Keeping the Passover In A Worthy Manner

For the sermon today, I would like to springboard off of what the topic was last week that Mr. Oliver spoke on, and I appreciated that sermon very much because he covered the topic of self-examination and that process prior to the Passover, and then he went specifically down the road of reconciliation. The fact that as we examine ourselves in light of God's word, it should lead to reconciliation not only with God, but with one another as well. And that's the basis, that's the focus of the Passover. It's the healing of the breach and the bringing back together that relationship ultimately, again, with us and God, that has been damaged by sin.

And so I want to continue on with the thread of self-examination in my sermon today as well, because we're going to see that as we take a hard, honest look at ourselves and what it is that's inside with a proper mindset, it helps to bring us into a position where we approach the Passover in a worthy manner.

In fact, it's so important that we can actually run the risk of taking the Passover in an unworthy manner if we neglect to take the requisite time, again, to look inside, to consider indeed what is there, to consider what God would have us to honestly think about prior to that night.

And so my message today is titled, Keeping the Passover in a Worthy Manner. We can find the instructions in the Bible, which we'll look at shortly, on how you could keep it in an unworthy manner. And that's not our goal. It's to utilize this service to glean, or to glean from it, and to observe it, and to approach it in a way that is indeed worthy of the event we're commemorating.

So let's begin in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. We've come here oftentimes in recent weeks, but it's such a critical portion of Scripture, such a pivotal point for us to focus on. 1 Corinthians chapter 11. I'm going to pick it up in verse 23. Here we have the Apostle Paul's instructions as to the proper way to approach the Passover service. First Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 23, Paul says, For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread.

And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and he said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you, do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. Paul says that's the purpose. That's the focus. You proclaim the Lord's death. He said, Till he comes. It's ongoing till he comes.

It's something that we are to engage in. And so every year as we approach the Passover, the point is it is a service that commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. And we acknowledge the price that was paid on account of sin so that you and I could live and can be relieved of the penalty of death. Verse 27 says, Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

Every year as we approach the Passover, virtually every year it's not been any different. This year I will receive a phone call. I will have a conversation with someone who says, You know, I don't know if I'm worthy to take a Passover this year. I've been thinking about my life. I know what I struggle with, and I'm just not feeling worthy. And they begin to entertain thoughts of maybe I should just sit out the Passover this year because I don't feel actually myself that I'm good enough to be there.

I'm not worthy. And you know what the answer to that is, brethren? The answer is, you know what? You're right. You're right. You're not worthy, and neither am I. Right? And that's the point. I was going to say there's an elephant in the room to get out of the way up front, but I thank Dale for getting it out of the way for me.

You know? We all have yeast on us, don't we? We are all unworthy of the Passover in terms of, when you live up to that sacrifice in terms of worthiness. The truth is, none of us are worthy of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. None of us are good enough, and that is why it is called grace. That's why it's called grace. That's why it's called mercy. Because none of us can live up to that standard. We all fall short. But the Passover is God's mercy poured out on us.

Again, because none of us are worthy of the sacrifice. And that's why Christ came and died, not because we were worthy, but because we were not worthy. Right? While we were still in our sins, Christ died for us. That's the state that we were found in. The lesson of these days is we're to be moving more towards that stature, the fullness of Christ, and that standard.

But if we're going to measure ourself up and look at Jesus' Christ as a standard and say, oh, I fall short, therefore I'm not worthy, we're missing the point. The point is we need the Passover. And we need that live our life under that sacrifice because of and by ourselves. There's nothing we can do to be worthy. I'd actually be worried if someone said, you know what? I've got it this year. You know? I've looked around. I've checked out my life.

And I'm there. You know, the stature of the fullness of Christ. You're looking at them. And I'm now worthy to take the Passover. We say, we need to sit down and talk. You know? So, you know, we're all in this club together.

If the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was not applied, no worthiness. But our righteousness comes by coming under that sacrifice, having the remission of sins because of the price that was paid for us. And the manner in which we keep the Passover and approach the sacrifice, rather than it can be done in an unworthy manner if we actually don't approach and don't appreciate what it truly means for us. If we walk into the door to the Passover and think, I got this, we're approaching in an unworthy manner.

But when we understand the sacrifice that was made and our personal need for it, and we approach in humility and gratefulness to God for that mercy, then we can approach worthily for the Passover. And so, this isn't meant to be a discouraging sermon. It's not my point today that we would beat ourselves up before the Passover, but it is important that we would examine ourselves and that we would understand that, yes, indeed, we are all sinners.

Right? Me included. If we look at our life honestly, that's the conclusion we come to. Alright, but the question is, once we've accepted that reality, how do we respond to it? Do we just kind of try to push it off in the corner or sweep it under the carpet like it really doesn't exist and just sort of ignore it? Or are we willing to address it head-on? You know, honestly, take a look at who and what we are and then appreciate the mercy that God has extended to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

That's the mindset. That's the self-examination process and approach that must take place as we come up to the Passover every year. So, if we're going, alright, do I sweep it under the carpet or do I confront it head-on? Paul gives us the answer, right? Verse 28, he says, but let a man examine himself. And so, let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. This is the antidote to taking it in an unworthy manner. He says, take an honest look inside. And to do so again will help to give us the proper desire and motivation to take that Passover because we recognize our need to live under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ continually.

Paul said, examine yourself. Consider your ways. Consider your life. And in doing so, you can take it in a worthy manner. Passover is not a party. And that's what Paul was addressing to the Corinthians here. They were coming together. Basically, he was saying, you know what? Don't be so Greek. Alright, this is a Greek culture. This is a Gentile culture. The church in Corinth. These weren't practicing Jews by and large that had become Christian. These were Greeks and Gentiles called out of the world. In much of the book, Paul is wrestling with them of stop being so Greek and be Christian. And the point is Passover is not a party. It's not another one of your cultural festivities where one is drunk and another gets passed over with the symbols.

Right? It was a mess. And that's what Paul was confronting with them in 1 Corinthians 11. And he says, you're running a big risk because of the manner in which you're approaching the Passover. And you keep it in an unworthy manner. Let's not do that. So again, it's not a party. It's not a festivity. The instructions are to keep the symbols properly, commemorating the sacrifice that was made for you. Verse 29 says, For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

So it's that serious of a matter. And we can actually bring ourselves under the judgment of God if we approach the Passover irreverently or we fail to have a proper appreciation for the sacrifice that was made for us and our need to live continually under that sacrifice. That's why the self-examination process is so important, brethren. Because it puts us in the proper mindset.

If we're truly honest, if we're truly reflective, it helps us to see ourselves for who we are and it helps us to see the love of God and Christ and the mercy that they've extended. And it is under that mindset that we approach the Passover because we know we need this sacrifice. We need to live our life continually under it. Verse 29, For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

For this reason many are weak and sick among you and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. Take a look inside and make a judgment. It doesn't mean to condemnation if we would judge ourselves, but it says make a judgment. I need to change this and then change. And if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world.

This is ultimately our salvation that God's concerned about, and there's times that He chastens us because He's not as concerned about bumped elbows and skinned knees as He is with us being a part of His family. Again, in achieving salvation. And Paul's just saying if we would judge ourselves, we won't need to be chastened by the Lord. But if we don't judge ourselves, God loves us enough to chasten us, to turn us.

So that salvation is the end result. Verse 33 says, Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. Pass over something we do together in unity as a collective body. But if anyone is hungry, let them eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. So the judgment here, brethren, is based on taking the bread and the wine in an unworthy manner. That's where the judgment that Paul is addressing primarily would come from.

And if you examine yourself truthfully and you judge yourself properly, then you don't have to worry about it. You don't have to think, oh, am I worthy of keeping the Passover this year? The point is none of us are worthy, but we want to keep it in a worthy manner, reverently, respectfully, and with great appreciation. What does it mean for us to examine ourselves, then, in light of the Passover? What does that look like? How do we do that? How do we examine ourselves? What is the comparison that we make?

What are the things we look for? Well, we're told by Paul that we must do it. It is a command. So what does it look like? Let's go to 2 Corinthians 13. It's, again, a similar context of backdrop. And Paul is giving us understanding of what it means to examine yourself and how we will do that. 2 Corinthians 13, verse 5, Paul says, There's a lot packed here into this verse. Paul starts out, he says, So it's our spiritual condition that we're examining here, brethren. We're examining our faith. We're examining our relationship with God, relationship with one another. Are you someone who demonstrates evidence of living in the faith, and is the fruit of that evident in your life as well?

Paul says that's what we look for. Examine yourself as to whether you are in the faith. You know, annual examinations are an important thing, and it's reflective of what we should be doing all year long. The Passover kicks off. In fact, we have to live under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ continually, and we do. We have to be repentant continually, and to examine ourselves continually. Days of unleavened bread are a block in time, but it shows how we ought to live continually, unleavened, putting out the sin, taking on Jesus Christ. So having once a year, though, annual examination is important, because it's like hitting the reset button and a refresher and a reminder.

My family has high deductible health insurance, and that's kind of an interesting process sometimes, because you look at the deductible and you look at, do I really want to go to the doctor? Right, because I got to pay up front a certain amount before the insurance kicks in and covers the remainder. So sometimes you're looking at, well, is this really big of an issue to even address? And so what the insurance company does is they say, look, up front, once a year, annual exam is free.

You know, it doesn't go against your deductible. Schedule your exam, get in, and have a look. Okay? And the point is, let's head off some issue ahead of time before it really sprouts into something bigger and a big health issue or crisis that needs address. So they say, come in once a year free. So I try to do that at least every two or three years. I'm trying to get better. Hit the mid-40s and you say, well, maybe I should take a look.

But what's the point? Well, the point is a yearly exam. The doctor wants to lay eyes on you. He wants to examine you. They do blood work. They make sure everything is in balance as it should be. So important that it's free and it saves a big cost down the road. So in my mind, that's the examination before Passover. We should always be examining ourselves, but let's take a close look.

Let's do a full workup, right? Full panel of what are the results of how our life is going in comparison with what God has laid before us. Test ourselves. Are we in the faith? And is that what our life is a reflection of?

Examining ourselves as to whether we're in the faith includes our relationship with God.

You know, how is that relationship doing? Our prayer and our Bible study, our fasting, our meditation. Is it what it should be? Is drawing close to God where it should be? Have we made progress over the last year? Because I would just say, as was brought out in Mr. Oliver's sermon last week, you know, there's reconciliation that needs to take place all the way to the place all the way around. But to the point that we're not reconciled with God is the point we won't be reconciled with each other. But if you are right with God and I'm right with God, we ought to be right with each other if indeed we are yielding to God's Spirit in us. So it starts with our relationship with God and it moves out to our interpersonal relationships with each other as well. We examine those things for deficiencies. Again, Paul said, test yourselves. And then he gives us the standard by which we are to test ourselves. It's Jesus Christ. Okay? He's the example. He's the one our life must look like. Again, verse 5 of 2 Corinthians 13. He said, examine yourself as to whether you're in the faith. Test yourself. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you are disqualified? Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Right? As the Bible tells us. When we were baptized and had our lives put to death in that way, we had Jesus Christ now as we've begun to walk in newness of life living in us. And he becomes the standard by which we measure ourselves. And we look. Are his qualities displayed in my life? And to the degree they are, wonderful, right? Keep it up. And to the degree that they aren't, we need to be on our knees before God seeking his help by his spirit and looking at our lives as to what it is that we can set aside because this is what our calling is based on. It's calling on living according to the reality of Christ in you, the hope of glory. Again, he's the standard. He's the one we measure ourselves against. That's a big standard, isn't it? It says, let a man examine himself, not let a man examine his wife, his spouse. That's maybe easier, right? You know, my dear? Let me tell you. We just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary yesterday. And I'll just say, you could ask my wife. She probably could tell you what I need to work on. But, you know, she doesn't do that. She examines herself. I examine myself. And we work to, you know, be what we should be before God and one another. So this isn't comparing ourselves among ourselves. It's comparing ourselves to stature, the fullness of Christ. Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. So again, it was at our baptism that we were crucified with Christ. And we acknowledge the fact that we had to put to death the old man.

We were living according to sin and death, and that needed to be put away through baptism.

So we went under the waters into that watery grave of immersion. The waters covered over us, and it was a physical issue. It was a physical ceremony, but it was symbolic of the remission of sins. But, you know, the minister, when he baptized us, didn't just hold us under there until the bubble stopped, right? We've got to make sure the old man is dead, because that's not the point. Again, it's symbolic. We were brought also back out of the water, symbolic of resurrection to newness of life, to walk as Jesus Christ walks, so that we're no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And so this examination process we go through every year includes asking ourselves, does my life look like Jesus Christ? He set the standard. He showed us how to live. He did it perfectly. So we examine ourselves. We go, okay, I'm doing pretty good here, maybe, and I fall short here. It's a continual process year after year, but does my life look like Jesus Christ? So I want to give you some questions that we could ask ourselves as we consider whether our life looks like Jesus Christ. And you could come up with plenty more on your own, but these would even be a good pre-passover Bible study because there's many scriptures you could tie into them. But let me just give you some questions to consider. Am I a servant like Jesus Christ was and is? Okay.

Am I a servant like Jesus Christ was and is? Matthew chapter 20 verse 28 says, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. So Christ was a servant, and we actually memorialize that and imitate that on the Passover with the foot washing. On that final night where he got down and loosened a sandal strap on his disciples' feet and washed their feet in humble submissive service and said, you ought to do the same to one another. Question is, am I a servant like he was? Another question, am I laying my life down as a sacrifice as he did? These are all comparisons we can draw. Am I living my life, laying my life down as a sacrifice as he did? Again, same verse, Matthew 20 verse 28 said, and to give his life a ransom for many. So Jesus came, he laid down his life and sacrifice for others, and the question becomes, am I doing that? Am I willing to do that? And will I take the time to do that? Because we know we don't lay our life down to death as he did, but we are to be, as Romans 12 verse 2 tells us, a living sacrifice, which means we give of ourselves, our resources, whatever it might be. Our time can be our money in certain helpful ways. It can be our ear on the phone. It can be on our time, on our knees in prayer for someone else. We all have some ability to give of ourselves as a living sacrifice for someone else, and the question is, am I doing so? Or is life about me? Where I want to be? Another question, do we love one another to the end, just as Jesus did? Do we love one another to the end, just as Jesus Christ did? John chapter 13 and verse 1 says, now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come, that he should depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. To the end. Right? For him, that was the end of his physical life, but for that love, he laid his life down, and it says he loved them to the end. It was an unrelenting love to the end, and the question for us is, do we love one another to the end, as he did? It's to the end is a long time, you know, and you might hit a bump in the road, and you might say, well, that's the end. Well, it's not the end. It's to the end that requires patience, doesn't it? Forgiveness and consideration, and a willingness to reconcile.

Another question of consideration between us and the standard Jesus Christ, am I merciful and forgiving as he was? Am I merciful and forgiving as he was?

Luke chapter 23 and verse 34, Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

I tried to pull in some examples of Passover focus, okay, but are we forgiving? Are we merciful as he was? Jesus there was writhing in agony on the stake as he was dying, and he said, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. And the question for us again, am I merciful and forgiving as he was, even if I've been wronged? Am I willing to extend that forgiveness to others?

Another question of comparison, do I honor and worship my Father in heaven as he did? Christ said, you know, I didn't come to do my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me, he said, I came to speak his words, I came to glorify him on the earth. Do I honor and worship my Father in heaven as Jesus did? Matthew chapter 6 and verse 9, in this manner therefore pray, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. He honored his Father, he worshiped his Father, and he appointed his disciples to his Father in heaven as well. And Jesus Christ is certainly worthy of worship. The Bible shows us, but he showed us as well that the central focus of our worship is to the Father through him. And again, how are we doing in that, worshiping God as he did?

Question, do I always do the things that please God, just as he did?

You know, I would say this one wraps all the other ones up into, if you want to take a package, wrap the whole package into one question. Do I always do the things that please God, just as he did? John chapter 8 and verse 29, Jesus said, I always do those things that please him.

That's why the Father could send him, because he knew he would lay his life down, he would fulfill, he would follow through with what he was given to do, and that he would do the things that pleased his Father in heaven. And the question for us, again, do I always do the things that please him?

So you can look at all those questions, you can study those out, you can compare yourself there, you can find many more. And I would just say, you know what, if you don't measure up to 100% perfection and satisfaction on every one of those points, guess what? You need to live under the Passover sacrifice of Jesus Christ. You're not worthy. In the flesh, you've fallen short, and we are all there. Okay, again, this isn't a beat us up sermon, this is, let's recognize the blessing of the Passover when we walk in that door, because our elder brother came and laid his life down so we could live. He knew we have frailties. Our Father knows that we stumble, but He also knows that when we have a heart that is desirous, to turn in repentance as well.

So this examination helps us to understand the type of person that Jesus Christ was, to understand who it was who was sacrificed for us, helps us to understand the magnitude of the sacrifice that was made, and again, our personal and intimate need for it. And, you know, when we go to the Passover, it's not like, oh, come along my wife, you could use it this year, or come along my husband, I, you know, you need it, we all need it, and we're there for ourselves. And it is indeed personal and direct. Some people look at the Bible and they look at the concepts of law and grace and sin, and they say, well, Christ did it for me so that I don't have to. You know, He laid His life as a sacrifice, and now I'm free. Law is done away, and I can live as it is that I desire to live, saved by grace. What does the Bible say? Romans chapter 6 and verse 1. Romans chapter 6 and verse 1, the Apostle Paul, who people like to quote on the law done away, actually answered this question for us as well. Romans chapter 6 and verse 1, what shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? You know, Jesus did it for me, I'm under grace, therefore, you know what, the more I sin, the more grace I receive. Right? Well, what did Paul say? Certainly not, verse 2, certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we should also walk in newness of life. That's what this process is about. It's about newness of life, and walking in newness of life. And it's not about carrying on with the same old ways of doing things as usual, because Christ did it for me, so I don't have to. No, it's recognizing what Jesus Christ did for me, and what my responsibility, then, in light of that sacrifice, is to do. It's to turn and to walk in newness of life. Verse 5, for if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. One day we will be. Verse 6, knowing this, that your old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, which should no longer be slaves of sin. Verse 7, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died for sin once for all. For the life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lust. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. Christ died and he freed us from the penalty that was actually written in the law.

Right? The wages of sin is death. And it's the law of death, as Paul called it, not because, you know, the law was against us, not because the Ten Commandments are against us. Those things lead to life, but the penalty of breaking those things leads to death. And Christ paid the price.

And handwriting a requirement that was against us was symbolically nailed to the cross in the person of Jesus Christ, as the Bible says. And we're not now living under death, but under grace and life. And so, again, to the degree that our lives, our reflection of Jesus Christ, that's wonderful. And to the degree that they're not, we have work to do. And that's what we look for each year as we come up to the Passover, and as we consider our spiritual condition.

And that's why the time before the Passover, then, is so important, because if we remove the physical leavening from our homes only, but we don't examine ourselves to put out spiritual leavening, we're really missing the point. I appreciated the sermonette very much, because it showed just the pervasiveness of sin in our lives. The fact that if you want to use that comparison of yeast and leavening, it is everywhere. In these days running up, we have less than a week left now to the Passover, and we're going to be looking at our homes. We're going to be putting out the leavening. And it's really not about that twinkie that someone shoved under the couch six months ago. You pull it out, and you go, huh, how did that get there? And more importantly, why hasn't it even molded yet? I digress. But the point is, it's not about that. That's a symbol. That's a type that points to what we ought to be doing during these days examining ourselves. What is it that we need to be put out and repentant of? And if we're just simply going through the motions of cleaning out our homes and cleaning out our car and getting that hamburger bun that went between the driver's seat and the console that you can get your hand down in there, and you're going to put all this effort into it, and you're not thinking about what you actually have to dig out of your lives, we're missing the point. Self-in-examination is so important. Brethren, we need to come to the Passover having anticipated it, having thought it through, having actually taken steps to prepare for it, not just mark a date and a time on the calendar and show up and receive the symbols. We need to walk through this process fully, understanding who we are and understanding who Jesus Christ is and who God the Father is in this process so that we approach the Passover, understanding the magnitude of the sacrifice and the love of the Father and the Son for us, and that our response then would be appropriate because we need the Passover sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And if you've been baptized, you're under it, and you're living under it now, but we need to be reminded of the fact that we live under it continually. It is for our very life.

Who is the one who laid down his life for us? Again, keeping it in a worthy manner is understanding the magnitude of the sacrifice. Who is the one who laid his life down for us? Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5. This is all part of the examination, putting ourself up against the standard. Who was it that laid his life down?

Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5. Paul says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Again, he's the standard.

His way of thinking must be our way of thinking, and we look to him.

Let his mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. This eternal being that was God with God the Father, who divested himself of glory. He was of the greatest of reputations, made himself of no reputation in the flesh, subjected to the pain of the physical existence.

Came in the likeness of men, verse 8, and being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Again, that glorified eternal being who took on human form.

You think of the power that Jesus Christ had during his ministry and the miracles that he performed, and the fact that when he was being arrested and you had Peter whips out the sword and lops off the ear of the servant of the high priest, he was going for his head, by the way, but the guy ducked. Okay? And Christ said, put that away. Do you think I can pray to my father? And, you know, more angels and power than you can imagine would be here at my disposal. So, even in the flesh, the authority he had, the power he had was incredible. Consider the power that it took to willingly lay his life down and to subject himself to the crucifixion in the agony of death.

That's power and control as well. And that's the life that was laid down for us. Incredible blessing.

As we approach the Passover honoring the life that was laid down, recognizing that we can never be worthy of the sacrifice, because we do fall short, we need to recognize and appreciate. Again, we're not worthy, but we must take it in a worthy manner, an approach humbly and in awe.

Romans 5 verse 8 tells us, God demonstrates his own love towards us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So, that was our condition, that God with God was willing to come in the flesh and the Father was willing to send his Son. When we were still in that state, enemies of God. What a blessing. Verse 9, still in Philippians chapter 2, verse 9 says, Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on the earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. See, the glory goes to God. And it was an example, Christ set in his life, and one that we look to and follow as well. We are appreciative of the sacrifice and what Christ did says is to the glory of his Father. It's the family that's being built. It's the plan of salvation that is being exercised. Brethren, in light of the price that was paid for us, we're called to live a life of change, a life of overcoming sin, a life of rooting those things out were to let this mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus. And that doesn't come easy, does it?

But it is a standard. It is what was set for us clearly and plainly. It is who we're to look to and to test ourselves against the standard of Jesus Christ. Ask God for help in that.

Again, this isn't an easy process. You know, self-examination, you might say, well, I kind of know what's already wrong with me. We probably do, to a degree, on a few things. But there's things that we hide deep down inside. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who could know it? Except God knows the heart, even in a way that we don't. So we need to ask God for his help and seek out his guidance and understanding where we need to grow through the self-examination process. And ask him to show us the things that maybe we're even blinding ourselves to. So that we can get them in the open and look at them. And that's a hard thing. That takes humility, takes a willingness to submit. Psalm chapter 139.

I want to take a couple minutes and look at King David's example.

David sought God's help in understanding the things that were buried deep down inside of him.

And he set us the example as well in this regard. And it's telling. It's instructive. Psalm chapter 139 and verse 23. Hear a prayer of David, a psalm. David says, Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me and know my anxieties. And see if there is any wicked way in which I can be.

And lead me in the way everlasting.

Well, that's a pretty bold prayer, isn't it?

Anybody completely comfortable with that prayer?

I'll admit to you, I'm a little uncomfortable in asking it. I'm comfortable with understanding the need to ask it. Okay, but I'm uncomfortable in saying, Search me, God. Know my heart. Know my anxieties. Try me. See what's there. Just go ahead.

Right? That's a bold prayer, but it's a submissive prayer to God. You know? Because we're oftentimes trying to maybe sort of hide from God what it is that we know we do. And yet God sees, God knows. But there's things even that we hide from ourselves. So David here is expressing a true understanding of what it means to root out sin, because he's actually asking God to reveal to him those things. But in addition to that as well, he's asking him to lead him to the solution.

Not just show me, but lead me to the solution. Again, what did he say? Verse 24. And see if there's any wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. You know, God show me the way that leads to life. Point me in that direction. Guide me.

He can do that through his word, through his spirit, but we have to submit to that process.

And we need to be willing to ask God to examine us and to show us where we need to grow.

But it's not good enough to just know we have to have a willing heart to respond and to put those things away unto repentance and change. Psalm 119, verse 57.

Psalm 119 and verse 57. David said, You are my portion, O Lord. I have said that I would keep your words. I entreated your favor with my whole heart. Be merciful to me according to your word.

Verse 59, I thought about my ways and I turned my feet to your testimonies. I made haste and I did not delay to keep your commandments.

You know, whenever David acknowledged that he had sin within himself, or he was at least willing to see what God brought to his attention, you know, what did he say? I made haste and I did not delay to keep your commandments. He didn't say, Someday I'll deal with that. Okay, that shouldn't be there. Someday I'll take care of that. Or, Yeah, but I kind of like that, you know, one more time and then I'll put it out. Or, you know, in six months again is the Passover. I'll work on it as we get closer. No, David said, I made haste and I did not delay. That is our response. That is what it must be. When God identifies and helps us to see what it is we struggle with, make haste, do not delay, seek to remove those things, walk in newness of life. Verse 97, Psalm 119 verse 97, Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day.

David says, it's what I think about, it's what I talk about, it's what guides and directs my steps.

You through your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the ancients, because I keep your precepts.

Because I restrain my feet from every evil way that I may keep your word, I have not departed from your judgments, for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way.

David said, I hate every false way.

And to hate every false way, brethren, by the way, doesn't mean you will never sin.

I think we would probably admit all of us, we hate every false way, and yet somehow we still trip up in those things. So to hate every false way doesn't mean that you're never going to stumble, you're never going to sin, but it does mean that we have a heart for doing the right thing in the eyes of God. It means that we have a heart to come to repentance when we see those things, and when we acknowledge those things. Okay? Heart and the desire to be right with God again. And David made a lot of mistakes in his life, didn't he? And they're all on display for us.

Well, maybe not all of them, but many of them, okay? But David, when he sinned, he sinned big.

He was a very passionate man. But the Bible also tells us that David was a man after God's own heart, and David didn't desire to be separated from God, or cut off, or not be reconciled. He pleaded with God, don't take your spirit from me, you know, lead me in the way everlasting.

So when David sinned big, and then he was brought to understanding of that, seeing someone bathing on their rooftop, taking them, taking her, Bathsheba, getting her pregnant, sending her husband out to the front of the battle, and pulling the troops back so he is killed, so that this murder can cover David's own sin. That's big. That's big. But again, when David repented, once he was willing to see that, and the prophet said, you are that man. And David repented. He repented big as well, and he had a heart to be right with God. Psalm chapter 51 was written in the aftermath of David's sin with Bathsheba. It's actually his acknowledgement before God of this, and it's instructive as to the type of a repentant heart that God desires to seek. And I'm just going to read through it quickly, but I would say take time before the Passover, and study through Psalm 51, and consider that this is the attitude by which we much approach repentance and the forgiveness of God towards us. And we do stumble. This is the heart of repentance we must have before God. Psalm chapter 51, in verse 1, this is what, brethren, we must do without delay. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness.

According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you and you only have I sinned, and none this evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you speak, and blameless when you judge. Verse 5, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

It doesn't mean that David was born out of an adulterous or a fornication-type relationship. It's simply saying he was born into the human condition of sin. The carnal mind is enmity against God, and this is the world he was born into. It was the world his mother lived in, and it's the world we all lived in and do live in. Verse 6, it says, Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my transgressions, all my iniquities. Verse 10, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be converted to you. Verse 14, Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise. For you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise. God's forgiveness towards David came from a clear understanding of the man's heart. In fact, David was a man after God's own heart because he desired to be right with God, reconciled with him. And when he discovered and acknowledged these sins in his life, he did not delay in repentance.

Brethren, we serve a God who knows our hearts as well, and as such he stands ready to extend forgiveness to us upon repentance. But we have to acknowledge those things. We have to be willing to say, this is real in my life, and we have to be willing to say, God, show me. Show me what I'm not seeing. Show me what it is that I can change. God wants to extend that forgiveness to us upon repentance, but to get there we have to examine ourselves honestly. And just like David, we have to be willing to act on what it is we find. So we come up to the Passover again this year, brethren, having examined ourselves, having considered the sacrifice, having a repentant heart. We can do so with confidence, knowing that God has already forgiven us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Because I think there's sometimes a little confusion on the Passover, like, I've got to go back, right? And I've got to look at all my sins from the last year, and I've got to put them on a list. Now I've got to bring them all to the Passover so I can be forgiven at the Passover. And that's not the point. Because the point is, we live under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ continually. At baptism, we came under that. And if we're repentant in heart and we turn to God, we do not depart from that standing. We are forgiven upon our repentance. Passover is an annual memorial to that ongoing forgiveness. Again, we live under that sacrifice all year, not just at the Passover, but we memorialize and we remember that state of forgiveness we live under in the mercy of God, in the sacrifice that was made on our behalf. And we rededicate ourselves the living according to the covenant that is sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ. The covenant we agree to at baptism. It is a rededication of our heart and a remembrance of what God has done for us through his Son. The Passover is a solemn evening, but it's not depressing. And we shouldn't be depressed when we look at ourselves and we consider these things. We should be motivated to move on, but it's not a depressing evening because, indeed, God the Father and Jesus Christ rejoice in the blessing of what that evening portrays. Because the Passover isn't about condemnation, it is about life. It's about restoration and healing and mercy and forgiveness and salvation.

We come together this year to eat the bread and drink the wine, and none of us will be worthy of it. None of us will be worthy of the sacrifice of Christ, but it is that sacrifice which makes us worthy, and it's nothing we can do for ourselves. So what can we do as we come up to the Passover this year? What can we do? Well, we can eat the bread and we can drink the wine in a worthy manner.

In a worthy manner. We can come to the Passover with a deep gratitude and respect for the body and blood of Jesus Christ, understanding who it was that was sacrificed for us, understanding the life that was laid down, and we can take those symbols with an understanding of what it took for us to be justified with God. We can take that Passover knowing that our salvation was not earned, but rather is by the gift and mercy of God. It was extended to us something that we could never deserve. Brethren, let us examine ourselves this next week. As we put out the leaven of our houses physically, let's put out the spiritual leaven of our lives. Let's come before God in a humble and a repentant attitude, putting out that sin, putting out whatever it is that we find without delay.

Let us eat the bread and drink of the cup in a worthy manner, understanding the sacrifice, appreciating it, and rejoicing together in our personal need that has been met by the death of the Son of God and the blood and the body that will take that night. So, brethren, it is a blessing.

It's a blessing to take it together in unity. It's a blessing to have the understanding of what God has called us to and its incredible purpose and its plan of salvation. So, brethren, let us be thankful and rejoicing in the mercy of God and let us keep the Passover in a worthy manner.