In Remembrance of Me

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 CSB

17 Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 Indeed, it is necessary that there be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! 22 Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this matter! 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, 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, and said, “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 So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. 31 If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged, 32 but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, welcome one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come.

Introduction: A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such."

His neighbor commented, "Really. What was the name of the speaker?" The man answered, "Ah, ah, what's the name of that flower that smells so good and has thorns?" "You mean a rose?" "Yeah, that's it." He called over his shoulder and said to his wife, "Rose, what was the name of that speaker we heard yesterday?”

Sometimes we have a hard time remembering things – or at least I do. There are little tricks you can do to help that - like writing things down. However, I forget where I put the paper!

Today, we gather to remember the Lord’s death in a very special way – through celebrating the Lord’s supper. Jesus used ordinary everyday things to help us remember – he told parables about people and farmers and lost sheep among other things to help people remember what he taught.

But this meal that we are about to partake of in a few minutes, must be one of the most vivid reminders of what he really came to do for us. It reminds us of the cross. Join me as we take a closer look at the Lord’s supper today from a text that gives us insight into how the early church practiced the ordinance.

The Lord’s Supper Should Cause Us to Look Back (vv. 23-25)

The elements that we receive when celebrating the Lord’s Supper are common, ordinary items. But they take on much greater significance and meaning when they are used to remember the Lord’s death on the cross.

The broken bread – made from wheat that has been harvested, ground into flour, and baked in the oven – reminds us of how Jesus physical body was tortured and broken when he endured the cross.

The cup – filled with the fruit of the vine – which has been crushed until the crimson juice flows freely – reminds us of the blood that our Savior shed for the remission of our sins.

Both elements are symbolic of the actual body and blood of our Lord. They are pictures of the reality of his physical death.

Isaiah 53:5 CSB

5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Most people try to forget how those we love died, but Jesus wants us to remember how he died. Why? Because everything we have as Christians centers around his death.

His death is the heart of the gospel. It secures our salvation for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.

The Lord’s Supper Should Cause Us to Look Ahead (v. 26)

Not only do we look back upon his death when we observe the Lord’s supper, Paul reminds us:

1 Corinthians 11:26 CSB

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

“As often…” reminds us that the Lord’s supper is to be a regular observance among believers. We don’t have a prescribed frequency in scripture but I don’t believe we can celebrate to too much.

“Proclaiming his death until he comes” reminds us that even though the work of salvation was complete at the cross, the total work of Christ will not be completed until he returns to this earth to establish his rule over his earthly kingdom.

Matthew 26:27–29 CSB

27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The Lord’s supper was originally a part of the Passover celebration. Now when the Jews celebrate Passover, the raise the cup and say, “Next year, in Jerusalem!”

Maybe we as believers ought to raise our cup and say, “Next time, with Christ!”

The second coming of Christ is the Blessed Hope of the church. We look forward to the second coming, but in the meantime, our job is to proclaim his death to the world until he comes.

The Lord’s Supper Should Cause Us to Look Within (vv. 27-32)

Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian church on the Lord’s supper were given because of the abuses that he knew were taking place during their observance of the ordinance.

Within the church itself, there were divisions among believers that affected their fellowship with one another.

Second, in those days, the Lord’s supper was observed as part of an “Agape” or “love feast.” (Think covered dish all you Baptists)

At the end of the meal, they would have the remembrance with the bread and the wine.

However, the love feast had lost it’s meaning because no one was waiting to eat the meal together and some of the well-off folks were not sharing.

Therefore, the poor people were going away from the feast hungry. (Imagine having a covered dish meal and instead of laying things out on a common table, your family had a meal catered just for their table)

Worse yet, there were people who overindulged in wine and actually got drunk- They would still be drunk when it came time to observe the ordinance of communion.

Paul says, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” In other words, Paul wants them to understand that observing this ordinance is a solemn occasion – it is not to be partaken of lightly and not to be observed with an unexamined, sin-laden heart.

By observing the Lord’s Supper in a sinful state, you are inviting the Lord’s judgment into your life – as had happened to many of the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 11:30 CSB

30 This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.

Paul reminded them that he shouldn’t have to tell them that in v. 31. The same is true today…no one should have to confront us about our own sins if we were to honestly judge ourselves

The Lord’s Supper Should Cause Us to Look Around (vv. 33-24)

The Lord’s supper is a family supper. It is meant to be consumed with our spiritual family.

Therefore, we should look around at one another, not to be critical of each other or to judge, but look toward the unity that we have as the body of Christ.

Illus. It is impossible for a true Christian to get closer to his Lord while at the same time he is separated from his fellow believers.

~ Warren W. Wiersbe

1 John 4:11 CSB

11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.

That is what the Lord desires most from us – to love one another. Remember, love covers a multitude of sins!

Matthew 5:23–24 CSB

23 So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

I believe this same principal applies to us when we approach the table to receive the elements of this meal. If we are at