Deuteronomy 8:17-18a

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth...

From Background Notes [BN] for May 5^th & 6^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Whatever wealth we produce, we gain from the ability given us by God. That is why it cannot be entirely ours in the first place.

Numbers 18:26

Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.

From Background Notes [BN] for May 5^th & 6^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Consistent with Torah instruction, the tithe was gathered together into "God's house,” that is, stored in the central place of worship where it could be a shared benefit to all of God's people. From there, God often authorized the distribution of the tithe for the needs of priests, Levites and even the people.

Genesis 14:17-20

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.  And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

From Background Notes [BN] for May 5^th & 6^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Yahweh's priest makes it clear that Abram is blessed by God who is the Creator of all things. Whatever booty Abram brings with him from the battle belongs to God alone. How does Abram symbolize this fact?

Luke 12:16b-19

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

From Background Notes [BN] for May 5^th & 6^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

What is the mistake of the rich man? Is it his diligent preparation to make room for his good crop?

Luke 12:15

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

From Background Notes [BN] for May 5^th & 6^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Our Lord's use of the imperative, "Watch out!" only serves to underscore the high stakes of material ownership.

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

From Background Notes [BN] for May 5^th & 6^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Twin elements belong to such faith, the writer goes on to tell us:

1) Believe that God exists;

2) Believe that God rewards the seekers of God.

Matthew 26:29

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

A strong linkage has grown up between the communion experience and the future coming of Jesus. “We proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes,” Paul reminds us (1 Corinthians 11:26). “I will not drink this cup until I do so anew in my father’s kingdom,” Jesus promised (Matthew 26:29). These texts add additional dimension to the Eucharist for they connect the table here with the table there — that is, with the table celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb (see Revelation 19:9).

1 Cor 11:33

So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Holy Communion is not the invention of the church but the gift of Jesus to the church. The Lord’s Table does not belong to the church but comes from the gracious hand of the Lord Jesus Christ and forever remains his table...

1 Cor 11:23-25

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The tradition Paul cites traces back to the apostles themselves, and that is the meaning of the words “I received from the Lord….delivered to you.” The key elements of the tradition include:

 

1 Cor 11:26

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Once a year that story gets told in Jewish households, and has been for thirty-five hundred years. “What makes this night different from every other night?” The same question is posed by the children and the same answers are given, declaring the love of God for His people and His commitment to rescue them from sin and death. Therefore…

Matthew 26:27-28

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The Church of the Nazarene believes in open Communion. This means all Christians are invited to the table to share in the elements. The church teaches that Communion is a sacrament remembering Christ’s body and blood shed, so everyone who asks may be forgiven.

Numbers 9:4

So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

As the children take part in Communion, we remind them of the serious nature of Communion, but also the celebratory aspects as well. For too long, the sober and the solemn have ruled the Communion service. It is time to reclaim the celebratory, grace-giving nature of Communion. It is a serious time, but also one of great grace and love from God.

Luke 22:19

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Throughout the history of the Church several ways have been attempted to explain God’s presence in Communion. The Roman Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation means the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Martin Luther’s doctrine of...

2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The historical Church has recognized many different means of grace through the centuries. Of the means of grace, the church defines some as sacraments.   The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, Confession, Last Rites, Ordination, and Marriage). The Protestant Church typically recognizes two sacraments (Baptism and Communion)...

Exodus 29:33

They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The term “sacrament” is often misunderstood, and I have had to answer questions about whether the word has anything to do with what happens to the bread and the wine during communion. In fact, the term comes from the Latin, sacramentum, which has to do with making something sacred...

Luke 24:25

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

From Background Notes [BN] for April 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

“Are we better off because we believe in the risen Lord Jesus, than if we did not?” In phrasing the matter this way, we need to clarify that to “believe” in the sense used here means strong faith that has its basis and grounding in an honest process that asks, seeks, and knocks…

Luke 11:9

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

When faced with the incredible story of the risen Jesus, we stand in need of faith to believe it. For that daunting challenge, God is our Father who wants to give us the Holy Spirit if we ask Him to do so. Ask, then, for faith through the Holy Spirit, and God will also give you truth, passion, and understanding as well. The work of the Spirit is to make the risen Jesus accessible to those who ask.

Luke 24:12

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Have you noticed how the Easter morning people had to remain engaged, and had to be active in their efforts to make sense out of what they experienced? We might be tempted to say, that they needed to do something in order to know something.

Luke 24:4

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

The word “wondering” comes from the Greek root aporeō, meaning “be at a loss, be uncertain, or be disturbed.” They were “without resource” to explain what they saw or to do what they came to do.

Luke 24:6-7

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.

From Background Notes [BN] for April 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

We say, “He wasn’t just an ordinary man who became a great moral teacher.” We say, “He died and rose again.”