This broadcaster has 2045 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
February 21, 2011 11:28 am
Support the show.
Harvest podcasts featuring Pastor Greg Laurie are brought to you by harvest partners to receive Pastor Greg free online daily devotions or to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org.
Let's pray father we are glad to be here today. Looking forward to what your word will see the was believing every word of it is true wanting to know more about how you can use our lives for your glory. Sublet this time of Bible study bless our time at the communion table for we ask all of this in Jesus name, amen.
You can be see that morning wanted to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 14 and we continue in our follow me theory following Jesus in the modern world and needless to say, were to be having the communion service following the title of my messages dinner with Jesus heard about a lady that was very lonely so she went down to a pet store and asked the owner if he had any recommendations on good companion pets that she could purchase and he said ma'am. I would recommend you buy a pair parents live very long lives are great companions and they talk, and so he recommended a particular parity about the parents in the cage and to get home in about a week and 1/2 went by and he came back to see the owner and said Sir I this perigee solely. It doesn't talk in the civil men did you buy the parrot a mere she said no will. Every parent needs Amir and if you buy him a mere surely he will talk okay so she buys him. Amir takes it all and puts it this case she comes back another week and 1/2 later service parrot is still not talking he has her did you buy him a ladder.
Every parent needs a ladder if you get him a letter surely he will talk so see buys a letter takes it all puts it in the birdcage again no response. Because, like another we can out later and says it's parrot isn't talking Jesus will did you get him a swing. Every parent needs a swing beginning to swing you don't talk to get them a swing takes it home tries it out. Nothing happens now two weeks go by and she comes back in and she is furious and limits it will did the parrot talking said no the parrot time in the pet supporters of all my that's horrible. Did he say anything before he died she citizen as a matter of fact he did. He said to the heavenly food out of the pet store is not a two-story relax. How many of you love to eat. Raise your hand you love to eat a good when you know I'm I'm one of you, and you can set a clock by my stomach. I mean, I am at three meal a day, God, I am amazed by people that don't eat breakfast. My wife won't eat breakfast and then lunch comes around.
It's like a mystery to her like really I wish I could be more like that.
I get up in the morning.
I want breakfast and I tell you what my stomach works like a clock in around 11 o'clock that same lunch is coming. Lunch is coming in Hillhead getting ready for the and and I love doing and we've even under some using watching the food channel a bit lately but if you want to food channel is actually quite entertaining. You know they have their own celebrities Bobby Flavio Mario Bartel. It but Tully and so forth. In any other show on the food channel called iron Chef.
Everything that and so they have these these great chefs on in and I'll have someone new competing and then the of the secret ingredients and then after it's all done. They they bring what they prepared to a group of judges that determine who wins the iron Chef competition and as I wanted so I thought that's the job I want when I grow up I want to be a judge on the iron Chef trying out some of that food will guess what Jesus Christ like to know. He walked this earth we read so many occasions where he would have a meal with people he would come over to the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus and a meal was being prepared. We remember how hard Martha was working in the kitchen that prepare a feast fit for a king. Even after his resurrection. There is Jesus waiting on the shore of Galilee with the fire going and some fish cooking saying to his disciples bring the of the fish that you just caught and then of course Jesus uses eating together as a metaphor for his desire to have fellowship with us when he says in Revelation 320 behold, I stand at the door. I knocked and if any man will hear my voice. I will open the door and come in and suck within King James or have a meal with him that's exactly what he was saying so no here in Matthew 14 we come to a miracle of the multiplication of food. This is the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 which by the way is the only miracle found in all four of the golf I find it interesting. You would've thought that it maybe would've been the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead are they healing a blind Bart Emmaus footnote the one miracle that is in all four Gospels is the feeding of the 5000 with the loaves and the fishes. Therefore, we can conclude God really wants us to understand this one we have for camp camera angles on it. If you will to get different insights as to what happened on this particular day, this miracle is given to us in Quadra phonic four Gospels. So let's read it now that the 14 starting in verse 14, Jesus went out, he saw a great multitude and he was moved with compassion for them, and he healed their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him, saying, this is a deserted place in the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go to the villages and buy themselves food.
But Jesus said to them, they do not need to go away. You give them something to eat and they said well we only have five loaves and two fish, he said, bring them here to me.
Then he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass and he took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to Kevin, he blessed and broke and gave the lows to the disciples and the disciples gave to the multitudes so they all ate and they were filled, and they took up 12 baskets full of the fragments that remain. Now those who had eaten were about 5000 men, besides women and children. So in total there may have been actually more than 5000 fed. If you factor in women and children.
It could have been as high as 10,000 perhaps even more heard a story about little boy who was out with his favorite Bible story was. He said I like the one work everyone loaves and fishes. Let's not exactly what happened here but it is a great story chronologically. Jesus was in the peak of his ministry here it is.
Popularity was spreading.
He was the talk of the town if you will, and multitudes of people were anxiously following him so here now we have a large crowd gathered to hear and hungry. Interestingly, we read in verse 14 Jesus was moved with compassion for them and here's why. Find this fascinating because these people were not following Jesus because they believed he was a long-awaited Messiah of Israel. The reason they were following him was because of the miracles he was performing. John 62 says a huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miracle as he healed their sick CDC more effectively thrill seekers. They rented to be dazzled to be entertained and now he was going to do is most popular miracle today, raising the dead. That's all fine and well, giving sight to the blind, removing leprosy, that's great, but a free meal now or talk despite the fact that these people were fickle and made it. Maybe their motives were mixed. We read Jesus had compassion on them. By the way, that word compassion means that you have your inner being stirred. Have you ever had that happen to you. We were moved so deeply buying something you saw.
By the way. Compassion is not just caring, it's caring enough to something. It's not just pity, compassion is pity. Plus action Jesus had compassion on these multitudes and he saw that they were hungry. Now if I were Jesus, and I knew that these people were in it for the wrong reason and not only that, but I knew that some of these very people that were singing my phrases on this date would be crying out crucifying him on another date. I would've not fed them, would you have back, I probably would've eaten in front of them and not Jesus. He's he was moved with compassion. He cared about them to the disciples.
These people were in embarrassment and a burden yet to Jesus. They were a call and an opportunity now there are three primary characters that emerge in this story and unfortunately they're not identified in Matthew's account, but we go over to the gospel of John to get more details in the three characters are Philip Andrew and the little boy. You might find yourself in one of these people. Philip Andrew and the little boy and by the way, this was a test for Philip and Andrew member when you were in school, and there would be that test that you had to prepare for and then occasionally there would be those pop quizzes I hated those especially because I was rarely prepared for a test that was announced, much less a pop quiz and why did teachers give us pop quizzes. I think personally because they wanted to torment us know. I'm sure because they wanted us to learn the material and to torment us just a little bit to and Jesus would lay pop quizzes on his disciples unannounced test to see if they were effectively learning the material. So over and John's account of this story we read that Jesus all the multitudes gathering and in John 65. He asked Philip where can we buy bread to feed all of these people obviously Jesus did not need help in this regard. He wanted to see if Philip would come up with the right answer. Philip I have a question for you we been hanging out together now for well over two years.
You see me do all kinds of miracles.
This kind of wonder in. If you have any ideas here. Where can we get food to feed all of these people know what should Philip Spencer have been. We should of said something along the lines of a lesser problem, your God, you could materialize through just as God sent manna down delete Israelites in the wilderness you could materialize money to go buying food like we got that going out of the fish so whatever, it's no problem your God in human form that would've been the best answer but Philip doesn't know what to do and we read that he says it would take a small fortune to feed them like I don't have a clue. It take a fortune to feed all of these people. So looks like Philip was not learning the material.
If this was a test he would've got a feeling grade and we can look at. That's it. Will should've known better but do we ever need to be re-taught things that we have supposedly learned learned is God have to ever retest us. Of course he does. There are times we been walking with the Lord for years. We seem to know so little on the people we were going to harvest. For years we have sat through hundreds of services. We've heard countless Bible studies. Do you remember any of them know but we sat there so many is not just about longevity is not just about how many years you been coming here.
Have you learned anything the author of Hebrews in chapter 5 says you been Christians a long time now you want to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scripture we are like babies and drink only milk and can't eat solid food in a person like that doesn't know much about doing what is right. A lot of people though they been around forever are still like little babies. Spiritually, you should be teaching others in your going over the basics again yourself. It's easy to tell someone else to trust the Lord to provide, but it's another thing when you have to trust the Lord to provide. Maybe you're going through a test right now all of a sudden your faith is being tested heard about the two college football players that were being tested. They had to pass this test of their women play in the big game that weekend and it was pretty easy test.
It was one when you fill in the blank and so Bubba was looking it over and it said fill in the blank. This is the last question on the test. There was a question old McDonald had blank above is mystified, he doesn't know. He taps kindly on the shoulder when the teacher is looking to I don't know the answer to this question. Old dental, what Tiny is Bobby, you're so stupid. Everybody knows old McDonald had a farm. Okay, the Bubba thinks about it for a moment. He taps timing on the shoulder uses tiny how do you spell farm I can't believe of stupid you are Bubba you spell farm EI EI all so anyway, Bubba and Tony were struggling with that task and old Philip was struggling with the test. Jesus gave to him now. Attenders turn need is a little bit better. This is also bound in John six in his treatment of the same story Andrew surveys the situation now. Interestingly, Jesus did not ask Andrew for help. Yes, Philip will begin to find food to feed all these people. Bob says well you'll dig fortune to feed them now and use listening and he goes well. Lord, there is a little boy here with some loaves and fishes.
It's like he's on this something. But what is that among so many so close but not quite, but he was getting that you know Andrew was a spiritually perceptive guy and he was initially disciple of John the Baptist and when Jesus came on the scene. John said, behold the Lamb of God or takes away the sin of the world and so and you begin to follow Jesus and sort of the M.O. of Andrew if you will, is he was always bringing people to Jesus and the story he brings a little boy to Jesus and later on we read about in the Gospel of John work. There was some men from Greece who wanted to meet Jesus and someone brought them to Andrew who brought them to the Lord. That was Andrew always bringing people to Jesus. Quick question once last time you brought someone to Jesus jointly did well, but even quite ace this he had the idea that the little boy could help, but he didn't know what to do and that brings us to the third a person in the story and I think the one that really did the best and that's a little boy himself. He's not mean for us, but we just read. He was a little boy with his loaves and fishes now what we know about this little guy will we know he was poor because he had barley bread barley bread was the cheapest of all bread and actually was held in contempt. It wasn't really breadfruit people. It was a kind of bread you would give to an animal so it was the cheapest bread imaginable.
And he had to small fish not too large bears. Not even to medium-size fish to small fish.
Sort of like having stale bread and sardine or old Wonder Bread and spam.
I don't know what is a silicate of this little Star Wars lunchbox. You know I it is not a lot to bring to the table with some kiddies got is a lunchbox what you have in there centralizing some old bread couple of fish. I can work with this. That little boy gave Woody had to Jesus anyone the same way God wants us to bring what we have, to the table. This boy gave his lunch as poor as it was the Lord. This limes was as insignificant as it could be in this boy was as insignificant as he can be. But the point of the story is that which was insufficient from the hands of the insignificant became sufficient and significant when placed in the hands of Jesus limited pizza that we have it appear the point of the story is that which was insufficient from the hands of the insignificant. The little boy became sufficient and significant when placed in the hands of Jesus. That's not what you bring into your bringing it to God can do a lot with a little how we think God only wants to use talented people well. You'll use talented people of their humble enough to dedicate their gifts to God. But sometimes those that have the least are willing to give more because they recognize if anything good comes at us to come from God.
So bring what you have, God can take it and blessed and use it to touch many what is it that makes a gift great in God's service. It is not the magnitude of the give. It is into whose hands the give is given I can walk over here right now and strap on one of these guitars and plug it in and turn the amp up to 10 and hit the four cords that I know and you would say that is the junkie's guitar I've ever that is horrible, horrible sounding guitar.
No one sees nothing wrong with the guitar's a guy play in it not Ponce came up here and he strapped on the same guitar and he played with it that is a nice guitar already picked it up with it. That is a beautiful guitars, a beautiful tone to it, doesn't it. Well it's a good guitar were significantly it's a one claimant.
So in the same way bring we bring our gifts to God.
We bring our Wonder Bread in our spam.
We bring our stale bread, nor sardines.
We we bring ourselves away say Lord Karen is doing to candid with that and this is the thing we need to remember that God is showing us in this story that he can take care of our needs, as was the primary test for all of the disciples. Do you believe that God can take care of you even when the odds are against it. Jesus taught us in the Lord's prayer to pray as follows. Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread right so really what is Jesus teaching us to pray effectively in this template for all prayer that we call the Lord's prayer he say when you pray always acknowledge the greatness of God, pray for the will of God and pray for the provision of God when I pray, give me this day my daily bread I am in effect say I had knowledge Lord that everything that I have comes from you and maybe you worked very hard and maybe save your money and you invest wisely and you've done well for yourself. Is that why notes come from God book, but I played apartment, shut up and all came from God. The ability to think clearly came from God the beat of the heart, came from God that the blood coursing through your brains came from. Got everything you have. It's from the Lord. The closure wearing the car you drove the home you live in the gifts you have there, all from the Lord.
So when I pray, give me this day my daily bread.
I'm acknowledging everything I have thus far is come from you and I'm also saying and everything on leave in the future will need to still come from to help me out here, Lord. Notice he doesn't teach us to pray. Give us this year our yearly bread because we pray that we would trust God annually. Well, that time is gone once a year when I have to look to God to take care of me notice even teach us to pray.
Give us this month our monthly bread know it's give us this day our daily bread teaching is that we need to come to God on a daily basis, but I find it interesting that this thought did not seem across the minds of the disciples like I didn't need to say will Lord we need your help. Is it because they thought it was too big for God to do for half sometimes it's because we think it's too small for God to care about this and God will take care of big things and small things.
The Bible says in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God doesn't say him something or only of the really big gnarly things in every thing by prayer and supplication. Listen, if it matters to you, it matters to God if it struggles you. It's a concern to God bring it to him is interested in detail Jesus at the very hairs of your head are numbered expert sellers.
There are approximately 100,000 to 200,000 hairs on an average head. What are you laughing that I sent an average head. I have 100 hairs on my head. There's a reason for that which is breast does not grow on busy street is a lot going on here. The brain is grown so large it puts the hair around or just balding. There's no explanation. God cares about small things. He keeps track of them.
Some 56. The psalmist says, you keep track of all my sorrows. You collected all of my tears in your bottle. You've recorded each one in your book on the very day I called you for help. My enemies will retreat this. I know God is on my side note, here's anything in this story is how the miracle was done. I mean this is God. He could do it anyway he wants to arrange bread from heaven, but no, he did it through natural means. This supernatural work to the natural thought is Jesus leave the multitude another gospel says he told them to break into groups of 50 and 100. Okay, let's organizes thing break up in the small groups 50 and 100, so everyone's in the little small group and we read over in Mark's treatment of the story, chapter 6, verse 41, Jesus took the loaves and the two fishes looked up toward heaven as God's blessing and broke the loaves and the pieces and he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people. So it's not like there was a mountain of bread and another mountain and fish and everyone who came and grabbed it know they were on their little group disciples came, they grabbed the bread, come over here give it to the people come back and there was still bread and they would in the kept coming back and it was the same amount of bread and a multiplied, as they gave it okay so the Bible says give and it shall be given unto you press down, shaken together and running over with the same measure you give God will give to you as it God will bless generosity you want to be a cheapskate you want to hoard everything you can live that way. Or you can take what God gives, and gives it to others.
The Bible says the generous soul will be made fat. That's one thing you want fax your soul not your stomach, and he the waters. There is a passage continues to say will be watered himself as I give God will bless me as I distribute God will give more to me. Are you willing to pass some of the Lord has you trying to hold on to it all as they distributed it. Everyone was blessed everyone have their part, God gives us these gifts.
We need to use them for his glory.
And I want you to notice something else truck on verse 20 of Matthew chapter 14 and they ate and were filled, and they took up the 12 baskets full of fragments that remain there were leftovers giving him doggy bags a walk-up problem, but there were still no that's good because, by the way, that's what I call the right way to feed a man you want to make a man happy still just on you know I don't get these at home. Gorman was the first guy clapping at her nose. Yeah I brought chicken with me today know Melissa, I don't get these restaurants that are gourmet and in the food portions like this big old, you know. It is me some food till my stomach the better of its great tasting food, but it's not just about quantity but you know we want to win one before.
I tend to eat too fast that my wife is very slow. You know, just to combine provincial select cool the bike and talked for a while. I mean fight for me. I think we'll talk when I finished the meal okay first finished meal can like doggy food, eat food, eat food does in the reading. The lookup renown that's enough. So what's going on okay good back is pretty much how I dislike finished food that will top would he want to talk about what were waiting for dessert.
But here's the thing. Jesus gave them more than they needed and then just remind us that we serve a generous God.
Ephesians 320 says no to God be the glory by his mighty power, working as he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we can ever dare to ask or hope God can do more to give you more okay will this was a popular miracle there like this is so great. This is amazing and I love what we read in John chapter 6 we read after he did this miracle. The people came to him and said you are the prophet that is coming to the world and there were going to come and take him by force and make him king, and he departed again to the mountain by himself look that said, we just voted your King in a bill like into bad warmaking UK really looking to just make him king. But what kind of a king but kind of chain that gives us meals every day know God will not be used by people he wants to use people what he will not be used by people you see, sometimes people will use it. God what is that mean that no bill invoke the name of the Lord when they need something from people that believe in the Lord.
Politicians are very fond of this when that election cycle comes along. All of a sudden they're talking about their faith in God and how important their faith is to MLB the little photo up with her at church with their Bible and look at them. You really you know what I want to just look at your voting record. Quite frankly, I'm to see where you stand on issues that are important to me as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Religious rhetoric isn't going to cut it okay, but I think people use God. God is appreciated. They'll even imply if you vote for me. You know your voting for the one God wants you know were on God's side. I like what Abraham Lincoln said years ago that my concern is not whether God is on our side.
My greatest concern is to be in God's side for God is always right, but sometimes salespeople will use the name of the Lord to get a sale.
You know, maybe there's a little business cards printed up in the about a fish on it, or across, or little dog work or you know Scripture that's great on the critical of that. If you have done in your gardening. It's a great thing that you want to glorify God for your business. Here's what I would distribute. Please do your work well because quite frankly, some of the Shawnee is work that is done is done by people who wear their faith on their sleep. You know they'll use their faith to get the job in the come and enjoy halfhearted job and think him and what he needed to. So we would just praying a lot bro and I actually didn't hire you to prayer, her agenda likely the carpet or for whatever I need. The point is is that to what you do for the glory of God and that will earn you the right to then share your faith, the witness will be in the work well done. So you know if you frame houses do that for God's glory.
If you flip burgers do that for Glock God's glory.
If you if you're a plumber do that for God's labor. Please pull the pants up know I'm kidding this kid but don't use God.
Don't use God to get something from someone else. But God use you totally learns what we learn from the story number one we need to show compassion for those entering the Jesus model. This, but he also showed us that in addition to meeting the physical needs of the people he wanted to minister to their spiritual needs.
John six is more complete account of what happened on this date you want to reel later, and following the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. He then taught them about the most important things of life, and he said I am the bread of life, and he said so don't work for the bread or the food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life.
In other words, guys, I filled your stomach, but I am the bread of life. This is what you are to be living for and the truth of the matter is, after he finished his sermon. Most of the people walked away from you and he turned to his own disciples and said will you also go away. They said were we going to go.
Lord, you alone of the words of eternal life, but these fickle there whether people turned away after they got their free meal because they didn't like what Jesus so here's the thing. What show compassion but let's remember the most important thing we can do for people is the care for their soul. I mean there's no question that Christians have compassion on people in pain when this church distributes food and clothing and help to people every single day of the year and then we get involved in special projects, especially if there's a crisis somewhere in the world when there was a tsunami in Southeast Asia and we received an offering for the crisis in New Orleans or New Orleans as they say a we were there helping. We have continued to go down there with teams building churches and and showing God's love in a tangible way were all about that, but we also are even more about bringing the gospel to people and I think this is a great trade of the church that we have organizations that will do this as well. Like Samaritan's purse or world vision or compassion international know atheists don't have organizations like that. There's no organization called atheists purse for Kievan vision. There is no Kievan vision, but there's Christian vision. But, listen, let me make a statement that my team controversy over some but if in our attempts to reach out to people and meet their physical needs, we neglect to meet their spiritual needs. We have failed in our primary purpose. That's right because you know what you can feed this person you can close this person you can put a rope over the head of this person within 100 years. The going to be dead and the most important thing is, where will they spend eternity. So let's do these things but let's then get to give the gospel to them and some churches today think they have programs and we build homes for people and we distribute close to people and we have a soup kitchen. Amen. God bless you. We do all that stuff okay. But if they do that in the place of evangelism. Something's not right. The great commission is going to all the world and preach the gospel. You see, and after the feeding of the 5000. Jesus gave them a sermon and told him about the bread that lasts forever.
The bread of life. So that's always the objective and everything that we say and do we need to have compassion. Number two when faced with the need to matter how large were to look to God to me that when faced with the need no matter how large we are to look to God to meet it. There will come situations in life or you will not have the resources or ability to respond, it will be beyond your control test that will come in life. That is when we need to trust the Lord when an unexpected bill or expense comes in the mail and you wonder how will we ever pay this when you have that crisis with your spouse and you wonder how we ever get through this.
When that perfect child goes prodigal on you and you wonder how will we resolve this when a loved one dies unexpectedly and you wonder how will we survive that. Here's how you going to trust God.
You must trust God and you know what God will come through for you. Number three. Nothing is too big or too small for God to respond to. Again, nothing is too big or too small for God to respond to, you know, sometimes we will minimize the struggles of others, though, tell us what they're dealing with. Come on you what I've gone through.
I've suffered so much more than you know that's not right. It may not seem significant to you with that significant to them. Okay, I guess. What if it concerns Emmett concerns God so every one of us comes with our burdens our struggles in his or something keeping you up at night. There's something troubling you right now is there a need that you have bring that to the Lord. It's not too big, nor is it too small and insignificant.
The psalmist says in Psalm 61 hear my cry oh God, attend to my prayer from the end of the earth.
I'll try to you when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than first Peter 57 casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. Number four.
Bring your talents and abilities, gifts and resources to Jesus again. Bring your talents and abilities, gives and resources to Jesus. No matter how insignificant they may seem to you.
God can do a lot with a little even when we receive an offering.
Everyone should get the offering should not come as a revelation to you. What is this what is this bad with handles what is it passing before he put money in that. That's why, but why money it takes money to do what we do here is so invest in land for yourself treasure in heaven. Why can't do much and do a little whatever you can do something in your gifts with another weather not much what God can multiply them. He took the bread he took the fish he multiplied it and touched thousands of people. He can take your gifts your talents, whatever offer it to the Lord. So knowledge of cares, this was a happy occasion. People were fed when away with a little doggy bags with leftovers and I will think about another final meal, another dinner if you will recall that the Last Supper, it happened in the upper room. This would be the last meal that Jesus would have with his disciples prior to his crucifixion, they could see that there was something different about the Lord in this occasion he wasn't laughing or even smiling his thoughts seem to be elsewhere. Then he got down in his hands and his feet and he wants the fee of the disciples. Then he dropped the bombshell. One of them was going to betray him, and it turned out to be Judas Iscariot but much to the shock of everyone present and then Jesus gave these words and their fountain Matthew 26 you can turn there with me if you like are all just leave them to you as they were eating. Verse 26 of Matthew 26, Jesus took bread, he blessed any broken any gave it to the disciples and he said take any.
This is my body, and he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink from it, all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sin. I say all not drink of the fruit of the vine until now until the day that I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom when they had sung a hymn, they went up to the Mount of olives looks version of the same story we read Jesus saying do this in remembrance of me. Guys, I want you to remember what I'm gonna do for you on the cross and I've given you away to remember it through symbols elements bread that is broken unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine symbolizing my body and my blood. I want you to remember me now. We don't believe in transubstantiation here, meaning that we don't think the bread turns into the flesh of Christ of the body of Christ. We believe this juice turns into the blood of Christ.
Don't believe these are holy items. We know we bought them at the supermarket by they represent one who is holy, so we do this with reverence, not toward the elements, but toward the one they represent. Paul actually said when we come to the communion table. We should not receive it in an unworthy manner that doesn't mean you need to be worthy to receive communion. Because of that were the case, no one can ever receive it.
It's not about being worthy because I've been made accepted in the beloved descriptors as a been justified. The blood of Christ shed for me in my faith in him.
His righteousness put in the my account so that's all good. I can approaches table, not because of my worthiness because of my sinfulness. Quite honestly, but what it says don't receive it in an unworthy manner. It means don't do it in a overly casual way in a cavalier fashion. Understand that this is a time when we remember the suffering of Jesus.
So remember, think about it, ponder it contemplated let it sink in. I know we can't go back in time to be eyewitnesses of the crucifixion of Christ through the gospel accounts we can imagine what it was like for Jesus to be whipped 39 times we can imagine what it sly what it was like for Jesus to carry his cross the streets of Jerusalem and collapsed beneath its way. We can imagine what it was like for Jesus to have spikes driven through his hands and through his feet as he hung up. There we can imagine what it was like to hear the seven statements from the cross.
Remember Jesus, remember this do in remembrance of me. Bible also soars when you receive these elements that you are to examine yourself. Why will make sure first of all that you're a Christian to communion. The Lord's supper is. It's also called is for believers only non-Christian should not receive communion. And if your visitor today and you're not really a Christian, I would encourage you to let the elements pass. If you do not believe in Jesus because these things will not bring you closer to God.
In fact, quite honestly, they could cause a problem because the Bible says if you receive communion without believing than the one that it represents. You can eat and drink judgment to yourself. It's almost as though you're mocking God when you do it you want to do that but I have of course a better alternative and that is to believe in Jesus enjoying the family. She wore a family here a family of believers is how can I join the family, don't you have to be born into it know you need to be born again into it. Jesus said you must be born again. What is that means that there is become a model using got I'm sorry for my sin and I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and I turned from that sin that I put my faith in him again. From this moment forward.
If you would like to do that. I'd like to lead you in a prayer before we receive communion so you can join us today and be a part of the family celebration of all that Jesus did and for the rest of us that we would prepare our hearts to worship the Lord is, we remember him now, so let's all bow our heads if you would everyone pray father, thank you for your word to us today and now I pray for any that have joined us.
Any who are watching who do not know you yet. Help them see their need for you and help them to believe in Jesus right now if you want Jesus Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to know that when you die you will go to heaven. Would you just pray this prayer after me where ever you are. Again, as I pray pray this prayer after me and this is a prayer when you were asking Christ to come in your life. Pray this if you would, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a center which you died on the cross for me and paid the price for all of my sin I discern from that sin now and I put my faith in you be my Savior and my Lord and be my God and my friend. I choose to follow you, Jesus. From this moment forward.
Thank you for calling me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen