1 Corinthians 11:23-25 – I Remember… – Bible study

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 I Remember We have celebrated the Lords Supper together well over 100 times. In all of the years I have been with you, I have never preached a random topic and then added this event onto the end. Instead, I have always done my best to center you attention directly on to this service. There is a reason for that. I believe that for a Christian, this service is to be one of the most significant and unique services he will ever attend. For that reason, I work hard not to make the service too repetitivealthough I know I have repeated some truths until you can easily quote them in your sleep. My intent is to be short this evening. My goal is not to teach or to preach, but to prepare you for the Lords Supper. Then I want to get out of the way and let God come sit beside you and let you fellowship with Him. I pray that it would be so tonight. Just a few thoughts tonight: I. I remember. A. There are at least five reasons I see from the Scripture that we are to have the Lords Supper, but I could not get past the first and the most prominent one. B. Jesus said, "As oft as you do this, do it in remembrance of Me." 1. Tonight, if we do nothing but remember our Lord, this hour will have served its purpose. 2. What should we remember? I spend some time this afternoon remembering. Let me share some of what came to my mind. C. I remember 1. He came. a. Jesus, Gods Son, came. b. Do not let the simplicity of that statement deprive you of the richness of it. c. In order for Jesus to come, He first had to DEBASE Himself. Psalm 113:5 Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! (1) If God has to humble Himself to LOOK on the affairs of mankind, what must He do to BECOME a man? (2) You and I cannot comprehend what Jesus had to do walk among sinful man. (3) Have you ever smelled something that was just absolutely repugnant? Something that made you sick? Perhaps a dirty diaper? Perhaps the residue of a sick stomach? Perhaps you have smelled decomposing flesh? burnt flesh? (4) What must sin do to God? He is holy. He is pure. (5) But God did not merely come for a visit. God came to stay for 33 plus years. d. Not only did Jesus have to debase Himself, He also had to DIVEST himself. (1) He laid His omniscience, omnipresence, omnipresence aside. (2) He laid His eternal form aside. (3) He laid His glory aside. e. Not only did Jesus have to debase and divest Himself, He also had to deny Himself. (1) I do not mean that He denied He was God, but he certain denied Himself the pleasures that He was His as God. (2) No one served Jesus when He was here. (a) The angels of heaven served Him in eternity. (b) The unique creatures around the throne served Him in eternity. (c) Creationthat is everything God created except mankindserviced Him before He came. (d) Time and power served Him in eternity. (e) But on earth, the closest thing to being served was a mother who swaddled Him, a set of sisters who fed Him, and a few men who buried Him. f. Not only did Jesus have to debase, divest, and deny Himself, but He also had to deliver Himself up. (1) Jesus had disciples that would fight for Him. But Jesus said no. (2) I believe Jesus had angels who would have rescued Him. But Jesus said no. (3) I believe the Father and the Holy Ghost might have to deliver Him, but Jesus said no. (4) Jesus made it clear. (a) No man was taking His life. (b) Jesus was giving it. (c) Jesus delivered Himself. 2. Jesus gave. a. What did Jesus give? Everything. (1) I have mentioned some of what my small mind can understand that He gave up. (2) But He also gave His life. (3) He gave His blood. (4) However, I am thinking He gave even more. b. My thought is that Jesus gave Himself. (1) In \#Luke 8:40-46\, Jesus was walking through a thick crowd and a women with an issue of blood came up and touched Him. When she did, she was immediately healed. (2) Jesus stopped and looked around, the asked. "Who touched Me?" The disciples more or less laughed at Jesus. (3) "The crowd is all around you and you ask, Who touched Me?" Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. (4) It was not just a bump that Jesus was talking about. It was a healing of faith, and Jesus knew it because "virtue" had gone out of Him. (5) What is virtue? (a) Most define that word as "power." (b) Scientists are not always right but they believe and have taught for decades that energy, power, cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change forms. (c) The giant oak tree sits in the forest for decades, even longer, sucking energy from the ground, the air, and the sun. We have no idea how much energy it has consumed until a fire runs through and the static energy is turned into heat and light and we stand it all of it. (d) If energy is not created, where does it come from? i. From God. ii. God is love. God is Light. God is Energy and Power. iii. When that woman touched the hem of His garment, something more than just a bit of power left Jesus. iv. A part of who, of what Jesus is left Him. v. And so it was and always has been, Jesus has not just given us some things. He has given to us Himself. vi. I cannot explain it any better, but Jesus gave. 3. He loved. 4. He taught. 5. He died. 6. He arose. 7. He saves. 8. He is coming again. II. I examine. 1Cor 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lords body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. A. I cannot say that is the second most obvious or even important purpose of the Lords Supper, but it is right up there with it. B. Every Lords Supper is an opportunity for personal revival. 1. God wants to come sit down beside you, put His arm around you, and fellowship with you just as He did with His disciples 2000 years ago and as He will all of the saved once He had returned. 2. The question is, "Will you let Him or will you let sin keep you apart?"