Do This in Rememberance of Me

January 29, 2023

INTRO

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 ESV

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses 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 commend you in this? No, I will not. 23 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, 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. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if 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 when I come.

1) Problems with Unity (vs. 17-22)

The Corinthian Church gathered for fellowship meals regularly.

There were house churches.

Wealthy Corinthians would host since they had larger homes and could accommodate more people.

Their gatherings soon became segregated, with the wealthy indoors, having elaborate meals, and the less wealthy outside in the courtyard with only what they brought.

In these gatherings they took the Lord’s Supper together out of ritual while missing the point and purpose of being a united body.

To the people in Corinth, this didn’t seem like an issue, but to Paul this was a major issue.

The Church is to be in the world, but not of the world. Their actions were showing continued worldliness in their hearts that manifested in divisions.

We too can have “unseen” issues in our fellowship.

When Church becomes something we do rather than who we are, we show a waywardness in our hearts.

When we choose not to fellowship with other believers, we show a propensity for considering others from a worldly perspective.

When we see serving together in God’s Kingdom as burdensome, we show that we still view God’s Kingdom from a worldly standpoint.

When we hold back in giving of ourselves for the building up of our brothers and sisters or for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom, we devalue God’s ambition for our lives.

When we still hold the view that God’s church is a social group rather than a whole new family we will live with eternally, we fall short in our understanding of what Jesus’ purpose on this earth was.

The issues that Paul addressed with the Corinthian Church were not procedural, they were substantive.

It was more about why they were doing what they did rather than how they were doing what they did.

I wonder, if we paused and asked the Holy Spirit to evaluate our hearts and our fellowship with one another, what would he reveal to us?

2) Solutions for Unity (vs. 23-34)

Look Back… (vs. 23-25)

Remember Jesus’ work on the cross.

Allow yourself to be overwhelmed by His love for you and His love for others.

Remember that while Judas betrayed Him that night, we are prone to betray Him this day, but His grace is greater than all of our sin!

Look Up… (1 Cor. 10:16)

Remember that through the death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, you are united with Him!

You are not your own, you are His!

Look Within… (vs. 27-32)

Examine your own heart and motives.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any relational tensions with other church members.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unhealthy motivations, misplaced ambitions, for apathetic tendencies towards being the Church together with others.

Look Around… (vs. 33-34)

Celebrate your union with each other as one body.

Commit to being patient and forgiving with one another.

None of us are perfect yet. None of us are without fault yet.

Marvel at what Jesus is building as He continues to assemble His Church and remold us to fit where He desires as the Master builder…the author and perfecter of our faith.

Look Outward… (vs. 26a)

The Church is not finished! There are still people who need saved. There are still people who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus whereby they recognize His Lordship over their lives.

The Lord’s Supper is a call not just to remember what Jesus did for you, but also what He has done for those in our sphere of influence who are lost!

May the Lord’s Supper be a call to remember, He is still able to save!

Look Forward… (vs. 26b)

Jesus is coming back! When He comes for us or where go to Him, may we be found faithful.

Faithfulness is not accidental, it is very much intentional!

CLOSING

AS WE CONTINUE TO LIVE IN REVIVAL, LET US NOT REMAIN IN ANY WORLDLY STATES OF MIND, BUT LET US BE RENEWED IN HOW WE SEE THE WORLD, HOW WE SEE THE CHURCH, AND HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES…SEEKING TO MAKE MUCH OF CHRIST, ENCOURAGING THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF OTHERS, AND EMPTYING OURSELVES FOR THE SAKE OF BOTH!