SERMON STRUCTURE: Is It I, Lord?



Matthew 26:17-25 and 1 Corinthians 11:27-32


CIT (Central Idea of the Text): Jesus included the need for self-examination when He instituted the Lord’s Supper. (13 words)


SERMON FOCUS: Submitting one’s self to God’s judgment, and confession of sin, are necessary elements in preparing for Communion.


Major Objective: Devotional


Specific Objective: Examine yourself spiritually before entering into communion.


TITLE: Is It I, Lord?



Then … the completed sermon should be evaluated in terms of how well it adheres to the CIT and SF, and accomplishes its SO.




INVOCATION




OUTLINE OF MATTHEW 26:17-25 and 1 CORINTHIANS 11:27-32



  1. MATTHEW 26:17-25 — Jesus Institutes Communion


    1. Making preparations for the Passover. (26:17-19).

      1. The disciples inquire about preparation. (26:17).

      2. Jesus gives specific instructions. (26:18).

      3. The disciples make preparation as instructed. (26:19).

    2. At the Passover, Jesus predicts His betrayal. (26:20-25).

      1. Jesus takes His place at the table. (26:20).

      2. During the meal, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” (26:21).

      3. And the disciples ask, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” (26:22).

      4. And Jesus replies “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.” (26:23).

      5. Jesus says, “…but woe be to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.” (26:24).

      6. And “Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Surely no I, Rabbi?’” (26:25).


  1. 1 CORINTHIANS 11:27-32 — Instructions about Preparation for Communion


    1. Instructions for Self-Examination. (1 Cor 11:27, 28).

      1. “27Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.” (1 Cor 11:27).

      2. “28Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (1 Cor 11:28).

    2. Consequences for Participation in Communion without Self Examination (1 Cor 11:29-32).

      1. “29For all who eat and drink without discerning the Body eat and drink judgment against themselves.” (1 Cor 11:29).

      2. Weakness, Illness, maybe Death. (1 Cor 11:30).

      3. “31But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged.” (1 Cor 11:31).

      4. “32But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” (1 Cor 11:32).











SERMON DEVELOPMENT


Is It I, Lord?


Matthew 26:17-25 and 1 Corinthians 11:27-32



Introduction


  1. We come today to the celebration of communion.


    1. This celebration has been on the church calendar for several weeks now.

    2. But today, in the providence of God, it seems especially appropriate that we celebrate communion in the midst of our present circumstances as part of the family of God.

    3. Consider some of the recent events in our church family since our last celebration of communion:

      1. We have celebrated our nation’s birthday.

      2. Pat Vandiviere continues to recover from lung surgery.

      3. Ray deFriess has learned that he has cancer.

      4. Paul Speight’s mother has made a miraculous recovery from serious illness.

      5. Kyle Driggers, the youngster who nearly drowned in April, is making a slow but continuous comeback from his injuries.

      6. Two weeks ago with our children, we celebrated the week of Vacation Bible School.

      7. And last week, many of our folks, together with folks from University Presbyterian, shared their memories and reflections and pictures of the Appalachia Service Project in Bluefield.

      8. And today, with both great sadness and great joy, we mourn the death this week of Harvey Sykes, a faithful member of this church, a deacon of many years, our good friend and brother in Christ.


  1. And so on this day, great is our rejoicing in the Lord, but great also is our sorrow, and our concerns for our church, our community, our nation, and our world.


  1. And so it seems especially fitting that we celebrate communion on this day.


  1. Communion is the ultimate act of worship.


  1. Every act of worship, whether it is a private action, or a public service, is by its very nature an act of submission to God.


    1. It is an act of submitting one’s self to the power and authority of God.

    2. It is an act that incorporates at least four elements:

      1. It is an act of adoring God for who God is, of giving praise to God for God’s attributes.

      2. It is also an act of confessing before God one’s own unworthiness, of acknowledging before God one’s own shortcomings.

      3. It is also an act of giving thanks to God for what God has done in one’s own life, and in the lives of others.

      4. And it is also an act of supplication — that is, an act of asking God for personal needs, especially spiritual needs, and the needs of others.

    3. And these four aspects of worship are easily remembered by the acronym ACTS — Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.


  1. These same four elements can, and should, be present in all our prayers (except perhaps for short focused prayers that are responses to important needs of the moment).


  1. A central part of preparation for worship, and especially for communion, is an honest spiritual self-examination.


  1. How can we do that?


    1. It is a matter of submitting ourselves to the searching of the Holy Spirit, and yielding ourselves to the truth of God’s word.

    2. It is a matter of asking God to take our spiritual inventory, so to speak, and to report to us what God finds.

The Psalmist says,

“23Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. 24See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23,24.)

    1. It is a matter of walking in the light of God’s presence.

“But if we walk in the light, as [God] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).

    1. It is a matter of subjecting every relationship of our lives to an honest examination.

    2. And it is a matter of honestly confessing before God every fault, every shortcoming, every willful transgression, which the Holy Spirit uncovers.



Scripture


  1. Part of the Scripture we read every time we celebrate communion warns us not to enter into communion without that self-examination.


  1. The particular passage is 1 Corinthians 11:27-32. I’m reading from the New Revised Standard Version.


[Read here 1 Corinthians 11:27-32, NRSV.]


  1. The need for self-examination and honesty before God has always been a part of our relationship with Christ, even from the days when Jesus asked His disciples, “who do you say that I am?” (Matt 6:15, Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20).


  1. Jesus brought the issue of spiritual self-examination sharply into focus at his last supper with the disciples.


    1. The event is described for us in Matthew 26:17-25.

    2. I am reading again from the New Revised Standard Version.


[Read here Matthew 26:17-25, NRSV.]


    1. Here Jesus brings into focus an even more penetrating question: to what extent have I, and do I now, “betray” Jesus?

      1. To what extent are my sins responsible for Christ’s death on the cross?

      2. And I think an honest answer to that question is, I am entirely responsible for it.

      3. If I had been the only person on this earth who deserved death and hell for my own behavior, I believe Christ would have given His life just for mine.



Exposition


  1. And so in this spirit of honest self-examination, I would like us to pray together — literally, to pray silently and perhaps audibly with each other — in preparation for celebrating communion together.


  1. As we have come to our prayers of celebration, confession, and concern in the past, I’ve asked you to share your praises and concerns with the congregation, and then I’ve led the audible prayer.


  1. But this morning I want us to offer our prayers differently.


    1. I want you to participate actively with me in prayer.

    2. I want you to join in the prayers by giving voice to the things for which you want to praise God, by joining in a time of silent confession of sin, by thanking God out loud for His wonderful deeds among us, and by openly asking God, as Bill Waddell did so eloquently last Sunday, for the things we need.


  1. I will lead the prayer, to give it structure and flow, but there will be opportunities for you to add your voice.


    1. If there’s something you want to contribute, please speak up.

    2. But even if you don’t speak up, I want you to be offering up your own prayers silently to God.

    3. And don’t worry if God prompts you to pray for something different from our group prayer. God is waiting to hear your voice individually, even in the middle of whatever else may be said.


  1. As we prepare to pray, please be seated comfortably. You can certainly pray with your eyes open, if you wish.


  1. We will begin with a few moments of silence. Take a deep breath and relax. Open your heart and your spirit to the presence of God within you. [SILENCE]


  1. The elements of prayer: Adoration


    1. O Lord our God, I give you praise that You are the Creator of all things.

    2. I give you praise for the beauty of the world around us — for evidences of your glory in the fields and forests and hills around us.

    3. I give you thanks, O God, for my brother Ronnie, who asks, “How can anyone look at the beauty of the world around us around us and not know that there is a God?”

    4. O Lord our God, I praise You that You have created us in Your own likeness, so that we may have a relationship with You, and with each other.

    5. O God, we offer our worship and praise to You for …[SILENCE]

      1. the fertility of creation: for crops and food; for replenishment of natural resources; for abundance of wildlife in the fields and forests and streams.

      2. the opportunity to see the face of God in all things, both great and small, both near and far away, that you have created for yourself and for us.


  1. The elements of prayer: Confession


    1. We confess to You O God, that Your commandments and decrees are holy and just and righteous altogether, and that in some measure we have all fallen far short of Your desires and expectations for us.

    2. O God, we are weak and so often unworthy of Your presence with us and in us. We pray that in these moments of prayer, You will bring to our minds individually our own personal shortcomings and failures, and those habits and ways of life from which we need to repent and ask for Your forgiveness. Help us, O God, to be individually honest with You about what we have done, and what we have left undone.

[SILENCE]

    1. Give us hearts of true repentance, O God, as we confess our sins before You, and grant us not just Your forgiveness, but the grace to walk in Your ways and glorify Your name in what we say and do.


  1. The elements of prayer: Thanksgiving


    1. I give you thanks, O God, for this part of the body of Christ, these brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the opportunity to walk and serve with these people.

    2. I give you thanks, O God, for the miracles of health and healing that You have accomplished among our folks:

      1. For successful heart surgery for Trish Ross’ brother-in law, and my brother-in-law.

      2. For sustaining Pat Vandiviere through a long and difficult illness.

      3. For restoring Paul Speight’s mother to strength and wellness.

      4. For healing and returning strength for Kyle Driggers, the youngster who nearly drowned in April.

      5. And for others who have been restored to health, whom we now name…. [SILENCE]

    3. For the life and witness of Harvey Sykes, and for his contributions to this church over many years.

    4. O God, You have blessed our lives in ways that we simply could not have imagined.

    5. Here are some of those blessings for which we want to give you particular thanks: [SILENCE]


  1. The elements of prayer: Supplication


    1. Lord, we lift before You now those specific needs of which we are aware — we pray especially for

      1. Ray deFriess, that you might lay Your hand of healing upon him, and restore him to strength and health, that you might comfort him and encourage him and give him peace of mind,

      2. And Ray’s family, Pam and Natalie and Jonathan, that you will give them strength and courage and peace of mind in these anxious days.

      3. Trish Ross, as she undergoes evaluation for potential heart problems.

      4. Jim Rishel, as he recovers from a motorcycle collision this past week.

    2. We also remember others in this fellowship who need Your healing and strength, whom we now name before You …. [SILENCE]

    3. And we remember especially Barbara and David and Richard Sykes and their families, and all those who grieve the loss of loved ones, and others who need Your comfort and peace, and those who seek Your guidance in what they do.

    4. O God, we pray for our President (George), and our Governor (Mike), and for members of the legislatures and the courts, that they will well and truly discharge the responsibilities and obligations given to them.

    5. We pray, O God, for this nation, that we may truly be a nation “under God,” a nation that honors God and embodies the mercy and justice and compassion of God in all that it does, a nation that will live up to live up to its ideals of freedom and justice for all people.

    6. We pray especially for wisdom and discernment as we elect a new President and legislative and judicial officers, that they may well and truly discharge their duties with insight, justice, and compassion.

    7. And we pray, O Lord, for ourselves, because each of us brings to this hour of worship our own special needs, our own hopes and fears, our own joys and sorrows, or own failures and shortcomings. We offer ourselves to You here today, knowing that as we openly give ourselves into Your gracious keeping, You have the power to transform us into persons that we can never be on our own.


  1. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.


Reflections and Conclusions


  1. (Transition here into celebration of communion.)



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