 Father, we thank you for this opportunity that we have to hear your word. We ask that you would use Brother Curt mightily. May the passion that he has for you radiate through his words. May it cut us to the heart and may we be shaped according to the power of your word at work through your Holy Spirit. We ask that we would all be attentive. We ask that you would give Brother Curt clear words to speak. And we look forward to how we're going to be changed as a result of this message. We pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you. I want to invite you to turn again to Acts chapter 2. And let's read these verses that have been covered multiple times already this weekend beginning in verse 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need. And they continuing steadfastly and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house. Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. By now those are very familiar verses to us. And the title of the message this evening is encountering Christ in the breaking of bread. We have two references in these few verses to the breaking of bread. We have the reference in verse 42 which says and in breaking of bread. And we have the reference in verse 46 which said and breaking bread from house to house. Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. I ask you tonight do you think that verse 42 and verse 46 are speaking precisely about the same thing? I pondered that and I wondered. It's the same thing in view in verse 46 that's in verse 42. There seems to be a bit difference in emphases in these two verses. Verse 42 speaks about the harmony that existed among the disciples. And verse 46 speaks about the fact that as they were together they were going from house to house. One place it's emphasizing the harmony. The other place it's emphasizing the house to house experience. When we speak about breaking bread I'm just going to think about how we use it in our vernacular. When we speak about breaking a bread we do that with different senses. It's sometimes used this expression breaking bread to simply signify fellowship. Especially spiritual fellowship. Sometimes we use the expression breaking a bread in the sense of sharing a meal together. And sometimes we use the expression breaking a bread as we speak about the fact that when God's people come together and commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus Christ we break the bread of communion to each other. Encountering Christ into breaking a bread. I want to just emphasize that the breaking a bread launches us back into an encounter that Jesus had with his disciples. I speak about the evening in the upper room when Jesus gathered the twelve together and that setting they broke bread together. Or in a more accurate sense Jesus broke bread to them. I want to just review those events for a little bit this evening to kind of give us some basis, some scriptural basis as we think about encountering Christ in the breaking a bread. There can be no question but what Jesus intended that there will be a meal partaken of in the upper room. You'll recall that he had sent two of his disciples and he had told them to go into the city. There they were to meet a man bearing a pitcher of water. Matthew 26 verse 46 I think is the scriptural reference. And he said you speak to him, speak to the good man of the house and you tell him that the master hath need. And that man will have a large upper room furnished and made ready for the Passover. And so the Bible says that the disciples, those two disciples did as Jesus said. And in very concise phraseology it says they made ready the Passover. They made ready for the Passover in the upper room. When Jesus gathered his disciples together in that setting however it would have been about 24 hours prior to the time of partaking of the Passover meal. Jesus' death on the cross at the hour he'd expired would have been at the hour the Passover lambs were slain. Careful examination of Scripture gives us this understanding. As we read the accounts of the synoptus especially and also John but as we read the Gospel of accounts of the events that took place in the upper room we began to gain some insight that the meal that was partaken there was not actually the Jewish Passover. The Passover had been prepared, the ingredients were there but Jesus in partaking of that meal was partaking of something other than the Passover. I can think of Scriptures like John 13.1 where the Bible says now before the Feast of the Passover and it describes Jesus in the upper room or the Scripture in John 13 verse 29. As Jesus had dipped the sup and had given it to Judas and he had left the room the remaining eleven disciples, apostles, supposed that Judas had left the room because he had gone to purchase those things they had need of against the Feast indicating the Feast of the Passover was yet future at that moment. Or you can think about passages like John 18.28 that describes how that the Jewish leaders did not want to enter in because they did not want to become defiled ahead of the Feast. Those are only three scriptural citations that emphasize to us that the meal that Jesus partook of in the upper room that evening was not the Jewish Passover. As Jesus partook of this meal with his disciples, with the apostles Partaking of that meal the Bible says at the end of the meal Jesus took the bread and the cup and he gave to those disciples. Matthew 26 verses 26 and 27 says as they were eating Jesus took bread. Luke 22.20 says it a bit clearer and in that passage it says after the expression about the partaking of bread likewise also the cup after supper. So the bread and the cup that evening were partaking of after the meal, after supper. In other words the supper was eaten prior to the bread and cup. There's an understanding that so many people overlook fail to acknowledge and that is that there was a fellowship meal there in the upper room that evening. In fact as you read the accounts of the Holy Church you'll find that the fellowship meal was kept in the Holy Church for the first few centuries of the Christian era and it was finally abolished because of excesses I believe at the Council of Carthage. You can look up that citation that referenced to be sure. This meal was referred to as the agape it was sometimes referred to as the love feast. The meal partaking of by the church as they met together. Peter makes reference to this in 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 13 and he speaks about those who were assembled with the church and he says spots they are and blemishes in your feast. That's 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 13. Jude makes reference to this in the 12th verse of his epistle when he speaks about those individuals, those unbelieving individuals who are spots in your feast of charity. Paul makes reference to this 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 20 and he speaks about the meal that the Corinthian church was keeping though with a great deal of excess and he speaks about it as being the Lord's Supper. And so we have the witness of the Apostle Peter. We have the witness of the Apostle Paul. We have the witness of Jude. We have the historic practice of the early church indicating that the agape or the love feast was a meal that was kept when the church came together. The apostolic church and they're breaking a bread. As I examine this passage in Acts chapter 2 verses 42 through 47, but especially verses 42 and 46. I really think that there's not a great deal of difference and emphasis. There was a fellowship meal that I think is in view in verse 42 verse 46 and there was the commemoration of the suffering savior that I believe is in view in verse 42. As you look at all of the scripture accounts, the New Testament accounts about the breaking a bread. Most of them. This is not exclusively true, but most of them point clearly to the commemoration of the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus as the church comes together, breaks bread and shares the cup of communion. And so tonight we're going to look at encountering Christ and the breaking a bread and we're going to think about it in the sense of the communion. The time when the church comes together and breaks bread and shares the cup of communion. I'm going to turn to a passage of scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and I want to read a few verses there to give us some basis for some comments as we think about the encounter of the suffering Christ. I'm going to break this message down into three different encounters and the first of them is the encounter of the suffering Christ. Verse 23, 1 Corinthians chapter 11. I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he break it and said, take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. This do, and remember it to me. After the same manner also, he took the cup when he had stopped saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and still let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. The encounter of the suffering Christ is that you and I, as we break bread together, as we encounter Christ in the breaking of bread, we would discern the Lord's body. We would discern what Christ has done for us, the Lord Jesus, the suffering Christ, who died at Calvary to provide redemption for our sins. The encounter of the suffering Christ. You'll notice in those few verses, in verse 24 that Jesus gives a clear command, and he says, eat. It's written by the Apostle Paul, but Paul is quoting Jesus, and he says that Jesus said, take, eat, a clear command to eat. You'll notice in verses 24 and 25 that this eating, or this breaking of bread and partaking of bread, was to be done with a specific focus. It was to be done in remembrance of him. Jesus said in verse 24, this do in remembrance of me. And verse 25, after the same manner also he took the cup when he had stopped saying, this cup is a New Testament in my blood, this do ye as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. It's always to be in remembrance of Jesus. In remembrance of me, Jesus said. This breaking of bread, the encounter of the suffering Christ, is especially clear in verse 26 of 1 Corinthians 11, when he says, the Apostle, for as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Is to portray, to show, the death of Christ, and is to be perpetuated until the Lord returns in the clouds of glory, till he come, he said, encountering the suffering of Christ. And finally, as we think about this passage in 1 Corinthians 11, you'll notice that it's to be done with sobriety and reverence. Again, beginning in verse 27, sobriety and reverence. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, without sobriety, without reverence, irreverently, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, but let a man examine himself. Look within, consider the faith, and solid him, eat of that bread and drink of that cup, for he that eateth and worketh unworthily, irreverently, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not deserning the Lord's body. Jesus commanded it, eateth, he says, and he told us how to eat it in remembrance of him. And he told us, as we did so, we would encounter the suffering Christ, and he told us that it must be done with sobriety and reverence. This is an institution of a memorial of Jesus' suffering as we break bread together. You know, God has a variety of ways of impressing our hearts and connecting with our spirits. And we're physical individuals. And we live in a physical world. And one of the ways that God uses to speak to us, to fellowship with us, to commune with us, is that He uses our senses. And it's such a blessing that God works this way. The sense of hearing is important. We've been hearing a lot of really good Bible-based teaching this weekend. And we're going to hear some more. The sense of hearing is important. The apostle says in Romans 10, 14, he says, how shall they hear? Except there'll be a pre- sure he says. How shall they hear without a preacher? We gain. We're blessed. We grow. We encounter Christ as a result of hearing, the sense of hearing. But as we break bread together, as we share that experience, do you know that God uses all five of our senses? We are spoken to. We hear, of course. But we also see. We look at that wafer, that piece of bread, and we see what it is. We touch it. We taste it. We even smell it. God uses all five of our senses to impress the reality of the encounter of the suffering Christ as we break the bread of communion together. The five senses. You know, we heard a message this afternoon encountering Christ in the Apostles' doctrine. There's an interesting passage in the book of Hebrews. At the last verse of Hebrews chapter 5, verse 14 says something like this, by reason of use, our senses are exercised to discern both good and evil. And the very next verse, which is the first verse of chapter 6, actually speaks about the Apostles' doctrine. And so this, this idea of God using our senses to encounter Christ in the Apostles' doctrine is just it's scriptural. This is part of the Apostles' doctrine to exercise our senses. The encounter of the suffering Christ. I don't suppose I need to tell you tonight that Jesus suffered intensely when he went to the cross. This suffering of Christ at Calvary was a very intense degree of suffering. He suffered both in body and in soul. The Bible says in Isaiah 52 verse 11 that his visage was so marred more than any man. This was not a common crucifixion. Crucifixion was a terrible thing. It was a horrible death. But the prophet says that his visage concerning Jesus was so marred more than any man. I want to take you back to the prophet Isaiah and I want to turn instead of chapter 52 to chapter 53. And I want you to notice something that the prophet is very clear about in this passage of scripture. It's a beautiful, beautiful passage. Some folks have referred to it as the gospel of Isaiah. There can be no doubt that it's portraying the coming Messiah, the suffering Messiah, beginning with about verse 13 of chapter 52. But as we think about the encounter of the suffering Christ what Jesus experienced at Calvary was not only a suffering of the body but it was a suffering of his very soul. Notice the last three verses of Isaiah Isaiah 53 which say thusly Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall bear their inequities therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul into death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Now did you notice there in those three verses the references to the suffering soul of Jesus three times in three verses the Bible says here about the soul of Jesus his innermost being the soul of Jesus the encounter of the suffering Christ it says in verse 10 that his soul was made an offering the offering of his soul Jesus offered up his soul to his heavenly father in verse 11 it speaks about the travail of his soul it wasn't just travail of the body and travail of the mind it was the travail of Jesus soul that is spoken of here verse 12 says he hath poured out his soul the outpouring of his soul this is the doctrine of the canosis the emptying of Christ as he poured out his soul into death and so we have the clear statements in Isaiah 53 about the offering of his soul and the outpouring of his soul the encounter of the suffering Christ this is not just this encounter with the suffering Christ and these passages that I've just read tonight are not intended for us to only think about what Jesus did for us we are to encounter him encounter him and this is perhaps portrayed as clearly as anywhere in the words of the Apostle Paul when he writes in Philippians 3 verses 10 and 11 and he says that I may know him and the power of his suffering the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death if by any means I might attain under the resurrection of the dead the fellowship of his sufferings the encounter of the suffering Christ we must be willing to suffer dear ones tonight brother and sister old and young alike we must be willing to suffer with Jesus the encounter of the suffering Christ this is the doctrine of the Apostles being willing to suffer with Christ this was the call of the Lord himself many many times he spoke of this truth I think about a time as the Apostles were returning from the first missionary journey the Bible says in Acts chapter 14 verse 21 when they had taught many they returned again to Listera to Iconium and to Antioch confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and with much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of heaven you can't get there any other way it doesn't sound like a passage if you're going to be a part of the kingdom of heaven you've got to be willing you've got to be forewarned and foreequipped to be willing to suffer with Jesus the encounter of the suffering Christ and there are thousands and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of individuals who are experiencing this in reality today around the globe the encounter of the suffering Christ willing to suffer well that's one of the primary points that I wanted to make tonight the encounter of the suffering Christ I want to also speak about the encounter of the shared communion I spoke about the fact that the breaking of bread I believe is pointing primarily to the commemoration of the communion and so let's think a little while about the encounter of the shared communion we may have time to do this I want to turn back to the first chapter of Acts and I just want to emphasize something that's already been stated but I want to add my voice as a voice of emphasis to this this weekend as we worship together that is in the first part of the book of the Acts there is a continuing ongoing reference to the fact that the apostolic church was frequently together and they were of one accord notice these references Acts chapter 1 verse 4 being assembled together with them verse 6 Acts 1 when they therefore were come together Acts 1 verse 15 the number of names together were about in 120 Acts chapter 2 verse 1 when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place this passage in Acts 2 verse 42 verse 44 all that believed were together verse 46 continuing daily with one accord verse chapter 3 verse 1 Peter and John went up together verse 11 chapter 3 all the people ran together I'm probably not referring to all of the together and one accord statements in these passages in these chapters verse 31 of chapter 4 they were assembled together verse 32 they were of one heart and of one soul chapter 5 verse 12 they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch I think that's enough references in these 5 chapters to illustrate to us tonight that the apostolic church it was important to them to have this sharing experience of being together and being of one accord frequently in these 5 chapters you'll find that the church was coming to a common place you'll find that they had a common purpose you'll find they had common possessions these were just the experiences of the apostolic church common place a common purpose and common possessions the encounter of the shared communion it's often times been said that communion signifies a common union now that expression is so true biblically however I'm not saying tonight that the word communion means common union I'm just saying that the way communion is used in scripture in the New Testament scripture speaks about the fact that communion means to have common union it takes more than one more than one individual to have this encounter of the shared communion the breaking of bread is to be done on a common level all the people of God come together and they break bread together just a common level none exalted and lifted up above the other common level first John chapter 3 verse 17 John is not speaking about the breaking of bread precisely in this passage but he speaks about the necessity for the commonality of the common level among the church he says this who so hath this world's good and seeth his brother had need have need and I'm not going to be able to quote it verbatim but he says and shut up his bowels of compassion how dwelleth a level Christ in him the common union the common level the common experiences of life we cannot shut up our bowels of compassion we've got to look at our brother look at our sister as we see the need we want to share with them that which God has given to us the encounter of the shared communion the Lord's table is a great equalizer a great equalizer a significant portion of the earth's population is still unshackled by the caste system and higher cast will not eat with lower caste in those kinds of settings the Lord's table takes all of that away there is no caste system when the people of God come together this is a wonderful blessing when those who are esteemed to be more important and those who are considered to be less important they come together on one level and they encounter the shared communion there are I suppose to all of us certain expressions in scripture that just really resonate with us and I suppose that you have scriptures or expressions that resonate with you that if I were to look at them they would not connect quite so closely with me but one of those expressions in scripture that just resonates with my spirit and my soul is the expression of a very simple English word the word all all I'm speaking about the great equalizer I'm speaking about the encounter of the shared communion the all statements of scripture and I'm going to use a word here that I use with caution because it's used in a variety of ways but I'm going to use it tonight in this sense and the word is inclusive by the way inclusive and what I'm talking about when I speak about the word inclusive in this setting tonight is the fact that the all expressions include each of us think about passages of scripture like this Romans 3 23 all have sinned and come short of the glory of God or 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 15 where the Bible says Christ died for all or think about 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9 where Peter says God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance or 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 4 where Paul says that God would have all men to be saved or this passage 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 8 and I love this passage God is able do we doubt that tonight God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things oh I love that passage that ye always having all sufficiency in all things all sufficiency all of sin Christ died for all all to repent God wants all men to be saved and God has provided all sufficiency for all of us everything we need all sufficiency the encounter of the shared communion the all statements the inclusive all statements of scripture that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound unto every good work is the way that verse finishes as we think about the encounter of the shared communion as we think about the privilege that we have to break bread with each other in our local church settings that ye always having all sufficiency in all things would work together work together abounding unto every good work the purpose of trials and I'm not going to speak about this with a complete sense of understanding but I've lived long enough in life to recognize that trials are a great equalizer we push them back we push back against them we run from them if we can we do not like trials but dear ones this evening trials and troubles and difficulties of life are a great equalizer it's when I have a trial that my brother steps up and blesses me it's when you have a trial that your brother steps up and blesses you or your sister trials are a great equalizer trials accomplish more difficulties in our lives than I suspect we will ever know this side of heaven and when we get there it really won't matter anyway but suffice it to say that trials are a great blessing I love this passage in Romans chapter 5 verse 3 through verse 5 where the bible says this the apostle paul he says tribulation worketh remember we're abounding unto every good work tribulation worketh patience and patience worketh it worketh experience and experience worketh it worketh hope and paul says and hope makeeth not ashamed because the love of god is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost which is given to us the love of god is shed abroad in our hearts today as a result of trials the encounter of the shared communion the purpose of trials the great equalizing effect and dynamic of the purpose of the encounter of the shared communion in the purpose of trials the third part of the message that I'd like to speak some about tonight is the encounter of the salvational confidence and that might be an interesting mixture of words but let me just begin to talk about the salvational confidence that we have in Christ remember that passage that we looked at and referenced briefly just a few minutes ago in 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 4 in 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 4 which speaks about how god would have all men to be saved there's another expression somewhat like this but it's a different pronoun that's used and this is in Romans chapter 5 again in verses 8 and 9 where the bible says there that god commanded his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us he died for us not just all but he died for us make it personal he died for me he died for you Christ died for us the encounter the salvational confidence Christ dying for us and that passage goes on in Romans chapter 5 in verse 9 and it says this much more than being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him confidence salvational confidence we shall be saved from wrath through him it shall happen we shall be saved from wrath through him Christ died not only for all but he died for us the doctrine of assurance is one of the most precious doctrines in all of scripture Christian assurance I'm speaking about and this is referenced in a variety of passages let me just cite this one Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 where Paul says as he writes to the church at Philippi and he speaks about the confidence that he has in them remember we're looking at the encounter of the salvational confidence Paul says this being confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it make no mistake about it tonight if God has his way the good work that he's begun in your heart in your life he will perform it he is faithful it's up to us whether or not that happens but we can be confident in our God he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ the assurance the doctrine of Christian assurance having this confidence having the encounter of salvational confidence in no way implies that you and I have any room for boasting Paul says this later on in the book of Philippians in chapter 3 verse 3 he says concerning his own self I have no confidence in the flesh I want to say tonight that I have no confidence in this flesh and I think you do the same we have no confidence in the flesh our confidence is in the one who created us our confidence is in the one who gave his son to die for our sins our confidence is in the one who raised Jesus up from the grave our confidence is in the heavenly Father at whose right hand the blessed Lord Jesus sits even now interceding in our behalf all the intercessory presence of the blessed Lord Jesus at the right hand of the throne of God no confidence in the flesh no cause for boasting you know really all we are it doesn't matter how many experiences we've had in life it doesn't matter how old we might be it doesn't matter how seasoned and whether we might have become through the trials of life we are simply earthen vessels I want to turn and ask you to turn with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 and I want to read a few verses here about the earthen vessels beginning in verse 7 Paul says this we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us and I'm going to use my own translation here in these next couple of verses but it says this we are we are pressured but not distressed we are perplexed in despair persecuted but not deserted pummeled but not destroyed it's the peas and dees of the Christian experience the king James says we are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body for we which live are only delivered unto death for Jesus' sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh so then death worketh in us but life in you as you think about the encounter of the salvation confidence just think about the truths that the apostle is conveying to the church the current he says I say it again we are troubled on every side we are pressured every side the troubles were coming at us this side this side back and front the top the bottom we are troubled on every side the pressures of life we are pressured but not distressed we are perplexed as we think about it the encounter we are perplexed but we are not in despair we are persecuted Jesus said there's a blessing in that the beatitudes blessed are ye when men shall revile you and shall persecute you and shall say oh man of evil against you falsely for my sake rejoice and be exceeding glad not exceedingly exceeding glad persecuted they the prophets that were before you moving on past gladness exceeding glad persecuted but not deserted God will never forsake us I will never leave thee nor forsake thee the promise of scripture is clear persecuted but not deserted cast down I see I picture in my mind a scene of two men in a boxing ring and one is just pummeling the other the one is cast down he has been pummeled but not destroyed and that's the way the enemy likes to do to us he likes to beat us up beat us down so many times we are pummeled but dear ones tonight we're still here we're not destroyed praise God for that always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus might be made manifest in our body the encounter of the salvation confidence the scripture says concerning the apostles that that reference was made this morning to Acts chapter 4 verse 31 that when these individuals had had the encounter of the salvation confidence the Bible says at the end of that verse they spake the word of God with boldness they spake the word of God with boldness we have the blessed privilege of encountering Jesus Christ we have the blessed privilege of entering into the presence of God in the name of Jesus and the Bible says that we're to do that boldly Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16 let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need we come there with the desire to obtain mercy but the Bible says when we get there we receive much more than mercy we receive grace from God that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need we come boldly under the throne of grace we all have seasoning experiences of life and I may be speaking to you and what you think are rather idealistic terms tonight as I speak about being bold for Christ I've been seasoned a bit in life I remember a time some years ago that I had stopped by a gas station one morning I think I was going to get a cup of coffee and I got the coffee and walked up to the counter to pay and as I did so I realized that the man in front of me was engaging in some banter with the clerk behind the counter and I don't recall exactly what it was that he was doing there but before he left he said oh I need and then I forget whether it was some lottery tickets or whether it was some tobacco products or whatever it was and the clerk said are you sure you want that and he said oh yes I know I want that he said everybody's got to have at least one vice and he began to turn around towards me and he looked at me and he said isn't that right and I said no it's not right you don't have to have vices and that man turned back to the clerk and he said I guess I asked the wrong person that time and I thought about that and I think he asked the right person not because of who I am but because the word of God was on my tongue and I was quick to respond I spake the word of God with boldness and you can do the very same thing I never thought about it it just came out the way it came out speaking boldly for the name of Jesus as I think about the standard and as I think about the idealistic tone to what I've just shared as I speak about the encounter of the Salvation confidence I want to speak to some of you in this assembly tonight that I suspect may be challenged by this teaching I recognize that our constitutions vary and I recognize that there are probably individuals here in this assembly who have a lack of assurance maybe you're more of a timid nature maybe you would be described by the expression wallflower or something of that sort I want to speak heart to heart to you tonight if that's you I want to tell you that this man standing up here in front of this pulpit tonight is by nature a very timid individual that's my natural inclination or it was I was so timid you've heard the expression of being afraid of your own shadow that's just about the way I was I didn't want anybody to focus or rivet attention upon me I remember as a young lad adolescent being so timid and so afraid that I was afraid to walk into a church building because I suspected that people would turn and look at me as I was and that lingered that continued in fact when I was about 20 years old I had an uncle that was a minister of the gospel I shared that with a brother this afternoon he was a minister of the gospel and he had had a heart attack he was recovering and he was invited to an out of state preaching assignment several states away actually he talked to his doctor and his doctor said there was no problem with his heart and going to preach but he wasn't he wasn't given the privilege to drive and so this uncle asked me I was unconverted about 20 years of age he asked me if I'd be willing to drive him to this assignment this preaching assignment appointment and I said that I would do that I remember I was about 20 years old and we drove out there it was just fine and spent a day or so ahead of the of the weekend and then on Saturday morning we made our way to the meeting house and we got there and I just locked up I froze the fears just assailed me and I was so afraid that I could not get out of the vehicle I sat in that vehicle for the Saturday morning worship service I sat in that vehicle for the Saturday afternoon worship service I sat in that vehicle beshackled with fear for the Saturday evening service the same thing happened on Sunday I was too petrified too afraid too timid to get out of that vehicle and encounter individuals that I didn't know or even some that I perhaps did know I was just afraid that's who I am naturally you might ask as I stand here tonight with not a quiver in my knee and not a not an ounce of nervousness within me you might ask what happened well I'll tell you what happened I had an encounter with Jesus Christ when I became born again I no longer had to pretend I no longer had to protect the image I could be who I was and I'm not telling you that it went away immediately I'm not speaking that way tonight but I'm telling you things began to change at that moment in my life and it was when I was called to the ministry that God took away that fear God took away that timidity God took all of that away and that's the reason why I'm able to stand here and preach from this pulpit this evening you see this is not my natural talent this is something other than that people use the two terms talents and gifts interchangeably sometimes and I wish we would not do that God has naturally talented each of us he's given you brother and sister old and young alike he's given you some natural talents but God delights in giving spiritual giftings to his children and that's only an illustration of one of the ways in which God spiritually gifts the encounter of the salvation confidence Ephesians chapter 3 verse 12 in Christ Jesus our Lord Paul says we have boldness and access with confidence into this grace this faith wherein we stand in Christ Jesus our Lord we have boldness and access with confidence the encounter of the salvation confidence Jesus is a gracious master Jesus is a gentle shepherd Jesus is the one who sustains us in trials Jesus is the one who sits there at the father's right hand interceding for us Jesus is the one that we hope we intend and I use that word hope in the sense of the Christian doctrine of assurance that we intend we hope we have the assurance of meeting some day with open arms as we encounter Jesus in living reality in that great and glorious morning resurrection morning and so the encounter of Christ in the breaking of bread the encounter of Christ in the breaking of bread they continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness singleness of heart praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added under the church daily such as should be saved isn't that a wonderful expression such as should be saved who should be saved well you should be saved if you're sitting here on these seats tonight in this tabernacle and you're not saved you should be saved the Lord's adding to his church daily such as should be saved the encounter of Christ and the breaking of bread we've looked at the encounter of the suffering Christ the encounter of the shared communion the encounter of the salvational confidence all of these are encounters all of these are portrayed to us through the breaking of bread as we break that bread together I just, I love the experience as I sit there at the Lord's table as I my brother turns to me and he speaks words something like this in our culture or faith tradition he will say beloved brother this bread which we break is the body of Christ and I say amen the bread which we break is the body of Christ have you met Jesus have you really met Jesus I don't mean some casual brush of encountering Jesus I mean meeting Jesus really meeting Jesus have you met Jesus are you walking tonight in Holy Spirit power and victory is that characterizing your life that the Holy Spirit power is infilling you and you're living in victory in Christ he caused us always to triumph in Christ the Bible says if we allow him to do that are you living in Holy Spirit power and victory in Christ as I said earlier I recognize that there's a variety of circumstances different constitutions personalities experiences in life I didn't think I would do this but I want to speak to those on these seats tonight who are not born again it would be folly for me to look out on a vast wrong of people like this and assume that all of you are born again I want to speak to you tonight I want to plead with you I want to speak softly and gently with you and yet I want to speak clearly and boldly to you I want you to know rest in a way that you've never experienced him before I plead with you that you would allow Jesus and his spirit to just speak to your heart and just touch you to just rest rest here and let God speak to you if you knew this for your last day I wonder what you do could you look up and smile and say calm Lord I welcome you or would you panic to and fro with painful haunting fear afraid to stay afraid to go yet summoned to appear what of those shady things you've done of gossip passed along or obscene literature you've read each secret sin and wrong have you confessed each known sin repented through and through unbored your heart and let Christ in have you been born anew accept a man be born again he's lost an endless night but Christ transforms the heart of man to see the heavenly light are you transformed in heart and will is Christ your life today he's calling now is waiting still but this may be encountering Christ and the breaking of bread