A Word in Due season

September 06, 2005
Pastor Chris Abernathy
Columbus, Georgia




If you would, turn in your Bibles with me to the book of First Corinthians chapter eleven. First Corinthians chapter eleven. We’re going to read from verse seventeen to verse thirty-four. Verse seventeen to verse thirty-four. When you have First Corinthians chapter eleven, verse seventeen, somebody say amen. Reader

17. Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

18. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

20. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

21. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

22. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

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:

21. 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.

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.

26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.

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.

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

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

30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

32. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

33. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

34. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

Let us pray.

Father, we thank You this morning for who You are and for what You do. Master, this morning we come seeking understanding, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. With all of our getting, we ask for understanding today. Father, I ask that You would touch the hearts of Your people, Lord, God, that they would be able to receive the Word of God.

Touch your son this morning, Lord God, as I preach the Word of God, that You would use me to and for Your Glory. Let my head be Your head, for revelation. Let my eyes be Your eyes, that I may see Your Word clearly. Let my ears be Your ears, Lord God, that I would know the direction that You’re taking the body of Christ into. Lord, let my heart be Your heart, that I would feel the way You feel about Your people, God. Use me as an instrument of Your praise.

We thank You that every form of deception is bound this morning, God, and that the adversary, Lord God, he has no place in us. Father, cover us in the precious Blood of Jesus this day. Cover our minds as we hear the Word of God. In Jesus’ Name.

And all said amen. You may be seated in the house of the Lord.

So many times we do things in the church without clarity and understanding. And here we have the church at Corinth getting ready to partake in communion. When we look across the body of Christ, just about all of us have partaken in communion at one time or one point or another. But a lot of times as we took it, we did not understand exactly what we were doing. We did not understand the symbolization that it characterized in the Name of Jesus, that He died for us, and that He rose again with all power in His hands.

So this morning the Lord began to deal with me on this first Sunday that men, women, boys, and girls need to understand the Lord’s Supper. Amen, somebody.

When we look at what the Lord’s Supper symbolized, it was (glory to God) a visible representation of the good news of the death of Christ for our sins, and also a weapon against Satan. Because anything that reminds you about Jesus is a weapon against the devil. Amen, somebody. Also it reminds us (glory to God) of His glorious return, that Jesus is coming back again. Glory to God.

Our participation in the Lord’s Supper strengthens our faith through fellowship with Christ and with other believers. Because when we look at what communion means, it means sharing something in common. And we have come this morning that we may be able to share this common thing that we know and understand about Jesus. Amen, somebody.

Jesus was crucified on the cross. He went to Calvary that He may what? Die for us, that He might rise again with all power in His hands.

But in this church at Corinth there were differences that were going on in the church. And Paul was writing to them, because he was not in their what? In their presence physically. But don’t you know that the apostle was there spiritually. And he understood that there were differences that were going on in the church. And whenever you have differences, they can lead to divisions. Amen, somebody. Do you understand that the only division that there should be (glory to God) is in Satan’s kingdom as we tear it down? There should be no division in the house of God.

So here we have Paul getting ready to reprimand the church, as they get ready to partake in communion, because it is a sacred, holy, purified, sanctified, not a ritualistic ceremony, but a holy ceremony that they were to partake in with clean hands and a pure heart.

There are people in here this morning, in this congregation, that are getting ready to partake in the Lord’s Supper, but you have not yet gone before God. God is saying to you this morning, “I’m giving you the opportunity (oh, my God) to get your heart right before Me, that you may partake in My broken body, and My Blood that was shed for you at Calvary.” Give God praise in this place.

There were differences that were going on in the house. Differences is okay. Don’t you know whenever you get brothers and sisters together, they’re going to have differences? God understood that there would be differences in the house of God, but the only problem comes when those differences become divisions. A house divided cannot stand.

I don’t know about you, but my Bible says the gates of hell shall not prevail against my church, when it’s Jesus Christ’s church. And I don’t know if you understand this, but this is Jesus’ church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

There was division in the house. They were partaking of communion, but they did not understand the concept.

Don’t you know even when you’re dealing with mathematical problems, that in order for you to get the right answer, you’ve got to understand the concept? So in the natural, so in the spirit. You and I cannot afford to do things with our understanding while we’re doing them, because they’ll have no significance; they’ll have no meaning.

I remember many years that I took communion without understanding, living any kind of way, saying anything I wanted to say, going to places I desired to go, and not recognizing that I was eating and drinking damnation to my own soul. Can I get an amen in the house of God?

This became a time that the church at Corinth where some of them were coming and eating and drinking excessively. They were overlooking the poor. They were only coming to get what they could get. They didn’t understand that it was a place where everybody was supposed to have all things common, and they were supposed to share everything that they had.

This morning if you came as an individual, drop that (oh, my God) mind set, and say, “It’s not about me, but it’s about us. It’s about me and my brothers and my sisters being joined together and unified in the cause of Jesus Christ.” Somebody say, “Amen.”

This that was going on at the church of Corinth did not characterize the spirit of communion. Paul condemned these actions, and reminded the church of the real purpose of the Lord’s Supper.

You see, Christians pose several different possibilities for what Christ meant when He said, “This is my body that is broken for you.” What did He mean when He said He broke it? In other words, He was saying, “I’m being divided that the church does not have to be divided. I’m being divided, that I may be able to bring you together. I’m bridging that gap. I’m being the sacrifice. I’m laying down my life, that you will come together in the spirit of unity.” I wish I could get an amen in the house of God today. Oh, my God. I came to preach in this house.

He was divided that we would no longer have to be divided. He was divided that our minds could come together.

Paul said that there was a war going on in his body. He was being pulled one way and then being pulled the other way. He said, “When I go to do good, evil is always present with me.” But Paul was more than a conqueror, and he brought that thing that was not like God under subjection to his spirit which was like God. And God is saying, “Bring that thing under subjection this morning.” Oh, my God, in this house today. Oh, glory.

You see, when something is broken, it is divided. Do you hear what I’m saying? You see, Satan comes to divide the church, that he may destroy the church. But he’s not going to destroy the church. Do you hear what I’m saying? Because Satan is a defeated foe, and we’ve got to understand that we got power to put him up under our feet, power to cast him out, power to send him back to the dry places where he belongs. Glory to God.

Somebody say, “There was division.” You see, a lot of people don’t understand that they’re causing division when they sow discord among the brethren. Do you hear what I’m saying? Just because you don’t like somebody and you can’t understand somebody doesn’t mean that everybody else doesn’t like that person. Do you hear what I’m saying? Then I begin to sow discord and division in the house of God. Don’t you know I’m going to reap what I sow? That’s why my house won’t line up. That’s why I can’t get the things together in my own house, because I caused division in God’s house.

Oh, somebody needs to hear this today. Somebody needs to walk with me today. Somebody needs to come on aboard this morning, in the Name of Jesus. Because we’re going somewhere in the Holy Ghost. We’re getting clarity and understanding about why we do the things we do. We don’t just spend time in the house of God just wasting time and killing time. We spend time that we may worship God in the beauty of holiness. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

It’s supposed to make us one, somebody. Do you hear what I’m saying this morning? When we come together for communion . . . Paul said they came together for the worse and not for the better. But I’m going to change things around. We’re not coming together for the worse, because we’re coming together for the better, for the better good of the house, for the better good for ourselves, for the better good for the cause of God.

There’s somebody here this morning, when you got up, you felt like you were divided in yourself. I’m going to preach you back together again. Do you hear what I’m saying today?

God is not divided. The body of Christ is not supposed to be divided. But we’re supposed to be together. We’re supposed to be unified. Do you hear what I’m saying in the house of God today? Say yeah. Hallelujah.

In the book of Saint John chapter seventeen and verse twenty-two, Jesus said a prayer to the Father. He said, “Make them one as we are one.” God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Do you hear what I’m saying? All three make one. It goes beyond our comprehension, but it’s a spiritual law. It’s a spiritual thing. And if you’re going to understand spiritual things, you got to get out of the natural. You got to come out of the carnal, and you’ve got to get in God. He’s talking to us this morning. Look at your neighbor and say, “God is speaking this morning.” God is speaking to us this morning.

You see, Jesus prayed for unity among the believers, based on the believers unity with Him and the Father. Let me give you an example. Each branch living in union with vine. It ‘s united with all of the branches doing the same.

You see, when we come to the house of God, we’re supposed to be united as one branch, so that we can all bear the same fruit in the house of God. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to bear some fruit. I don’t want to be cast into the fire.

Come on, saints. Stand up this morning and give God a shout of praise all over this place. We’re in the house of God to serve Him. We’re going to worship Him.

Paul was trying to give them some clarity and some understanding that you need to get the flesh out of the way. You need to get yourself out of the way. You need to get self down off the throne and let God be God. God is in you, for greater is He that’s in you than he that’s in the world. Keep on coming with me the way you were coming. Don’t you stop now.

There’s some folk up in here this morning, God’s about to change your mind-set. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about me. But it’s about all of us in the body of Christ being come together for one common cause, to serve God. I’m going to serve Him. I’m going to serve Him. I’m going to serve Him. I’m going to serve Him. I’m going to serve Him. I’m going to serve God this morning in the house of the Lord. Clap your hands, all ye people, and shout unto God with a voice of triumph.

I came this morning to get you to understand that we got to get right, if we want to go home. I don’t know about you, but I want to be with Jesus. I want to see the pearly gates. They tell me the streets are paved with gold. I want to have my name written in the Lamb’s book of life. I want to stand up and say, “Here I am, Jesus. Here I am, Jesus. Here I am, Jesus.” Give God praise in this house today. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

You got to understand that the Passover celebrated deliverance from slavery in Egypt; so the Lord’s Supper celebrates deliverance from sin by Christ’s death. Do you hear what I’m saying this morning?

So what is this new covenant that Paul was talking about? He was saying at that time you needed a high priest to get to God, but now you can come to God for yourself, and make your petition known. You don’t need me to get to God. You just need a relationship with God all by yourself. You don’t need a high priest, because Jesus has become your High Priest, and now you’ve got access to the Father, to the Son. Do you hear what I’m saying this morning?

God is speaking to us about eating communion. When we partake of His communion this morning, it’s a commitment. It’s showing that we’re serving God. It’s showing that we believe Jesus, that He’s coming back again. Somebody needs to shout yeah. Somebody needs to shout yeah. Somebody needs to shout yeah. Oh, give Him praise all over this place. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

When we look at the wine, it symbolizes the Blood of Christ that was shed for us on Calvary. Some folk don’t believe it, but I believe that every time I partake of the Lord’s Supper, it’s healing my mind; it’s healing my body; it’s healing my soul; it’s taking care of my situation; it’s taking care of my circumstance. Oh, somebody bless God all over this house today, and give God a shout of praise. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

There was a Man from Galilee, and they call His Name Jesus. Every time I hear the Name Jesus, it makes me want to jump. It makes me want to leap. It makes me want to shout. It makes me want to dance. It makes me want to lift my hands and shout unto God with a voice of triumph.

There’s somebody here this morning that doesn’t know Jesus like I know Jesus. He’s a way maker. He’s a way maker. He’s a burden bearer. He’s a heavy load carrier. Do you hear what I’m saying this morning? Jesus is here for you today. Jesus is here for you today. Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Hallelujah.

Oh, is there anybody here this morning that loves my Jesus? Is there anybody here this morning that can shout Jesus? Is there anybody here this morning that needs God right now? You need Him more today than you’ve ever needed Him before. You love Him more today than you’ve ever loved Jesus before. He’s sweeter, sweeter, sweeter than the day, than the day, day, day, day, day (hallelujah) before. Oh, glory. Hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah.

There’s some folk up in here this morning, you’re not free yet. You need to forget about yourself this morning, and take off running in the Name of Jesus. Run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run. We’re running for Jesus. We’re running for Jesus. Oh, glory. Oh, glory. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Shout hallelujah.

Oh, hallelujah. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Come on. Give the Lord a handclap of praise this morning. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah. Somebody say glory. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. We thank Him.

He said, “When you come together . . .” We got to come together for the better and not the worse. We got to come together (oh, my God) in the spirit of unity of the faith. We’ve got to come together for the cause of Christ, Him being crucified and raised from the dead, and now sitting on the right hand of the Father, with all power in His hands, interceding for us. We thank God for salvation this morning. Yes, we do. We thank God for salvation this morning. Hallelujah. Yeah. Hallelujah.

(Just slow it down just a little bit. Yeah.)

There may be someone here this morning, and you feel like you don’t know if you’re saved or not, but you come to church or you go to church, and you see people jumping and shouting and praising God, but you say to yourself, “I just don’t understand. I don’t know why they’re jumping and shouting and praising God.” It’s because they had an experience with Jesus, and they know that He’s real. Yeah. Jesus is real.

And you may be going through a financial situation, or you may be going through a situation in your health. You may be going through a situation with your children. Whatever it may be, Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the answer. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is the answer.

If you’re not saved this morning . . . By that I mean you have not received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and you desired to be saved, the doors of the church are open. That means that you can come down and give me your hand, but give Jesus your heart.

Or you may be someone here this morning that you know Jesus, but you’re backslidden, and you’re backslidden to where you’re seeing and it feels like you can’t get up. The Bible says that Jesus is married to the backslider. He’s always going to come and get His Bride, isn’t He? He’ll pick you up out of the muck and miry clay and set your feet upon a rock. He’ll have a celebration just for you coming home, because that’s the kind of God He is.

Is there one for salvation this morning? Is there one for restoration this morning? The doors of the church are open. Yeah.

We can look at the signs in the earth right now, and we can see for ourselves that something is happening. We can see for ourselves that something is going on. It’s just not about mother nature, is it? It’s about the Father of Lights. He’s shaking up people. He’s shaking them up, that they would know that there’s no other salvation except for Jesus Christ.

The Bible declares they that call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. They that call upon the Name of the Lord shall be delivered. He’s our Deliverer. Money can’t deliver us. Flesh and blood can’t deliver us. We need divine intervention for someone that is higher than we are. We need Jesus.

Is there one this morning? Is there one for salvation? Is there one for restoration this morning? Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Jesus.

At this time the doors of the church are also open. If you’re looking for a church home, and you have not yet found one, and you desire to be a member of True Vine Ministries International, the doors of the church are open for membership at this time. Is there one? Is there one? Give God praise this morning. Hallelujah.





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