Good afternoon, everyone. I don't know if it's due to the fact that we don't get together, but it's just seems like these are fewer and farther between of us being able to get together and not only fellowship but also to worship God together. And I think it's a—I don't think. It is a privilege. And sometimes perhaps we don't appreciate it as much as we should of just what God has given us and allowed us to have with each other.
I appreciated Steve's comments, too, regarding the Body of Christ, the Greater Body of Christ and the fact that we need to be thinking about and praying for them. We're called to bear one another's burdens. Part of that is to take those to the throne of grace and give them to God and to let Him know "That's what's on our minds."
I'd like to also say "Hello" to everyone out west, those that will be listening to this DVD at some point in the future.
I just wanted to make one comment. I'm going to date this DVD by saying this, but today is rather unique in that today is the first day the sacred year. Today is the beginning. It's the beginning of—this is Abib 1. So, everything starts counting from this. What a blessing that God has allowed us to have this cycle of His Plan and to be able to go through it and to refresh it in our minds.
I'd like to start today by asking you to turn over to 1 Corinthians 11, and, while you're turning there, just a few comments. I believe that during certain times of the year (And God's Church teaches this.) that He expects us to focus on certain parts of His Plan and our part in that Plan and what we were called to do. God has given us the weekly Sabbath where one day a week we cease from our everyday activities and focus on what He's doing and His Plan for mankind and what Jesus Christ did in allowing eventually leading mankind to the Father.
The three distinct times of the year, which originally, as we know, were centered around the Harvest Seasons—the Spring, the Summer, and the Fall. Of course, the Spring is the beginning of the Harvest, the Summer, the end of it. But we refresh in our minds that God is a very orderly God and what He has done is well-thought out and well planned and God has blessed us in this age by including us in part of that Plan to a very—and I'm going to use the word—a prominent role. But prominent not in the sense of calling attention, but prominent in the service that we're going to ultimate provide to those people that are to come after us. Just as Christ was the First of the Firstfruits, the Pioneer, our job and our calling is eventually to be serving those that come after us as He served us and will serve them.
This time of year (We know with the Passover, although everyone knows that examination, self-examination is something that we are to do on an ongoing basis.) because of the Passover and the Commands, we are to very specifically focus on that sacrifice and the calling that we've been given.
Let me just start in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 23. Paul is giving instructions to the Church of God at Corinth. He says in 1 Corinthians 11:23:
1 Corinthians 11:23. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (NKJ)
That word remembrance is the Greek word anamnesis (an-am'-nay-sis). It's Strong's 364. And it means a recollection, a bringing to mind something or some event.
And He was telling them, "While you are doing this, do this while recalling the sacrifice and what it pictures." And, of course, that is that He's bringing us into a relationship with His Father.
Verse 25:
1 Corinthians 11:25. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (NKJ)
Our minds should be, as we're taking that, on that sacrifice and on what that pictures.
1 Corinthians 11:26. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim (NKJ)
And that is, to teach and to show by our actions:
1 Corinthians 11:26b. … the Lord's death till He comes.
27) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (NKJ)
It says, "But" in verse 28.
1 Corinthians 11:28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (NKJ)
The word translated judgment in the New King James is a very—I'm going to use the word—soft word to our twentieth century ears. The King James better translates this and I'll read it out of the King James. It says:
1 Corinthians 11:29. For he that [eats] and [drinks] unworthily, [eats] and [drinks] damnation… (KJV)
In other words, that judgment is a condemnation.
1 Corinthians 11:29b. … [brings] damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (KJV)
The conclusion is that their failure to examine themselves properly and discern the Body of Christ has very direct and dire consequences to us. Continuing on in verse 30, it says:
1 Corinthians 11:30. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (NKJ)
Before moving forward, I want to state for the record that the Church has properly, I believe, considered and taught that discerning the Body was related to that sacrifice. In the context of it, you can't consider it any other way. When He took the bread that was representing His Body and the wine representing His blood, which was the complete sacrifice, we have understood this correctly.
And what I'm going to do today is not to refute that, but I want us to consider it from even a deeper and perhaps a more spiritual level. But, again, I don't want this to be perhaps mistaken that I'm saying this is what it means. I'm saying, "Here is a deeper thing that we can consider in that."
Even with the Laws of God, Christ revealed that physical obedience to those was very important, but He exposed a spiritual dimension on top of the physical to the point that Paul stated in Romans 7:14 (and you don't have to turn there), he said:
Romans 7:14. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. (NKJ)
So, even that physical law, Christ said, "Look, there is a spiritual dimension to that." It doesn't replace it. It causes us as we understand it to consider it in a deeper manner. We understand that behind every physical law and action there is a deeper spiritual implication. And it doesn't necessary replace the physical understanding. Rather, it should add to it and deepen it.
It's interesting that we've primarily, and again rightly so, considered the physical implications of this physical implications of this failure to examine ourselves to be unhealthy and sick and then die. But consider that this is a discourse that is spiritual in nature, the whole part of it because Christ took those physical symbols and He substituted Himself. And what we're doing is spiritual in nature.
We look around the Church today and as far back as the New Testament Church, we see the traits in a physical sense were not uncommon to even the most zealous of the followers. Paul talks about his weakness in the flesh. He was weak and he said he had a weakness. If you will remember Trophimus was left in Miletus sick by Paul. Epaphroditus was sick to the point of death that he almost died. And even death doesn't seem to be something that is necessarily a shame on those in the Church.
So, these three things—weakness and sickness and death—while those are consequences of this, you can't assume that if somebody is weak or someone is sick or someone dies (and I think that's something we carry with us), "Well, what did they do wrong? What is their sin?" But Hebrews 11 bears out that those who died did not die because of their weakness (their lack of faith). They died because they had faith and they were not willing to give up their calling.
I'd like to examine these in a spiritual sense and to see, again, if we can understand a little more. Could a weakness be referring to a person's inability to digest strong food and to continue year after year to subsist on milk, to not try to understand the deeper meanings? Could a sickness be as a result of a steady diet of—I'm going to use the phrase—spiritual junk food that seems to just sometime look so good? New moons or sacred names or calendar issues and things, there a smorgasbord—and I'm going to use the word junk food—spiritual junk food out there. The question you have to ask yourself and we look at (As Steve mentioned, "The Body of Christ, those who have God's spirit, it's not just me—it's us!), do all of those things, that smorgasbord that's out there, do those strengthen the Body of Christ? Are they like a good piece of let's say healthy food? Or does it serve to divide and weaken and sicken the Body of Christ in a greater sense?
I believe this is talking about, again, not discerning the spiritual Body of Christ. And I'm saying that all of us, the spiritual Body, and we could go through many (And I'm not for the sake of time.), but the spiritual Body of Christ is not just me and Him. It's not just Worden. It's not just St. Louis. It's everyone that God has called that God has put His spirit in. That is the Body of Christ. And again, you can go through the Bible and you can absolutely prove that without a doubt. It's the Church of God. It's not Harold. It's not Steve. It's not whoever! It's the Body of Christ, which are members that are placed for the building up and edification of that.
And again, I don't want to spiritualize the physical consequences away, but let's consider the spiritual consequences and what can happen and why we need to be examining ourselves, in the light of ourselves as the Body of Christ the spiritual Body of Christ. I could do an in depth study of each of these. Instead of taking the time, because I've already promised myself and others that I'm not going to take ninety minutes this time, so I'm going to give you an assignment.
I think it will be an interesting one. This is not to go after…. What we used to do in the army was we'd send somebody off to go find a bucket of steam or a can of elbow grease or something like that. This is an assignment I think you will really benefit from. Get a concordance and look up every Scripture containing the word weak. I'll even say, if you're rushed (And who's not these days?), just confine it to the New Testament. I think you're going to find overwhelmingly that that word weak is spiritual in nature.
And I think you'll also find an important part of your calling is to help those that tend to be in this condition. Yes, we're to help the physically weak, the infirm. We're to pray for them. We're to reach out to them, but also to help them in encouragement, in spending time with them.
What about sickness? (So, again, I'm going to give you let's say the homework to look up weakness.) What about sickness? Is it all just physical? I have in my notes to hold your finger, but I'm going to say, set a marker. So put a marker there. Turn over to Isaiah chapter 1. If sickness is… is this talking and can we always take sickness to be a physical malady or can there also be a spiritual aspect to it?
Isaiah 1 and this is a very pointed prophecy to physical Israel, but also spiritual Israel. Isaiah 1 starting in verse 3, it says:
Isaiah 1:3. The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not consider." (NKJ)
They don't think!
Isaiah 1:4. Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward.
5) Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. (NKJ)
The whole head! If we extend that to the spiritual, we could say, "Oh, this is talking about the ministry. They are the physical leaders. Yes, they're sick. Give it to them, Isaiah! It's all their fault. They're the ones that have done this."
Are we any better? Verse 6:
Isaiah 1:6. From the sole of the foot [Uh-oh!] even to the head, there is no soundness in it, (NKJ)
The whole Body is sick! There is no soundness from the sole of the foot. I think if we were trying to bracket the body, when you start at the sole of the foot and you go to the head, you've pretty much covered it all. There is no one that can be left out of this.
Isaiah 1:6b. … there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; [that] have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. (NKJ)
Does this describe a healthy sound Body or a weak sick Body?
Let's go back to 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 31. It says:
1 Corinthians 11:31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (NKJ)
He's talking about examining ourselves and now He's saying, "Look, if you judge yourself, if you look and put yourself in this and properly see you in relation to Me, you're not going to be condemned. You're not going to be judged."
It's interesting thinking about sickness. My entire family, as most of you know, over the past couple of weeks including all of my kids, their spouses and my grandkids have come through this period of sickness. I think everyone—Jason and I—what'd I say? "We alone escaped to tell you about it!" We were the only ones who seemed to make it through without being hammered by it. If we could use the phrase, "we dodged the bullet."
But in this country right now, the flu, despite the very mild winter we had, the flu is just running rampant through this and perhaps other places. I've talked to a few in other countries that are still suffering the same things. But here in St. Louis, they actually had to shut some schools down because the students and the teachers were sick and they didn't have enough to have school or to have class.
The reason I bring that up is I want you to consider something when a person is sick. I saw this with my family. When a person is sick and they are very weak, what do they do? Their body is ravaged with viruses and the immune system raises the temperature. What does a person, a weak person, a sick person want to do?
Let's reread verse 30. It says:
1 Corinthians 11:30. For this reason many are weak and [many are] sick among you, and many sleep. (NKJ)
I want to read a prophecy regarding the condition we find ourselves in at this time. Look over in Matthew 25 and I'll start in verse 1. It says:
Matthew 25:1. "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (NKJ)
Here is a very plain Scripture defining the end-time and the end-time Church. And if we consider it a parable (which means "it's likened to"), we can almost dismiss this as a cute story that would apply "to them"—whoever them is.
I think Rick pointed out recently that we absolutely understand that Matthew 24, the Olivet Prophecy, probably no one would refute that that is prophetic in nature. And probably, if we really looked at it, there's probably no New Testament prophecy that people spend more time on than Matthew 24. It's probably, if we looked at the hours spent looking through that and analyzing that, it's probably the most studied prophecy.
And then all of a sudden, we cross this boundary, this chapter boundary, which man put in. Right? God didn't say, "Okay, now we're at chapter 25." Man put that break in. So, we cross this chapter boundary from something that's very prophetic in nature and now all of a sudden because we crossed that, we've gone from a dogmatic prophetic warning to, I'm going to say, "A cutesy sort of skip in the daisies parable. "Oh, isn't this sweet? It's about something."
I think we need to look at this as prophecy. And I think, if we do, we're not going to excuse ourselves out of it and stand off to the side and say, "He's talking about someone else." Remember, it was given to us to understand. It's not talking about them, Brethren. It's talking about us. It's talking about me. As someone used to say, "Put your name there when you read it."
Verse 2, it says:
Matthew 25:2. "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (NKJ)
Christ gave it to His disciples and He used the third person, but if I apply it to myself and I read it literal out of the Bible (as I believe I'm supposed to), let me reread it.
Matthew 25:2. "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (NKJ)
Where am I in that? If they are the wise and there are only two groups. And that puts me there.
Brethren, we all had better be asking the question of ourselves on our knees before God and Jesus Christ? And I can't answer that for anyone. I, myself. Let me give you, if I could in the words of I can't even think of the guy—You might be a redneck it. Let me give you a red flag. This might be a red flag warning. If the five wise are us and the five foolish are them, then you probably need to reconsider what Christ was saying. If we can put ourselves in the wise and they are not, then we're probably missing a big point of this.
"Those who were foolish," verse 3:
Matthew 25:3b. "… took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4) "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5) "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. (NKJ)
And I did look that up. That all is in the Bible. It's not a 9999; it is in the Bible. It says "all of them slumbered and slept."
I was talking to a friend this past week about this prophecy and he said, "You know I just wish the part about them slumbering and sleeping all of them was not in there." I have to say, "I agree. I wish it wasn't in there either because it comes back in my face that I'm part of that" because in places, it places the wise and the foolish in a similar unsavory condition of slumbering and sleeping.
When you're sick, Brethren, what do you? You sleep. You spend time because you're sick. You're not healthy. This is a very unsavory condition, but let me show you another, a different unsavory condition. Look over in Revelation 3 and you know where I'm headed. This is another prophecy about what we find ourselves in today. Revelation 3 verse 14:
Revelation 3:14. "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: (NKJ)
I know some people look at that and go, "Ah! Christ was a created Being. He was the first thing." This is talking about the Family of God and He is the Beginning. He is the beginning of what God is creating. And what is He creating? A Family.
Revelation 3:15. "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16) "[But], because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17) "Because you say, (NKJ)
"I'm not one of the foolish virgins."
Revelation 3:17b. 'I am rich, have become wealthy, [I've overcome!] [I] have need of nothing'— (NKJ)
"Not like those foolish virgins. I'm one of the wise!"
Revelation 3:17 continued. … and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18) "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (NKJ)
Someone in this condition doesn't just naturally see themselves here. Christ said that you've got to come to Him. You've got to take the eye salve to see. And we have to go to God and we have to ask God to help us see how He sees us.
Go back to the prophecy—and when I say, "Go back"—hearken back to the prophecy I just read. Let me just quote it, Isaiah 1:5.
Isaiah 1:5. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints.
6) From the sole of the foot to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. (NKJ)
Continuing on in Revelation 3:
Revelation 3:19. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20) "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (NKJ)
Our relationship with God has to be one of desiring to have Them in our lives, desiring to be a part of it, to ask Them on our knees to come into our lives and to be a part of it and to help us see the condition we're in as They see us. Yet, to ask for mercy because there are none of us that are very pretty sights. Who are the ones who are rebuked and chastened? Very clearly, He says it again,
Revelation 3:19. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. (NKJ)
It's those that Christ loves. It's those that hear His voice. Anyone. And again, Brethren, not them. Us. Me. Those of us that have ears that will listen.
Verse 21:
Revelation 3:21. "To him who overcomes… (NKJ)
If you want a title for today's sermon, it is: To Him that Overcomes
He says:
Revelation 3:21. "To him who overcomes… (NKJ)
In other words:
It's interesting that at the Wedding, it was the Bridegroom that gave the garments to the Bride. They didn't sit at home and make them. They didn't go through the catalogue and try to pick the most expensive one out. They were given to.
And He says, "To him that overcomes." Those who have invited God in to say:
He says:
Revelation 3:21. "To him that overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (NKJ)
Who among us would stand before God and say, "We didn't overcome this because we didn't need to. We didn't have these sins. You were talking about somebody else over there. We didn't overcome because we didn't need to."
Look over in I John 1 verse 7. It says:
I John 1:7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJ)
Brethren, there is nothing that we can do to have that removed other than to go to God to confess those sins, to ask and receive that forgiveness.
I John 3:10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word… (NKJ)
And other translations say:
I John 3:10b. His truth is not in us.
Does this apply to us? Does this apply to me? If I deny it, then I'm in the category of making God a liar.
Matthew 25, back to the prophecy of the Church, Matthew 25 and verse 6. It says:
Matthew 25:6. "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'
7) "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (NKJ)
That word arose is Strong's #1453, egeiro (eg-i'-ro). Let me just read it. It's interesting, especially in thinking about an illness or being sick and sleeping. It says:
… probably akin to the base of 58 (through the idea of collecting one's faculties); to waken …, i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence):
So arising can mean to wake up, to collect your thoughts, to be shaken out of the situation because of the imminent arrival of the Bridegroom.
Matthew 25:7. "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8) "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' (NKJ)
Did you catch that?
Was the difference the fact that they were semi-conscious? No. It says both of them were.
Was it that the fact that Christ didn't return on the schedule that they were expecting? No.
Was it the fact that they were virgins? No.
I want you to make note of this and underline it.
The five foolish virgins, when they realized they didn't have the oil, they looked at other men to supply what they lacked.
The foolish virgins had settled in on their lees thinking that some man has their back. Stick with someone and he'll get you through this. Some man had told them, "Follow me." He would get them into the Kingdom of God and they swallowed it—apparently. Some man had convinced them.
And, again, I'm not trying to single out. I'm talking about some men had convinced them:
You're going to make it.
I've heard some people say about a man, "He's going to lead us to the Place of Safety and then, right into God's Kingdom."
Brethren, if we look at men to supply what we need, we're not going to make it. We have lost already. Even if we were virgins and have kept ourselves unspotted from the world! The very clear message from this prophecy is:
Being a virgin in a spiritual sense of being separate from the world and not getting involved in the world's affairs is not enough.
They all did that! We have to be developing a close personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. And that takes time. And it takes trials. It takes going through the war together. It takes being in the trenches together with Them, being rescued by Them. Those are not things that can happen in an instant. It takes time.
Let's go back a few chapters to Matthew 7 verse 21. It says:
Matthew 7:21. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22) "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (NKJ)
Those that were looking at themselves and others for salvation, they assumed that it was the works that they were doing—some even calling it "the Work of God" and immediately Him what they did. "Here's what I did. It's the Work of God."
They spent their time perhaps focusing on activities, rather than on a relationship. Just consider Mary and Martha. Which one did Christ say made the better choice? Was it the one going through the activities or was it the one that saw what was important and did that?
Verse 23:
Matthew 7:23. "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; (NKJ)
Christ said, "Look, we don't have a relationship. We didn't spend quality time together. You didn't invite me in. I was on the outside knocking. You didn't let me into your life. I knocked and I knocked, but you didn't have ears to hear."
Matthew 7:23. "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (NKJ)
Is putting something in the place of God idolatry? Is that practicing lawlessness? Is it looking to anybody but God, is that not idolatry? Is looking to anything other than God the Father and Jesus Christ acceptable? Brethren, NO!
We should be examining ourselves in light of our personal relationship with God. The reason I bring it up—and here's another red flag warning—if I were satisfied with my relationship with God and I think it's fully developed and mature, then I have a problem. If any of us are satisfied with our relationship, I suggest you take a closer look because you probably have a problem. A problem first in just understanding what that relationship might be and what's required; and second, and equally important, not just to have the head knowledge, but developing that relationship.
Brethren, never let someone convince you that following them will give you a leg up on being in God's Family. Frankly, it's idolatry. It's blasphemy. It's a doctrine of demons. And I'll just say it very plain and it's going to get a person in the same place as that those angels that believed Satan had another way to happiness and prosperity. "You didn't have to go this way; here is another path," when Christ clearly said, "I am the way." A person saying or believing that is lying to you. And if they believe it themselves, they are lying to themselves.
One of the traits of this Era of the Church is spiritual blindness. And it's a deadly trap.
Okay, back to Matthew 25; we'll pick it back up in verse 9. Matthew 25 verse 9, it says:
Matthew 25:9. "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' (NKJ)
Let me quote what I read earlier on the context of this Scripture. I'll reread the Scripture.
Matthew 25:9b. 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' (NKJ)
Don't turn here. I'm going to reread Revelation 3:18.
Revelation 3:18. "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (NKJ)
I'm going to give you a valuable key and this is like anything else with God's Truth. It's not complicated. It's very simple. But I'm going to give you, I think, a very valuable key to increase your depth of understanding of Scripture. And here it is:
Personalize it.
Take it that it's talking to you. It's talking to me. It's not talking about them.
Go back and read 2 Timothy 3:16.
2 Timothy 3:16. All Scripture is … profitable for reproof, for doctrine, for instruction and correction, (Paraphrased.)
That's for me! And if you really want to—the same things you've been reading and you really want to increase your understanding, take it personal. Personalize it and say that's it's talking to me.
Verse 10:
Matthew 25:10. "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. (NKJ)
There are two outcomes from this prophecy to the Church. And again, I'll just reread them. We read them a while ago. Revelation 3:16:
Revelation 3:16. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (NKJ)
That's one outcome.
Verse 21 of Revelation 3:
Revelation 3:21. "To him that overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (NKJ)
We've looked at this from a prophetic angle. Let's switch gears for a moment and take a look at this issue from, I'm going to say, "a historical perspective." Let's look at Church history on this issue.
Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. One of the first stops that Paul made on his first missionary journey—I believe it was his first—was to go and stop in Corinth. I believe he spent almost a year and a half. I'd have to go back. I think it's in Acts 18 or 15 where it talks about the first one.
But anyway, this was one of his first stops and he spent a lot of time. But just a few short years after the beginning of the New Testament Church, the first century Church had already found itself divided, contentious. And I can't count the number of times I've looked at some of the goings on of the early Church and sort of clucked my tongue in disbelief over some of the issues that they dealt with.
Only to come down today—now this was in the 70s and 80s when we knew everything and we were unified and we had it figured out and were just wondering "Why our Lord delayed His coming? We've got it. We're ready. Doesn't God see that we're ready? And we're not like this dough heads back then. We've kind of arrived." I hope you know my tongue is firmly implanted in my cheek because God has allowed us to prove it to ourselves—where we are.
Today, it's sort of like the "philosopher" Pogo. He said, "We've met the enemy! And they are us!" And that's what we are, Brethren. We are the enemy. We are our own worst enemy.
Accounts in the Bible about this division—and again, twenty, thirty years ago it was easy to take ourselves out of it. Thankfully God has allowed us to go through this. It's been painful. It's been a lot longer journey, but just like the original children of Israel, we didn't have the faith to cross over into the Promised Land back then. And I think I can be dogmatic about that. We just didn't have the faith to do it. We didn't have the relationship with God. We didn't have the confidence in Him. And I just pray that we're developing that and at some point God will be pleased with us and allow it. We've come a long way in our maturing process, and thankfully, we've grown beyond what some of those dough heads did back then.
But let me just read. Now this is 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and I'm going to start in verse 1. The reason I bring this up is this was the first letter that we have record that Paul sent to Corinth. And there were three. The Bible has two of them. And I believe that the second one was after the first one. It seemed to me it was mentioned, the other ones.
But anyway, I want you to notice what Paul—now he's writing these letters. This is one of his first groups and I know whenever we go to someone and we address issues, you address the most important issue first. Now first off… Well, let's just read. You're better off hearing me read than to rattle on. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 1:
1 Corinthians 1:1. Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, (NKJ)
And again, Sosthenes was a leader in one of the synagogues that had become converted. Again, you can read about that in Acts 18, but he was there.
As I read this, I want you to notice where Paul is focusing when he starts this. And I think you will see that he introduced himself as an apostle, which we tend to look at as a title. He, in this case I believe, was showing it—because it means "one sent"—he was bringing it up as a commission. In other words, "Christ sent me here." And that's the way I think we should see this. He was trying to tell them that he was writing them as directed by Jesus Christ. Not on his own.
He starts this by putting the focus on God and Jesus Christ. And he kept it there! Let's continue on.
1 Corinthians 1:2. To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,
5) that you were enriched in everything [Notice this word!] by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
6) even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7) so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8) who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9) God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (NKJ)
Up to now, we've read nine verses. Paul refers to himself twice. First in his salutation, but he said, "Christ sent me to tell you this." It wasn't, "You better listen because I've got a hammer." [It was] "I’m coming here because Christ sent me." The second was to express his personal thanks to God where he said in verse 4:
1 Corinthians 1:4. I thank my God always… (NKJ)
That's the only other place he used "I."
He refers to Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus nine times. And he refers to God the Father six times. Clearly, when he starts this, his focus was away from himself and it was on God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Now, there was a reason, I believe, because as we read on, we're going to see the problem that he was addressing. First to them, and why I believe he wanted to put the focus on God and away from any man.
Verse 10:
1 Corinthians 1:10. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11) For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.
12) Now I say this, that each of you says, (NKJ)
And that word, it's a single Greek word, each of you. It is hekastos (hek'-as-tos), Strong's #1538, and it says it is "a superlative of … every." And the King James translates it "every one of you" because it's a superlative. Today, I think we would say, "Every single one of you."
Paul said, "I'm talking to every last one of you without exception."
Today we look back at the Corinthians Church as those that mollycoddled the adulterous, incestuous couple, those that turned the Passover into a pagan revelry, and those are true.
Notice what Paul, when he went in there, what he corrected them first and foremost in this epistle. What was first and foremost on his mind was that they were divided.
1 Corinthians 1:12. Now I say this … each of you says "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."(NKJ)
And Paul said:
1 Corinthians 1:13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (NKJ)
Brethren, among the New Testament Church, the congregations had their own identity that we view them through today. Consider the Church in Berea. We'd all like to be like the Bereans. They searched the Scriptures daily to see whether these matters were so. The Church in Ephesus, they were persecuted, even to death but they held fast. Those are congregations we could sort of get behind. We'd like to be like them.
What about the Church at Corinth? Does anyone want to mimic their behavior? Would we like to be—"I want to be like the Corinthians."?
Here's a thought. If we look at ourselves honestly, which congregation seems to most closely resemble the Church today? That hurts.
More importantly, much more importantly: What does God think about us today in this end-time?
Continuing on in verse 14:
1 Corinthians 1:14. I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15) lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.
16) Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. (NKJ)
In other words, "I didn't stand up as some great orator and get on the podium and just wow people with my words because," he said, "I wanted you to consider Christ. I wanted you to consider what He did. And, if you looked at me, you were going to neutralize what Christ did for us."
No where do we read what a great speaker. Now, we do know that there were some that droned on that put people to sleep, but Paul did not want to take the spotlight off of Christ's sacrifice. His job, as Paul very clearly said it here and in other places, was to point the people to Christ and not to himself and not to his personality.
I want to ask a question. What is there in our make up—and again, I’m leaving no one out—what is there in our make up that carnally we like to receive accolades from men? I don't recall a single instance of an apostle asking for that—or relishing or even accepting it.
Set a marker there. Let's go to John chapter 12. It will take us a little while to get back. But let's go back to John 12 verse 42. Carnally, we like to be praised. We like to be looked up to. We like to be considered an expert in something. John 12:42:
John 12:42. Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, (NKJ)
In other words, they didn't outwardly say.
John 12:42b. … lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
43) for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (NKJ)
Now these were those that had believed on Him! They realized what He had brought, but they did not step up because they would have lost the praise of men.
Remember Paul, who was a Pharisee in training, understood and rejected and despised praise of men. He understood that there was a future time when there would be praise. Let's make no mistake about it, but that praise was going to come from a different Source and Paul was deferring to that time.
Look over in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and this is what he wrote to the same Corinthians just a little further in his epistle. 1 Corinthians 4 verse 5, it says:
1 Corinthians 4:5. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. (NKJ)
Notice!
1 Corinthians 4:5B. Then each one's praise will come from God.
There is going to be a "Well done, good and faithful servant." But, Brethren, at that point, those are going to be spirit-beings who will have the capacity to receive that praise without becoming puffed up, without thinking more highly of themselves. Those people that are there will know it wasn't anything they did. It was because of God the Father and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the resurrection and Him continuing to be as an Advocate of ours. We won't think, "Look what I did!" We will know, "Look what God did. Look what He did for me!"
Again, I'm going to state my opinion. I was talking to Steve before services. This is my opinion, which is probably worth about as worth as anybody else's. But I personally don't believe any being—and I'm going to include men and I'm going to include angels in that—I'm going to say anything in the physical and the spirit realm are capable of receiving praise without it changing for the worse.
I'm not talking about encouragement. We all need that.
As Lou Holts, he was the famous coach of the—oh—the Fighting Irish. Who are they? Notre Dame! There you go. Lou Holts. He stood up one time. I went to a thing and he said, "You know what? There's not a one of you that doesn't need a hug." And he's right!
We all need encouragement. And I'm not talking about that. There are plenty of examples of this given to men in the Bible. It even tells us, even as more so, to speak to one another, in Malachi 3.
But praise, to tell someone perhaps because they're good looking or they're smart, or they're strong, or whatever—I believe praise is a very addictive and it's a very destructive force. Praise, allowed to settle in and grow, will cause pride to enter. And like leaven, it will grow until it has absolutely and completely changed what it's growing in. And it will cause pride to enter. And, again, eventually it will change and it will destroy.
I've seen people go from being very humble, very small in their own eyes, to being puffed up, thinking they could do no wrong. And I know you have too. In your own study, read about King Saul; read about Satan; read about Miriam and Aaron; Moses, when he said, "Do I have to do this for you again?" He lost out on going into the Promised Land.
As all of you know, leavening is yeast spores. And, as you know one of my hobbies with my son is home-brewing. And, of course, in that context, yeast spores are to change carbohydrates into alcohol—the sugars in the carbohydrates, I should say. And it produces carbon dioxide.
Look over in Romans 12.
Using this analogy as praise changing us, if we allow praise to take root, just like the homebrew we do, it's going to turn us into—we're going to become intoxicated. And with all the carbon dioxide, we're going to be a puffed up bag of wind! And, in my case, we've become a puffed up old bag of wind. But it's the same thing. Praise, again, is like leaven. When we start to subsist on it and crave it and look for it and we allow it to convert the humility of a child into the pride of someone who trusts in themselves and thinks more highly than he/she should.
Romans 12, notice this analogy is directly used. It says:
Romans 12:1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed… (NKJ)
That means to be changed.
Romans 12:2b. … by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJ)
We are to be changed, but notice this.
Romans 12:3. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, (NKJ)
In other words, put yourself on a pedestal, to become puffed up. And I want you to notice it is directly likened to being drunk. To continue on, he says:
Romans 12:3b. … not to think … more highly but to think soberly, (NKJ)
The antithesis in this case of sober is to think more highly of yourself, to be proud of yourself, to be puffed up, to put yourself on a pedestal.
Romans 12:3 continued. … as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (NKJ)
A drunken person, spiritually drunken, wants to flaunt his works before God.
Go over and look at Luke 18 and verse 9.
Luke 18:9. Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10) "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11) "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—[sinners,] extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. (NKJ)
"God, let me tell you my works. Let me hold those up to You. I know this is going to impress You."
Luke 18:12. 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' (NKJ)
He wanted God to look at his works. He wanted to hold those before God and impress God.
Luke 18:13. "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' (NKJ)
He put himself; he saw himself and the state that he was in. And he asked God for His mercy. And he confessed that he was a sinner; that he needed God's mercy.
Luke 18:14. "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (NKJ)
That's the praise that comes from God. Not from man. If we do it, we're going to fall. If we keep ourselves low, if we keep our opinion low as we should, if we ask God to help us, then there will come a time when our praise as, we just read, will come from God.
Let's go back to 1 Corinthians 1.
We are living in a dying world. And if I could use an analogy, and it was on my mind because it was a hundred years ago in about two weeks that the Titanic struck the iceberg. Brethren, this world is the Titanic. And it's already struck the iceberg and it's sinking.
It took the Titanic two hours and forty-five minutes and that's all—the greatest ocean liner ever built—to become a tragic part of history.
And this world, no amount of work on man's part at this point can save it. I don't care, frankly, and I want to go on record. I don't care who is president. I don't care who goes in there. I don't care about the Illuminati. I don't care about the Rockefellers, the Trumps, the Gates. This world is dying and no one can save it.
For you trivia buffs, let me just throw this one out. At the turn of the century, the most wealthy man in America was John Jacob Astor IV—Harvard graduate, richest man in America. If you took his dollars in 2011, he had $3.5 billion.
And he was onboard the Titanic. Guess what? All of that money, that Harvard education, two weeks later, they fished up his body. And he still had, I think, $4,000 in one pocket and he had some French francs in another pocket. They did note that he had a beautiful wool suit and a gold chain, which they ended up giving to his widow.
She was pregnant at the time and she was in a lifeboat. He tried to step into the lifeboat to save himself. The richest man in America, he could have bought the White Star Line a couple of times over and he didn't make it. Right with those that were in steerage, just like if we could go back to the time of the Ark and the Flood. The billions, nothing he had helped him.
What's going to save us, Brethren? Is it going to be money? Is it going to be power? The right political party? The right Church group? Following the right human leader? What is going to save us?
1 Corinthians 1, I'm starting verse 18:
1 Corinthians 1:18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, (NKJ)
And is that ever true today!
1 Corinthians 1:18b. … but to us… (NKJ)
And I want you to notice this.
1 Corinthians 1:18 continued. … who are being saved … (NKJ)
It is interesting when you go back to the Old Testament. I don't remember the particular incident, but when somebody cried out and God had already dispatched an angel to intervene. This is present tense—who are being saved. Do you realize God is already stepping in to save us? Our calling, our relationship with Him, all of those things are salvation because we're developing a trust and a relationship with the only One that can save us.
1 Corinthians 1:18b. … but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19) For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to [naught] the understanding of the prudent."
20) Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (NKJ)
Although it is disputed by some, the wisdom of the world in 1911 was "God himself couldn't sink the Titanic." That was the wisdom. "We've got eleven watertight compartments. And, oh, by the way, it can float with six of them flooded." You know where it ended up.
1 Corinthians 1:21. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22) For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23) but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, (NKJ)
Their national strengths became their weaknesses. What they thought they were good at was their Achilles' heel.
The Jews wanted to see physical signs to prove Jesus was God. "Well, if You are really God, prove it! Show us." They wanted to see and feel a substantial ship around them that they could put confidence in. "Look at this! Three hundred tons, 888 feet long, watertight compartments, 28 boilers! God couldn't even sink this ship. Look how substantial it is!"
The Greeks wanted to understand the engineering behind it. They wanted the logic. "Well, tell me about the capacity of these pumps. And I want to see those huge watertight doors. Oh, yeah. Okay, that will do it."
The world still looks for the modern systems that are going to provide for their safety. "Oh, if the stock market drops too much, it shuts down Wall Street. Can't happen. The bank is too big to fail. Can't do that."
Whatever we put our trust in, Brethren, it's sinking and it's going down. And let me tell you, the lifeboat is not us. It's not what we conjure up.
Verse 24:
1 Corinthians 1:24. but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26) For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. (NKJ)
I know we've said: "It says 'not many', but it was me and a couple of other big shots. So, there are some. There's room in there for a few. Like I say, 'me and couple of others,' but there's not room for a lot."
Brethren, God called us because we're despised. We're looked down on. Just like Christ was! And He said, "Look, if they did it to Me, they're going to do it to you.
1 Corinthians 1:27. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28) and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, (NKJ)
Whatever is great in man's mind is going to be brought low. Whatever is high will be leveled.
Brethren, we're just grist in the mill of life. The world takes very little notice of us. That's okay because what we're living for is not now. It's for a time in the future. And guess what? It's not just so we can get something. If we're in this—and perhaps I will touch on this in the next sermon—if we are in this to get salvation, we've missed the point. Our calling is so much greater than that.
Ask—and I hope I don't offend anyone—but to be a Bride, to be a wife, when two people get married, ask the woman just…. I think we always think about running around with these tiaras and with this scepter and we're going to do this. How hard do they [the wives] work taking care of the family, taking care of children, making sure that they have what they need, the values that they need? It is hard work, but it is rewarding. Why? Because you see them grow up and you see them continue on.
What we were called to, salvation and eternal life are wonderful blessings, but, Brethren, we've been called to pass on and to give what's been given to us. We've been called to work and to work hard and to support our future Husband in bringing that next generation on. (And if anybody thinks that is going to be sitting on a throne and eating bonbons, I need to sign up for your job maybe or something. I don’t know.) Brethren, let me tell you there is nothing more rewarding. I cannot imagine something that is a greater accomplishment than to be with Christ serving and working for and bringing others and sharing with them what God gave to us—without price, freely!
Verse 29:
1 Corinthians 1:29. that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30) But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
31) that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (NKJ)
Brethren, we fully understand that those of us that God has called and revealed His Truth have been set on a course that is different from the rest of mankind. We make up such an infinitesimally small group of humans that have begun understanding who God is. And we've been drawn to Him by His will and His spirit.
That calling, again, is not for what we are going to get, but ultimately for serving the Family of those that will come after. God has truly chosen the weak and the base throughout the ages. And it's not for our glory, but to show the greatness of His work. Brethren, do we see and understand our calling?
As we approach and prepare for the Holy days ahead, let's ask God to help us appreciate what He and Jesus Christ have done for us. Let's consider the promises that are sure and true and are made to us, to those people that God has called, God has forgiven and to him who overcomes.
Transcribed by kb May 2, 2012