Communion Message
(If we judged ourselves)
July 15-16, 2000
Pastor Leighton Sheley

Oh how He loves you and me. Jesus to Calvary did go - His love for sinners to show; but you know it wasn't just to show for what He did there brought hope from despair. We who were destined for destruction have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross. On the night before, He met with His disciples and they enjoy the Passover meal together, and this has been recorded for us in 1 Corinthians chapter 11:

For I have received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed took bread; 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." 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." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore 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. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That's why many among you are weak and sick and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves we would not come under judgment, but when we are judged by the Lord we're being disciplined so that we will not be judged with the world. So then my brothers when you come together to eat, wait for each other.

Verses 31 and 32 four times use the word judged, but in the original language it is actually three different words. If we judged ourselves - that word is diakrino. It means to contend with. In fact, that's how it's translated twice. It means to separate oneself in a hostile spirit to oppose, to strive with, to dispute, to contend, to be in variance with oneself, to hesitate, to doubt. If we contend with ourselves then we would not come under judgment. That word is krino, which is twice translated call into question, and twice translated go to law. In other words, if we would contend with ourselves we would not be called into question or called to law by the Lord. When we are judged, krino, by the Lord we're being disciplined so that we will not be condemned, katakrino, with the world. Katakrino – catastrophic - the final judgment. When we are judged, krino, by the Lord we are being disciplined, paideuo, that means to teach, to instruct, to chastened, to chastise, to train children, to chastise or castigate with words, to correct, to chastise with blows, to scourge, as a father punishing his son.

As a loving father sometimes I am forced to correct my children. The process is never enjoyable but it is necessary if my children are to grow into the men and women of character that we highly value in our family. Our heavenly Father has characteristics that He highly values in His family as well, and wishes to develop in His children. Hebrews 12 reads: And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's disciplined, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Three observations on God's discipline; number one: it's never pleasant. Correction is not ever pleasant. Number two: God's discipline is never purposeless for He wishes to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace. And number three: it's not necessary, for if we would judge ourselves we would not come under judgment. I’m going to invite you, if you're physically able, to join with me as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior this day and follow the Scriptures’ instruction to examine ourselves before partaking.

Lord, in these all too brief moments of meditation, Your spirit has been speaking to us, revealing to us areas where we have not been pleasing to You, where we have sinned against You. Lord we are so thankful that we don't have to continue in our sin. Your word says if we confess our sins You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and we can leave this place cleansed of our sin this day. Thank you Lord for Your great provision, Your great love for us. But Lord as we hold these elements we are reminded that the cost of this freedom was very great, and Your graciousness and Your mercy is not a license to continue in sin, for our sin was paid for on Calvary's cross by Jesus. Thank you Lord for Your great love for us, that You would pay so great a price to redeem us from destruction. Thank you Lord. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup. Hallelujah. O thank you Lord. Lord thank you, thank you. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Let's say hallelujah together. Hallelujah. Let's say it again, hallelujah. Say it again, hallelujah! We worship You this day Lord with everything within us for You are great and You are greatly to be praised. Thank you Lord for the privilege that we have to worship and praise you. Thank you Lord for inhabiting our praises. Thank you Lord for being here this day. Thank you Lord, thank you Lord, in Jesus’ name we pray, and together we say, amen. Amen. Let's stand and let's greet at least 10 of our neighbors, shall we?