התמלול המלא של Does God Decide When We Die? (Questions & Answers Part 6)

00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:15.360 Our focus today is assisting someone in taking their own life. 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:16.879 That's the focus. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:26.560 The second caveat I have is that suffering is a key component in the whole-made conversation. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:32.960 And the suffering of a loved one places a massive weight on families. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:33.759 I get that. 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:35.120 I don't want to ignore that. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:38.719 I want to state it right off the get-go. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:49.599 And so this conversation can be emotional depending on who's listening, who's watching, depending on what's going on with your loved ones. 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:53.120 I understand that it can be emotional and it can be heavy. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.439 And so I want to state that right out of the gate. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:03.759 And so, my my goal and my purpose is not to add any pain, to not bring up hard memories or harsh realities. 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:05.039 That's not the goal. 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:14.240 And yet, like we've done in this entire series, we can't just ignore these heavy topics and hope they go away. 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:34.480 As Christians who are trying to better our lives, better society, and ultimately serve God and and proclaim the gospel and lead people to Jesus, and in that big focus, we're called to embrace some difficult discussions sometimes, and this is one of them. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:40.720 So, with that being said, with those caveats in mind, let's start digging in. 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:45.600 Now, for Christians, made would not be a conflict. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:05:04.720 It would not be a conflict if we had scriptures uh that clearly permitted it, that somehow in the scriptures there was a letter of Paul or maybe a teaching of Jesus that clearly outlined the circumstances in which if someone wanted to take their own life, uh, we could help them do that. 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:08.959 If if that scripture existed, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:11.279 This message wouldn't even exist right now. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:14.560 But unfortunately, we don't have those scriptures. 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:25.120 It makes it difficult then uh for some in the cases of extreme suffering to draw a line. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:29.600 And it's hard in our society, it's it's hard in Christian circles as well. 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:32.959 It's hard in church circles, and it's becoming harder. 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:44.879 And and yep, we do have, believe it or not, we do have three biblical accounts where someone wanted to die and asked someone for help. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:53.040 And so they're all from the Old Testament, and they don't really provide a lot of instructional details. 00:05:53.600 --> 00:06:01.759 But I felt it was important that we just quickly cover those three accounts to kind of look to see if

there's something we can gather there. 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:06.399 Because I I think there's an authority perspective that does come out in these three accounts. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:15.680 So here we have them the three accounts we have in scripture of people who asked someone to help them die or to kill them. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.680 Uh so rightly or wrongly, this is what they are. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:23.839 The first is Abimelech, and he's found in Judges 9. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.839 He he wasn't a good guy. 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:27.360 He was awful. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:32.560 He murdered his 70 brothers to eliminate rivals to become king over Shechem. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:40.319 Uh, when he was laying siege to Thebes, a woman drops a millstone on his head and crushes his skull. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:47.040 He calls his armor bearer to draw his sword and kill him, so that he wouldn't be killed by a woman. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:52.160 Obviously, in that time, this was a shame thing, and that's what he asked for. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:57.759 And his armor bearer killed him, and that's it. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:14.399 There's no real lesson of right and wrong, and it's difficult because Abimelech was uh he was a wicked man, he was terrible, and so it's hard to feel any sort of remorse or you know, sympathy or empathy or anything, and the armor bearer simply followed orders. 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:18.639 So, though this is an account, it doesn't really give us any bearing. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:26.000 But then we move on to let's move on to another account of Saul, also uh not a good man. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:28.720 This account is found in 1 Samuel 31. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:37.360 And Saul spent his reign as king disobeying God, and eventually he's mortally wounded by archers at the end of a battle. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:46.079 And he asks his armor bearer to draw his sword and to kill him to prevent him from being captured and eventually tortured. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:48.639 And so he just wants a quick death. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:08:03.680 Now, the plot twist here is that his armor bearer refuses and he's afraid to strike him down because he's the Lord's anointed, he's he's the king, and so Saul decides to fall on his own sword. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:20.720 But then in uh in another account in 2 Samuel, we have this kind of secondary plot twist where the rightful king, David, he receives a different story of what happened on the battlefield. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:30.160 And an Amalekite claims to have killed Saul at Saul's request, and he brings the crown and the armlet as proof. 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:34.960 Now, really, he had just come upon Saul's body, but this is what he says. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:44.879 Now, David he responds in anger that he killed the Lord's anointed king, and immediately the Amalekite is executed. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:55.360 Now, we don't have any account in scripture on whether David actually found out that the Samalekite had lied and he found the armor-bearer and the true story. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:57.120 We don't really know how that ends. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:14.080 However, Saul's death here does give us some authority perspective on how, at least in the Old Testament, they viewed uh uh taking the life of you know God's anointed in this in this case. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:29.440 And so it's interesting that even a king who spent his life disobeying God, according to their belief system in Old Covenant and Old Testament understanding, that person still belonged to God. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:37.840 It was still God's authority over how he he dies, and and human beings shouldn't take things into their own hands. 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:50.159 And um from their perspective, no one had the authority to end uh the life of Saul, even at his own request. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:55.440 And so that's something, at least from an old covenant perspective, that we need to keep in mind. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:02.639 Now, I want to come back to Judges for our third example here that we find in scripture, and this is to do with Samson. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:12.000 And he's the outlier who didn't ask a human for help, he actually asked God for help to take his own life, but for a bigger purpose. 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:14.399 And so let's just do a recap on Samson. 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:38.799 He was given incredible strength under a Nazarite vow, but in his struggle with lust, he ended up losing his incredible strength, and then he was captured and blinded with his eyes gouged out, and he was made to entertain the Philistines, uh, eventually chained between the pillars of a in a temple to a false god, just to entertain the nobles. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:49.919 And so in that moment of complete humiliation and blindness, and yeah, he's totally undone, he cries out to God that that God would return his strength. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:56.000 And the reason is is to pull down the pillars and pull down the temple on the enemy. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:03.759 And so his strength is restored and he pulls down the pillars, and he dies with his enemies. 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:13.519 Now, this is our third account, our the only other account where someone asks for help to kill themselves and take their own life. 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:25.440 But it's a unique one because he's he's who knows when he was going to face death, who knows how long he would be imprisoned and used as entertainment. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:27.679 Um, I'm sure it was torturous. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:43.200 But he obviously still understood that God alone could give him the strength to um to take his own life, but he was only willing to give his own life to destroy the enemies. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:56.000 And so there's a um there's just a unique situation there, but it's still not centered on the hands of human beings, it's still under God's authority.

00:11:56.480 --> 00:12:09.440 So then we're left looking at the New Testament or centuries of church history, and there is no documented accounts of someone assisting another person to take their own life. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:10.720 None. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:23.840 But the silence of the accounts or the no accounts written does tell us a story that obviously from the Old Testament just continues through. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:47.840 And as we look through um the Gospels, the Epistles, and then we look at the early church fathers and and any writings and traditions throughout Christianity, there have been numerous situations where people have been in life and death situations, um, persecuted, suffering in fear of death and torture. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:13:02.000 But never, not once, is there any tradition or instruction that develops that it should reach a situation where someone should assist someone in their death. 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:03.600 It's just not there. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:06.000 It's not documented. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:20.879 The the understanding, the general understanding in all Christian teaching is that the authority to end suffering and ending the life of someone is it remains in God's hands. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:24.159 And so we're left with that. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:27.600 And you might be wondering, well, okay, well, that doesn't help. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:29.039 Is that the end of the Bible study? 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:31.600 Like we surely we have something else to go with. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:33.360 There has to be something more. 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:35.039 Well, there's not really. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:50.720 Um, so we fast forward to our modern era, and it gets very complicated because now, more than ever, it is easier and more painless to help someone take their own life than ever before. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:14:02.960 You know, in the in the past, there's been maybe suffocation, drowning, or like mortal trauma, swords, you know, leading to maybe firearms and lots of different things like that. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:24.639 If someone really wanted someone to help help them take their own life, but now uh medical advances have has led us to to drugs that um that medically uh the system can help someone take their own life uh quite easily and without pain. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:28.720 And yet, even still, there's there's no biblical direction. 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.600 So so we're left to wonder what's the answer. 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:40.960 And the answer is found, I believe, in a single word, found many times in the New Testament, and it's the word comfort. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:42.720 The word comfort. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:54.559 And it should be noted that to comfort someone who is suffering, and if it's long suffering, it takes immense time and energy and resources. 00:14:55.360 --> 00:15:05.759 But we do it and we choose to do it and go above and beyond whenever we can to ease

someone's suffering without intervening in the life and death soul moment. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:09.200 We do it ultimately for Christ and because of Christ. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:19.840 You know, this is the response to comfort those who are suffering is a response to the comfort Christ gave us at the cross for our suffering and sin. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:26.960 To put it more simply, he comforted us, therefore we comfort them. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:31.279 He comforts us, so we comfort them. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:36.480 And I think the instruction is very well laid out in Paul's epistles. 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:49.039 And so we're going to look through three specific uh pieces of scripture found in the Apostle Paul's letters to three different churches, and um, I think it lays it out very clearly. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:53.039 So, first, let's look at his letter, his second letter to the Corinthians. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:16:18.480 He writes, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:24.799 You see, the comfort that we receive was never meant to stop with us. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:32.639 It was given spiritually, it can be given in supernatural ways as we suffer with an affliction. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:47.440 That is a possible thing, that is a real thing that happens, and and maybe even miraculously healed from our affliction, and we have faith in that and we pray to that end, but we respond as well as Christians. 00:16:47.600 --> 00:17:04.480 We respond out of physically and emotionally choosing to comfort those who are suffering, who are in need, and we're in it for the long haul, whatever it takes pending, removing them from this life. 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:08.000 That is a line for us at least as Christians. 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:08.880 And so we move on. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:12.960 He he writes to the Galatians a shorter but um an important statement. 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:19.759 He says, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:22.960 Bear with one another, bear the burden. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:31.279 So we we take on the burden of comforting one another, and it pictures Christ on the cross, what he did for us. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:47.039 We take on the burden of people suffering to sit with them, to care for them, to do everything we can medically to assist them and to ease pain, uh, to to provide a listening ear, to provide counsel, anything. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:52.000 And we do that out of response of Christ easing our suffering of sin on the cross. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:18:05.680 And finally, uh writing to the Thessalonian church, Paul writes, and we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:15.680 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:26.400 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:55.039 The Christian call is to encourage the painhearted and to help the weak, but we're also called to be patient during long-suffering moments, and we we live out in thanksgiving in all circumstances, we pray in all circumstances, we give everything to God, and and we do all this without intervening to submit to God's will, ultimately through it all, submitting to his authority. 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:59.519 And so, practically, like, how do we live that out today? 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:08.720 Well, I think Christians should be in favor of pursuing every option to ease suffering and ease pain. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:13.759 I I'm saying medically, therapeutically, psychologically, whatever it takes. 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:27.039 And depending on how it goes, in March of 2027, suffering mentally will then be on the docket for medical assistance in dying. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:47.680 And Christians, our response should be to do whatever we can to care for that person, to counsel that person, to listen to that person, to provide care so that they don't come to the point where they feel their life should be over. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:20:05.680 And it's it's the same principles and practices really that that Paul is calling for the church, but we don't just use it in the church, we we use it as an act of love to our community, to the world, that they might see the love of Jesus. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:07.759 And these are long commitments. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:09.279 It takes time and energy. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:10.799 I totally get that. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:20.720 It's whether whether we like it or not, it it may seem easy if the person isn't there. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:36.400 Um, I know it's harsh to even think about that or talk about that or mention that, but having that person still here, and though they're suffering and us doing what we can to ease it, it takes more energy and effort. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:40.160 And maybe you're thinking, well, why why do that? 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:41.440 Why is it worthwhile? 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:44.160 Well, this is where we need to move to the research. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:54.880 And the the research on the desire for suicide or suicidal desire, what the research shows is that it's rarely permanent. 00:20:55.039 --> 00:21:08.000 That sometimes getting through the moment where someone's at their lowest and and wanting to end their own life, getting through that, um, there is the research shows there's there's light on the other side of that. 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:11.839 And sometimes you just have to get them through the valley, and that's our call.

00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:20.799 One study showed that nine out of ten people who attempt suicide and survive don't go on to die by suicide later. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:39.759 So if we look at that study and we assume that, okay, out of those ten people they've asked for help, let's just say, if they don't get help and they live through it, according to the stat, nine out of ten of them won't want it again. 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:51.519 So we look on to this uh next study in a landmark study of people who survived jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most lethal suicide methods that exists. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:57.279 95% did not go on to die by suicide by other means. 00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.759 Again, this isn't even asking for. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.559 Help. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:06.880 These are people that wanted to die so badly, they were willing to take their own life. 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:16.480 And so it tells us something about the psychology of someone, what's mentally going on when they when they desire to take their own life, that it's more complicated. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:27.920 And getting through that valley, there's there's complicated um situations they're in, and they may be out of that or or let out of that or realize it's it's not worth it in the end. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:44.480 And so for Christians, this research, along with our calling, drives us to pursue treatment and support, to not assume that a desire to die has the final word, that maybe on the other side, getting them through the valley, uh things might change. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:52.559 And so we comfort that person with every resource we have until they're healed or and and or God releases them, maybe. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.559 Maybe God does take them home. 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:58.079 And maybe if they really are suffering, I I get that. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:59.680 Maybe we even pray. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:05.279 Maybe we pray with them if they ask for it, that God would intervene and that God would take them home. 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:07.839 That I don't think that's wrong. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:16.799 I I don't think it's a wrong thing to ask God to take someone home if they're suffering. 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:22.880 I don't I don't see any evidence in scripture that that that that would be bad because it's still an act of submission. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.720 It's a prayer of submission. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:31.200 But but now let's talk about the time and resource component because it is vital to this issue. 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:45.759 You see, when people are suffering, and if there's lots of people suffering in a medical system, there it pushes an urgency for care and cure and a relief. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:56.960 And so then it pushes research and palliative care research and resources and funding are pursued if there's a massive need for it. 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:06.880 And so we need to highlight the lack of resources component that can lead to the MAID discussion. 00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:19.519 And this is a dark conversation, but it's important to have because we're talking about people's lives and what it costs the system to keep them alive. 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:23.839 Because it's a lot, it's a lot of time, energy, and resources. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:25.920 For example, look at this. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:38.079 In Saskatchewan, 15.5% of MAID recipients who needed palliative care didn't receive it compared to 2.5% nationally. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:49.200 If they had have received the best and greatest palliative care in this study done in Saskatchewan, would they all have chosen MAID? 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:50.880 Are we sure 100%? 00:24:52.079 --> 00:25:10.880 Or if the care had been to the best level and their pain and suffering was mitigated through through therapy and maybe drug or counseling or whatever it might be, are are we sure they would have still chosen that way? 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:12.240 I don't think so. 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:29.279 Looking at this nationally, only 58% of Canadians who died in 2021 to 2022 and could have benefited from palliative care actually received it, which means 42% did not receive the care. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:32.640 Again, would they have lived longer? 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:40.960 Would they have suffered less if 100% of them received the necessary palliative care that they needed? 00:25:41.200 --> 00:26:10.640 If the society, if our society or our government, if if us as citizens, if we had have really gone heavy to pursue and make sure that people in end-of-life care, either through disease or old age or whatever might have circumstances that got them there, that they received the greatest and best ease of suffering care, would it have moved the mark on our discussion regarding NAT? 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.079 I think it would have. 00:28:56.720 --> 00:29:00.000 But through Jesus, it can be restored. 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:05.599 And the end of sin is death. 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:10.160 Physical death, yes, but but spiritual death and separation from God. 00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:13.599 And that's why God sent Jesus to die on the cross. 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:28.319 He took our sin on the cross and he paid for it in full to wipe away the debt of sin that was owed and to appease the wrath of God, and he was buried, died and buried. 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:40.720 And yet on the third day, God raised him from the dead, conquering sin and death, and making a way, a new way, the new covenant, that we might become new creations, that our soul may be redeemed and restored. 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:54.319 That although I will die in some way, and I don't know when, and my mind and soul maybe will go on in some way. 00:29:54.640 --> 00:30:07.839 If my mind's connected with my soul, I don't know for sure, but for sure, my body, it's a shell, and it stays here, it doesn't go with me. 00:30:08.880

--> 00:30:20.160 And so Jesus stepped into our spiritual suffering and he and he took our death upon himself, our spiritual death upon himself. 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:26.559 And today we're gonna end by taking communion and remembering that sacrifice. 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:48.400 But before we do, I realize that some of you might have been listening to this message, and something in it stirred inside of you, and you realize I haven't been thinking about my next life, and now I am, or I have been for a while, and this is a moment where I need to get my soul in order. 00:30:49.200 --> 00:31:06.319 And maybe for you, you've been worried so much about physical death and end of life, or it's something you've been struggling with because you have a family member who's facing difficult decisions, or maybe you are suffering and you're facing a difficult decision. 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:15.920 Submission to God's authority and life and death is also a submission to God's authority and who He sent to save us for the next life. 00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:28.400 And so if you would like eternal life, if you would like to have a restored relationship with God, have your sins forgiven, that can happen today through Jesus. 00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:39.680 We submit to him as Lord and King, and we believe that God raised him from the dead, and we will be saved according to Scripture. 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:53.200 And so if you would like to give your life to Jesus, if you would like to be assured that you will go on to the next life and live in heaven with him, you can pray this prayer with me. 00:31:53.359 --> 00:32:01.440 And for those of you that have already given your life to Jesus, you can pray this prayer with us and just reaffirm what you already believe to be true. 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:02.960 Let's pray. 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:10.319 Dear God, I submit that I can't outrun suffering or death on my own. 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:14.720 I can't fix what sin has broken inside of me. 00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:26.960 I believe you sent your son Jesus to take my sin on the cross, that he died and was buried, but raised to life on the third day. 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:36.000 Please forgive me and be my comfort now and for whatever suffering still lies ahead. 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:39.599 I place my trust in you today. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:42.480 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:43.440 Amen. 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:46.960 Now we'll move to communion. 00:32:47.200 --> 00:33:01.759 If you would like to participate wherever you're at, you can just pause the video here, go get the elements, some bread or crackers, and some wine or juice, and then come back and hit play and we'll get started. 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:21.839 For those of you who are ready to continue, we'll be looking at the communion passage found in 1 Corinthians 11 when the Apostle Paul reinstituted and added some correction to the Corinthian church who had kind of lost their way. 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:32.960 And so we'll read the passage and then we'll take the bread, and then we'll read the passage for the cup, and then we'll take the cup. 00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:36.799 But first, let me pray for the elements. 00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:53.599 Dear Father, I thank you for this time of communion where we remember your son suffering on the cross, choosing to suffer, submitting to your will so that we might be saved. 00:33:54.079 --> 00:34:12.079 And this is the picture in our mind as we go through suffering and affliction, and as we walk with those, the hard walk, to help them endure the suffering and affliction, and to give them comfort however possible, whenever possible. 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:18.239 And yet we submit that you are sovereign and you are in control of all. 00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:29.039 We remember this bread as a symbol of your son's body broken, whipped, and nailed to the cross. 00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:41.920 We remember the cup and the red color resembling his blood that was shed for us, the final atonement for sin, the final sacrifice. 00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:45.119 We thank you for this. 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:49.440 We thank you for your sacrifice, we thank you for this time of remembrance. 00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:52.960 Be near us, be with us in this time of communion. 00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:55.039 In your name we pray. 00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:56.000 Amen. 00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:02.639 Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11, 23 and 24. 00:35:03.679 --> 00:35:07.840 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you. 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:19.679 That the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you. 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:22.719 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:48.800 In the same way, also he took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:35:49.119 --> 00:35:53.440 Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:03.360 Finally, our discussion and prayer focus for today. 00:36:03.679 --> 00:36:06.960 Ask this question to the people around you or reflect on your own. 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:11.360 Who in your life needs comfort this week and how will you reach out to them? 00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:15.840 Who in your life needs comfort this week and how will you reach out to them? 00:36:16.159 --> 00:36:21.920 After you've discussed that then, or reflected on that, if you're alone, spend some time in prayer. 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:30.559 And our prayer focus this week is to pray for those in our community who are walking through suffering, that they would experience God's comfort. 00:36:30.719 --> 00:36:36.159 Supernaturally, maybe miraculously, or at minimum through us. 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:42.159 For those in our community, we're praying for them as they walk through suffering, that they would experience God's comfort.