With deference to the outstanding little book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer of the
same title, this week we will again look at the part of the passage on
communion that we began to examine last week. This week will be mostly law with
the good news coming next time.
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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and
drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and
drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason
many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge
ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by
the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)
Communion with Christ! Not discerning the Lord's body! What does that all
mean? It seems from my perspective the church is made up of way too many weak
and sick, and many sleep, so we must be doing something wrong. The reason is
that we truly don't examine our lives, we just don't miss the mark, we don't
truly know what the mark looks like. The Geneva reformers sure got it right
when they realized just what idol factories our hearts and our minds are. When
we don't understand we create, manufacture or in some spiritual sense set up an
idol to our own limited potential and call it god. We do not have, or desire to
pay the price of discipline to become a disciple of Christ.
Most of these idols reinforce our perception of our own holiness or in some
way make it OK for us to indulge in a little worldly opportunity, for after all
we are under grace and not under the law. Antinomianism is the proper term,
with many variations. (I will email you a brief narrative on this topic if you
cannot find one.) Last week we talked about marriage among non believers and
believers, which I have upon good report, is the most prevalent form of yoking
together with the world and non-believers.
With my business back ground, I however get many more opportunities to
listen to business adaptations. Probably the most amusing relates something
like:
"I'm going to make a million dollars in this business opportunity (most
of the time some 'Christian' network marketing program) and then I will have
all the money I need to dedicate my life fully to the Lord's (work or
service?)"
Some others more prevalent, but not near as amusing go something like:
"I don't have money to provide for missions or church work right now
for I am actively investing in the stock market so that I can provide for my
retirement. Then I will go to Nepal or wherever the Lord leads."
(Actually, most of the time the Lord ends up calling them to the golf course in
Palm Springs. Now there is a definite mission field).
"I have a wife and a family to support, my first responsibility is to
them, I would really like to do the Lord's work, but we might have to change
our life-style, the wife and the kids just would not understand. (The first
part is true, but are we not really saying, my ego idol is so big, I cannot
communicate effectively this desire with my family, and the Lord really
couldn't handle it, after all it is a guy thing, I would have to ask for directions.)
So where do all those seeds of rebellion come from. Mostly, from within our
own idol making heart, but to be quite honest there are really no examples to
follow either. That truly does make it quite difficult to pioneer your own
effort. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that once the church became
the official religion of the reign in the time of Constantine, things changed
dramatically. Shortly there after we have Augustine proposing the concept of
the "City of Man" and the "City of God" Since that time,
the church, as a whole, has not really examined that imperial mandate to see if
it is truly a scriptural paradigm, or whether it is really marriage with the
worldly system.
This brings me to my super-dooper, far outest, saddest institutional example:
"The Lord has blessed this (church, foundation, etc.) with this
tremendous financial gift from the estate of John Smith (one now has over a
billion dollars). It is our responsibility as stewards of this great wealth to
infest (sic) it in stocks and bonds. We use the dividends to buy Bibles for
China and other projects. Do you know last year we spent and gave a grant of
$250,000 to buy Bibles (that same organization)."
"In other words you just piddle it out? And make everyone beg for your
grants."
"Well, not exactly, we just like to say we are investing in the Lord's
work!"
"Then why not invest directly in the Lord's work and see if the Lord is
capable of providing returns commiserate with the stock market, or putting it
in the bank?"
"Well, that is too complicated for us, we really do not know how to do
that, and some Christian might rip us off, stocks and bonds and other worldly
investments in worldy companies are much safer and give us a bigger
return."
Disciple and discipline are essentially the same word. How can we be a
disciple if we will not subject ourselves to the loving discipline of our Lord
and our God. If we do not subject to Him we are subject to others, or
ourselves. That is what has got us into this mess. The principal of all of these
examples is: It is our principle to never
touch our principal. Let us truly bring Jesus down to our own level
of understanding. Instead of the Son of God becoming man and dwelling among us,
we take the portion of that mysterious concept we feel most comfortable with,
and use it to improve our own self worth, self image or self esteem.
Normally, at this time I give a little, thanks be to God who through Jesus
Christ, gospel message. Not this week. This week just let it sink in, and
infest your very soul. Praise God we are all such huge bags of scum.
For I received from the Lord that which I
also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was
betrayed took bread; 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."
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.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and
drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and
drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason
many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge
ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by
the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:23-32)
Let these words of Paul, this week convict us a new of our need for
communion not only with Jesus Christ, but also his body throughout all time.
From that communion, not just on one Sunday a week, but every minute of every
day, comes the strength and the beauty to bring about lasting restoration. As
Bonhoeffer says so well we want to live by "cheap grace" when the
Lord only offers "costly grace". It is time that the church, begins
to discern the needs of the body and make their investments into that work and
not into the work of the world and its ways. Amen!
From that reflection and perspective next week we will look at, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you
these things in the churches. I am the Offspring of David the Bright and
Morning Star." (Revelation 22:16)
By the grace of God alone, PREFER and Justin-Grace Inc. are endeavoring to
bring about some of these changes to the Body of Christ that I have tried to
point out this week, without trying to vilify any particular individual. As I
have said many times. I do not teach, nor do I believe that scripture teaches
that these are salvation issues. But because historically the Orthodox and the
Roman Catholic churches, and perhaps should I guess 70% of modern practicing
Protestants have made works to some extent part of the gospel message, things
are a little distorted. This is a minority message and as such covets your
prayers and your support. As such however, as our works flow out of our
gratitude for such a costly gift of grace, a freedom also flows that overcomes
all of our insecurity. It is something that emotional or intellectual piety
cannot offer. It is an understanding of that gift of freedom, I pray the Lord
will impart to you this week.