I Corinthians 11:23-34 Status Update: The Lord's Supper is no Ordinary Meal

Proposition: The Lord's Supper is the centerpiece of our gatherings and is a tradition we should celebrate often to ensure we are constantly reminded of our gospel unity.

*It is a tradition we should regularly keep

“23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25a After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:...”

 How do we know this?

      - vs. 23 This tradition was passed from Jesus to Paul & delivered to the Corinthians. While many create & pass on religious traditions, only those recieved from Jesus should be passed down. The main church traditions/ordinances are Baptism=repeated 1x & Lord's Supper=repeated often.

      - vs. 24 Jesus said bread = His body broken for us  = Not His actual body b/c He was still in it!  Remember nobody actually “broke” Jesus' body = He symbolically broke it Himself. Paul said it was the church/body of Christ (10:17)

     - vs. 25 Jesus said cup = NT/covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-23) of His blood

     - vs. 25a notice Paul wrote, when he supped...Lord's Supper was part of a larger meal in early church

*It is a meal with a gospel purpose

“25b This do, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he come.”

     - vs. 25b It is to be done often to help us remember the One who brought us together

     - vs. 26 We eat/drink to show (proclaim/announce/make known) Lord's death until He comes. The phrase the Lord's death refers to the entire gospel (1:17-18; Gal 2:21; Eph 2:16).  Celebrating it makes the gospel known audibly & visibly.   Celebrating it draws attention to the centrality of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection & return.   Celebrating it does not create unity but rather acknowledges it.

*It places focus on our unity in Christ

“27 Wherefore whoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that you come not together to condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.”

     - vs. 27 Notice to eat/drink unworthily makes one guilty of body/blood of the Lord.  It violates the Supper's central purpose = Jesus gave His life for every member of His church.

     - vs. 22 Remember Corinthians despised/dishonored each other (Christ's church) & shamed the poor. A love of “attending church” does not automatically = “loving the church”.   A true believer is not just one who partakes in the sacred meal (or whatever religious service).  A true believer is one who partakes in the sacred duties/life which the meal represents.

What is the meaning of unworthily?

      - vs. 29 clarifies unworthily = Not discerning Lord's body (most xlations sub this for unworthy).   The Action of HE is eating, drinking & discerning...The Manner of HE is unworthily.  Unworthy does not describe the sinner but rather the manner of partaking.

Paul told us what to examine about ourselves & the purpose of such examination...

     - vs. 28 Paul said examine self in relation to the body & then eat/drink (Did not say abstain from table).

     - vs. 30-31 The purpose?   We either correct our actions toward the body or God will (either way solution is not to abstain).

    - vs. 32 = Why does God judge/chasten us? Not to condemn us but “keeps us pure” (Rom 8:1).

    - vs. 33 When we come together to eat, tarry for one another (receive/take each other by hand).

    - vs. 34 Notice Paul's advice for preventing unworthy eating, judgment & being like the divided world. He did not say “confess their sin” or “believe Jesus is present in the bread & cup”.  He said, “wait for one another” & “eat at home” (keep selfishness away from the body).

CHALLENGE

What have you always believed about communion? Does this text line up with your thought process?

Songs With This Sermon

To Be Like Jesus

Be Glorified

Alas And Did My Savior Bleed

Sing to The King

You Are In Control