Sunday Morning Sermon Service - Prepare for Communion - Pastor Jeff Shipley

Now, I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel, it wasn't their military styles, it wasn't the type of people they were down to.

I want you to look up, turn, turn on, whatever you people do, the

Word of God, and I would ask you, I would ask you that you understand what we're going to do before we do it.

Now, turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 11, 1 Corinthians chapter 11, and put your finger on verse 17.

Let me explain to you, let me explain, I don't know, Desi Arnaz, let me explain to you what's going on.

If you go back to when Jesus and the disciples had that Last Supper, okay?

They did that thing, and they all met, and Jesus said, guys, this is the Last Supper, as long as you do this, do this, and remember it's me.

Now, you fast forward, Christians and churches started forming, and you fast forward about 30 years, and there's a church in the

Greek city of Corinth that is going pretty good. They're hanging pretty good, they're moving along, but they're not doing some things right according to the

Lord's Supper. So, we're going to read about what Paul said to them about, y 'all need to get this in gear, because y 'all ain't doing it right, and he coaches them up a little bit.

So what I want us to do as Witten, and more importantly, you as an individual,

I want you to hear the word of God and measure yourself against the word of God, not pastors, not religions, against the word of God before you come and take this, so that you'll be in right stead.

So let's read, verse 17, chapter 11, 1 Corinthians says this,

Now, in giving the following instructions, I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better, but for the worse.

For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part

I believe it. There must indeed be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you.

Therefore, when you come together, it is really not to eat the Lord's Supper. For at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of the others.

So one person is hungry, and another one gets drunk. Don't you have houses to eat and drink in?

Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing?

What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this.

That's not very nice. Paul's not being very nice. Holy Spirit's not being nice.

There's no smile Jesus loves you here. There is a course correction. Now, the people he's writing to are believers.

They're real Christians, but they're making some mistakes. So let us look at this and make sure we ain't making the same mistake.

The first thing is this. It says there are divisions among you.

How many of y 'all are in a clique? I'm in one. I'm in the bald -headed, white, over 50, heterosexual, male,

American clique. That's the demographic. I still want my holiday and my parade. I'm in that clique.

I'm also in the whitten clique. My identity in life is

God Almighty as a Christian. And then you ask anybody that knows me, my next identity is this family right here.

My people. I love my sheep. I love them. Now, some of you, though, sit there and say, well, there's cliques.

There's cliques. What it really means is this. Now, there either is a conspiracy to keep you out or wrap your head around this.

Cry about it if you got to, but you are a self -serving, insecure individual who does not avail yourself to the effort and work in which the clique is known for.

Things that make you go, hmm. Guys, let me explain something to you.

There are divisions all over the place, but I promise you this. If you come here to work and serve others, you're going to be in the only clique that exists.

You really will. Oh, but I don't feel. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not talking about your feelings. I'm talking about no division.

Guys, if you come to this table this morning, make sure there is no division in your heart.

Now, on the other side of the equation is this. Division is not disagreement.

You can disagree with a lot of people. I disagree with a lot of you people in here.

I definitely disagree with some of you men. You are too skinny.

You need to bulk up and get a full man size. But, I mean, look at Paul. He eats like five horses and he still looks like a

GQ model, you know? Gosh, I look like a fat slob. But anyways, we can disagree, but disagreement does not mean disharmony.

Guys, there are Wednesday nights. We're talking about Arminianism and Calvinism. And except for a couple of people who still haven't matured to the place of discussion all the way, we are doing good.

Listen, I enjoy and my spiritual life is enhanced, not damaged by speaking to people who are different than my spiritual

DNA. I am not threatened. I enjoy it because I do not understand how disagreement can lead to disharmony if you're still focused as a group on the main thing, which is the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

If you and I can agree with that, you can have blue hair. I'm good with it.

You can live under a bridge and be a troll like Mercedes. I can deal with that.

Guys, do you have division? Now, before we take this supper, I want you to look around this room right now.

Is there anyone you're holding anger against or bitterness against? If there is, you got two choices.

Make it right or keep your seat. I caution you, and we'll read this in a second, don't come forward and take this.

The second thing is this. Look at this. If you look at verse 21, it says this. For at that meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of the others.

So one person is hungry while another one gets drunk. I'm about to have a revamping of...

Have y 'all ever heard someone complain about the deacons? I have. I mean, dang, what do they do?

They don't do anything, right? They don't do nothing. You know what's amazing?

Usually, the people who are saying that are the ones who are doing nothing because they're not here enough to realize of all the stuff that the deacons really are doing.

Guys, where do you think this food came from? The good food fairy? No, man.

I was about to say there ain't no fairies here, but I know some of you guys. Guys, they did this.

They worked. They served. Now, one of the second things that Paul condemns the people for is being selfish.

God, I hate selfishness. Drives me crazy. I've hated it my whole life. I hate it.

It is a cancer upon your soul. I know that's a strong word. Let me say it again. It's a cancer on your soul.

Selfishness makes you become self -centered, and that's why you're so angry and bitter and frustrated and confused because you are so wrapped up in self you can't see anything else.

Here it says this. They all came together. The church came together. Now, they didn't meet in a building. They met on a hillside, and the church would come together on Sunday morning, and this group would eat here.

This group would eat here. This group would eat here. Divisions, right? But the problem was this group, some of them came from Collierville, and this group came from Fraser.

So, this group had fried bologna, and this group had yogurt and tofu, right? And this group didn't have enough to eat.

Poor little Cindy Lewis wasn't getting no fried bologna over here. And so, the Collierville people were sitting there going, hey, you got another bottle of wine?

Pop that sucker open. And these guys didn't have nothing. That's why we eat like this.

That's why we don't have round tables. We eat together as a family.

Guys, everything I have in my life is yours. Everything I have is yours.

Everything you have is mine. That's what Acts chapter 2 talks about.

And it's not communism like I've heard some idiot say, because the government doesn't take it from me and give it to you like some liberals want to do.

I freely give it. That's how it's an offering for God. Free will.

Guys, how selfish are you in here today? Listen, I love our young men.

I love our young men. I love the fact, and I know this is being a male chauvinist.

I love our men treating our ladies like ladies. Now, some of you guys, you're still needing to watch your eyeballs.

But you're working on it, and I've talked to you about it, I'm proud of you. Some of you still need to watch your eyeballs, because these are my little sisters you're looking at.

I might knock you out. But our young men, for the most part, are doing a great job.

Do you know in this church, there is never a time when a woman is on this property or walks out into that parking lot without a man watching over her?

Well, that's male chauvinist. No, that's called character. It may be so foreign to you because you weren't raised like that, but that's called honor.

Discipline. Things that make men, men. And I know in today's world, that's so confusing.

But it's because the world is self -indented with selfishness that they can't see anything but the black heart of their own infallible, godless lives.

And so they don't recognize the absolute truths that come from God's word. How selfish are you?

Third thing. And I told Andrew, I was going to cut this short, but watch this. Verse 22. Don't you have houses to eat and drink in?

Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing?

We had a little girl in here. She came into my office and her breeches were ripped in a place where they shouldn't.

You know, it looks like kids nowadays wear, you know, jeans that they buy them and then put a weed eater on them, you know.

Well, this girl's rip was in a place where you didn't need to have a little girl have a rip, right? And she showed me.

I was like, no, stop. And so I immediately got some of our chicks, our women. I think I got Carrie and a little bit and a bunch of other women.

I said, y 'all take care of this. And about an hour later, I saw the little girl again.

She had on a brand new pair of breeches. Brand new pair of breeches. I said, oh, you got some new breeches.

She goes, no, I got seven pairs of new breeches. You know what pride will do to you?

Pride will make you do this. Pride will make you, as that wounded Samaritan is sitting there, keep on walking.

You know what pride will do? Pride will make you think you're so right that you'll be the majority yelling out, crucify him, crucifying him.

In your very words, indict you. And you'll get so arrogant and prideful even after that, that you'll actually make this statement with the innocent son of man standing right there.

You will say, let his blood be on us and on our children. You heap indictments upon yourself.

But let me tell you what pride really is. Pride and arrogance are two completely different things.

Guys, the moment you do not think you need anything or anyone else, that you don't need accountability.

Guys, you are reaching a place in your life where your soul will not be able to cast the checks.

Your sinful, prideful mind will start to write. And the scar tissue that you will accumulate in your life will be bearing with interest that your children will have to pay.

Now, I know some of you are visitors here. You're like, this is a weird church service.

This isn't a church service. This isn't a sermon. This is a word of God and a warning to your life.

As Jude says, let the believers snatch them even out of the flames of hell. Some of you in this room are playing religious games with your life.

And it's going to cost you. It's going to cost you more than you can pay. Oh, but there is a man who will rescue you.

There is a God who has already paid a debt. And if you will look and reach unto him, the interest has already been paid by the open and empty grave at Gethsemane or at the grave of Jesus.

Listen to me today. You need to make sure your pride's in check. Now, how, Pastor, how do

I do that? Is there anyone in here that you need to go apologize to, to humble yourself to?

Before you come up here, you humble yourself. Last thing and I'm done. Last thing and I'm done.

Look at this. Go down. We didn't read this yet, but go down here. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the

Lord in an unworthy way. Now, y 'all listen, will be guilty of sin against the body and the blood of the

Lord. Do you know somebody who is always worried about the rules and they're just rebellious?

In other words, ain't nobody going to tell me what to do. You know, I saw some guy get shot over a spicy chicken sandwich the other day.

You know, don't tell me what to do. I don't need the church. I don't need accountability.

I don't need any of that. You are the same insecure individual whose rebellion and pride are destroying your children and ergo your children's children.

Personally, I'll be honest with you. I'm tired of cleaning up your mess. And some of you know exactly who I'm talking to.

I'm tired of cleaning up your mess. It's time for you to humble yourself before Almighty God. Because it's funny, while you're running your mouth saying you don't need anything, your family members are in my office crying about how miserable their lives are.

Wake up. Stop smoking the rock. Stop living by your own self -centered, arrogant pride and start submitting and humble yourself to the

Almighty God. Now, wrap your head around this if you got to. Submitting to God also means submitting to man.

Oh, my gosh. Yes. Do you know the number one sin in our world today is rebellion?

Rebellion. Nobody's going to tell me what to do. I am a master of my own fate.

So said Satan as he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. Listen to me today.

You need to submit. I know this sounds weird, but I have an innate desire in my life to be submission.

Why? It brings me comfort. I remember telling my mom one time after the multiple encounters with Shelby County's finest.

I remember asking her this. You can ground me. I actually asked my mom.

Now, I wouldn't have done it, but I actually desired. And y 'all know what

I'm talking about. I had a desire for boundaries and accountability.

I did. So do you. Guys, listen to what it says.

It says right here, for whoever drinks, eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment upon himself.