Beloved, let's turn together to 2 Corinthians 13, 2 Corinthians 13, as we read together the first ten verses, verse 5 being the text for the sermon this morning, 2 Corinthians 13, the first ten verses, and I would ask that you also turn in the back of the Psalter hymnal to the preparatory exhortation, page 149, form number 2 for celebration of the Lord's Supper as we read together that form at various spots throughout the sermon this morning. If you would keep that open on your lap as well. Page 149 for that in the back of the Psalter hymnal. 2 Corinthians 13, the first ten verses, hear now the word of the Lord. This will be my third visit to you. Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent. On my return, I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God's power, we will live with Him to serve you. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test. And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test, but that you will do what is right, even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak, but you are strong. And our prayer is for your perfection. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority, the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. Verse 5, once again, examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test. Dear people of God, we know that the cross of Christ is indispensable for the salvation of His people. Boys and girls, that means that you cannot do without it. We cannot do without the cross of Jesus. Without the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree, there would be no salvation. Now, I think it's true to say that the cross has become the universally recognized symbol of Christianity because Christ's work on the cross is the heart of the gospel. And we know that a lot of people wear hearts, heart pendants around their neck on a chain or heart earrings. Or they have, I'm sorry, crosses around their neck or earrings or even around their rear view mirror. And I'm not saying all of these understand what the cross stands for. I'm not saying all of these believe what we believe about the cross. But indeed, for many people, the cross has become the universally recognized symbol of Christianity. Good news is found at the cross. Paul stood firm on the cross of Christ. That was the message that he proclaimed. He said to the Corinthian church in chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians 1, but we preach Christ crucified. The power of God and the wisdom of God. You see, without the cross of Jesus Christ, beloved, we have no message. We have no good news. Without the cross of Jesus, we have no hope, not any one of us. Especially at the time of year when the church observes Palm Sunday and Good Friday and the celebration of Easter, it seems that maybe at that time of the year the cross in some way is put before our eyes even more than during the rest of the year. You may recall that even here with this congregation this past spring, we considered the work of Christ on the cross through the words that He spoke as He was crucified. But beloved, may we never tire of hearing of the cross. May we never stop gazing upon the cross. Because it is there that we as God's people receive the life that Jesus Christ has secured for us. And we are called to live that life in the light of the cross. Now, I'm not this morning holding before you simply a physical cross for you to worship. to idolize, that the cross itself should be an icon for you. But when we speak of the cross in this way, we are speaking of all that Christ accomplished on the cross. But yet the light that He secured for us, we are called to live in the light of that cross. And it's for that reason that our Lord both invites and commands His people to partake of Him at the Lord's table. As we seek to come to the Lord's table next week, we must understand that at His table, our Lord holds before our eyes His cross. At that table which He Himself prepares, He says, come and find My body which was given for you and My blood which was shed for you unto a complete remission of all your sins. And therefore, too, we are called to self-examination, to prepare. Turn with me in the form as we read the first portion of it. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, attend to the words of the institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord as they have been handed down by the Apostle Paul. For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given thanks, he break it and said, This is my body which is for you, this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, this do as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he that eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment unto himself, if he discern not the body. In obedience to these words and in fellowship with the church universal, we shall commemorate the death of our Savior in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper on the coming Lord's Day. However, to do so to our comfort, we must first examine ourselves as the Apostle has admonished. Now, beloved, who is the Lord's table for? It is for those who are in Him. It is for those who have been made a part of His body by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. It is for those who are called to remember Him. It is for those who know themselves to be in Him by grace through faith because He is the only Savior. It is for those who by faith practice the call for spiritual self-examination. That's the Word of God that we consider this morning. And this same Word of God was Paul's call to the Corinthian church in the text before us. We must understand that the context includes the fact that Paul's apostolic authority and authenticity, his genuineness as an apostle as well as his relationship to Christ had been challenged even as he says in the portion we read. False apostles had sprung up and sown seeds of doubt about Paul and against Paul. You see, he didn't fit the mold of one who could claim apostolic authority at least as they defined it. He didn't speak with the boldness and the confidence and fancy speech that a credible speaker speaks with one whom people like to hear and one who is enjoyable to listen to. He wasn't polished in the eyes of the world. He didn't walk with the confidence of one whom people can follow with confidence. He was meek and gentle and humble. And we all know that that's nothing more than a picture of weakness. And his message, while he certainly didn't tickle the ears of men, He preached some foolish talk about a man who died a criminal's death, and to top it all off, that man isn't even around any longer. According to these false apostles, how can you believe that kind of a message? How can you believe one who brings it? Now please understand that the Corinthian church, the saints in the Corinthian church believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul makes that clear in other places. But some, including these false apostles, wanted proof from Paul that Christ was speaking through him. But Paul turns the inspection light on them that if they want proof of Christ speaking through him, all they need to do is examine the authenticity and genuineness of their own spiritual life. All they need to do is search their own hearts. If they are able to discern, if, beloved, they are able to discern the state of their own souls, which is only possible by the grace of God, then they will be able to also discern the truth and sincerity of Paul's relationship to Christ. Very simply, if you know the truth, then you will know who speaks the truth. In this call for spiritual self-examination, then Paul outlines, first of all, the focus of this examination. Secondly, the method of examination. Then finally, the assurance of examination. The text begins again, examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. The focus of examination, beloved, is to see if you are in the faith. Do you belong to Jesus Christ? Are you really Christians as you claim to be? Now, we can speak about true faith, knowing the Word of God and believing it, but the faith here is talking about what is believed. It's talking about the Christian doctrine of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. It's talking about salvation only in Him and through Him. As well, it includes the believer's confession of that doctrine or teaching. To be in the faith means that your whole life is founded upon the doctrine or teaching of Jesus Christ. It means that faith directs your life, your thoughts, your words, your actions, your work ethic, your worship. It affects, it governs the friends you seek to surround yourself with. To be in the faith means that not one part of your life is excluded or is outside of the faith. Beloved, we don't live compartmentalized lives where this compartment, well, that's affected by the faith. Yes, we'll put that in the faith category. Well, this one, that really has nothing spiritual about it. We'll put that over here. Well, this one, well, yeah, that's with the faith again. No. Every part of our life, not one part of our life, is excluded or outside or is to be outside of the faith. Therefore, when you and I do sin, then our response to sin and our confession of sin is also done according to the faith. And the point here is Paul could preach to them all day long. He could spend days trying to convince them, preaching until he was blue in the face. But if they are not in the faith by the grace of God, anything he says will fall on deaf ears. Their own relationship, their own true relationship with the Lord will prove Paul and the truth of the message he preaches. The same thing is true with all of God's people. and those who teach and preach the Word of God. And notice that Paul doesn't say, find your comfort of salvation in your church membership. Or in the fact that you were born and raised in the church, or in a Christian family, or find your comfort of salvation in the profession of faith you made years ago, or even this morning. He doesn't say, test yourself according to the standard of those things. He says, examine yourselves to see whether you are not necessarily in the church, first of all, or made profession of faith, first of all, but to see whether you are in the faith. Do you live in the faith? Do you live by the faith? Does faith govern and direct your life? Do you live according to a different life principle than the world does? And what is that life principle? Beloved, it is the foolishness of the cross of Christ. The very thing that those false apostles were speaking out against. That new life principle is the new life of salvation secured for God's people through the cross. But the focus of examination also includes that one focuses on himself. Now this is where we are not to look at our neighbor. We are not to sit here in the pew and look at those beside us as we consider this call to self-examination. Paul does not exhort the Corinthian church to examine others, but themselves. Each is to focus on his or her own relationship to the faith, to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not our responsibility as brothers and sisters in Christ to try to examine each other's heart. Indeed, we are to believe as credible and sincere the professions of our fellow believers unless there's clear evidence to the contrary. But with regard to the call to self-examination to come to the Lord's table, you and I do not determine if others come to the table. Of course, if one is visibly not living according to his profession, the Bible commands believers, especially the elders, to get involved. But here, Paul calls believers to focus on themselves. The truth is, you can know the state of your own heart. by the grace of God. But you can't truly know the state of your neighbor's heart. Yes, we read each other's lives for the fruit thereof. We listen to each other's profession of faith and how God has worked in our lives. But when it comes down to it, you and I can only truly know by the grace of God the state of our own heart. Not anyone else. As we prepare to come to the Lord's table, we are called to spiritual self-examination. Why? Because the Lord's table is for those who are in the faith, in the Christian faith. It is for those who live according to that principle that is symbolized by the table, that principle of new life in Christ through His saving sacrifice. And only those who are alive in Jesus Christ will benefit from the nourishment that His body and blood gives. Those who are spiritually dead eat and drink judgment unto themselves. And that's why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, but let a man prove himself. How does he do that? How does a man prove himself? What is, in the second place, the method of examination? Well, the text says again, examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. And then Paul adds, test yourselves. Believers are called to test themselves, to do a careful examination, to study themselves under a spiritual microscope, to apply, if you will, a spiritual litmus test. And congregation, this call is very real. Something to be taken seriously, not something to be put off. But to be taken seriously. If we are honest, we will confess that at times we don't like to do this because we are afraid of what we will find. In fact, we know all too well what we will find. But we must remember that God reads the heart. And therefore, He calls His people to subject themselves to their own scrutiny according to His will. According to the Word of God, to the Scripture. And then honestly come before Him with heart wide open before the One who knows all things. And when we find something in our lives that contradicts being in the faith and we are called to confess it, repent of our sins, and seek forgiveness, beloved, we must test ourselves using questions such as, does my heart receive totally and completely the gospel as God has given it without twisting it according to my own ideas and in favor of my own personal agenda? Do I reject any part of it? Does my heart truly believe this Gospel of Christ? Do I trust it? Do I live by it? Does my life reflect it? And Paul calls us to answer these test questions by an examination of ourselves for the fruit of faith. Because one who is in the faith will be recognized by his fruit of faith. Jesus said, you will know a tree by its fruit that a good tree does not bear bad fruit. I think we need to remember something here. I'm not going to get into it deeply, just to make a mention of this. First of all, a good tree bears fruit. Please understand that. A good tree is not void of fruit. That's a bad sign. But a good tree bears fruit. And then secondly, it's good fruit. It's not bad fruit. Now the preparatory form gives us a beautiful summary of what the fruit of true faith is. Let's continue where we left off. Let each of us, therefore, consider his sin and guilt against which the wrath of God is so great that he has punished it in his beloved Son with the bitter and shameful death of the cross. And let him examine whether his heart accordingly is filled with that godly sorrow which works repentance unto salvation. Let each of us also search his heart to see whether he truly believes in Jesus Christ as his only Savior and accepts the gracious promise of God that for the sake of the passion and death of Christ, All his sins are now forgiven him and he is clothed with the perfect righteousness of the Son of God. Finally, let each of us examine his conscience to see whether he resolves in all sincerity and gratitude to serve Jesus Christ as Lord and in all things to live by His commandment, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. As we thus examine ourselves, let us be assured that God will certainly receive in grace and welcome to the table of His Son all those who walk in this repentance and faith. One who is in the faith congregation has a heartfelt sorrow for his sin and a confident trust in the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ and a sincere desire to live thankfully before God in faith. And this thankful living is then characterized by love for God above all and our neighbor as ourself. To know if you are in the faith, you are called to examine yourself to see if you have true faith. Now in Lord's Day 7, we considered what true faith is and we must ask ourselves according to answer 21, do I have a knowledge and a conviction that everything God reveals in His Word is true? Do I know it up here? Do I believe it in here? And continuing, do I have a deep-rooted assurance created in me by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel that out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too have had my sins forgiven, have been made right with God, and have been granted salvation. Do I know it up here? Do I believe it in here? Do I believe that it's for me too? If this true faith is mine, then as Scripture points out, it will be evident. And it will be evidenced by having courage and hope in Jesus Christ as Hebrews 3 verse 6 says. It will be evidenced by obedience to God as Jesus says in Matthew 7 verse 21, Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but He who does the will of My Father in heaven. Evidence of being in the faith includes growing in holiness as Hebrews 12 verse 14 points out. Pursue peace with all people and holiness. without which no one will see the Lord. The fruit of faith will also be evident. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 1 John 4 verse 20 talks about the evidence of love for fellow Christians. John says, Because if someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, How can he love God whom he has not seen? Now, beloved, this is just a sampling of the evidence of faith that Scripture talks about. There's so much more with which we are called to test and examine ourselves as we continually, daily study God's Word. The evidence of maintaining sound doctrine, the sound doctrine that we profess with the Apostles' Creed must be real for us. longing for the return of Christ must be our desire. And beloved, Paul makes it clear that as believers, now believers, as they recognize in the power of the Spirit, as they recognize the evidence of faith in their lives, that they may have, by God's grace, confidence that they are indeed in the faith. When he says examine yourselves, the Greek word for examine means to examine for good or evil. Do a serious inspection. Look closely that the truth may be revealed. When he says test yourselves, the Greek word means to examine toward approval because the proof is abundant and real. It's as if he is saying to the believers in the Corinthian church, as you test yourselves and see the evidence of true faith, Be assured by God's grace that indeed you are in the faith. You are approved. They are called to recognize that Christ is in them. See, that then is the assurance of examination. Paul asks, do you not realize, or another word is recognize, do you not realize or recognize that Christ Jesus is in you? This answer, this question is meant to challenge the Corinthian believers to indeed test and examine themselves. Paul knows full well that those who are not truly in the faith, those who do not have Christ in them, will not even desire to test and examine themselves. And he knows that the hypocrites in the church who hear these words with their ears and do try, do attempt to examine themselves, that they will only do it according to a standard of their own making like the Pharisee. I thank you, God, that I'm not like that publican, like that tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give so much to the poor. I do all of these great things. I'm not like him. Paul knows that those who seriously examine their spiritual life by the grace of God, that they will indeed be found to have Christ in them. Without Christ in one, that one will not even bother to conduct an examination. A true examination is also the blessing of new life in Christ. And those who are truly in the faith will receive the testimony of the Holy Spirit that as Paul says in Galatians 2 verse 20, they have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer they who live, but Christ lives in them. And the life which they now live in the flesh, They live by faith in the Son of God who loved them and gave Himself for them. Yet those who are just going through the motions, pretending to believe, but not really believing, they will not recognize Christ in them. And without Christ in you, Paul is clear, you fail the test before you've even begun. For those in whom Christ does not dwell by His Holy Spirit, they cannot produce good fruit, only bad fruit or no fruit. The fruit of living in sin, continuous and unrepentant sin, including blaspheming God, denying the truth, rejecting the faith, being religious outwardly, but void of the Spirit inwardly. And the preparatory form also gives a solemn warning to those who are not the dwelling of Christ, a warning that they do not come to the Lord's table. As we pick it up again, on the contrary, those who are yet unrepentant or unbelieving eat and drink judgment to themselves if they partain. They are admonished by the Lord through His apostles to abstain from this Holy Supper, lest their punishment be made heavier. Therefore we also charge those who willfully continue in their sins to keep themselves from the table of the Lord, such as all who trust in any form of superstition, all who honor images or pray to saints, all who despise God's Word or the holy sacraments, all who take God's name in vain, all who desecrate the Lord's day, all who are disobedient to those in authority over them, all drunkards, gamblers, murderers, thieves, adulterers, liars, and unchaste persons, to all such we say in the name of the Lord, that as long as they remain unrepentant and unbelieving, they have no part in the kingdom of God. Beloved, Paul called the Corinthian church to find proof for his being a genuine apostle by examining themselves to see if they were genuine Christians. He brought only one message to them, the message of Christ and Him crucified. If Christ lives in them, it is because by God's grace He was preached to them by someone like Paul. And if they find Christ living in them, then they will know that Paul is an apostle of Christ. And they will know the truth of the message he preaches. The message of the cross, you see, is the one and only message that binds God's people together. Verse 6 makes it clear that Paul is confident that they will pass the test and realize that Paul also passes the test. and I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. You see, the Christian life is to be a life of constant spiritual self-examination, not just for a few weeks out of the year as we approach the physical table, but every day of our lives. A life of constant spiritual self-examination through which God gives the assurance of being in the faith, Which means that Christ is in you. And only those in whom Christ dwells can come to His table. Only those who are in the faith will understand Christ's table and what it's for and what it's all about. And only they will truly desire from their heart to come. Only they will think about this table every day, this week especially. And when next Sunday morning arrives, They will not be able to wait. I can't wait to come to the Lord's table. To those who are not truly in the faith, you see, the Lord's table bears the same characteristic of the cross that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 1. And that's foolishness. It's a waste of time. We also know that a true examination of our spiritual lives in this life will reveal some sinful fruit. But, beloved, we are not to despair. That's why Christ calls His people to prove themselves in order to recognize their sins and total dependence upon His cross. The Corinthian believers were far from perfect, just like the visible church today, just like you and me. And if you read the Corinthian letters, you will quickly see that Paul wrote to them to admonish them for their sins. But Paul also knew that they were sinners saved by grace and he rejoices in their repentance and faith. He says in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 9, Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. And in that respect, notice finally with the form, the comforting invitation in the preparatory form. However, this solemn warning is not intended, beloved in the Lord, to discourage the contrite hearts of believers, for we do not come to this supper claiming any merit in ourselves, On the contrary, as Johnny testified this morning, we come testifying that we seek our salvation apart from ourselves in Jesus Christ. By this testimony, we humbly confess that we are full of sin and worthy of death. By this testimony, we also confess that we believe the sure promise of God, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This promise assures us that no sin or weakness which still remains in us against our will can hinder us from being received by God in grace and accounted worthy partakers of His heavenly food and drink. Thus assured, let us at the appointed hour come with quiet conscience and fullness of faith to keep this sacramental feast which our Lord appointed to be a continual memorial of His atoning death until He comes again. People of God, the comfort of the Lord's table is not that it is for perfect Christians. If that were the case, it would be an awfully empty table except for the host himself. Our comfort is that it is for sinners saved by grace. It is for those who look at the cross and understand he was sent there because of me too. He went there willingly. Because of me too. He accomplished His work there. For me too. It is for those who believe on the saving sacrifice of Christ on Calvary's tree. Beloved, do you believe? Is Christ in you? You see, if He's not, then you fail the test. And there is no room at His table for you in this life or in the life to come. Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for His promise is sure that His salvation is for those guaranteed who trust in Him. If you pass the test by God's grace because Christ lives in you, and that's the only way to pass the test, then prepare to come for His feast which He spreads for you. Our Lord calls His people to spiritual self-examination, which is an exercise of the Holy Spirit's sanctification in order to nourish us unto glorification. Amen. Shall we pray? Dear Heavenly Father, again we thank You, O Lord, for Your precious free gift to us. That Jesus Christ has paid the price that we might have salvation from all of our sins and enjoy life forevermore. We thank You for the wonderful reminder of that that You give to us in Your holy table, as well that even as our mouths eat and drink the bread and the juice, That our souls, indeed, by your Holy Spirit are nourished with nothing other than the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Lord God, may we desire that nourishment. May we take serious the call for self-examination. Reveal to us, O Lord, any secret or hidden sins in our lives. Bring them before our eyes, that we might confess them before you. With the comfort of knowing that you remove the sins of your people as far as the east is from the west. And therefore, indeed, we may come to your table in confidence, because Jesus Christ is worthy. And he has made us, his people, worthy by his perfect righteousness. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake, and in his name, amen.