 Amen. All right. So keep your place in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. We're going to be talking about the Lord's Supper tonight. This will be the chapter that we're mainly referencing. Of course, we looked at it in Matthew chapter 26 this morning. I hope you have a Bible because we're going to be going to a lot of Bible tonight. We're talking about the Lord's Supper, which is what we're going to be doing in this church in preparation for Before Easter Sunday, Wednesday evening. The Wednesday before Easter Sunday, we're going to be taking the Lord's Supper. So we need to talk about what it is, what it means for us, why we do it, what does it do for us, and is there anything that we need to be prepared for before we do this procedure? That's what I'm going to say it is now. We're going to do the procedure and we're going to talk about what it is. So when I was growing up, of course Catholics and Protestants teach that the Lord's Supper is called, it's a sacrament. They call it a sacrament. Sacrament meaning that it is part of salvation, that it has to do with, you know, the Catholics would just come straight out and say that it is a means of salvation. The Protestants, Lutherans, things like that, they kind of take a back road, but it's the same thing. They call it a means of grace, meaning it's the, yeah, it's not of works, but by doing these works, that's how God gives you the grace. So they're basically literally saying that when you take the Lord's Supper as we are going to do tonight, you are literally getting God's grace. You are literally getting salvation through that. That's what people believe today. From a Catholic website, the Catholics say that sacraments are efficacious signs of grace instituted by Christ and entrusted to the church through which divine life is given. Meaning, you know, through, that's divine life, meaning salvation. You know, I love how they just can't speak plainly, right? They have to speak like efficacious. Like no one has ever used that word ever in the history of English ever, okay? You're like efficacious. What does that even mean? You know, efficacious, you know what it means? It means effective. That's what it means. So why didn't they just say effective? Because they don't want you to understand anything. They just want you to listen to what they say. You say why? Because it's all made up. That's why. It's not in the Bible. It's nowhere in the Bible. Efficacious. You know, this is the, it's Jordan Peterson talk, right? Where I can get up here and talk for 20 minutes and just be like, well, the efficacious thing of the thing of the thing. And you're just like, man, that guy's really smart. What do you say? No clue, right? Lots of people speak like this when they're trying to just, you know, deceive you, confuse you, and just make you think that, you know, they're, you know, they're vain talkers basically is what it is, all right? So it is not a sacrament. There is no such thing as a sacrament. You are saved by trusting on Jesus. That's it. Sacraments are works based salvation. You know, the Catholic Church will say that there's seven sacraments. Protestants will say that there's less than that, but it's all the same thing. They're adding works to salvation. Okay? That is not what the, you know, the, the Bible teaches. I mean, the sacraments, you know, the Lord's Supper being a sacrament, just like anything being a sacrament, especially the Lord's Supper, makes no sense. It always confused me, actually. Because it was kind of like, it's the etch-a-sketch theology, right? We would take, in the Lutheran Church, we would take the Lord's Supper once a month, right? And I used to actually measure how good or how conservative a Lutheran Church was by how many times they, they gave the Lord's Supper. Like if they, they only did the Lord's Supper once every three months, I'm like, that's a liberal church. This is how I used, this is how I used to think, all right? But if they did the Lord's Supper every other week, I'm like, hey, this is a good conservative Lutheran Church, right here, right? But it makes no sense that, you know, you would get God's grace from a, a, doing the Lord's Supper, because I mean, how, how long does it keep me saved? You know, how many times do I have to do it? How many times do I have to do the Lord's Supper to be saved? You know, I mean, if I'm going to, if I do the Lord's Supper and that shakes the Etch's Sketch clean and I get some grace, how long does that fill up my grace gas tank? None of these answers are in the Bible, which is why it always confused me, because I'm always thinking about this, like, okay, I just did this, I'm good now, and I just thought of something stupid, so now am I, do I have to do it again? Like, right away? You know, I mean, the thought of foolishness is sin, I mean, how long does it keep me a day, a month, an hour? It's, it's workspace salvation. That's all it is, okay? So, what is it? What is it? Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and look at verse number two, okay? 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse number two, it's much simpler than what, you know, all these other religions are teaching about sacraments and all these, you know, big, confusing words that no one has ever used before. 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse number two, there's literally a lot of doctrine in the Lutheran church that I went to, that literally, they get to a logical inconsistency and they answer that in their question and answers page by like, well, just no one can understand it. Like, questions on salvation. How can I be assured of my salvation when I can lose my salvation? And the answer is, it's a paradox. It's like, no, like salvation is, is simple, okay? Don't let anyone, you know, confuse you through the, you know, don't let anyone change the simplicity of Christ. The gospel is the simplest thing. A 10-year-old will be able to understand it. A five, six, seven-year-old that is, that is in church will be able to understand it. Sometimes even younger than that. It's very simple. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse number two. What is the Lord's Supper? What is it? Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the what? The ordinances as I delivered them to you. It's an ordinance. That is what it is. It is one of the two ordinances that are in the Bible instituted by Jesus Christ, okay? The first one is baptism. The second one is the Lord's Supper. What is an ordinance? It's just, it's a decree. It's an order. Do this. That's what it is, okay? And we're gonna see Jesus' direct order to give, to perform the Lord's Supper to eat the bread and drink the wine. We're gonna see that tonight. What is its purpose? Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Look at verse number 23. So it's an order that Jesus tells us to do. That's the first thing, okay? It's what we would call an ordinance of the New Testament, the local New Testament church. And of course, when the Catholic church is saying church, they've got capital C, they're talking about the universal church. No, this is an ordinance that is to be carried out in the local churches, okay? What is its purpose? Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 23. Paul says, for I've received of the Lord, that which was also, that which also I delivered unto you. That the Lord, now he's going to, you know, repeat Jesus' words at the Last Supper that Jesus had. 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 in remembrance of me. Now before I even get into that for a minute, another thing that Catholics and Lutherans believe about the Lord's Supper is they read this where it says take, eat. This is my body. They literally think that the bread and wine, the bread literally turns into the literal body of Jesus when you're eating it. It, like, it's, it's, it's, you just like, what? At least the Lutherans and the Protestants believe that the body of Christ is like spiritually present in the, in the bread and spiritually present in the wine. The Catholics literally believe that they're eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking his literal blood. It's, it's crazy. It's crazy. I mean, it's, it's clearly just, it clearly shows you that, that unsaved people cannot understand the Bible. Jesus spoke like this many times. He spoke like this before when he was saying, I am the bread of life. And they're like, what are we supposed to eat you? And he's just like, oh, forget it. He's like, forget it. He's like, I am the door. That does not mean that he turns into a door. Okay. I mean, but look, Jesus spoke. This isn't the first time that Jesus spoke like this. You know, he's saying, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. He's like saying, this is a symbol of my body. And why should you do this? So he's saying, do this. Why should you do it? Let's, let's see if we can understand this. This do in remembrance of me. He's saying, do this to remember me. Remember how stressed out he was this morning? Remember how, you know, sorrowful he was for what he was going to have to do that we looked at this morning when he was praying in Gethsemane? He's saying, hey, could you do this to remember what I am about to do? So you don't forget what I've gone through for you. Sounds reasonable to me. Look at verse number 25. After the same manner also, he took the cup and when he had sucked saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. So he's saying, this is the new, like it's the new covenant, the new promise is what he's saying. This is detailed out. We're not going to go there. This is detailed out in Hebrews chapter 8, talking about how, you know, the old covenant is passed away and the new covenant is now here. He's talking about this symbolizes, this cup symbolizes the New Testament in my blood. And we're going to look at that in a little bit more detail in a few minutes. Look at verse 26. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, he do show the Lord's death tell he come. He's saying, this is so you can remember my death. He's not saying you're going to, the death is going to happen again. Hebrews is very clear about that. We'll talk about that at the end of the sermon. He's just saying, hey, this is going to give you remembrance of it. And you know what? We need remembrance of it. We need to be reminded of it because as human beings, we take things for granted, especially things that were free, that were freely given to us. So Jesus, Jesus at the Lord's Supper, turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, just a couple verses back. Jesus, in the Old Testament, what they were doing in Matthew chapter 26 that we looked at this morning is they were taking the Passover meal. They were eating the Passover. And when they talk about the lamb and they literally call the lamb the Passover. And everything that you need to understand is everything in the Old Testament is picturing Jesus Christ. And it's so perfect how it works out. But the thing you need to understand is Jesus is the Passover. He is the Passover. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse number 7. The Bible says, purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you are on leaven. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Turn to Exodus chapter 12. So the last Supper of Jesus is the marking point of this new covenant coming into play where we will go from the Passover meal to the Lord's Supper that we will take on Wednesday night. Turn to Exodus chapter 12 and let's just look at some parallels between the Passover and the meal of the Passover and with Jesus. I'm just going to give you a few examples here. This could be a sermon in itself. But look at Exodus chapter 12 and verse number 3. So of course the first Passover was right before the 10th Plague when the Egyptians were finally going to let the Israelites go and the firstborn of the Egyptians was killed. Well the reason that God knew not to kill the firstborn of the Israelites in Egypt was because they killed the Passover lamb and they struck his blood on the doorposts of their houses. So God knew as he saw the blood of the Passover lamb he knew to pass over them and to not kill them. Does that sound familiar? Just as Jesus Christ's blood covers us. It was a picture. It was a picture of the coming Messiah. I mean it's just amazing how all these things fit together. The more you learn about the Bible the more things you see that fit together. Everything is picturing Christ. Look at verse number 3. Speaking under the congregation of Israel saying, In the 10th day of this month shall they take unto them every man a lamb according to the house of their fathers. A lamb for a house. Look at verse 5. Your lamb shall be without blemish. A male of the first year. So this lamb is to be spotless without blemish. It's to be a perfect lamb is what we're trying to say here. What did we find out that Jesus was? He bore our infirmities. He was tempted like we are in Hebrews this morning. But what? Without sin. So he is the Passover. This is why they were to choose a lamb without blemish because it pictures Christ. Look at verse number 11. And thus ye shall eat it with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And ye shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. The lamb is is what he's talking about. Look at verse number 46. In one house shall it be eaten and thou shalt not carry forth out of the flesh abroad out of the house. Neither shall ye break a bone thereof. So now they were supposed to eat this lamb and they weren't supposed to break any of the bones. Why? Turn to Psalm chapter 34. Center your Bible. You'll find the book of Psalms. Psalm chapter 34. Look at verse. Let me turn there myself. Psalm chapter 34. Look at verse number 20. A prophecy of Christ where it says he keepeth all his bones. Not one of them is broken. And of course that was fulfilled with the death of Jesus Christ. Everything that he went through, talk about a miracle. Everything that he went through, the fact that he was arrested, he was tortured, he was whipped. He was beaten to the point you couldn't even tell he was a man anymore, the Bible says. And then he was, he was speared and as they went and they broke the legs as they normally do. They break the legs of the people on the cross to just get it over with. So they slump down and they're not able to survive anymore. Jesus had already died and instead they pierced his side. So a bow, I mean we see that it's just perfect in Exodus chapter 12 prophesying Jesus Christ. Look at verse number 8. Exodus chapter 12 verse number 8. The Bible says, and they shall eat the flesh in that night. What? Roast with fire and unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Unleavened bread meaning bread without, without leaven. Leaven pictures sin in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians chapter 5 we talk about how, you know, we need to get certain sins out of the church. Why? It's a little leaven, leaven at the whole lump. Leaven pictures sin in the Bible. But again, they're supposed to roast it with fire in verse number 8. Look at verse number 10. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning. And that which remaineth of it until morning ye shall burn with fire. What was the last thing? So the last thing, it's just perfect. The last thing that happens is everything that is left over is burnt with fire. It's exactly the same thing as the day of atonement in Leviticus 16 where the very last thing that happens is they burn. They burn the sacrifice with fire. It's the burnt offering. After we go through everything with the goats and the bullock and everything, which by the way, in Leviticus 16 you say which part is Jesus? All of it is Jesus. He encompasses every part of it including the burnt with fire because where did Jesus go after He died on the cross? His soul clearly in Acts chapter 2 verse number 38. His soul was not left in hell the Bible says. His soul went to hell. His soul was in hell for three days and three nights after the crucifixion and before the resurrection. Everything is pictured in the Passover of what was to happen. What we're seeing in the Lord's Supper, the Last Supper, I'm sorry, the Last Supper is this old covenant going away and this new covenant taking over in the Lord's Supper. So it's quite a picture, but look every ritual, you have to understand every ritual in the Old Testament is a picture of Christ. It's also why by the way, if you're still in Exodus chapter 12, but just remember this. Look at verse number... There's something about a stranger in the land here in Exodus chapter 12. 48, look at verse number 48. When a stranger sojourn with the end, what? What is the one thing that the stranger had to do? What is the one thing that the stranger had to do? It wasn't like, oh, they have to... It's strange that if it's just a festival or it's just a meal or it's just one of the rituals that the Jews do why they would pick this one. But the reason it says keep the Passover is because the Passover meal that they were doing in the Old Testament was what? It was a picture of the coming Messiah. So this is showing how are people in the Old Testament saved? They were saved by believing God that he was going to send a Messiah. As we believe backwards on Jesus, the Messiah that has already come, they were saved in the same way by looking forward at the coming Messiah. So if they're keeping the Passover, they're believing the Messiah. They're believing in the coming Messiah. So what it is saying is that these people are saved. What it is saying is the New Testament equivalent of this is saying, look, if a stranger come into this church that's not from Fresno, I mean, not like we would care anyway, but the point is if a stranger comes from this church, they'll, you know, how could they become a brother and sister? How could they become our brother? How could they become our sister? Well, by believing on Christ. It's exactly the same thing. It fits together perfectly. This is also repeated in Numbers chapter 9, I believe. But anyway, the Passover equals the Messiah. Okay? And, you know, it equals that they were saved is what it means. All right? So look, the Passover is in the Old Testament as the Lord's Supper is to us today. This is what I'm trying to get you to understand. The Old Testament, it's a picture of the coming Messiah. And in the New Testament, it's a remembrance of the one who already came. Okay? It's, look, isn't it, is that hard to understand? It's pretty simple. It's pretty simple. So who is to do it? We've already kind of answered this question. Who is to take the Lord's Supper? Save believers. Save believers. And look, these are saved believers that we're talking about in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Why do we do it? To remember Jesus. It makes perfect sense. Okay? So, all that to say this. How is it administered and received? Okay? What's going on here in the Corinthian Church? Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. First of all, there's some problems with the Corinthian Church. This is why it's put in the Bible for Paul to give this, this, this dissertation on what we need to do, what it is, what it isn't, and how to do it properly. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 16. But if any man seemed to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Notice how he says churches there again. Now this that I declare unto you, I praise you not that you come together not for the better, but for the worse. So when somebody starts a sermon, next time I start a sermon out and I'm like, you know, I'm going to talk to you about this, but I praise you not about it. Look out what's coming, right? Paul is basically saying like, hey, like, you know, I have nothing good to say to you right now. He's like, I have nothing. You guys are just you're doing everything wrong. He's like, I praise you not for what you're doing. He's like, he literally says in the in the next words, he says you come together not for the better, but for the worse. He literally said like, it would be better if you were not doing this. He's like, it'd be better. The way you are doing this, it would be better if you didn't do it at all. So it sounds like we should pay attention and get things right here, because look, there was some contention here. There was contensions amongst these people. Look at verse number 18. First of all, when you come together in the church, I hear that I hear that there be divisions among you and I partly believe it. For there must also be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be being manifest under you. So he's talking about divisions in the church. He's like, look, first of all, he's going to get into more detail here in a few minutes. But I mean, I know it's hard to explain to this current crowd right now, but there can be divisions in a church. There can be divisions and contensions in a church. Things that are people that are causing problems. People that are, it says here, it says there must also be heresies among you. Let me tell you something. One thing that I've learned over my short brief period in the ministry is when there are contensions and divisions in a church, there will always come false beliefs with that. Which is just a perfect example of what Paul is saying here. He's like, for there must also be heresies among you. He's like, you're divided. You're divided church. There's contensions among you. He's like, there must also be heresies here. He's going to get into some of them, what they are here. Then he says in verse 20, he says when you come together, therefore, into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper. He's like, you're not, whatever the Lord's Supper is, these people aren't doing it. Why? For in eating, everyone take it for his, before other, his own Supper and one is hungry and another is drunken. He's saying, like, he's saying the Lord's Supper, first of all, he's saying, it's not for eating and drinking, okay? Look, tonight after church, that's for eating and drinking, okay? That is going to be so we can eat and we can fellowship and we can have food. We're still not going to do it this way, but that is for, you know, getting filled, right? Getting our food. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm really hungry, okay? But the point is, is that we're not to come Wednesday night and be like, I've been eating all day. Ah, just like the bread comes around, you're just like, ah, you know? And you just like, just, it's not for filling yourself up with food, okay? It is not, look, because wouldn't that be, just think about it this way. What is it for? It's for remembering Christ, right? It's for remembering Christ. It's so we remember the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. If we went there and just used it to just gorge ourselves and to fill ourselves, because I forgot to have a sandwich for lunch and Ashley gave me some raspberries, you know, or whatever and I'm really hungry, that would be for my own pleasure. That would be for my own sustenance. And let me tell you something. Jesus, when he came here, that's why all these heresies about, you know, Jesus having a relationship with Mary Magdalene, being married, having children, all these things. That's why there's so wicked heresies because Jesus actually came here to do nothing for himself. Nothing. He came here, all he had was suffering, all he had was sorrow. He wasn't some rich king that had all this power. All he had was persecution and ultimately a sacrificial death. That's all he had. He did nothing for himself. So when we remember Jesus, this isn't for us. This isn't for our personal enjoyment of food. That had nothing to do with it. All right, look at verse number 21. 22, sorry. He says what? So these people were literally taking the idea of the Lord's supper and they were just gorging themselves with food. He says what? Have you not houses to eat and drink in? He's like, eat your food at home or despise you, the church of God and shame them that have not. What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you on this? I praise you not. So not only were they using the Lord's supper as just a place to just eat as much as they could and I think I believe when it says drunken it's talking about like just filling up on you know I don't think they meant like drinking alcohol. It's just like they're just gorging on food and gorging on drink. You know, they're just gorging on everything, right? But not only that, but there were some people that didn't have anything. So it was like, you know, you had to check your salary at the door or whatever in this church and be like, hey, you know, it's like a potluck where, oh, you just brought a box of cookies or whatever like you go sit over there and we're going to have the good food and there was classes going on in this church and some people had nothing. So this church was a mess. It was divided by the haves and the have nots. Look, I'm sure there was many contentions in this church. That's why he started out in verse number 17 saying that. So he literally says to these people who are having the Lord's supper and certain people are just gorging themselves on good food. They're not allowing people that can't afford the good food to eat the same food as the other people and they're just using it as a way for themselves to get pleasure. He literally says that like, look, it would be better if you're doing nothing. It would be better if you just didn't do this at all. I praise you not. Look at verse 23. Now he gets serious, okay? Now he gets serious. First of all, he's just kind of verbally like scaping them here. But now he gets serious and he starts to explain to them that there are serious consequences to what they are doing. By disrespecting the Lord's supper, there are serious consequences and this is really where we need to pay close attention because this is telling us that if we take the Lord's supper in a wrong heart, the wrong way, consequences could be coming to us personally as well. All right? Look at verse 23. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. When he had given thanks, he break it and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner, also he took the cup. And when he had stopped saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, this do as oft as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as oft as he eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come. We see that. It's a picture of the Passover was a picture of Jesus. Look at verse 27. 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. So that sounds pretty serious right there. Like that whoever does this unworthily, we'll look at that in just a minute. But whoever's not worthy to do this is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. You say that sounds really bad. What happens to me? If I'm guilty of the body and blood of the Lord? Look, no one's losing their salvation. You know, there's no way you can lose your salvation. This is just talking about heavy chastisement upon people. And he gets into some detail here. He says, but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Meaning, look at yourself. Look at do some self reflection. Look at that glass and see your natural face in a mirror in the glass and get things right. He says, for he that Edith and drinketh unworthily, Edith and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's body. Now, damnation. Okay. Damnation is a word that has changed over the last couple hundred years. Okay. Damnation means condemnation. Damnation means punishment. You're getting punishment because you're guilty. All right. Turn to Matthew 23 in verse 33. There's there's damnation that means eternity in hell, but most times that the Bible, so every time you see the word damnation, you need to look at the context of how the word is used. You'll get Matthew 23 in verse 33. The Bible is using the word the phrase damnation. Let me turn this turn there myself. Matthew go to Matthew chapter 23 and look at verse number 33 where Jesus is talking into the Pharisees and he says, ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of what? The damnation of hell. So the King James Bible uses the word damnation to talk about condemnation meaning you're guilty of some punishment. But here it's obviously talking about eternal damnation because it says damnation of hell. In John chapter 5, you know, we see we studied this a couple weeks ago. There's a resurrection of damnation. There's a resurrection of damnation in John chapter 5 where people are going to be resurrected to the great white throne judgment and then they're going to be thrown into the lake of fire. In Mark chapter 3, damnation is used but it's called eternal damnation. Meaning, again, that's damnation of hell. So many times in the Bible when it's talking about we talked about the widows, the younger widows. It says, you know, that they learn to be, I'm paraphrasing here. I'm not quoting this, right? But basically, they learn to be idle and busy bodies and they receive unto themselves. They become, they wax wanton with Christ. They wax wanton, meaning they start like, you know, getting worldly. It's what it's saying. They start getting worldly. They need to get married is what it says because they start getting into sin. What it says there, it says they receive damnation unto themselves. It's not talking about they're losing their salvation. It's talking about they're receiving, they're going to be guilty. They're going to be guilty and they're going to get punished. Look, the Bible uses some pretty serious language when it comes to the chastisement of the Christian. Okay, look, I think, I think this is my personal opinion that Christians, especially today in this country, Christians really downplay the chastisement of God. But the chastisement of God is a very serious thing. You literally destroy your life. Don't downplay the chastisement of God because it's a very serious thing. Look, you're not going to lose your salvation. But God can come down on the Christian pretty hard in this life. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Let me prove it to you. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 30. So what about these people? He's saying they're drinking, they drink a damnation to himself. He's like, they're going to get, they're condemning themselves. They're condemning themselves to chastisement not discerning the Lord's body. They're drinking punishment to themselves. And it even defines what this word damnation means in the next couple of verses. If you look at verse 30, he says, for this cause. Why? He said, for this cause. He's like, because of these people that were doing this that were unworthy, he says, for this cause, many are weak and sickly among you. Who's he talking to? He's talking to the church. He's talking to saved believers. He's saying, because you were doing this, so we know that the unworthy were the people in this church that were doing it the wrong way with the wrong heart, with contentions, with divisions, all these things. And he's saying, look, many are weak and sickly among you. And many sleep. He's like, God has killed people for this. He's like, God has killed some of you for this. He's like, he's saying, he literally, I mean, talk about a hard sermon. Talk about a hard sermon. Some preacher shows up. Some preacher shows up. Some evangelist, can you imagine? Some evangelist shows up to the church. And he just, he just looks at the church and he's just like, he looks at the way you're doing things and he's like, hey, you know, many people are sick here and many people are, look, this is the word of God. Many people are sick here. Many people are weak. He's like, many people have died and it's because of the way you're doing things here. Talk about, hey, receive that. You know, put that in a sandwich and eat it. I mean that's a hard message, right there. You know, many people have died because of what you are doing here. The judgment was so severe in the church, people were getting sick and dying. Look at verse 31. Now he's telling them, he's like, giving the answer now. And that's just some great Christian advice right here from Paul. He says in verse 31, for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Does that say, don't ever judge anybody ever? No, he says, he says, if we judge ourselves, we wouldn't be judged. You know what he's saying? He's like, why don't you get right? So God doesn't have to smack you in the head with a 2x4. That's what he's saying. He's like, just judge yourself. He's like, examine yourself. Examine yourself. Get right. So God doesn't have to beat you. This is a good general rule of thumb for the Christian right here. I mean, please, as a pastor, as a spiritual leader, I want people in my family, I want people in the church to just be constantly examining themselves. I don't want God to beat you. I don't want God to come down on you for what you're doing or what you're not doing and all these things. Look, police yourself is what he's saying. In verse number 31, look at verse 32. Now, this is proof that that damnation, this is the real proof right here, that that damnation just means punishment for the Christian. He says, but when we are judged, he's like, but if you don't police yourself, God will judge you. So yes, save Christian. God judges you on what you do. We are judged. We are chastened of the Lord. That we should not be, what? Condemned with the world because the world is condemned. What? They're condemned to hell, but we are going to be chastised of the Lord. So that's the difference between us and the unsaved right here. Condemned with the world means you're going to hell. All right, but he's saying that's not going to happen to us. He's like, we will be just chastised of the Lord. Turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter, Hebrews chapter 10, actually, yeah, turn to Hebrews chapter 10. I mean, the chastisement of God, folks needs to be taken. Pretty, no, he will go to Hebrews 12 and then we'll come back. Then we'll come back to Hebrews chapter 10. But the chastisement of God needs to be taken very serious in our lives. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 12, verse number 6, he says, for whom the Lord loveth, he chastened it, and scorched just every son whom he receiveth. If he endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons, for what son is he whom the Father chastened if not? But if he be without chastisement, wherefore all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons. So, I mean, this is actually a difference that you know, you can visually see between somebody that's saved and somebody that's not. Somebody that's saved, you're just not going to get away with stuff because God's going to chastise you. You know, then answer for people who are saved and wonder like, how do people, how do bad people get away with bad things? It's because they're bastards. They're not sons. And God's not chastising them. He's going to condemn them to hell. Okay. But go to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Look at verse number 26. Hebrews 10 verse 26. This, is for us. Hebrews 10 25, of course, is talking about not forsaking the assembly, coming to church, the believers that should come to church. Look at verse 26 though. He says, The Bible here is saying, you save believer. If you know what is right and then you do the wrong thing anyway, he's saying, Jesus isn't going to die on the cross again for you. It's like, it's not like Jesus. You, he's literally, that verse 26 is literally preaching against this idea that you can go and take a, the Eucharist or whatever and just wipe everything clean. That it's a, it's, it's literally a verse in itself that, that is proving, disproving this Etch-a-Sketch theology right here. Because Jesus died once. That's it. That's the whole book of Hebrews right there. The whole book of Hebrews is basically comparing the old, the old covenant with the new covenant, talking about how, hey, we don't have to sacrifice. We don't have to do the, you know, sacrifice the bulls and the goats and do all these rituals anymore because Jesus died once and that's it. And those bulls and goats, they weren't even really taking away your sins. They weren't taking away any sins. They were just picturing this one time sacrifice. So Hebrews 1026 is saying, look, the reason, you need to listen as a Christian and do what the Bible says is because Jesus isn't going to come and die for you again. So what happens? Verse 27. But instead, verse 27, a fearful looking for, certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. It's saying like, there's beatings coming your way. There's chastisement coming your way. Go back to 1st Corinthians, chapter 11. Go back to 1st Corinthians, chapter 11. So look, the chastisement of God isn't something to be taken lightly. All right, it's like, oh, you know, God's going to punish me. Yeah, but look, look at how serious it is. I mean, literally fiery indignation, meaning God can be, that can be how God feels towards you. He's mad at you. You know, he's upset at you. He's like, but I'm a pretty good guy. Well, you know, so was Joseph at but you know, he went and he helped out. Somebody that hated the Lord and God's wrath was upon him. God was, that fiery indignation came upon Joseph at the nice thing with God is, you know, he's merciful and we can always get right, which is what Paul is trying to, you know, convince people to do in 1st Corinthians, chapter 11. Look at verse 33. He says, wherefore my brethren, when you come together to eat, he says, Terry one for another. He's like, wait for each other. Don't go and just gorge yourself and wait for each other. So look, when we do the Lord's Supper because of this verse, when we pass out the bread and we pass out the wine, which will be non-alcoholic wine. Right? We're not going to, you know, start cracking a bunch of booze in the church, which is another crazy thing. Wine in the Bible is clearly refers to alcoholic types of wine and non-alcoholic, just the fruit of the vine. All right. So we're going to wait for one another. We'll wait for one another and we will all, once everyone has, there's a reason we do it that way because we're going to Terry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that you come not together under condemnation. There's that condemnation using that as a synonym to that damnation word that was used just a few verses earlier. And the rest, why I said in order when I come. So what does this mean for us? What does this mean for us? Let me just like, cap all this for you. All right. I have, you know, I've got a few minutes left here before the SD card runs out. So let me just summarize everything. It's look, first of all, it's not efficacious or any other weird complicated word. It is a very simple thing. We are going to do this thing Wednesday night. We're going to celebrate the Lord supper to remember Jesus Christ, to remember his body that was broken for us, to remember, to remember his blood that was shed for us of Jesus Christ. Not to eat and drink. But first, before you come Wednesday night, you need to examine yourself. You need to come to the Lord supper on Wednesday night with a, with a clean conscience, especially, especially towards your brothers and sisters in Christ in the church. So if there's strife with anyone in the church up to and including me, that needs to be taken care of before, you know, if there's contentions, that needs to be taken care of before you do the Lord supper. Look, I'm telling you this to protect yourself because you don't want to be guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It's something that God takes seriously. Okay, so get things right before Wednesday. You say, how do I, how do I get things right? Well, I mean, we know in the Bible, we know that there's two ways to handle conflict. Okay, there's, these are sermons that I've preached before, but basically, you say, well, you know, I've really got a problem with brother so and so. And he said that, you know, he didn't like my shirt the other day or whatever. If, no, but if seriously, if there's contingents of some kind in the church, there's two ways to solve it. Number one, and the preferred way is to just let it go. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Suffer yourself to be defrauded or take wrong. Say, you know, somebody just said something that wasn't nice to me, one way to handle that is for me to just, you know what, you have the ability to do this. You have the ability to do this. Just, you know what, you just let it go. Just let it go. Suffer yourself to be defrauded. Tell yourself whatever you need to tell yourself, hey, you know, they, that person, they just sometimes they speak before they think or whatever. And I'm just going to let it go. But look, that means let it go. That doesn't mean like keep a root of bitterness in your heart about it. That doesn't mean like secretly be mad about it. Just let it go. The second way is like you say like, well, I just can't let this thing go. I can't let it go. The second way to handle it is to confront it. Is to confront it. Matthew 18. Just to go to the person, go to that person. Don't go to the seven other people. Go to that person and say, you know what, you said you didn't like my shirt and thought I looked like a clown and there and everybody was around or whatever. And you know, I really hurt my feelings. And I said 99% of the time when you confront it directly one on one with the person, it will be done. And then there's a process. If that's not the way it goes. But the two things they're going to solve 99. 999% of all conflicts and divisions, especially in a church are to either let it go or just talk to the person directly. That's it. So if you have to do that, do that. Get rid of your divisions. Get rid of your contensions. Get rid of your bitterness before Wednesday. The Lord's Supper pictures the body and blood of Jesus Christ as the Passover pictured the future Messiah. Us letting go of our silly little things. I mean, you think about it. Think about, you know, why does God, you know, demand that we do this with the right heart? Well, I mean, what he did for us was like the ultimate form of mercy. It's just, it's just this huge hypocritical thing. If we just get this, just this infinite, it's literal infinite mercy that we received. And then we're like, oh, Joe borrowed 20 bucks from me and didn't pay me back. It's just like, God's like, you're just, you're making my sacrifice that I gave you a joke. So that's why he demands a right heart for this, at least for this moment that we do, you know, the Lord's Supper. You know, it's really not that demanding what God asks of us. And we think about, you know, the little tiny peace that we have to just, you know, do that we can't do. We can't tarry for one hour. We can't, you know, stay awake for one hour. It's ridiculous compared to the infinite mercy that we've had. We need to just have mercy on people. So let's just get that right. Let's get that right. And then let's, let's celebrate, let's perform this ordinance of the church on Wednesday night. And let's do it for the reason that we're supposed to, just to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, and what he did for us. And I mean, just what a, what a wonderful thing to just end the Sunday on. Is just that, that Wednesday we get to, we get to do this ordinance and just remember the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which is the only reason that any of us are going to be an eternity. Let's bow our heads and have a word of praise.