Communion!
“in an unworthy manner”? What?
Isaiah 58 Ministries December, 2013
Pastor: Leah Svensson
Scriptures: Romans 8:37, Luke 22:24-30, Matthew 23:1, Luke 16:1-8, 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Theme
1 Corinthians 11:23 For
I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the
night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and
when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This
is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”25 In
the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This
cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in
remembrance of me.”26 For
whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death
until he comes.
27 So
then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be
guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the
Lord. 28 Everyone
ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the
cup.29 For
those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink
judgment on themselves. 30 That
is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen
asleep. 31 But
if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under
such judgment. 32 Nevertheless,
when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we
will not be finally condemned with the world.
Sermon
Communion! “in an unworthy manner”? What?
As a
follower and disciple of Jesus Christ we do not enslave people but set them
free. We are more than a conquer. When “The Gospel” is preached
people are delivered from oppression, healed, provided for by God! Not Christians.
Jesus is our Savior from suffering!
To understand
what it is to partake of the Lord Supper unworthily we need to learn something
from the worldly people around us. (Luke 16:1-8)
People in the world “conquer” to provide for themselves.
I use to wonder why my brother and sisters in
the flesh would say things like “I work hard for what I have!” I never saw them do any work. They wouldn't help their mother or father or anyone else for that matter, they wouldn't even clean their own rooms. So how are they
working hard for what they have?
They
disobey all Ten Commandments. They worked hard mentally, using all the sin they had in them! Always accusing people of some kind of terrible sin! Which the person was innocent of! This is
hard work in the 50’s and 60’s because everyone else is trying to obey the Ten
Commandments, not break them. Most people were looking towards heaven not hell.
But there were those breaking free from the principles of Christianity especially in the media, entertainment industry government, and business.
These people were violently, “conquering”, taking, (over throwing, insurrection,) over the country.
During this time, small groups of people and individuals were gaining power by falsely accusing innocent
people; enticing the people to judge others without a trail; legalizing murder;
abortion; dishonoring parents, hating God; lying constantly, stealing, coveting, wanting what others have
and cheating to take it from them, etc. (Roe vs Wade, rebellious Rock and Roll are examples).
Now Jesus
delivered us from these people when we remember Jesus and receive nourishment
from him worthily. Right now we have to
learn from the oppressors.
These people drain
others of Life, Liberty and happiness.
They suck the life out of people; they
take from others to “nourish” themselves.
An example is when a bully puts down a good clean person to “make
themselves feel” better, stronger, not the inadequate person they really
are. Sinners sin makes them very
weak.
A Christian who takes of the body
and blood of Jesus takes God’s “strength inside themselves”. A Christian, a saint is good because Jesus
died on the cross and “willingly” gave and gives his life for us to gain
strength from.
Every
human being is born with a vessel “empty” needing someone else to fill it. A Mother breast feeds her child, dresses them, cleans them. We are all naked before God
and need him to feed us, dress us, put a roof over our heads.
The world meets their needs from taking “life”
from their “victims”, innocent people.
The world conquers then: Matthew 23:4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome
loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not
willing to lift a finger to move them. The
world: Luke 22:25 “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their
people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’
Jesus came to set us free from these cannibals. A lot of people have cancers, diabetes, other
sufferings because their life is constantly being drained from them by
cannibals! Your body and blood have
nourishment in them. Nourishment that
comes from “someone else”, just like your mother's breast! The world knows it
needs the life of others. A person one time yelled at me, “You need people!” This person was a very manipulative, cunning,
crafty, deceitful, spoiled child since birth always sucking the life out of
everyone around her. This is why lawyers
are called “blood suckers”. They really
are! You cannot blame a child for what
they are unless you have another way to meet these needs.
 |
| The is a natural law. Science |
Jesus laid his life down for us freely.
We need him. As much as the world
needs people they can suck the life out of, we need Jesus' Life! How?
The Gospel. The Gospel! The very words are the power of God to save,
heal, deliver, set free. We have to turn our back on everything that “sucks” the ‘life”, “strength”, out of us! Turn to God, “the Gospel”, Keep Gospel! in your
mind constantly, it will heal, mend, restore, release hope within your being.
You will feel strong! Hope that isn't from a sinful dying world, but a hope that comes from purity, holiness, clean
honest thoughts that come from the written word in your being!
The kingdom of God is within. Where the Holy Spirit resides, deep within
you. God has written his word in
you. When you draw from it they you are
able to take communion worthily. You have
ceased from drawing life, (sinning: breaking the Ten Commandments), from others
Conclusion
I have always wanted God to give me understanding about this. So he did. A pure heart, thoroughly examined by the person, sinless, only following the leading of the Holy Spirit, a person who is holy before God and man is worthy. You are right. Most people in America, even if they call themselves Christian, should probably not take communion. American Christians are not holy. I've seen some orthodox people in other countries close to being holy.
References
Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us.
The
Parable of the Unjust Steward
Luke 16:1 He
also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation
was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to
him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for
you can no longer be steward.’
3 “Then the steward said within
himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from
me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do,
that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their
houses.’
5 “So he called every one of
his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred
measures of
oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write
fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And
how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of
wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the
unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are
more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
Luke 22:24 A dispute also arose among them as to
which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings
of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them
call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like
that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one
who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one
who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the
table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood
by me in my trials.29 And I confer on you a
kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink
at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel.
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
Matthew
23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to
his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and
the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do
everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice
what they preach.4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome
loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not
willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done
for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on
their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor
at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with
respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called
‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on
earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called
instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will
be your servant. 12 For those who exalt
themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers
of the Law and the Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the
law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven
in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter
who are trying to. 14
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the
law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single
convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of
hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides!
