2004-10-10 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

Mark 7:1-9
1. Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6. He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written (Isaiah 29:13), This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

How does it make you feel when someone surprises you by doing something really nice for you? It feels good, huh? It gives you a warm feeling and makes your heart glad because you know this was an unsolicited act of love. You didn't tell them to do it, you didn't give them hints that they should do it, and they didn't do it because you manipulated them with guilt, sympathy, or fear. This person just did something wonderful for you, and it's obvious they had no hidden motives for doing so. It doesn't take you a long time to figure out why they did it because there's only one possible explanation; this wonderful act of loving-kindness was simply that... an act of unselfish love, the highest form of love.

Now, hold on to that feeling. Keep in mind how it makes you feel when someone does something really nice for you, right out of the blue, and let's look back to the very first chapter of the Bible. In Genesis 1:26-27, God tells us that we were created in His image, in His likeness, and it's true. If we keep reading on through His Word, the picture of God gets clearer and clearer, and we begin to see the similarity in some of our feelings and emotions. We're not alone when we feel disgusted and angry. God feels the same way sometimes. He feels jealous when we turn away from Him, to the vain pleasures of the world, and in His heart it must cause a feeling of great sadness, yet He feels hopeful that you will turn back to Him again, and He feels gladness when you do.

I wonder how it makes God feel when I come to church because I feel like I have to. Does it make His heart glad when I bring my offering because it's my duty, by obligation? What do you think He feels like when we sit down at His table and receive this communion because, well, we're here and everybody else is doing it.

Obedience means nothing without love. If I seem to be a "good" Christian by my showing up to church, bringing my offerings, and appearing to be holy when I partake of the communion, it all means nothing unless I've said with my heart, "Lord, this is all I have to give. It isn't perfect, and it will never be enough to repay all the love you've shown to me, but please accept my life and my love. Please work on me. Mold me and shape me into the servant that you want me to be."

If you believe in Jesus, you know that apart from Him, there is no real hope in this life, and no hope at all in the hereafter. If you believe in Jesus, you believe that He was the Son of God, He lived a life without sin, even though He was tempted in all ways as we are. If you believe in Jesus, you believe that He was sent to die to free us from the burden of the wages of sin, and you believe that He arose from the dead to enter into heaven and prove that we can too. If you believe in Jesus, you believe that He knows when your mind and your emotions truly agree with your external actions. He knows when your heart and mind are of one accord, in communion with each other. If you believe in Jesus, you know that we as a church cannot be in perfect communion with the Lord unless we all come together as one. That's what we should be doing now...