The Uncommon Denominator

Larry Kirkpatrick. Fairplain Church

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"It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times." So begins the famous novel written a few centuries ago by Charles Dickens. I suppose that that thought is truly among those which best portray the situation in our time. For as we move closer and closer to the rapidly approaching end of the great controversy between good and evil, we both rejoice, lifting up our heads, knowing that our redemption draweth nigh, and yet we grieve as we see a tidal-wave of misguided innovations rushing into the very midst of God's last-day church. To be a follower of Jesus today means to find one's self operating in a battle-field upon which it can be very difficult to know just what to do. Which soldiers are on the same side as you? Have things as the pioneers of this message knew, understood, and taught them, been so wrong? Is that why there are so many winds of doctrine blowing today? Friends, could it be that what we as God's people need to know today, is what we could call the uncommon denominator? What agency has God chosen to link us together with Him and with each other? What is the one thing that all who would successfully serve God have? Today, we have gathered here, into this place to observe the ordinances of the Lord's supper. And so we want to place our mind in a positive frame. Today we know that the Holy Spirit and the angels of God have gathered into this sanctuary with us here in a special manner to impress this service upon our senses. Today Jesus meets with us here, through His Holy Spirit, and energizes us with His presence. Today we gather to publically proclaim our belief in Jesus as Lord and our soon to be fulfilled hope that Jesus is coming again. So let us turn then, to 1 Corinthians 11:23f. These lines place before us the service of the Lord's supper:

"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."

No, things were not at all just right "in the church" on the night when Jesus launched this service of the new covenant. On that very night, He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. And so along with the truth that most of Jesus' servants were only seeking to be loyal to Him, there was another one who betrayed Him there too. There was something missing for Judas. Between him and Jesus there something was lacking--something very important. The uncommon denominator was missing. Another story in the Bible makes a portrayal that appears vividly similar. Come with me to John, chapter six. John, chapter six, and read with me starting in verse 52. You see, Jesus had just fed the 5000, and many had only days before sought to make Him their King. But He had refused (John 6:15). The kingdom they had expected and the one which He had come to preach were not at all the same. And when they saw Him feed the 5000 they were amazed. Ah. Free food! "If He can do this, then surely He can wipe out the Romans who control our land," they thought. But Jesus saw through it all; He knew that they were largely attracted by the miracles that He did. Because the truly big miracle is when you and I submit to God and permit Him to change us on the inside. Now that is a big miracle. But all these other ones are small ones. No, Jesus said, you folks are attracted by the free food. They asked Him what sign He would give them, and then suggested one (they were so subtle!). "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert," they said (John 6:31). Then Jesus told them that He Himself was the true manna from heaven. Manna was just a figure of the true sustenance for God's people--His own Son, Jesus Christ. But they reacted just as Nicodemus had reacted at first. "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" they mocked (John 6:52). But "Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53). I suggest to you today, that the uncommon denominator that we all must share in, if we are to be God's people in these last days, is our acceptance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Yes, today we will receive the unleavened bread and the pure juice of the grape, in symbol portraying what Jesus has done for us. But let us try also to understand why He uses these symbols. So what does it mean to eat the flesh of Jesus? What is the breaking of His body? Today, we can only look for a moment. So we cannot dwell upon the full meaning of the foot-washing service, or of the reason we take the wine today. But let us consider briefly, the broken body of Christ. Remember what Jesus said about the bread in 1 Corinthians 11:24? "This is My body, which is broken for you." When He had prayed, He broke the bread. Do you remember Gethsemene? When He had prayed to the Father there, He just kept on pleading and pleading. Finally He chose to go through with the horror of the full experience of the second death on our behalf, and then fell dying to the ground. The weight of the sin of the world was bearing down upon Him. Every filthy wickedness that you and I and billions of other humans had done or ever would do, was pressing down upon His heart there in that garden, like all the pressure of a giant press, squeezing and squishing Him. All the holiness of God washed up against all the vileness of our sin and no, we cannot really even begin to conceive of what our Saviour went through to secure for us the possibility of our salvation. "This is My body, which is broken for you." That is, Jesus points to the hours just ahead of Him, when He will die on our behalf, and ratify the new covenant. "This, My body, is on the point of its momentous breaking on behalf of humankind. But although My face will be marred more than any man (Isaiah 52:14), I will do it because I love you so much." As He entered that garden, the disciples would notice the change that was to come over Him. In the cold breeze of the evening they would see a new expression on His face that would strike terror into their souls. What did Jesus feel there in the garden? Listen with me to a few lines from The Desire of Ages, pp. 686-687.

He went a little distance from them--not so far but that they could both see and hear Him--and fell prostrate upon the ground. He felt that by sin He was being separated from His Father. The gulf was so broad, so black, so deep, that His spirit shuddered before it. This agony He must not exert His divine power to escape. As man He must suffer the consequences of man's sin. As man He must endure the wrath of God against transgression.

Christ was now standing in a different attitude from that in which He had ever stood before. His suffering can best be described in the words of the prophet, "Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts." Zech. 13:7. As the substitute and surety for sinful man, Christ was suffering under divine justice. He saw what justice meant. Hitherto He had been as an intercessor for others; now He longed to have an intercessor for Himself. As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness. In the wilderness of temptation the destiny of the human race had been at stake. Christ was then conqueror. Now the tempter had come for the last fearful struggle. For this he had been preparing during the three years of Christ's ministry. Everything was at stake with him. If he failed here, his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ's; he himself would be overthrown and cast out. But if Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan's kingdom, and the human race would be forever in his power. With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ's soul was filled with dread of separation from God. Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world, the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with Satan's kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God.

So. Do you get a sense of what Jesus faced? What does it mean when He tells His disciples that His body is broken... For us? He was willing, just for you, to put His eternal unity with the Father at risk. But what is the result of what He accomplished for us on the cross? Turn with me to Hebrews 10:16: "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them." Jesus made it possible for us to live as He did. Through His experience in Gethsemene and upon the cross, His body was broken for us. A sacrifice worthy to be offered in the heavenly sanctuary was wrought out for us. Again, hear this from Desire of Ages, pg. 664:

'Verily, verily, I say unto you,' Christ continued, 'He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also.' The Saviour was deeply anxious for His disciples to understand for what purpose His divinity was united to humanity. He came to the world to display the glory of God, that man might be uplifted by its restoring power. God was manifested in Him that He might be manifested in them. Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.

Today we can rejoice that heaven has paid so high a price for us. We do not realize how precious we are in the sight of God. And He would have gone through all of this, just to save your soul, if you were the only soul that needed to be saved. This is the weight with which God values you. Now some of us come here today, and we can't see these victories in our life. "Well," we say, "my life sure isn't worth much. I don't have the victory. I am still drowning in my sins. How can God love me?" But may I ask you, where in the Bible does it ever say that Jesus' love is founded upon our gaining the victory? He died to give us the victory because He loves us; not to keep us at arms length until we get the victory. Oh, how we long for that victory over sin in our lives. And God is absolutely ready to give it, and does give it. But remember that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Shall we then despair? Should that person quietly arise and slink out of this sanctuary, and wait until they've gotten "better" before they partake of the communion? No friend. No. Search your heart before the Lord, confess to Him your sins, and plead with Him to put them away from you. Ask that He cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Plead with Him, "O Lord, take this day and let me make a new start with Thee." Take hold upon His strength, and be strong. He is our hope, not we ourselves. Today, for you, make it the best of times. Recommit yourself to Your Maker, and go forward. Let joy fill your heart and not sorrow. The end is closer than when we first believed. God will purify His church. The shaking will only intensify as we near the end. The grand finale cannot be far off. We cannot wallow in our old way of living any longer. Let us go forward today, and break loose, and look unto Jesus. On this day may we all stand closer to Him, uniting ourselves with Him, and receiving His uncommon empowerment that makes us more like Him. Let us fill our lives with His life, which is the uncommon denominator. May Christ in us, the hope of glory, make this morning one ever to be remembered as one of the unique moments of commitment in our spiritual journey. When we invite Him in, He will not disappoint us, and the church will go forward under the approval of heaven, accomplishing His will, and Jesus will return.

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