Let's Focus People; Let's Focus! Series

LET’S FOCUS PEOPLE; LET’S FOCUS!

I Corinthians 11:17-34

S: Communion

C: Remembering Jesus

Th: Live the Difference

Pr: WE ARE ABOUT JESUS.

?: How? How do we do that?

KW: Investigation

TS: We will find in our study of I Corinthians 11:17-34 four investigations we need to make so that we are about Jesus.

The _____ investigation is…

I. LOOK AROUND (17-22)

II. LOOK BACK (23-25)

III. LOOK FORWARD (26)

IV. LOOK IN (27-34)

PA: How is the change to be observed?

· We are to be aware of the condition of the body of Christ.

· We are to remember what Jesus has done on our behalf.

· We are to be ready for the return of Jesus.

· We are to be right with God.

Version: ESV

RMBC 01 August 04 AM

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever noticed how important tradition is to us?

There are many traditions that we grow to depend on to help us keep our focus.

For example…

ILL Notebook: Communion (The Church of the Holy Radiator)

There was a small-town Episcopal church in upstate New York that had rector for over thirty-five years. He was loved by the church and the community, but the time came for him to retire.

This was the first church for his young replacement, and the new rector had a great desire to do well.

He had been at the church several weeks when he began to perceive that the people were upset with him. He was troubled with this. Eventually, he called one of the lay leaders of the church and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I have a feeling that there is something wrong.”

The man said, “Well, Father, that’s true. I hate to say it, but it’s the way you do the Communion service.”

“The way I do the Communion service? What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s not so much what you do as what you leave out.”

“I don’t think I leave out anything from the Communion service.”

“Oh yes, you do. Just before our previous rector administered the chalice and wine to the people, he’d always go over and touch the radiator. And then, he would serve the people.”

The young rector closed up the conversation and quickly called his predecessor. He said to him, “I haven’t been here a month, and I’m in trouble.”

“In trouble? Why?”

“Well, it’s something to do with touching the radiator. Could that be possible? Did you do that?”

“Oh yes, I did. Always before I administered the chalice to the people, I touched the radiator to discharge the static electricity so I wouldn’t shock them.”

For over thirty-five years, the untutored people of his congregation thought that the touching of the radiator was part of the holy tradition. The church has since been renamed, “The Church of the Holy Radiator.”

TRANSITION:

This year, it has been our challenge to “live the difference” the Holy Spirit makes in us, particularly in the way we live our lives.

And as we come to study today…

1. We are to live the difference when it comes to worship.

We noted last week that we have begun a section of I Corinthians that concentrates on the subject of worship.

Chapters 11 through 14 deal with various aspects of the Corinthians worship.

Now, last week, we studied the role of women in worship in the context of the cultural phenomena of that day of wearing head coverings.

This wasn’t the easiest subject in the world to cover, and some even accused me of living dangerously.

But the truth is that we can’t stick our head in the sand when it comes to the difficult subjects.

We are to engage these subjects and bring further understanding of God’s mind and how they apply to our practice.

But in the midst of this, let’s not lose track of the context.

It is worship.

And worship is worth doing.

Treasuring the true beauty and worth of God is an activity that should not drain us.

Let that be especially true of us today.

Today our subject revolves around the Lord’s Table.

It is an ordinance of the church that we do because the Lord Jesus told us to do it.

We are instructed to do it so that we will remember whom we are about.

And in case it is not clear to you, let me say it with clarity…

2. WE ARE ABOUT JESUS.

In the practice of the early church, this was not something they forgot.

Whenever they gathered together, they would remember Jesus around the Lord’s Table.

Whether the setting was formal or informal…

Whether the gathering was large or small…

Whether they met in a hall or a home…

They would remember Jesus.

They kept their focus on Jesus.