Lords Supper - Communion
Notes
Transcript
Correction
Correction
How does it feel to be corrected?
it can feel different depending on your attitude, right?
The worst is if you BELIEVE you are Right
Then there is the “oh I didn’t know”
and then finally Please inform me what is right.
We have established that the church in Corinth was messy
We spent the last week on practical living Freedom and responsibility
and last week on the proper Worship Stance
Paul is correcting the Church
and we MUST know that he is doing it out of
LOVE FOR CHRIST
and LOVE FOR OTHERS
——— the proper stance
Church
Church
We should start with some context and clarification this morning.
Church style
Church style
When you hear the word church
most of us are going to think of a building where people meet
some of us are going to think of the church as the universal body of believers
But i think as we read this today
we need to think of the church of the early Christians
Christ has risen in the last 30 years
keep that in perspective —— most of the people came to Christ
because of missionaries
first Paul and then from the INVITING and Sharing of the Gospel of a body of Believers
Yet as we discussed the Church is getting varied from the original instructions
Remember when Paul said to “ maintain the traditions” in 11:2
We are in a much wider scope of that same mess today
we come to Christ and then go to the
Buffet of Denominations
choosing HOW we want to Worship
That mess is not the point of todays message, but it is important to set the stage
The early church met
in homes, sometimes referred to as "house churches,"
for gatherings,
prayer,
and the Lord's Supper, often on the first day of the week.
They also met in the temple courts and in other locations where they could share a meal together
Look at
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
they were doing LIFE together
living in community
SO DIFFERENT THEN TODAY
for the most part all church
Set a time
call the people
the people gather
interact
come together
SING
LESSON
take notes
SING
and get dismissed
then some leave and some stay
sadly if church service goes over 5-10 minutes people get restless
It hurts ——- what is possibly more important in your life then
The WORD OF GOD
and the BODY OF BELIEVERS
I know it is NOT REALITY
and I DON’T say it to be FUNNY
our minds and mouths should be crying out
PASTOR DON’T STOP
GIVE US MORE
I cannot GET ENOUGH
some day for every BELIEVER
there will be a time of ENDLESS WORSHIP, ENDLESS HEARING OF THE WORD
FROM THE WORD HIMSELF,
WE WILL LIVE IN THE ETERNAL PRESENCE OF JESUS.
As i studied this week
I was reminded of CAPPADOCIA
Take a look at this picture
They lived together, here in Cappadocia — very isolated
But in Corinth
They lived, much like us, they lived among NON- BELIEVERS
They didn’t have the grand building and mighty SPIRES of the Medieval Church or the Renaissance Church
They came together in homes and park type areas
and they were having a WEEKLY POT LUCK
Context
Context
Here inlays the problem
People were creating KLICKS
——- instead of coming for WORSHIP alone
They were gathering and creating groups
probably based on POWER AND POLITICS
they were not joining together
they were not sharing
they were taking for themselves based on status
they were denying others
Paul says and interesting thing in
19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
remember the IMITATORS of CHRIST.
Paul shows the wisdom that some of the people SET APART
SOME WERE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS
and i think this is a connection in HIS Letter to his earlier statements about Freedom and Responsibility
Paul was calling out the wrongdoers to imitate the RIGHT DOERS who we doing so in the RIGHT WAY
OBEYING CHRIST
Now Paul get to a HUGE thing......
Communion
Communion
Do you really understand communion — THE LORDS SUPPER
we are going to take it TODAY
by now you know the process
Pass out the cups
call for examination
Bread is the Body
Juice is the BLOOD
Let me ask you a question
and then take a minute
Could all of you come up here right now
and guide us through it?
Think on that
Paul is telling the Corinthians that they are doing it WRONG
So my question HOW ARE YOU DOING
I am not asking if I, as your PASTOR are doing it RIGHT
I am asking you to take a minute and ask your self that question
Do you know RIGHT, so that you would KNOW WRONG?
There are Christians that are afraid to take communion
because they FEAR IT.
How about YOU?
If your not
then look at this verse. Read it once or twice
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.
THINK ON THAT A MOMENT
Are you or have you been guilty of doing it JUST BECAUSE
Have you ever been convicted about COMMUNION enough to wonder if you should take it?
Has COMMUNION ever been a thing you do because everyone around you is doing it.
Look if you didn’t know —— NOW YOU DO
————————————————————————————————————————
Lets break this DOWN, and then take communion
Let’s pray a bit before I address this final section
DEAR FATHER ——— show us the depth, show us the meaning, show us the importance THAT you put on this today.
I am going to start a little upside down in our text
Go to
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.
Do you even know what to do, when i ask you to take a few minutes......
We should address sin that we KNOW we do
We should ask for forgiveness for Sin we don’t know
We should ask forgiveness for times we knew we should, but didn’t do something
We should then ask the HOLY SPIRIT TO SEARCH US.
Frankly, we should all be thinking more like…
PASTOR you don’t give us enough time for all that… I am a mess.
It is a DEPTH of TIME with the LORD
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Metal like Gold must be purified to remove the junk, so that it is pure
It is the same with us.…
Communion is not a THING WE DO, or JUST participate in
Friends this is EXACTLY WHY it grinds my gears, when a Pastor invites ALL to partake.
IT IS NOT FOR ALL
IT IS A DEEP SPIRITUAL MOMENT WITH THE LORD
it is REMEMBERING ——- as in HONORING ——-
The LIFE< THE DEATH< and the RESURRECTION of our LORD
Communion is CO UNION
with JESUS
it is SOLEMN
It is and should be a DEEP DEEP EMOTIONAL MOMENT WITH OUR LORD
Lets close today with the LORD’S SUPPER
