https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xve-jcuYrHE
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our combined written and live Sunday sermon, which is normally broadcast every Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love, sharing the Word of God, the Spirit of Yeshu Ha-Notzri or in English Jesus Christ of Nazareth in a way that we believe embraces the ways Jesus taught us to manage. We bring His Word to the many as opposed to the few, in order to continue the legacy created by the ministry of Jesus Christ.
You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Rev. Laura’s other sites: Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin & USAlife & YouTube & Twitch & TruthSocial & Instagram & Facebook
Wedding officiant page: Wedfolio & Wedding Chicks
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list. Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names mentioned. Our prayer list grows or changes every week. This is our current list.
- Evangelist Cal Jennings is currently still in rehabilitation after losing his fingertips to serious third-degree burns. He is healing very slowly. Please pray for his healing and that his pain is treated like it should be treated, not as an afterthought. Please also pray for his dog Bogie, whom Cal misses a lot and has been staying with a neighbor, Cal really wants to go home and be back with his dog.
- David Doyle, brother-in-law of Evangelist Cal Jennings, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. David is a preacher of the Word as well, and this is a new challenge for him and Cal’s sister and their family to experience this close to Christmas. Please keep all of them in prayer during this journey.
- We continue to pray for JB & EB’s neighbor Jerry who is healing after completing his prostate cancer treatment.
- We keep JB’s sister Debbie back into prayer as she has now been diagnosed with Lymphoma after conquering two rounds of breast cancer. From the last report, she is doing well with treatment, so keep praying that this is the final cancer challenge she faces here.
- We continue to pray for my sister-in-law Fran who is still fighting cancer. She has been scheduled for a special scan to see if the cancer is gone. Please pray for this cancer to be gone forever.
- We continue our prayers for JB and EB as they are continually frustrated with all their medical issues that are ignored or overlooked. JB has been especially sick, losing weight way too fast and no complete solution in sight at the moment. She has gotten a tentative diagnosis for what is going on with her, but her doctor has scheduled her with a specialist to verify. JB has been seriously ill this past month with several issues going on that have sent her system completely out of whack.
- We continue to pray for a friend of ours, Alexis, who is in desperate need to improve her current situation and is seeking to sell things she owns to help her with this. If you want more information, send me a private message and I’ll pass on the information.
- We continue to pray for my Mama who has had a lot of anxiety issues lately after the loss of my sister nine months ago. These anxiety issues are really devastating for her and for the family, so please keep all of them in prayer.
- We continue to pray for all sufferers and survivors of the various types of cancer, including several survivors of the disease, JB’s sister Debbie, our friend Alexis, my Aunt Donna, and my friend Kelly.
- We pray for those who are in the path of dangerous weather, and other dangerous conditions, including wildfires, storms, flooding, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, worldwide.
- We pray for the various outreach ministries we have joined with, with their leaders, Pastor Jared Otieno, Pastor George Ototo, Pastor Stephen Okoth, Pastor Simon Peter Javaji, Pastor Amir Aneel, Sister Santhi Swaroopa, Pastor Duke Moenga, and others in Kissee, Nairobi, and other places in Kenya, Pakistan, and India.
- We pray also for our American outreach ministries, including Rev. Lisa Tyler on the other side of Georgia from where I am and Rabbi Karen L. Hertzog with her ministry, Way Maker Messianic Jewish and Christian Center – USA as well.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we have so much and so many to pray for. We pray for the many who are injured and ill in our ministry, our friends, family, and more. We pray for the homeless and the helpless around this world. We pray for the many victims of violence, prejudice, and terrorism in this world. We pray for those still under the thumb of slavery and oppression. We pray for the unjustly persecuted and prosecuted. We pray for the friends and family who have been fighting cancer including Fran, David, and Debbie. We pray for those who survived cancer, including Kelly, Alexis and many more, that they continue to remain well. We pray for the nations at war. We pray for all this in Your Holy Name through our Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening Song: Doxology (Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow)
Sermon: Today we are continuing the eleventh chapter of 1 Corinthians. In this section that I am covering, Paul is warning the citizens of the church at Corinth to be wary as to how they share the communion meal. Now, we spoke on some of this last week, but there is more to be aware of. Yes, there are still those who forget the true meaning of the communion meal, and yes, that’s a very bad thing. So, with this warning, let’s begin.
1 Corinthians 11:26 KJV –For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
NIV –For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Now, the importance of the communion meal is noted easily with these words. It proclaims that the Second Coming would transform the world forever. The communion meal celebrates the future, not the past. Yes, it also commemorates the Last Supper, and the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of our Savior Yeshua Ha Notzri Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Paul focuses only on one Old Testament verse from his go-to prophet Isaiah here.
Isaiah 53:7 KJV – He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
NIV – He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Paul includes two gospel references from Matthew and John the Beloved.
Matthew 26:26-28 KJV – And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
NIV – While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
John 6:53-58 KJV – Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
NIV – Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
John 14:3 KJV – And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
NIV – And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Paul adds three other New Testament points of view from the Acts of the Apostles, the Hebrew Prophets, and John the Beloved’s Revelation.
Acts 1:11 KJV – Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
NIV – “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Hebrews 9:28 KJV – So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
NIV – so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Revelation 19:9 KJV – And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
NIV –Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
Now, Paul adds another warning to his writing for the church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 11:27 KJV –Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
NIV – So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Now, the unworthiness of any ceremonial act for Christian or even Jewish people has a precedent. That precedent goes all the way back to the Torah in the scroll of Leviticus. Added to this are passages from Numbers and the prophet Isaiah.
Leviticus 10:1-2 KJV – And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
NIV – Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
Numbers 9:13 KJV – But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
NIV – But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.
Isaiah 1:11-15 KJV – To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
NIV – “The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!
Now, included in this are four New Testament points of view from the Hebrew Prophets, James, and John the Beloved.
Hebrews 10:29 KJV – Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
NIV – How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
James 2:10 KJV – For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
NIV –For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
1 John 1:6-7 KJV –If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
NIV –If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 3:4 KJV –Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
NIV –Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
Now, Paul shows us how to be able to accept the communion meal properly in this next verse. This is why we have ceremonial considerations known as confession and the road toward repentance. Confession is something that is often encouraged in certain Christian faiths, Catholicism, for example. However, confession can be managed in several ways. Yes, the Catholics have sort of perfected their methods there, but you can also confess through prayer, meditation, or talking to counselors and ministers of any and every Christian faith. Prayer and meditation are two methods for people to recognize their sin. This is what Paul shares next.
1 Corinthians 11:28 KJV –But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
NIV – Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
Here are three Old Testament references Paul brings forward including two from King David and King Solomon.
Psalm 26:2 KJV – Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
NIV – Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
Psalm 139:23-24 KJV – Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
NIV – Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Lamentations 3:40 KJV – Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
NIV – Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Paul adds three New Testament views, including this gospel view from Jesus in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 7:5 KJV – Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
NIV – You, hypocrite first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
The final passages utilized in reference include James the Just, younger brother of Jesus and also the Apostle Peter.
James 1:23-24 KJV – For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
NIV –Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
2 Peter 1:10 KJV –Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
NIV –Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,
Our final verse from this chapter today is this one. Again, he is warning the church members of Corinth about the propriety of communion. This is a seriously important warning. We all have to be aware of how, when, and why we utilize the communion meal. This is what Paul shares next.
1 Corinthians 11:29 KJV – For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
NIV – For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
This time there is only one viewpoint from the Old Testament in the words of King Solomon.
Ecclesiastes 8:5 KJV – Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
NIV – Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
Added to this are three New Testament views from the Hebrew prophets and James the Just, younger brother of Yeshua Ha Notzri Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 5:14 KJV – But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
NIV – But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 10:29-31 KJV – Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
NIV – How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
James 3:1 KJV – My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
NIV –Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
Paul is warning the members there at the church to be very careful who teaches while in the church. It’s very important to have someone who understands Scripture properly. It’s increasingly important that we teach the way that Jesus taught, the way God intended us to learn about Him. This allows us to grow in faith and belief through the hope and unconditional love that Yeshua Ha Nozri Jesus Christ of Nazareth brings us. We do that by showing each other how faith and belief in God go hand in hand, and all of us have the opportunity to walk in the faithful steps of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The ability to do this requires us to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you are willing to do so, please leave me a note in the comments and I’ll be in touch. Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
(Matthew 6:9-13)
Closing Song: Praise Him! Praise Him!
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin & Twitch & USAlife
Evangelist Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Scripture Excerpts: The New Open Bible Study Edition: Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright ©circa 1890-1910: International Bible Press, The John C. Winston Co.; Philadelphia, PA, USA
Sermon or Study Copyright © 2026 http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to
exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is
created through fear
together as the bringers of the
light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
