Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 4/1/15

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 4/1/15

I’d like to preach on the thought of being worthy.  Both the thought of being worthy and the thought of being unworthy are to be considered. 

1Co 11:23  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Sunday night, when we had the ordinance service, I wondered as I was breaking that bread, “How much did Jesus break it?”  Having lived my life to this present hour, having seen how effective the body of Christ being broken has been for me personally, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually; I am not saying that Jesus crumbled the bread up, but when I think of how that body was broken!

I walked with a dear man toward the edge of town and it broke my heart.  I don’t know how old he is but sin, Satan, drugs, alcohol, and things we won’t mention have left him walking down the highway in really sad shape.

You say, “That could not have happened to me.”  Yes it could have.  He is a father and he is not raising his son.  Isn’t that sad?  He and Mary Sue could have gotten saved, married, and God would have changed their lives. 

If it wasn’t for God, church, I could have been one of those that didn’t raise my children.  Don’t ever think that it couldn’t have happened.  Sin knows no barriers.  I think of how sick I have been with shingles, nerves, not able to sleep nights…  Let me be broken. 

I am not saying that the bread was made crumbles, but it was really broken.  Symbolically when we eat of that bread we acknowledge that His body was broken for me.  You talk about a faith giving experience! 

When you are battling unbelief, when we grasp what He went through, when we grasp what He will do…  I was preaching about Mike Kennedy.  His mind was gone because of drugs.  When he got saved, he couldn’t remember what he was to do and couldn’t even pick up his own tools.  When he got under the gospel, God healed him.

God knows what all we have been healed from; we don’t.  Sister Mary Spencer had the testimony that God gave her a new body.  She was dying of cancer.  She got a hold of my mother who prayed the prayer of faith and she was healed.

When we think of this family’s families.  Every need that they have, Jesus paid the price.

He said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”  In the Paradise Congregation this has always been a solemn service. 

1Co 11:25  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

I won’t be able to tell everything that the blood does tonight.  Sister Hines wrote the track on accusations: of the blood being upon our mind.  We want the blood.  It is a life giving blood.  It gives spiritual life, quickening, anointing, realization, and all those wonderful things.

Jesus drank and then gave to the others that were there.

1Co 11:26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

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.

What a serious thought.  Walk worthy before God.  Don’t let anything mess up your experience with God, with one another, and with the body of Christ.  There is nothing worth it.

1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

However basic or however in depth this thought can be.  There is such power in what Jesus did for us, and us remembering and positioning ourselves so that we are worthy. 

We can cripple ourselves spiritually.  We can hinder ourselves spiritually.  This is not throwing stones at those that are not here, but the conviction that I have is that Jesus paid the price so that we don’t have to be weak. 

Many times people fall into sin and say to those that confront them, “You would have done the same thing if you had the opportunity.”  No that is not right.  If we are weak mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, there is healing.

There are times that we walk by faith or feel that we are battled on every side.  That is part of the journey.  You and I can thank God that we are in the battle and have caught a glimpse of higher ground.

Jesus broke the bread, “This is my body that is broken for you.” 

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

We can limp around and make excuse, “It runs in our family.”  If you will make one excuse then there will be a gob of excuses that will present themselves.  The song says, “I am the one reason that Jesus suffered.”

If an individual fails to measure to the Word of God then they will be sick.  There is a lot of sickness around.  If there is something in your life that keeps you limping, or gets in your mind and causes little spiritual strokes and you are not making good progress, then get to Jesus.  He suffered the stripes.  His body was broken.

“How can I be worthy of the sufferings of Christ or of His body that was broken?”

Mar 12:28  And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

Mar 12:29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

We only have one heart.  A lot of things flirt with our love.  Love God with all your heart.  Love Him with all your soul.  That man wrote the song, “Oh love that will not let me go.”  Love God with all your soul!

Love Him with all your mind.  Brother Wohr wrote the track, “The measure of God’s love,” wrote, “Love must be expressed.” 

God expressed His love to us:

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Love has to be expressed.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Love God with all your strength.  The first answer to “What am I going to do with the strength that I have?”  Some are really strong in this audience.  Some would say, “I am only half as strong as I was 20 years ago.”  How much ever you got, use that strength to love God.

Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

No one here applied for whatever gift or calling.  That is not how it is.  Whatever God has called you to do, walk worthy.

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

1Th 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

This is interesting, Jesus told John, “Those whose garments are undefiled walk before Christ in white: for they are worthy.”

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

If Brother Hodgekiss could come back and testify to us he would say, whatever you do walk worthy, don’t be found unworthy.  Don’t let anything get into your heart, mind, or lifestyle that will cause you to be unworthy. 

Oh let me be worthy!

When I think about the Cross that My Savior had to bear
And how He died for me upon the tree;
Then my heart with fervent plea cries,
“Oh Lord it was for me.”
Let me be worthy of the price You paid for me.

Let me be worthy of the price that set me free. 
Let me be worthy of the blood You shed for me. 
Let me be worthy of the pain that You suffered for my gain. 
Let me be worthy of the price You paid for me.

Oh the beauty and the grace, love and pity on His face,
All through His suffering and His awful pain. 
Made the thief upon the tree cry,
“Oh Lord, remember me.” 
Let me be worthy, let me someday with you reign

Oh what mercy and what love, as He prayed to God above,
“Forgive them for they know not what they do.” 
In my heart there rings a prayer,
“Let me of His mercy share.” 
Let me be worthy of the price He paid for me.