Communion is...

‌Introduction: Amen. Thank you Ella. Thank you George.

Turn in your Bibles with me to 1 Corinthians 10:16-17.

This morning at the conclusion of our service we will be partaking in communion.

So we will look at these verse, which I pray will inform us and prepare us to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 10:16–17“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? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

Prayer: Father, we come with grateful hearts. As we come in remembrance of you, remembering Christ, his body and blood, we recall he died for our sins. So we can be saved. Thank you. Yet, even so, you have instructed us with this ordinance to do often, so we can remember. This being for our good, but most of all Your glory. Yet, we as that your word will be preached rightly, and your word will do it’s work. Fill our minds with your truth and help us to grow in knowledge and truth and in holiness. All that you would be glorified, the lost will be justified, and the church will be sanctified. In Jesus name, Amen. ‌1. Sermon Title (in quotation marks; headline capitalization style): Communion With Christ 2. Text:1 Corinthians 10:16 ‌3. Subject (in one or two words--or as a short phrase): Communion ‌4. ETS (Essence of the Text in a Sentence--state in the past tense): Paul was teaching the Christians in Corinth to refrain from participating in meals of idol worship and recognize the true communion with Christ and the Church in the Lord’s Supper. ‌5. ESS (Essence of the Sermon in a Sentence--also called the Proposition; do not state in the past tense): That through Jesus they will know that Jesus is the one whom brings communion and relationship to sinners. ‌6. OSS (Objective of the Sermon in a Sentence--state in terms of what hearers will do as a result of this sermon): Hearers will hear the gospel and respond. ‌Introduction Here in the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses a problem in the church. This was common, because there were many problems.

And the specific problem here is idolatry. ‌a. What is Idolatry? ‌b. Websters dictionary defines idolatry as, “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.” - Worship, excessive devotion, or reverence to.

And Paul in Chapter 10 is continuing his thoughts from Chapter 8 and 9.

There were those in the church attending feasts and eat meat sacrificed to idols.

In chapter 8, He has stated that idols do nothing. But if eating meat sacrificed to idols causes your brother to stumble, don’t do it. that is unloving.

Maybe that’s an arguement you’ve heard in Christianity, this thing is nothing, an idol is nothing, it doesn’t hurt anyone, so what’s the big deal.

Well, the big deal is it’s sin. And Paul will provide ample truth to the fact in chapter 10.

In chapter 9, he addresses their rights. As Paul gave up his rights, so the Corinthians must sometimes give up their rights. So although, they had the right as far freedom to eat this meat. it doesn’t make it right.

Maybe this is another arguement, we have christian freedom and liberty, so I should be able to do what I want. Well, just because you can do something, doesn’t make it right.

And dining at cultic feasts is not right.

These feasts were for idol worship.

This is idolatry. which is basically anything that you put before God. So almost anything than can be an idol. ‌d. Now, during the time of Christ the people worshipped idols and images of gods. It was common in the Roman empire and other nations. ‌e. But even today many worship idols and images of gods. There are 1.35 billion Hindus, who many worship many gods.

Yet, Paul here in chapter 10, uses Israel as an example.

An example, for this church, but also and example for us.

Let’s look at Paul’s examples of idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:1–6 “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.”

The Corinthian church were eating meat sacrificed to idols, and wouldn’t quite even thouse it caused their borthers to sin.

So Paul addresses this by describing Israel from the Exodus and her time in the wilderness.

And uses Israel’s shortcomings was a warning.

1 Corinthians 10:7 “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.””

Now here, Paul quotes from the book of Exodus.

Exodus 32, to remember when Moses delayed from returning to the people, and people and aaron became impatient and they made the golden calf. Let me read that. English Standard Version Chapter 32 32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

This is idolatry. This is an example

The Israelites worshipped the one true God in the wrong way. Or they worshipped this golden calf in the name of the one true God. They even said they would have a feast to the Lord. So we have this idolatry involved in false worship in the name of Yahwe.

‌That’s why it is so important we approach God reverently, Not just anyway in worship.

In our worship, the whole sum of our worship.

The preaching we hold to a high standard, and we do not worship the preacher.

In praying and offering, we do rightly according to the Scriptures.

But we should also pay attention to the songs you sing. The words of the songs. The source of the songs.

Worship is not emotionalism, it’s not man centered.

It’s God centered, and biblically based.

It’s in Spirit and in truth.

And so new and old, it’s not sufficient to simply say, we do this in the name of Yahweh, that’s what the Israelites did and it was idolatry.

Aaron, in the story of the golden calf, after they build an altar, says to the Israelites , let’s have a feast. in the name of the Lord.

-This is an example, we must learn from.

1 Corinthians 10:8 “We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.”

This likely refers to the same story in Exodus 32.

vs 28 says Exodus 32:28 “And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.”

And 20,000 died in the plague it says, ,Exodus 32:35 “Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.”

Notice, the idolatry leads to the sin of sexual immorality.

Idolatry leads to this sin.

And Sexual immorality, sexual sin is vast. It is adultry, fornication, homosexuality.

Yet, it is in the context of the idolatry of the golden calf, they fell into this sin.

And how serious does God take idolatry.

23,000 fell in a single day.

This is an example for us.

1 Corinthians 10:9 “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,”

Paul her refers to Numbers 16.

The Israelites were complaining.

They had no food or water.

So God sent serpents and bit the people and many died.

They sinned, and so God mad Moses make a bronse serpent and set it on a pole, and whoever is beitten, and sees it will live.

Complaining.

This serves as and example for us.

And lastly,

1 Corinthians 10:10 “nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”

destroyer or angel. we see it a few places in the Bible.

As the destroyer angel, that killed the firstborns of the Eyptians.

The angel that killed 70000 men.

That killed the entrie assyrian army.

So if the Corinthian church thought that eating this idolatrous meal was not big deal, then they stand mistaken.

This idolatry , we could continue to speak about many other religions who worship other gods than the God of the Bible. May other stories in the Bible. ‌i. But what of our current society? Are there idols that people worship in America today? ‌ii. By definition, excessive devotion to something or someone, or putting something before God, we can say Yes, there are many. ‌iii. self, other people, angels, work, hobbies, addictions, materialism, sports. I’d even say, one can even worship their country. ‌iv. Although, our idols may be different, and they maybe harder to detect, they are still idols which offender a holy God. ‌4. Yet, isn’t that similar to what was going on in the book of Corinthians. ‌a. The Church in Corinth, their issue was that they were taking part in feasts dedicated to idols. They were having meals that were that were for other idols. ‌b. Is that ok? Think of the most contrary thing to Christianity, pagan to the core, and going and joining in on a meal dedicated that that which is contrary to God. ‌That’s how serious this is. ‌Well, let’s see what Paul has to say to them, what are we to do about idolatry? ‌“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.” In1 Corinthians 10:14-15 ‌What good advise? ‌Whatever idolatry is tempting you? and it will? ‌Flee from it, Run. ‌Don’t dabble in it. ‌Don’t let it linger. ‌Don’t take baby steps out the door. ‌He says run. ‌Because this idolatry, is sin against a God. ‌ ‌But the flip side of running away from it, you are running to God. ‌Running to the one who can free you from the bondage of sin. ‌There is no hope apart from seeking God and relying on him in our lives. ‌And Church, maybe as we here of Paul’s words about idolatry, there is something in your life that comes to mind. ‌Maybe there’s some sin in your life, some type of idolatry, and once you identify what that it. ‌What you need to do is run! Flee. Flee Idolatry. ‌And run to Jesus. ‌Run to the one whom can set you free and who can help you in your time of need. ‌Because, because Jesus is better. He is the one who truly satisfies. ‌Instead of filling the longing and satisfaction in your heart with the things of the world, run to Jesus. ‌Taste and see that the Lord is good. And in the context of this teaching about idolatry, Paul responds with this method, he says I SPEAK AS TO SENSIBLE PEOPLE.

tHE CORNITHIN CHURCH THOUGHT THEY WERE WISE.

SO PAUL attacks that weakness.

He instructs with reason.

The way to confront idolatry and sin, is with reason.

So because idolatry and eating meat, can cause your brother to stumble, don’t do it.

Because the church is One.

So in the next verses are about fellowship with Christ and he connects this with Communion or the Lord’s Supper. ‌‌Simply it’s this, Believer participate in this feast, do not take part in the feast for idols. ‌So Paul gives us these two wonderful verses in verse 16-17. ‌1st, I want us to see that Communion ‌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? ‌Notice with me, the ESV says participation. ‌The KJV uses communion. ‌But this word KOINONIA also means fellowship. T‌he ames word used in acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” And this word is also used inActs2:42 ‌So when we partake of the Lord’s supper we are fellowshipping with Christ. Communing with Christ. Participating. ‌Marvel with me about this, And think with me that God created Adam and Eve to have fellowship with Him. ‌He created everything and it was good. and Adam and Eve were in the garden in fellowship with God. ‌But that fellowship was broken, because when they ate of the fruit they would surely die. ‌So in order to restore that fellowship, God sent the only begotten eternal Son of God restore fellowship. To redeem, To reconcile a people to himself. ‌That’s redemptive history, all about the work of God working to restore fellowship. ‌And in the Body and the Blood we remember his body on the cross. It was broken. ‌The Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world, crucified, beaten , mocked, and nailed to a cross. ‌And the blood that was spilt, the blood of the spotless lamb of God. ‌He had never sinned, ‌He who knew no sin became sin, took on our sin. ‌And we remember this during this time, that we are also identified through the work of Jesus identified in the new covenant. A better covenant. B‌ut also, Communion is fellowship with the Church body ‌‌17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. ‌So Paul, also talks about the the body. - He first talks about the body of Jesus.

vs 16, the bread, his body.

here we have the church.

The body of Christ, one body, Jesus the head,

There are many, but one body.

And we partake, koinonia, fellowship, participate, of communtion.

This body, is not our physical body. T‌his is the church, the body of Christ. ‌Later in 1 Corinthians Paul would write 12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. ‌And I like how Augustine of Hippo writes about this unity. ‌Augustin of Hippo wrote “ If you receive this well, you are what you receive....for the loaf that contains Christ is made up of many individual kernels of grain, but these kernels must, to become the loaf containing Christ, first be found up and then baked together in one. -‌ So as bread has many grains, but there is one loaf of bread. WE the church are many individuals, but we are the body of Christ. ‌And every part of the body is important. Every one. ‌I believe not one part is more important to the body than the other. ‌I know it’s so important that we all think about the corporate element of communion. ‌Christ has invited all of his children to this table. ‌He has provided all that’s needed to dine, the bread and the wine. ‌‌And I know we are not perfect. There is no church that is perfect. I’m not perfect. We all have our flaws. ‌But in this we all come, with one singular focus and one mind. ‌United in this command from Jesus when he said, Do this in remembrance of me. ‌And we all approach this table this solemn table, the same. ‌Sinners whom are saved by grace. ‌Believers who are in need of the grace of God every single day. ‌John Piper writes: The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to receive from Christ the nourishment and strength and hope and joy that come from feast on our souls on all that He purchased for us on the cross, especially His own fellowship.

So the logical argument here for the unity in communion.

is the answer to the idolatry problem of causeing your borther to sin.

And if you continued to mess with idols, God’s not messing around, he will respond.

Do you think God will let you live like that forever?

I’m glad we have a father in heaven who will not leave us that way. ‌IN Conclusion:

- What might be your idol?

What’s most important to you.

What consumes your time and your devotion and your loyalty.

- I heard a pastor make this point recently about this.

- This is not to gain church attendance. This is not to manipulate, but an observation.

- He stated, “that in most cases, the evening service numbers are likely 1/3 to 1/4 of the morning service.”

He continued “The question is why?

Why when the church is gathering around the word of God, to koinonia, fellowship, and encourage each other.

Why would yo not want to be here.

The truth be told, not in all cases, but in many cases, it’s because their is something else more desireable or enjoyable. something else more important to you.

If something is more imprtant to me and more desireable to me and more joyful to me that what God has prescribed in His wrod, what does that make me, and idolator.”

‌Unbeliever: Christ died to make salvation available to you. ‌This is good news. He didn’t die because you are a good person. or good looking. or just smarter. ‌He died in spight of all of your rebellion against him. ‌IN that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you. ‌To bring you into the fellowship and family of God. ‌And he takes you in, not just as a partcipant on the outside looking in. ‌God takes you in as a child of God. You become apart of the family of God. ‌2. But I think we all need to hear this and think about this. ‌a. We need to Flea from Sin ‌b. There is always that struggle in life, that idol that tempts us. It maybe ourselves or other or materialism. ‌c. We must flea from those things. Lay those things on the altar and run to Jesus. ‌3. But also during the invitation. As we prepare for communion, it is important that we each examine ourselves, repent of our sins, in order that we can partake of the elements properly.