WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:06.879 Something about teaching through scripture verse by verse kind of keeps you honest, doesn't it? 00:00:07.100 --> 00:00:12.540 Sometimes there's some of these passages and you're like, oh my gosh, I don't know if I want, that's not a fun one to teach. 00:00:13.179 --> 00:00:17.820 And God has called us to teach and instruct from all of his word. 00:00:18.859 --> 00:00:22.199 You know, my name is Tobin and I'm one of the pastors here. 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:25.820 If you're new here, we want to welcome you to Watermark Community Church. 00:00:25.820 --> 00:00:36.299 We're a family going on a journey to meet the Lord, to know him more deeply, to love him, and to introduce him to those who do not yet know him. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.140 When we, in October 10th, we'll be five years old. 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:47.640 And when we started praying about did God want us to start a church, we prayed a lot of different things. 00:00:47.740 --> 00:00:55.539 And we had about 30 people together and we started praying about what kind of church does God want us to start and what would be the values and what would be things that we'd want to be known for. 00:00:55.539 --> 00:01:04.459 And almost all of us, actually all of us, said one of the first things is we wanted to be a church that never forgot what it was like before we knew Christ. 00:01:05.459 --> 00:01:10.859 I mean, sometimes we just feel like you can become a Christian and then all of a sudden, before you know it, all your friends are Christians and you're doing Christian things. 00:01:10.980 --> 00:01:14.739 And you're just not a part of what you used to be like before you came to know Christ. 00:01:14.739 --> 00:01:23.179 And we believed that God wanted us to be a church that never forgot that, that when we walked in darkness and when we were alone and we felt helplessness, 00:01:23.219 --> 00:01:29.979 we wanted to remember those feelings and how Christ came in and healed those things and changed those things and made all things new. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:32.699 And we wanted to be about sharing those with people. 00:01:33.019 --> 00:01:39.379 We said that we believed that this church exists for the glory of God and for people not in church on Sunday. 00:01:39.459 --> 00:01:41.419 And that was one of the things we keep talking about. 00:01:41.420 --> 00:01:48.960 We realized that there's a lot of problems in our world and it's just craziness when you read the news and there's just everything. 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:56.760 There's lack of justice and war and ignorance and hunger and not enough water and not everybody speaks Texan. 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:01.800 There's a lot of just craziness in it, but we, that's a joke, okay? 00:02:02.420 --> 00:02:04.920 If you're not here, this is your first time. 00:02:05.219 --> 00:02:12.240 But we realized there's all this craziness in it, but we believe with all of our heart that the greatest problem in the world is sin. 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:16.180 It's the brokenness between us and God, our creator. 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:22.180 And we realized that we could fix all these other things and we should fix all these other things as Christians. 00:02:22.180 --> 00:02:26.819 As Christians, we are compelled to go into the brokenness and that's why this church is here. 00:02:26.920 --> 00:02:36.580 But ultimately, we realized that if we don't fix our heart, if we don't deal with the human heart and the brokenness in our broken relationship with God, that nothing else matters. 00:02:38.020 --> 00:02:46.319 We prayed about a church that would be kind of like a lifeboat, that would go out into the world and it would go out into Hong Kong, into Asia, and it would save people. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:50.979 And I think, you know, honestly, sometimes churches, we, we struggle with these things. 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:57.639 Because sometimes as a church grows, it changes from a lifeboat and it becomes a cruise ship. 00:02:57.699 --> 00:03:01.280 And there's a lot of things that you do to entertain each other and have different programs. 00:03:01.699 --> 00:03:04.579 And sometimes we struggle with these things. 00:03:04.659 --> 00:03:06.419 I think all churches struggle with these things. 00:03:06.519 --> 00:03:09.219 And some of them remain true to what God's called them to do. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:13.859 And some of them get taken over by the culture and society around them. 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:16.580 And those programs and things are great things. 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:18.100 And they are neat things. 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:25.220 But we wanted to make sure that whatever we did at this church equipped you and helped you walk a lifetime with the Lord. 00:03:25.300 --> 00:03:26.980 And it gave you the tools to do that. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:32.240 And we didn't want to distract you from why God has you here and why the church has you here. 00:03:33.160 --> 00:03:35.740 You know, when we started, we brought out this stretcher. 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:38.200 And probably the first week. 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:43.079 And we put this out there because we told the story in the Gospels of Jesus preaching and teaching. 00:03:43.959 --> 00:03:53.659 And we asked people to come up here and to write down people's names that they were trusting that God would allow them to bring to know the Lord. 00:03:54.500 --> 00:03:56.799 And then we committed to pray for these people in here. 00:03:56.879 --> 00:04:00.739 And it's amazing because even, I carry this and I look at it and I pray through these names. 00:04:00.819 --> 00:04:01.639 And it's in our house. 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:05.239 It's not on the wall, but it's in our house. 00:04:05.299 --> 00:04:06.500 My wife wouldn't let me put it on the wall. 00:04:07.419 --> 00:04:11.099 But as I look at this, I see right here, that's KK. 00:04:11.779 --> 00:04:13.079 That's my youngest daughter. 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:16.519 And so four years ago, we put her name in the center. 00:04:16.620 --> 00:04:21.019 And we started praying for her that God would open her eyes to know Jesus. 00:04:21.259 --> 00:04:22.599 And last March, he did. 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:26.120 And we were able to pray with her and talk about why we do communion. 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:28.199 And there's a lot of names on there. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.620 And maybe some of your names are on there. 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:34.019 And people have been praying for you. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:35.939 And they brought you here. 00:04:36.019 --> 00:04:37.879 And you heard the good news of the Gospel. 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:41.860 And our desire was as a church that we wouldn't forget this. 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:42.879 We wouldn't forget our DNA. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:44.540 We wouldn't forget who we are. 00:04:44.620 --> 00:04:45.579 We wouldn't lose focus. 00:04:45.699 --> 00:04:49.519 Because if we're honest, sometimes we do things over and over and over. 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:51.180 And we say things over and over and over. 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:55.180 And as we do them and we say them, we lose focus. 00:04:55.180 --> 00:04:57.819 We lose the meaning and the purpose of why we are even here. 00:04:58.780 --> 00:05:00.280 That's why we're coming to communion today. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:01.420 And we're going to talk about that. 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:09.439 Because the church in Corinth, they really, really struggle with this idea of living out their life in a world that was out of control. 00:05:09.699 --> 00:05:12.819 And the more that they've been living it, and we've seen it through like ten chapters, 00:05:12.899 --> 00:05:17.280 the more they've been living out their life in a world that's out of control, the worse things got. 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:19.860 I mean, there were divisions in their church. 00:05:19.939 --> 00:05:23.720 Their church was dividing along lines on who was the best teacher and who was the best community group leader. 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:26.140 And what they believed in certain things. 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:31.020 And as the church grew, it became even more selfish. 00:05:32.760 --> 00:05:37.160 I mean, the church actually became self-centered and selfish and prideful and arrogant. 00:05:37.640 --> 00:05:40.600 And as they did that, even more and more divisions happened. 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.180 And Paul gets to them in chapter 11. 00:05:44.760 --> 00:05:45.900 And you can read. 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:49.360 I mean, if you're reading in the Greek, he is not happy. 00:05:50.200 --> 00:05:53.460 I mean, this is not a happy passage to read and to translate. 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:57.360 He is very intense. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:04.240 And he's worried about us as a church because he's worried that sometimes we're going to lose our foundation. 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:06.319 We're going to lose our way. 00:06:07.080 --> 00:06:08.319 We're going to lose why we're here. 00:06:08.420 --> 00:06:12.460 And the church in Corinth was doing that, and all their actions were destroying the gospel. 00:06:13.060 --> 00:06:15.600 And people were forgetting why they gathered together. 00:06:15.699 --> 00:06:19.300 And Paul was saying, if you keep doing this, you're not going to be able to fix this. 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:21.840 The church is going to die. 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:29.300 And you need to know that in the early days, the Christians, when they came to Christ, they met in the synagogues. 00:06:29.340 --> 00:06:34.759 But it wasn't too long before the Jews realized that the Jews and Christians, Christianity isn't a sect of Jews. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:36.319 It's something totally different. 00:06:36.439 --> 00:06:39.360 And so the Jews just kicked the Christians out of the synagogue. 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:41.420 And now the Christians were looking for a place to meet. 00:06:42.259 --> 00:06:44.480 And so what we see is they started meeting in people's homes. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.500 And they started meeting in wealthy people's homes. 00:06:49.020 --> 00:06:50.120 They were called patrons. 00:06:50.939 --> 00:06:57.400 And so this patron would come to Christ, and he would have this massive home, and then he would invite people to his home, and they would do church there. 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:00.780 The first person we know who's a patron is this guy named Gaius. 00:07:00.819 --> 00:07:01.840 We read about him in Romans. 00:07:01.980 --> 00:07:02.740 He was a wealthy guy. 00:07:02.819 --> 00:07:04.960 He came to Christ, and he opened his house up for church. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.120 And Paul is in there writing. 00:07:06.700 --> 00:07:09.620 And so people are coming, and they're worshiping in the Lord. 00:07:09.620 --> 00:07:13.800 You know, it's one of the things I pray that we have somebody in our congregation that comes to know the Lord, 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:19.520 and they have an old warehouse they want to give up, and then we can just move in there as a church, you know, or something like that. 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:20.560 So it's just a dream, right? 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:25.439 But that's, you got to keep it real, that we could worship with the Lord. 00:07:26.139 --> 00:07:28.439 And when they came to worship, what usually happened was this. 00:07:28.460 --> 00:07:29.520 They had a potluck dinner. 00:07:29.620 --> 00:07:31.180 So everybody came, and they brought a meal. 00:07:31.540 --> 00:07:32.500 They brought their favorite food. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:33.460 They brought their favorite drink. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:36.580 And they put it in the center of this table, and everything would be shared. 00:07:37.400 --> 00:07:39.100 The meal was called a love feast. 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:44.240 And in this time that they gathered, and we don't know exactly how they gathered every day. 00:07:44.320 --> 00:07:45.280 They gathered every week. 00:07:45.580 --> 00:07:49.740 I mean, there's no set rule of how often you have to gather, but they gathered a lot. 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:50.800 And they had this love feast. 00:07:51.140 --> 00:07:53.240 And as they ate, they did worship. 00:07:53.379 --> 00:07:56.900 They sang songs, and they did teaching, and they had words of encouragement. 00:07:57.140 --> 00:07:58.900 They were prophesizing in front of each other. 00:07:58.900 --> 00:07:59.879 We talked about that last week. 00:08:00.379 --> 00:08:01.939 And then at the end, everybody would take communion. 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:06.420 And actually, communion was probably like the center of what they did. 00:08:06.660 --> 00:08:12.899 The bread and the wine was kind of like the main focus, because as they came to the bread and wine, 00:08:12.939 --> 00:08:17.360 like you're going to do in a couple minutes, they wanted their focus to be on Christ, 00:08:18.740 --> 00:08:21.579 and His sacrifice on the cross, and everything He's done for us. 00:08:22.180 --> 00:08:26.439 But what happened, which is crazy, because you read it, and you kind of laugh, 00:08:26.540 --> 00:08:28.159 and it's like you cannot believe it. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.019 That's kind of like we talked about last week. 00:08:30.019 --> 00:08:33.519 The wealthy patrons had come to Christ, and they opened up their house. 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:37.419 But what happened was that they, just like they had done before they came to Christ, 00:08:37.460 --> 00:08:40.299 they had these parties, and so they would invite all their friends. 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:41.759 And so all their friends would come early. 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.399 So the patron who didn't work because he was so wealthy, 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:48.559 and all his wealthy friends came early, and they came into the house, 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:51.699 and they just sat down in a small room, and everybody sat down really quickly. 00:08:52.039 --> 00:08:53.419 And then what they did is ate. 00:08:54.340 --> 00:08:55.460 They ate all the food. 00:08:55.460 --> 00:08:56.860 I mean, they ate all the good wine. 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:58.000 They ate all the good food. 00:08:58.079 --> 00:08:58.799 They ate it all up. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:03.259 And sometimes they would get drunk, and sometimes they would just do crazy things in the church. 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:06.699 I mean, it's more crazy than wearing biking shorts like we talked about last week. 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:10.059 It was just craziness happening in a church, and you couldn't believe it. 00:09:10.079 --> 00:09:11.979 If you were to walk in there, you'd be like, this can't be a church. 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:14.519 This is more like a pagan temple, 00:09:14.519 --> 00:09:18.359 because that's how they used to worship in their houses when they were pagans. 00:09:19.059 --> 00:09:20.599 They would do the exact same thing. 00:09:20.719 --> 00:09:21.659 They would have food. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:22.519 They would get drunk. 00:09:22.599 --> 00:09:24.740 They would have an orgy, and it would be out of control. 00:09:24.740 --> 00:09:28.480 And so that's what was happening in this church. 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:32.980 And so by the time the other people came, the average person, the person who had to work 00:09:32.980 --> 00:09:36.639 every day of the week for the rest of their life, because usually people just earned their 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:38.300 wage one day at a time. 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:42.720 By the time they came, it was late in the day, and they didn't have time to cook. 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.519 They didn't have any money to buy food, or they had a little money to buy food, so they 00:09:46.519 --> 00:09:47.460 could just buy a little food. 00:09:47.820 --> 00:09:51.360 And so when they entered into the church service, there was no room. 00:09:52.620 --> 00:09:54.259 I mean, all the good room was taken up. 00:09:54.259 --> 00:09:57.360 And so in the middle of all the Roman and Greek houses, there would be a big courtyard. 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:02.559 And so if you were a Christian, and you were just the average person, you would come in, 00:10:02.600 --> 00:10:03.960 and you just have to stand in the courtyard. 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:09.120 And you stood there, and it was pretty humiliating, because that's what they did to the slaves 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:13.700 and to the people who weren't worthy before the house came to know the Lord. 00:10:13.779 --> 00:10:18.519 And so you came in there, and you stood there, and you watched everybody else drinking 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:23.200 and eating and getting drunk and fornicating, doing all this craziness there. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:25.740 And it was supposed to be a church. 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:31.440 And so what happened was that people usually ended up, the average person usually ended 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:33.240 up coming late to church. 00:10:33.900 --> 00:10:34.900 Does that sound familiar? 00:10:36.220 --> 00:10:36.900 Hint, hint. 00:10:37.340 --> 00:10:37.520 Okay. 00:10:37.900 --> 00:10:39.900 The average person ended up coming late to church. 00:10:40.420 --> 00:10:45.860 And then they just stood there, and they remained hungry, because there was nothing to eat. 00:10:46.520 --> 00:10:50.800 And all of a sudden, this communion, this meal that was supposed to celebrate what Christ 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:54.799 has done, and his life, and his death, and his resurrection, it was just a disaster. 00:10:55.859 --> 00:10:59.599 And we're told by many authors, and even some secular ones that are watching all these things 00:10:59.599 --> 00:11:02.199 going on, and they go, I cannot believe that this is happening. 00:11:04.079 --> 00:11:08.399 I mean, you have to understand that in a Middle Eastern culture, hospitality was everything. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:13.659 I mean, the thought of having someone come into your home, and you just let them stand in 00:11:13.659 --> 00:11:17.939 front of you, and you ate a meal without feeding them, and they just stayed hungry. 00:11:18.379 --> 00:11:24.019 I mean, no one could even fathom that, because the significance of feeding people, and being 00:11:24.019 --> 00:11:28.019 together, and eating, and fellowship, and then taking care of each other was massive. 00:11:28.019 --> 00:11:33.559 And the idea that a community, or a town would do that, that they would push somebody out 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:37.480 who was hungry, or they needed clothes, or they needed help, because they couldn't take 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:41.639 care of themselves, even the idea that a town, or a village would do that, and that's what 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:47.399 makes the nativity story so incredible, because they didn't let Mary come in and lay down, 00:11:47.460 --> 00:11:48.500 because she's about to have a baby. 00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:52.439 And the fact that the guy wouldn't do that, that was just, that was shameful. 00:11:52.440 --> 00:11:58.860 And so no one could ever even imagine that someone would be so self-centered and selfish. 00:12:01.800 --> 00:12:03.100 But the church was. 00:12:05.280 --> 00:12:08.880 The church was self-centered and selfish. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:14.860 And in the middle of their biggest ceremony, the ceremony that celebrated equality, and unity, 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:21.620 and love, and grace, and just massive amounts of God's blessing on us, in the middle of this 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:25.039 ceremony that was supposed to celebrate all these things, what the church at Corinth was 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:26.799 doing is they were celebrating selfishness. 00:12:29.419 --> 00:12:31.100 And they were celebrating self-centeredness. 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:35.019 And they had no self-control. 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:43.259 And they turned this amazing meal, which is all about sacrificing, giving, and putting forth 00:12:43.259 --> 00:12:47.419 to others, they turned it into this meal of terrible. 00:12:47.419 --> 00:12:53.120 I mean, Paul says it was better for people not to even go to church, because they were 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:56.339 coming to church, and they were worse off than when they went before. 00:12:58.199 --> 00:13:04.679 And so Paul looks at them in this passage, and he describes to them what's going on, and 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:08.979 he shares how they can fix it, how they can change it. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:14.079 And so in our time remaining, I want us to look at this before we come up and we take communion 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:18.400 together, because I think it's important, because sometimes we can do things over and 00:13:18.400 --> 00:13:20.480 over and over, and we just forget why we're doing them. 00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:26.259 So in verse 23, what Paul says is to handle communion right, and to do it well, and do 00:13:26.259 --> 00:13:29.500 it in a way that honors the Lord, that when you come to the table, when you come to the 00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:33.400 table in a couple minutes, one of the things that we should do is we should focus back. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:37.620 We should focus back on our spiritual heritage. 00:13:37.620 --> 00:13:42.580 And he says it in verse 23, for I received from the Lord that which I delivered to you, 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:46.440 that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread. 00:13:47.299 --> 00:13:51.860 And what we're seeing here is 2,000 years ago, Jesus is coming together with his Passover meal 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:56.779 with his disciples, and they're coming together, and they're celebrating something incredible. 00:13:58.539 --> 00:14:04.279 Now, Jesus was celebrating something that happened 1,800 years before him. 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:09.919 So 3,800 years ago, so when you come here today, and we take communion, you're taking 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:15.120 a snapshot, and you're participating in things for people for 3,800 years have been doing 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:15.819 as God's people. 00:14:17.459 --> 00:14:19.459 You're talking about traditions, I love traditions. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.860 This is an amazing tradition, because for 3,800 years, people have been coming here, and 00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:27.000 they've been celebrating what's going on here. 00:14:28.179 --> 00:14:31.740 And so when Jesus had his disciples in his passage, because if you had your Bible, it's probably 00:14:31.740 --> 00:14:34.120 in red letters there, this is my body, which is for you. 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:36.959 What they're describing is, they're describing the Passover meal. 00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:42.199 So Jesus would have had his disciples together in this upper room, if you go with Israel with 00:14:42.199 --> 00:14:45.899 us next year, you'll be able to see what people think this room is, or one of two of them. 00:14:47.199 --> 00:14:51.139 And they're talking, and they're telling the story about how God's people were in bondage 00:14:51.139 --> 00:14:51.559 in Egypt. 00:14:53.799 --> 00:14:57.759 And they cried out to God for help, and God sends a deliverer. 00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:03.399 And as they're celebrating this meal, this Passover meal, what they're actually celebrating 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:04.740 is the last plague. 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:11.220 And so God sends Moses there, and Moses sends out these plagues that God gives him to send 00:15:11.220 --> 00:15:11.639 out there. 00:15:11.939 --> 00:15:17.240 And this last plague that Jesus is celebrating, the Passover meal, is the plague of the angel 00:15:17.240 --> 00:15:17.759 of death. 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:24.580 And so after all of these miracles, we're told that on the final night, the angel of death 00:15:24.580 --> 00:15:30.259 is going to come throughout all of the land, and it's going to destroy all the firstborn. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:35.120 It's going to pass judgment on sin. 00:15:35.980 --> 00:15:37.819 It's going to pass judgment on selfishness. 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:39.879 It's going to pass judgment on self-centeredness. 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:44.460 And as the Israelites were there in Exodus, and they were hearing these things, they realized 00:15:44.460 --> 00:15:45.620 that they were also guilty. 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:53.360 They realized that if God didn't do something awesome, that when that angel came, they're 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:54.299 going to get wiped out. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:16:00.860 Because even though they were God's people, they still were guilty of sin and selfishness 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:02.899 and unrighteousness. 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:04.919 And so they needed help. 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:06.019 They needed somebody to help them. 00:16:06.059 --> 00:16:06.799 They needed a Savior. 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:11.099 And what we're told is that God gave them a help. 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:18.000 And each house took a lamb, a young lamb, a perfect lamb, an unblemished lamb. 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:21.839 Last time we talked about it, we called the lamb fluffy or fifi or whatever. 00:16:22.599 --> 00:16:25.939 But the lamb comes into the family for three days, and they take care of this lamb. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.639 And all of a sudden, on the third day, at the same time, at night, and they kill the lamb. 00:16:30.719 --> 00:16:34.359 And they take the blood of this lamb, and they put it all over the house, all over the 00:16:34.359 --> 00:16:34.939 doorpost. 00:16:34.940 --> 00:16:39.440 And what Jesus is celebrating with his disciples, and what we're going to celebrate when we come 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:45.240 up here, is that night when the angel of death comes, a lamb dies. 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:47.560 This is of everybody in that house. 00:16:49.460 --> 00:16:51.260 Everybody who's in the house is protected. 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:55.880 They're delivered from God's judgment and God's wrath. 00:16:55.879 --> 00:17:00.960 If your house wasn't covered by that blood of that lamb, you would be dead. 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:08.900 So now 2,000 years ago, Jesus is celebrating this disciples, this communion Passover meal. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:12.019 But what he's going to do is he's going to do something different. 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:15.160 And in this meal, he's going to take a loaf of bread. 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:18.359 Because in this meal, there's no sheep. 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:18.599 Jesus is a sheep. 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:20.659 Jesus is a sheep. 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:25.859 And he's going to take this loaf of bread, and he says, this bread represents my body 00:17:25.859 --> 00:17:28.679 that I give to you. 00:17:29.979 --> 00:17:33.419 And then a little while later, we're told that he takes a cup of wine, and he says, this 00:17:33.419 --> 00:17:36.439 wine represents my blood. 00:17:37.659 --> 00:17:41.139 Now, if Jesus were doing this Passover meal, this would have been the third cup. 00:17:41.140 --> 00:17:45.300 And when the Father does this to the Jewish people, he would have taken this cup out, 00:17:45.360 --> 00:17:47.480 and he would have said, I redeem you. 00:17:49.600 --> 00:17:51.020 I pay for your sins. 00:17:52.360 --> 00:17:53.600 I cover your sins. 00:17:55.220 --> 00:18:02.360 So Jesus takes this communion, and he says, this is a new covenant I give to you. 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:06.940 And he reminds us, as we come today, that this is a memorial. 00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:11.820 That it's looking back throughout all this time of what Jesus has done. 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:19.100 It reminds us that when you come to the table today, that Jesus took God's wrath and judgment 00:18:19.100 --> 00:18:21.200 that you and I deserve. 00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:27.799 He took it upon himself so that you and I could live. 00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:33.380 When you come to the communion today, what today you're saying is, I was once far off from 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:35.100 God, now I've been brought close to God. 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:37.099 God, now I'm going to be brought to you. 00:18:37.099 --> 00:18:37.939 Because somebody else did that. 00:18:39.019 --> 00:18:40.959 Because I couldn't do it. 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:47.980 If you read the Old Testament, over and over and over in the Old Testament, it's been telling 00:18:47.980 --> 00:18:52.219 us that our sins can't be taken care of by blood of animals. 00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:56.359 That the blood of animals cannot forgive our sin. 00:18:57.159 --> 00:19:04.699 So in this communion meal, Jesus takes this cup, and he says, I redeem you. 00:19:05.099 --> 00:19:06.099 I redeem you. 00:19:06.099 --> 00:19:07.099 I redeem you. 00:19:07.099 --> 00:19:08.099 I redeem you. 00:19:10.099 --> 00:19:11.480 I redeem you. 00:19:13.099 --> 00:19:18.939 So when you come up here today and you celebrate this communion, you realize that we're celebrating 00:19:18.939 --> 00:19:21.099 Christ's actions in our life. 00:19:23.019 --> 00:19:25.379 You see, the church at Corinth didn't understand that. 00:19:25.419 --> 00:19:28.799 They had forgotten all these things because they'd been doing this over and over and over 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:29.659 and over again. 00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:34.560 And so when they thought about Christ's sacrifice, they thought about Christ's death, they thought 00:19:34.560 --> 00:19:35.860 about why they did all these things. 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:37.960 It wasn't important in their life at all. 00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:39.259 It had no meaning in their life. 00:19:39.320 --> 00:19:40.759 It wasn't central to who they were. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:42.360 They just did it. 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:49.559 So the question we have to ask ourselves is, is it important to us? 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:57.179 When you come up here and you take the communion, are you saying that the gospel and Christ and 00:19:57.179 --> 00:20:00.339 the cross is central to your whole being and your life? 00:20:00.339 --> 00:20:05.240 That when you think of communion and the cross and Christ dying on, that it affects you. 00:20:05.419 --> 00:20:06.339 It affects all of you. 00:20:06.419 --> 00:20:07.419 It affects how you do business. 00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:10.500 It affects how you treat your friends. 00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:13.459 It affects how you treat your spouses. 00:20:13.679 --> 00:20:15.179 It affects how you treat your kids. 00:20:15.980 --> 00:20:19.879 You have to ask yourself, is this changing me? 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:24.619 Because the church of Corinth, it wasn't changing them because they weren't living it out in their 00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:24.919 lives. 00:20:24.980 --> 00:20:26.619 It just had been something they just did. 00:20:26.619 --> 00:20:29.799 Does that make sense? 00:20:33.239 --> 00:20:38.000 Again, he says, when you come to this cup and this wine and the bread, you have to help 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:43.019 focus not just on the past, but you have to focus on the present, where we're at right 00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:43.359 now. 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:47.939 And so he says that when you take this bread and you eat it, he says basically what we're 00:20:47.939 --> 00:20:50.659 saying again is that we were once far off from God. 00:20:50.739 --> 00:20:52.059 We were once enemies with God. 00:20:52.059 --> 00:20:55.799 And now we're one with God. 00:20:56.619 --> 00:21:01.059 That God has done everything necessary to bring us back and to make us once. 00:21:01.419 --> 00:21:03.139 That God is in us. 00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:06.559 And we are in God. 00:21:07.679 --> 00:21:09.579 That God died for us. 00:21:10.659 --> 00:21:12.799 That he never forsakes us. 00:21:13.959 --> 00:21:16.579 That he's always for us. 00:21:16.579 --> 00:21:21.279 That he is always near us. 00:21:23.879 --> 00:21:26.619 You see, the church of Corinth, they forgot that. 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:30.199 They forgot that God was near to them. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:34.339 And so they were just living their life and living life as most people live their life. 00:21:34.419 --> 00:21:37.199 And they didn't think about God's authority in their life and how they should live. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.699 And so all they were worried about is what they're going to eat and what they're going 00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:41.880 to drink and are they going to eat enough food and are they going to get to the right 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:42.140 place. 00:21:42.580 --> 00:21:43.940 And they had just become callous. 00:21:45.140 --> 00:21:50.380 And there were people around them that were hungry and trying to learn about Christ. 00:21:51.059 --> 00:21:54.960 And they couldn't get into that inner circle because people were just thinking of themselves. 00:21:56.600 --> 00:21:57.680 And they had no sense of unity. 00:21:57.860 --> 00:21:59.000 They had no sense of family. 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:03.380 There was just these divisions and selfishness and the church was being destroyed. 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:08.740 Paul says also that when we come to this bread and we take it, it also symbolizes that 00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:11.579 we are one body with God's people. 00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:13.619 Did you know that? 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:16.940 That you're one body with God's people. 00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:20.519 That when you come up today and you take communion, what you're saying is you're proclaiming to 00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:22.319 everybody that, hey, this is my family. 00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:26.140 That Watermark is my family and these people are my community. 00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:33.980 And so communion was meant to be this really intimate example of God's grace and God bringing 00:22:33.980 --> 00:22:35.800 us together and God loving on us. 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:38.860 And what the bread says is that we're all equal. 00:22:40.120 --> 00:22:42.960 There's no one more saved and there's no one less saved. 00:22:43.060 --> 00:22:47.940 But grace and Christ's blood saves us all exactly the same. 00:22:49.100 --> 00:22:53.740 And the reason that Paul was freaking out with this church is that the church was destroying 00:22:53.740 --> 00:22:57.559 the very thing that Christianity and Christ and the gospel was all about. 00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:03.200 Because in Paul's day, there was no place you could go where there weren't barriers between 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:03.640 people. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.000 I mean, there were barriers everywhere and clubs and every place. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.440 Romans and Greeks and Jews, they never came together. 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:13.299 Poor and rich, they never came together. 00:23:13.539 --> 00:23:15.539 Barbarians and educated people, they never came together. 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:17.579 Slaves and free men, they never came together. 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:25.359 But when the church came and Christ died and he set his blood for us, then it just broke 00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:26.460 down all those barriers. 00:23:27.659 --> 00:23:37.659 And the church was the only place in the world where free people and slaves and rich and poor 00:23:37.660 --> 00:23:49.519 and the barbarians and the Greeks and Australians, South Africans, Texans. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:55.120 They were the only place that they could come together and be one and be the same and be on equal footing. 00:23:55.560 --> 00:24:00.540 And because of the way that the church was reacting, they were destroying this precious, incredible thing. 00:24:01.360 --> 00:24:03.200 And it was causing confusion everywhere. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:08.799 So the Corinthians were just attacking grace and they were attacking the gospel and they 00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:10.400 were putting up barriers. 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:15.519 And because of this, this sacrament, this most holy thing, instead of becoming a symbol of 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:19.039 what Christ has done for everybody, instead of becoming a symbol that we're all together, 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:23.100 we're all same, instead of becoming a symbol of God's love and mercy and how he poured out 00:24:23.100 --> 00:24:26.160 everything on us, instead of becoming a symbol of those that became a symbol of division, 00:24:27.120 --> 00:24:29.120 became a symbol of the haves and the have-nots. 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:34.839 And the church was being destroyed and the reputation of the church was being destroyed. 00:24:35.879 --> 00:24:38.639 And Paul was acting like a madman because he was just like, 00:24:38.719 --> 00:24:40.079 you don't even realize what you're doing. 00:24:41.099 --> 00:24:43.259 And at the end, he says something really strong here. 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:44.519 I don't know if he caught it while he read it. 00:24:44.779 --> 00:24:48.119 Verse 30, he says, because you're doing this, some of you are weak. 00:24:49.179 --> 00:24:50.919 And in the Greek, it means a lot of people. 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:54.279 Maybe in your Bible it says many, but it means a lot. 00:24:54.279 --> 00:24:58.619 It means because we're mishandling God's communion table and because we're mishandling the gospel 00:24:58.619 --> 00:25:01.359 and because we're mishandling grace, he says some of you are weak. 00:25:02.440 --> 00:25:04.160 And he says some of you are actually sick. 00:25:05.879 --> 00:25:08.420 And he says some of you are actually dead. 00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:12.399 You've died prematurely. 00:25:13.619 --> 00:25:15.799 You've missed out on the blessing of the Lord. 00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:17.379 Now, we're not talking about salvation. 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:19.519 If you're God's people, your salvation is always there. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:23.119 But he's talking about the blessings that God is living out in our lives. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:28.679 And because they were mishandling grace in the communion in the very center of the cross, 00:25:28.719 --> 00:25:31.919 because they were doing that, God was not happy and things were not good. 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:37.179 So when you come today, realize that we're celebrating the past. 00:25:37.799 --> 00:25:39.559 We're celebrating the now. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:41.079 We're one body with God. 00:25:41.159 --> 00:25:42.139 We're one body with each other. 00:25:42.219 --> 00:25:43.099 We're all a family. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:45.579 And realize that we're celebrating the future. 00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:50.679 What Jesus says here, he says, you celebrate this until I come again. 00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:57.279 And what he's saying is there's a part of our salvation that is not yet realized. 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:01.000 That you and I are sitting here as God's people. 00:26:01.100 --> 00:26:03.600 And there's a part of our salvation that's not yet realized. 00:26:03.860 --> 00:26:06.920 And it won't be realized until Christ comes again or we see him in heaven. 00:26:08.080 --> 00:26:10.180 And so what he's saying is that when you come to the table today, 00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:13.299 what you're saying is that I'm God's first child. 00:26:13.460 --> 00:26:14.560 I'm part of this family. 00:26:14.860 --> 00:26:16.720 And that God has my hand. 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:18.519 He's taking me down this path. 00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:19.980 He's never going to let go. 00:26:20.259 --> 00:26:21.500 He's going to take me to the very end. 00:26:21.639 --> 00:26:23.019 No matter what happens in work tomorrow. 00:26:23.139 --> 00:26:24.220 No matter what happens in my family. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:25.400 No matter what happens with my health. 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.420 No matter all the craziness that's going to happen in my world. 00:26:28.700 --> 00:26:31.099 What he's saying is when you take communion, that God is for you. 00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:34.900 And he's never going to let you go. 00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:42.200 So when we come to the table today to celebrate the past. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:46.079 Celebrate the now. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:49.259 Celebrate the future. 00:26:51.439 --> 00:26:52.740 All these things are true. 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:58.179 And that's why we're called to continually come about communion. 00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:00.299 To do it as a family. 00:27:03.339 --> 00:27:07.199 I have three thoughts or questions that I've been struggling with. 00:27:08.419 --> 00:27:09.919 And then we're going to take communion as a family. 00:27:10.699 --> 00:27:10.839 Okay? 00:27:11.699 --> 00:27:13.199 So maybe we can think of these together. 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:15.799 The first one. 00:27:18.519 --> 00:27:20.580 There are times, and I'm being very honest. 00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:20.840 Okay? 00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:24.160 So you can run out of here because your pastor's broken. 00:27:24.580 --> 00:27:25.420 And he's in trouble. 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:29.279 But there's times that when I come to the table. 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:33.400 I feel totally unworthy. 00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:38.460 There's times I don't want to take it. 00:27:41.220 --> 00:27:46.440 So I realize the depth of the blech in my life. 00:27:50.620 --> 00:27:51.680 That's what worship is. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:55.140 When you come before the Holy Lord. 00:27:57.340 --> 00:27:59.759 It's like a knife is opened up into your chest. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:02.299 You see the junk there. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:04.860 And you got to deal with it. 00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:09.180 And the amazing thing is that when we deal with it, he heals us and he changes and he makes us different. 00:28:09.180 --> 00:28:11.779 But sometimes worship is not comfortable. 00:28:13.140 --> 00:28:14.000 But listen to me. 00:28:15.120 --> 00:28:24.080 There's a big difference between being unworthy when you come to this table and taking this table in an unworthy way. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:33.960 There's a big difference between being unworthy when you come to this table and taking this table in an unworthy way. 00:28:35.639 --> 00:28:39.919 The Bible is going to say that none of us in here are worthy. 00:28:44.220 --> 00:28:44.980 No one. 00:28:46.599 --> 00:28:49.859 None of us are worthy to come to communion. 00:28:49.859 --> 00:28:53.819 What it says is communion is for broken people. 00:28:55.799 --> 00:28:56.979 It's for sinful people. 00:28:58.179 --> 00:28:59.959 For people who don't have their act altogether. 00:29:01.219 --> 00:29:02.339 For people on a journey. 00:29:03.659 --> 00:29:04.679 For people being changed. 00:29:05.879 --> 00:29:09.759 That's why in verse 28 he asks us to examine our hearts, to look at our lives. 00:29:10.199 --> 00:29:13.099 What he's basically saying there is what's your relationship with God like? 00:29:16.299 --> 00:29:19.159 What's your relationship with people in your community like? 00:29:19.859 --> 00:29:24.279 What's your business relationship like? 00:29:26.339 --> 00:29:28.219 Do you treat people differently? 00:29:31.099 --> 00:29:33.319 Do you understand the cross? 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:38.779 These are all questions that we have to ask ourselves before we come up. 00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:42.359 That's why sometimes when we do communion, I'm worried for some of us guys. 00:29:43.079 --> 00:29:45.959 Because some of us just get up right away and we just go and we're just doing it. 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:49.059 I know some of it's because of the craziness and some of it's because of our kids. 00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:55.420 But have we had a chance to look at our lives and ask these questions? 00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:00.299 Does the cross in this meal motivate you differently this week? 00:30:00.380 --> 00:30:04.579 Do you act differently this week at work because of everything that Jesus has done for you? 00:30:04.579 --> 00:30:05.980 Do you have self-control? 00:30:05.980 --> 00:30:10.500 And what we see, the church of Corinth, they didn't have self-control. 00:30:10.620 --> 00:30:12.299 They were out of control and things are not good. 00:30:15.339 --> 00:30:16.860 Second thing I've been struggling with. 00:30:18.599 --> 00:30:20.960 If you were, I'm going to get in trouble for this, I know. 00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:26.460 If you were to ask the church at Corinth, was worship good today? 00:30:27.579 --> 00:30:29.360 They would go, oh man, it was awesome. 00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:32.059 It was the greatest worship I've ever had. 00:30:32.100 --> 00:30:33.059 I was so moved. 00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:34.559 I felt so good afterwards. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:38.059 I don't remember what the pastor said, but I had a little headache afterwards. 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:38.880 But it was just awesome. 00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:39.559 It was so good. 00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:43.680 But what the passage seems to say here 00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:47.740 is that we need to be careful in how we evaluate our worship. 00:30:47.740 --> 00:30:54.440 I mean, he seems to be saying that worship is meant to be a giving experience. 00:30:56.200 --> 00:30:58.299 Because if we're copying the life of Christ, 00:30:58.740 --> 00:31:03.299 he worshiped the Lord by submitting, by obeying, and by giving. 00:31:04.859 --> 00:31:10.319 And so when we come to a holy God, it should change us. 00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:15.000 And the Corinthians were really excited about the love feast 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:17.579 and what they were getting out of it and how it was so cool and I felt so good. 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:19.120 And it was awesome. 00:31:22.440 --> 00:31:25.279 But the question is, did they really meet God? 00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:32.640 Or did they just have their own needs met? 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:38.740 I think it would be great if you guys could leave here every day 00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:40.700 and say, after Sunday, I met God. 00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:44.700 I was a young pastor. 00:31:44.839 --> 00:31:46.160 I'm not going to share where I was. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:47.620 And I was in a meeting of other pastors. 00:31:48.360 --> 00:31:49.259 I didn't have a lot of courage. 00:31:49.360 --> 00:31:50.320 I'm just learning things, right? 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:53.220 And in this meeting, the pastors were talking about 00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:55.200 what other churches in town were known for. 00:31:56.340 --> 00:31:57.960 And one guy said, yeah, my church, you know, 00:31:58.000 --> 00:31:59.519 everybody wants to come here because they want to get married 00:31:59.519 --> 00:32:00.060 because it's great. 00:32:00.200 --> 00:32:01.120 No, we're not talking about Hong Kong, 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:03.300 but it's a great church and it's where you get married. 00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:05.380 And one guy was saying, yeah, they come to my church 00:32:05.380 --> 00:32:07.580 because it's worship and the worship is out of control 00:32:07.580 --> 00:32:08.779 and people are jumping up and down. 00:32:08.900 --> 00:32:10.440 And it was just crazy. 00:32:10.820 --> 00:32:12.220 And they're having all these gifts, 00:32:12.300 --> 00:32:13.100 which are not bad things, 00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:14.379 but, you know, they're doing all these things. 00:32:14.439 --> 00:32:15.740 And another guy said, yeah, if you're a single person, 00:32:15.779 --> 00:32:16.519 you want to come to my church 00:32:16.519 --> 00:32:17.459 because that's where you get married 00:32:17.459 --> 00:32:19.039 because that's where all the singles go. 00:32:20.419 --> 00:32:21.859 And I'm sitting there and I'm listening to it. 00:32:21.899 --> 00:32:22.699 I'm like, wow, wouldn't it? 00:32:24.099 --> 00:32:25.439 And again, I was just so young. 00:32:25.500 --> 00:32:26.319 I have no courage. 00:32:26.459 --> 00:32:28.399 And it's probably good that God just shut my mouth up. 00:32:28.439 --> 00:32:30.359 And I just said, I wanted to say, 00:32:30.419 --> 00:32:31.879 wouldn't it be great to be known as a church 00:32:31.879 --> 00:32:32.740 where people met God? 00:32:36.099 --> 00:32:37.500 Wouldn't it be great to be known as a church 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:38.699 where people fell in love with the Lord? 00:32:38.700 --> 00:32:43.059 Wouldn't it be great to be a church 00:32:43.059 --> 00:32:45.920 where people fell in love with each other 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:49.220 and served each other? 00:32:52.340 --> 00:32:53.140 One last thing. 00:32:56.180 --> 00:32:58.600 In Paul's day, the patron, the rich person, 00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:00.100 would invite people to his home 00:33:00.100 --> 00:33:02.299 and he'd have these extravagant meals. 00:33:02.420 --> 00:33:05.200 And these meals were always to show favoritism 00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:06.360 to their closest friends. 00:33:06.359 --> 00:33:08.279 I mean, they were a stranger. 00:33:08.399 --> 00:33:09.699 They did it to do business. 00:33:09.799 --> 00:33:11.259 But most of the time, they just did it 00:33:11.259 --> 00:33:13.359 for favoritism to their closest friends. 00:33:13.479 --> 00:33:16.019 And they were known to just shun strangers. 00:33:17.379 --> 00:33:19.279 But what Paul tells us in his passage 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:22.479 is that we have a real patron. 00:33:24.740 --> 00:33:27.939 And that true patron is Jesus Christ. 00:33:27.940 --> 00:33:33.120 And today, when you come take communion, 00:33:34.779 --> 00:33:37.720 it's Christ who's given you the invitation. 00:33:40.200 --> 00:33:42.400 He's asking you to come be with him, 00:33:42.740 --> 00:33:45.160 to be a part of him, 00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:47.539 to trust him, 00:33:48.220 --> 00:33:50.059 to allow him to take care of you. 00:33:50.059 --> 00:33:53.740 And the amazing thing about Jesus as our patron 00:33:53.740 --> 00:33:55.079 is Jesus doesn't have favorites. 00:33:57.139 --> 00:33:58.639 It doesn't matter where you are in life 00:33:58.639 --> 00:33:59.299 and what you've done. 00:34:00.059 --> 00:34:00.960 We're all the same. 00:34:02.460 --> 00:34:03.899 And the amazing thing about Jesus as a patron 00:34:03.899 --> 00:34:06.000 is that he doesn't withhold anything from his children. 00:34:06.299 --> 00:34:08.440 He gives us all, everything that we need. 00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:11.159 And the amazing thing about Jesus as a patron 00:34:11.159 --> 00:34:12.340 is he doesn't give up on us, 00:34:12.340 --> 00:34:13.380 even when we make mistakes. 00:34:13.779 --> 00:34:14.799 I mean, he's always there. 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:21.560 So when you come to the table today, 00:34:22.340 --> 00:34:26.539 remember that we're coming to worship our true patron, 00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:29.539 that Jesus is the master, 00:34:31.180 --> 00:34:32.600 and that we're the slaves. 00:34:33.620 --> 00:34:34.780 I don't know how you feel about that, 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:35.780 but that's what the Bible says. 00:34:36.360 --> 00:34:37.519 That's the message of this passage. 00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:38.780 That's the message of all the Bible. 00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:40.720 Jesus is the patron. 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:41.920 He's the master. 00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:43.140 We're the slaves. 00:34:43.580 --> 00:34:44.620 Slaves come into the master. 00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:46.180 And the master feeds them. 00:34:47.380 --> 00:34:48.460 The master takes care of them. 00:34:49.200 --> 00:34:50.200 The master loves them. 00:34:50.980 --> 00:34:52.320 They're the children of the master. 00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:54.660 And what Jesus is saying today 00:34:54.660 --> 00:34:55.840 is when you come to this table, 00:34:57.320 --> 00:35:01.380 that give you an invitation to my kingdom. 00:35:04.780 --> 00:35:05.820 Will you trust me? 00:35:09.660 --> 00:35:10.720 Because I'm a good patron. 00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:14.200 I'm a good patron. 00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:18.600 I'm going to ask the community group to come up 00:35:18.600 --> 00:35:21.460 as we get ready for communion. 00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:22.620 So come on up, guys. 00:35:24.900 --> 00:35:25.940 Jeremy's going to come up, 00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:28.500 and he's going to play some music for us. 00:35:28.500 --> 00:35:43.639 As you prepare for communion, 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:46.679 my prayer, 00:35:47.400 --> 00:35:49.400 maybe for the first time ever in your life, 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:52.400 is that you would see Christ differently, 00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:55.720 that you would see God differently, 00:35:55.720 --> 00:35:56.820 that you would see God differently, 00:35:57.360 --> 00:36:03.639 that you would see the people next to you differently. 00:36:06.820 --> 00:36:08.559 As you come up, when you're ready, 00:36:09.559 --> 00:36:12.220 you grab the elements, 00:36:13.220 --> 00:36:14.700 and you grab the bread, 00:36:14.760 --> 00:36:15.260 they're going to say, 00:36:15.260 --> 00:36:16.140 this is my body, 00:36:16.200 --> 00:36:17.340 which is broken for you. 00:36:20.020 --> 00:36:21.160 You take the wine, 00:36:21.240 --> 00:36:21.620 they're going to say, 00:36:21.700 --> 00:36:22.600 this is my blood, 00:36:22.660 --> 00:36:23.820 which is poured out for you, 00:36:23.880 --> 00:36:24.560 a new covenant. 00:36:26.720 --> 00:36:27.720 And in that moment, 00:36:27.840 --> 00:36:31.320 you're holding 3,800 years of history in your hands. 00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:36.220 It all comes down to a cross 00:36:36.220 --> 00:36:41.460 where the final lamb was killed for you 00:36:41.460 --> 00:36:45.140 so that you and I can come into his family. 00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:48.700 Don't forget that. 00:36:52.260 --> 00:36:53.140 Don't forget that. 00:36:54.860 --> 00:36:55.640 When you're ready, 00:36:56.120 --> 00:36:57.120 you can come take communion. 00:36:57.960 --> 00:36:59.300 And after we've all received it, 00:36:59.320 --> 00:36:59.840 I'll come up, 00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:01.660 and we'll take it together as a family. 00:37:04.579 --> 00:37:06.039 3,800 years 00:37:06.039 --> 00:37:09.400 of an awesome tradition 00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:11.220 which changed everything, 00:37:12.579 --> 00:37:15.079 changed history in our lives. 00:37:16.059 --> 00:37:18.120 On the night that Christ was betrayed, 00:37:19.059 --> 00:37:20.720 because there was no lamb, 00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:21.640 he was the lamb, 00:37:21.880 --> 00:37:23.180 he took a loaf of bread, 00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:26.140 and he broke it, 00:37:27.960 --> 00:37:29.420 just like his body was going to happen 00:37:29.420 --> 00:37:31.680 on the cross the next day. 00:37:33.099 --> 00:37:34.159 And he gave it to you, 00:37:34.240 --> 00:37:34.740 his people, 00:37:35.740 --> 00:37:39.380 to symbolize that you're now with him, 00:37:41.579 --> 00:37:43.400 and that you're now a part of him, 00:37:44.700 --> 00:37:46.320 and that he will never forsake you 00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:46.980 or let you go, 00:37:48.579 --> 00:37:49.960 that now you're a family. 00:37:49.960 --> 00:37:53.280 He gave him peace, 00:37:53.340 --> 00:37:53.559 and he said, 00:37:53.679 --> 00:37:54.300 this is my body, 00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:55.420 which is broken for you. 00:37:56.639 --> 00:37:57.240 Take and eat. 00:38:07.780 --> 00:38:08.780 A little while later, 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:09.740 in the Gospels, 00:38:09.900 --> 00:38:11.619 and in this passage, 00:38:11.619 --> 00:38:15.179 Jesus takes the third cup 00:38:15.179 --> 00:38:16.880 that the Father would have said 00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:17.400 in Passover, 00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:18.339 I redeem you, 00:38:19.460 --> 00:38:20.779 and he makes a new covenant 00:38:20.779 --> 00:38:23.339 in his blood, 00:38:23.900 --> 00:38:26.359 and he shares it with all of us, 00:38:27.359 --> 00:38:28.480 and he says, 00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:30.519 I redeem you. 00:38:30.519 --> 00:38:34.380 The blood of Christ poured for you. 00:38:46.900 --> 00:38:48.739 So when we come to communion table, 00:38:48.739 --> 00:38:50.719 we look back, 00:38:51.919 --> 00:38:54.379 we look now, 00:38:55.539 --> 00:38:57.339 we look forward, 00:38:58.899 --> 00:39:00.639 but I think there's one other thing we do. 00:39:02.579 --> 00:39:03.479 We look outward. 00:39:05.719 --> 00:39:07.179 That's why I brought this treacher up. 00:39:09.419 --> 00:39:10.879 Because you have to realize 00:39:10.879 --> 00:39:11.739 that we, 00:39:12.759 --> 00:39:13.799 as God's people, 00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:16.720 have the only thing 00:39:16.720 --> 00:39:19.440 that will save 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:20.860 the people around you. 00:39:22.780 --> 00:39:23.700 My prayer, 00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:25.140 our prayer has always been 00:39:25.140 --> 00:39:26.220 this watermark 00:39:26.220 --> 00:39:28.280 that we'd be a generous church, 00:39:29.780 --> 00:39:31.340 we've been an outwardly focused church, 00:39:32.440 --> 00:39:33.420 that we'd be a church 00:39:33.420 --> 00:39:34.740 that never forgot what it was like 00:39:34.740 --> 00:39:36.000 before we knew Christ, 00:39:37.360 --> 00:39:38.560 that we invite our friends 00:39:38.560 --> 00:39:39.820 to community groups, 00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:41.760 and to lunches, 00:39:42.380 --> 00:39:43.120 and to church, 00:39:43.800 --> 00:39:45.720 to share with them this story, 00:39:46.560 --> 00:39:49.380 and how it changed everything 00:39:49.380 --> 00:39:51.640 in our lives. 00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:54.840 Father, we thank you for this day. 00:39:56.160 --> 00:39:57.580 We come before you, 00:39:57.760 --> 00:39:59.519 the true patron of our souls, 00:40:00.039 --> 00:40:01.560 and we just confess 00:40:01.560 --> 00:40:02.660 our brokenness. 00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:05.600 Even as we teach this passage, 00:40:05.740 --> 00:40:07.260 we realize how far off 00:40:07.260 --> 00:40:08.080 we are from you, 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:09.980 the perfect, holy, 00:40:10.720 --> 00:40:12.460 just creator of all things. 00:40:12.460 --> 00:40:15.139 And we realize that 00:40:15.139 --> 00:40:16.480 all of us are unworthy, 00:40:16.659 --> 00:40:17.599 and you're not calling us 00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:18.320 to be perfect, 00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:20.260 or to have our act together, 00:40:20.260 --> 00:40:21.699 because if that were the call, 00:40:21.780 --> 00:40:22.920 then we would never come. 00:40:24.119 --> 00:40:25.059 But you're calling us 00:40:25.059 --> 00:40:25.940 to trust you, 00:40:27.220 --> 00:40:29.599 to submit our lives to you, 00:40:30.599 --> 00:40:32.039 to allow your son 00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:32.940 to heal us, 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:33.860 and to change us, 00:40:33.900 --> 00:40:35.699 and to make a way back for us, 00:40:35.699 --> 00:40:38.460 and to your supper. 00:40:40.539 --> 00:40:43.279 I don't think it's any coincidence 00:40:43.279 --> 00:40:45.159 that people who say, 00:40:45.379 --> 00:40:47.379 no, I don't want Christ 00:40:47.379 --> 00:40:48.079 in my life, 00:40:48.119 --> 00:40:48.719 and the Bible 00:40:48.719 --> 00:40:50.699 is told of them 00:40:50.699 --> 00:40:51.759 that they chose not 00:40:51.759 --> 00:40:52.719 to attend 00:40:52.719 --> 00:40:55.000 the supper of the Lamb. 00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:57.179 So Lord, 00:40:57.219 --> 00:40:58.199 as we come to you 00:40:58.199 --> 00:40:59.159 and we attend 00:40:59.159 --> 00:41:00.539 to this communion meal, 00:41:00.639 --> 00:41:01.360 we thank you. 00:41:03.159 --> 00:41:04.099 We're in awe 00:41:04.099 --> 00:41:04.639 and humbled 00:41:04.639 --> 00:41:06.179 by all that you've done for us. 00:41:07.440 --> 00:41:08.719 Thank you that you've 00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:10.099 considered us, 00:41:10.260 --> 00:41:11.500 and that you pursue us, 00:41:11.559 --> 00:41:12.960 and that you don't give up on us. 00:41:14.539 --> 00:41:15.000 And Lord, 00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:16.119 I pray that we would be different, 00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:17.119 and we would be changed, 00:41:18.199 --> 00:41:19.400 and that looking at the cross, 00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:20.519 and looking at your body, 00:41:20.619 --> 00:41:21.539 and looking at the blood, 00:41:21.639 --> 00:41:23.179 and looking at grace, 00:41:23.179 --> 00:41:25.440 would make us different people 00:41:25.440 --> 00:41:26.000 this week, 00:41:26.639 --> 00:41:28.779 that we become more like your son. 00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:31.179 Lord, we need you, 00:41:31.739 --> 00:41:32.960 because we're a mess. 00:41:34.179 --> 00:41:35.079 Just like your church 00:41:35.079 --> 00:41:36.079 in Corinth was a mess. 00:41:37.819 --> 00:41:39.000 Lord, I pray for those of us 00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:41.899 in here who don't yet know you, 00:41:42.679 --> 00:41:43.679 and they're on this journey 00:41:43.679 --> 00:41:44.119 of seeking, 00:41:44.239 --> 00:41:45.440 I pray that they would find somebody 00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:46.440 who would come up and ask me, 00:41:46.539 --> 00:41:47.279 they would ask somebody, 00:41:47.399 --> 00:41:48.460 what's this all about, 00:41:49.379 --> 00:41:50.719 and why is it so important 00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:51.719 that I have someone 00:41:51.719 --> 00:41:52.500 who's my patron? 00:41:54.139 --> 00:41:55.039 Lord, I pray that we would get 00:41:55.039 --> 00:41:56.000 a chance to share with them. 00:41:57.980 --> 00:41:59.079 We all have patrons. 00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:01.519 The only question is, 00:42:01.839 --> 00:42:03.339 is it a good and true one? 00:42:04.779 --> 00:42:05.879 Or is it a selfish one? 00:42:07.399 --> 00:42:08.919 So Lord, we come before you this day, 00:42:08.960 --> 00:42:09.940 and we just worship you. 00:42:10.839 --> 00:42:11.679 We love you, 00:42:11.759 --> 00:42:12.559 and we thank you. 00:42:13.239 --> 00:42:13.940 We pray these things 00:42:13.940 --> 00:42:14.899 in your son Jesus' name. 00:42:15.500 --> 00:42:15.779 Amen.