October 1, 2006am      Repairing the damage     I Corinthians 11

Communion Sunday

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

I Cor. 11     ^23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ^24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ^25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ^26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. ^27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ^28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ^29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. ^30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ^31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ^32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.  ^33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. ^34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.   And when I come I will give further directions. ^[1]

1.  What was the damage?   The Bible says in Romans 6:23,  the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Our sin was the cause of the damage.  Sin is the damage and death is the result. 

2.  What was it like in the beginning?  Life was all good!  Adam and Eve enjoyed life with God, but sin came to us when Adam ate the forbidden fruit.  Sin and death came upon all.  The damage was made when Adam chose to disobey God and try to live without the Father.  The result was death.  The relationship we enjoyed with God was severed.  Since we chose to live without God who gives us life, then we must die.  Sin leads all to die.  Sin is life without God.  Sin is choosing to live without the one who gives us life.  We made the damage by living without the Lord. 

3.  Why did someone innocent have to die?  To repair the damage someone had to stand in the gap.  The sacrifice must be innocent and not worthy of death.  That someone was Jesus.  He did not need to die, but he died in our place.  He paid our price and repaired the damage caused by our sin.  He made it possible to return to the relationship we once enjoyed with the Father of life. 

4.  Why do we still have to die?  Life is still good with the Lord.  We know that one day we will be able to leave this life of sin and death to live with the Lord in the garden called heaven.  Do you want to go to heaven?  Heaven is the place where you and God get together.  Jesus has made it possible.  He gave his life so that we may live.  We die so that we may begin to live with the Lord in a completely sinless relationship in a completely sinless environment.  Prepare to launch from here to eternity. 

5.  Today we remember who repaired the damage and how he did it.  Jesus is the one.  He repaired the damage by giving his life for ours.  He is the one for the many.  He is the second Adam.  As by the sin of one innocent man Adam we were separated from God by death.  Then by the sacrifice of one innocent man Jesus we are joined again with the Father of life.  He had to die so that we may live.  Death is the payment of sin.  He paid your bill. 

Take the bread and the cup and remember we are joined with the Lord forever.