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Preparing for the Passover Daily: Making Sure You Do Not Keep the Passover in an Unworthy Manner

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Preparing for the Passover Daily

Making Sure You do not Keep the Passover in an Unworthy Manner

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Preparing for the Passover Daily: Making Sure You Do Not Keep the Passover in an Unworthy Manner

MP3 Audio (13.35 MB)
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Listen to this sermon to learn why you shouldn't wait until the last minute to make sure you do not keep the Passover in an unworthy manner.

Sermon Notes

Preparing for the Passover Every Day

 

Intro: Dad took me to the Passover so I could observe and learn.  It’s my understanding someone got very upset because they felt I should not be there as I was not baptized.

I really did not appreciate or come close to understanding the depth of meaning behind the Passover symbols of the bread and wine, nor the foot washing.

I certainly hope that I understand much better today than I did then as an unconverted child.  The enormity of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice was something I did not comprehend.

As we approached the Passover last March I had a dream about my little Chihuahua – Dachshund dog named Andy (Describe what was really a nightmare!)

(1Co 5:7)  Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

 

(Joh 1:29)  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

 

It is vital that we meditate, pray and reflect on the fact that our Holy Father gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for the world.

SPS: Preparing for the Passover daily is important.

(1Co 11:27)  Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

(1Co 11:28)  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

(1Co 11:29)  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

 

(Describe making sure we ate at McDonald’s restaurant so that we kept the Passover on a full stomach, and our stomach was not the thing on our minds when we partook of the bread and the wine.)

What were the Corinthians doing just before the Passover?

Divisions and factions among them (1 Corinthians 11:18-19)

Selfishness and drunkenness (1 Corinthians 11:21)

Favoritism (1 Corinthians 11:22)

What was their mindset?  They were focused on themselves!

It’s so important that we understand the enormity of Christ’s sacrifice for us.  The Great Shepherd became the Lamb!

(Joh 1:3)  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

(Joh 1:4)  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

 

Preparing to take the Passover in a worthy manner is a mindset.

We need to have the mindset and the perspective that God wants us to have. He wants us to show that we take to heart the enormity of the consequences of our sins on a daily basis all year long.  Not just on and right before the Passover!

Perhaps the Corinthians example displayed their mindset and practices all year long; they got into bad habits and sinful excesses.  We can avoid their example if we remember each and every day what our Holy Father and His Lamb did for us.

I don’t know about you, but all too often I dwell on the enormity of what Christ went through for me AFTER sin when I am begging for forgiveness instead of thinking about it BEFORE I sin.  Maybe if I considered the suffering and excruciating death Christ suffered when a temptation to sin comes floating around I would sin a little less often?

 

[Discuss meaning of “unworthy” – Important to reflect on]

G371

ἀναξίως

anaxiōs

an-ax-ee'-oce

Adverb from G370; irreverently: - unworthily.

Total KJV occurrences: 2

 

NLT - (1Co 11:29)  For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.

WHAT TO DO?  I’d sure like to avoid God’s judgment (condemnation), and aside from that, I very much want to honor the body of Christ, how about you?

 

(1Co 11:28)  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

G1381

δοκιμάζω

dokimazō

dok-im-ad'-zo

From G1384; to test (literally or figuratively); by implication to approve: - allow, discern, examine, X like, (ap-) prove, try.

Total KJV occurrences: 23

[Source: App – KJV Bible Dictionary Version 5.0.4]

To inspect carefully, with a view to discover truth or the real state of a thing…To inquire into facts and circumstances by interrogating as, to examine a witness.  To look into the state of a subject to view all its aspects to weigh arguments and compare facts, with a view to form a correct opinion or judgment. To try by a rule or law. In general, to search to scrutinize to explore, with a view to examine ourselves…

 

It’s vital that we take stock of our progress in overcoming, and conduct a six-month review if you will, of how well we have grown in our godly character.  We can establish a summary of areas we need to improve and identify areas we feel we have grown closer to the character and mind of Christ.

 

  1. We all have a world view of things…we look at things through our own personal filters.  Do we perceive others through God’s filters, or our own carnal filters?

 

(Mat 6:12)  And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

(Mat 6:14)  "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

(Mat 6:15)  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

[God didn’t sacrifice His Son just for you (John 3:16)]

 

How are we doing at letting go of our grudges, those “he/she done me wrong” thoughts that torture our minds and bodies, and yes, prevent us from having that proper reverence for the body of Christ and His sacrifice for…?

 

(Isa 26:3)  You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

 

Are we looking at brethren, family and neighbors through the godly filter of forgiveness, or the worldly and carnal filter of malice, revenge, bitterness and strife?  We must look through the godly filter of forgiveness on a daily basis so that we honor the body of Christ and His sacrifice daily, and that becomes part and parcel of our character.  Then we will keep the Passover in a worthy manner.

 

  1. We need to filter our thoughts with God’s four-stage super duper carnal thought purifier!  

(1Th 5:16)  Rejoice always, (How am I doing in this area?) What to think about on the worst days? (Gift of God’s Holy Spirit, salvation, becoming incorruptible spirit beings in God’s family!)

(1Th 5:17)  pray without ceasing, (Are you praying daily, and often?)

(1Th 5:18)  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (It’s hard to be thankful sometimes).

(1Th 5:19)  Do not quench the Spirit. (Obeying God really helps in this area – Acts 5:32).

 

 

  1. We need to use the mind of Christ filter to remove all of our impurities.

 

(Php 2:5)  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

(Php 2:6)  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

(Php 2:7)  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

(Php 2:8)  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

 

(Describe what Christ Jesus gave up-absolute power, freedom from pain, ageless and disease free)

 

Christ Jesus became the Lamb – without blemish, and He became flesh.

 

Quick look at the Old Testament Passover:

(Exo 12:2)  "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

(Exo 12:3)  Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.

 

(Exo 12:5)  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

(Exo 12:6)  Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.

 

They had to care for the lamb for five-days.  It was no longer a random critter from the flock, culled and slaughtered on the same day.  It was kept in the home with the family.

 

(Describe slaughtering and cooking a goat kid on the ranch back in the 80’s.)

(1Pe 1:18)  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

(1Pe 1:19)  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

(1Pe 2:22)  "WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH";

 

One of the things we can do to help us keep the Passover in a worthy manner is to remember our part in the suffering, the slaughter and crucifixion of the Lamb.

 

We need to remember that Christ Jesus is the Word of God through whom all things were made; without Him nothing was made that was made.

 

What is the “mind of Christ?”  He submitted Himself to the will of our heavenly Father to become the Lamb of God. 

 

(Luk 22:42)  saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

 

Christ Jesus accepted a brutal beating, scourging and crucifixion knowing exactly how much He would suffer before drawing His last breath.  He gave up eternity and turned everything He was over to our Holy Father.  Talk about trust!

 

In our Fundamental Beliefs booklet, it states “His life, because He is the creator of all humanity is of greater value than the sum total of all human life.  His death is, therefore, sufficient to pay the penalty for every human being’s sins.”

 

Thanks be to God that the carpenter’s son, a man from Galilee was the Lamb of God.

 

Before the next Passover observance, we need to remember to pray daily all year long and practice humble repentance so that we come to the Passover to observe it in a worthy manner.

 

We need to work at having the “mind of Christ,” and tell our Holy Father “…Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours, be done.”

 

  1. Use God’s filter of sincerity and truth rather than the carnal filter of malice and wickedness (I Corinthians 5:8).

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

Remember Mr. Crow’s sermon last Sabbath titled “Making a Christian Difference”?

It’s so important that we are careful when we speak about and to our brethren.

(Eph 4:31)  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

(1Pe 2:1)  Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

God wants us to be unified in our glorifying of Him and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Something to think about:

In an article published by Harvard Business Review, titled “The Ideal Praise-to-Criticism Ratio” written by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman March 15, 2013 (www.hbr.org), their research indicates that top performing teams in the business world require a 5 to 1 ratio of positive comments for every criticism (negative comment) in order to be successful. 

The point is that criticism or evil speaking requires repentance and some hard work and positivity to heal the wounds caused!

 

During the Passover and Unleavened Bread we learn about leavening, and getting sin out of our lives.  Now we know we need to pray every day and ask God to forgive us our sins if we want to be forgiven.

 

When we do that we also need to examine ourselves and ask God to help us see if we bear a grudge against a brother, or if you need to ask a brother to forgive you.

 

(Describe chalk board at home – list the “to do” and then have a clean slate for the next day)

 

We are the “Body of Christ” and He wants us to be unified as one body under Him, and our Holy Father (Eph 4:1-15).

 

Conclusion:

 

Today we’ve learned that we should prepare for the Passover every day so that we come before God with reverence for Him and Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God.  If we seek God daily, examine ourselves daily, and humbly repent of our sins daily, then we come closer to the mindset of God, the mind of Christ, rather than the carnal mindset the Corinthians exhibited when they were more interested in divisions, factions, selfishness, eating and favoritism than in honoring Christ Jesus and His sacrifice.

 

Today we’ve learned about some godly filters we can use in our daily lives so that we are more prepared to observe the Passover in a worthy and reverent manner.

 

  1. We all have a world view of things…we look at things through our own personal filters.  Do we perceive others through God’s filters, or our own carnal filters?
  2. We need to filter our thoughts with God’s four-stage super duper carnal thought purifier!

 

  1. We need to use the mind of Christ filter to remove all of our impurities

 

  1. Use God’s filter of sincerity and truth rather than the carnal filter of malice and wickedness (I Corinthians 5:8).

 

Today we’ve learned we should prepare for the Passover every day by working hard at getting the leaven of malice and wickedness out of our lives, and

(1Co 5:7)  …purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Let’s get rid of the leavening in our lives every day of our lives, and when it comes time to observe the Passover, we will keep it in a worthy manner!

 

One last thing, one vital tip.  There is one more filter that must be used with any or all the other godly filters as you live your daily life.

 

(Mat 22:37)  Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

 

(Mat 22:39)  And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'