Communion Service 7/2/23
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Text: 1 Corinthians 11:28
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
Chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians is about “Instructions for Public Worship.”
Paul in verse 17 states that there had been some good things happening in the church, but of this issue in which he is getting ready to address he says “I do not praise you”, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
That means, that when we come together we are suppose to be better. When we come together it should make us stronger. When we come together it should be that we are united.
Things are better when we are together. It is the devil that wants to divide and conqueror the church. It is Satan that tempts us and tries to appeal to our fleshly nature.
When he appeals to our fleshly nature, it is through division, it is through ill intentions, it is through back-biting, it is through jealousy and envy, it is through dishonor.
Paul in verse 19 states that there are factions among you, there is division in the church. And there was so much division in the church that those who had God’s approval wanted to be recognized.
Everybody can’t be the chief and if you desire something that God did not really call you for, you better thank God that you didn’t get it....because it could’ve broke you.
When Jesus died, he did not die for the church to be divided! He died so that the church would be united and that it would be one body.
And one of the reasons why the church is so divided, is because everyone has their own agenda.
The LORD’s desire is that the church be one!
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
And again,
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Jesus’ prayer is that the church be one! And that is the prayer that we ought to pray even for our local assembly......LORD HELP US TO BE ONE!
HOW CAN WE BE ONE BODY......IF WE CAN EVEN BE ONE AMONGST OURSELVES!!!
When it comes to the church we are suppose to love one another and be patient with one another, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
You wouldn’t want no one to disrespect you, you wouldn’t want someone talking ill about you behind your back, you wouldn’t want someone going behind your back trying supplant everything you do for the LORD.
You wouldn’t want someone just staring at you while you’re trying to get your breakthrough......IF ANYTHING PRAISE THE LORD WITH ME......PRAY WITH ME. IT MAYBE THAT WHATEVER IT IS YOU HAVE BEFORE GOD.....THE LORD WILL BLESS YOU FOR PRAYING AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER.
We are seeing God moving in our service, but there is more......there is another level......I’m trying to get us to see and understand that when we are united, when we are one accord, when we love, and support one another, when we pray for one another......GOD WILL BE IN OUR MIDST! CHAINS HAVE TO COME OFF, HEALING HAPPENS, DELIVERANCE HAPPENS, LIVES OUR CHANGED!
Paul writes a rebuke to the church and tells them essentially that they are doing things in the desire of their own interests and not the interests of others.
And worship of God can never be about you! It has to be about Jesus! It is not about the hype, it is not about the sound, it is not about the smoke and flashing lights, worship is the bowing of oneself and will to pay homage to God!
Worship is not based upon a feeling, you have to take youself out of the picture, you have relinquish your will and worship God! And worship is not something you do one day......worship is a lifestyle, it is something we have to strive to achieve everyday!
(Shift more)
MOTIVES MATTER! Repeat that with me “Motives Matter”.........what is your motive. When you stand in the pulpit.....what is your motive, when you stand in the choir stand, when you sit on the instruments....what is your motive.
When you usher, when you testify, tonight.....as we partake of the LORD’s Supper........what is your motive.
Are you here because Pastor asked you to be here? Are you here because you don’t want to feel guilty of missing communion? Are you here to watch others.......I mean.......you come to the service and you don’t take communion.....WHY are you here?
Paul addresses some of the motives of the saints.
Paul then says in verse 20 “Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.”
In other-words Paul tells them, you’re here.....but you’re not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. I’m sad to say, that it could be the case to not. You’re here....but your not interested really in the Lord’s supper.
(Explain Break)
Let me explain this, when they held the Lord’s Supper back then, it was not the same as it is today. They didn’t have little unleavened wafers and little cups of a squirt of wine or juice. It was an actual meal, they took unleavened bread and broke it.....symbolizing the breaking of the Lord’s body.
They took cups of wine that symbolized the blood of Christ and they drank it, which symbolized the blood of the new covenant and the remission of sin.
(Pick back up)
So when they came together, they sat down and they had a meal to honor and celebrate what the Lord had done for them.
BUT SOME.....had impure motives. They were there not to remember what the Lord had done for them, but to feed their stomachs and to get a free meal and some had the audacity to drink so much wine that they got drunk at a supper that was suppose to honor the Lord Jesus.
Their motives were wrong, they were so self-absorbed and so greedy that they thought only about themselves. They ate up the food quickly and drank all of the drink that the poor had no opportunity to eat and celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
This is why Paul is upset.
And now the question becomes:
How can you honor the Lord but you have impure motives?
How can you eat at the Lord’s table and there is division amongst you?
Communion is designed to bring the church together and then people stay home. And you are inadvertently saying.......I don’t want to remember or honor what Jesus did for me.
Paul addresses this issue in the church because of their greed, because of their drunkeness, because of their division in the church, they were bringing disgrace upon the one thing that is suppose to bring us together.
The Lord said to his disciples:
“do this in remembrance of me.” Never forget the price that Jesus paid for you.......He paid a great price......He suffered so that your sins could be forgiven you.
I believe that everyone that is saved or anyone that calls themself saved.....ought to take communion every chance they get!
And when I see people not taking communion.....it makes me wonder what do you have going on in your life that you don’t want to commemorate the Lord’s body. What is it that you’re holding on to that you don’t want to let go off, that’s keeping you from honoring God.
And herein lies the double edged sword.
People won’t take communion because they are afraid of verse 29:
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
So they say....well I don’t want to bring damnation upon myself by taking communion.....I’m not right so I’ll sit this one out. But guess what.......you don’t have to take communion to be damned.......what damns you is a lack of repentance. So whether you take communion or not.......if you don’t repent you can still be damned, and you can still be weak, and you can still be sickly because if you refused to repent.....sometimes the LORD will put you on a bed of affliction.
(SHIFT TO THE MAIN TEXT)
What Paul is saying essentially in this part of the scripture is that they had the wrong motives. That’s why he says “examine yourself”........not examine others.....because while you examine others......you’ll miss the details in your life.
I don’t take communion because I’m the pastor.
You don’t take communion because I’m a church leader.
You don’t take communion because you’re on the praise team, or because you are a missionary.
WE TAKE COMMUNION TO HONOR THE LORD!
THIS IS NOT A ROUTINE, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE DO JUST TO SAY WE’VE DONE IT.
WE’RE DOING IT TO HONOR THE JESUS!
You don’t take it because you don’t want someone judging you......you take communion to honor the LORD!
THERE OUGHT TO BE 100% PARTICIPATION.......HOW COULD YOU NOT HONOR THE LORD......AFTER ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US?
Close:
I take communion because His body was broken for me.
I take communion because His blood was shed for the remission of my sins.
And when I take communion, I am publicly saying.......Lord I remember what you did for me!
Lord I appreciate and I thank you for dying for me.
Paul said he that eateth unworthingly.
I have to admit tonight that I’m not worthy.......and no matter how good you think you are you are still not worthy.
And I got news for every self-righteous person in here. Nobody is worthy......but thank God for the blood of Jesus......thank God that his body was broken for us......because THE BLOOD OF JESUS MAKES ME WORTHY......HIS DYING FOR MY SINS MAKES ME WORTHY!