Discerning the Lord's Body in Communion
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28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
Introduction.
Introduction.
Joel Wednesday night.
Each one of us must discern the Lord’s Body, and our place in it, by examining ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word.
Now, our Eternal destination is not altogether determined by what we see and what we hear, but it’s determined on what discernment we have of what we see and what we hear.
Paul was not disputing with them for taking the communion. Their act was right, but their discernment was wrong. For, taking the Lord’s supper is the commandment of the Lord, but to take it unworthily, not discerning the Lord’s Body, is where the wrong lay.
These Christians was taking the communion and not living the life. Christianity is a experience and a life. And these Christians was just living any kind of a life, making a poor example of their profession.
And Paul says, that, “This cause, many are sick and weakly among you, and many are asleep,” which means they are dead, “because they haven’t discerned the Body of the Lord.” 59-0812 — Discerning The Body Of The Lord
We read this last week:
The discernment of knowing that you are the Lord’s body, you can’t discern it in wickedness and sin; we’ve got to be above that.
That we discern that the Lord is righteous, and we discern that He’s our Propitiation; that all of our sins we’ve confessed, and we believe in Him of waiting upon His atonement to cleanse us from all of our iniquity; then we’re discerning the Lord’s body to what it’s, discernment of what it’s for.
And then discerning again, that in among us, as the Lord’s Bride body, let’s discern if there’s anything wrong with us in here that would hinder the Gospel from growing, or the Lord from presenting us before God as a chaste virgin.
Let’s discern that out right now and find if it’s wrong. Let’s confess it if it’s wrong. Let’s say, “Lord, I’m sorry about that.” 63-0707E — Communion
We must discern the Lord’s Body to care for it.
The Lord’s Body is the Church. And we do not have spiritual discernment enough to care for one another. How can we care then if we can’t care for each other? How can we care for the lost and the dying? What hospital can we take them to? “Cast our cares upon Him, for He careth for you.” 60-0301 — He Careth For You
We must discern the Lord’s Body for fellowship.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
Communion (GR) κοινωνία (koinōnia). n. fem. fellowship, communion, sharing, participation. A term that conveys a sense of commonality, solidarity, and shared responsibility among households or individuals.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
(fellowship = communion)
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Communion is a revelation.
Is this communion just something I go up for it, an order, say, “Well, the rest of them take this, I will too”? It’s a revelation that I am part of Him and I’m part of you, and I love you and I love Him, and we’re taking this together as a symbol of our love to God, and our love and fellowship to one another. 65-1212 — Communion
When we discern the Lord’s body, we no longer fellowship with sin.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
We fellowship with Christ and with those of like precious faith.
Fellowship is based on agreement. How can two walk together, unless they agree?
Our agreement with God is the Blood. He agreed to meet us there.
Now, when God made man in the beginning to fellowship with Him, then this man was in perfect fellowship in the garden of Eden. He was in perfect fellowship with God.
And how it must have been on that day when God would come down in the cool of the evening and call Adam. He and Eve would come up, and they would worship God, and they would fellowship and commune, one with the other.
That’s the very thing that calls us together like this, setting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, fellowshipping in the Holy Spirit. No difference in us, we are all one in Christ Jesus, in that perfect harmony of fellowship.
There’s nothing like it I’ve ever found on earth, is to come together in heavenly places and have communion, fellowship with God and with each other. Now that’s what God intended in the garden of Eden.
Then that fellowship from God and man was broken by sin. Now, God made a basis and a ground upon which man could remain or retain his fellowship. And it wasn’t through a get-together, or organization, or an education.
It was on the basis of the shed blood, and that’s the only place of fellowship that we have with God today, and the only meeting place is through the Blood of Jesus Christ. That’s exactly right. See?
Now, we have tried organizing to fellowship. You break off with another group when you do that. All right. We tried to educate them to fellowship. And what do we get? Why, we get a bunch of educated idiots.
And men just educate themselves till they educate themselves away from one another. They get complexes. You don’t get no complex by the Blood of Jesus Christ; you get love.
You get love, not a complex, that, “I’m a little bigger than somebody else, little better than somebody else, and know a little more than somebody else.” You just got your arms around everybody, and it’s a basis of love through the Blood. The Blood cleanses.
Now, fellowship comes by love. And love requires fellowship. If you love your wife, you’ve just got to get with her and talk with her. If you love your friend, you’ve got to get with him and talk to him.
And if you love God, there’s got to be a basis for fellowship. You cannot have complete fellowship and livelihood without these agreements.
You cannot have fellowship with God without coming to God’s agreement. And there’s a basic thing for fellowship, and that’s the Blood, the Blood only. It’s been God’s way from the beginning, and it will be till the end. The only place of fellowship is through the Blood.
(One meeting place)
He could not meet with us as an organization. He cannot meet with us as an intellectual group. He can only meet with us as we have fellowship, as we come under the shed Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s the only basic place that we can meet.
And God dwells with fellowship under the shed Blood of His Son, and that alone. Amen. Not upon our denomination or affiliation, but upon the shed Blood we meet God face to face.
(Job and his friends)
Our fellowship is not upon the basis of how much God prospers us, but on the basis of coming under the shed Blood and fellowship with one another. There’s where the real part of Christianity lays.
That’s what makes these meetings so real, that when people come under those basis of the shed Blood, we have things in common; we set in heavenly places. 60-0611B — Fellowship
All of Jesus disciples were at the last supper. they came from different backgrounds and occupations, but they all were there. One of them was a devil.
Every Christian has a duty to take communion.
For I truly think that it’s the duty of every Christian to take communion. The Bible said, “If you take this not, you have no part with Me.”
And I believe that it is a showdown time for the Christians. If we do not take it, we have no part with Him. And if we take it, unworthily, then we’re guilty of the Body and death of Christ.
So it gets to a place where it keeps the Christian prayed up, when he comes to communion. We should come reverently, solemnly, sacredly, walking up, confessing all of our wrongs, praying one for the other.
If there’s a brother or sister among us, that we feel is just a little bit out of line somewhere, our hearts ought to be burdened for that person on communion night, especially, to see them, that they’ll be able to walk up and take communion, not be condemned with the world. Because, they are our brothers and sisters. 61-0903 — Let Your Light So Shine Before Men
My heart rejoices every time I see you at the communion table.
To betray Christ Judas left the communion table.
30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
He broke fellowship.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
The old unbeliever will walk out, on the first thing that’s said, he don’t like about it. Brother, he’s going to throw his colors right then. He’s an unbeliever. Paul said, “They went out from us, because they wasn’t of us, in the beginning. They started with us.”
“Oh, you did run well; what hindered you?” See it? “They went out, because they wasn’t of us.” When they see the Word perfectly moving on, why, they wanted to get some kind of a gimmick they could work. See?
But the real believers don’t question nothing. It’s written in the Word, and they believe It, and they just go on. That’s it. Always, it’s written. If it isn’t written, why, you just stay away from it, no matter what happens. It’s got to be written.
And they see that written Word and they believe It. And they see God moving in His Word, see the hour, the Message, the time, and they walk with It. 63-1124E — Three Kinds Of Believers
Conclusion
Conclusion
Lets discern the Lord’s Body as we take communion.
Piano and Organ
Silent prayer (Tarry one for another)
Communion scripture (1 Cor 11)
Pray over bread and wine
Footwashing Scripture (John 13)
(Men in back room as deacons usher. Women in Sunday school rooms.)
worship afterwards