Spiritual Check-up
1 Corinthians 11:28
This sermon was preached by Rev. Chris Roberts during the morning service on Sunday, July 19, 2009.
This morning we will be coming to the Lord’s table and remember Jesus’ death through the Lord’s supper. In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul provides instructions on how to do the Lord’s Supper. The instructions are not explicit, he does not give every detail, but he is firm on a few things.
One of these things is found in 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 when Paul instructs believers, Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. Paul then goes on to say that some have died because they participated in an unworthy manner. Why such a stark warning? To answer, let’s take a quick look at what the Lord’s Supper is.
This is one of two practices of the church known as ordinances, the other being baptism. Jesus instructed his followers to carry out these practices, baptism following salvation and the Lord’s Supper as a regular part of worship.
For Christians, the Lord’s Supper takes the place of the Jewish Passover feast. At Passover the angel of death passed over the Israelites, sparing them since a passover lamb had been slain in their place. Jesus has become our passover lamb, the one who has taken our punishment so that the judgment of God passes over us.
At the table the body and blood of Jesus are signified. The bread represents the body of Jesus, broken on the cross. The juice stands for his blood, shed for our sins. The elements do not turn into the body and blood of Jesus but point us to Jesus and his work for us.
The Lord’s Supper is a reminder that Jesus died for our sins. This time is a time to rejoice in the mercies of God. You do not deserve his mercy, he gives it freely. This time is a time to repent of our sin which made his death necessary. It calls for sorrow that my sin nailed him to the tree. I am responsible for the death of Jesus. This time calls for self-examination, for taking sin seriously and rooting it out.
Self-examination is necessary because the person who comes to the table while living in sin makes a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus. All of us are sinners but there is a difference in the sin that is fought and the sin that is accepted or even celebrated. Those living in open rebellion against God are not welcome to the table of the Lord. To that end, this table is for Christians, the people of God. And it is specifically for Christians striving for holiness, fighting sin, submitting to the Spirit, seeking to honor God in all of life. Christian, there will always be sin in your life, but fight the sin. Turn from a life that delights in sin to a life that delights in God.
How does self-examination take place? How do you do a spiritual check-up? Let me briefly suggest five things.
First, be in Scripture. The first sign of spiritual sickness is a lack of time in God’s Word. If you are not regularly in Scripture, you are not healthy. You may not be living in open sin but you are diminishing your ability to recognize and resist sin. How much time do you spend in God’s Word? Is your heart fed mostly with the things of God or with the things of the world?
Second, be faithful in prayer. Scripture tells us to be people of prayer but we neglect this gift. And it is a gift. You have the opportunity to speak with the Creator and yet you often shrug it off, neglect it, and move on to other things. Pour out your heart to God. Seek out his will. Make intercession for your brothers. Do this through prayer and you will give less opportunity for the Devil to sway your mind.
Third, find the sin in your life. I love David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! David is not saying, “God, look at me and see how clean I am!” He is saying, “God, look at me and tell me what you see! Show me my sins! Reveal to me the things I either cannot see or refuse to see. Do not let sin go overlooked in my life.” We too often have sins we tolerate or justify. Do not tolerate sin in your life. Do not let it stay hidden. Seek it out.
Fourth, do more than just seek out sin. Repent of it. Many people do not understand repentance. It is more than just praying “God, I am sorry for my sins, please forgive me.” Repentance is a change of heart that results in a change of life. It is holy horror at your own sin, seeing how terrible sin is in the eyes of God. It is praying for forgiveness and it is turning from that sin. You do not repent of adultery by praying for forgiveness and returning to sin once more. You repent by seeking forgiveness, reconciliation, and by avoiding the sin! We have not repented of what we hold on to.
Fifth, be active in obedience. There are things God has called us to do: tell others the gospel; feed the hungry; clothe the needy; support the church; help fellow believers grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ; be godly husbands and wives and fathers and children; the list goes on. You are not spiritually healthy if you are not obeying God. Don’t wait for someone to invite you to be obedient, take the initiative. Seek out opportunities to fulfill God’s commands.
Be faithful in Scripture, pray without ceasing, seek out your sin, repent of sin, and be active in obedience. None of these things happen without the work of God in your life. Recognize that as you grow, as you are delivered from this sin or that temptation, this does not happen through your own strength but is God at work within you.
So how did your spiritual check-up go? We all have much work to do. But trust in God – he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ.