STARTING OUT RIGHT
(Uses multiple scriptures)
Introduction
Today is the first Sunday of the New Year 2009 and in just a little while we will be taking communion together. Since this is the first Sunday I have entitled my message “Starting Out Right.” I’d like to start this new Year out the right way.
I’d like for all of us to have a “Good Start” at the beginning of 2009. Now a good start in no way guarantees a good finish, but you are more likely to come to a good conclusion if you start out right than if you have a bad start.
So often we hear the passage of 1Corinthians chapter 11 read when a communion service is conducted. Whether as a text for the message or as part of the instructions given during the Lords supper. 1Cor. 11:23 – 26 reads…
Scripture:
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.” 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.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
The observance of the communion is a Proclamation of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Why his resurrection is inferred by the words “till he comes” yet the intent is to give attention or focus to the death of Jesus Christ.
The death of Jesus Christ is a Substitutionary Sacrificial Atoning death.
1. He did not die for His own sins
a. The scripture clearly teaches that though he was tempted in all points as we are, yet he was without sin (Heb 4:15)
b. Again in 2Cor 5:21 speaking of Jesus it says “He (God) made Him who knew no sin”
2. His death was substitutionary
a. That verse of 2Cor 5:21 says “He made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to be sin for us…”
b. He died in our place, he took the penalty of our sins
c. Rom. 5:8 says it very clear that “God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
3. His death was sacrificial
a. Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God
b. 2Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
c. He sacrificed his life for ours – He who was without sin took the penalty of our sin upon him so that His righteousness could be applied to us by God.
4. His death was atoning
a. One aspect of the miracle of salvation is the cleansing and rejuvenating effect the new birth has on the conscience. At salvation, the believer’s heart is “sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (Heb. 10:22). The means through which the conscience is cleansed is the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14). That does not mean, of course, that Jesus’ actual blood has some mystical or magical potency as a conscience-cleansing agent. What does it mean? The theological concepts involved here are simple but quite profound. The Old Testament Law required blood sacrifices to atone for sin. But Old Testament sacrifices could do nothing for the conscience. Hebrews 9:9–10 says, “Gifts and sacrifices [under the Levitical system] could not make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.” Those sacrifices had no actual efficacy in atoning for sin, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). They simply demonstrated the faith and obedience of the worshiper while foreshadowing the death of Christ, who would shed His blood as the once for-all perfect sacrifice for sin.
b. Christ’s atonement fully satisfied the demands of God’s righteousness, so forgiveness and mercy are guaranteed to those who receive Christ in humble, repentant faith.
c. The word atonement in the bible means; to purge, to reconcile or make reconciliation, to cover, to appease; to establish legal pardon
d. Christ’s sacrificial death provides the covering for sin, His sacrifice appeased the wrath of God and the legal requirement of the Law of God. “For the wages of sin is death…” and according to Heb 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness) of sin
Allow me to read to you for a moment from “The Vanishing Conscience” by author John MacArthur.
“Christ’s sacrifice on the cross therefore accomplished what the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of heifers could only symbolize: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24). Our sins were imputed to Him, and He paid the penalty for them. Conversely, His perfect righteousness is imputed to us who believe (Rom. 4:22–24; Phil. 3:9). Since the guilt of all our sins was entirely erased by His death, and since His unblemished righteousness is credited to our account, God declares us not guilty and receives us as fully righteous. That is the doctrine known as justification.
When God’s own verdict is “Not guilty; wholly righteous” how can anyone else accuse us? “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Rom. 8:33–34). In other words, when Satan, “the accuser of our brethren … , who accuses them before our God day and night” (Rev. 12:10), brings an allegation against us, the blood of Christ speaks of mercy. When our own sins cry out against us, the blood of Christ speaks on our behalf. Thus the blood of Christ “speaks better than the blood of Abel” (Heb. 12:24).
Most important, whenever our own conscience would mercilessly condemn us, the blood of Christ cries for forgiveness. Christ’s atonement fully satisfied the demands of God’s righteousness, so forgiveness and mercy are guaranteed to those who receive Christ in humble, repentant faith. We accept the responsibility for our sin, and also believe God that in the death of Christ sin is forgiven. We confess our sin so that the Lord can cleanse our conscience and give us joy (1 Jn. 1:9). That is how “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse[s] your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14). In other words, our faith communicates to our conscience that we are pardoned through the precious blood of Christ.”
As Romans 8:1 declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus...”
Because of the sacrifice of Christ we have received a clear conscience before God, man and self. If God be for us who can be against us!
The Conscience
1. the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience.
2. the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conscience)
The Importance of the Conscience
1. It is designed to help keep us aware of God
a. Paul says in Act 23:1 “.. I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day”
2. This awareness helps to maintain our sense of accountability to God and our responsibility toward our fellow man
a. Again Paul in Acts 24:16 says, “this being so I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men”
3. Our conscience can let us know when we are in fellowship or out of fellowship with God because of sin
a. “…my conscience also bearing me witness with the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 9:1)
The Bible tells us that the conscience of some can be weak
1. 1Cor. 8 & 10 both speak about believers who had a weak conscience
a. Not meaning their conscience didn’t work, but rather that it was overly sensitive in an area due to a lack of growth and understanding (maturity) brought about by a lack of understanding of the Word of God in their lives.
b. In Corinthians it speaks of those who were saved out of Idolatry, and that for them eating meat (that had previously be offered to an idol) would “Offend their conscience”
i. Their idolatry had held them bound and in sin, but now that Christ had liberated them they could not have anything to do with the meat. Even though for others it was not an offense to them it was
1. Sometimes we need to learn to say, “Others may, but I may not” in order to protect our conscience, for you do not want to offend your conscience. That will only produce feelings of guilt (even if they are only false feelings) nevertheless you will feel them and act accordingly.
2. However, the scripture exhorts us to protect and maintain a pure, un-offended conscience.
a. 1Tim 1:5 “Now fthe purpose of the commandment is love gfrom a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from 2sincere faith,”
3. Failure to maintain a clear, unoffended conscience leads to disaster
a. “having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck” (1Tim.1:19)
4. Prayer is an essential element in maintaining a good, pure, clear conscience
a. 1Tim 1:3 “I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,
b. Since when you pray you are talking to the one who is the discerner of the intents of the heart, prayer will help to keep you heart right – and where the conscience has been offended God will reveal it for he is the “Light of Men” – Jn 1:5b
5. But you can Offend the Conscience, even damage it
a. Things that offend
i. Working according to the flesh instead of the spirit
1. Remember Rom 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2. If you walk after the flesh your conscience will be offended
ii. Involvement in the “Hidden things of Shame”
1. 2 Cor 4:2 Paul says, But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
2. Craftiness /deceitfulness
3. Using the word of God deceitfully
4. Manipulating people for personal reasons of gain
b. The conscience can become defiled
i. Titus 1:15 “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
c. It is even possible if one continues to offend their conscience with disregard they can come to the point of “searing their conscience”
i. 1 Tim 4:1-2 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,”
ii. A seared conscience is like a severely scarred piece of tissue. It is hard and insensitive. A seared conscience is no longer able to sense right from wrong. It is like a compass that can no longer determine north from south. It is of no further value because it can no longer lead you where you ought to go with any degree of faithfulness.
6. I believe this to be one of the reasons why Christ has instituted that the church will continue to take communion.
a. By recalling the Lord’s death we recall that his substutionary, sacrificial, atoning death is available even today and is still effective in cleansing and purging us of sin and renewing our conscience with in
b. That is why the bible the bible goes on to say in our opening text in 1 Cor. 11 in vs. 27 – 31
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. 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. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
Today as we come together to participate at the table of the Lord, let us examine ourselves. Let us allow He who is the Light of all men to illuminate our hearts and minds and reveal to us that which has hidden its self in the recesses and shadows of our being, so that it may be brought into the light of God’s love, grace and forgiveness. That we may confess and repent that we may receive a fresh cleansing of our soul by the precious blood of the lamb.
For 1John 2:1 clearly promises that “if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” And as 1John 1:9 affirms “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Lets start this year out right – with a clear conscience before God and with our fellow man.
