YESTERDAY WE TOOK COMMUNION with the body. One of the things we tell the church to do before you take of the elements is to examine yourself. Communion is a holy sacrament and should be taken very seriously. Paul said that many in the church were sick and had died because they took communion without examining their conduct.
Paul was specifically addressing those who treated others in the church body with contempt and were leaving out certain people, causing division. They were acting in a selfish way. In short, communion is not just between you and the Lord, it’s between you and the Church. How are you treating your brethren? How are you treating those with whom you have been planted? Maybe you too are still sick and still weak because of your treatment of the Church.
“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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 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.”
I Corinthians 11:27-30
In the afternoon, my daughter and I went for a walk and talked about the day’s events and how special communion is. I shared with her how the thing the Lord laid on my heart during my examination time was for Him to cleanse me of all selfishness. Faith, being the sweet young lady she is, says to me, “Mom, you’re the most unselfish person I know.” Thank you sweetheart.
I am glad that’s what you see and what I model to you. But often my hearts desire is very selfish. I have to fight selfishness often. It’s in my fleshly nature to be selfish. And what the Lord has been showing me lately is that there’s one particular sin that will kill the unity and harmony of the church: selfishness.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Philippians 2:3
In fact, James tells us that wars in the church come because of selfish desires. Selfishness will kill the unity of any relationship whether it’s within your brothers and sisters in Christ, your family, your marriage, on the job, etc. Paul gives us the definition of how we are to love our brethren. He says, “love does not insist on its own way.” That’s very interesting. This goes against the false love gospel that many are currently teaching and preaching. False love is self-seeking. It’s desire is to please the flesh.
Please do not tell me you are loving when you only do what you want to do. This is false love and it is self-seeking, self-pleasing, self-gratifying behavior. Unless the word your using is “selflessness” most words with “self” in front of them are fleshly and godless.
“but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;” Romans 2:8-9
Please pay very close attention to what I am saying, self seeking behavior reveals an evil heart condition: you are obeying unrighteousness. We cannot please God when we operate according to our fleshly nature. I think a lot of people don’t see their own selfishness. They deceive themselves, telling themselves that because they do “this” they don’t have to do “that”.
I’m sorry, but please show me scripture that says you can pick and choose what you want to do and obey and that which you don’t? Self-seeking can manifest itself in multiple ways. Obviously, saying “I don’t want to serve. I don’t want to give. I don’t want to gather” reveals selfishness. But it also manifests in sneakier ways. Here’s just a few: 1. generosity. “I gave here so I don’t have to give here.” 2. Serving. Same mindset as above. “I served here, so I don’t have to serve here”. 3. The gathering of the brethren. Same mindset as above. There’s a long list very similar. Hopefully you get the picture.
Scripture reveals righteousness. Yes, the below verse discusses sexual immorality specifically, but also reveals a greater revelation: I am not my own. You are not your own. We cannot do what we want and still claim to be in Christ. My body, my flesh, my thoughts, mind, my will- all belong to Him. It’s under His control as I relinquish my will. This is true surrender and the only way to live selflessly.
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19-20
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page
