Breaking Of Bread - Being Detached From The World

We are familiar with the place where Jesus was walking with the disciples to Emmaus. Then when he reached their house, they didn't know he was, but it says here that when they entered the house he took bread and blessed it and broke it, and then their eyes were opened. They had a breaking of bread there and their eyes were opened and they recognized him or they knew him. That passage has come to my mind many many times through the past years when I come to breaking of bread and I say, Lord, I want a repetition of that now. I often pray when breaking bread I say, Lord Jesus in spirit you're here and I want you to break the bread and give it to me just like you gave it to those disciples. I want to receive it from your hand. I want in spirit to see your nail-pierced hand giving it to me. I think that's how they recognized him that when he broke it they saw the nail prints in his hand and said, wow this is Jesus. They were reminded of his love and so I say, Lord, I want you to give it to me so that and that I come to know you. Like it says here their eyes were opened. They come to know him and that's been my prayer many times breaking of bread. I say, Lord, help me to know you a little better. Then there's a knowing God is an endless thing. God is eternal, infinite. So I want to know you a little more. I can keep knowing God more and more all through eternity but I want to begin now to know him more. Not know, you know, a lot of us know theories about God is love and God is holy and God is humble all these things. I don't mean these facts about God. You can know facts about a person and not know the person. You can know all the statistics of your wife's birthday and height and weight and everything else but you don't know her. You can know so many facts about God and his nature as revealed in Christ and yet you not do not know him. The word know is a very intimate word in the physical realm. It's referring to a husband-wife relationship in the Old Testament and it's in the new covenant. It's referring to that intimate knowledge in our spirit which cannot be explained in words. Knowing God is something which has got nothing to do with the mind but with the heart. Very often our knowledge of God is what we have studied about him or heard about him and it's in our mind which is good. I believe God gives us his word. It comes through the ears or through the eyes body and then it goes to the soul. Man is body soul and spirit so it comes through the body first either by our reading through the eyes or by our listening like right now through the ears through the body then it enters our mind. That's the soul and there I grasp something but if it stops there I do not know God. I've known some facts about God. It's like studying arithmetic or mathematics. I have facts about God but to know him is when it goes down into my spirit and I know him intimately. It's impossible to describe in words but if I understand what that bread and cup symbolize that Jesus died you know in order to it says in Galatians 1 why did he die and let me do Galatians chapter 1. He gave himself not only for our sins Galatians 1:4 but to rescue us from this present evil world. He not only came to rescue for us from our sins but to rescue us from this present evil world. He died that I might be saved from this evil world and be attached to him because the Bible describes the world as an alternate person who seeks for our affection. It's like you know I'm engaged to Jesus in my bridegroom. I'm waiting for him to come so that I can get married to him. This has described in Revelation 19 but while I'm waiting you know a bride waiting for her bridegroom to come there's this other person very attractive person very handsome good-looking rich well-behaved nice person called the world that is attracting us and none of us can say that the world does not attract the world is a very very good-looking man very handsome rich kind helpful everything and the whole purpose is to draw me away from my bridegroom and I'm seeing here in the breaking of bread that Jesus died to rescue me from this from the the fact that I'm tempted doesn't mean anything Jesus was tempted so if you're attracted to something there's nothing wrong in it the question is what do you do with that attraction you put it to death and that's what we testify to in the breaking of bread in the breaking of bread I'm not saying the world is not attracted to me then there's no temptation I mean if the tree of knowledge of good and evil was an ugly smelly tree full of thorns and the Lord said to Adam don't go near that don't eat that tree Adam said I don't want to go near it in any case it's so filthy and stinking and smelly but the tree of knowledge of good and evil was one of the most attractive trees in the whole garden of Eden and what the Lord was testing there was will you love me the creator more than what I've created everything in the world is what God has created and when I break bread I'm saying that I've broken with this world see Galatians 6 14 what does the cross mean and says that we we show forth the Lord's death before it says in 1 Corinthians 11 as often as you break bread you're showing forth the Lord's death death to what to the world Galatians 6 14 says God forbid may it never be that I should boast in anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ it's a very searching question my dear brothers and sisters I've examined myself numerous times and I believe I have to continue it's a onion that has to be peeled off endlessly in all of us I've been convicted many times in my life that I'm glorying in something other than the cross where Jesus died as a criminal for me is that the thing that grips me that my savior died like a criminal for me and I'm glorying in something else outside of that search your heart you may discover at different times and I'll tell you you peel off one onion today one one layer of the onion you have not finished with it if you're faithful with it God will show you another layer and I'm very thankful that God shown me through the years little layers and layers of this glorying in something other than my savior died like a criminal on the cross for me I will not glory in anything except the cross whereby this whole world is crucified to me I'm saying what we are testifying to in the breaking of bread that's what I'm talking about you take that bread and that cup and this is what you're saying I have been crucified to this world I have as little interest in this world as a dead man has just meditate on that one statement for one week it'll change your life I have as little interest in this world as a dead man has I use it Jesus used it he worked as a carpenter earned money in order to live of course he had to make a profit in the tables and chairs he made otherwise he wouldn't be able to take care of his younger brothers and sisters and his widowed mother there's nothing wrong in that there's nothing wrong in making profit in your business that's okay and we have to go to the market to buy groceries and things we need to buy a house perhaps you know so many things in the world we need to buy and use but to be to be interested in that to be occupied with that no to use the world but not to be occupied with it that's what I'm testifying to and I say that's not something that we can just detach like that completely that it's gone I want to get to this place where that Jesus had where he lived in this world but there was nothing in the world that sort of kept you know in his mind that disturbed his sleep at night even something that people gave me money as a gift and Judas Iscariot is swiping it you think Jesus lay awake one night thinking of that no I don't believe he spent five seconds thinking of that that the money was given for him and Judas Iscariot is swiping it and using it for himself okay do it it did not disturb him one bit I say this is one example practical example of I have as little interest in this world as a dead man has did Jesus use money sure he needed money he earned it when he was a carpenter it's to understand this it's not like we're not asking people to be monks and and I don't believe all these monks and nuns and lock themselves up in some monastery are free from the world the world is right in their minds and that's why in their midst there's so much of sexual sin and evil the world is right there you don't get detached by just giving up something externally it's inside it's inside you can love you can be doing a job you can be doing a such an important job that you work 10 hours a day either at home or in some place of work and you're steeped in that work and your heart is not attached to that you know you you can probably be a businessman dealing with money every single day and you have to make profit in your business and yet your heart is not attached to it a true Christian can be like that that's what I mean by I have as little interest in this world as a dead man has I'm detached the world has got no and over a period of time you'll find the world doesn't have much interest in you either because you're not interested in the things they are interested in if a worldly person can find me good company something's wrong with me if a worldly person at the place of work finds me a very interesting person to talk to I think there's something wrong with me I have to be a representative of Christ wherever I am and there are things in this world the language of this world and the goals this world has the cross is seeking to cut me off from that more and more and more and more it's this is radical Christianity and the reason why so many people don't want to join the CFC churches is you guys you speak impossible things yeah it is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit but we are not to just preach this as theory our life must be a living demonstration of these truths that's one of the reasons why right from the beginning we decided we never take an offering because money is the big thing in the world just like grace is the big thing in the kingdom of God money is the equivalent of grace in this world and you know God Jesus put God and money as opposites you get you get pulled away from God when you're pulled towards money and if you get detached from me you'll be automatically pulled towards God these are two things pulling in opposite directions and that's one major part of the world to which I have to die and I have to use it this is the delicate thing I'm not going to be a monk to say well I've detached myself from all that and get some church to provide my food and clothing and room and all that no that's a deception to live in the midst of the world and perhaps many of you earn a very very good salary that's perfectly okay but is your heart in it where's your heart our heart must be towards the Lord always and the more you're surrounded by the world we have to be careful that the word of the cross breaks us from it heals us off little by little by little and that is what we testify to in the breaking of bread he said as often as you do this do this in remembrance of me remembrance that I am your bridegroom and don't let that other man the world draw you in any way he's attractive yes he's very attractive God has made the world attractive just like he made the tree of knowledge of good and evil attractive and the test for Adam was do you love what I have created more than me the creator and Adam and Eve said yes we love this created thing more than the creator that's how sin came and that's the sort of thing that comes to us today also everything in this world is created by God all the pretty women all the gold and diamonds and everything that's so attractive all the high position and honor that we can get in the world or in the church position and honor in the church that's also a worldly thing we get honor in the to seek for honor in the church is as worldly as running out for money yeah sure it's it's of the world and if people give you honor and it means something to you and you keep meditating on it you're not dead you're gonna throw it off when you gotta throw it off like some mud that came onto your body and throw it off I don't want it it's a serious thing brothers and I pray that we will our eyes will be open to see what the breaking of bread is that we don't take it as a ritual that even though we are doing it in our own homes in a sense we are doing it in fellowship with others and that's one aspect different the other is we are in a body we we are attached to one another together we are the bride of Christ I'm not alone the bride of Christ is me plus you and others around and I'm attached to you and anything that is going to hinder and break that attachment to you you also is something I have to be careful about that I don't allow some thought to come into my heart which will bring a distance between me and a brother or sister in the body of Christ I pray that God will help us as we break bread today to know the Lord in a deeper way. Amen.