Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20070624.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Corinthians: Discipling Believers With Very Sinful Backgrounds
VII. Overcoming Sinful Dishonor And Disorder
C. Heeding Christ's Supreme Example Of Being Considerate Of Others
(1 Corinthians 11:20-34)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Political activism by conservative Christians that rises from errant Calvinist Reconstructionism only fuels anti-Christian bias; the world sees such Christians as pushing their beliefs on others, a move it both fears and despises, and we can document that fact as follows:

(1) In the June 11, 2007 issue of the national newspaper, USA TODAY, Tom Krattenmaker wrote the article, "A pious nation?" where he began by alluding to the "old news by now" of the "powerful influence of conservative Christians on culture and politics". He then critiqued "white evangelicals" in particular for not ("Until recently") viewing "immigrants" (he failed to call them "illegal"!) as they wished to be seen opposite the "Golden Rule"! His "politically correct" stance, of course, errs: illegal immigrants are, by definition, unlawful, and aside from having such a status alone yield social unrest, such folk violate 1 Peter 2:13 as sinners like Biblical believers of any heritage know. Yet, the June 18, 2007 issue of the paper listed several letters in response to Krattenmaker's article, letters that reveal a deep resentment of Christians who are seen thoughtlessly to push their political views:

(a) Robert Jordan of Chico, California wrote: " . . . it is hard for me to respect many Christians I know because they are so blatantly hypocritical . . . What happened to the peacemakers and those who care for the least of these'?"

(b) Paul L. Whiteley, Sr. from Louisville, Kentucky observed: "America is obsessed with following outward forms of religion, instead of embracing genuine religion [in] . . . sharing . . . giving . . . keeping oneself from being corrupted by the world . . ."

(c) Les Witherspoon of Seattle held: "According to the U. S. Constitution, we are a secular nation . . . we should remain a secular nation. One's choice of religion is entirely up to that person."

(2) Such an attitude only feeds anti-Christian militantism, the kind Michael Medved in "A war on memory" (page 11A of the June 18 issue) feared as a Jewish American: he expressed alarm over an "attitude among militant separationists' that treats Christian symbols with more hostility than those of any other religious tradition."

So, we ask, "What can be DONE about the poor image the world has of us as being thoughtless when they lump us together with Christians who politically push their views on others?"

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "What may WE DO about the unedifying image' problem we conservative Christians have with the world due mainly to potent conservative Christian activism in culture and politics, a view that sees us as INCONSIDERATE OPPOSITE our own Golden Rule?!"
  1. The Corinthian Christians Paul addressed lacked thoughtfulness to one another where great, unedifying disorder in celebrating the Lord's Table had arisen, and that with God's resulting discipline:
    1. The communion service, "the Lord's Table," differed to some extent from that of the Early Church as follows, 1 Corinthians 11:20-22:
      1. "The early Christians held a love feast in connection with the Lord's Supper, during which they gathered for a fellowship meal, sent and received communications from other churches, and collected money for widows and orphans," Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to 1 Corinthians 11:20.
      2. "Apparently, some of the wealthier members were not sharing their food but greedily consumed it before the poor showed up (v. 21). If the purposes of the love feast were not being realized, it was better to eat at home (v. 22)," Ibid.
    2. Thus, a lack of consideration for poorer believers led to their being excluded from the Lord's Table while some of the wealthy left the meal intoxicated, 1 Cor. 11:20-21; T. D. N. T ., vol. IV, p. 547.
    3. Making this drunkenness especially foul was the fact that the "Dionysus cult which was well established at Corinth" practiced alcoholic intoxication in their services! Thus, intoxication at the Lord's Table was intolerably pagan in format, Ibid, p. 547-548!
    4. For this sin, God had struck some with illness and death, 11:29-30.
  2. In CONTRAST to this, the PURPOSE of the Lord's Table was to RECALL and MIMIC CHRIST'S CONSIDERATION of OTHERS:
    1. After condemning the Corinthians' thoughtlessness, Paul recalled Christ's own teaching regarding the Lord's Table, 1 Cor. 11:32.
    2. That teaching upheld Christ's GREAT example of consideration for others: He gave the bread and cup, picturing His body and blood , in BEHALF of the ETERNAL WELFARE of OTHERS, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 with 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Ephesians 2:12-13.
    3. Thus, when Christians partake at the Lord's Table, they proclaim (kataggellete) the Gospel of Christ's substitutionary death in behalf of needy, helpless sinners , a HUGE CONTRAST to the SELFISH practices of the CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS at the meal! (1 Cor. 11:26; Arndt & Ging., A Greek-English Lex. of the N. T., p. 410)
    4. Similarly, celebrating the Lord's Table was meant to REMIND the believer of his PERSONAL need to be CONSIDERATE of OTHERS as CHRIST had been of HIM in HIS OWN PRESAVED state (Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 531).
    5. For this reason, partaking of the Lord's Table in an unworthy manner, particularly in the realm of thoughtlessly excluding poor believers and becoming drunk, was to be guilty of Christ's body and blood, 11:27!
    6. Believers were thus to examine and judge themselves of sin, and to repent and confess it prior to partaking of the Lord's Table, 11:28-32.
  3. So, by WAY of the Lord's Table, we CHRISTIANS are spurred PERSONALLY to BE CONSIDERATE of OTHERS as is CHRIST!
    1. Paul thus urged his Corinthian Christian readers to wait for the poor to arrive even though they could not bring much to the love feast so they could also participate in the Lord's Table celebration, 1 Cor. 11:33.
    2. Now, if people were very hungry, they were to eat at home prior to coming to the Church's Lord's Table celebration that they not be tempted to get drunk or gorge themselves with food, forgetting the focus on consideration for OTHERS epitomized in the Lord's focus and work for sinners like us on the cross, 1 Cor. 11:34 with 11:22a.
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ to be saved from sin and hell, John 3:16. (2) Then, RECALLING by the Lord's Table HIS act of GRACIOUSLY paying for OUR sins on the CROSS that WE might be SAVED by faith in Him, may we MIMIC by the Holy Spirit's power (Gal. 5:16) CHRIST'S CONSIDERATION for US! (3) In the public cultural and political arenas, may we function as INDIVIDUALS and NOT as a CHRISTIAN GROUP that we NOT DISTORT our TESTIMONY: we wish to teach REGENERATION by INDIVIDUAL FAITH in CHRIST, NOT MASS EXTERNAL CONFORMITY by a GROUP of us that the world can only abhor!

Lesson: We believers by means of celebrating the Lord's Table are to recall from that event CHRIST'S regard for OUR OWN pre-salvation PLIGHT, and His GREAT SELFLESSNESS in His DEATH on the CROSS for US that WE in turn might be CONSIDERATE of OTHERS, John 13:35; Acts 20:35b! GOD can USE such PERSONALLY APPLIED CONSIDERATION to IMPROVE the WORLD'S view of US Christians!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

(1) One of the letters in the June 18, 2007 issue of USA TODAY (p. 10A) that responded to Tom Krattenmaker's critique of culturally and politically influential conservative Christians who fail to be considerate of others was from Robert Jordan of Chico, California.

Though he held it was hard for him to respect many Christians, he did praise one, observing: "One of my best friends is a conservative Christian. Even though we don't agree . . . [he] embraces Christian teachings as a way to live and to help others. He doesn't use his beliefs to justify his actions or as a club to force others to be like him . . . "

Interesting! Mr. Jordan, a non-Christian who wrote against conservative Christian activism, still had a correct idea of what a true Christian is from the kindness of his believing friend! Consideration for others goes a long way in our discipling efforts, cf. John 13:34!

(2) This truth was also applied last week in our body:

(a) My wife returned from the Vacation Bible School planning meeting last Monday night, reporting: "Even though we have no idea how many students will show up for the ministry, everybody involved at this meeting was helpful to everyone else -- there was no competition between anyone about anything! It was so neat!!"

(b) Then, later, a couple concerned about one of our V.B.S. Worker's stress over her role in the effort visited her home to help her organize her plans. It was Christianity at its very best!!

We have yet to present our Vacation Bible School this next week, but, from what I have heard and in view of this message, V.B.S. is already a blessed success! When we as a body work so unitedly together with such patience and forbearance toward one other, we do exactly what pleases God and testifies of our faith -- a great blessing!!

(3) Thursday evening after we had finished painting the Church wall, Board chairman Dave Slate agreed with my idea that we offer our Church's excess garden bark mulch to our neighbors. When I started to walk toward the first home to make the offer, the owner came out to meet me! I shared he could help himself to the mulch, and he replied he had even dreamed I would do that, and he grabbed my hand and shook it hard! It's amazing what a little bit of consideration does!

May we PERSONALLY FOLLOW the LEAD of our LORD'S ULTIMATE EXAMPLE given in HIS showing CONSIDERATION for US -- it will change our Christian "image"!