Basic Sermon Outline

Encountering Christ through The Lord’s Su= pper

1 Cor. 11:17-34

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When I was a little boy my grandmother wanted me to be= a pastor. I used to take a gold= en chalice and fill it up with NECCO wafers and go around to my family and pas= s out my pretend communion wafers. I’m sure it was quite cute. I don’t think I really knew what I was doing. But one thing I did know is that communion was an important part of Christian worship. This sacrament of communion had ma= rked centuries of Christian celebration. This sacrament stands out as very significant for the Christian a fa= ith, for the Lord Jesus himself explicitly instituted this practice for us and called us to celebrate it until he returns. He intends much blessing for us in= this sacrament. So, as we prepare = to look at what God’s word teaches us on this topic lets pray for God’s help.

1 Corinthians 11= :17-34 (ESV)

“But in the following instructions I do not c= ommend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the wo= rse. ¹⁸For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there a= re divisions among you. And I believe it in part, ¹⁹for there must be fact= ions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.<= /span> ²⁰When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. ²¹For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. ²²What! Do you not have houses to eat and drin= k in? Or do you despise the chu= rch of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in thi= s? No, I will not. ²³For I received from the Lord what I also del= ivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, = “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ^{26 For as often as you eat this bread=
and
drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.}²⁷Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy mann= er will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.= ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judg= ment on himself. ³⁰That is why many of you are weak and ill, an= d some have died. ³¹But if we judged ourselves truly, we would n= ot be judged. ³²But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. ³³So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another̵= 2; ³⁴if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together = it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions whe= n I come.

1.&n= bsp; Background to the text

1.1. Corruption in Corinth

The Corinthians are a growing church full of folks stru= ggling to apply the gospel to their lives and culture. They stumble and sin much but the Apostle Paul persistently, firmly and lovingly instructs, rebukes and encourages them in applying the good news of Jesus Christ, Savior and King,= to every area of their lives. Apparently there practice of the Lord’s supper has been seriou= sly corrupted by their culture and their particular sins. So Paul is addressing these very serious abuses in this section.

What we are going to do this morning is listen in on wh= at Paul is saying to the Corinthians and though there particular struggle may = not be our own there is much that Paul says here that will address us in our understanding and practice of the Lord’s supper.

So, let’s start.= Paul starts off with a pretty sharp rebuke for the Corinthians ̵= 1; do you see it, in verse 17? ^“In the following directives I have= no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.” Wow! That is very strong! N= ow, don’t forget that this church has some very very serious problems like bickering, factionalism, rebellion and licentiousness. And let’s not forget that Pa= ul spends the first part of the letter encouraging them and pointing out how he sees God at work in their midst. I think if we were in Paul’s shoes we may not have an ounce of encourag= ement for this troublesome church. = But Paul is a humble man aware of God’s amazing grace and so he has no trouble seeing things for which to commend the Corinthians. Nevertheless, he does bring correc= tion when needed. And the Corinthi= ans need it here.

1= .2. = A= corporate gathering for the worse.

As we fo= llow the argument we see that when the people gather it is making things worse for t= hem not better. What a sad state for their church or any church – that it= is worse when they are together! Their weekly gatherings, probably on Sunday, are a mess. Their factions are out in the open= when they meet. It looks like their weekly gatherings involved not only worship and the Lord’s supper but also a meal together – perhaps something like a passover meal or just= a meal leading up to the Lord’s supper. It might be like if we had a panca= ke breakfast every Sunday before worship.&nbs= p; (By the way, I think that is a great idea!) So the Corinthians were gathering for a pancake breakfast to start their Sunday meeting but instead= of mixing it up and sitting together they were splitting into cliques. And worse than that, the cliques w= ere split along socio-economic lines, with the rich sitting all together and the poor sitting all together. Th= e rich would be feasting and getting drunk and having a raucous time while the poor sat idly by without any food going hungry.= In those days in the Roman culture they would have parties at rich peoples homes and all the close friends of the rich person would gather in = the living room and recline at the table and feast and party while the poor of the to= wn would have to sit out on the porch and manage to get a leftover here or there. Apparently the Corinth= ian church was doing the same thing as a church and during the supposed observance of = the Lord’s supper.

1= .3. = T= he Lord’s supper that wasn’t

And when it came time to eat the Lord’s supper to= gether there were clear divisions –with the stuffed and drunk rich folks sha= ring the Lord’s supper in one room and the starving poor folks in another = room.

So Paul = says to them in verse 20 that, “when you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.” Now I imagine this came as a shock = to the Corinthians. For they thought they were eating the Lord’s supper. They were taking the bread and dri= nking the wine in supposed remembrance of him.&n= bsp; The particular elder or deacon was probably present saying the right words. But Paul tells them it= is not the Lord’s supper that they are eating. Isn’t that amazing! = David Garland says in his commentary on this passage, “They cannot label it the Lord’s Supper, he says, when they come together a= nd act like this. It is their supper, not the Lord’s. It is not the Lord’s dinner because the Lord’s dinner is intended to convey to every participant that he or she is somebody precious to God. The Corinthians’ meal communicated to some that they were worthless nobod= ies. It was tainted by the deadly combination of indulgence and indifferenceR= 21;^{^[1]}

1.4. Essential ingredients for the Lord’s supper

This is an important point folks. The things that make up the Lord&#= 8217;s supper are not the actual bread and wine, they are not even the particular prayers of the participants. = Though the elements are very important and the prayers are very important it is the understanding and faith of the practitioners that makes all the difference. There is no magic= or supernatural ability in the elements themselves nor the prayers of the lead= ers. The difference between merely eati= ng bread and wine and encountering and commemorating the Lord in his gospel is whether we understand what we are doing and come with right hearts in faith. And the Corinthians weren’t doing that.

So Paul transitions into a re-explanation of what the Lord’s supper is in verse 23. It says "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, = and when he had given thanks, he b= roke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after = supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often = as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread= and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.&q= uot; (1 Cor. 11:23-26, ESV)

1.5. A Holy Encounter

And then in verse 27 he says, “<= i>Whoever, therefore, eats the bread= or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” Wow! Did you catch that? Pa= ul is saying that this sacrament of remembrance is so significant that if we mishandle it we actually profane the body and blood of the Lord himself. So while the elements themselves p= osses no significance unto themselves the sacramental act of commemorating the gi= ving of Jesus’ body and blood for us carries very significant spiritual implications. It is as if we = are personally and corporately encountering Jesus Christ himself in our midst a= s we handle the bread and wine. Fo= lks, this is no mere memorial to Jesus. There is something going on here beyond just remembering. There is an actual holy awesome spiritual encounter with the living Christ that takes place in the LordR= 17;s supper or what we fittingly call communion. Otherwise Paul would not say what = he says.

And he g= oes on to say that there are those in the Corinthians church who are experiencing God’s judgment because they are not coming before the Lord’s su= pper in a right manner. They are g= etting sick and some have even died. Folks, this is no mere memorial of Jesus. This sacrament carries very very significant meaning in God’s eyes. To take communion is to encounter Christ himself and so to do this irreverently or arrogantly is to mock God = and suffer his discipline.

1= .6. = T= owards a biblical understanding of communion

So what = exactly takes place in communion? Do = the elements actually become Jesus actual body and blood in every way but appearance? Or is it merely representative of his body and blood and a way to visually remember the gospel? Good, evangelical and= wise men have differed over this one. Allow me to do the best I can to explain this in light of how I understand 1 Cor. 11 and the rest of the scriptures. First, I do not believe we can understand it as a mere memorial. I don’t think that is a possible conclusion from what we see in 1 Cor. 11. Paul considers communion = so tightly linked to Jesus body and blood that the Corinthians are in danger of profaning the actual body and blood of Christ. So I believe it must carry greater spiritual significance than that.&= nbsp; On the other hand, to say that it is actually the body and blood of Jesus in every way but appearance is to take it too far. When Jesus said “this is my = body, broken for you.” He didn’t mean that he was holding himself whi= le he said it. He says elsewhere= , I am the door, I am the good shepherd, I am the gate, He says John the Baptist is Elijah. In all these cases th= e use of the verb “to be” does not mean the very same. Jesus is not an actual door or gate or shepherd. John the Baptist is not one in the same as Elijah. But each of these rep= resents something about Jesus or John. So it is with the elements. They= are not one and the same with Jesus’ body and blood but are tied very tig= htly to the actual thing. So my be= st attempt to understand the meaning of the Lord’s supper is this= , This sacrament is a God ordained remembrance of Christ’s body broken for u= s and his blood shed on our behalf. As we partake of the it with an attitude of faith and self-examination, we encoun= ter God through the power of the Holy Spirit as we remember and proclaim the de= ath of Christ, receive spiritual nourishment for our souls, and signify our uni= ty with other members of Christ’s body.= So the spiritual presence of Jesus is with us through faith by the H= oly Spirit as we handle the elements in faith and right understanding.

2. What to do

Now the Corinthians were not doing this properly and so Paul rebuked them for their= own good. How about us? How should we handle the Lord̵= 7;s supper? How should we approac= h it?

2= .1. = S= oberly

First of= f, we are to approach this sacrament soberly. We are not just having a church wide snack. Neither are we coming robotically = to take a magic pill. We are com= ing before the living God in light of the gospel in the power of the Spirit. How we come says a lot about our f= aith. This sacrament is to be a sign of = the gospel and a seal of the gospel to our hearts. We are to come and remember him and remember that we together are his people.&= nbsp; We meet with the Lord together in communion and so, as we come before the holy God, as we remember the Savior bleeding and dying for us on the cr= oss, as we remember his life given for us we are to have a sense of sobriety and awesomeness. Folks, there is = no place we are to approach more reverently than the place where our Savior di= ed and communion brings us again and again to that holy place. So we are to come soberly. Paul tells the Corinthians to exam= ine themselves before they come. = So we are to examine ourselves before we come.&n= bsp; Let us see if there is any bitterness in our hearts, let us see if t= here is any strife or factions in our midst, any arrogance or selfishness. And if we examine ourselves and se= e this let us humble ourselves before the cross and turn from the things for which Christ died. If we need to, b= efore we celebrate communion, go to those whom you have sinned against and reconcile. Release any bitter= ness, any at all. Sacrifice any sen= se of indignation or self-righteousness towards others.

I know t= here have been many times as I come to worship where God convicts me of sin. I remember some times where my att= itude towards my wife was impatient or angry on Sunday morning, sometimes even as= we are driving to church, and right as I start to worship I am stricken and recognize there is no way I can come before God without seeking reconciliat= ion. So I will sometimes just take= a few seconds to confess my sins to my wife and ask for her forgiveness. Some of us may need to do that bef= ore we worship and especially before we take communion with our offended brother or sister.

It would= be a great contradiction and dangerous to come to communion while holding onto known s= ins like these. So we are to come soberly, examining ourselves and actively turning from sin and turning towa= rds the Savior and our new life in him.

2= .2. = I= n Faith

We are t= o come in faith as well. This sacrament= is a wonderful privilege to be celebrated by all those in Christ until he comes again. This is a special priv= ilege for his people that serves as a blessed sign and seal of our life in Christ= , a joyous remembrance and celebration of our salvation that refreshes us and reassures us of his great promises in the gospel.

2.2.1. = Pre-believers

It is to= be celebrated in faith. Therefor= e, we respectfully ask those who have yet to repent and trust Christ to abstain f= rom communion. It would be a contradiction and inappropriate for those who don’t belong to Christ = and don’t depend on his gospel to celebrate his gospel. So we ask those who are not yet believers to abstain. Yet we = invite them to observe and consider the great love of God shown in this sacrament, that they might consider turning from self and trusting Christ.

2.2.2. = Children

Parents,= we leave it to you to discern whether it is appropriate for your children to take communion. I would apply the same test we would for baptism to communion. Is there knowledgeable faith and t= he fruit to affirm this? If this= is so, they should be baptized and they are welcome to enjoy communion. It wou= ld be fitting to have them baptized first and then celebrate their first commu= nion with God’s people If th= ey are not yet ready, encourage them to observe and encourage them in the good fru= it you do see in their lives and your hope that they will soon enjoy this sacrament with the rest of God’s people when they are ready to trust = and follow Christ.

2.2.3. = Fresh Encounters

And enjo= y is the right word for this sacrament! I don’t know about you, but I find our communion Sundays a tremendous blessing.&n= bsp; Again and again I am refreshed in the Savior as we celebrate communi= on under Jeff’s or Phil’s leadership. Thank God for these precious time = of communion and refreshment before him!

So let u= s prepare in faith, praying for our communion times, asking God to refresh us and mag= nify his name as we remember his gospel through communion. Let us trust God that we might enc= ounter him afresh and in life changing ways.

2= .3. = R= egularly

Finally,= this sacrament, unlike baptism which is once in the believers life, is to be celebrated regularly. Jesus s= aid, “do this in remembrance of me.” And the pattern in the NT seems to indicate that is was a frequent observance, perhaps weekly or so. There is nothing in scripture that= says it must be at a certain frequency – be it yearly, monthly, weekly or daily. The emphasis is that this is to be a regular remembrance for GodR= 17;s people that is to function strongly in the life of the church. The Lord gave us this sacrament fo= r the church on earth to continually remember him and his gospel. It is to be a regular practice. Now, how do we determine exactly h= ow frequently to do this? Well, I believe it must be frequent enough that is a regular experience of God̵= 7;s people. I think that means we= do it more than yearly and for us, more than monthly. How about at every corporate gathe= ring we have? That would mean twic= e a week or so. Well this might b= e good it may also put an unneccesary burden on us and cause communion to function= too prominently in the life of the church where it becomes the focus of our fellowship and takes on a role not intended. As we have wrestled with this we ha= ve arrived at a frequency of twice a month for communion. This seems to cause to function as= a regular experience in our church without taking on a role beyond its intention. Again, there is no= verse that says do it twice a month but we do need to decide on some frequency th= at best serves and twice a month seems to be our best attempt to apply biblical wisdom. I trust you are bless= ed by our regular and frequent celebration of communion. May our 1^st and 3^r=
d Sundays where we celebrate communion be special times of worship for us!

2= .4. = C= orporately

One final aspect of communion. This is a corporate sacrament, as baptism is to be as well. In = our passage in 1 Cor. 11 the Corinthians were abusing the Lord’s supper by not recognizing this key element. They came to the Lord’s supper in cliques and so insulted the = Lord and denied themselves the blessing of true communion. Paul has a play on words, it seems= , in verse 29 where he says, “for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning he body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” I believe he is speaking n= ot just about the body of Jesus given on the cross but the body of Jesus known= as the church. When we come toge= ther to celebrate communion we come as a church. This is corporate communion and it= is to bind us to Christ and bind us together.&nb= sp; Communion is not a sacrament that you can appropriately celebrate on your own – it should always be as a body and include all of the body present when celebrated.

What a blessing this is to do this twice a month. I feel so privileged to be counted= among you guys as God’s people as we celebrate communion. May God give us a sense of awe of = being included in Christ as well as a sense of awe that we are in the presence of those who are the apple of God’s eye, the beloved of Christ, the holy ones for whom Christ’s blood was shed, not matter what there social, ethnic or economic background is – they are the holy saints of God an= d we get to be included with them in Christ.&nb= sp; This is a corporate celebration.

3.&n= bsp; Conclusion

So with this in mind.&= nbsp; Let’s prepare to celebrate communion. As the worship team comes up I invi= te all of us who trust in Christ as our Savior from sin and self and Lord of Life = to celebrate communion with us. = If you are yet to place your faith in Christ, you are very welcome here and we wou= ld invite you even now to trust him. If not, you can allow the elements to pass as you observe us celebra= te God’s great love for us.

Let’s prepare by worshiping in song as we get rea= dy to take communion. If you need t= o talk to someone before taking communion and confess your sin now would be an appropriate time. After the s= ong we will take a minute or so to prepare our hearts before God

. 23 For I received fro= m the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the= new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.