Title: Proper Proclamation of Perfect Peace
Text: 1 Corinthians 11.20-22
MP: Proper Proclamation of the Gospel in thought, word and deed.
Sub: The Gospel is liberty and freedom. Our only role is to get the reminders right.
SO: Communion
Outline:
1. Kirghiz Proclamation of Communism
2. The Beauty of our Message
3. Errors in Proclamation
a. In the Meaning of the Message (v22)
i. You should have been eating at home! It means they weren’t doing any proclamation! Each one goes ahead with his own meal
ii. Perfectionism isn’t the message!
1. Bible Drill
2. Dropping The Tray
3. Judging…
b. In the Method our Delivery (v21)
i. Actions of selfishness, lack of concern for the poor, and outright debauchery
ii. It is no surprise that people reject Christ, when they see the people of Christ proclaiming the name of Christ, but entering the service of Molech (a false god).
iii. It has been said that we are the only Gospel most people will read. If that’s true, it would be good if our proclamation matched our notion of who God really is.
c. In the Failure to Proclaim (v20)
i. It’s not the Lord’s Supper! – Implication: We should…
ii. It’s like being named the sole beneficiary in Bill Gates’ will, and then being annoyed that you have to go to Redmond to collect.
iii. It is our privilege to participate in this covenant.
If you’re focused on anything else, you’ve missed it. If you’re focused on the details, the answer is obvious – just focus back on Him. If you’re focused on your sin, the answer is even more clear – this covenant was designed to take away your sin. Give it back to Jesus. Let him carry that for you.
4. Let Liberty Ring Out…
Peter Hopkirk tells a great story about the folly of a faulty proclamation. It was 1919, and Russia was in the midst of its own Civil War to establish Communism as its official ideology. While Moscow had been “liberated” two years earlier, farther flung parts of its empire, such as what is now in Kazakhstan, had not yet been taught in its ways.
And so the city of Suziran, a Central Asian sultanate just north of the Caspian Sea was still grappling with what Communism meant. They understood it to mean that it was a new order of things, all the best property was to be divided equally. But Suziran was a backwater sultanate in an obscure part of the world. They didn’t really have a lot of property. Trying to figure out what it truly meant to be a Communist, they thought long and hard about what should be redistributed to the poor.
And then it dawned on them. What was the one thing the rich had that the poor lacked? Women. Good-looking women. A whole harem full of women. The local communists issued a proclamation nationalizing all the women of Suziran. You can imagine the scene: Commissars and peasants alike storming the harem and taking whatever and whomever they chose! Somehow, in trying to give equal rights to all they simply ended up subjecting half the population to the whims of the other half. [Peter Hopkirk, Setting the East Ablaze]
Needless to say, when the big boys back in Moscow found out about this, they weren’t pleased. They quickly sent orders to Suziran that this was not the right way to behave. Not only was the proclamation rescinded, it was illegal to even keep a copy! The proclamation may have had good intentions, but the realization was wrong. This abuse needed to be corrected.
Even back in Paul’s day, the early church had the same problem: What does it mean to participate in the Lord’s Supper? They had a time of celebration called the love feast. That was a ceremony that essentially combines today’s two most cherished sacraments of the Baptist Church: Communion and Potluck. But sometimes they got it wrong too. That happens. But, as a wise man once said, the fool only learns from his own mistakes. The wise can learn from the mistakes of others. In this time before we partake in the Lord’s Supper, I’d like to understand what it means “to proclaim the Lord’s death till he comes.” We can wrestle with it and watch out for some common errors in our own proclamation of the Gospel.
I want to begin by reading a description of what was happening back then. Please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11:20 – 22 or feel free to look at your bulletin for the Scripture. You can follow along as I read:
<<1 Cor 11:20 - 22>>
Now, as a body that comes together for the Lord’s Supper, I know that you recognize the solemnity of the supper. David starts playing solemn music, and we all get real quiet. We’re thinking about what we don’t want to be: namely loud, rude, and obnoxious. And that’s a good thing, because frankly I wouldn’t want to be written up like the church here in Corinth. But I’d like to look at some principles of what’s going on here to ensure we are remaining faithful to the full proclamation – not just the stuff you see on the surface.
I’d like to point out three errors that can keep us from being faithful to the proclamation. I want to begin by looking at proclamation errors in the message, but then I want to examine the proclamation errors of the messenger. And finally, the biggest error of all is the failure to proclaim the message in the first place.
Meaning of the Message
I’m going to work my way backwards through this text, so look again with me at verse 22: Do you despise the house of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say, shall I commend you in this?
Here we have a group of Christians who come together, supposedly in the name of Christ, and what happens? They start playing the “Look at me, I’m better than you” game. It’s all about ‘Me first!’ Do you really think Jesus likes those games? Frankly, I have no problems with the person who might not be able to find Ezekiel first in a Bible drill, but I do have problems with somebody who can’t see this: Jesus is Lord.
If I am lording my status over someone else, I’m showing I just don’t get it. Jesus said things like, “Love one another,” and “as you’ve done this to the least of these my brothers.” The first shall be last and the last first. He specifically doesn’t want us to be like the gentiles who are always trying to one up each other.
Right thought is vital part of right proclamation.
Have you ever thought about doctrine and piety as means to have power over other people? The person who is constantly saying “You need to do this” or “You didn’t do that right!” – What are they doing but trying to say “I’m perfect and clearly you’re not!” It’s nothing but a silly power play. Now, yes, Jesus told us to be perfect, but he never said to expect perfection from each other. Even the most biblically illiterate person in the world can probably tell you that he said, “Take the log out of your own eye so that you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
We may make mistakes in the “order” of the Lord’s Supper. For some people it’s like a play and you have to hit your marks precisely. Well, you know what? As far as I’m concerned, the only thing that would look really bad would be dropping the tray and spilling the wine all over. And yes, I’ve known that to happen. But you may want to ask yourself this: Which do you think Jesus get sad at – The guy who drops the tray, or the one who is mean about it? You and I both know the Lord looks on heart.
And if we get bogged down in right details, you know what we become? Pharisees. Good people, great attention to the law. Hypocrites. It is just too easy to miss the point if we don’t keep saying it: God is love. Yes, if we love him, we’ll keep commandments. But mostly we must remember: God is love.
Do you see how easy it is to get trapped in so many words that you miss the meaning? Again, the day you catch me in flagrant sin, yes, you should confront me. But the norm is love. This is how they will know you: That they love one another!
The Method
And that points us to our second point: How we proclaim the message matters. The method can be as important as the message. Verse 21 highlights this by pointing out actions that are inconsistent with the message of love. It’s pretty easy to see what’s going on. People are getting together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, but they’re forgetting the Lord.
What we really believe comes out in the way we behave. Here, we have people who evidently believe in selfishness, greed and debauchery. You can see it all right here: People chowing down seconds before the people who need it get their first. That’s selfishness. Letting others go hungry – greed. Getting drunk – debauchery. Something tells me these aren’t on that list of the fruits of the spirit.
How we proclaim Christ is just as important as what we proclaim.
You can always count on C.S. Lewis to say it so well: “It is no surprise that people reject Christ, when they see the people of Christ proclaiming the name of Christ, but entering the service of Molech (a false god).” [Os Guiness, The Hourney Home]
It has been said that we are the only Gospel most people will read. If that’s true, it would be good if our proclamation matched our notion of who God really is.
The Proclamation
And that brings me to the last point – if we are the only Gospel that most people will ever read, then we owe it to them to be that proclamation. I’m going to go out on limb here, but I’m going to suggest that the only thing worse than a bad witness is no witness.
Look with me at verse 19: It says: “When you come together, it isn’t the Lord’s Supper you are eating at all!” The method and message of the proclamation is so fundamentally flawed that the Lord’s Supper isn’t really being taken at all! And that’s a problem.
We are to proclaim the covenant. We are the heirs of a great God. Ultimately we only have one duty under that covenant: to be the people of God who tell people that they too can be the people of God.
The Bible has all sorts of covenants in it – from Noah to Abraham to Moses to David to Jeremiah. In most of them, God does all the work. The only thing we had to do was repeat it. Maybe be thankful. And yet somehow we begin to feel even that becomes an imposition. It’s like being named the sole beneficiary in Bill Gates’ will, and then being annoyed that you have to go to Redmond to collect.
It is our privilege to participate in this covenant. I wish it were as easy as just reading a piece of paper, but it’s not. It’s a matter of the heart. If your heart is grateful to Jesus for this gift that he’s given you, you’re proclaiming the greatness of the gift.
If you’re focused on anything else, you’ve missed it. If you’re focused on the details, the answer is obvious – just focus back on Him. If you’re focused on your sin, the answer is even more clear – this covenant was designed to take away your sin. Give it back to Jesus. Let him carry that for you.
In 1751, the state of Pennsylvania purchased a bell from the Whitechapel Foundry in England to put at the top of the State House in Philadelphia. The first time they used to announce a session, it cracked. Being good thrifty people, they decided to melt down the metal and try again. This time they added stronger metals, but that only made the bell sound horrible, and still it cracked.
Finally, in June 1753, Pass & Stowe restored the proportions and made due with what they had. These two men proudly placed their names at the top of the bell, along with this verse from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land.” The bell was never the strongest or the prettiest – but when it mattered most it rang out loud and clear. On July 8th, 1776, when a group of men gathered to declare “When in the course of human events,” it became a symbol that has inspired generations. Frankly it was never perfect, but that wasn’t the point. It became the physical manifestation of the message. Even with the crack, it proclaims liberty in perfect fashion.
That’s what we’re called to do here today. Our Savior took a simple Passover meal and illustrated what it meant to be chewed up by the world, and spilled out for others. It was his gift to us, and we have the privilege of partaking.
As we prepare, remember this is a celebration. An announcement that your sin has been paid for. Let liberty ring out; your sin is forgiven. Proclaim liberty throughout the land. Proclaim the Lord’s death and resurrection until he come!
Please pray with me.
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Now, I can honestly say that I have never advocated making women public property. But sometimes when I read the Bible, I’m trying to figure out what this “Christian” thing means, and I get it wrong. I try not too, and that’s why I listen to others to make sure I’m proclaiming Christ and not Michael – but that doesn’t excuse me from trying to figure it out. [PERSONALIZE BETTER!]
But remember, this is a covenant. That means it’s a contract – although this one reads more like a gift. Jesus is proclaiming liberty in his very body. When he died on the cross, he did it to set us free. By his stripes, Isaiah says, we are free. So, maybe in correcting one error we fall into another. Communion is a party. It isn’t a ritual that must be observed so precisely. Frankly, the way I read it, every time you eat or drink, you’re proclaiming the Lord’s death til he come. Frankly, you’re all grownups here. It’s worth asking, are you proclaiming the Lord’s death when you eat or drink at home? When it’s just called “Mom’s supper,” are you still proclaiming Christ? You should.
When you are praying, is it a dull affair or are you proclaiming Christ? When you are at Seven Loaves, are you eating with the poor in Spirit, or merely lording it over them in the bad sense that they are coming to you?
Long Branch Baptist Church
Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Enter to Worship
Prelude David Witt
Meditation Isa 53:1 – 6
Invocation Michael Hollinger
*Opening Hymn #415
“We are called to Be God’s People”
Welcome & Announcements
Morning Prayer
*Hymn #513
“Thank You, Lord”
Offertory Mr. Witt
*Doxology
*Scripture 1 Cor 11:20 – 22
Sermon
Perfect Proclamation of Proper Peace
*Hymn #488
“Just As I Am”
The Lord’s Supper
The Bread
The Cup
Hymn #516
“Redeemed”
*Benediction
*Congregational Response
May the grace of Christ our Savior / And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor / Rest upon us from above. Amen.
* Congregation, please stand.
Depart To Serve
SCRIPTURE READING
20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11:20-27
PRAYER LIST
Irene Griffith
Debbie Grigsby
Martha Puryear
Warren Lee
Lillian & Natalie’s Schulz’s sister
Susan Schulz
Jim Schulz
Lindsay Hanson
Corey Keely
Andy Phelps
Majorie Taylor
Long Branch Church
