SERMON: PRESUMPTIVE BLUES
INTRO: Familiar Passage: 1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. The Communion warning! So often, it is easy to make the disciplines of God redundant and meaningless. Either we make effort to refresh our disciplines or we become stagnant and presumptous! TRANS-STATE: Lets look at God’s expectation and see the danger of presumption! 1.PAVING-THE-ROAD-TO-HELL On the way homw from holidays, We were offered help to pass on highway 43, by a well intentioned trucker. He would go precariously on the shoulder and want us to pass. Good intentions? Perhaps. Smart? No. Not only was he endangering himnself on the shoulder, he was pressuring us to pass at his timing. TURN: 2SAMUEL 6:6 ¶ And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. 8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day. Even David was caught off-guard! Good intentions are good if they are mixed with wisdom and true motive. Presumption can bring us to a place of compromise, even when our intentions are good! "Some of the most terrible things have been done with the best of intentions."--Alan Grant (Sam Niell), "Jurassic Park III" You’ve heard the saying? What paves the road to hell? Good intentions! TURN: NUMBERS 15:29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. 30 ¶ But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him. Presumptuously in Hebrew: with an high hand. That is, bold, daring, deliberate acts of transgression against the fullest evidence, and in despite of the Divine authority. Such conduct "reproacheth the Lord," as if his commands were needless, unreasonable, and inimical to the happiness of man; his favour were not desirable, or his wrath not to be feared: in short, as if it were more advantageous to rebel against him than to serve him. Such acts admitted of no atonement: the person was condemned to bear his own iniquity, and to be cut off. 1CORINTHIANS11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. What good intentions do you have? Are they well thought out before God? Are you presuming it will be O.K? 2.NO-BIG-DEAL!? CAIN: TURN:Ge 4:3-12.Ge 4: 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 1ST No Big Deal - Sacrifice/Offering. God was specific from Adam & Eve’s fall about blood needed. Cain didn’t think it a big deal. “Whats the big deal if I offer it my way, as long as I offer something” What do you offer God? Is it on your terms? Is it what you prefer? “10% tithe? God doesn’t mind if I give 8.5%, and He understands that I need this new shirt” “Sunday Church? My house is a church, I can do the same there. Hey I’m the Temple of the Holy Ghost, He always with me, Church and service is good sometimes.” Justify - Compromise - Fool Yourself - It IS A BIG DEAL! Is your sacrifices acceptable? 2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. Are your offerings costing you? Ge 4:6 ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 ¶ And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 2ND No Big Deal - Emotions. He didn’t heed, even the Lord’s advice. How about you? When has emotion ruled your decision? When Have you sinned because of impulse or lack of discipline or submission? When have skipped, over obedience because you didn’t feel like it? “God knows I’m only human, He knows my weaknesses” He also knew Christ’s! It Is A BIG DEAL! Ge 4:9 ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper? 3RD No Big Deal - Careless. Didn’t think his brother a big deal. How important is the person sitting next to you? Or the person acrross the isle, the room, the fence? Are you your brothers keeper? Do you take interest in their lives? And I mean more than pray for them. But act on your prayers. No matter who they are Jesus died for them! They are a BIG DEAL! 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. Ge 4:11 And now [art] thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. I’ve met so called Christians who think Church is optional, and every one of them, bar none, were immature and whacked somehow. I understand the curse God gave Cain, if your going to be selfish than best to be a vagabond, at least your damage is lessened! Presume nothing! Is it a Big Deal?! You’ve heard a dad say “Because I said so!” So does God the Father! There is reason for all God does, but a greater part of the trust of our Heavenly Father is to obey when it doesn’t make sense! “Settle down, Whats The Big Deal!” COMMUNION: Toady we celebrate? Communion. Believers dare not come to the Lord's Table except with a repentant heart. "Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner," as Paul puts it, "drinks judgment to himself." That should be a sobering warning, especially when the apostle adds that because of this offense many have fallen ill or died. Any pastor who takes the Word of God seriously should never administer Communion without adequately warning partakers. Those who are unrepentant should flee the table rather than trivialize the sacred. And God does not view this sacred act lightly. Whats the big deal about . . Missing fellowship? - Church? - Forgiveness? - Witnessing? - Bible devotions? - Prayer? - Sabbath? - Communion? . .etc. TURN: NUMBERS15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. 35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses. WOW!!! OUCH!!! Presumption also tells that, what we see as, simple/illogical things are optional. That God’s commands are only applicable when we decide they are! That grace is covering our self serving discernment. The N.T. child of God has to continually struggle with the balance of Grace, for too often we abuse it. I think God thinks its a Big Deal . .and thats what matters! Don’t presume! What’s No Big Deal to you? Grace is the ability to DO God’s Law, not the excuse Not to! Remember that. Do you remember? Lets remember together . . . 1CORINTHIANS11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 3.REMINDER TURN: NUMBERS15:37 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: 40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. One of the biggest reasons for Communion! 1CORINTHIANS11:25 . . . in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 2PETER1:12 ¶ Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, (Reason?->)and be established in the present truth. Today we need that blue fringe to bring us to sobering reminder and evaluation. So we can be established in present truth & prevent the presumptive Blues!! 1CORINTHIANS11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. Whats no big deal to you? Is it to God? What do you presume is o.k.? What do you think grace will let you compromise? What good intentions need to some wisdom? Will you live in the fear and true grace of Jesus?
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