125: David Hill - Exhortation: The True Meaning of The Bread & The Wine

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1. 0:00

   Welcome to Good yourself, intox. I’m Levi and I’m Chris and I’m Brian, thank you for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one taco week to help us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post a new episode of the start of each week with a short intro before.

2. 0:30

   Hand to kind of set the stage for the talk. You’re about to listen to and now let’s talk more about this week’s talk. Welcome to the good Crystal up and talks podcast. This is brother Brian. And before we get into the Talk itself, I just want to Echo the sentiment that has been made by Chris Levi many times before, but I sincerely want to thank all of you.

3. 1:07

   Dear brothers and sisters. We’re sending in your suggestions for individual expectations and series of classes. My first impression upon, being introduced to the process that Christian Levi, set up behind the scenes, was just being so overwhelmed by the amount of and the variety of suggestions that we have to sit through.

4. 1:34

   From a personal standpoint, I agreed to join the podcast because I very much so need to fight back against the malays, the lockdowns have, but most of us into and the encouragement that we get reading your emails and feeding off of your passion, for a particular talk, or a speaker. Absolutely helps reinvigorate, our spirits and fellow Zeal to help spread the good news. So, To our community worldwide.

5. 2:04

   Thank you so much and please keep them coming. This week’s talk is an excitation by Brother David Hill, which was given at the Halifax treat Ecclesia and Adelaide in November, 2018, I was actually trying to track down a different class from a suggestion that we had, but this one spoke to me loud and clear. The title of the talk is the true meaning of the bread and the wine and brother, David’s focus on the interpretation of the passages.

6. 2:37

   From First Corinthians 11, that are commonly read before we partake of the emblems offers us a great reminder of what we are. Truly meant to symbolize. When Jesus said do this in remembrance of me. And I find that his thoughts about why we fellowship with each other and break bread. With each other, is even more important to dwell on.

7. 3:01

   Now, that many of us around the world have been separated from our Collegiate families for months on end now, I really appreciated the brothers, take on what it means to eat and drink unworthily and how we can make sure we’re voting. That mindset in a practical way. This message. Absolutely may be all the more eager to see my Ecclesia family and I hope it helps you as well. So without any further Ado, Brother, David Hill, the true meeting of the bread and the wine We’re good evening, good afternoon.

8. 3:36

   Maybe that would be a good start, good Afternoon, brother and sisters. It really is lovely to be here with you for Lizzie and I and our family and to enjoy the bond of fellowship with you today. To start our exaltation. This morning, I just like to ask you how often you’ve actually wondered what it really means when it says in 1, Corinthians 11 about partaking of the Bread and Wine.

9. 4:06

   Unworthily, just listen to these two statements, that Paul makes whoever shall eat the bread. And drink the cup of the Lord, unworthily is guilty. Of the blood, the body, and blood of the Lord or a second statement very similar, he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks. Damnation to himself, not Discerning the Lord’s body.

10. 4:37

    So brother and sisters, we can conclude from that that to do what we’ve come together to do today. Unworthily is indeed very serious. The consequences for doing it. Unworthily are quite severe. So I’m sure we would agree that it would do us well to understand exactly what we’re here for, and to do it worthily.

11. 5:04

    And we’ll do that by going to the context. So let’s start with verse 17. Paul says, now in this that I declare unto you. I praise you, not You come together. Not for the better but for the worse. Now, this other expression here, come together means to assemble. It’s actually the Greek word, Ecclesia. Now, Daniel in his opening remarks talked about the fact that we come together as one.

12. 5:36

    Well so did the Corinthians they came together as one into one place? In form, but not in substance at all. And indeed Paul goes as far as to say you come together for the worse, not the better, some translations render that not for an excellent purpose, but a vastly inferior one vastly inferior.

13. 6:04

    So what was that vastly inferior? Cause let’s have a look at verses 18 to 19. For first of all, when You come together in the Ecclesia. I hear there are divisions among you. And I partly believe it. Well, there must be heresies among you that they, which are approved may be made manifest among you. Now that were divisions there, we would recognize that in the Greek.

14. 6:31

    It’s the word skismo or schisms, okay? And heresies is actually the word sex. So, rather than actually coming together as one in form And substance. They actually came together as this loose collection of factions and sex not at all United. Really in truth. Verse 22. 22. When you come together, therefore into one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper for an eating, everyone takes before another.

15. 7:05

    His own supper, one is hungry, and another is drunk. What have ye not houses to eat in and to drink in? Or do you despise the Ecclesia of God and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I Praise You In This, I praise. You. Not now, brother and sisters.

16. 7:30

    Let’s make this real. Just imagine the context of this Ecclesia. You know, this word tasty. This expression takes before literally means to eagerly Rush. Shin to anticipate and surged forward. So you can imagine the brother and sisters at the Lord’s table, every man and woman for himself. What can I get for myself as quickly as possible? The word despised literally means to think nothing of And then the word shine means to confound. So this selfish behavior all about me and what I can get for myself and take myself showed that the Brethren sis is in that Ecclesia didn’t really have a regard for their brother or sister.

17. 8:18

    They thought very little of each other and it left some of their Brethren and sisters, feeling thoroughly confounded. At the Lord’s table. What an extraordinary situation. That Brethren sisters is the context for those opening two passages, we referred to it’s for this reason that context that Paul takes them right back to the upper room and says, this is what we should be thinking about.

18. 8:50

    That’s what he does to remind them of the attitude, they should have at the Lord’s table. So, therefore look at verse 23 in that light, he says, for So it links to that context for I have 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 brake it and said, take eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me now, brothers sisters, before we dive too far into that verse Just think of us. And think of Jesus.

19. 9:39

    The very night, the self same night in which he was going to be betrayed to an excruciating death. What can Jesus be found doing? What, how would we spend the last moments of our life before? Such a cruel and excruciating death? Wolfie Jesus. It was all about others. He gave of himself right to the very, very end. You have a look for example, at the play on words, that Paul uses here verse 21.

20. 10:18

    He says, every one of you takes before another his own supper, so they were all about taking Look at the words that pull users from verse 23 on. What’s he says, I have taken of the Lord, that, which I have given unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was given is the word there rather than betrayed us some translations render it.

21. 10:48

    He took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it. And said here, you take eat, this is my body, which is given for you. So the point Paul’s making is your behavior is the very opposite of the man’s behavior that you come to remember. You are all about. Take, take take whereas Jesus to the very end, the very end was all about give give give.

22. 11:23

    Now you might have noticed here from 1 Corinthians 11, verse 17 onwards in this Pace. Paul always refers to Jesus as Lord or Jesus Lord, Jesus or Lord. Okay? So there’s this focus on the word Lord. And I think the reason for that is that Paul wants to take them right back into what Jesus said in the upper room because he said to them.

23. 11:51

    If I your Lord and Master do this, then you should do the same. And Did he do? Will staring a horrendous death. In the face. He rose, he took off His Garment. And he washed his disciples feet. He loved them to the uttermost right to the very end. And he says, if I your lord have done this, then do likewise,

24. 12:25

    What did he also think about at that time? What were the thoughts going through? Jesus mind. Well, let me just read to you a few extracts. From John 17, his mind. His thoughts were on others. He said, I pray for them that you have given me. Holy Father, keep through your name, those who you have given me, I pray that you keep them from Evil and not just them. But also those who will believe on me through your name, his mind.

25. 12:54

    His thoughts, his actions were all on others. That was Jesus just before he died. Now, Paul says that when Jesus Took the bread and break it, he said this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me. So what was the body? Well, we know that Paul quotes that there that this is my body broken for you. In the Luke record.

26. 13:28

    We know that it says there that this is my body, which is given for you. So when we take it, A bread. It’s all about the sacrifice of Jesus. The one who gave himself for others.

27. 13:44

    But brothers and sisters, what does it mean? When it says this do in remembrance of me? You know, many brethren in this audience, you’ve been a chairman and we’ve heard many chairmanships at the memorial meeting. We read those verses so often in a certain way that we become used to them and think that that’s what it actually means. For example, will hear a chairman just say, we do this in remembrance of Jesus.

28. 14:18

    What are they referring to? Well, it’s generally accepted an implied and in fact intended by many of our Brethren that we’re referring to taking of the bread we do this in remembrance of him. It’s got nothing to do with that. That’s not what it means. When it says do this. Just eating bread doesn’t remember Jesus at all. We’ll see in the wind.

29. 14:50

    This becomes very clear with the reference to the wine. What Jesus is imploring us to do. As Daniel said in his opening remarks, we are here to remember Jesus. The bread is an emblem, a reminder of a symbol of his sacrifice. And the statement do this is live as he lived. Take the bread and be inspired by the power of His example and live as I lived. Walk in my footsteps.

30. 15:21

    Sacrifice yourself for others. Do it in remembrance of me. It’s not referring to taking bread. I really love bread. Just eating bread isn’t the point? It’s remember what that symbol memorializes, the example, the life and be inspired to do the same. And in fact, that’s very consistent, by the way, where John 13, isn’t it?

31. 15:52

    Let me remind you, of some of the things Jesus said, in the upper room, recorded John 13, He says, know what I have done to you. I have given you an example that you should do, as I have done, if you know these things, happy are you if you do them. So, brother and sisters every time. Hopefully when we hear from now on, we do this in remembrance of him, it’s not taking bread or taking wine. It’s being inspired by the symbol, the actual life, they represent and doing that.

32. 16:30

    Have a look at verse 25. Five, it becomes very clear here. After the same manner, also, he took the cup when he had supped saying this cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do as often as you drink it. Drink it in remembrance of me. Now, we know for context again, that the cup symbolizes, the blood of Christ, the New Covenant, in his blood poured, out poured out for others willingly given and offered for others. Again, what does this do?

33. 17:02

    Mean this do as often as you drink it. Well, I can tell you one thing that this do their cannot mean taking and drinking wine because otherwise verse 25 would be nonsensical, it would make no sense would be what’s called a tautology, you read it. For example, verse 25 would read this way. Drink the wine as often as you drink the wine in remembrance of me.

34. 17:33

    Okay, because it says this do. Now, if this do means just drinking wine verse 25 would read drink the wine as often as you drink the wine in remembrance of me. It’s clearly not saying that it’s saying this do pour out your life for your brethren or sisters and for your communities. And for those who you interact with this do as often as you drink the wine every time brother and sisters, we come together to take of the wine.

35. 18:09

    It’s simply a means to an end. I love wine. I love bread. In fact when Jesus said man cannot If I bread and water line. If he had said wine and bread, I think a few of us might have almost been up for it. It’s not about that. It’s not the wine. That is a means to an end.

36. 18:29

    We take the wine, it reminds us of Jesus, life of sacrifice and we are encouraged to do it this do. So, Brethren Brethren when we’re, we’re chairman, that’s the reminder this do in remembrance of him. Now is that consistent, is that consistent? Is this concept that Jesus never ever intended, taking bread and drinking wine to be some sort of ceremonial ritual that had no practical application in our life.

37. 19:07

    Is that true? And it ought never to be that. Repetition in some ways is a curse, isn’t it? The more and more we just do this bread wine. It can become a ceremonial ritual. What impact does it have on our actual way of life?

38. 19:29

    Well, that’s the point of verse 26. For note that note the connection to verse 26 from verse 25. For as often, as you eat this bread and drink this wine, you do show the Lord’s death to her come Now again, brother and sisters. often we have championships where we say by doing this, we show forth the Lord’s death till he come Really.

39. 20:00

    How? How you know, the word show their means to teach or declare or to preach. To teach to declare or to preach. How in this closed community in, which we are largely believers? Do we teach show or preach anyone about the Lord Sacrifice by drinking, wine and eating bread?

40. 20:37

    We don’t. We do if we take the bread, drink the wine, remember that? What the life, those symbols remind us of. And we go out of this place inspired to do the same That’s how we show forth, the Lord’s death till he come. A ceremonial ritual in here, taking bread, and drinking wine that doesn’t show or teach or preach to anyone. The Lord’s death.

41. 21:13

    It does if we are inspired by it to live the same life of sacrifice that he lived to follow in his footsteps. That’s how we show forth, the sacrifice of Jesus. It’s a little bit like you. Think about it, baptism?

42. 21:37

    On one hand, it could simply be a mere bath just a bath. But it’s what it states in terms of a new life putting to get death, the old and a new life. It’s the same with the bread and the wine on the surface just taking bread drinking wine. But when it inspires us to go and be like Jesus, we show forth. We teach we preach something much more profound. We remind each other and those outside of the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus.

43. 22:15

    First 27, that’s then what it means. When it says, in verse 27, to eat this bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily in a nutshell, what does it mean to eat the bread and drink the cup unworthily? It means to eat it and drink it, and fail to allow those symbols.

44. 22:39

    Jesus left us to have any practical bearing on what we actually do. To fail to live as he lived. I’ve eaten the bread and drunk the wine on that measure unworthily many times. I suspect, you have to Have you sometimes just taken the bread and drunk? The wine. And barely given a thought to what it really is telling us to actually do, you know those expressions? Look at the next piece, verse 29, he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks.

45. 23:24

    Damnation to himself, not Discerning the Lord’s body and Paul’s using some specific words here again, damnation in Greg has the word creamer. It like crime and Discerning is the word. I okra know, they’re both from the same Greek word, which simply means to judge or to discern the point. Paul is making is we judge ourselves. If we fail to judge what these symbols are intended to remind us to do that, some worthy, the whole point as he said is to discern that this is all about the Lord’s body and we’ll see that.

46. 24:10

    That’s why we come together as a body. I’ll make that point a little stronger later but that’s the context of you ever wondered. For example it seems somewhat usual at times, that 1 Corinthians 11, seems to sort of plunk into this record, the broader flow of the letter, the the of 1 Corinthians Well, it’s perfectly in context, you think about just one chapter back, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 16 to 17, you might want to have a look at it there.

47. 24:45

    It says, Midway through 16 the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread. Now brother Barling says he renders that he says we who are many are made one by sharing the one loaf, it’s all about the body.

48. 25:14

    So by failing to live, the example embodied in the bread and wine to Ward’s, the Lord’s body, loving his body, his Brethren and sisters. We failed to discern that the bread and the wine are a reminder of his body and we should love it. As he did love his Ecclesia as he did. What’s 1 Corinthians 12 will about? Well it’s all about the body.

49. 25:42

    I’ll just scan for you. For as the body is one, has many members all the members of that one body being many are one body. So also is Christ were baptized into one body. God has set the members, every one of them in the one. body many members of one body, there should be no Schism in the body but and here’s the key, the members should have the same care, one for another so he says, if you come together as an Ecclesia, And you behave like you were behaving rushing in taking for yourself, ignoring your brother and sister, not showing any form of sacrifice or love for them. You don’t discern that this is all about my body, you don’t get it.

50. 26:32

    I didn’t want you to live like that toward each other and yet you are. Have a look then at verse 29. And this is what we’re here to do verse 29. What does this mean and what have we used it to mean in the past? What does it really mean? Verse 29, let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

51. 27:01

    Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Now, many, many championships brother. Daniel could easily come on up here and say this, something along these lines, brother and sisters. We are here this morning on this solemn, occasion, to examine ourselves to consider our sin and our shortcoming of the week that’s been and to plead for forgiveness from on high. Okay.

52. 27:32

    Sounds sort of Vaguely Familiar, probably a bit. Too many cliches thrown in there. Daniel probably. Wouldn’t. Lob so many cliches. But essentially that’s it. We we come here, we examine ourselves our sin, and shortcomings of the week. That’s been, and we seek for forgiveness. Is that what Paul meant?

53. 27:57

    You know nowhere at all. In 1 Corinthians 11, can we find anything like that all too familiar pattern? Did you know that in 1 Corinthians 11? The words sin or forgiveness can’t even be found in the chapter. You know, brothers sisters. If we made the memorial feast, all about our sin, our shortcomings, our weakness, and our need for forgiveness.

54. 28:28

    How different is that to the selfishness of the Corinthians? Is that what Paul meant when he said let a man examine himself? Not at all. You think about it brother and sisters. It’s actually a very very Catholic principal to say I’m glad Daniel didn’t say it that we are here to have our sins forgiven.

55. 28:51

    We are not Do we meet here to have our sins forgiven? Absolutely. Not. We meet here to remember Jesus and to celebrate Jesus. You know, if it was about forgiveness of sins. Why wait to a Sunday, we can do that anytime.

56. 29:15

    And also, if it was all just about the Forgiveness of our sins, do it at home, just you don’t need to meet together. We meet together to remember Jesus to take of symbols that remind us of his life of sacrifice and to look at each other as his body. And say, I love you and I’m going to sacrifice like heated to my brothers and sisters. your closure is too big, but, you know, it would be sort of so much easier if we almost sat in a big circle and could look at each other And say I’m here for my lords brother, a body.

57. 29:59

    You are my brethren and sisters, your the body. I do, discern the body, I get it. Jesus. And when I take of that bread, I’m reminded of your life of sacrifice. And I’m inspired to go and do likewise as Jesus said, so often. And what’s the examining bit? Let a man examine himself before he takes think about the week of I live selfishly. Have I love my brother and sisters as Jesus? Love them as I have, I love them as I love myself. What did Jesus think about in John 17 himself or others? He thought of others?

58. 30:40

    You know, we do some funny things, right? Daniel will give a prayer for the bread and there’s nothing wrong with this at all. There’s no problem with it whatsoever. But Daniel will just pray for the bread shortly and sometimes we get the bread and we give another prayer to well. Again there’s nothing that says we have to do that. That’s fine.

59. 31:03

    If you do fine if you don’t find but maybe just maybe we sit there with the bread. and we think of Jesus, the man who was never selfish, Who writes to the end love to the uttermost who poured out his life for others. And either literally or figuratively, we look around the room at his body.

60. 31:32

    And we say to ourselves, we examine ourselves. Do I love as Jesus loved? In this week that has been, if I give him my life for his body as he would have and does today.

61. 31:47

    And then we put that bread in our Mouse. And then we drink that wine. That’s what it means to examine ourselves. And then, after we’ve done it, we go and Live Like Jesus and we preach and teach others about the beautiful, man. Jesus was, let’s not make this a ceremonial ritual. That has no bearing on our life.

62. 32:12

    Let’s not make it all about us. Our weaknesses, our shortcomings, our forgiveness. Maybe our minds, when we have that bread in that cup in our hands, can be a bit like Jesus in John 17. I pray for them. Jesus, our God. We could pray to Jesus and say, I pray for them too. Keep them from Evil.

63. 32:36

    Keep my brother and sisters from Evil. Help me to be an instrument for you. That’s what it’s talking about. And then we come to that most beautiful tiny little expression right at the end that just sums this all up. In 1 Corinthians 11, verse 33, it says wherefore my brethren. When you come together to eat tarry one for another. Now again for years and my translation doesn’t do it. Any justice and nor marked as yours. I think you’re said wait I used to always think that this meant stick around, you know, and christadelphians we’re really good at that.

64. 33:16

    We almost Mark the mark of an Ecclesia is, how long we all stick around and chat, right? We’re really good at that stick around, Terry talk, share Fellowship, all of which is a Teufel and wonderful thing. But is that what the word means? Just just hang around. Wait, stay for a while. No, in the Greek. It’s actually two Greek words and it’s really fascinating. The first one is this little suffix called, a sorry, prefix called Eck, right ech, which means the point from which something emanates from The point from, which something emanates from, and then the second Greek word after that prefix, is this little little word called dick. Oh, my And that literally means to take into one’s arms. To embrace or to hold.

65. 34:14

    So when you read Terry one for another, it doesn’t just mean stand around and have a chinwag just nice thing to do. Anyway, It means go up and give your brother or sister a hug. Because that’s what Jesus would have done. That’s Discerning the Lord’s body go out and embrace one. Another make them feel your love, make the fellowship, real and Powerful. It’s a practical expression of reaching out and drawing ones and another to one’s heart and expression of love. And that fits so beautifully with 1 Corinthians 11, doesn’t it?

66. 35:00

    immediately after we’ve taken the bread being reminded of a life of sacrifice the cup, a life poured out, Our first reaction is not to be selfish like the Corinthians unfortunately were and I’m sure they reformed after Paul’s letter. But rather to be inspired to discern the Lord’s body to have the same care, one for another and having examined ourselves and our way of life in light of our beloved Brethren sisters, we deliberately get up and we seek our brother or sister out and we give them a big hug and we say that we love them. Because that’s what Jesus would have done. So I hope that’s been helpful brother and sisters. I hope that going forward when we reflect on what it means to eat and drink.

67. 35:54

    Unworthily were inspired to never do that again to try the best we can to live. Like the man. We’ve come to remember and celebrate today.

68. 36:26

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69. 36:42

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70. 37:22

    Thank you for listening. God, bless and talk to you next week.