Trivialized?   1 Corinthians 11

How did you feel the first time you participated in communion? Do you take it for granted now? How would you react if the usher served you moldy bread at communion? Has communion or other practices of worship such as baptism, music, or preaching become trivialized? Would you serve an important guest a tv dinner? Do you offer Jesus less than your best in worship? This week's lesson is about the attitudes that are essential for meaningful worship. The observance of The Lord's Supper is highlighted due to its malpractice in the Corinthian church. In any corporate worship setting the focus of worshippers should be on Christ, not on others, or the mechanics of worship (music, preaching styles, etc.). The three sections of this lesson provide three guidelines that we all should use every time we participate in corporate worship.

We cannot be truly focused on worship and its only worthy Object when we are at odds with other believers within the church. The Corinthian believers were so focused on themselves that their alleged "love feast" preceding the Lord's Supper observance had turned into a meal of division. Those with means brought much and even became drunk! Those with little or nothing did without and were limited to watching others feast around them. All this in preparation for worship!

I remember homecoming celebrations in a church years ago that were like the Scripture passage above. The church had several families with long histories in the church and all their relatives would come out for homecoming. They would not come in for the service; they would sit outside in the shade and wait for the meal. Our instructions were to place all the food on the long tables outside so that all could share. This rarely happened. Families would keep their food together and eat around the food tables to keep everyone else from sharing what they had prepared. Many new families were left out and ended up eating what they brought in the church fellowship hall. It was painfully evident that they were not welcome.

When believers practice unity it allows the spotlight in worship to be placed upon Jesus. There will be no campaigning for prominence or complaining about who sings or preaches. When we are united in goal and purpose, all that matters is that Jesus is glorified and His gospel is proclaimed. Only He became the willing sacrifice for my sin, dying so that I could live. Jesus Himself was focused on others even on the evening of His betrayal. He instituted the observance of a memorial ritual we call the Lord's Supper; He encouraged His disciples; He even washed their feet, including the feet of His soon-to-be betrayer. Such humility and sacrifice reflected His focus on fulfilling the Father's will and rescuing us from an eternity separated from God. Jesus is worthy of our undivided focus and unadulterated worship! He is more important than who gets his or her own way or who is recognized in the service!

Before each opportunity for corporate worship, pause for self-examination. Are you approaching worship with a clean heart? Are you at odds with another believer? Are you jealous of those who were asked to participate in the service? Are you more focused on the mechanics or methods of worship than Jesus? The Apostle Paul declared to the Corinthians that some of them were suffering God's judgment because of their unworthy actions regarding worship in observing the Lord's Supper. Are you willing to risk God's judgment by viewing worship as something trivial?

Poisoned?    1 Corinthians 5,6

"It says something about our times that we rarely use the word sinful, except to describe a really good dessert." - Willard D. Ferrell

How do you view sin? Most believers would respond to that question with the standard Sunday School answer. "It is bad"; "I stay away from it all I can"; or maybe "Mine is forgiven...". We cannot answer the question accurately unless we understand the definition of sin, and can define sin. Let's consider some personal questions: Is obesity sin? Is racism sin? Is swearing sin? What about sporadic church attendance? Coarse joking? Complaining? Not tithing? Are these big sins or little sins?

How did you answer these questions? What makes a sin a sin? Are there big sins and little sins? Sins that God will punish and sins what God will overlook? Many believers certainly act that way, as if God will excuse our sins because they are 'small' and 'unimportant'. Would you drink a quart of water if it had only a drop of strychnine in it? A church member said to me once, "Pastor Mike, you know that sin in the life of a believer is different than sin in the life of an unbeliever." I said to them, "Yes it is; its WORSE!"

In 1 Corinthians 5 & 6 the Apostle Paul talks about sexual sin. But his instructions and warnings are applicable to all sin; and there is one central truth we MUST embrace: There is no such thing as a little sin! We fail to be grieved by sin when we view it as insignificant or not as bad as something else. We tend to categorize sin according to what seems bad to us. What I habitually overlook in my own life isn't as bad as what I tend to see in the lives of others. This attitude reflects a skewed and thoroughly unbiblical view of sin.

We read of the sexual sin being tolerated in the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 and are shocked. But our abhorrence of sin should be parallel to God's; He is shocked and sickened by ALL sin. Any sin left to grow will lead to suffering, destruction, and death. It is the nature of sin to produce these things. This is what Jesus came to rescue us from, to provide deliverance from the power of sin, the punishment of sin, and one day from the very presence of sin. When we who are redeemed from sin choose to return and wallow in it, or passively allow it to remain in our midst, God is grieved and Kingdom work is stifled.

As disciples of Jesus Christ we are to emulate Him in all we do and say. He, the Sinless One, is our role model. Do not let sin gain a foothold! Wage war by the power of the Spirit in your mind. Flee from every hint of sexual immorality. Exercise the spiritual man by practicing the spiritual disciplines of bible study, prayer, meditation, worship, and witnessing. The believer should view sin as a serious allergy: even a hint of it is harmful! It must not be allowed to remain in our lives, or in our local faith community.

In 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 the Apostle Paul gives instructions the forbid fellowshipping with a fellow-believer that openly practices sin. The best-known process for dealing with sinful brethren is Jesus' own words in Matthew 18:15-17. Revulsion over sin and remorse over our brother should motivate us to rebuke their sin and seek to restore them to right fellowship with God and the church. Their own good, and the work of the Kingdom demands it.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus            Micah 5:1-5; 7:18-20

My favorite Christmas program is the old animated version of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The greatest part of the entire show is when the Grinch realizes what Christmas is all about and has a change of heart. Part of that process was printed in the Life Truths Learner Guide for this lesson on page 13. Allow me to reprint it here:

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, just perhaps, means a little bit more." - Dr. Seus

The Grinch believed that Christmas centered on consumerism and things; therefore, if he removed all the 'things' of Christmas in Whoville, he could stop Christmas. Sadly, Christmas in our culture seems to mostly revolve around presents, shopping, parties, and decorating. In many American homes, if the Grinch (or some other thief) stole our Christmas decor and gifts, there would be no Christmas celebration at all.

This month's series of lessons are based on a few Christmas hymns from the past. The song for this week, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, can be found here. The Scripture is from the Prophet Micah, who ministered in the southern kingdom of Judah during the eighth century B.C. His nation was disobedient to the Lord, had grown weak spiritually,  and worshipped many things while still claiming to worship God. Because of the sin of the people and their leaders, God pronounced judgment on Judah. Micah 5 was most likely written while the nation and its cities were falling under siege by the Assyrians or the Babylonians, two rival nations that God used to judge His people during this time.

The Christmas season is a time when families are besieged by society to buy, buy, buy. Children not only want things, they demand them under a socially sanctioned right to want more and more. The holiday that commemorates Jesus' birth has been totally perverted and ruined by our consumer culture. We need to heed the wise counsel of a pastor who said, "Focus your attention on Christ, not on Christmas". As the inhabitants of Judah suffered under siege from their enemies, the Prophet Micah pointed them to a future time of deliverance. He prophesied of a coming ruler that was to be born in the lowly town of Bethlehem. This ruler was already in existence, for he is said to be from antiquity, from eternity (vs. 2). This is none other than Israel's long-awaited Messiah, Jesus! Jesus would come and bring an end to His people's suffering.

Our celebration of this season needs to have significance. Our celebration of this season needs to focus on Jesus. Only He can bring peace to troubled hearts, relief to strained lives, and joy to those oppressed by society's obsession with possessions. He is the ultimate stress release. If your Christmas is too hectic and overwhelming, simplify your schedule and focus on the Savior. Instead of a Christmas revolving around gifts that grow old with time, enjoy the significant Gift of Christmas that is new every morning!

The Prophet Micah spoke of a leader for Israel who would shepherd his people, caring for them and providing for them with immeasurable strength. They would enjoy security and peace (vs. 4-5). This is the continuing prophecy of Jesus the Messiah, Who came to provide salvation for us, to care for us, and to give us security and peace forevermore. To realize this incredible life we must submit completely to the Great Shepherd. He must have absolute authority over our lives. Real security is not being in control; it is relinquishing control to the only One who is absolutely sovereign. God is in control when your life seems out of control. Allowing Him to be owner-ruler of our lives brings a sense of peace and security that financial windfalls, mounds of gifts, and even close families cannot duplicate. The most destitute and the loneliest people on earth can enjoy peace and security in Jesus. A relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ provides eternal salvation and a life worth living.

Christmas is the beginning of the earthly phase of God's plan to redeem fallen mankind to Himself. Jesus was born to die as the one-and-only sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Christmas is about Calvary. Have you turned your back on a life characterized by sin and self, trusted in the sacrifice Jesus made for you when He died on Calvary's cross, accepted God's forgiveness for your sin, and put Jesus in charge of your life? Choose to make this Christmas the most significant of all: receive God's eternal gift of forgiveness and life!

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