EXAMINE
YOURSELF
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
The self-examination service is based somewhat on verse 28
relating to participation in the Love Feast.
What is meant when we are told that each must examine himself? We could relate it to a couple of things –
earlier Paul is talking about the manner in which folks were eating at the Love
Feast. They would come and grab the food
with no regard for the needs of others.
And some would even drink themselves drunk. They were despising the body of Christ and
bringing shame on many there. Paul also
saw there were divisions and factions in the body – meaning there must have
been some very bad feelings among the folks.
So they were coming to the table of the Lord – a symbol of unity in
Christ – and they were overcome by animosity against each other.
Paul then speaks about the bread and cup, symbols of the
Body and Blood of Christ – His sacrifice offered on our behalf. As often as we eat the bread and drink the
cup we proclaim the Lords death till he comes.
Then comes the “therefore” – what is the therefore there for. The way we receive the meal reflects either
on our honoring or dishonoring the meaning of the celebration. If we receive it in an unworthy manner we are
not properly discerning the Lord’s body.
Notice the last verse which reminds us (after another therefore) to wait
for one another – or to give honor to all who are assembled. There is no room for strife and division at
the table of the Lord. Indeed, there is
no room at anytime for such within the church.
Let us consider our relation to the Body of Christ, the
church to which we have been called to be a member one of another.
Charles Swindoll in Come Before Winter
Nobody is a whole chain.
Each one is a link. But take away
one link and the chain is broken.
Nobody is a whole team.
Each one is a player. But take
away one player and the game is forfeited.
Nobody is a whole orchestra.
Each one is a musician. But take
away one musician and the symphony is incomplete.
Nobody is a whole play.
Each one is an actor. But take
away one actor and the performance suffers.
Nobody is a whole hospital.
Each is a part of the staff. But
take away one person and it isn’t long before the patient can tell.
Cars are composed of many parts. Each one is connected to and dependent upon
the other. Even a tiny screw, if it
comes loose and falls out of the carburetor, can bring the whole vehicle to a
stop.
You guessed it. We
need each other. You need someone and
someone needs you. Isolated islands we’re
not. To make this thing called life
work, we gotta lean and support. And
relate and respond. And give and take. And confess and forgive. And reach out and embrace. And release and rely.
Especially in God’s family.... where working together is Plan
A for survival. And since we’re so
different (thanks to the way God built us), love and acceptance are not
optional luxuries. Neither is tolerance. Or understanding. Or patience.
You know, all those things you need from others when your humanity crowds
out your divinity.
In other words: Love each other with brotherly affection and
take delight in honoring each other.
Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful
always. When God’s children are in need,
you be the one to help them out. And get
into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for
the night (Romans
Why? Because each one of us is
worth it. Even when we don’t act like it
or feel like it or deserve it.
Evelyn Christianson is a widely known speaker especially on
prayer. She relates a time of
struggle. He husband had left the
pastorate for a new ministry in another city.
She had left behind a tremendous nest of prayer support, but she felt
sure she would find people in
Soon she was scheduled to speak at a prayer breakfast and
asked for prayer support from a prayer chain.
When she returned she called to thank the chairman for the prayer
support. She replied, “Oh, but we didn’t
pray.” She went on to explain that
someone in the church had stopped the prayer chain, because it was not their
practice to pray for public speakers.
Evelyn was extremely hurt by this.
The following week she went with her husband and another
couple to a mountain cabin. All week she
tried reading the Bible and praying, but could not get through to God. She confessed sins until she was blue in the
face. Finally, Thursday morning at
She was beginning to panic, because she was teaching prayer
seminars and yet God had not said a word to her all week. She started leafing through the Bible. When she got to 2 Corinthians 2:5, God
stopped her. If anyone has caused
grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you.
That was her problem, she thought. She had been grieved, and amazingly God
didn’t disagree with her. When we are
hurt by other Christians, we somehow feel that God sweeps it under the rug and
says, “Don’t worry about it.” But he doesn’t
ignore it; he expects us to acknowledge that we have been grieved.
Evelyn was ready to get up from her knees and go make
breakfast, thinking “Hallelujah, God agrees with me. I’ve been grieved.” But God nudged her and said, “Don’t stop -
there is more in that chapter.”
She continued reading until verse 7 Now instead, you
ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow.
She was supposed to forgive the woman. But how?
The woman had made a fool of her.
Evelyn had been the leader of a prayer movement, prayer was her life,
and when she asked a simple prayer request, she had been slapped in the face,
so to speak. She was horrified.
She waited on her knees for a long time. She struggled with the Lord. Finally she said, “God, I can’t do this on my
own strength. You are going to have to help
me.”
And God did. His
power, his grace, his ability to forgive came, and she forgave the woman. And as she forgave the way was paved for God
to forgive her. In the Lord’s prayer,
Jesus said, “Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.” We are forgiven as we forgive.
God wasn’t finished with Evelyn yet. He nudged her to read verse 8, I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your
love for him.
Evelyn related that she really didn’t love the woman very
much so she had to ask God for love. And
she waited. Waiting is hard, but it is
important. Often we ask God for
something, and then we get right up and run away. She waited until God’s love came.
She also knew she couldn’t just love the woman in her heart,
she had to show her love to her. Since
they were on a mountain with no postal service or phone, she had to wait until
they returned home and she saw the woman in church the next Sunday.
Apparently others in the church knew of the situation. And people were waiting to see what she would
do. They knew she taught prayer
seminars, and they wanted to know what she would do when she was hurt. She went up to the woman and put her arms
around her and it was settled.
That was the hardest lesson in forgiveness she ever learned,
but forgiving the woman freed her to hear God again.
Verses 10-11 If you
forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And
what I have forgiven - if there was anything to forgive - I have forgiven in
the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
We have spoken about love being an action not a
feeling. But feelings are a part of love
and forgiveness. If you don’t feel love
toward someone who has hurt you, you can still act loving, but you would be
wearing a mask.
It is possible to step out in an act of love. But it is better to wait on God and let him
give real love.
When a child hurts another child, the parent says, “Tell him
you are sorry.” The child says in a
sulky voice, “I’m sorry.” That fulfills
the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. God wants us to have true love, not an
insincere, surface love.
When people lash out at us and hurt us, they are usually
threatened in some way. Forgiving others
is easier when we can understand the reason for their lashing out at us. If we know they have a need, it’s easier to
reaffirm our love and comfort for them.
When a person rubs us the wrong way we should pray, “Lord,
give me the love you want me to have for that person right now.” And the Lord will fill our heart with love.
If we don’t really love or forgive a person he or she will know it by
our attitude, or by the tone in our voice.
Sincerity in forgiveness, not phoniness, is what we strive for.
Let me remind you that one of the key passages of Scripture that has
had a lot of meaning for the Brethren is Matthew 18 with the challenge to
confront one another when someone has fallen into sin. It all has to do with accountability to one
another. Galatians 6 also reminds us
that if a brother has fallen into sin you who are spiritual should restore that
one (in the spirit of meekness) remembering – we could fall just as easily if
we do not remain vigilante.
But may I also remind you of what Jesus said much earlier – in the
Sermon on the Mount – when he said if you bring your gift to the altar and
remember that someone has something against you – you have wronged someone – go
and be reconciled, then come and offer your gift.
A few hours before his arrest Jesus told his disciples that others
would know we are Jesus’ disciples by the love that we have one for
another. Love has no room for
brokenness. Love challenges us to honor
God even as we honor one another in all aspects of life.
©
2007,