Participants in Christ - 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

When we first began observing the Lord’s Table together as a church, I preached a sermon on the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Table. Every week since then we’ve been observing the Lord’s Table, and every week I seek to remind us of a few things before we partake together, but I haven’t done a full sermon on the topic since that first Sunday.

I think it is good remind ourselves in a deeper and fuller way from time to time, and since we are in between series and coming up on the holidays when we stop to reflect upon the significance of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, when God became a man, this seems to be a good time to pause for a moment and reflect upon what it is we do when we partake of the Lord’s Table together.

The passage we are going to examine today is not a typical go to text for Lord’s Table sermons, and the reason for that is that the main point in the text is not the Lord’s table. What Paul is doing in this text is using truth about the Lord’s table to illustrate his point about idolatry.

What we are going to do today is identify what Paul says about the Lord’s Table to enrich our understanding of it, and then see how Paul takes that information and applies to life.

There are so many misconceptions out there about what actually is taking place at the Lord’s table.

Some believe we are being spiritually teleported to heaven to dine with Christ, other think we are literally eating the physical body and blood of Christ as it is literally transformed into his body and blood. Others believe this is nothing more than a memorial, like a monument in a park. If we are to think rightly about the Lord’s table we need to examine the texts to we understand what is happening.

Let’s open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

1 Corinthians chapter ten.

How many of you have heard a quote from something in isolation with no context and you go what in the world. What is that? but then you hear the context and it all makes sense?

To small degree, that is true about this passage. We need to understand the broader context to help us understand what Paul is getting at in the text we’re about to study.

The book of 1 Corinthians was written to a rather immature church. They had various issues within the church, including incredible division and sin. Paul wrote to confront the sin, but also to answer questions that the church had on a variety of issues.

One of the questions that the church had was what to do about meat sacrificed to idols. Is it okay to eat it or not?

In other days, there were pagan temples where all kinds of immorality too place in the same of worship of false gods, and often the meat that was sacrificed to the false gods would be collect and sold in the marketplace.

Some felt it was not right to eat such meat, since it was offer to false gods, while others believed it was perfectly fine to eat it because the false god isn’t a real god, and therefore in reality its just meat.

Paul wrote in chapter eight that it was perfectly fine to eat the meat, since we know that there is only one God. The meat is just meat. So we can eat it freely.

However, he also notes that some people don’t have this knowledge, so if their conscience is bothered by knowing that the meat was sacrificed to idols, it would be better not to it eat for the sake of their brethren’s conscience.

In chapter nine Paul then uses himself as an example of how this looks. He was personally criticized for how he conducted himself in regard to making his living from Gospel ministry. He defends his “right” to receive wages from the ministry, but then goes on to say that he was more than willing to surrender that right for the sake of the ministry.

There is Christian liberty, but that liberty isn’t for me. So often we defend our Christian liberty in a very American way “I have my rights” but Paul says that our liberty is for the sake of others. Yes, you are free to eat that meat. Yes, Paul himself was free to make his living from the ministry. But for the sake of others, your liberty means you don’t have to insist upon your liberty. You are free to abstain!

However, as we come into chapter ten, the topic shifts.

He begins to speak about the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness. Though God was giving them food to eat and water to drink and doing great miracles for them and they had the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud to lead the way…God was not pleased with most of them.

Why?

He goes on to explain. Look at verse 6:

1 Corinthians 10:6 ESV

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

Then he goes on to say how they were negative examples for us:

1 Corinthians 10:7–11 ESV

7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

The people of Israel engaged in idolatry. They engaged in sexual immorality. They complained and grumbled against the Lord and His provision and God judged them for it.

And so we have the somber warner of verse 12

1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

You hear what those Israelites were doing and you say “pfft. what losers. They had the glory of God and they still couldn’t do what God had commanded. How dense were they, huh? I’m glad I’m not like them.”

Not. so. fast. You think there is something special about your DNA that makes you a super human immune to temptation? Think again.

But lest we get too discouraged, Paul gives us the encouraging words of verse 13:

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

What great news this is! For those in Christ Jesus, there is never a time when you have no choice but to sin. There is always a way of escape. Sometimes we think that we are the only person in the world to struggle with this or that in this particular way. But Paul says no, there is nothing unique about your struggle. These are common struggles. But God is faithful and provides you a way of escape.

It’s on the basis of these truths that Paul makes the the statement in the next paragraph. Paul has given us truth, and now he is going to apply it and illustrate it.

verse 14:

1 Corinthians 10:14–15 ESV

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.

God is faithful and always provides you a way of escape, therefore take it!

Discover that way of escape and pursue it!

I remember one time when I was a child out playing in a field at my grandparents house and we saw a dog running toward me. Not knowing that it was a friendly dog belonging to the the neighbors, I was scared. I turned and I sprinted as absolutely as fast as I could as though I were literally running for my life. Of course the dog thought it was a game and chased after me, which only made me more afraid and so I tried to run even faster.

Even though that dog ended up being a very friendly dog, its the concept of fleeing that is communicated by this word. Run for your life.

This word is used to speak of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt with Jesus to avoid Herod’s wrath. It’s used in Stephen’s sermon in acts when Stephen is preaching about how Moses fled Egypt to go to Midian because he killed an Egyptian.

This word is used in other contexts to how the believer should be thinking about temptation and sin: RUN AWAY!

Don’t linger. Get outta dodge! Whatever the temptation is, do whatever it is you need to do, no matter how foolish you may look in the process.

Paul then goes on to give his reasoning, and it is in this reasoning that we find our principles about the Lord’s table.

1 Corinthians 10:16 ESV

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Here we see the principle

The Lord’s Table is Participation in Christ.

Verse 16 starts with those word “the cup of blessing that we bless” Some translations say “the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks”

Paul is asking rhetorical questions here, questions where the answer is assumed to be “yes”.

Paul says that when we bless the cup and give thanks for it and observe this together, we are participants in Christ. And likewise the bread. participants in the body of Christ.

The word for participation is the Greek word Koinania. You may be familiar with that word. It is most often translated as “fellowship” or” sharing”

It speaks of a close involvement with each other. This is not a lose connection, but rather an intimate bond.

Whenever I would go to a Cubs baseball game growing up, Wrigley field would always be packed. When something good would happen everyone would stand and cheer and high fives would go around. There was a comradery that seemed genuine in the moment as we were all united undo a singular purpose. But really, its artificial. We all leave that stadium and never see each other again. People that we were high fiving and hugging I had nothing in common with other than that moment. It was a superficial fellowship.

This word speaks of something deeper than that. There is a reason that sometimes the word that is used to describe the Lord’s table is communion. We are communing with our Lord. Fellowshipping with Him as we give thanks to Him for His sacrifice. We are calling our hearts and our mind to reflect on what Christ has done, we are looking unto our savior, the author and finisher of our faith, we are setting our eyes on Jesus, who will one day come to judge the living and the dead.

What’s more, is that we are identifying ourselves with his death. The blood that was poured out. The body that was broken. We become participants in the blood and body of Christ, we identify ourselves with His death. Every time we partake of this we are acknowledging that what happened to Jesus on that cross is what should have happened to me. I should have my blood poured out, I should have had my side pierced, I should have been the one with thorns digging into my scalp, I should have endured the wrath of God.

But because Christ did so on my account, I do not have to. But rather I can die to my sin and live to God

We are participants, fellowshippers in the body and blood of Christ.

But this fellowship is not only with Christ, but it is with one another. We fellowship, we all take part together in this memorial.

Look at verse 17

1 Corinthians 10:17 ESV

17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

The Lord’s Table Unites Us in Christ

When we partake of the Lord’s table, we are not only communing with our savior and thanking him for his sacrifice, but we are also communing with our fellowship brothers and sisters.

As those who have been adopted into the family of God, for anyone who has believed in Jesus Christ, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes we act like it too. Christians can bicker, and squabble, jockey for position, influence, and control, just like siblings can in our natural families.

But when we gather around the Lord’s table. There is something special that takes place here.

Though we are many individuals each with different backgrounds, struggles, joys, challenges, fears, hopes, and aspirations, when we come to the Lord’s table, we are one in Christ. We all take part of the one bread.

We lose some of this imagery by having our bread prepackaged, but all the pieces were all part of one piece of unleavened bread. The juice in the cups was once all in one pot.

When we partake together we are all affirming the same Gospel. Christ died for me, and Christ died for you. Just as my sin is forgiven so your sin is forgiven. Not because we are partaking of this, but because of what this is designed to make us remember, because of what Christ did on the cross.

I used the illustration of being at the baseball game and being united in purpose for the moment with strangers.

There is a uniting going on at the Lord’s table that goes far deeper than baseball fandom. Our fellowship goes beyond this memorial observance, but in this moment we are uniquely recognizing who we are, as a body, in Christ.

This is not to be merely an individualized thing that you do with just you and Jesus. We do this together, as a church. We recognize one another as fellow partakers in Christ, fellow participants in the Gospel, fellow recipients of the grace of God, not in these elements, but through faith in the Gospel.

Should that affect how we view on another in body of Christ? I hope it would. I hope we take greater interest in one another. I hope would see our obligation to disciple one another, sharpen one another, and stir one another up to love and good deeds.

Why? because we, thought being many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

The Lord’s table should be a time of unity with one another in Christ.

Finally, the Lord’s table should change how we live.

The Lord’s Table Should Change How We Live

Look at verses 18-22

1 Corinthians 10:18–22 ESV

18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

I set the context earlier about meat sacrificed to idol. Paul made the point, hey, its just meat. those idols aren’t anything, so if you go into the marketplace and purchase that meat, its free game.

But here, the focus is a little different. It seems that some of the Corinthians thought that hey, its just meat. its not a real idol. I have liberty in Christ to not only buy meat from the marketplace, but to attend the festivals at the temple and participate in the feasts in the pagan temple, because hey, its just food right? The idol isn’t real.

Paul makes a distinction between meat in the marketplace and feasts in pagan temples.

So he warns them. Of course, the food offered to idols and even the idols themselves aren’t really anything. But there are spiritual forces of darkness at play, and when you go to the pagan temple to participate in their feast, at that point its not just meat. You are participating with the demonic realm.

This is why Paul started this paragraph with the words “free from idolatry” because its not just sin, its not just rebellion against God, but it is literally fellowshipping with the demonic realm.

Paul says you can’t do both! You can’t sit down at the table to commune with Christ and at the same time go sit down with demons. You must leave one table to go to the other.

verse 22 to a somber warning. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealosy? Are we stronger than he?

Later in chapter 11 as Paul speaks of the Lord’s table more and how some people were partaking in an unworthy manner, Paul says “this is why some of you are weak or ill, and some have even died!”

Eating and drinking in an unworthy manner is to eat and drink judgment upon ourselves.

This is a serious thing. The Lord’s table is a serious thing. Idolatry is a serious thing.

We sit here in the year 2022. Last time I checked, we don’t have a temple to Poseidon or Aphrodite Jeffersonville. Does this mean that this passage isn’t applicable to us?

It is as applicable as ever.

Idolatry may look different for us, and it may not involve us attending pagan festivals, but we can still be just as guilty of it as ever.

Paul calls covetousness idolatry in Eph 5:5 and Col 3:5. Paul says that some people have made gods out of their bellies in Phil 3:19. 1 Sam 15:23 equates rebellion against the Lord as idolatry because in rebellion we reject the Word of the Lord, making ourselves to be supreme. That’s idolatry. Job 31:24-28 doesn’t use the word idolatry, but the concept is there. Job speaks of trusting in gold or riches, or looking unto the created realm without considering the Lord, that would be iniquity that ought to be punished. why? “for I would have been false to God above”

Idolatry can take so many forms. When we engage in that, we are forsaking our Lord. We leave the fellowship of the Table with Christ and fellowship with demons.

Next time you’re tempted to view pornography, or over-indulge in food, or lust after the money or the belongings of others…ask yourself. Do you really want to be a participant with demons? Because that’s what idolatry is.

John Chrysostom, a pastor from 4th century who is considered one of the church Fathers paraphrased this passage in this way:

The First Letter to the Corinthians c. Those Who Worship God Must Refrain from Any Association with Idolatry, 10:14–22

“How then are you not acting inconsistently, … blessing God for delivering you from idols, yet running again to their tables?”

How can we praise God for saving us from our sin on Sunday, but then go and live in sin the rest of the week? How can we praise God for the death of Christ that cleanses us from pornography, greed, and pride, and then engage in those sins, throwing fits when someone cuts us off, or has the audacity to get our order wrong or accidentally over charge us for something, or view inappropriate things on our devices.

Paul says you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the Table of demons.

This is why we pause before we take the Lord’s table for a time of silent prayer. We pause as an opportunity for repentance and confession of sin.

In many ways this is a heavy teaching. It should be sobering to us. But I don’t want us to leave here all depressed. We must not forget how Paul got to this place in his letter.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.

Paul says that you can’t sit at both tables, and it is a serious business to sit at the table with demons. But the same God that makes it clear that we cannot sit at both tables has opened the door for us and cleared the way that we may sit at the table with Christ.

We must take the Lord’s table seriously, but we must also recognize that we can sit at the table with Christ because of what Christ has done!

So come to the table. Reflect on the sacrifice of Christ. Rejoice in his salvation. praise God for death of Christ through which our sins of idolatry are forgiven. Thank him for his goodness. Thank him for providing the way of escape in every temptation. And encourage one another that this is true for all who believe in Christ, and then go forth in Christ and seek to live by the power of the Spirit a life of consistency with the Lord’s table. Because it should change how we live.

If you are here today and you are reflecting in your own heart that your life is not consistent with the Lord’s table. You’ve been dining at other tables. I encourage you. Go to the Lord in prayer and ask his forgiveness. Ask him to strengthen you and give you the grace to live consistently with the truth you believe.

If you are hearing my voice and you are not sure that you have truly trusted Christ. You see the inconsistency in your life and its because you don’t have new life in Christ. Now is the time for that. Don’t wait another moment. Go to the Lord in prayer. Confess your sinfulness to Him. Jesus Christ died on the cross and was raised to life again for you. Place your complete trust in Him and Him alone for your salvation today.

In a moment we are going to close with a song. before we do, I’m going to give time for you to go to the Lord in prayer. I’m going to pick up my guitar and player a few chords while we pray, but use this time to seek the Lord. If you need to trust Christ, do so. If you have sin to confess, confess it. And then praise him. Thank him. Rejoice in the forgiveness that is in Christ.

Let’s pray now.