CELEBRATING THE LORD’S SUPPER
1 Corinthians 11:20-34
THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH VERSUS THE WORLD
Prior to getting to verse 20, Paul discusses the difference between the
The attitude of the world and the attitude of Church members and the
Exercise of Christian freedom.
Paul first points to the family order established by God the Father.
God is the head of the Son, The Son is the head of Man, and Man is
The head of the woman.
Man and woman were created as equals, yet there is a Godly order.
The woman was created with long hair. The man was created with
Shorter hair. The hair of the woman is her covering and her glory.
The woman is the glory of the man.
I do not believe Paul is giving Biblical doctrine concerning the
Length of hair because he spoke of the nature of things.
Man and woman should exercise their freedom to honor God
With their hair. In prayer in the Church man’s head is to be uncovered,
Honoring the SON OF GOD. Women should have their hair covered in prayer
In the Church honoring man. Again, not a law but the exercise of personal
Freedom to honor God and man. (feel free to disagree ).
Next Paul discussed the division between the poor of the world and the rich.
In banquets, the rich were seated in a special room with special food.
The poor were grouped in a room with lesser quality food
And drink.
This attitude of separation of the rich and poor was taken into the Church
At Corinth and was unacceptable.
UNACCEPTABLE LORD’S SUPPER
V:20 When you come together, it is not the Lord\’s Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don\’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
- Since there was no Church building, the early Church was held in
The homes of well to do believers.
- The celebration of the Lord’s Supper took on the attitude of
The world.
- The celebration of the Lord’s Supper did not take place
As a group event.
- The believers came individually to the homes and ate.
- Some got full and some got drunk.
- Apparently, the poor came last and found nothing to eat.
- This was in opposition to the teaching and disrespectable to
The Lord and the poor.
- This was the first celebration instituted by our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ in remembrance of the greatest
And the most important event in Church history.
- This celebration was the start of the persecution of
The church and the deliverance of all believers into
To fellowship with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- To partake in this celebration lightly is to dishonor the blood
Shed on the cross for all mankind.
- Christ died on the cross not just for believers, but for
The sins of the entire world.
- We cannot be praised for showing up at church with
No appreciation of the redeeming event of the cross.
THE DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION
V:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 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.\” 25 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.\” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord\’s death until he comes.
- This celebration is of utmost importance so we must be reminded
Over and over again in our lifetime in remembrance of the
Covenant Jesus ratified with His blood, shed on the cross.
- The birth of our Lord Jesus was the start of the redeeming
Process, but just a start.
- The life of Our Lord Jesus on earth was Biblical teaching,
But Just teaching.
- His death on the cross was the one-time atonement of sins
Of all mankind, from Adam to the last person born
On earth until His second coming.
- No event in Church history is more important to
Get us ready for His resurrection from the dead.
- His death and resurrection opened the door for
Our Redemption into eternal life with Him.
- This final celebration of our Lord and Savior with His
Disciples set the stage and the standard for celebrations
In Churches all over the world for all times.
- Jesus\’s death and resurrection fulfilled all the requirements
Of the covenant of the Law, bring it to an end
And replacing it with the covenant of Grace.
- Jesus humbly submitted Himself to the will
Of the Father in total obedience.
- This celebration consisted of two parts, the bread
And the wine.
- The Passover had it start the night the death angel
Passover the homes of the Israelites marked with
Lamb\’s blood prior to them being released form
Bondage in Egypt.
- This was a forerunner to our redemption by the blood
Of Christ.
- The unleavened bread represents was the bread of affliction
for the Israelite ancestors ate.
- In this final Passover of Jesus, the bread represented His
Crucified body.
- The wine was a representation for the Israelites of all the
Blood sacrifices they were required to make under the law.
- For this final Passover sacrifice of Jesus, the wine represented
His blood which was shed on the cross for the atonement of our sins.
- The wine represented the new covenant in the blood of
Of Jesus.
- The blood of Jesus is the payment for the sins of all
Mankind.
- The blood of Jesus cleanses the believer of all unrighteousness.
- The blood of Jesus is a one-time sacrifice for all times, past,
Present, and future.
- The problem with blood sacrifices under the law as it had to
Be done over and over again and did not save.
- Celebrating the Passover with bread and wine is a constant
Reminder of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
- We are encouraged to celebrate the Passover feast as often
As we desire.
- The Passover celebration represents our hope in the
the second coming of the Lord.
- The Second coming of Christ is hope in the
the new heaven and new earth where we will an
Eternity with Christ.
- Jesus presents us with a spiritual diet to maintain our
Spiritual hope.
- Notice Jesus gave thanks to the Father His coming
Death.
- How much more should we give thanks for our trouble
In this life.
- Enduring the troubles of life with faith gives rise to
Our eternal blessings with Christ.
GUILTY OF SIN AGAINST THE BODY
V:27 Therefore, 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. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats the bread and drinks from the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
- According to the IVP Bible Background Commentary,
the Passover Celebration was held in the homes of rich believers.
- The rich believers separated themselves from the poor
Eating in different rooms thus promoted racial bias
In the Church.
- In the eyes of Christ, there are no big “I” or little “you”.
We are all equal in His sight.
- To show biases of any kind is a sin against the body of Christ.
- All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
- To consider ourselves sinless and without fault is sin.
- To consider ourselves better than any other person is sin.
- We are commanded to examine ourselves before we eat
The bread and drink the wine in celebration of the Lord’s
Death.
- This very day we may have done something or thought
Something that is displeasing to God.
- If we have an unforgiving spirit, we must forgive
So we can be forgiven.
- If we eat the bread and drink the wine with
Unforgiven sin, we bring judgment upon ourselves.
- It would be better to not partake in the celebration
With unforgiven sins.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF CELEBRATING UNWORTHILY
V: 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned by the world.
- Notice the severe consequences of participating in the celebration
Unworthy.
- The body is weakened.
- We may experience sudden illnesses.
- We can experience an early death.
- Notice believers who take the sacrament unworthily do lose
Their salvation.
- They are chastened by the Lord
- The discipline of the Lord is according to His grace and
Mercy.
- It is a sign to other believers to take the sacrament in good
Faith.
PERSONAL PREPARATION BEFORE THE CELEBRATION
V:33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come, I will give further directions.
- Again, Paul warns against racial, social, and cultural biases.
- These biases divide the church and are a sin against the
Body of Christ.
- The communion should be held as a sacred event.
- The communion in the Church should be taken by all at
One time in one place with a focus on the Lord’s
Second coming.
- The communion is not a social event but a divine
Sacrament.
- The church at Corinth had made the communion a
A social event and a time of wining and dining.
- The sacrament was held in the homes of wealthy
Believers who provided a full meal.
- Two classes of meals were prepared, one for the
Wealthy and a lesser meal for the poor.
- Paul urged the believers to eat at home so as not
To be tempted to sin in the body during the taking
Of the Lord’s supper.
- It is the believer\’s job to come to the Lord’s supper
With a clean heart.
- It is the believer’s job to view the communion as a
Divine celebration of the Lord’s death.
- We honor the Lord with taking of the communion.
- We honor the Lord when we remember the mercy
He displayed for us with His death on the cross.
- We honor the Lord when we appreciate in good faith
the redeeming Grace of His blood.
THANK GOD FOR THE SACRIFICE OF HIS SON
Rev. M. Mitchell
