Sacrifice - Key to Freedom and Reconciliation

The title of today is, Sacrifice, Key to Freedom and Reconciliation. Subtitle, Passover Preparation. How valuable is freedom to you? I'm not talking about political freedom. I'm talking about spiritual freedom. Peace of mind. Would you like to live in a world filled with freedom and peace? A world in which every person loves his neighbor as himself, herself, with everyone prospering and being in good health. Those precious privileges and promises really can be yours. Let's note what Jesus states in John 8, 32. One of the great keys to freedom, I've often said that this is forms of basis for my philosophy of education. I've talked about, in the past, as I walked onto the campus of Delta State University and scribed over the door of administration, where the words, they were chiseled into the stone of that building there, where God hath decreed that only educated men shall be free. But it started like this. The state hath decreed that only free men are educated, but God hath decreed that only educated men are free. So we look at John 8, and we'll see in keeping with that. Verse 31, verse 31, Then said Jesus to those who used which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. So, of course, one of the great keys to freedom is the truth. The state, back in that time, hath decreed that only free men are educated. There were various classes, of course, in society, the free man and those who were in some kind of bondage, but God had other ideas. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man. So how can you say you shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, as any, O whosoever commits sin, is the servant of sin, and the servant abides not in the house forever, and the son abides ever. If the son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. That kind of spiritual freedom that removes anxious care, fear, doubt, and human reasoning so that you are indeed set free. Note what the apostle Paul writes with regard to reconciliation. So we said the title of keys to freedom and reconciliation in 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 16.

Wherefore, henceforth, know we know man after the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. That is, after the flesh. Of course, Christ lived on the earth for some 30-something years, and they were able to see him in the flesh. But now he has been crucified, resurrected, and sits at the right hand of the Father in the heavens. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. So, as we shall see, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is one of the vital keys to both being set free and also to being reconciled to the Father to know that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. As we shall see, one of the great requirements for taking a Passover would be to be reconciled to God and to man. Verse 20, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ, Dad, be you reconciled to God. So, we could all ask ourselves this afternoon, are we reconciled to God? Are we reconciled to our brothers and sisters in Christ? In short, are we reconciled to our neighbors? For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And the psalmist writes in Psalm 133 verse 1, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Living in unity requires continuous reconciliation, continually exercising judgment, mercy, and faith. We know further that God desires for us to prosper and to be in good health. Let's notice 3 John. You probably haven't turned to 3 John today, so I think it's just before Jude somewhere in the air. Let's go to 3 John and we'll read verse 1. 3 John and verse 1. In 3 John and verse 1, The elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the faith. Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul, your life essence, your life potential, prospers.

I rejoice greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truths that is in you, even as you walked in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. So once again, truth is one of the great keys to being set free, both spiritually and in mind and spirit, of course, which goes together. So we can see that God is vitally concerned with freedom, reconciliation, health, peace, life. What a wonderful world it would be if everyone were walking this way.

God desires to give all of these things to us, beautiful things. War and crime will cease. People will live happy, healthy, and prosperous lives. And a key to achieving these wonderful gifts centers on how we prepare for and observe the Passover. The elements contained in preparing for the Passover are basically identical to what we have just said, the scriptures that we've read. God instituted the Passover when ancient Israel was enslaved in Egypt. The Passover was what we might call the linchpin to Israel receiving her freedom, being freed from slavery and bondage. And one of the main reasons why God liberated Israel from Egyptian slavery so that they could offer sacrifice unto him and to serve him. Let's go to Exodus chapter 3 now, and let's note some of this, the first Passover. We'll see from this parallels for today. In Exodus chapter 3, as I said, one of the main reasons that God liberated the Israelites from Egyptian bondage so that they could go and sacrifice in the wilderness and so that they could serve him. In Exodus chapter 3 and verse 18, Exodus 3 verse 18, And they shall hearken to your voice, and you shall come, then and the elders of Israel and the king of Egypt. And you shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us, and now let us go. We beseech you three days' journey into the wilderness, that they may sacrifice to the eternal our God. Now, we look at chapter 5 and verse 3. Many times this is repeated of the ghost sacrifice to our God. In chapter 5 and verse 3, and they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go. We pray you three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice unto the eternal our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. And look at verse 8. And the tale of the bricks which they did make therefore, you shall lay upon them. You shall not diminish there anything thereof for then you would be idle. Therefore, they cry saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. In chapter 8, this about sacrificing to our God is repeated several times. I'm not going to read all of those places, but numerous times in chapter 8, you'll see this, that we might go sacrifice under our God. So it's highlighted several times in chapter 8. In chapter 9, another reason is given, which I've already mentioned. We'll look at chapter 9 and verse 1. Then the eternal spoken to Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus says the eternal God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Also in verse 13, we see something similar in verse 13. Exodus 9 verse 13, And the eternal said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand therefore, and Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus says the Lord God of the heavens, Let my people go, that they may serve me. So to sacrifice and to serve him. Finally, God told Moses and Aaron that he was going to bring the tenth and last plague upon the Egyptians, and after this plague, they Pharaoh would let them go. Now, before that plague took place, you look at Exodus 10.25, the Israelites could call it borrowing. Let us borrow from you. With regard to the sacrifice, with regard to serving him. See, they were in bondage. They were in slavery. Now, apparently, they had a few animals of their own. I don't know for sure how many, but we'll note this verse here. And Moses said, You must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the eternal our God. Our cattle also shall go with us. Now, Pharaoh had said, You can't take your cattle. You can take your children and personal belongings, but you can't take the cattle. But Moses said, We're going to take them. There shall not and hoof be left behind, For thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God. In other words, we're going to need those along the way, obviously, for sacrifice and for food. And we know not with what we must serve the eternal until we come there. Of course, God revealed along the way, especially in those first few months, what they needed to do. In chapter 11, we find out some of the details of this last plague. Verse 1, and the eternal said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, upon Egypt. Afterwards, he will let you go from here. When he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out from here. And so, they made preparation to leave. And then the instructions in chapter 12 for the Passover. In chapter 12, verse 1, In the eternal spoken to Moses and Aaron, and the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be the beginning of the months, what we call the beginning of the sacred calendar, the beginning of the sacred month. It shall be unto you the first month of the year to you. And so they were told to, on the tenth day of the month, set aside a lamb or a goat without blemish, and then gave the details of how to sacrifice that animal and all the details thereof. And then in verse 31, well, let's back up from there to verse 29.

So we see that when they or when God saw the doorpost sprinkled with blood, that He passed over the houses of the Israelites, but of course, where the blood was not sprinkled, the homes of the Egyptians, the firstborn died, both of humans and of animals. So the blood of lambs saved the firstborn of the Israelites and freed Israel from slavery in Egypt. So sacrifice, one of the great keys to freedom and reconciliation. So we can see from this brief background that Passover from its inception has been linked to freedom. Thus, that freedom was physical, but it allowed Israel to go serve God as God had instructed. So serving God as He instructs us to do will also lead to our spiritual freedom. Serving God as He instructs us to serve will lead to our spiritual freedom. And so many people today, and I've said this quite a few times in recent years, they have made God over in their own image. They leave the church. They forsake assembling themselves together. But they still say, oh, I pray to God, I believe in God. And yet they trample on many of the commandments of God, and they have made God over in their own image, saying, this is what God would expect of me. In spiritual terms, of course, Egypt is symbolic of sin and death. Today we are enslaved in spiritual Egypt. And all you have to do, of course, is to read a little bit of news or watch a little bit of television, and you will see so many elements of this bondage. To whom you yield your self-service to obey, and to be his servants, you are, as Paul writes in Romans 6. So today we are enslaved by spiritual Egypt because of our sins. And we know the principal scripture of 1 John 3.4 about sin and its definition. Sin is a transgression of God's law, written by the apostle of love, John 1 John 3.4. And of course, Paul writes in Romans 6.23 that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So God gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that we might be freed from sin and death, that we might have everlasting life. The famous John 3.16 that they hold up behind the end zone. Of course, it's more difficult to see now when its ball has moved back to the 17-yard line, but anyhow, sometimes it's still visible. I would imagine that if you were to take a poll of which scripture could most people recite, that would probably be it. Or it might be God is love. Christ willingly gave his life blood, so we could have our sins passed over. So we won't have to die, because, as we said, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Apostle Paul describes how God sent Christ to die in our place, so that our sins could be passed over. Let's note that now in Romans 3. As we turn there, just a little bit of background of Romans. Of course, Rome, one of the principal cities, capital city of the Roman Empire, became headquarters for the Latin Church, the Western Church, the Catholic Church. In chapter 1 of Romans, Paul takes the Gentiles to task. In chapter 2, he takes the Jews to task. In chapter 3, he takes everyone to task. And we have this, what I would call, a great summary verse in Romans 3.23. Romans 3.23 we will read. Romans 3.23, For all have sinned, Jew, Gentile, rich, poor, doesn't matter your socioeconomic status, it doesn't matter your gender, anything like that, male, female, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace, divine favor, being justified freely, that is, the scales have been balanced, the penalty paid, through the redemption, that is, the buying back power that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a perpetuation. Perpetuation means a go-between. He went in our stead through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance or faithfulness of God. He kept His word. He had promised that a Messiah would come on the scene, and this suffering Messiah would pay for the sins of the world. So just as ancient Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt by the blood of lambs sprinkled on their doorposts, we can be freed from the penalty of sin and death through faith in the sacrificial blood of Christ. Today, Christ is our Passover. Let's read that in 1 Corinthians 5, verse 7. 1 Corinthians 5. Of course, you know about 1 Corinthians 5 of the incestuous fornicator there, and how the Corinthians had done nothing with regard to taking care of the problem. In fact, it seemed they gloried or reveled in it, saying, it doesn't bother us. We know He's doing it. Paul sets him straight and says a little leaven. Leaven is the whole lump. Verse 7, purge out therefore the old leaven. He's talking about here spiritual leaven. Maybe, probably, they had cast out the physical leaven. As you'll note, purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you are unleavened. So perhaps unleavened physically, careful to get out all the leavening agents, careful to look in the cracks and crannies for crumbs in the physical sense. But what about the cracks and crannies in the spiritual sense? For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, not with that spiritual leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Of course, Jesus Christ is that bread set down from heaven. The freedom that God offers us today through Christ's blood greatly exceeds the freedom that ancient Israel gained by keeping the first Passover. So you can be in the darkest, deepest dungeon on the face of the earth. You can be a prisoner locked up, not seeing the light of day for months on end, but you can still be set free or be free in the spiritual sense. See, no one can take that freedom from you. Only you could take it yourself.

Before Christ gave his body and blood for us, he explained how vital it is for us to keep the Passover. True freedom, life, and peace to a large degree hinges on keeping the Passover as Christ instructed. Let's note the words of Jesus in John, the Gospel of John, chapter 6 and verse 52. The words of Jesus with regard to what we need to do with regard to the bread and the wine. In John, chapter 6, verse 52, of course, John 6 is a great place to read and study, preparing for the Passover time after time. The word life is mentioned, everlasting life, eternal life. In John 6, 52, the Jews, therefore, strove among themselves, saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, barely, barely, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Now, the Jews were familiar with parables and figures of speech, but they jumped on this and wanted to make something of it to make Jesus into a cannibal or endorsing cannibalism. It's a figure of speech. Let's read it again. Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Who so eats my flesh and drinks my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up of the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me, and I in him. In just a moment we'll read, of course, what the bread and the wine represent. If you look down there in verse 63, to me, one of the most important verses in the Bible, where Christ says, the flesh prophets nothing, the words that I speak. They are spirit, and they are life. In essence, equating the word of God with the Spirit of God, the words I speak, they are spirit, and they are life. Now, with regard to eating and drinking his flesh and his blood, let's go to Matthew chapter 26, where Jesus, in account, Matthew's account of Jesus Christ, instituting the symbols of the New Covenant Passover. Matthew 26 verse 26. Matthew 26 verse 26.

In Matthew 26 verse 26, And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take eat, this is my body. And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it, for this is my blood of the New Covenant. Diaph. Okay, can be translated to the New Testament, or covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

For I say unto you, I will not drink his forth of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it anew with you in my father's kingdom. So you see there how you can eat of his flesh and drink of his blood.

He is the bread of life. The words I speak, they are spirit, and they are life. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The Apostle Paul gives specific instructions for Passover preparation and observance in 1 Corinthians 11. So we see Christ has instituted the symbols of the New Covenant Passover. So now we want to go to 1 Corinthians 11. It seems that Paul just sort of breaks in all of a sudden on this point. Of course, the Corinthians were divided on so many issues from chapter 1 through the end of the book, especially from chapter 1 through 15.

And the great rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians is, is Christ divided? Yes, they were divided in many areas, yet Paul continually brought them back to you looking upon God and Christ because Christ is not divided. In 1 Corinthians 11, beginning of verse 17, of course, the Corinthians were divided on how to keep the Passover.

1 Corinthians 11-17. Now, in this that I declare unto you, I praise you not that you come together not for the better, but for the worse. And the reason they were coming together was to keep the Passover. But Paul says, instead of it being for the better, it is for the worse. For first of all, when you come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you, and I partly believe it, for there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

So sooner or later, the heresies do come to light, and those things that need to be revealed will eventually be revealed. And so Paul says, it seems that those things are necessary so that it will reveal those who are approved. Verse 20, when you come together, therefore, unto one place, it is not to eat the Lord's supper. So church members were bringing meals to eat at the meeting hall before observing the Passover. The modern-day parallel would be a potluck supper in which food was not shared by all members of the congregation.

And perhaps this Lord's supper refers to love feasts. There were social meals that developed according to the Greek custom. 2 Peter 2.13 refers to love feasts. Jude 12 refers to love feasts. And perhaps that is what Paul is referring to when he says it is not to eat the Lord's supper. He tells them very clearly, as we shall see, to eat at home. For in eating, everyone takes before other his own supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

So it was not a potluck. We bring our stuff, and those who could afford more were bringing more, and even bringing wine and, I don't know, hard liquor, whatever it was. It doesn't say exactly, but they were getting drunk. One is hungry, and another is drunk. Can you imagine being drunk at Passover? What have you not houses to eat and to drink in, or despise you? This phrase here, we will be coming back to this later, or despise you the church of God, and shame them that have not. Remember that the church of God is, in the spiritual sense, also the body of Christ.

Of course, Christ gave his physical body, as we shall talk about. What shall I send you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you. Paul is in essence saying, look, Christ has revealed to me the way to keep the Passover. And apparently Paul was taught by Jesus Christ directly, as we have noted many times in the Arabian wilderness desert. And he had given them instruction. He says, For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread.

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you. This due in remembrance of me. So due in remembrance, we must remember that Christ paid the price for our sin through his sacrifice. For you show. This word show is cata, cata-galo, something like that. Cata-galo means to announce, to declare, to make known the Lord's death. It is a reminder. It is a memorial of the death of Christ who gave his life that we might be set free from the death penalty that was on our head.

So you do show the Lord's death. And do this in remembrance of me. Verse 26, For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come. It is a very sobering event. It is a memorial of his death. Matthew describes the bloody beating that Christ endured before he was crucified. Of course, the other Gospel writers do to some degree as well.

They placed a crown of thorns upon his head. They beat him unmercifully. They spat upon him. Isaiah says in chapter 52 that Christ took the worst beating that a man could be given and yet be alive. Isaiah 52, 14 states, As many were astounded at you, his visage was so marred more than any man, and is for more than the sons of men. Psalm 22 is basically devoted to describing the agony, the pain, that Christ suffered in paying for our physical sins and our spiritual sins, all sins.

With regard to that, basically we teach sin is sin is sin. As Christ was hanging on the stake and as the sins of the whole were placed on Him, God the Father, Jesus Christ cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? He became sin for us. It was at this juncture that Christ cried out with a loud voice, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And in this scene there at the end, He also prayed that those who were doing this would be forgiven, lay not this sin to their charge. This supreme sacrifice by the Son of God made it possible for us to be reconciled to God, the Father, to be at one with God, to have fellowship with the Father. Now let's notice this. Let's read it, talk about it in Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5 and verse 6 we begin. Romans chapter 5 verse 6. For when we were yet without strength, no spiritual strength, death penalty on our head. In due time Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet per adventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But regardless of whether you were a murderer or whether you were as Zacharias, who was the father of John the Baptist, who walked perfectly in the ways of the Lord according to what was required of him at that time, regardless of that murderer or striving, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, as we read from Romans 3.23. But God commends his love toward us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us much more now being justified by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath through him. For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God that is to the Father by the death of his Son. Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. But not only so, but we also joy in God through Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement or the reconciliation. Some people talk about atonement being at one with God. The slate wiped clean, viewed as sinless, and now we are eligible to receive that great gift to the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands after being baptized. So we clearly see that we must discern the physical body of Christ that was given His blood for our sins. Now we go back to 1 Corinthians 11 where we left off, talking about discerning His physical body that was given for us, that our sins might be forgiven, that we might be reconciled to the Father, that we might receive the Holy Spirit. Now we pick it up again in verse 27. 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily. Now it is very important to understand what the Greek word here is. It is anaxios, a-n-x-i-o-u-s, spelled a-n-x-i-o-u-s. It means irreverently. The Corinthians were not taking the Passover reverently. Now some have read this unworthily and began to say, well, I'm not worthy. I don't know if I can ever be worthy. None of us are worthy in the sense that we can make ourselves worthy altogether, but we can do what is required of Scripture. It is through the grace of God that we are given a Savior who has the buying back power, that is, to give His life essence for us, that we might be reconciled.

Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink the cup of the Lord irreverently. Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. So this is a very weighty matter. To take the Passover unworthily is to take it irreverently. And it shows a lack of realizing the seriousness, the gravity of what's going on. It's an act of irreverence, showing a lack of respect. The Corinthians were taking the Passover irreverently with festive frolicking through eating and drinking without regard to other members of the body of Christ. The Passover should only be taken with respect and reverence for what the bread and the body of the bread represents, the body of Christ and the wine, the blood of Christ, to realize what that represents. Now we look at verse 28, but let a man examine himself. And so we had a sermonette about examination, fine sermonette. That's one of the things that God has given us the opportunity to examine. Look before you leap. Count the cost. Count the cost and realize the consequences. For every action, there is some kind of consequence, some kind of outcome. So count the cost. For he that eats unworthily, irreverently, eats and drinks judgment, crema, to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. And of course, the Lord's body, that physical body that he gave, bruised, beaten, and broken, first ends. In addition to that, the body of Christ, each member of the body of Christ, the church. We'll talk about that some more as well.

So once again, verse 29, for he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cost! For this cost! Many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. So remember at the beginning, I said that keys to freedom, to reconciliation, and also to prosperity and good health. See, if you don't do these things, if you don't judge yourself, as we shall see, God steps in and he will judge us. He would rather see us go through a trial and maybe even resulting in death than to miss out on his kingdom. It's an opportunity to really examine ourselves. So you look at verse 30, for this cause, failure to take the Passover reverently, many are weak and sickly among you, and some are dead. For if we would judge ourselves, so that's how important the examination is. We should not be judged, but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be judged with the world. So God loves every son, and he chastens every son that he loves. If you are without chastisement, it says, to enter you illegitimate and not sons. Wherefore my brother, and when you come together, wait for one another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that you come not together unto judgment, and the rest will I set in order when I come. These are some of the most sobering passages in the entire Bible. So we see that the Passover should be taken with reverence, and also with self-examination.

Examining oneself and thoroughly judging the Lord's body, as we have seen here, can have serious consequences.

So how should one examine himself and thoroughly judge the Lord's body? We examine ourselves through God's spiritual mirror, the Hebrews 4.12. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4.12. How do we judge ourselves by looking into God's Word? It is like, if you use the physical analogy, a very sharp knife that can slice both ways up and down, back and to whichever way, and it reveals, it lays us bare. Look at James 1.22. God's perfect spiritual mirror.

In James 1.22. But be you doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own says. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man, beholding the natural face in a mirror, where he beholds himself, goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty. Hebrews 4.12. The Word of God, who is a divider of the thoughts and intents of the heart, which is. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the Word, this man shall be blessed in his deed. So we examine ourselves through God's perfect spiritual mirror. And when we judge ourselves, if we find spiritual leaven, then we are to go before God to repent and cast it out. Now we come to this question about discerning the body of the Church of God. Remember back in verse 22, I said we'll come back to verse Corinthians 11.22 later, which says, or despise you, the Church of God, when you are doing what you're doing, eating, drinking, even getting drunk, you faring sumptuously, and some doing without, do you despise the Church of God and shame them that have not? The Church of God is figuratively and in one sense literally the body of Christ, because we know John 14.23, which says, and we both shall make our abode in Him. We have the Spirit of God and Christ within us. Just look at Ephesians chapter 1. In Ephesians chapter 1, we'll note this part about the body being the Church, and how we need to discern the entire scope of things. Let's see, I said Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 22.

Ephesians 1.22, And it put all things under his feet, and given to him, and gave him, that is, the Father's given Christ to be the head over all things to the Church, which is his body. The fullness of him that fills all in all. The resurrected Christ lives in the individual members of the Church of God. In 1 Corinthians 3.16, you go back there, 1 Corinthians 3.16, we'll note here that we are the temple of God, and that we are not to defile that temple. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 16, Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man defiles the temple of God, and you could do this in the individual sense, you could do it in the collective sense. In 1 Corinthians 5, here's an individual who is committing the incestuous fornication, but yet in the collective sense, a little leavened, leavened the whole lump. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 12. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 12. These two verses that I'm about to read are perhaps perhaps among the greatest unity verses in the whole Bible. 1 Corinthians 12.12, For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. So God the Father is the one who begets us with His Spirit, and we're baptized into the body of Christ.

When we take the Passover, when we eat and drink the Passover, we're saying that we are one, that Christ is not divided. You'll look down there in verse 25, 1 Corinthians 12.25, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care of one for another. So remember I talked about up front, we must be reconciled to God, we must be reconciled to our brothers and sisters, and in short, to be reconciled to our neighbor. There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care, one for another. Now we are very quick, and we do one of the best jobs I've ever seen, of taking care of physical things, which also has spiritual implications. But if there is a need, oftentimes like if you come to the altar to offer your gift and realize that your brother has ought against you, or you think that he does, go be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift. I mean, you may have served to, you can't serve anymore in the physical sense, but this is very important, this reconciliation. Verse 26, whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Remember Paul writes in Romans 12.5 that we are members one of another. How are we members one of another? We have that common essence. By one spirit, are we all baptized into one body? And when we harm any member of the body, if I smash my little toe, my brain will recognize it, and it affects the whole body. And so it is with the body of Christ. That's why he uses the analogy. The little toe is connected to the rest of the body. What you might consider the least member in the spiritual sense is connected to the body. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. So God tells us that we are to be reconciled. So before taking the Passover, we should make sure that we're reconciled to our neighbors, so that the body of Christ will not be divided. Look at 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 15. Now here's what we are affirming. Here's what we are affirming when we take it. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 15. These are various sobering words as well.

1 Corinthians 15. I speak unto you as to wise men, judge you what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless is not the communion of the blood of Christ. It is a sobering thing you realize that his life essence was given so that we might have the death penalty removed, reconcile to the Father, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit. The bread which we broke or break is it not the communion of the body of Christ. Remember, Christ is not divided. For we being many are one bread and one body. For we are all partakers of that one bread. So we are affirming that we are reconciled.

The steps of reconciliation between members of the body of Christ are given in many places. Exercising judgment, mercy, and faith. Or you judge a matter. If you need to, go to your brother, your sister, and you take the necessary steps. And after you judge the matter, you ask for mercy, forgiveness, and then you go walk in faith. There's nothing like being reconciled. Reconcile to God and reconcile to one another. It takes spiritual courage. Jesus Christ had, well, when he was existed, what we call the Word, what John calls the Word in John 1.1. He had the courage to give up that glory that he had with a father and come to this earth and take on the form of a man. He had the spiritual courage to lay down his life for his friends. In fact, he laid down his life for the whole world. And so we have to have that spiritual courage to lay down our lives, humble ourselves, and be reconciled. It's only then that we can be truly set free in every sense of the Word. If we'll do these things, then God will not have to judge us in chasing us in order for us to learn the lessons of faith and humility that he wants us to learn. We will be able to say from the bottom of our heart, not my will be done, but yours be done. We'll be able to say that I am one with the body of Christ. So these steps will ensure the unity of the body of Christ. God will be pleased. And the psalmist's words will come true. Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.