhort, edify. There's a shared blessing when we do that. And it's good to be together, isn't it?

[5:15] Isn't it? And it says, beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. There's a communion where we love one another. With a pure heart, fervently so.

[5:27] And it tells us in 1 Thessalonians 3.12, The Lord make you increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men.

[5:40] There's an abounding. There's a flowing. There's a sharing of blessing. A sharing of that bond of fellowship. That bond of fellowship is precious, isn't it? A oneness that we have.

[5:50] And the source of all these blessings is really Christ's blood, isn't it? That saves us, makes us his own, the saved people. And the sharing of blessing is the sweet fellowship of the saved.

[6:03] I was thinking, I had a tongue-in-cheek about one of our number who's got a certain surname. And I know years back, my dad, he had this bright idea to change our family's surname.

[6:18] So I'm not really Andrew Craig. And it's not really my... Well, it is legally my name, but I was Andrew Hoth. That was my surname. And my dad thought, it's too hard to spell this surname.

[6:30] You have to read it out every time someone asks, how do you spell? How do you write that? How do you write Hoth? So he thought, he went to the phone book and he flipped through it and, oh, Craig, that's an easy name.

[6:41] So he changed our name to Craig. But the point I'm making is, I know there's a family here called the Sweetmans. I thought, that'd be a lovely name to be called a sweet man.

[6:53] I'd like to change my name to sweet man. I think that would be a good name to have, wouldn't it? Shouldn't we be like that? Shouldn't we be sweet men and sweet women? Wouldn't that be a blessing? Praise God.

[7:05] And so we think of the sweet fellowship of the saved. And notice thirdly, the overflow of blessing. This blessing doesn't just flow, it overflows. And think of the goodness of our God, of how he has abounded toward you.

[7:21] David says, my cup runneth over. Wow, not just full to the brim, but full and not running over, overflowing. And when you think about the cup of blessing that we bless, think of the cup of blessing, it overflows, doesn't it?

[7:38] That we have got more than enough to share the grace. It's more grace than we need. We can share it. We can extend it. That we can have that cup of blessing.

[7:48] And when your cup of blessing overflows, don't let it puddle at your feet. Let it pour into others' lives. Be a blessing. I like how there's the thought in scripture, God blesses us to be a blessing.

[8:03] Our Lord told Abraham, I will bless thee, and thou shalt be a blessing. Think of it. We're blessed to be a blessing, like Abraham was, and we're in his number. We're in his following, aren't we?

[8:16] Of Father Abraham. You like that song? Father Abraham, as many sons. I am one of them. And so are you. And we're blessed to be a blessing. Amen? And we're filled to overflow, blessed to blessed.

[8:28] Think of it. How can we be part of that overflow of blessing? That we don't just contain it and keep it to ourselves, but that we share it, we give. We give because we've been graced.

[8:40] We overflow because our cups run over. And a thought to provoke you with, make it your bias to bless, to be a blessing.

[8:52] I know sometimes I'm inclined to find some fault with this one or that, and especially the man in the mirror. But can we think, how can we find a way to bless others?

[9:03] Just be a blessing. Reach out and bless. And even, it's interesting, who does the Word of God tell us to bless? Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

[9:14] So that's pretty broad, isn't it? I think, well, I'll bless some people that I like, but maybe no ones that I don't really like so much. Bless them too. Amen. Bless the ones that are directly against you, that are entirely contrary, in opposition to you.

[9:29] Bless them too. And pray for them, what's more. Amen. So how can our lives be a blessing? An overflowing cup. Whose cup are you going to fill? Think of it for yourself, brother, sister.

[9:40] As you go through life, you think, hey, there's some people I know in my circle, people around about me. Hey, they could use a bit of a blessing. Maybe I can pour a bit of mine into their cup.

[9:52] You know, I can overflow into the lives of others. So, some thoughts about overflowing, blessing. Think about, how can I bless others?

[10:02] How can I be part of that flow, that overflow? Let words that heal flow. Amen. Let the words that you speak be healing words, not harming words. Words that heal, that flow.

[10:14] Words that speak life. As it reads, pleasant words are in honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. How can my words be pleasant words? How can my words be words that are like honeycomb?

[10:26] Who likes honeycomb? I know where to get some. Honeycomb. It's a sweet thing, isn't it? Amen. And think of that sweetness of your words. Let those healing words flow.

[10:40] And those words that build up too. Edify one another. Can we speak words that edify, that build? Words that bless. Ephesians 4, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

[10:51] But that which is good, to the use of edifying, that may minister grace unto the hearers. Can we speak words of grace? Wouldn't that be good? That people will know, oh, I could do with a word of grace.

[11:05] I'll go to that brother, that sister, that I'll go and hear something that's going to bless my heart. Help me to grow. Help me to get through when things are tough. Minister grace. So, think of it, brother, sister, of those overflowing words.

[11:19] Let grace flow. Show grace. Extend grace. As you have received grace, freely give grace. As you have received forgiveness, give forgiveness.

[11:33] Extend it. Make it your aim to build, to bless, to get things sorted if they've not been, and to be kind one to another. Be kind one to another, it tells us Ephesians further.

[11:45] Tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Think of that. That's a big call. Isn't that? Have I really got to forgive them like you forgive me?

[11:57] That's a pretty tough ask, isn't it? Isn't that tough? As freely as Christ has forgiven you, you should forgive the ones who've hurt you, who've wounded you, who've wronged you, and you know they're in the wrong, but you're going to forgive them anyway.

[12:12] Because think of it, as Christ has forgiven you, forgive others, not because they deserve it, but because you didn't either. You didn't deserve his forgiveness of you, did you?

[12:26] Did you work hard enough? Did you try hard enough to receive it, to earn it, to be worthy of it? No. You're not worthy.

[12:37] I'm not worthy of his forgiveness. And neither are the ones that he tells you to forgive. Let it go. Don't hold it anymore. And let your life flow, brother, sister, to be the overflowing cup, a poured out life.

[12:52] Think of it. How can I be that? To be generous, to pour out your life, as a glad giver of your time, your talent, your treasure. You'll actually get more by giving.

[13:04] As it reads, of our Lord, he says, it's more blessed to give than to receive. There's a blessing there. You'll actually get more blessing by pouring out blessings into others.

[13:16] So let kindness flow. Love, compassion. Go against the grain. Go against your natural instinct to be self-centered and begrudging of giving, of love, of forgiving.

[13:29] Care, compassion. Think of it. Decide to be a blessing. Can you think of that? How can I be a blessing? How can I be that one that goes against the flow to make blessing your default?

[13:43] Make blessing your default. So when you have an interaction with folk, that you'll err on the side of being a giver of blessing.

[13:54] A giver of blessing. To decide to be a blessing. Consciously. Make blessing your default. Your bias. That it's your bias.

[14:04] Hey, I'm going to try to show grace to the ones that, well, they're hard to show grace to. But I know they need it. I know they need it. So I'm going to give it to them.

[14:15] All right. And think about how to make the grace flow, to put your faith into action and in the real world too, where the rubber hits the road, to let us not love in word, neither in tongue, not just saying it, but in deed and in truth, to really live it out.

[14:32] Make it real. Put your faith into action. Let it flow. Amen. And think of our Lord again. Our Lord turned the cup of bitterness of the wrath of God at the garden into the cup of blessing for all who will believe.

[14:51] What a blessing for you that trust Him today. And again, it tells us the cup of blessing that we bless. Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?

[15:01] Think of His sacrifice. That's what we want to focus on today, now, and every day, every moment of His love for us, of His sacrifice, of His blessings, numberless blessings.

[15:16] And think, reflect on how you are blessed and how you can be a blessing. Well, maybe I could be more minded to be more of a blessing than the contrary.

[15:30] Because of His blood, we share communion, don't we? And because of His love, we share blessing. So, friends, to think of it, to wrap it up for yourself, look for ways you can make blessings flow.

[15:44] You can be part of that overflow in your words, in your life, your disposition, your giving out to make blessings flow. How can that be? Take stock and think as moment by moment you think of opportunities that you can think when you have dealings with folk and some people are really good at being sandpapers, aren't they?

[16:07] Sandpapers. Yet people that rub you up the wrong way. Actually, they're making you, making the better of you as you deal with them with grace. And may your life be poured out, the overflow, the sharing of your hope, the sharing of the gospel.

[16:23] Think of it. How can you be that one? And may the Lord stir your hearts today to live with that bias to bless rather than the bias to find fault, the bias to find something to pick on.

[16:36] And look, if you know me, I can tell you there's lots of reasons to pick on me in particular. But, and we could all find something to find some need for improvement.

[16:51] but all the better to find something to praise someone for, to encourage them for. They're having a go. They're going for it. They're trying to do something for God even though they might be not the best.

[17:06] But as we bless, they can be better. And you can encourage their hearts. Think of, you know, little ones, how can we bless them? How can we bless everyone in our number that this is a place that there's going to be blessing.

[17:19] blessing. And we can have a blessed fellowship. So may the Lord stir our hearts to freely give out, to forgive, to speak life, to live the poured out life.

[17:30] How can I be poured out? Like a living sacrifice, like a drink offering as it were, as they would pour out things on the altar. How can our lives be poured out on the altar?

[17:41] As a cup would overflow and be poured out. Keep on pouring. And to speak life, to live the poured out life. And when we're talking about blessing, we're not talking, I know I was watching something lately of a man critiquing a sermon where the preacher was going on about really material blessings.

[18:02] It's not about that. We can be dirt poor and be absolutely blessed, can't we? It's not about what's in the bank. It's about the spiritual.

[18:13] It's the spiritual that really matters. It matters the most that we get that right. It's not about some material blessing because that's really passing, isn't it?

[18:25] It's that which is eternal. It's truly blessing. So think of it, you are blessed to be a blessing. Think, how can I be that? How can I be that one? How can I be that sweet man, that sweet woman to be that blessing, you know?

[18:38] To be that one who's going to be sweet when it's human nature to be the opposite of that? And let your life flow, overflow into others. So go, bless, be the blessing.

[18:52] Be the blessing. Brother, sister, think of it for yourself. How can I be that one? That is a blessing. So the lives of others around about me, when I think if I could reckon them up, if I could actually obey that song that says count your blessings, wow, I'd run out of paper, wouldn't I?

[19:12] Wouldn't you run out of lines to write on a paper of all the blessings if you could count them, if you could write them down? It's beyond number, isn't it? So brother, sister, be encouraged today.

[19:24] Be mindful of the blessing of God unto your soul. To think of the wonder of his grace, the wonder of who he is, the blessing that Jesus is to us. Amen.

[19:35] This cup of blessing that we bless, this cup of blessing we think it was a cup of bitterness to him. It was a cup of the wrath of God, the judgment, the justice of God, the condemnation, the rightful condemnation of all of our unworthiness, of all of our shame and guilt, that the cup of bitterness of that wrath of God against us, he drank fully of it in the garden and then beyond as he shed his precious blood, as he gave himself the perfect sacrifice, our blessed Lord and God, our saviour.

[20:16] How can we go bless and be the blessing that we can share it in the fellowship of the redeemed, the communion, strictly the fellowship, same word, of the saved and be a blessing too.

[20:30] Amen. Thank you.