Order from the Head Teacher was to sweep the room. Booker T. Washington
Self-examination - time of additional scrutiny - do best to take Passover service
Where are we spiritually? Are we where we need or want to be?
Are there areas in our lives that we are compromising the scriptures that God has given us?
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
We need to start with ourselves. It is human nature to look at others. God tells us that He wants His sons and daughters to do this.
Examine-test, discern, scrutinize,
Based on the fruit in our lives it proof that we are in the faith.
Isa 66:2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
Trembles - chared (Hebrew) means fearful, reverent, afraid
Do we fear God enough in our thoughts and actions? Do we in any way compromise God's word or instruction? He wants us to see if and were we may fall short.
Do we go to God and ask Him to show us the wrongs? We can see in our lives where we are at.
Lam 3:40 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD;
(Jeremiah authored this book) If we fail to do this, we may not realize how far away we are from God. We will find there is a need to turn back to God. We will see the distance there is between us and God. We will find areas time and again.
Lam 3:41 Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.
We cannot help being influenced by our surroundings. This world is falling apart. Turn back to the Lord. Not half-way, but all the way. We can be influenced to take the wrong direction.
1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
When we examine ourselves, we know we will come up short. Then we realize the sacrifice that Christ did for us.
1Co 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
What has been on our minds the last couple of weeks? Work, family, projects, world events, or focused in a large part on examination?
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
Corinthians was written prior to spring Holy Days and Passover.
1Co 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Why would Paul write this? Maybe he wanted people to know the possibility of going backwards.
How do we begin this process?
Starts with sincere and heartfelt conversation with God - prayer. This is an important aspect.
Turn it up a notch when we talk about ourselves with Him.
This needs to be specific. Ask Him to reveal things I have not seen before.
We will not move forward without this conversation. We need to ask and then listen to what He is telling us. Ask God to show us in His words what we need to know. Search and examine our own ways and then turn in a different direction.
Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
A spouse or close friend can help us see things that we do not. God correct me, but in your mercy lest I cease to exist.
A goal without a plan is just a wish.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
French writer (1900 - 1944)
Pasted from
Goals and objectives.
Write them down and start to work on them.
Two or three areas of our lives that we need to change or grown in.
Action is really the part that makes it happen.
Example of items that could possibly be on my list:
Is my discussion with God daily expanding?
We talk and ask Him for this and that? Are we asking the same things all the time.
In my reading and studying the Bible am I gaining understanding?
When I talk with others, how much to I think before I speak or what is the tone of my voice?
Am I quick or slower than I used to be on accusing others?
There is a lot of finger pointing going on in this culture. We are surrounded by a culture that does not take very good responsibility of themselves. God says to focus on you.
Am I more interested in what God says or in what I or someone else feels? Am I willing to compromise on God's word, when He says this is how something should be done? When we base actions on what our feelings are, we are in trouble.
How much of my thoughts have improved since last year? We know what thoughts have been floating around between our ears. Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Do I have that same love and drive as I did at baptism?
Do not be too judgmental of a brother. They may be working on things that we do not know about.
Write down goals and a plan of action. Expectations of God. Where are we spiritually.
Ready - Focus
Aim - Prepare
Fire - Action
Consider how things are crystalized when things are put down on paper.
Deu 17:14 "When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,'
Deu 17:15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
Deu 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.'
Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
Deu 17:18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes,
Deu 17:20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.
Do not be too big for your britches
Stay in contact with God by writing it down, reading it, studying it
You take responsibility for it.
King himself not anyone else was to write down this law. Repetition is one of the best ways of learning.
David, a man after God's own heart.
Psa 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.
David goes beyond examining himself. He now asks God to examine him.
Examine, prove, and try. The way and the words used are designed for God to reveal the reality of where and whom I am. To reveal his character. He must have thought this was essential to his growth. Show me even my secret sins.
Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
Try me God - try my medal. Examination is ultimately for our benefit and for fruit for God.
Do I keep the Passover because it is a tradition or ritual? Or are we bearing more fruit than we were a year ago?
We all have a job to do before Passover. Spiritually come humbly before God.
Examine ourselves and see ourselves as God sees us.
We partake of the Passover in a worthy manner.
Our responsibility is to come to the Passover.
MP3 Audio (7.28 MB) 
