Contractor
Originally scheduled for March 6
Let’s suppose that you have decided you want a
new house. You gather up the money and prepare to hire a contractor.
If you have no experience in these things, you will probably ask a
friend for some advice on how to deal with the contractor. You’ll
probably get something like this:
·
“A verbal contract is not worth the
paper it’s printed on.” (Attributed to Samuel Goldwyn.) Whatever
agreement you make, get everything in writing.
·
Watch the sequence and timing of
events — delay cost your contractor money, and therefore costs you
money.
·
“Put all your eggs in one basket-and
then watch that basket!” (Mark Twain.) It is, after all your house.
It’s one of several that year for the contractor but it’s the only
one for you. Be diligent about monitoring all the things going on.
Great, you think, but what’s this got to do
with communion? It turns out that our Lord himself has some
construction advice for you.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them,
may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And
the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed
against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded
on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not
act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the
sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."
(Matthew 7:24-27 NASB)
If a new house is so important, how much more
important is your eternal life? Like your house, you only get one
shot at determining which were your eternal life will go. Note that
this passage is not addressed to those who won’t listen — but to
those who listen, and won’t DO. You have two choices: your already
listening and you put it into practice — or you don’t.
We are instructed to examine ourselves before
taking communion, so that we might take it in a worthy manner. Those
who listen and refuse to follow often use one of these excuses.
·
“At least I’m not as bad as…” That’s
probably true; most of us can find somebody who is a worse example
than we are. True, but completely irrelevant. It’s like saying your
traffic accident was only half as fatal as the other guy’s.
·
“Hey, I put my money in the offering
plate too.” Is chipping in the same is living the life completely?
Is the part equal to the whole?
·
“At least I’m here.” Good. You’re
able to hear the word. Now consider doing the job.
There’s only one way to do it right: you need
to be fully committed to Christ. Therefore, before you take
communion this morning, examine yourself and ask, “am I?”
