Address—Dn. Spence
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For me, oh that we never might forget what Christ has suffered. For our sake we save our souls and make us meet of all His glory to partake. For keeping this in mind, press on the glory and the Victory Scrum #224.
Thank you. To turn to.
A really well known portion of the word of God, First Corinthians 11.
I.
1St Corinthians 11 and verse 23.
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.
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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 he, This is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup when he had suffered, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This duty is OFT as you drink it, or remembrance of Me.
Or as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death he'll become.
Now I'm going to stop right there, but we'll come back and finish the chapter.
But.
I have it on my heart tonight to speak a little bit about the Lord's Supper.
Now, for those who were at the young marriage weekend, we talked a lot about the ground of gathering. We talked about the truth of the one body.
We talked about some of the dangers that exist within us that are threatening that truth.
We talked about the leading of the Holy Spirit within us in.
How we need to be exercised about that. We talked about a lot of other things that are so important to this ground upon which we are gathered.
But tonight I would like to take up this stain that has been taken up so many times before.
The Lord's Supper, because it never gets tiresome, it never gets out of date. It's something that is of interest to us.
I remember as a little boy, my folks did not go to meetings very often, but one Des Moines conference we went down and I was about nine years old.
And of course, the conference meetings were in the meeting room in those days, and it was about that time when the meeting room was getting too small, so they put a tent Outback.
And they announced that they would not have enough room in the meeting room for everyone for the breaking of bread. So with those who were not in fellowship, please go out to the 10th.
I was not in fellowship and I did not want to go out to the tent.
But I went and it turned out to be one of the greatest blessings of my life, because the person that spoke to us that morning little circle of boys, was Albert Hayhub. And Albert told us he went over these verses and he told us the truth is a simple, wonderful truth that he never seemed to tire of concerning the loaf of the cup.
And at nine years old, it put within my heart a burning desire to remember the Lord that eventually was.
Given to me at the age of 14 and we'll talk a little bit more about that later. But the point that I want to make here is that this meeting is going to be as simple as I can make it. Because I know that your older brethren would enjoy it if I would make it so simple that even a nine year old or a 10 year old or 11 year old would be able to understand.
This these wonderful truths.
That have been given to us concerning the Lord's Supper.
Now in First Corinthians chapter 10 we have the Lord's table.
And the thought in the table perhaps we might. There might be many different thoughts in the Lords table. One of them is certainly Fellowship.
Another one might be disciplined.
Another one might be love, or we might think of the person at the table. But when we talk about the Lord's Supper, we're looking at what is on the table, the loaf and the cup. So we'll be we'll be talking about these things tonight. I want to stir you up, those of you who are not at the Lord's table, to remember him, and I want to stir those of you who are at the Lord's table.
To value this great privilege that is soon going to vanish away.
Now notice what he says in verse 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.
Now Paul received a fresh revelation.
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Why did he receive a fresh revelation? Why didn't he just say? Now remember that the Lord Jesus, on that night in which he was betrayed, took bread. He received a revelation directly from the Lord for several reasons. Perhaps #1 The state of the assembly was, or the assembly was in disorder.
For Paul had been there preaching the gospel about 20 years earlier, and he had brought these people out of idolatry, out of immorality, out of all kinds of problems, and he had gathered them to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ at his table. And now, in a short period of years, 20 short years, the Lord's Supper had degenerated from something that was very wonderful, very high into.
Almost what you would call an ordinary meal where there was drinking and everything else going on.
So the Lord was seeking to stir their hearts.
That even though there was a state of disorder in the Assembly, he did not encourage them to leave and go somewhere else.
But what he encouraged them to do, and he got a fresh revelation to do it. He inferred them to continue breaking. Great.
Now I've talked to a lot of people who have left a little meeting or a big meeting here or there, and there is one thing that they always tell me, almost with that exception, I miss the breaking of bread. There is nothing that can ever replace it.
So he did not encourage them to leave to set up a new table, but he sought to stir up their hearts to continue to remember him.
Secondly, he received a fresh revelation because the breaking of bread was to be continued.
Not just a one time thing at the Last Supper, but it was to be continued all the way until in verse 626 till he come.
And that's important because you and I are living in those days. We are in the final countdown of time before the Lord's coming. The seconds are ticking away and we're going to be in His presence momentarily. And He wanted us to continue to break bread until He came.
Now for anyone who has stopped breaking bread, they are going to have to answer to the Lord when he says Why didn't you continue till I came?
And that will be difficult to answer. There is no answer, I don't believe, for that.
But he wanted us to continue until he came.
Now, I was talking to somebody just recently and they said, well, you know, Christians have always said the Lord is.
Is coming. But here we are in 1986. He hasn't come. What is it that makes you think that he's going to come now more so than 20 years ago? Well, I always say, you know, it's because all of the players in the world are in position. If we were to go to a, let's say, a football game or something and say, and I were to say to you, is the game ready to start? As we looked out there and saw people warming up, he'd say no.
But if I were to lookout there and say, well, there's everybody out there in position, the referee has his whistle, he's ready to blow it. Would you say it's ready to start and he would say yes it is. How do you know? Because everybody is in position.
And that's how we know that the coming of the Lord is extremely there, and you have been chosen to live in this generation.
I don't know of any generation that I would rather live in. And you have been called to remember the Lord until he come. So the breaking of bread was to be continued, not just a one time thing at the Last Supper, but until he come, until he came.
Then #3 the thing that we find in this revelation. Perhaps we could read it from verse 16 of chapter 10. The the cup of blessing which we bless. Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, being many, are one bread and one body. For we are all partakers of that one bread, that is.
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Now this is something that was not fully understood before.
But now they knew that they were to remember him as bound up with him in the loaf.
That is, they were brought into an extremely close relationship with him as they broke bread and #4. Then there was a responsibility associated with the breaking of break, as we find from verse 27 on in our chapter.
So those are some of the reasons. First of all, the assembly was in disorder and so they were to continue. The breaking of bread was to be continued all the way to the Lord's coming.
And we remember him as members of his body.
And then last of all is responsibility associated with that privilege. So those are some of the reasons. Perhaps there's more why Paul received a fresh revelation.
Now notice what it says. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that is called and not only get get something from the Lord, he shared it. So he was sharing it with the Corinthians that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed.
Now why does he bring up here the fact that he was betrayed by Judas? I think that if we were to look at the Gospels, we could prove that Judas was not there when the Lord's Supper was given.
But we won't go into that. But the point that I want to make here is that he felt.
He felt the fact that he was betrayed by someone who was his close friend and his follower.
It heard by that his own familiar friend who lifted up his heel against him, and the devil had this plan and desire to infiltrate the ranks of these disciples, and he actually took over and dwelt this man called Judas. And Judas betrayed him, and the Lord felt it deeply.
Well, you might say Judas was just out. He was just out making money on that morning. He thought perhaps that he would, that that the Lord might escape, but he did not. And Judas turned out to be that man.
That man that would lift up his heel against the Lord. And when the devil left him, he was so distraught that he went out and hung himself.
So here we have that night in which he was betrayed, he took bread. And I just say that, you know, is it possible for us to betray the Lord, in a sense, today? Is it possible for us to put our priorities on other things so that, let's say, money making becomes more important than the breaking of bread? I certainly understand that there's times when we must we have to work. There may be critical times at work, or there may be a certain job that I'm fitted for that I have to work. But we need to be careful that our priorities are right.
With the Lord.
Now I just digress here a little bit and I'd like to talk a little bit about the state of the disciples. If we went over to Luke chapter 22, we might just take a look at that.
With chapter 22 and verse.
21.
I'm sorry, let's back off to verse 19. And they took bread, and gave thanks, and break it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Verse 24. And there was also a strife among them. Which of them should be accounted?
The greatest.
And so on.
Don't read the rest of that. But he brings out some wonderful truth. He says if you want to be great, then you've got to be small.
But the point that I want to make is that there was very little understanding.
About what the Lord's Supper meant.
There was very little, if any, worship about, you know, as to the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There was a lot of strife and pride among the brother, but there was obedience to his request. The strife and pride would be dealt with by the Lord and the worship would come and understanding would come. But, you see, when they begin to do it.
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The first time there was probably a lot of misunderstanding, and yet the Lord called him back. The point that I want to make is that there was obedience to His request, and that's what's important. Can I just say a little word to you sisters? I think that often times you come to the meetings and sometimes the children are hard to handle. Sometimes you go home from a meeting and you wonder if you should have even come.
Remember the only ask you.
To remember him, he didn't ask that there be a lot of worship or anything like that. That will come in time. The children will grow. But he does value the fact that you came to remember him, and that's what's important. I'd like you to turn back to First Corinthians Chapter 11.
And I'm going to talk about several things that make the Lord suffer what I would call it exceedingly precious.
Exceedingly precious. First of all, notice in verse 24. 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. 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 you drink it in remembrance of me.
First of all, the thing that I want to point out is that that makes it exceedingly precious is the picture that it gives.
The picture that it gives us here is a loaf of bread, a loaf of bread that is taken from kernels of wheat that are ground fine.
And those kernels of wheat, ground fine, are taken and mixed with lemon or yeast. The dough is raised, the loaf is put into an oven, and there, under that extremely hot heat, the action of that leaven is killed.
We have a picture of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ that I don't think you can equal, I don't think you can equal. It is a picture of His death upon the cross ground fine mixed with leaven under the tremendous judgment of God that no one can understand. Like the Lord says in the Book of Lamentations, I am the man that that has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
And we picture that in the loop when it is broken, and then the cup, the cup which she says here is the New Testament in my blood.
That is, here are a bunch of graves that are squeezed in. The blood comes out in the death of that grave, and each one of us partake of that.
Cup and remembrance of the precious blood that was shed at Calvary. You know, both of these are equally important. I'd like to just tell you a little story that happened to me when I went to California from Iowa. I did not know a lot of the truth of the word of God, but when I got out to a certain assembly in California, I found that there was a brother there who said there was no atonement in the blood of Christ.
This brother was the leading brother of that assembly. And so I was over at his house one day and he shared this with me. He said, you know, the blood of Christ is not that important. I said, oh, is that right? Why do you feel that way? He said, Well, he said the only reason the blood was shed.
Was to fulfill the Scripture which said they shall look upon him when they appears. And he said, anywhere you read about the blood of Christ in Scripture, you can rightfully substitute the death of Christ, the word death. I did not feel that was right. And over a period of weeks and months I sought to talk to him and counsel with brethren like Mr. Brown and Paul Wilson and so on. He would not back down.
I want to. I just want to share this with you. What happened? Because it shows how an assembly can get away from these truths.
And all the brethren agreed that we would have a care meeting one night. And in this care meeting we we already had made the decision that I would bring it up and that my brethren would back me up and tell his brother that this was not acceptable ministry of his evil doctrine. So we had the meeting and I brought it up in, the brother said.
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You're wrong, and I'll show you an Out came the writings of Darby and Kelly as we read through 1/2 hour or so of these writings. And then.
He said to me, See, you're wrong. You're going to be put out of fellowship.
So I said to him, well, I don't understand all that you've said, but just answer me one question, one only. Is there atonement in the blood of Christ? And he said absolutely none. And I'll show you that you are the only person that believes this. And around the room we went, and every brother except myself.
Denied that there was atonement in the blood of Christ, everyone his brother had overthrown this assembly.
And the Lord had to step in and straighten this out. But this is so important that we value not only the death of Christ, but the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, because it is the death of Christ that made Atonement Godward. It is the blood of Christ that covered our sins made Atonement. Manward is 2 aspects to that work of Atonement.
So first of all, the thing that I want to point out here is that what makes this exceedingly precious is the picture.
And if I had a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross and justice showed it to you, I think it would have an effect. I think it would have an effect. Remember I was visiting with a brother in Denver. He came out to some of the meetings and he said, why? He said, could I get together with you? And I said certainly. So we went out and we had a little visit. And he said, why did the brethren put so much emphasis on the breaking of bread?
And I said, well, it was the central theme of that early church, because they were so taken up in their first love for Christ that they wanted to be brought to the cross. They wanted to see the picture of the cross in the loaf and in the cup. I saw, I said to him, I said, Bill.
Do you know what the breaking of bread symbolizes? He said. Yes, I do. It symbolizes the work of the cross.
I said, Where did you learn that?
He said, I learned it in the meeting. I said, what about the church? He went to a fundamental church in Denver. Did you ever hear that there? He said never. Never heard it. You know, I find that many other Christians do not understand the breaking of bread. They do not understand it. I've asked a lot of Christians that question. Well, what do you do in your communion service at church? Well, I it's a time of rededication or it's.
Time of repentance and confession of my sins.
That's the first time I've ever heard from a Christian not gathered the right answer. He got it from those who were gathered. I'm not saying that nobody ever understands it out there. There probably are some, but it's generally not understood. And so I said to him, let's suppose that you and I would have the privilege of standing at the cross. Let's suppose that you and I stood at the foot of the cross and we looked up and we saw the Lord Jesus Christ suffering.
We saw him there.
Under that terrible, terrible punishment that they put him under. And then we stood there in the darkness. Darkness came over all the land, and we saw.
The darkness lift. We heard that voice. My God, my God, why? Asked thou forsaken me.
And then we saw the soldier come after he had given up his life in Pierce, his side, and we see this outpouring of blood and water. And I said, Bill, what effect would that have on you? He said.
Enormous. And I said to him, I said, well, then, what effect should the breaking of bread have on your soul? And he said, enormous.
Greater than any ministry, greater than any exhortation of any kind, greater than any challenge to stand at the cross. And that's, that's what makes it exceedingly precious, is brethren, We are brought right to the foot of the cross, right to the foot of the cross, and in many senses, although we cannot see it in a physique with the physical eye, the eye of faith looks back, and it proves, in a sense, into the depths.
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Of His suffering that those disciples who for those women and disciple who stood there, could never enter into, we can.
So I say that's the first thing that makes it exceedingly precious #2.
What makes it exceedingly precious? His presence.
Without his presence, it would be an empty form. Maybe that's why there are many Christians who feel that way about it. Without him, it would be an empty form, but with him it becomes exceedingly precious. His presence is important to us. It's important.
#3
It was his dying request.
Was his dying request the horror of Calvary's cross lay ahead.
And he gave out as his last request that we would remember him.
All along the pathways you read the gospels, you will find that Jesus desired to share with his disciples the burden of the cross. He wanted them to enter into it, but they refused.
They tried to talk him out of it in here at the table, he shared with him in a different way.
His suffering and death.
Now then, we would notice, if I think we turn to the book of Mark, that it says they all drank of it. That is, there was obedience to this request.
I want to ask you, each one in the audience, if you've thought about remembering the Lord.
I'd like to ask you what is holding you back.
I know that someday you are going to sit down in the presence of the Lord, and I too.
And one thing that motivates me is this, that there will be in his presence, perhaps a question. And he will say, why didn't you do what I told you?
And I will have to say as I look at and I will have to say as I look upon those.
Those wounded hands and wounded side, I will have to say I am sorry, Lord. There is no excuse whatsoever. It was his dying request. There's nothing, no excuse.
For ever turning him down.
I want to share with you a little bit about my past.
Because there's a couple of things that are instructive about the Lord's table.
Now when I was 9 or 10 years old.
The fires were turned on to remember the Lord.
But years went by and we didn't come to the meetings very much. There was a breaking of bread in my grandfather's home, but we didn't go.
Just a half a mile down the road.
And eventually my dad got worried about us and he decided to.
Shut the door to the world and mattered, Iowa, and open it by allowing us to go to Des Moines.
So we went down for a number of years or a number of months. We went down to Des Moines, and I sat in the Lord's presence and long through great bread. But you see there were some pretty well thought brethren there. And I knew if I ever asked, they would ask questions that I could not answer and therefore I would be turned down. So I went on and on one morning.
There was a big snowstorm on Lord's Day morning, and so we could only get the tractor out of the drive. So I called. We called Grandpa, Grandpa, Spence, Grandpa, would you like us to come to, to breaking your bread up there? He said. I would love it. So we drove the tractor up to my grandfather's home, and as my older brother stepped into the living room, notice that my grandfather pulled him off to the side.
And had a little word with him.
And then he came over and he had a little word with me. He said, would you like to break bread? And I said, grandpa, I've wanted to do that for years. He said, well, you may this morning, I couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to get asked a lot of hard questions. I thought I was going to get turned down. I thought I was going to be put under the microscope. And grandpa said you can this morning. Now I'm not recommending this procedure, but the point that I want to make is here was a grandfather who prayed.
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A grandfather who prayed earnestly that someday his.
3 grandsons would be at the Lord Lord's table. And this was the time. This was the time. And he moved in. And had he not done that, why it might have been years, because it was about five years before I broke bread at grandpa's house again.
And you know, the brethren in Des Moines were extremely understanding and kind. They could have raised an issue about it. They didn't. We were received in Des Moines without a letter.
We didn't know any better. They showed a lot of kindness.
And I thank God for that moment.
That's My grandfather stepped out in faith and asked his two grandsons to remember the Lord. And I just say for you, older brethren, remember for our beloved young people today, it's rough. The time that we're living in is difficult. Pray for them, and you may have the opportunity sometime talking to them about the Lord's table.
Now I want to proceed a little bit five years later.
19 years old, never taken part in a meeting.
Never even thought of it. And one more One week my grandfather had a heart attack. He was hovering between life and death. All the ants were there, and I knew that they would want to have a breaking of bread, but they didn't. They couldn't because Grandpa could not talk.
So I called up there and I said to one of the aunts, would you like me to come up for the day? I'd like to come up. And so that you all could remember the Lord. I felt a deep debt to my grandfather. So I went up there, and I want to tell you what happened.
On the way up, I looked in my little flock in book and memorized some hymns that I could give out. I looked at some portions of scripture that I could read.
Memorize them and seek the leading of the Lord in that meeting at all. I was scared.
But eventually we came to the point where the bread was broken and the bread was passed around and it went around from one to the other. There were a number of people there, all sisters.
And then there was.
An older sister.
Of my grandfather and I did not know whether she was saved or not, and she reached out and took the bread.
And I sat in my seat and I said.
Oh no.
I knew that I would be called on the carpet by my brother, Nindy Moines. So I decided that when the cup went around, I would take the cup as it got to her and go around this way so she would get the idea that she was not welcome at the Lord's table. But when the cup was passed, I could not get out of my seat.
And there was a thought that rang very clearly in my mind like this. This is my table, not yours.
Never forget that.
Morning really touched my heart, Frightened me a lot. But on the way out, I decided I would just get out of there. Not stay for dinner, just get out of there. I didn't want to answer any questions or anything, just get out of there as fast as I could go. And I was going through the kitchen when I heard this sister of my grandfather saying something like this. Most wonderful service I've ever been in in my life. Never have I ever been so close to the cross. I've never had my heart touched.
Like I did this morning. What an encouragement it was to me. And yet I never told anybody this story for 20 years.
Because I didn't know exactly how I felt about it, but I think the point that I want to make is this.
I don't want to.
Encourage you, younger brother to overthrow the meeting or anything like that. But I want to encourage you, as the Lord leads, to take part in the breaking of bread.
We have a situation out in California that is a concern to me. We have 50 brothers or more that can take part in the meeting, but only five ever break the bread.
That concerns me.
Did you know you do not have to reach some status before you can break the bread? I think it requires somewhat of a going on with the Lord and so on, but I want to encourage you, brothers. If the Lord leads to take part, it'll be an encouragement to your older brother. Well.
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We could go on and talk about more of this, but I think during the remainder of the time we ought to talk about the last verses of this chapter.
Let's read them from 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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth, and drinketh damnation for judgment to himself. Not discerning the Lord's body will this cause many are weak and sickly among you in many sleeps.
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. For when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Wherefore, my brother, when you come together to eat, carry one or another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that you come not together unto condemnation, and the rest will I set an order when I come.
Now here is what we call the responsibility side of the Lords Supper.
Here were these Corinthians who were eating and drinking in a manner that was unworthy in a disorderly manner.
As it says.
In that first verse that we read, 27 Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily or in an unworthy manner.
Will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Sounds solemn to me, doesn't it to you to be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord? Not sure exactly all that that means, but I think it sounds like.
A very serious thing.
To eat this bread and drink this cup unworthily. And I think if we we turn back and look in verse 21 for an eating, everyone taketh before his own supper, and one is hungry and another is drunken.
That is they they just turned it into an ordinary meal. The the manner in which they did it.
I think it is so important to remember that when we come into this room on Lord's Day morning, we are coming into the presence of the Lord. We are going to view the most awful suffering of this that has ever been known upon the face of the earth, and we should be careful about the manner in which we do it.
Otherwise, it's very serious. Sin sounds like it's a serious as the crucifixion itself.
Now the point that he's making trying to make in these last few verses is that in verse 28, a man let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.
Now self examination or self judgment should be on a daily basis or a moment by moment basis. I hope that you do that.
But I remember in my college days it seemed like Saturday evening rolled around awfully fast and I realized that I was going to be in the presence of the Lord on Lords Day morning. There was a special time of self judgment in those days associated with breaking the breaking of grid.
If that happens even on a week by week basis.
If that happens, you will never get into a solemn, serious sin. I look back on it now and I say the Lord kept me all the way through those years. But there is a responsibility, that of examining ourselves. And then you know that chapter Brown always used to tell that story about the man who got upset with his cow.
And kick the cow. And cursed the cow and refused to come to breaking of bread. They went up to get him and they said, look what this verse says. It says let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. So if we fall into a sin, a problem, may we lose our temper, something that is not extremely serious. He wants us to examine ourselves, judge it, and go ahead and break, break.
One of the problems that people have, I've had it for many years, is that when I fall into a sin, there's often times a depression that will stay with me for a couple of weeks. God never intended it that way. He intended upon confession to forgive that sin. So self judgment is extremely important, always associated with your statement.
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You know, people don't get into.
Deep problems overnight, they don't. They depart from the pathway of obedience and they sample it and then they come back and they observe their own reactions to see what how they're they're going to react to it. They may sample a little deeper the next time and then there's some repentance and then a little further launch into the world. And so very few people ever launch out and go into some serious sin that requires.
Discipline of the assembly. And that's why he emphasizes over and over again in these verses that we have a responsibility to examine ourselves. No one else can see the heart but you and God.
Notice what he says in verse 30 for this cause. Many are weak and sickly among you.
And many sleep.
That is, among the Corinthian assembly, there were people that were.
Brought under judgment because of this condition.
There were people that were now had been taken home because of this condition. Maybe not the people that committed the sin. God was speaking to this, this assembly.
And I realized that over the past years, the Lord has spoken loudly to the gathered Saints, hasn't he? He's spoken loudly to us, and we have a responsibility to listen, to judge ourselves, not to ignore it. What is the Lord saying to us? Because His judgment will continue till we judge ourselves.
I always remember Eric Smith telling a story about an old Indian down in Bolivia. Not an old about a middle-aged Indian. And this Indian became sick and they went over to this brother's house. He was a brother who was.
Well tied and the assembly looked up to and respected and they went over to his house.
A group of the brethren, because they wanted to pray for him that the Lord would spare his life. And when they got over there and they unfolded their hearts to this man, and they said, dear brother, we would like to pray for you.
Because we want you to be around. We want you to stay. We need you.
And this brother said, he said, I've fallen into the sin of fornication.
And he said.
I am going to be taken home. There is no amount of prayer that will ever save my life. And he did. He went home to be with the Lord. The Lord took him home.
Because of this sin, well these are important things and IA lot of my work for the Lord is to go around and get acquainted with people personally, privately. Many of the things that I encounter I can never share. But one thing I would like to share with you.
Is that we have a need to earnestly pray that there would be self judgment associated with the Lord's table because there are people at the Lord's table who are right near the edge if not having gone over. So we need to pray, Ernest, we need to be exercise ourselves. We can never, never trust ourselves, never keep ourselves.
Never. Every morning almost that I get up, I just say, Lord Jesus, keep me through one or day.
And as we take away the final moments until the Lord comes, may we be kept faithful to him. May we be kept faithful because all of the sins and all of the temptations that are out there are not worth it.
Never run into anybody who said I'm so glad that I went off the deep end. They've never said that, but there's been sorrow associated with going out into some of these serious things.
Well verse 32.
Verse 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
That is, if we judge ourselves, the assembly isn't going to have to step in and the Lord isn't going to have to step in.
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But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world. Thank God for that. Thank God for the chastening hand of the Lord.
Sometimes I say to my wife. I say, honey, I never get away with anything. Seems like the Lord gets me every every time I fall into sin. He punishes me and that's what it says. And the Lord loves. He chases and scourges every Son whom he receives. That's a mark that you belong to Christ.
So if we judge ourselves, we would we wouldn't get into these things. We would not experience the chastening hand of the Lord. Verse 33. Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat cherry one for another, and if any man hunger, let him eat at home. They come not together under condemnation, and the rest will ascend in order when it comes.